2004 MERCEDES-BENZ S500 panel

129 Controls in detail
Lighting
Switching on the hazard warning
flasher
Press hazard warning flasher switch.
All turn signals will flash.
Switching off the hazard warning
flasher

Press hazard warning flasher switch
again.
Interior lighting
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
1Left front reading lamp
2Rear interior lamps
3Right front reading lamp
4Rocker switch for automatic control
systemActivating automatic control

Press rocker switch 4 to the center
position.
Interior lamps are switched on in dark-
ness, even when you:

unlock the vehicle


open a door


remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch
The interior lamps are switched off after a
present time (
page 158).
iWith the hazard warning flasher acti-
vated and the combination switch set
for either left or right turn, only the re-
spective left or right turn signals will
operate when the SmartKey in the
starter switch is in position1 or2.iIf the hazard warning flasher was acti-
vated automatically, press switch1
twice.
iIf the door remains open, the interior
lamps switch off automatically after ap-
proximately five minutes, when the
SmartKey is removed or in the switch
position0.

140 Controls in detailControl systemSelect radio station
Turn on the radio. Refer to separate
COMAND operating instructions.

Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until you see the currently tuned sta-
tion in the display.
1Waveband
2Station frequency

Press buttonk orj repeatedly
until the desired station is found.Select satellite radio* station
(USA only)
The satellite radio is treated as a radio ap-
plication.

Select satellite radio with the corre-
sponding key on the COMAND control
panel (SAT).

Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until you see the currently tuned sta-
tion in the display.
1SAT mode and preset number
2Channel name or number

Press buttonk orj repeatedly
until the desired channel is found.
iYou can only store new stations using
the corresponding feature on the radio.
Refer to separate COMAND operating
instructions.
You can also operate the radio in the
usual manner.
iFeature description is based on prelim-
inary information available at time of
printing.
Additional optional satellite radio
equipment and a subscription to satel-
lite radio service provider are required
for satellite radio operation. At time of
printing, no date for the availability of
optional equipment required for satel-
lite radio operation had been set.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for details and availability for
your vehicle.
For more information, refer to separate
COMAND operating instructions.

181 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Item
1
Left center air vent, adjustable
2
Left air vent, fixed
3
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for left center air vent
4
Thumbwheel for air temperature
control for center air vents
5
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for right center air vent
6
Right air vent, fixed
7
Right center air vent, adjustable
8
Side defroster vent, fixed
9
Side air vent, adjustable
a
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for side air vents
b
Door air vent
c
Automatic climate control panel
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents in the
footwell can be very hot or very cold (de-
pending on the set temperature). This may
cause burns or frostbite on unprotected skin
in the immediate area of the air vents. Al-
ways keep sufficient distance between un-
protected parts of the body and the footwell
air vents. If necessary change the air flow
using the air distribution controls to direct
the air away from the footwell air vents
(page 184).
iFor draft-free ventilation, move the slid-
ers for the center air vents 1, 7, 9
to the middle position.

182 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlAutomatic climate control panel
The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing on the selected interior temperature
and the current outside temperature.
Item
1
Windshield defroster
2
Rear window defroster
3
Display
4
Residual engine heat utilization
(REST)
5
Automatic climate control on/off
6
Air distribution, right
7
AC cooling on/off (±)
8
Right side temperature control
9
Air volume (automatic, manual)
a
Left side temperature control
b
Air recirculation
c
Air distribution, left
d
Activated charcoal filter
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents in the
footwell can be very hot or very cold (de-
pending on the set temperature). This may
cause burns or frostbite on unprotected skin
in the immediate area of the air vents. Al-
ways keep sufficient distance between un-
protected parts of the body and the footwell
air vents. If necessary change the air flow
using the air distribution controls to direct
the air away from the footwell air vents
(page 184).

187 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Defrosting
Activating
Press buttonP (
page 182).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.

Switch off air recirculation, if selected.

Press button, (
page 182).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.

Close center air vents.

Adjust side air vents upwards.
Deactivating

Press buttonP (
page 182).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.
Activating
Press button, (
page 182).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.
Warning!
G
When the outside temperature is below
41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation
mode for short periods to prevent window
fogging.iIf you keep button, pressed, the
side windows and the sliding/pop-up
roof will close.
Warning!
G
Never operate the side windows and the
sliding pop/pop-up roof if there is the possi-
bility of anyone being harmed by the closing
procedure.
In the event that the procedure causes po-
tential danger, the closing of the side win-
dows can be immediately halted by pressing
the respective window switch. The closing of
the sliding/pop-up roof can be immediately
halted by moving the sliding/pop-up roof
switch in the overhead control panel in any
direction.
The closing of the side windows and the slid-
ing/pop-up roof can be reversed by again
pressing and holding the, button.

189 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Deactivating
Press buttone (
page 182).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.The system automatically switches to the
air recirculation mode if the carbon
monoxide (CO) or nitrogen oxide (NO
X)
concentration of the outside air increases
beyond a predetermined level, for example
in a tunnel.
The automatic air recirculation mode does
not function if ± is selected or if the
outside temperature has fallen below
41°F (5°C).
The activated charcoal filter should be
switched off when windows fog up on the
inside, or if the passenger compartment
needs to be quickly heated or cooled
down.
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep battery drain to
a minimum, switch off the defroster as
soon as the rear window is clear. The de-
froster is automatically deactivated after
approximately 6 to 17 minutes of opera-
tion depending on the outside tempera-
ture.
Activating
Press buttonF (
page 182).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating

Press buttonF (
page 182) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Warning!
G
Never operate the side windows and the
sliding /pop-up roof if there is the possibility
of anyone being harmed by the closing pro-
cedure.
In the event that the procedure causes po-
tential danger, the closing of the side win-
dows can be immediately halted by pressing
the respective window switch. The closing of
the sliding/pop-up roof can be immediately
halted by moving the sliding/pop-up roof
switch in the overhead control panel in any
direction.
The closing of the side windows and slid-
ing/pop-up roof can be reversed by again
pressing and holding thee button.
iIf you keep buttone pressed, the
side windows and the sliding/pop-up
roof will return to their previous posi-
tion.

190 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control
Deactivating the climate control sys-tem
Deactivating
It is possible to completely deactivate the
automatic climate control system. 
Press button M (
page 182).
The display shows “0”.
Reactivating
There are several ways to reactivate the
automatic climate control system:

Press one of the following buttons,
M, P, U, a temperature con-
trol switch (
page 182) or air volume
switch 9 on the automatic climate
control panel.
Air conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.
Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the automatic
climate control system. The air in the vehi-
cle will then no longer be cooled or dehu-
midified.
Press button± (
page 182).
The indicator lamp on the button±
comes on.
Warning!
G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before driv-
ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.!If the rear window defroster switches
off too soon and the indicator lamp
starts flashing, this means that too
many electrical consumers are operat-
ing simultaneously and there is insuffi-
cient voltage in the battery. The system
responds automatically by deactivating
the rear window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the rear window defroster au-
tomatically turns itself back on.
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.

191 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.
Press± again (
page 182).
The indicator lamp on the ± button
goes out.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.
Residual heat and ventilation
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior
for up to 30 minutes. This feature makes
use of the residual heat produced by the
engine.
Activating
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1 or 0, or remove it from the
starter switch.

Press buttonT (
page 182).
The indicator lamp on buttonT
comes on.Deactivating

Press buttonT (
page 182).
The indicator lamp on buttonT
goes out.
The residual heat is automatically turned
off:


when the ignition is switched on


after about 30 minutes


if the battery voltage drops
!If the± button on the automatic cli-
mate control panel starts to flash, this
indicates that the air conditioning is
losing refrigerant. The compressor has
turned itself off. The air conditioning
cannot be turned on again.
Have the air conditioning checked at
the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iHow long the system will provide heat-
ing depends on the coolant tempera-
ture and the temperature set by the
operator. The blower will run at speed
setting 1 regardless of the air distribu-
tion control setting.