2004 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 Driving

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 take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. 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.iThe SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in positionP.
!If the SmartKey cannot be turned, the
battery may not be sufficiently
charged.

Check the battery and charge it
if necessary (
page 287).

Get a jump start (
page 378).
To prevent accelerated battery dis-
charge or a completely discharged bat-
tery, always remove the SmartKey from
the starter switch when the engine is
not in operation.

34 Getting startedAdjusting
AdjustingSeatsWarning!
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 back 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 (
page 40).
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
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* 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.
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 passenger front 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.

38 Getting startedAdjustingMirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.
Interior rear view mirror
Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 168). Exterior rear view mirrorThe buttons are located on the driver’s
door.
1Passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror button
2Adjustment button
3Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
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.
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-
terior 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.

40 Getting startedDriving
Driving
Fastening the seat belts
Warning!
G
Do not lay any objects in the driver’s foot-
well. Be careful that floor mats or carpets in
the driver’s footwell have sufficient clear-
ance for the pedals.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate.
Warning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even those sitting in the
rear and pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passengers should
always wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are wearing your
seat belt. The airbags can only protect as ex-
pected if the occupants are using their seat
belts (
page 62).
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 passenger front 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.

41 Getting started
Driving
BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens Automotive
Corp.
1Retractor
2Latch plate
3Buckle
4Release button
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.Warning!
G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re-
strained with a separate seat belt.
Warning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest reclined. Sitting in an excessively
reclined 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 serious or even fatal injuries. The seat
backrest and seat belt provide the best re-
straint when the wearer is in an upright po-
sition and the belt is properly positioned on
the body.Warning!
G
Read and observe the additional warning no-
tices printed in the “Safety and security”
section (
page 62).

42 Getting startedDriving
Pull the seat belt smoothly from the
seat belt outlet.

Place the belt over your shoulder.

Push latch plate2 into buckle3 until
it clicks.

If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.
Belt outlet height adjustment
1Release button

Press release button1 and move the
seat belt height adjuster upward or
downward.Proper use of seat belts


Do not twist the belt when fastening.


Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck or pass under the
arm).


Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.


Place the seat backrest in a nearly up-
right position.


Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.


Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-
son and another object at the same
time.


Check your seat belt during travel to
ensure that it is properly positioned.


Ensure that the seat belt is always fit-
ted snugly. You should avoid wearing
bulky clothing, such as winter coats,
when traveling in the vehicle.

43 Getting started
Driving
Starting the engine Automatic transmission
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with gear selector lever
lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 160).
Warning!
G
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the belts.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
Warning!
G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon-
sciousness and lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while driving,
have the cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive only with at least one win-
dow fully open.

44 Getting startedDrivingStarting with the SmartKey
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to P.

Do not depress the accelerator.

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

Depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
For information on turning off the engine
with the SmartKey, see “Turning off en-
gine” (
page 52).Starting with KEYLESS-GO*
You can start your vehicle without the
SmartKey in the starter switch using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button on the
gear selector lever.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located in the vehicle.
1KEYLESS-GO start/stop button

Make sure the gear selector lever is set
toP.

Depress the brake pedal during the
starting procedure. Do not depress ac-
celerator.
The selector lever lock is released.

Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button1 once.
The engine starts automatically if the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is in the
vehicle.
For information on turning off the engine
with KEYLESS-GO, see “Turning off 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.