2004 MERCEDES-BENZ S55AMG light

53 Getting started
Parking and locking
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM.
For more information, see “Lighting”
(
page 124).
Turning off the engine 
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Turning off with the SmartKey

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
(page 31) to position0 and remove
it.
The immobilizer is activated.

Press the seat belt release button
(page 41).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.

After exiting the vehicle press the lock
button‹ on the SmartKey
(page 30).
All turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs on the doors move
down.
iAlways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to shifting to position P.
On steep slopes, turn the front wheels
towards the curb.
iThe SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in positionP.iWith the SmartKey removed and the
driver’s door open, a warning sounds if
the vehicle’s exterior lamps are not
switched off.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure there is no
possibility of someone getting caught in a
door during closing.

54 Getting startedParking and lockingFor more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 88).Turning off the engine with
KEYLESS-GO*

Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button to shut off the engine.
With the driver's door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(page 31).

Press the seat belt release button
(page 41).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch and lock
your vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious injury.
!If you hear a warning signal, you have
either

forgotten to turn off the lights be-
fore opening the driver’s door
or


tried to turn off the engine while the
gear selector lever is not inP.
Turn off the lights or place the gear se-
lector lever inP.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure there is no
possibility of someone getting caught in a
door during closing.

68 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyPreventive occupant safety (PRE-SAFE)
Your vehicle automatically takes preven-
tive measures to better protect the occu-
pants in the following hazardous
situations:

You execute an emergency braking ma-
neuver and the Brake Assist System
(page 78) is activated.


The PRE-SAFE system detects a critical
driving dynamics situation.In such cases, the following systems are
automatically activated:


A front seat belt with the seat belt
buckled is pre-tensioned electrically.


If the occupied front passenger seat or
rear seats are in an unfavorable posi-
tion, they are adjusted to a better posi-
tion. Rear seat adjustment occurs only
in vehicles with individual seats* in the
rear.


The sliding/pop-up roof closes if the
vehicle is in a severe skid or is spin-
ning.
If the seat belts do not release:

Adjust the backrest or seat slightly to
the rear until the seat belt tension is di-
minished.
The locking mechanism releases.
Warning
G
The PRE-SAFE system is intended to reduce
the effects of an accident on properly seat
belted vehicle occupants. Despite having
the PRE-SAFE systems in your car, the pos-
sibility of injuries occurring as a result of an
accident cannot be totally eliminated.
Therefore you should always drive carefully
and adjust your driving to the prevailing
road, weather, and traffic conditions.
iThe PRE-SAFE systems are activated in
the previously described circumstanc-
es only at speeds exceeding 22 mph
(35 km/h).
When the driving dynamic situation has
passed without an accident occurring,
the pre-tensioning on the seat belts is
deactivated.
You can then adjust the seats and the
sliding sunroof to their previous posi-
tion.

72 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Installation of infant and child restraint
systems
This vehicle is equipped with tether an-
chorages for a top tether strap at each of
the rear seating positions.
1Cover of top anchorage ring
Remove cover1 from anchorage ring.

Store cover1 in a convenient place
(e.g. glove box).

Guide tether strap between head re-
straint and top of seat back.Head restraints must be positioned such
that the top tether strap can pass freely
between the head restraint and top of seat
back.
Make sure the tether strap is not twisted.
2Hook
3Anchorage ring

Securely fasten hook2, which is part
of the tether strap, to anchorage
ring3.
Warning!
G
When using a BabySmart
TM compatible
child seat on the front passenger seat, the
passenger front airbag will not deploy only if
the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
remains illuminated.
Make sure to check the indicator every time
you use the special system child seat.
Should the light go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation. If the
light remains out, do not use the
BabySmart
TM restraint to transport children
on the front passenger seat until the system
has been repaired.
Do not place powered-on laptops, cell
phones and like electronic devices on the
front passenger seat. Signals from such de-
vices may interfere with the BabySmart
TM
system. Such signal interference may cause
the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
not to come on during self-test or be contin-
uously lit, indicating that the system is not
functioning.
iFor safety reasons, make sure the hook
has attached to the ring beyond the
safety catch, as illustrated.

74 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Override switch for rear passenger compartment
You can disable select functions in the rear
passenger compartment for added safety
(for instance when you have children riding
in the rear passenger compartment).
You can disable the following functions in
the rear passenger compartment:

rear door window operation
(page 195)


adjustment of front passenger seat
from the rear* (
page 119)


cigarette lighter in rear (
page 240)
Warning!
G
Vehicles with adjustable rear seats/bench*:
Never adjust the rear seat position after in-
stalling the child restraint. Adjusting the rear
seat position after installing the child re-
straint could damage the child restraint
and/or introduce undesirable slack into the
webbing and loosen or misposition the child
restraint, lessening the effectiveness of the
child restraint and thus increasing the
chance or severity of injury in an accident.iThe child seat must be firmly attached
in the right and left side anchor fittings.
Make sure the seat belt for the center
seat can operate freely with a child
seat installed.
Non-LATCH type child seats may also
be used and can be installed using the
vehicle’s seat belt system. Install child
seat according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
Warning!
G
Children too big for child restraint systems
must ride in back seats using regular seat
belts. Position shoulder belt across chest
and shoulder, not face or neck. A booster
seat may be necessary to achieve proper
belt positioning for children from 41 lbs until
they reach a height where a lap/shoulder
belt fits properly without a booster.
Install child seat according to manufactur-
er’s instructions.
The child seat must be firmly attached in
right and left side anchor fittings2.
An incorrectly mounted child seat may come
loose during an accident which could result
in serious injury or death to your child.
Damaged or impact damaged child seats or
child seat mounting fittings must be re-
placed.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system.

77 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems
In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


ESP (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)


4MATIC (Four Wheel Electronic Trac-
tion System)
ABS
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even with light brake pressure.
iIn winter operation, the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS, ESP, BAS and
4MATIC is only achieved with winter
tires (M + S tires) or snow chains as re-
quired.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, ESP, and 4MATIC cannot re-
duce this risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.

78 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsThe - indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on when you turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch to
position2 or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button twice. It goes out when
the engine is running.
Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode. 
Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal while experiencing the pul-
sation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.Emergency brake maneuver

Keep continuous full pressure on the
brake pedal.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 303).
BAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing the braking distance. Apply
continuous full braking pressure until the
emergency braking situation is over. The
ABS will prevent the wheels from locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
Warning!
G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency be-
yond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction af-
forded. The ABS cannot prevent accidents,
including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, following another vehicle too
closely, or hydroplaning. Only a safe, atten-
tive, and skillful driver can prevent acci-
dents. The capabilities of an ABS equipped
vehicle must never be exploited in a reck-
less or dangerous manner which could jeop-
ardize the user’s safety or the safety of
others.

87 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Good visibility
Automatic climate control
Power windows
Sliding/pop-up roof
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features