2003 MERCEDES-BENZ S600 stop start

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

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.

33 Getting started
Unlocking
1KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
Before you press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button, the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have status 0 (as with
SmartKey removed).
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
toP.
Do not depress the brake pedal.Position 1

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton once.
This supplies power to some electrical
consumers, such as seat adjustment.
Ignition (or position 2)

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton twice in immediate succession.
This supplies power to all electrical
consumers. All the lights in the instru-
ment cluster light up.More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 85).
For information on starting the engine us-
ing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button,
see “Starting with KEYLESS-GO*”
(
page 43).
iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button twice, the power
supply is again switched off.iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button once, the power sup-
ply is again switched off.

36 Getting startedAdjusting
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1or2.
or

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

Open the respective driver’s or passen-
ger door.
Seat height

Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow2.
Seat cushion tilt

Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow3 until your upper legs
are lightly supported.Seat cushion depth

Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow4 until your
legs are supported comfortably.
Seat fore and aft adjustment

Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow5.
Adjust to a comfortable seating posi-
tion that still allows you to reach the
accelerator / brake pedal safely. The
position should be as far to the rear as
possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.Seat backrest tilt

Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow6 until your
arms are slightly angled when holding
the steering wheel.
iWhen moving the seat, be sure that
there are no items in the footwell or be-
hind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.

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.

43 Getting started
Driving
Automatic transmissionGearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with selector lever lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
Make sure that the gear selector lever
is set toP.Starting with the SmartKey

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 and hold until the engine
starts (
page 31).

Firmly depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
For information on turning off the engine
with the SmartKey, see “Turning off engine
with the SmartKey” (
page 52).
Starting with KEYLESS-GO*
You can start your vehicle without a
SmartKey using the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button on the gear selector le-
ver.1KEYLESS-GO start/stop button

Firmly depress the brake pedal during
the starting procedure. Do not depress
accelerator.
The selector lever lock is released.

Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button1 once.
The engine starts automatically.
For information on turning off the engine
with KEYLESS-GO, see “Turning off engine
with KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 53).
iYou can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the SmartKey to
position3 and release it again immedi-
ately. The engine then starts automati-
cally.

48 Getting startedDrivingWiping with windshield washer fluid
Push switch in the direction of arrow1
past the resistance point.
The windshield wiper operates with
washer fluid.
Problems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.The coolant temperature is over 248°F
(120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.

Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 268).
!If leaves, snow, etc. block the wind-
shield wipers, switch off the wipers.

For safety reasons, withdraw
SmartKey from starter switch. Re-
move blockage.


Turn the windshield wipers on
again.
If windshield wipers fail to function at
all in switch positionI:


Set the combination switch to the
next highest wiper speed.


Have the windshield wipers
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

50 Getting startedParking and locking
Parking and lockingYou have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
1Parking brake
2Release handle
Step firmly on parking brake1.
When the engine is running, the
indicator lamp
;
(USA only) or
3
(Canada only) in the instrument
cluster illuminates.
Warning!
G
Wait until the vehicle is stationary before re-
moving the SmartKey from the starter
switch. The vehicle cannot be steered when
the SmartKey is removed.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake or steer the ve-
hicle.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay, or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Move the selector lever to positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press
start- / stop button (vehicles with KEY-
LESS-GO*).


Take the SmartKey or the KEYLESS-GO*
card (if so equipped) and lock vehicle
when leaving.