2003 MERCEDES-BENZ S600 warning

26 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
KEYLESS-GO* start / stop
button
33
2
Selector lever for
automatic transmission
43
3
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp
69
4
Thumbwheel for setting
distance in Distronic*
206
Item
Page
5
Distance warning func-
tion* on / off switch
206
6
Lower storage space
225
7
Program mode selector for
automatic transmission
164

31 Getting started
Unlocking
Starter switch positionsStarter switch0For removing SmartKey
1Power supply to some electrical con-
sumers, such as seat adjustment
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
3Starting position
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 the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of
vehicle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.iThe SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in position P.
!If the SmartKey is left in starter switch
position 0 for an extended period of
time, it can no longer be turned in the
starter switch.

Remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch and reinsert.
If the SmartKey can still not be turned,
the battery may not be sufficiently
charged.

Check the battery and charge it
if necessary (
page 344).

Get a jump start (
page 347).
To prevent accelerated battery dis-
charge or a completely discharged bat-
tery, always remove the SmartKey from
the starter switch.

32 Getting startedUnlockingUnlocking with KEYLESS-GO*
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: In addition to
the two SmartKeys with remote controls
and removable mechanical key, your vehi-
cle comes equipped with two
KEYLESS-GO* cards.
The function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO function.If you have the KEYLESS-GO function, your
vehicle checks whether the KEYLESS-GO
card is valid when you grasp the door han-
dle. If your KEYLESS-GO card is valid, the
doors will unlock, and you can open them.

Grasp the door handle.
All turn signal lamps blink once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.Pressing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton on the selector lever corresponds to
turning the key to the various starter
switch positions.iTo unlock the vehicle, the KEYLESS-GO
card must be outside the vehicle, no
further than approximately 3 feet
(1 meter) away from the door.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey and the KEYLESS-GO card with
you, and lock the 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.

34 Getting startedAdjusting
Adjusting
Seats
Warning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back reclined. Sitting in an excessively re-
clined position can be dangerous. You could
slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you
slide under it, the belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause se-
rious or fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belts provide the best restraint when
the wearer is in an upright position and belts
are properly positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt.
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.
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.
The power seats can also be operated with
the driver’s or passenger door open. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.

35 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switches are located
on the front doors.
1Head restraint height
2Seat height
3Seat cushion tilt
4Seat cushion depth
5Seat fore and aft adjustment
6Seat backrest tilt
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the front passenger air-
bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in-
flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle's
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er’s instructions.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.

37 Getting started
Adjusting
Head restraint height
Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow1.
Head restraint tilt

Manually adjust the angle of the head
restraint. Push or pull on the lower
edge of the head restraint cushion.
For more information, see “Front seat head
restraints” (
page 105).
Steering wheel
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint to support the back of
the head approximately at ear level.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.
iThe front passenger seat head restraint
automatically lowers after a few sec-
onds when the front passenger seat is
not occupied. This improves the driv-
er’s outward view as well as the for-
ward view from the rear passenger
compartment.
When the front passenger seat is occu-
pied again, the front passenger seat
head restraint returns to the last set
position within a few seconds.
If the front passenger seat was moved
fore or aft while not being occupied,
the front passenger seat head restraint
returns to a position that corresponds
best with the seat’s axial position when
the seat is occupied again.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing could cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, and take
the KEYLESS-GO
* card (if so equipped) with
you.
The steering wheel adjustment feature can
also be operated with the driver’s door
open. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

38 Getting startedAdjustingSteering wheel adjustment
The stalk is located on the steering column
(lower left).
1Steering column, lengthen or shorten
2Steering column, height
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1or2.
or

Press the KEYLESS GO* start/stop
button once or twice.
or

Open the driver’s or passenger door.Steering column, lengthen or shorten

Move stalk forward or backward in the
direction of arrows1 until a comfort-
able steering wheel position is reached
with your arms slightly bent at the el-
bow.
Steering column, height

Move the stalk up or down in the direc-
tion of arrows2. Make sure that your
legs can move freely and that all of the
displays (including malfunction and in-
dicator lamps) on the instrument clus-
ter are clearly visible.
Mirrors
Adjust the inside and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.
Inside rear view mirror
Manually adjust the inside rear view
mirror.Warning!
G
In the case of an accident liquid electrolyte
may escape the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.

39 Getting started
Adjusting
Exterior rear view mirrorThe buttons are located on the driver’s
door.
1Driver’s side mirror
2Passenger side mirror
3Adjustment button

Make sure that the ignition is switched
on.
All the lights in the instrument cluster
light up.

Press button1 for the left mirror or
button2 for the right mirror.

Push adjustment button3 up, down,
left, or right according to the desired
setting.For information on the electrically folding
exterior rear view mirrors, see “Folding the
exterior mirrors in and out automatically”
(
page 170).
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can only be
completely removed while in their liq-
uid state and by applying plenty of wa-
ter.
!For information on how to reposition
the exterior mirror housing when it was
forcibly pushed forward (hit from the
rear) or forcibly pushed rearward (hit
from the front), see “Folding the exteri-
or mirrors in and out manually”
(page 170).
iAt low ambient temperatures, the mir-
rors will be heated automatically.