2004 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 driver controls

120 Controls in detailLighting
Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch (
page 119).
Automatic headlamp mode
The parking lamps, low beam headlamps
and license plate lamps switch on and off
automatically depending on the brightness
of the ambient light.

Turn the exterior lamp switch to U.
iIf you remove the SmartKey and open
the driver’s door while the parking
lamps or low beam headlamps are
switched on, then

a warning sounds


$ appears in the multifunction
display


the message
Switch off lights!

appears in the multifunction display
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated and the engine running, the
low beam headlamps cannot be
switched off manually.
Warning!
G
If the exterior lamp switch is set toU,

the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright am-
bient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.


the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others, acti-
vate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch to B when driving or when traffic
and / or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from position U to B with the
vehicle at a standstill. Switching from U
to B will briefly switch off the head-
lamps. Doing so while driving in low ambient
lighting conditions may result in an acci-
dent.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle's lights at all
times.

129 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1 or as soon as the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* is in
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
1Segment ring
2Standard display
3Trip 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.

137 Controls in detail
Control system
Distronic activated
When Distronic is activated,
Distronic

and the set speed are seen in the display.
1Distronic activated
Malfunction memory menu
Use the malfunction memory menu to scan
malfunction and warning messages that
may be stored in the system. What infor-
mation is shown in the display depends on
whether malfunctions have actually oc-
curred.

Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until you see the malfunction message
memory in the display.
No malfunction messages
If no malfunctions have occurred, the mes-
sage in the display is:
No MalfunctionMalfunctions have occurred
If malfunctions have occurred, you will see
the number of malfunctions in the display:
Warning!
G
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are inten-
tionally not very detailed. The malfunction
and warning messages are simply a remind-
er with respect to the operation of certain
systems and do not replace the owner’s
and / or driver’s responsibility to maintain
the vehicle’s operating safety by having all
required maintenance and safety checks
performed on the vehicle and by bringing
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center to address the malfunction and
warning messages (
page 318).

140 Controls in detailControl systemThe table below shows what settings can
be changed within the various menus. De-
tailed instructions on making individual
settings can be found on the following pag-
es.INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
TIME/DATE
LIGHTING
VEHICLE
CONVENIENCE
DYNAMIC SEAT*
Select temperature dis-
play mode
Synchronizing the
time
Set daytime running
lamp mode
(USA only)
Set automatic lock-
ing
Activate
easy-entry / exit
feature
Set level for dynam-
ic seat, driver
Select speedometer dis-
play mode
Set time (hours)
Set locator lighting
Set SmartKey-de-
pendency
Set level for dynam-
ic seat, passenger
Select language
Set time (minutes)
Ambient lighting
Set parking position
for exterior rear
view mirror
Select display (speed dis-
play or outside tempera-
ture) for status line
Set date (month)
Exterior lamps de-
layed shut-off
Select display (speed dis-
play or outside tempera-
ture) for basic display
Set date (day)
Interior lighting de-
layed shut-off
Tire pressure unit dis-
play*
Set date (year)

147 Controls in detail
Control system
Setting locator lighting
During darkness, the following lamps will
come on when the exterior lamp switch is
in position
U
, the locator lighting fea-
ture is activated and the vehicle is un-
locked by SmartKey:


Parking lamps


Tail lamps


License plate lamps


Front fog lamps
The locator lighting switches off when the
driver’s door is opened. It switches off au-
tomatically after a period of approximately
40 seconds.

Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the
Light-
ing
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Function Surround lighting
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Pressæ orç to select the de-
sired setting.
The locator lighting will be switched on
or off.
Ambient light level
Using this function, you can adjust the
brightness of the ambient lighting.

Move the selection marker with the
æ orç button to the Lighting
submenu.

Press button j ork repeatedly
until you see the message
Ambient
light Level
in the display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press æ orç to select the
brightness of the lighting. 1 represents
the darkest setting and 5 represents
the brightest setting.
The ambient light is switched off below
setting 1 or above setting 5. The selec-
tion marker points to off.

150 Controls in detailControl system
Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the
Vehi-
cle
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Automatic door lock
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Pressæ orç to switch
Automat-
ic door lock
on or
off
.Limiting opening height of trunk lid*
Use this function to activate or deactivate
the limiting opening height of trunk lid.

Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the
Vehi-
cle
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Opening limiter trunk lid
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Pressæ orç to switch
Opening
limiter Trunk lid On
or
Off
.Convenience submenu
Access the
Convenience
submenu via the
Settings
menu. Use the
Convenience
sub-
menu to change the settings for a number
of convenience features. The following
functions are available:
Activating easy-entry / exit feature*
Use this function to activate and deacti-
vate the easy-entry / exit feature. When
the feature is activated, the steering wheel
and driver’s seat will move back to facili-
tate exiting when you


remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch


open the driver’s door
However, the engine must be turned off.
Function
Page
Activate easy-entry / exit feature
150
Set SmartKey-dependency
152
Set parking position for exterior
rear view mirror
152

151 Controls in detail
Control system
After entering the vehicle, the steering
wheel and seat will move into the position
stored in memory when

the driver’s door is closed


you put the SmartKey in the starter
switch or press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button*


you press the appropriate stored posi-
tion button on the memory switch
(page 117).

Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to
the
Convenience
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Function Easy-entry feature
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Pressæ orç to change the
easy-entry / exit setting.
The following settings are available for the
easy-entry / exit feature
Warning!
G
You must make sure that no one can be-
come trapped or injured by the moving
steering wheel and the driver’s seat when
the easy-entry / exit feature is in operation
and the driver’s door is being opened or the
SmartKey is removed from the starter
switch.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry / exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and / or personal injury.
iTo cancel seat / steering wheel move-
ment, do one of the following:

Press seat adjustment switch
(page 35).


Move the steering column stalk
(page 37).


Press the memory button
(page 117).
off
The
easy-entry / exit
feature is deactivat-
ed
Steering col.
Only the steering
column is moved.
Steering col. +
seat

Both the steering
column and the
seat are moved.

152 Controls in detailControl systemSetting SmartKey-dependency
Use this function to set whether the mem-
ory settings for the seats, the steering
wheel, the mirrors and other settings of
the control system should be stored sepa-
rately for each SmartKey (
page 88).

Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to
the
Convenience
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Key-dependent
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Pressæ orç to set Smart-
Key-dependency to
on or
off
. Setting parking position for exterior rear
view mirror
Use the
Mirror adjustment parking aid

function to select whether the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror should be
turned downward during parking maneu-
vers when reverse gearR is engaged. For
additional information, see “Activating ex-
terior rear view mirror parking position”
(
page 168).

Move the selection marker to the Convenience
submenu using theæ
orç button.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Mirror adjustment parking aid
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Pressæ orç to switch function on or
off
.
Dynamic seat* submenu
Access the Dynamic Seat
submenu via the
Settings
menu. Use the
Dynamic Seat

submenu to change the settings for the dy-
namic seats. The following functions are
available:
Function
Page
Adjust driver seat
153
Adjust passenger seat
141