2004 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 Sport 1

226 Controls in detailDriving systemsAirmatic DC (Dual Control)*
Airmatic automatically selects the opti-
mum suspension tuning and ride height for
your vehicle. The Airmatic consists of two
components:

Adaptive Damping System (ADS)


Vehicle level control
The ADS automatically selects the opti-
mum damping for the respective driving
conditions. At the same time the suspen-
sion is set to either sporty or comfort.
Suspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:


Your driving style


Road surface conditions


Your choice of suspension style,
“sporty I”, “sporty II” or “comfortable”,
which you select using the damping
button.The following suspension styles are
available:


Comfortable
Both indicator lamps2 are off.


Sporty I
One indicator lamp2 is on.


Sporty II
Both indicator lamps2 are on.
1Damping button
2Indicator lamps

Start the engine.

Press the damping button1 until the
desired suspension style is set.iThe selected suspension style is stored
in memory, even after the SmartKey is
removed from the starter switch.iIn the sporty suspension style the vehi-
cle is lowered up to 0.6 in (15 mm).

227 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Vehicle level control
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to

reduce fuel consumption


increase vehicle safety
The following vehicle chassis ride heights
can be selected:


Normal


RaisedThe vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed:


At a speed above approximately above
68 mph (110 km / h) and the sporty
suspension style selected
(page 226), ride height is reduced
automatically by up to approximately
0.6in (15mm).


With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the “Normal” level.Select the “Raised” level only when re-
quired by current driving conditions. Oth-
erwise


fuel consumption may increase


handling may be impaired
iThese height adjustments are so small
that you may not notice any change.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands
and feet away from wheel housing area, and
stay away from under the vehicle when low-
ering the vehicle chassis.

236 Controls in detailLoadingRemoval of ski sack
For removal of the ski sack we recommend
that you contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Split rear bench seat*
To expand the trunk, you can fold down the
left and right rear seat backrests.
The two sections can be folded down sep-
arately to enlarge the trunk.Folding the backrest forward
1Release handle
Warning!
G
Never drive vehicle with trunk open while
the ski sack is removed. Deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior, resulting in unconsciousness and
death.iTo prevent unauthorized persons from
access to the trunk, always close the
cover.
Warning!
G
When expanding the luggage compartment,
always fold the seat cushions fully forward.
Unless you are transporting cargo, the back-
rests must remain properly locked in the up-
right position.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
Always use the cargo tie down rings
(page 241).
!You must always release the seat cush-
ion and fold it up before folding the seat
backrests forward. The upholstery on
the seat backrest may otherwise be
damaged.

238 Controls in detailLoadingReturning seat backrest to original po-
sition
1Seat cushion
2Seat backrest
Swing seat backrest2 to the rear until
it engages.

Swing seat cushion1 to the rear and
press the center front of the cushion
until it audibly engages.

Swing the head restraint forward by
hand until it engages.
Warning!
G
Always lock backrest in its upright position
when rear seat bench is occupied, or the ex-
tended trunk compartment is not in use.
Check for secure locking by pushing and
pulling on the backrest.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo.

240 Controls in detailLoadingLoading instructions
The total load weight including vehicle oc-
cupants and luggage / cargo should not ex-
ceed the vehicle capacity weight indicated
on the certification tag which can be found
on the left door pillar.The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Always place items being carried against
front or rear seat backrests, and fasten
them as securely as possible.
The heaviest portion of the cargo should al-
ways be kept as low as possible since it in-
fluences the handling characteristics of
the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo. Put luggage or car-
go in the trunk if possible. Do not pile lug-
gage or cargo higher than the seat backs.
Do not place anything on the rear-window
shelf.
Never drive vehicle with trunk open. Deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) gases may enter ve-
hicle interior resulting in unconsciousness
and death.

242 Controls in detailUseful features
Useful featuresInterior storage spaces Parcel net in front passenger footwell
A small convenience parcel net is located
in the front passenger footwell. It is for
small and light items, such as road maps,
mail, etc.Glove box
1Glove box lid release
2Compartment for mobile
phone / glasses
Opening the glove box

Push lid release1.
The glove box lid opens downward.
Closing the glove box

Push lid up to close.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when stowing objects in the vehicle. Put lug-
g a g e o r c a r g o i n t h e t r u n k i f p o s s i b l e . D o n o t
pile luggage or cargo higher than the seat
backs. Do not place anything on the shelf
below the rear window.
Luggage nets cannot secure hard or heavy
objects.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
an accident.
Warning!
G
The parcel net is intended for storing
light-weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
parcel net.
The parcel net cannot protect transported
goods in the event of an accident.

245 Controls in detail
Useful features

To open air vent slide the lever up.

To close air vent slide the lever down.Storage compartment in the rear cen-
ter console

Briefly press the top of the compart-
ment.
It extends automatically.Ruffled storage bags
Ruffled storage bags are located on the
back of the front seats.
iThe compartment can get very warm
due to its confined space. When storing
heat sensitive objects (e.g. groceries)
in the compartment, close the air vent
while heating the passenger compart-
ment
Warning!
G
The ruffled storage bag is intended for stor-
ing light-weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
ruffled storage bag.
The ruffled storage bag cannot protect
transported goods in the event of an acci-
dent.

268 OperationDriving instructionsPower assistance
Brakes
Warning!
G
The brake system requires electrical energy
for operation.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. In such a case, the
red brake warning lamp (
page 312) and
warning messages in the instrument cluster
(
page 318) come on while driving. To
brake, the driver must then apply signifi-
cantly greater brake pedal pressure and de-
press the pedal much further to obtain the
expected braking effect. If necessary, apply
full pressure to the brake pedal. Brakes may
only be applied to the front wheels. Stop-
ping distance is increased! If there is a mal-
function in the SBC brake system, we
recommend that the vehicle be transported
with all wheels off the ground using flatbed
or appropriate wheel lift/dolly equipment. A
tow bar must be used if circumstances do
not permit the use of the recommended
towing methods and the vehicle requires
towing with all four wheels on the ground.
Towing the vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is only permissible for distances
up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For more infor-
mation, refer to “Towing the vehicle”
(page 381). For more information see
SBC brake system (
page 79).
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 and steer the ve-
hicle.
Warning!
G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking ef-
fect. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles
in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an acci-
dent.