Page 115 of 435
114 Controls in detailSeatsActivating
Press button1.
The indicator lamp in the switch comes
on and the following message appears
in the multifunction display for five sec-
onds: Deactivating
Press button1 again.
The indicator lamp in the button goes
out.
The message:DRIV. DYN. SEAT ADJ.
DRIVER
OFF appears in the multifunction display.
Seat heating*
Vehicles without seat ventilation*
The switch is located on the door.
1Normal heating
2Rapid heating
Switch on ignition.
Switching on seat heating
Press switch1.
A red indicator lamp above the switch
comes on.
iYou can adjust the characteristics of
the drive-dynamic seat using the con-
trol system (
page 163).
iWhen the engine is turned off, the last
cushion setting retained in memory.
The cushion is automatically adjusted
to this setting when the engine is re-
started.
Page 126 of 435
125 Controls in detail
Lighting
To activate the daytime running lamp
mode, see “Setting daytime running lamp
mode (USA only)” (
page 156).Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch. For exterior lamp
switch, see (
page 124).
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.
Page 133 of 435
132 Controls in detailInstrument clusterCoolant temperature gauge
During severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C),
i.e. close to the red zone of the tempera-
ture gauge.
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248°F
(120°C), i.e. in the red zone of the coolant
temperature gauge. Doing so may cause
serious engine damage which is not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited War-
ranty.
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip
odometer display.
If it is not displayed, press the è or
ÿ button on the multifunction
steering wheel repeatedly until the trip
odometer appears (
page 134).
Press and hold reset button on the in-
strument cluster (
page 22) until the
trip odometer is reset.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly over-
heated can cause some fluids which
may have leaked into the engine com-
partment to catch fire. You could be se-
riously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the hood. Stay away from
the engine if you see or hear steam com-
ing from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
iExcessive coolant temperature triggers
a warning in the multifunction display
(page 323).
Page 134 of 435
133 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
S 55 AMG
The tachometer of the S 55 AMG does not
have a red marking denoting excessive en-
gine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated at
an excessive engine speed.
Outside temperature indicator
The outside temperature is diplayed in the
instrument cluster (
page 22). For infor-
mation on how to select the unit of the dis-
played temperature, i.e. degrees
Celsius (°C) or degrees Fahrenheit (°F),
see “Selecting temperature display mode”
(
page 154).The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. There-
fore, the accuracy of the displayed temper-
ature can only be verified by comparison to
a thermometer placed next to the sensor,
not by comparison to external displays
(e.g. bank signs, etc.).
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
!Avoid driving at excessive engine
speeds, as it may result in serious en-
gine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
Page 135 of 435
134 Controls in detailControl system
Control systemThe 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
1Trip odometer
2Main 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 14 m) every second.
Page 136 of 435
135 Controls in detail
Control system
Multifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display
and the settings in the control system are
controlled using the buttons on the multi-
function steering wheel.
1
Multifunction display in the speed-
ometerOperating the control system
2
Selecting the submenu or setting
the volumeæ
up / to increase
ç
down / to decrease
3
Telephone*s
to take a call
t
to end a call
4
Menu systemsè
for next menu
ÿ
for previous menu
5
Moving within a menuj
for next display
k
for previous display
Page 137 of 435
136 Controls in detailControl systemPressing any of the buttons on the multi-
function steering wheel will alter what is
shown in the multifunction display.
The information available in the multifunc-
tion display is arranged in menus, each
containing a number of functions or sub-
menus.
The individual functions are then found
within the relevant menu (radio or CD op-
erations under
AUDIO
, for example). These
functions serve to call up relevant informa-
tion or to customize the settings for your
vehicle.It is helpful to think of the menus, and the
functions within each menu, as being ar-
ranged in a circular pattern.
If you press buttonè orÿ
repeatedly, you will pass through each
menu one after the other.
If you press buttonk orj
repeatedly, you will pass through each
function display, one after the other, in
the current menu.In the
SETTINGS
menu, instead of functions
you will find a number of submenus for
calling up and changing settings. For in-
structions on using these submenus, see
“Settings menu” (page 151).
The number of menus available in the sys-
tem depends on which optional equipment
is installed in your vehicle.
The menus are described on the following
pages.
Page 140 of 435
139 Controls in detail
Control system
Standard display menu
You can select the functions in the stan-
dard display menu with buttonk
orj.
The following functions are available:
Display digital speedometer
Press the j or k button repeat-
edly until you see the digital speedom-
eter appear in the display.
The current vehicle speed is shown in
the multifunction display.
AUDIO menu
The functions in the
AUDIO
menu operate
the audio equipment which you currently
have turned on.
If no audio equipment is currently turned
on, the message
AUDIO OFF
is shown in the
display.
The following functions are available:
iThe headings used in the menus table
are designed to facilitate navigation
within the system and are not neces-
sarily identical to those shown in the
control system displays.
The first function displayed in each
menu will automatically show you
which part of the system you are in.
Funktion
Page
Call up FSS
295
Check tire pressure*
287
Check engine oil level
274
Call up digital speedometer
139
Funktion
Page
Select radio station
140
Select satellite radio* station
(USA only)
140
Operate CD player
141
Operate cassette player
141
