2004 MERCEDES-BENZ S430 Central

ContentsSafety and Security........................... 57
Occupant safety................................... 58
Airbags ........................................... 59
Seat belts ....................................... 64
Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE) ..................................... 68
Children in the vehicle.................... 69
Override switch for rear passenger
compartment.................................. 74
Panic alarm .......................................... 76
Activating ....................................... 76
Deactivating ................................... 76
Driving safety systems ......................... 77
ABS ................................................ 77
BAS ................................................ 78
ESP................................................. 79
Four wheel electronic traction
system (4MATIC) with the ESP ....... 82
Anti-theft systems................................ 83
Immobilizer..................................... 83
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 83
Tow-away alarm ............................. 85
Controls in detail............................... 87
Locking and unlocking ......................... 88
SmartKey ....................................... 88
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ........ 91
Opening the doors from the inside . 96
Opening the trunk lid from the
outside ........................................... 97
Opening the trunk lid from the
inside ............................................. 97
Closing the trunk lid ....................... 98
Trunk lid opening/closing system* 99
Trunk lid emergency release ........ 104
Separately locking the trunk lid ... 105
Separately unlocking the trunk lid 105
Power closing assist for doors and
trunk lid........................................ 106
Automatic central locking ............ 106
Locking and unlocking from the
inside ........................................... 107
Seats ................................................. 108
Easy-entry/exit feature ................ 108
Removing and installing front seat
head restraints ............................. 109Rear seat head restraints ............. 110
Lumbar support ........................... 112
Multicontour backrest*................ 112
Drive-dynamic seat* .................... 113
Seat heating*............................... 114
Seat ventilation* .......................... 117
Rear seats .................................... 118
Memory function ............................... 121
Storing positions into memory ..... 122
Recalling positions from memory. 122
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position ........................... 122
Lighting ............................................. 124
Exterior lamp switch .................... 124
Combination switch ..................... 128
Hazard warning flasher ................ 128
Interior lighting ............................ 129
Courtesy lighting .......................... 130
Instrument cluster ............................. 131
Instrument cluster illumination .... 131
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 132
Trip odometer .............................. 132
Tachometer.................................. 133
Outside temperature indicator ..... 133

25 At a glance
Center console
Center console
Upper part
Item
Page
1
Switch for rear window
sunshade
179
2
Parking assist (Parktronic*
system) deactivation
switch
227
3
Airmatic or ABC* switch
220
4
Level control switch
222
5
Central locking switch
Anti-theft alarm system in-
dicator lamp
107
84
6
Hazard warning flasher
on/off switch
128
7
Central unlocking switch
107
8
ESP control switch
80
Item
Page
9
Rear seat head restraints,
switch for folding down
110
a
Tow-away alarm switch
85
b
COMAND system (see
separate operating instruc-
tions)
c
Automatic climate control
194
d
Ashtray
Lighter
238
239

46 Getting startedDrivingDriving
Depress the brake pedal.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
orR.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.Once the vehicle is in motion, the automat-
ic central locking system engages and the
locking knobs drop down.
After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts at a higher engine revolution.
This allows the catalytic converter to reach
its operating temperature earlier.
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out ofP orN if the engine speed is high-
er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel-
erate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.!In order to avoid damaging the trans-
mission,

wait for the gear selection process
to complete before setting the vehi-
cle in motion.


place the gear selector lever in
positionR only when the vehicle is
stopped.
!If you hear a warning signal and a mes-
sage appears in the multifunction dis-
play when driving off, you have
forgotten to release the parking brake.
Release the parking brake.!Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high
engine speeds may shorten the service
life of the engine.

84 Safety and SecurityAnti-theft systemsArming the alarm system
The alarm system is armed after locking
the vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO*. The turn signal lamps flash-
es three times to indicate that the alarm
system is activated. The indicator lamp in
the central locking switch (
page 107)
will flash after approximately ten seconds
when the alarm system is completely
armed.Disarming the alarm system
The alarm system is disarmed when you
unlock your vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO*. The turn signal lamps flash
once to indicate that the alarm system is
deactivatedCanceling the alarm
To cancel the alarm:
With the SmartKey

Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
or

Press the Œ or ‹ button on the
SmartKey.
With KEYLESS-GO*

Grasp the outside door handle.
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button.
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds, an emergency call is initi-
ated automatically by the Tele Aid sys-
tem (
page 242) provided Tele Aid
service was subscribed to and properly
activated, and that necessary cellular
service and GPS coverage are avail-
able.
iIf the turn signal lamps does not flash
three times one of the following ele-
ments may not be properly closed:

a door


the trunk lid


the hood
Close the respective element and lock
the vehicle again.

88 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
In the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to oper-
ate the equipment installed in your vehicle.
If you are already familiar with the basic
functions of your vehicle, this section will
be of particular interest to you.
To quickly familiarize yourself with the ba-
sic functions of the vehicle, refer to the
“Getting started” section of this manual.
The corresponding page numbers are giv-
en at the beginning of each segment.
Locking and unlocking
SmartKey
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys, each with remote control and
a removable mechanical key. The locking
tabs for the mechanical key portion of the
two SmartKeys are a different color to help
distinguish each SmartKey unit.
The SmartKey provides an extended oper-
ating range. To prevent theft, however, it is
advisable to only unlock the vehicle when
you are in close proximity to it.
The SmartKey centrally locks and unlocks:

the doors


the trunk


the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with remote control1‹ Lock button
2Š Unlock button for trunk lid
3Locking tab for mechanical key
4ΠUnlock button
5Battery check lamp
6Â Panic button (
page 76)

89 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Factory setting
Global unlocking
Press buttonŒ.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.
The vehicle will lock again automatically
within approximately 40 seconds of un-
locking if:


neither door nor trunk is opened


the SmartKey is not inserted in the
starter switch


the central locking switch is not acti-
vated
Global locking

Press button‹.
All turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down.Selective setting
If you frequently travel alone, you may wish
to reprogram the SmartKey so that
pressingŒ only unlocks the driver’s
door and the fuel filler flap.

Press and hold buttonsŒ and‹
simultaneously for about six seconds
until battery check lamp5 flashes
twice.
The SmartKey will then function as fol-
lows:
Unlocking driver’s door and fuel filler
flap
Press buttonΠonce.
Global unlocking

Press buttonΠtwice.
Global locking

Press button‹.
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. Do not leave children un-
attended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. It is possible for children
to open a locked door from the inside, which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the SmartKey to high levels of
electromagnetic radiation.iYou can also open and close the power
windows (
page 197) and slid-
ing/pop-up roof (
page 201) using
the SmartKey.

90 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingRestoring to factory setting
Press and hold buttonsŒ and‹
simultaneously for about six seconds
until battery check lamp5 flashes
twice.
Unlocking and opening the trunk lid
You can unlock and open the trunk lid sep-
arately.
A minimum height clearance of 6 ft.
(1.85 m) is required to open the trunk lid.

Press and hold button Š until trunk
unlocks and begins to open.The trunk can also be opened from its in-
side in an emergency, see “Trunk lid emer-
gency release” (
page 104).
!If you can no longer lock or unlock the
vehicle with the SmartKey, then the
batteries in the SmartKey are dis-
charged, the SmartKey is malfunction-
ing or the vehicle battery is drained.

Check the batteries in the
SmartKey and replace them if nec-
essary (
page 349).


Use the mechanical key to unlock
the doors (
page 348) and the
trunk lid (
page 349) as required.


Have the vehicle battery and the
battery connections checked.


Use the mechanical key to lock the
doors (
page 348) and the trunk
lid (
page 349) as required.
If the SmartKey is malfunctioning, con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
!The trunk lid swings open upwards au-
tomatically. Always make sure that
there is sufficient overhead clearance.
Vehicles with trunk lid opening/closing
system: To stop the opening proce-
dure, press buttonŠ. The trunk lid
stops moving.
iIf the trunk lid does not open, it is still
locked separately (if applicable)
(page 105).
If the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the trunk lid will lock automati-
cally when closed. The turn signals will
flash three times to confirm locking.

97 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Opening the trunk lid from the outside
A minimum height clearance of 6 ft.
(1.85 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
The trunk lid lock button is located in the
rear license plate recess.
1Trunk lid lock button
Press the outer left-hand side of trunk
lid button1.
The trunk lid opens.The trunk can also be opened using the
SmartKey (
page 90) or from its inside in
an emergency, see “Trunk lid emergency
release” (
page 104).
Opening the trunk lid from the inside
You can open the trunk from the inside if
the vehicle is stationary.
A minimum height clearance of 6 ft.
(1.85 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
The switch is located on the driver’s door.
1Indicator lamp
2Remote trunk lid release switch
Pull remote trunk lid switch2 until
trunk begins to open.
The trunk lid opens. The indicator
lamp1 comes on and remains lit until
the trunk is closed.
!The trunk lid swings open upwards au-
tomatically. Always make sure that
there is sufficient overhead clearance.
Vehicles with trunk lid opening/closing
system*: To stop the opening proce-
dure, press buttonŠ. The trunk lid
stops moving.iIf the trunk lid does not open, it is still
locked separately (if applicable)
(page 349).
Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO*: The
vehicle must be unlocked (
page 88).
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: If the ve-
hicle was previously centrally locked,
the trunk lid will lock automatically af-
ter closing it (
page 98). The turn sig-
nals will flash three times to confirm
locking.