2003 MERCEDES-BENZ S500 4MATIC display

128 Controls in detailInstrument clusterCoolant temperature gaugeDuring severe operating conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248° F (120°C),
i.e. close to the red zone of the tempera-
ture gauge.
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248° F
(120°C), i.e. in the red zone of the temper-
ature gauge. Doing so may cause serious
engine damage which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip odome-
ter display.
Press the
è
or
ÿ
button on the
multifunction steering wheel repeated-
ly until the trip odometer appears if it is
not displayed (
page 130).

Press and hold reset button
J
on the
instrument cluster (
page 22) until
the trip odometer is reset.
Warning!
G


Driving when your engine is badly over-
heated can cause some fluids which
may have leaked into the engine com-
partment to catch fire. You could be se-
riously burned.


Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the engine hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam
coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until it
cools down.
iExcessive coolant temperatures trigger
a warning in the multifunction display.

129 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
S 55 AMG
The tachometer of the S 55 AMG does not
have a red marking denoting excessive en-
gine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated at
an excessive engine speed.
Outside temperature indicator
The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. There-
fore, the accuracy of the displayed temper-
a t u r e c a n o n l y b e v e r i f i e d b y c o m p a r i s o n t o
a thermometer placed next to the sensor,
not by comparison to external displays
(e.g. bank signs etc.).When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
!Avoid driving at excessive engine
speeds, as it may result in serious en-
gine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
s i g n e d t o s e r v e a s a n i c e - w a r n i n g d e v i c e a n d
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.

130 Controls in detailControl system
Control systemThe control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1. The control system
enables you to:

call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Trip odometer
2Main odometer
iThe displays for the audio systems (ra-
dio, CD player) will appear in English,
regardless of the language selected.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his /her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 13.5 m) every second.

131 Controls in detail
Control system
Multifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display
and the settings in the control system are
controlled using the buttons on the multi-
function steering wheel (
page 24).Pressing any of the buttons on the multi-
function steering wheel will alter what is
shown in the multifunction display.
The information available in the multifunc-
tion display is arranged in menus, each
containing a number of functions or sub-
menus.
The individual functions are then found
within the relevant menu (radio or CD op-
erations under
AUDIO
, for example). These
functions serve to call up relevant informa-
tion or to customize the settings for your
vehicle.
1
Multifunction display in the speed-
ometerOperating the control system
2
Selecting the submenu or setting
the volumeç
down / to decrease
æ
up / to increase
3
Telephone*í
to take a call
ì
to end a call
4
Menu systemsè
for next menu
ÿ
for previous menu
5
Moving within a menuj
for next display
k
for previous display

132 Controls in detailControl systemIt is helpful to think of the menus, and the
functions within each menu, as being ar-
ranged in a circular pattern.

If you press button
è
or
ÿ

repeatedly, you will pass through each
menu one after the other.


If you press button
k
or
j

repeatedly, you will pass through each
function display, one after the other, in
the current menu.In the
SETTINGS
menu, instead of functions
you will find a number of submenus for
calling up and changing settings. For in-
structions on using these submenus, see
“Settings menu” (page 146).
The number of menus available in the sys-
tem depends on which optional equipment
is installed in your vehicle.
The menus are described on the following
pages.

135 Controls in detail
Control system
Standard display menu
You can select the functions in the stan-
dard display menu with button
k

or
j
.
The following functions are available:
Display digital speedometer

Press the
j
or
k
button repeat-
edly until you see the digital speedom-
eter appear in the display.
The current vehicle speed is shown in
the multifunction display.
AUDIO menu
The functions in the
AUDIO
menu operate
the audio equipment which you currently
have turned on.
If no audio equipment is currently turned
on, the message
AUDIO OFF
i s s h ow n i n t h e
display.
The following functions are available:
iThe headings used in the menus table
are designed to facilitate navigation
within the system and are not neces-
sarily identical to those shown in the
control system displays.
The first function displayed in each
menu will automatically show you
which part of the system you are in.
Function
Page
Call up FSS
281
Check tire pressure*
274
Check engine oil level
264
Call up digital speedometer
see below
Function
Page
Select radio station
136
Operate CD player
136

136 Controls in detailControl systemSelect radio station
Turn on the radio. Refer to separate
COMAND operating instructions.

Press button
è
or
ÿ
repeatedly
until you see the currently tuned sta-
tion in the display.
1Waveband
2Setting for station selection using
memory
3Station frequency

Press button
k
or
j
repeatedly
until the desired station is found.
The type of search depends on the
setting for the station tuning
(
page 154):


Frequency


MemoryOperate the CD player

Turn on the radio and select the CD
player. Refer to separate COMAND op-
erating instructions.

Press button
è
or
ÿ
repeatedly
until the settings for the CD currently
being played appear in the display.
1Current CD
(for CD changer* (
page 137))
2Current track

Press button
k
or
j
repeatedly
until the desired track is selected.
iYou can only store new stations using
the designated feature on the radio.
Refer to separate COMAND operating
instructions.
You can also operate the radio in the
usual manner.
iCD changer*: To select a CD from the
magazine, press a number on the
COMAND system key pad located in
the center dashboard.

137 Controls in detail
Control system
CD changer* operating mode
General notes
Should excessively high temperatures oc-
cur while in CD mode,
CD TEMP HIGH
will
appear on the display and muting will take
place. The unit will then switch back to the
last operating mode used until the temper-
ature has decreased to a safe operating
level.
Should excessively low temperatures oc-
cur while in CD mode,
CD TEMP LOW
will ap-
pear on the display, but the CD will
continue to play.
Handle CDs carefully to prevent interfer-
ence during playback. Avoid fingerprints
and dust on CDs. Do not write on CDs or
apply any label or other material to them.Use only original CDs. Using copied CDs
may create problems during playback.
Clean CDs from time to time with a com-
mercially available cleaning cloth. No sol-
vents, anti-static sprays, etc. should be
used for cleaning. Replace the CD in its
case after use. Protect CDs from heat and
direct sunlight.
Only use CDs, which bear the label shown
and that conform to the compact disc dig-
ital audio standard (IEC 60908).Use of CDs which do not meet this stan-
dard may cause damage to the CD chang-
er. Do not play single-CDs (80 mm) with an
adapter.
For information operating the CD changer
refer to the separate COMAND operating
instructions.
Warning!
G
The CD changer is a Class 1 laser product.
There is a danger of invisible laser radiation
if the cover is opened or damaged.
Do not remove the cover. The CD changer
does not contain any parts which can be ser-
viced by the user. For safety reasons, have
any service work which may be necessary
performed only by qualified personnel.