2005 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS center console

84 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsWhen you switch off the ESP

the ESP does not stabilize the vehicle


the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip


the traction control will still brake a
spinning wheel


the ESP continues to operate when you
are brakingThe switch is located on the upper part of
the center console.
1ESP off/on

Press ESP switch1 until the ESP
warning lampv in the speedometer
comes on.
The ESP is deactivated.Switching on the ESP

Press ESP switch1.
The ESP warning lampv in the in-
strument cluster goes out.
You are now again in normal driving
mode with the ESP switched on.
iWhen the ESP is switched off and one
or more drive wheels are spinning, the
ESP warning lampv in the instru-
ment cluster flashes. However, the ESP
will then not stabilize the vehicle.
Warning!
G
When the ESP warning lampv is illumi-
nated continuously, the ESP is switched off.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP.!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period with the ESP switched
off. This may cause serious damage to
the drivetrain which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

87 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens:

a door


the trunk


the hood
The alarm will stay on even if the activating
element (a door, for example) is immedi-
ately closed.The alarm system will also be triggered
when


someone attempts to raise the vehicle


the vehicle is opened with the
mechanical key


someone opens a door from the inside
if the vehicle was locked from the out-
side with the SmartKey


someone opens the trunk lid with the
emergency release buttonArming the alarm system
The indicator lamp located in the central
locking switch in on the upper part of the
front center console.
1Indicator lamp

Lock your vehicle.
The turn signal lamps flash three times
to indicate that the alarm system is ac-
tivated. The indicator lamp1 flashes
to indicate that the alarm system is
armed.
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response
Center is initiated automatically by the
by the Tele Aid system (
page 255)
provided Tele Aid service was sub-
scribed to and properly activated, and
that necessary cellular service and GPS
coverage are available.

90 Safety and SecurityAnti-theft systemsThe button is located on the upper part of
the front center console.
1Indicator lamp
2Tow-away alarm off button

Switch off the ignition and remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch.

Press button2.
The indicator lamp1 in the button
comes on briefly.

Exit the vehicle and lock it with the
SmartKey or (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*) the lock button at each
outside door handle or trunk lid.
iYou cannot disarm the tow-away alarm
if the ignition is switched on.
iWhen you unlock your vehicle, the
tow-away protection disarms automati-
cally.
The tow-away alarm remains disarmed
until you lock your vehicle again.

113 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the doors and the
trunk from inside using the central locking
or unlocking switch. This can be useful, for
example, if you want to lock the vehicle be-
fore starting to drive.
The fuel filler flap will not be locked or un-
locked with the central locking or unlock-
ing switch, respectively.The switches are located on the upper part
of the front center console.
1Central locking switch
2Central unlocking switch
Locking

Press central locking switch1.
If the front passenger door is closed,
the vehicle locks.
Unlocking

Press central unlocking switch2.
The vehicle unlocks.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it 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.
iYou can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.
If the vehicle was previously centrally
locked with the SmartKey or the with
KEYLESS-GO*, it will not unlock using
the central unlocking switch2.
If the vehicle was previously locked
with the central locking switch1:

While in the global remote control
mode, the vehicle is unlocked com-
pletely when a door is opened from
the inside.


While in the selective remote con-
trol mode, only the door opened
from inside is unlocked.

120 Controls in detailSeats
Rear seat head restraints
Folding head restraints back
The rear seat head restraints and the rear
seat power head restraints* can be folded
backward for increased visibility.
The switch is located on the upper part of
the front center console.
1Switch in the front center console

Switch on ignition (
page 34).

Press switch1 in the front center con-
sole briefly.
The rear head restraints will fold back-
ward.
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that the center of
the head restraint supports the back of the
head at eye level. This will reduce the poten-
tial for injury to the head and neck in the
event of an accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.
iThe rear head restraints cannot be re-
moved.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, always drive with the
rear head restraints in the upright position
when the rear seats are occupied.
Keep the area around head restraints clear
of articles (e.g. clothing) to not obstruct the
folding operation of the head restraints.


139 Controls in detail
Lighting
Courtesy lighting
For better orientation in the dark, courtesy
lamps will illuminate the interior of your ve-
hicle as follows:
With parking lamps switched on:

the door handles


the driver and passenger footwells
With the SmartKey in the starter switch
position1:


the door handles


the center console
Door entry lamps
For better orientation in the dark, the cor-
responding door entry lamps will switch on
in darkness when you open a door and the
automatic control is activated.
The door entry lamps switch off when the
corresponding door is closed.
Trunk lighting
The trunk lighting switches on if the trunk
lid is opened.
If you leave the trunk open for an extended
period of time, the trunk lighting will switch
off automatically after approximately
ten minutes.
iIf you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 and switch off the
exterior headlamps, the door handle
lamps will remain lit for approximately
five minutes.
iIf you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 and switch off the
exterior headlamps, the door entry
lamps will remain lit for approximately
five minutes.

179 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic shift program
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 tachometer display
(
page 174).

Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the letter of
the desired program mode appears in
the tachometer display.
SelectCfor comfort driving:

The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.


Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
!Never change the program mode when
the gear selector lever is out of
positionP. This could result in a
change of driving characteristics for
which you may not be prepared.iThe last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.

183 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Manual shift program S 55 AMG
In the manual program modeM you can
change the gears manually on the steering
wheel (
page 181) or by using the gear
selector lever (
page 175).The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
M Manual For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
M/C/S)
are indicated in the tachometer display
(
page 174).Activating manual shift program

Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the
M for the
manual program modeM appears in
the tachometer display.
The transmission switches to the
manual program modeM. Automatic
shifting is switched off. The gear range
is not limited.
You can change the gears manually when
the gear selector lever is in positionD. You
can upshift or downshift through the gears
in succession.
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or parking
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.