2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 Driver set

92 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systems
The SBC brake servo assistance switches
off automatically

approximately two minutes after you
turned the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 or removed the
SmartKey


approximately two minutes after you
pressed the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button to turn off the engine or power
supply and opened the driver’s door
(with driver’s door open, the starter
switch is set to position 0, same as
SmartKey removed from starter
switch)


approximately 20 seconds after you
locked the vehicle from outside
Note on driving with the SBC


Following extended periods of only mi-
nor loads to your brake system, you
should occasionally apply the brakes
when traveling at high speeds. This im-
proves the grip of the brake pads.


After driving on wet or snow-covered
roads, you should apply your brakes
firmly before parking your vehicle. This
produces heat which serves to dry the
brake disks and help prevent corro-
sion.


On long and steep grades, shift to a
lower gear (gear range1, 2, or 3) to
prevent the brakes from overheating
and to reduce brake wear.


After hard braking, it is advisable to
drive on for some time so that the air
stream will cool down the brakes fast-
er.


Only Mercedes-Benz approved compo-
nents (e.g. brake pads) should be in-
stalled on your vehicle. Brake pads not
approved by Mercedes-Benz may im-
pair the safety of your vehicle.
Warning!
G
Have brake pad replacement and other work
on the SBC brake system carried out by
qualified technicians only. Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for further
information. The SBC brake system must be
deactivated prior to working on the system.
High pressure is intermittently built up in the
system as part of its automatic self-test. In
addition, the system is automatically acti-
vated when the vehicle is unlocked by
SmartKey, when the driver or passenger
door is opened, when the starter switch is
turned to position
1, when the brake pedal
is depressed or when the parking brake is
released. Failure to deactivate the system
prior to maintenance will cause brake pis-
tons to extend and brake fluid to leak, which
may result in injuries (contusions and acid
burns). Extended brake pistons may also
cause injury.
Warning!
G
Be very careful not to endanger other road
users when you apply the brakes.

100 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingThe vehicle will lock again automatically
and reactivate the anti-theft alarm system
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. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
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 five 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.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
locking knob in the driver's door moves
up. The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
Global unlocking

Press buttonΠtwice.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.
The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.Global locking

Press button‹.
All turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
Restoring to factory setting

Press and hold buttonsŒ and‹
simultaneously for about six seconds
until battery check lamp5 flashes
twice.

106 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingSelective setting
If you frequently travel alone, you may wish
to reprogram the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO so when you grasp the driv-
er’s door handle only the driver’s door and
the fuel filler flap unlocks.
Press and hold buttonsŒ and‹
simultaneously for about five seconds
until battery check lamp5 flashes
twice.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO will
then function as follows:
Unlocking driver’s door and fuel filler
flap

Press buttonΠonce.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
locking knob in the driver's door moves
up. The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.Global unlocking

Press buttonΠtwice.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.
The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
Global locking

Press button‹.
All turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
Restoring to factory setting

Press and hold buttonsŒ and‹
simultaneously for about six seconds
until battery check lamp5 flashes
twice.
!If you can no longer lock or unlock the
vehicle with the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO, then the batteries in the
SmartKey are discharged, the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is mal-
functioning or the vehicle battery is
drained.

Check the batteries in the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
(page 107) and replace them if
necessary (
page 415).


Use the mechanical key to unlock
the driver’s door (
page 410).


Have the vehicle battery checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.


Use the mechanical key to lock the
driver’s door (
page 410).
If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
malfunctioning, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

122 Controls in detailSeats
When entering the vehicle, with the
easy-entry/exit feature activated, the
steering wheel or, depending on your se-
lection, the steering wheel and driver’s
seat will return to their last set memory po-
sition or a factory-set maximum forward
position when you:

close the driver’s door with the ignition
switched on


insert the SmartKey in starter switch or
press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 35) once with the driv-
er’s door closed.
iIf the current position for the steering
wheel is in the uppermost tilt position,
the steering wheel will no longer be
able to move upward when the
easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
If the current seat position falls into a
factory-set position range and the
sytem recognizes the current seat posi-
tion to be rearward enough for easy en-
try and exit, the driver’s seat will not
move to the rear when the
easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
iFor safety reasons, the driver’s seat will
not return to its last set position with
the easy-entry/exit feature activated if
the system recognizes the last set posi-
tion as an extreme forward position. In-
stead, the driver’s seat will remain at or
move to a factory-set maximum for-
ward position. To again fully return the
driver’s seat to your last set position or
to memory position, adjust the seat to
the desired position or press and hold
the respective memory position button
(page 131).

130 Controls in detailMemory function
You can store up to three different settings
for each SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.
The following settings are stored when us-
ing the buttons on the driver’s door:

Driver’s seat, backrest, head restraint
position and settings for multicontour
seat


Steering wheel position


Exterior rear view mirror positions
These SmartKey-dependent memory set-
tings can be deactivated if desired. For in-
formation on SmartKey-dependent
memory settings, see “Setting
SmartKey-dependency” (
page 168).
The following settings are not
SmartKey-dependent. They are stored
when using the buttons on the front pas-
senger door:


Front passenger seat, backrest, head
restraint position and settings for mul-
ticontour seat
!Prior to operating the vehicle, the driv-
er should check and adjust the seat
height, seat position fore and aft, and
seat backrest angle if necessary, to
ensure adequate control, reach and
comfort. The head restraint should also
be adjusted for proper height. See also
the section on air bags (
page 61) for
more information on proper seat posi-
tioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, opera-
tion and comfort. Both the interior and
exterior rear view mirrors should be ad-
justed for adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small
children should be seated in a properly
secured restraint system that complies
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 225 and Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213
and 210.2.
Warning!
G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.

134 Controls in detailLightingManual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and the parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch.
Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off au-
tomatically depending on the brightness of
the ambient light:

Low beam headlamps


Tail and parking lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps

Turn the exterior lamp switch to posi-
tion U.
With the SmartKey in starter switch
position1 or the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button once, only the parking lamps will
switch on and off automatically.When the engine is running, the low beam
headlamps, the tail and parking lamps, the
license plate lamps, and the side marker
lamps will switch on and off automatically.
Daytime running lamp mode

Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionM orU.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps are automatically
switched on.
In low ambient light conditions the
parking lamps will also switch on:

Tail and parking lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps
For nighttime driving you should turn the
exterior lamp switch to positionB to
permit activation of the high beam head-
lamps.
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.

145 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
1Outside temperature
2Trip odometer
3Automatic transmission program mode
4Main odometer
5Current gear selector lever position
Above illustration shows the standard dis-
play.
For more information on menus displayed
in the multifunction display, see “Menus”
(page 148).
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.

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

and the set speed are seen in the display.
1Distronic activated
Vehicle status message memory menu
Use the vehicle status message memory
menu to scan malfunction and warning
messages that may be stored in the sys-
tem. Such messages appear in the multi-
function display and are based on
conditions or system status the vehicle’s
system has recorded.

Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until the vehicle status message mem-
ory appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
No vehicle status messages
If no conditions are recorded in memory,
the message in the multifunction display
is:
NO MESSAGESVehicle status messages have been re-
corded
If conditions have occurred, causing status
messages to be recorded the number of
messages appears in the multifunction dis-
play:
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 367).