2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R500 Owner's Manual

136 Controls in detailSeatsLumbar support
The curvature of the driver’s seat can be
adjusted to help enhance lower back sup-
port and seating comfort.
The lever for lumbar support adjustment is
located on the right hand side of the
driver’s seat backrest.
1Adjustment lever
Move adjustment lever 1 in direction
of arrows until you have reached a
comfortable seating position.
Multicontour seat*
The multicontour seat has an extendable
seat cushion and inflatable air chambers
built into the backrest to provide additional
lumbar and side support.
The seat cushion depth, seat backrest
cushion-height and curvature can be con-
tinuously varied with switches on the in-
side of each front seat base after the
ignition is switched on (
page 38).
1Seat cushion depth
2Backrest side bolsters
3Backrest center
4Backrest bottom

Switch on the ignition (
page 38).
Seat cushion depth

Adjust the seat cushion depth to the
length of your upper leg with
switch1.
Backrest contour

Adjust the contour of the seat backrest
to the desired position with switch
æ orç.

Move the seat backrest support to the
bottom with button4 or to the center
with button3.
Backrest side bolsters

Adjust the side bolsters so that they
provide good lateral support with
switch2.

137 Controls in detailSeats
Rear seats Rear seat adjustmentFore and aft adjustment
(second-row seats only)
The handles for adjusting the seats are
located on the front of each seat base.
1Adjustment handle

Pull up handle 1 in direction of arrow
and hold it there.

Move seat to the desired position.

Release handle 1.
The seat must audibly engage.
Warning!
G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats. Re-
gardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriate infant or
toddler restraint, or booster seat recom-
mended for the size and weight of the child.
For additional information, see “Children in
the vehicle” (
page 82).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
Warning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position
as this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a nearly upright position and
belts are properly positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt (
page 50).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.

138 Controls in detailSeatsSeat backrest tilt (second-row seats)
The handles for adjusting the seats are
located on the rear of each seat base.
1Adjustment handle
While seated, pull handle 1 in direc-
tion of arrow to resistance point and
hold it there.

To move seat backrest back, lean light-
ly against backrest.

To move seat backrest forward, lean
forward with handle 1 pulled and held
at resistance point.
The seat backrest will move forward
against your back.

Release handle 1 when the seat back-
rest has reached the desired position.
To make sure the seat backrest has en-
gaged, lean firmly against the backrest.Seat backrest tilt (third-row seats)
The handles for adjusting the seats are
located on the outer side of each seat
backrest.
1Adjustment handle

While seated, pull handle 1 in direc-
tion of arrow and hold it there.

139 Controls in detailSeats

To move seat backrest back, lean
lightly against backrest.

To move seat backrest forward, lean
forward with handle 1 pulled.
The seat backrest will move forward
against your back.

Release handle 1 when the seat back-
rest has reached the desired position.
To make sure the seat backrest has en-
gaged, lean firmly against the backrest.Head restraint height
Second-row seat head restraint1Head restraint
2Release buttonRaising:

Manually adjust the height of head
restraint 1 by pulling it upward to the
desired position.
Lowering:

To lower head restraint 1, push
release button2 and press down on
head restraint 1.
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.
iThe third-row seat head restraints are
adjusted in the same manner.iThe tilt of the second-row head re-
straints is adjusted in the same manner
as the front-seat head restraints, see
“Head restraint tilt” (
page 45).
The tilt of the third-row head restraints
cannot be adjusted.

140 Controls in detailSeatsHead restraintsRemoving head restraints
Seat position for head restraint removal
When removing the head restraint of a
second-row seat, adjust the seat to the
rear as far as possible (
page 137)
and fold the seat backrest
(
page 134) forward.1Head restraint
2Release button

To remove head restraint 1, pull head
restraint 1 to its highest position.

Push release button2 and pull out
head restraint.
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 installed when the rear seats
are occupied. Head restraints are intended
to help reduce injuries during an accident.

141 Controls in detailSeats
Installing head restraints
Insert head restraint 1 into openings
on the seat backrest.

Push head restraint 1 down until it au-
dibly engages.

Push release button2 and adjust
head restraint 1 to the desired posi-
tion (
page 139).Armrests
The second-row seat armrests can be fold-
ed up, when loading for example, and ad-
justed.
Folding up

Move the armrest into a vertical posi-
tion until it engages.
Adjusting

With the armrest folded up, disengage
the armrest by pushing it towards the
rear slightly.

Fold the armrest down to the lowest
and then to the desired position until it
engages.

To readjust the armrest to a higher
position, move armrest up to the
desired position until it engages.
Seat heating*
Front-seat heating
The switches for front-seat heating are lo-
cated in the center console. The red indica-
tor lamps in the switch come on to show
which heating level you have selected.
iOn the second-row seats, the guide bar
with the detent must be on the left.
iIf you wish to readjust the armrest to a
lower position, you must first fold up
the armrest again and repeat the steps
above.

142 Controls in detailSeats
1Seat heating switch, front seats
2Indicator lamps
Switch on the ignition (
page 38).
Switching on

Press switch1.
Three red indicator lamps2 in the
switch come on.

Continue pressing switch1 until
desired seat heating level is reached.
Warning!
G
The seat heating switches off automatically.
However, should a malfunction occur and
the automatic switch-off function fail, the
seat cushion and seat backrest can become
very hot. This may cause burns.
Always be aware of the selected heating
level for all seats equipped with seat heat-
ing. Vehicle occupants, especially occu-
pants who suffer from spinal cord injuries or
spinal cord disorders, may not notice that
the seat heating is switched on and/or if the
seat heating does not switch off as intend-
ed. To reduce the risk of burns and personal
injury, take notice of wether and how the
seat heaters are operational and switch off
manually if necessary.
Leveloff
No indicator lamps on.
1
One indicator lamp on.
The seat heating automatically
switches off after approximately
20 minutes.
2
Two indicator lamps on.
The seat heating automatically
switches to level 1 after approxi-
mately 10 minutes.
3
Three indicator lamps on.
The seat heating automatically
switches to level 2 after approxi-
mately 5 minutes.

143 Controls in detailSeats
Switching off
Press switch1 repeatedly until all
indicator lamps2 go out.Second-row seat heating
The switches for the second-row seats are
located in the rear center console.
1Seat heating switch
2Indicator lamps

Operate the seat heating for the
second-row seats as described in
“Front-seat heating” (
page 141).
iIf one or more of the indicator
lamps2 on seat heating switch 1 are
flashing, there is insufficient voltage
due to too many electrical consumers
being switched on. The seat heating
switches off automatically.
The seat heating will switch back on
again automatically as soon as
sufficient voltage is available.