2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 over head controls

68 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyWarning!
G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear their
respective seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the backrest. Fasten
your seat belt and make sure that it is prop-
erly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating and hands
on steering wheel position will help to keep
you at a safe distance from the air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the air bag can be seriously
injured or killed by an air bag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:

Sit properly belted in a nearly upright
position with your back against the seat
backrest.


Adjust the driver seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper opera-
tion of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the air bag cover
on the steering wheel must be at least
10 in (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any prob-
lems, please see your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Do not lean your head or chest close to
the steering wheel or dashboard.


Keep hands on the outside of steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms
inside the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when driver front air bag inflates.


Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.


Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
side impact air bag inflates. This could
result in serious injuries or death should
the air bag be triggered. Always sit near-
ly upright, properly use the seat belts
and use an appropriately sized infant or
toddler restraint or booster seat recom-
mended for the size and weight of the
child.
Failure to follow these instructions can
result in severe injuries to you or other
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.

110 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingChecking the batteries
Press button‹ orŒ.
Battery check lamp5 (
page 106)
comes on briefly to indicate that the
SmartKey batteries are in order.Unlocking and opening the trunk
You can unlock and open the trunk sepa-
rately.
A minimum height clearance of 5.90 ft
(1.80 m) is required to open the trunk lid.

Press and hold buttonŠ until the
trunk lid unlocks and begins to open.
The trunk can also be opened from its in-
side in an emergency, see “Trunk emer-
gency release” (
page 127).Loss of SmartKey or mechanical key
If you lose a SmartKey or mechanical key,
you should do the following:

Have the SmartKey deactivated by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

Report the loss of the SmartKey or the
mechanical key immediately to your
car insurance company.

If necessary, have the mechanical lock
replaced.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a replace-
ment.
iIf battery check lamp5 does not
come on briefly during check, then the
SmartKey batteries are discharged.
Replace the batteries (
page 431).
You can obtain the required batteries
at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iIf the batteries are checked within sig-
nal range of the vehicle, pressing the
button‹ orŒ will lock or unlock
the vehicle accordingly.
!The trunk lid swings open upwards au-
tomatically. Always make sure there is
sufficient overhead clearance.
Vehicles with trunk opening/closing
system*: To stop the opening proce-
dure, press buttonŠ. The trunk lid
stops moving.iIf the trunk does not open, it is still
locked separately (
page 128).
iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the trunk will lock automatical-
ly after closing it.
To confirm locking all turn signal lamps
flash three times.

118 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingUnlocking and opening the trunk
You can unlock and open the trunk sepa-
rately.
A minimum height clearance of 5.90 ft
(1.80 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
The handle is located in the rear license
plate recess.
Pull on the handle
or

Press and hold buttonŠ until the
trunk lid unlocks and begins to open.Loss of the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
If you lose your SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO, you should do the following:

Have the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
deactivated by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Report the loss immediately to your car
insurance company.

Have the mechanical lock replaced if
necessary.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a replace-
ment.
!The trunk lid swings open upwards au-
tomatically. Always make sure there is
sufficient overhead clearance.
Vehicles with trunk opening/closing
system*: to stop the opening proce-
dure, press buttonŠ. The trunk lid
stops moving.iIf the trunk does not open, it is still
locked separately (
page 128).
iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked with KEYLESS-GO, the trunk will
lock automatically after closing it.
To confirm locking all turn signal lamps
flash three times.

120 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingOpening the trunk
Opening the trunk from the outside
A minimum height clearance of 5.90 ft
(1.80 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
The handle is located above the rear li-
cense plate recess.
In vehicles without KEYLESS-GO*: The ve-
hicle must be unlocked.
Pull on the handle.
The trunk opens.Opening the trunk from the inside
You can open the trunk from the inside if
the vehicle is stationary.
A minimum height clearance of 5.90 ft
(1.80 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
The switch is located on the driver’s door.
1Remote trunk switch with indicator
lamp
!The trunk lid swings open upwards au-
tomatically. Always make sure there is
sufficient overhead clearance.iIf the trunk does not open, it is still
locked separately (
page 128).
iThe trunk can also be opened using
button Š on the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* or from
its inside in an emergency, see “Trunk
emergency release” (
page 127).
iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the trunk will lock automatical-
ly after closing it.
To confirm locking all turn signal lamps
flash three times.

121 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
1Remote trunk switch with indicator
lamp (vehicles with trunk open-
ing/closing system*)
Pull remote trunk switch1 until the
trunk begins to open.
The trunk opens. The indicator lamp in
the switch comes on and remains lit
until the trunk is closed.
Closing the trunk
Closing the trunk from the inside auto-
matically*
In vehicles with trunk opening/closing sys-
tem* you can close the trunk from the in-
side using the remote trunk switch.
Press remote trunk switch
(page 121) until the indicator lamp in
the switch goes out and the trunk is
closed.
To interrupt the closing procedure:

Release the remote trunk switch.
!The trunk lid swings open upwards au-
tomatically. Always make sure there is
sufficient overhead clearance.
Vehicles with trunk opening/closing
system*: To stop the opening proce-
dure, press or pull remote trunk
switch1.iIf the trunk does not open, it is still
locked separately (
page 128).
iThe trunk can also be opened using
button Š on the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* or from
its inside in an emergency, see “Trunk
lid emergency release” (
page 127).
iYou can also close the trunk by hand.


141 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
For information on how to switch on the
headlamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 54)
and see “Turn signals” (
page 55).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.Exterior lamp switchMOff
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 142)
UAutomatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(page 142)
CParking lamps (also tail lamps, li-
cense plate lamps, side marker
lamps, instrument panel lamps)BLow beam headlamps (or high
beam headlamps when the combi-
nation switch is pushed forward)
and parking lamps
ˆStanding lamps, right (turn left one
stop)
‚Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
‡Indicator lamp for front fog lamps
†Indicator lamp for rear fog lamp
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles
drive on the other side of the road than
the country where the vehicle is regis-
tered, you must have the headlamps
modified for symmetrical low beams.
Relevant information can be obtained
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.iVehicles equipped with active Bi-Xe-
non* headlamps:
The active Bi-Xenon headlamps moni-
tor your steering angle and driving
speed, then automatically shift their
beams to either side to better follow
the curvature of the road ahead, in-
creasing usable illumination over con-
ventional headlamps.
iWith the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the engine turned off
with KEYLESS-GO* and the driver’s
door open, a warning sounds if the
parking lamps or low beam headlamps
are switched on.
The message
Switch off lamps

appears in the multifunction display.

143 Controls in detail
Lighting
Canada only:
The daytime running lamp mode is manda-
tory and therefore in a constant mode.
When the engine is running, and you shift
from a driving position to positionN orP,
the low beam headlamps will switch off
with a three-minute delay.
When the engine is running, and you

turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionC, the parking lamps
switch on additionally.


turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB, the manual headlamp
mode has priority over the daytime run-
ning lamp mode.
The corresponding exterior lamps
switch on (
page 54).USA only:
By default, the daytime running lamp mode
is deactivated. Activate the daytime run-
ning lamp mode using the control system,
see “Setting daytime running lamp mode
(USA only)” (
page 170).
When the engine is running, and you turn
the exterior lamp switch to
positionCorB, the manual head-
lamp mode has priority over the daytime
running lamp mode.
The corresponding exterior lamps switch
on (
page 54).
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated and the exterior lamp switch
in positionM, the high beam head-
lamps cannot be switched on.
The high beam flasher is available at all
times.

147 Controls in detail
Lighting
Interior lighting in the front
1Left front reading lamp on/off
2Rear interior lighting on/off
3Automatic control on/off
4Front interior lighting on/off
5Right front reading lamp on/off
6Ambient lighting
7Interior lighting
8Front reading lampsThe controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
Automatic control
Activating

Press automatic control switch3.
The interior lighting switches on in
darkness when you:

unlock the vehicle


remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch


open a door


open the trunk
The interior lighting switches off automati-
cally following an adjustable time delay.For more information, see “Setting interior
lighting delayed shut-off” (
page 173).
Deactivating

Press automatic control switch3
again.
The interior lighting remains switched
off in darkness, even when you:

unlock the vehicle


remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch


open a door


open the trunk
iLeaving an interior light switch in the
ON position for extended periods of
time with the engine turned off could
result in a discharged battery.
iIf the door remains open, the interior
lighting switches off automatically after
approximately 5 minutes.