2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 Page 37

51 Getting started
Driving
Turn signals
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press combination switch in direction
of arrow1 or2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lamp L or K in the instrument
cluster flashes.
The combination switch resets automati-
cally after major steering wheel move-
ments.
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Single wipe
2Switching on windshield wipers
Switch on the ignition (
page 33).
iTo signal minor directional changes
such as changing lanes, press combi-
nation switch only to point of resis-
tance and release. The corresponding
turn signals will flash three times.

52 Getting startedDrivingSwitching on windshield wipers
Turn the combination switch to the de-
sired position depending on the inten-
sity of the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping (interval depen-
dent on wetness of windshield)
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speedIntermittent wiping

Turn the combination switch to
positionI.
Single wipe

Press combination switch briefly in di-
rection of arrow1.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.
Wiping with windshield washer fluid

Push combination switch in direction of
arrow1 past the resistance point.
The windshield wipers operate with
washer fluid.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 310).
iIntermittent wiping interval is depen-
dent on wetness of windshield. After
the initial wipe, pauses between wipes
are automatically controlled by the rain
sensor.
!Do not leave windshield wipers in inter-
mittent setting when the vehicle is tak-
en to an automatic car wash or during
windshield cleaning. Wipers will oper-
ate in the presence of water sprayed on
the windshield, and wipers may be
damaged as a result.
The combination switch should not be
left in intermittent setting as the wipers
will wipe the windshield once every
time the engine is started. Dust that ac-
cumulates on the windshield might
scratch the glass and / or damage the
wiper blades when wiping occurs on a
dry windshield.
iIntermittent wiping is interrupted when
the vehicle is at a standstill and a front
door is opened.

54 Getting startedDrivingThe coolant temperature is above
248°F (120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.
Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 308).
In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking fuel:

Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount:

Start the engine in the usual manner.

56 Getting startedParking and locking
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM
(page 50).
For more information, see the “Controls in
detail” section (
page 133).
Turning off engine 
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.Turning off with the SmartKey

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
(page 34) to position0 and remove
it.
The immobilizer is activated.

Press the seat belt release button
(page 44).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear se-
lector lever not fully engaged in positionP is
dangerous. Also, when parked on an incline,
positionP alone may not prevent your vehi-
cle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP.
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
iAlways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to shifting to positionP.
On slopes, turn the front wheels to-
wards the road 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
and the message
Switch off lights
appears in the multifunction display if
the vehicle’s exterior lamps are not
switched off.

57 Getting started
Parking and locking

After exiting the vehicle press the lock
button‹ on the SmartKey
(page 32).
All turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs on the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.For more information, see the “Controls in
detail” section (
page 98).
Turning off with KEYLESS-GO*

Place the gear selector lever inP.

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton 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 33).

Press the seat belt release button
(page 44).
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 that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey 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. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
!If you hear a warning signal, you have
either

forgotten to switch off the vehicle’s
exterior lamps before 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.


58 Getting startedParking and locking1Lock button on the door handle

After exiting the vehicle, press lock
button1 on the door handle or on the
trunk lid.
All turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs on the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see the “Controls in
detail” section (
page 102).
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 that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* with you, and
lock the 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 personal injury.


60 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint system
components of the vehicle.

Seat belts (
page 67)


Child restraints (
page 80)


Lower anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH) (
page 81)
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) with


Air bags (
page 61)


Air bag control unit (with crash sen-
sors)


Emergency tensioning device (ETD) for
seat belts (
page 70)Air bag system components with


75indicator lamp
(page 78)


Front passenger seat with Occupant
Classification System (OCS)
(page 74)
As independent systems, their protective
functions work in conjunction with each
other. The SRS system conducts a self-test when
the ignition is switched on and in regular
intervals while the engine is running. This
facilitates early detection of malfunctions.
The
1
indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is
switched on and goes out no later than a
few seconds after the engine has been
started.
The SRS components are in operational
readiness if the
1
indicator lamp is not
lit when the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been
detected if the
1
indicator lamp:


fails to go out after approximately
four seconds after the engine was
started


does not come on at all


comes on after the engine was started
or while driving
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and
restraint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 71).

66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
The air bags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protect-
ed by the fastened seat belts.
The passenger front air bag will only be
deployed if:

the system, based on OCS weight sen-
sor readings, senses that the front pas-
senger seat is occupied


the 75 indicator lamp in the
center console is not lit (
page 78)


the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment thresholdSide impact air bags, window curtain
air bags
1Side impact air bags
2Window curtain air bag
The side impact air bags and window cur-
tain air bags are deployed:


on the impacted side of the vehicle


in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold


independently of the front air bags
iThe front air bags in this vehicle have
been designed to inflate in two stages.
This allows the air bag to have different
rates of inflation that are based on the
rate of relevant vehicle deceleration as
assessed by the air bag control unit.
On the front passenger side, the front
air bag deployment is additionally influ-
enced by the passenger’s weight cate-
gory as identified by the Occupant
Classification System (OCS)
(page 74).
The lighter the front passenger side oc-
cupant, the higher the vehicle deceler-
ation rate required for the second
stage inflation of the air bag.