2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 Page 37

168 Controls in detailControl systemThe following settings are available for the
easy-entry/exit feature:Setting SmartKey-dependency
Use this function to set whether the mem-
ory settings for the seats, the steering
wheel, the mirrors and other settings of
the control system should be stored sepa-
rately for each SmartKey (
page 98).

Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to
the
Convenience
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Key-dependent
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to set
SmartKey-dependency to
on or
off
. Setting parking position for exterior rear
view mirror
Use the
Mirror adjustment parking aid

function to select whether the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror should be
turned downward during parking maneu-
vers when reverse gearR is engaged. For
additional information, see “Activating ex-
terior rear view mirror parking position”
(
page 187).

Move the selection marker to the Convenience
submenu using theæ
orç button.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Mirror adjustment parking aid
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
off
The easy-entry/ex-
it feature is deacti-
vated.
Steering col.
Only the steering
column is moved.
Steering col. +
seat

Both the steering
column and the
seat are moved.

169 Controls in detail
Control system

Press buttonæ orç to switch
function
on or
off
.
Dynamic seat* submenu
Access the
Dynamic Seat
submenu via the
Settings
menu. Use the
Dynamic Seat

submenu to change the settings for the dy-
namic seats. The following functions are
available:Adjusting the dynamic seat
The function dynamic seat adjustment lets
you determine the way the seat adjusts
while driving.

Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the Dynamic Seat
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Dyn. Multi-cont. Seat, driver
for the driver seat or Dyn. Multi-cont. Seat, fr. pass.

for the passenger seat.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to switch
function
Level 1
or
Level 2
.The following settings are available:
Function
Page
Adjust driver seat
169
Adjust passenger seat
169
Level 1
(Comfort) Less lat-
eral support and
slow air pressure
build-up in the air
chambers of the
backrest side bold-
ers
Level 2
(Sporty) Strong lat-
eral support and
fast air pressure
build-up in the air
chambers of the
backrest side bold-
ers

170 Controls in detailControl systemTrip computer menu
Use the trip computer menu to call up sta-
tistical data on your vehicle. The following
information is available:
Fuel consumption statistics after start
Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
Trip computer menu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the left
display:
After start
.1Distance driven since start
2Time elapsed since start
3Average speed since start
4Average fuel consumption since start
Fuel consumption since last reset

Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
Trip computer menu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
After reset
.1Distance driven since last reset
2Time elapsed since last reset
3Average speed since last reset
4Average fuel consumption since last re-
set
Function
Page
Fuel consumption statistics after
start
170
Fuel consumption statistics
since last reset
170
Call up range (distance to empty)
171
iAll statistics stored since the last en-
gine start will be reset approximately
four hours after the SmartKey in the
starter switch is turned to position0 or
removed from the starter switch.
Resetting will not occur if you turn the
SmartKey back to position1 or2 with-
in this time period.

171 Controls in detail
Control system
Resetting fuel consumption statistics
Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
Trip computer menu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see the reading that you want
to reset in the display.

Press and hold the reset button in the
instrument cluster (
page 24) until
the value is reset to 0.
Call up range (distance to empty)

Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
Trip computer menu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Range:
In the display you will see the calculat-
ed range based on the current fuel tank
level.
TEL menu*
You can use the functions in the
TEL
menu
to operate your telephone, provided it is
connected to a hands-free system and
switched on.

Switch on the telephone and COMAND.

Press buttonÿ orè on the
steering wheel repeatedly until you see
the
Tel
menu in the display.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road must always
be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call. If you choose to use the tele-
phone while driving, please use the
hands-free device and only use the tele-
phone when weather, road and traffic condi-
tions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle.
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.
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.

174 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionFor more information on driving with an au-
tomatic transmission, see the “Getting
started” section (
page 46).
Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear
shifting process to your individual driving
style by continually adjusting the shift
points up or down. These shift point adjust-
ments are performed based on current
operating and driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the
automatic transmission reacts by
adjusting its gear shift program.
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionThe automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on:

the gear selector lever positionD with
gear ranges (
page 177)


the selected program mode:
(C/S)(
page 179)
or
(M/C/S) (E 55 AMG only)
(
page 183)


the position of the accelerator pedal
(page 180)


the vehicle speed1Current gear range/gear selector lever
position
2Current program mode
The current gear range/gear selector lever
position and program mode (
C/S) or
(
M/C/S) appear in the multifunction dis-
play.
An additional indication of the current gear
selector lever position can be found on the
cover of the shifting-gate.
The indicators come on when you activate
a switch (e.g. unlocking the vehicle or
opening a door) and go out after approxi-
mately 15 minutes.
iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter (gasoline engine) or
the oxidation catalyst (Diesel engine)
to reach its operating temperature ear-
lier.

176 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionOne-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission you
can change the gears manually when the
gear selector lever is in positionD.
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next lower gear as permitted by
the shift program. This action
simultaneously limits the gear range of the
transmission (
page 177).Upshifting

Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simul-
taneously extends the gear range of the
transmission.Canceling gear range limit

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD+direction until
D reappears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD-direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the gear selector lever is moved to
theD-direction, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.

178 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionGear selector lever position
Effect
ì
Park position
Gear selector lever position
when the vehicle is parked. Place
gear selector lever in positionP
only when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended
to serve as a brake when the
vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the
parking brake in addition to
placing the gear selector lever in
positionP to secure the vehicle.
EffectThe SmartKey can only be
removed from the starter switch
with the gear selector lever in
positionP. With the SmartKey
removed, the gear selector lever
is locked in positionP.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the gear
selector lever could remain
locked in positionP
(page 412).
í
Reverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
positionR only when vehicle is
stopped.
Effect
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never engageN while
driving.
If the ESP is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever toN
only if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.

179 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic shift programm
The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
C/S) are
indicated in the multifunction display
(
page 174).
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with gear selector lever
inN can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in positionP
is dangerous. Also, positionP alone is not
intended to or capable of preventing your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people
or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 55).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Children
could move the gear selector lever from
positionP, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.