2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E350 Pressure

134 Controls in detailSeatsDrive - Dynamic seat* with multicon-tour features
The Drive - Dynamic seat automatically ad-
justs the lateral support provided by the
backrest to your driving style.
The Drive - Dynamic seat electronically
controls the air pressure in the air cham-
bers of the backrest side bolsters. This
function improves driving comfort and
pleasure.
In addition, the Drive-Dynamic seat has a
movable seat cushion and inflatable air
cushions built into the backrest to provide
additional lumbar and side support.
The seat cushion movement, backrest
cushion height and curvature can be con-
tinuously varied with switches on the right
side of the seat on the driver side, or the
left side of the seat on the passenger side
after turning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position2 or pressing the KEY-
LESS-GO* start/stop button twice.1Backrest center
2Backrest bottom
3Seat cushion depth
4Activate drive dynamic function
5Backrest side bolsters
6Massage function

Switch on the ignition (
page 36).Multicontour features
Seat cushion depth

Adjust the seat cushion depth to the
length of your upper leg using
switch3.
Backrest contour

Move the backrest support to the bot-
tom by using button2 or to the center
by using button1.

Adjust the contour of the backrest to
the desired position using æ or
ç.
Backrest side bolsters

Adjust the side bolsters so that they
provide good lateral support using
switch5.

157 Controls in detail
Control system
Menus, submenus and functions
Menu1
Menu2
Menu3
Menu4
Standard display
AUDIO
NAV*
Distronic*
(page 159)
(page 159)
(page 161)
(page 161)
Commands/submenusDigital speedometer
Select radio station
Show route guidance instruc-
tions, current direction trav-
eled
Call up settings
Call up maintenance system
display
Operate CD player
Check tire inflation pressure*Check engine oil level

159 Controls in detail
Control system
Standard display menu
Press buttonk orj repeatedly
to select the functions in the standard
display menu.
The following functions are available:
Display digital speedometer

Press button k orj repeatedly
until the digital speedometer appears
in the multifunction display.
AUDIO menu
The functions in the
AUDIO
menu operate
the audio equipment which you currently
have turned on.
If no audio equipment is currently turned
on, the message
AUDIO off
appears in the
multifunction display.
The following functions are available:Select radio station

Turn on COMAND and select radio. Re-
fer to separate COMAND operating in-
structions.

Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until you see the currently tuned sta-
tion in the multifunction display.
1Waveband setting
2Station frequency

Press buttonk orj repeatedly
until the desired station is found.
Function
Page
Calling up digital speedometer
159
Calling up maintenance service
indicator
360
Checking tire inflation pressure*
339
Checking engine oil level
321
Function
Page
Select radio station
159
Select satellite radio station*
160
Operate CD player
160

177 Controls in detail
Control system
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
buttonæ orç to the Dynamic Seat
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Dyn. multi-cont.
seat, driver
for the driver seat or
Dyn. multi-cont. seat, fr. pass.

for the passenger seat appears in the
multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to switch
function to
Weak
or
Powerful
.The following settings are available:
Function
Page
Adjust driver seat
177
Adjust passenger seat
177
Weak
(Comfort) Less lat-
eral support and
slow air pressure
build-up in the air
chambers of the
backrest side bol-
sters
Powerful
(Sporty) Strong lat-
eral support and
fast air pressure
build-up in the air
chambers of the
backrest side bol-
sters

197 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Good visibility
For information on windshield wipers, see
“Windshield wipers” (
page 56).
Headlamp cleaning system*
The button is located on the left side of the
dashboard.
1Headlamp washer button
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).

Press button1.
The headlamps are cleaned with a
high-pressure water jet.For more information on filling up the
washer reservoir, see “Windshield washer
system and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 327).
Rear view mirrors
For more information on setting the rear
view mirrors, see “Mirrors” (
page 45).
Auto-dimming mirrors
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the interior rear view mirror will respond
automatically to glare when


the ignition is switched on
and


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view mir-
ror.
The rear view mirrors will not react if


reverse gear is engaged


the interior lighting is turned on
iThe headlamps will automatically be
cleaned when you have

switched on the headlamps
and


operated the windshield wipers
with windshield washer fluid
fifteen times
When you switch off the ignition, the
counter resets.

303 Operation
Driving instructions
Driving instructions
Drive sensibly – save fuel
Fuel consumption, to a great extent, de-
pends on driving habits and operating con-
ditions.
To save fuel you should:

Keep tires at the recommended infla-
tion pressures.


Remove unnecessary loads.


Remove roof rack when not in use.


Allow engine to warm up under low
load use.


Avoid frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.


Have all maintenance work performed
at the intervals specified in the
Maintenance Booklet and as required
by the Maintenance System. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Fuel consumption is also increased by
driving in cold weather, in stop-and-go
traffic, on short trips and in hilly area.
Drinking and driving
Pedals
Warning!
G
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs
and driving are very dangerous combina-
tions. Even a small amount of alcohol or
drugs can affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal ac-
cident are greatly increased when you drink
or take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or
taking drugs.
Warning!
G
Keep driver’s foot area clear at all times. Ob-
jects stored in this area may impair pedal
movement.

304 OperationDriving instructionsPower assistance
Brakes
Warning!
G
The brake system requires electrical energy
for operation.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. In such a case, the
red brake warning lamp (
page 376) and
warning messages in the instrument cluster
(
page 386) come on while driving. To
brake, the driver must then apply signifi-
cantly greater brake pedal pressure and de-
press the pedal much further to obtain the
expected braking effect. If necessary, apply
full pressure to the brake pedal. Brakes may
only be applied to the front wheels. Stop-
ping distance is increased!
If there is a malfunction in the electrohy-
draulic brake system, we recommend that
the vehicle be transported with all wheels
off the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment. A tow bar must
be used if circumstances do not permit the
use of the recommended towing methods
and the vehicle requires towing with all four
wheels on the ground. Towing the vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground is only
permissible for distances up to 30 miles
(50 km) and at a speed not to exceed
30 mph (50 km/h). For more information,
refer to “Towing the vehicle” (
page 457).
For more information, see “Electrohydraulic
brake system” (
page 97).
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle.
Warning!
G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking ef-
fect. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles
in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an acci-
dent.

305 Operation
Driving instructions
To help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only sub-
jected to moderate loads, you should occa-
sionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.
Refer to the description of the Brake Assist
System (BAS) (
page 94).If the parking brake is released and the
brake warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter stays on, there is a malfunction in the
electrohydraulic brake system (
page 97)
or the brake fluid level in the reservoir is
too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the res-
ervoir.
Have the brake system inspected by quali-
fied technicians immediately. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only install brake pads and brake fluid
recommended by Mercedes-Benz.
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
park, so that the air stream will cool down
the brakes faster.
Warning!
G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking ma-
neuvers.
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.
Be certain to read and observe the warning
notices on brake pad replacement
(page 400).!When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s braking power. This helps pre-
vent overheating of the brakes and re-
duces brake pad wear.