2003 MERCEDES-BENZ S430 4MATIC engine

53 Getting started
Parking and locking
Turning off engine with KEYLESS-GO* 
Place the gear selector lever in P.

Press and hold the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button until the engine
shuts off.
With the driver's door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(page 31).

Press the seat belt release button
(page 41).
1Lock button on the door handle

After exiting the vehicle, press lock
button1 on the door handle or on the
trunk lid.
The locking knobs on the doors move
down. The turn signal indicators light
up briefly.
For more information, see “Controls in de-
tail” (page 85).
!If you hear a warning signal you have ei-
ther:

forgotten to turn off the lights, or


not put the gear selector lever inP
before opening the driver’s door
Turn off the lights or place the gear se-
lector lever inP.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with
you, and lock your vehicle. Do not leave chil-
dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac-
cess to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment may cause an ac-
cident and/or serious personal injury.

56 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Occupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are:

Seat belts


Emergency tensioning device


Airbags


Child seats


Child seat recognition


Lower anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH)
As independent systems their protective
effects work in conjunction with each oth-
er.The
1
indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up


for about four seconds when you turn
the key in the starter switch to
position1 or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button once. It then goes
out briefly, lights up again and remains
lit until you start the engine.


for about four seconds when you start
the engine by turning the key or press-
ing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop but-
ton.The restraint systems are fully operational
if the 1 indicator lamp is not lit when the
engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been de-
tected, if the 1 indicator lamp:


fails to go out after approximately four
seconds.


does not come on at all.


comes on after the engine was started
or while driving.
For safety reasons, we strongly recom-
mend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to
have the system checked.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 289).
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 67).
iThe
1
indicator lamp lights up and
remains lit if the key is turned to posi-
tion 2 and left there or the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button is
pressed twice. The indicator lamp will
go out when you start the engine.

62 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyThe front passenger side impact airbag2
will only deploy if the system senses that
the front passenger seat is occupied.
The window curtain airbags fill up the area
between the A and C pillars (see arrows).
3Window curtain airbag
4Side impact airbags
Seat belts
The seat belt nonusage warning lamp
<

in the instrument cluster lights up and a
warning sounds for a short time when you
turn the SmartKey in the starter switch to
position2 or press the KEYLESS-GO* (if so
equipped) start/stop button twice and the
driver’s seat belt is not fastened.
After starting the engine, the seat belt non-
usage warning lamp blinks for a brief peri-
od to remind the driver and passengers to
fasten their seat belts.
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in
most states and all Canadian provinces.
Even where this is not the case, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts fas-
tened whenever the vehicle is in motion.
For information on fastening seat belts,
see “Getting started” (
page 29).
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 67).

77 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even with light brake pressure. The
pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving.The
-
indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when you turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch to
position2 or press the KEYLESS-GO* (if so
equipped) start/stop button twice. It goes
out when the engine is running.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 289).
iTo alert following vehicles to slippery
road conditions you discover, operate
your hazard warning flashers as appro-
priate.
Warning!
G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency be-
yond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction. The
ABS cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in
turns, following another vehicle too closely,
or hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ABS equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.

78 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsBAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing the braking distance. Apply
continuous full braking pressure until the
emergency braking situation is over. The
ABS will prevent the wheels from locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
For more information see “Practical hints”
(page 289).
ESP
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
monitors the vehicle's traction (force of
adhesive friction between the tires and the
road surface) and handling.
The ESP recognizes when a wheel is spin-
ning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By ap-
plying brakes to the appropriate wheel and
by limiting engine output, the ESP works to
stabilize the vehicle. The ESP is especially
useful while driving off and on wet or slip-
pery road surfaces.
The ESP warning lamp
v
in the instru-
ment cluster flashes when the ESP is en-
gaged.
The ESP warning lamp
v
in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when you turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch to
position2 or press the KEYLESS-GO* (if so
equipped) start/stop button twice. It goes
out when the engine is running.
Warning!
G
The BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires or the traction. The BAS cannot
prevent accidents, including those resulting
from excessive speed in turns, following an-
other vehicle too closely, or hydroplaning.
Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver can
prevent accidents. The capabilities of a BAS
equipped vehicle must never be exploited in
a reckless or dangerous manner which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or the
safety of others.

79 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information see “Practical hints”
(page 289).
Warning!
G
Never switch off the ESP when you see the
ESP warning lamp
v
flashing in the in-
strument cluster. In this case proceed as fol-
lows:


While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.


While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.


Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP cannot prevent accidents resulting
from excessive speed.
Warning!
G
The ESP cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ESP equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.iDistronic* is switched off when ESP is
activated.
!Because of the ESP’s automatic opera-
tion, the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0
or1) when:

the parking brake is being tested on
a brake test dynamometer


the vehicle is being towed with the
front/rear axle raised
Active braking action through the ESP
may otherwise seriously damage the
brake system.
The ESP will only function properly if
you use wheels of the recommended
tire size.

81 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Four wheel electronic traction system (4MATIC) with the ESP
Models with all-wheel drive only:
The 4MATIC improves the vehicle’s ability
to use available traction, e.g. during winter
operation in mountains under snowy con-
ditions, by applying power to all four
wheels.
Warning!
G
If you see the ESP warning lamp
v
flash-
ing in the speedometer dial, proceed as fol-
lows:


While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible


While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor


Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP cannot prevent accidents resulting
from excessive speed.!Do not tow with one axle raised.
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Performance testing must only be con-
ducted on a 2-axle dynamometer.
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.!Because of the ESP’s automatic opera-
tion, the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0
or1) when the parking brake is being
tested on a brake test dynamometer.
Active braking action through the ESP
may otherwise seriously damage the
front or rear axle brake system.
Operational tests with the engine run-
ning can only be conducted on a 2-axle
dynamometer.

82 Safety and SecurityAnti-theft systems
Anti-theft systemsImmobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
Activating

With the SmartKey: Removing the
SmartKey from the starter switch acti-
vates the immobilizer.


With KEYLESS-GO*: Turning off the en-
gine by means of the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button on the gear selector
lever activates the immobilizer.Deactivating


With the SmartKey: Inserting the
SmartKey in the starter switch deacti-
vates the immobilizer.


With KEYLESS-GO*: Starting the en-
gine by means of the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button on the gear selector
lever deactivates the immobilizer.
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens

a door


the trunk


the hood
The alarm will stay on even if the activating
element (a door, for example) is immedi-
ately closed.
The alarm system will also be triggered
when


someone attempts to raise the vehicle


the vehicle is opened with the mechan-
ical key
iIn case the engine cannot be started
(yet the vehicle’s battery is charged),
the system is not operational. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or call 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the
USA), or 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).