2006 MERCEDES-BENZ S430 Security

ContentsSafety and Security........................... 59
Occupant safety................................... 60
Air bags .......................................... 61
Seat belts ....................................... 67
Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE
®)................................... 70
Children in the vehicle .................... 71
Override switch for rear
passenger compartment ................ 77
Panic alarm .......................................... 78
Activating ....................................... 78
Deactivating ................................... 78
Driving safety systems ......................... 79
ABS ................................................ 79
BAS ................................................ 80
ESP
®.............................................. 81
Four wheel electronic traction
system (4MATIC) with the ESP
®..... 84
Anti-theft systems................................ 85
Immobilizer..................................... 85
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 86
Tow-away alarm ............................. 88
Controls in detail............................... 91
Locking and unlocking ......................... 92
SmartKey ....................................... 92
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ........ 96
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................. 102
Opening the trunk ........................ 103
Closing the trunk.......................... 105
Trunk lid emergency release ........ 111
Power closing assist for doors
and trunk lid ................................. 112
Automatic central locking ............ 112
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................. 113
Seats ................................................. 114
Easy-entry/exit feature ................ 114
Removing and installing front
seat head restraints ..................... 116
Rear seats .................................... 117
Rear seat head restraints ............. 120
Lumbar support............................ 122
Multicontour backrest* ................ 122
Drive-dynamic seat* .................... 124
Seat heating* ............................... 125
Seat ventilation* .......................... 127Memory function ............................... 128
Storing positions into memory ..... 129
Recalling positions from memory . 129
Storing exterior rear view
mirror parking position ................ 130
Lighting ............................................. 131
Exterior lamp switch .................... 131
Combination switch ..................... 135
Hazard warning flasher ................ 136
Interior lighting ............................ 137
Courtesy lighting .......................... 139
Door entry lamps ......................... 139
Trunk lighting ............................... 139
Instrument cluster ............................. 140
Instrument cluster illumination .... 140
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 141
Trip odometer .............................. 141
Tachometer .................................. 142
Outside temperature indicator ..... 142
Clock............................................ 142
Control system .................................. 143
Multifunction display.................... 143
Multifunction steering wheel........ 144
Menus .......................................... 146
Standard display menu ................ 148
AUDIO menu ................................ 148

14 IntroductionWhere to find itThis Operator’s Manual is designed to pro-
vide comprehensive support information
for you, the vehicle operator. Each section
has its own reference color.At a glance
Here you will find an overview of all the
controls that can be operated from the
driver’s seat.Getting started
Here you will find all the information you
need for your first drive. You should read
this section first if this is your first
Mercedes-Benz vehicle or if you are rent-
ing or borrowing this vehicle.Safety and Security
Here you will find descriptions of the safety
and security features of your vehicle.
Controls in detail
Here you will find detailed information
about the equipment installed in your vehi-
cle. This section expands on the “Getting
started” section and also describes techni-
cal innovations. If you are already familiar
with the basic functions of your vehicle,
this section will be of particular interest to
you.Operation
Here you will find all the information you
need for the proper operation of your vehi-
cle.Practical hints
This section provides fast assistance for
dealing with problems you may encounter.
Technical data
All important technical data for your vehi-
cle can be found in this section.Indexes
The glossary provides explanations of the
most important technical terms.
The table of contents and the index are de-
signed to help you find information quickly
and easily.
The following publications are part of your
vehicle documentation:

this Operator’s Manual


the Maintenance Booklet
Separate operating instructions will be
provided as required depending on the
equipment options installed in your vehi-
cle.

44 Getting startedDriving
1 Release button
2Buckle
3 Latch plate
Pull the seat belt smoothly from the
seat belt outlet.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle’s
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er’s instructions.
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 let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re-
strained with a separate seat belt. Never use
a seat belt for more than one person at a
time.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
even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a nearly upright position and the
belt is properly positioned on the body.
Warning!
G
Read and observe the additional warning no-
tices printed in the “Safety and Security”
section (
page 64).


59 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Panic alarm
Driving safety systems
Anti-theft systems

60 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are:

Seat belts


Emergency tensioning device


Air bags


Child seats


Child seat recognition


Lower anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH)


Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE
®)
As independent systems, their protective
effects work in conjunction with each oth-
er.The 1 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on


for about four seconds when you turn
the SmartKey in the starter switch to
position1 or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (
page 35) once. It
then goes out briefly, comes on again
and remains lit until you start the en-
gine.


for about four seconds when you start
the engine by turning the SmartKey or
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button.The restraint systems are fully operational
if the 1 indicator lamp is not lit when
the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been de-
tected if the1 indicator lamp:


fails to extinguish after approximately
four seconds


does not come on at all


comes on after the engine was started
or while driving
For safety reasons, we strongly recom-
mend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to
have the system checked.
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 71).
iThe 1 indicator lamp remains lit if
the SmartKey is turned to position 2
and left there or the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button is pressed twice. The
indicator lamp will go out when you
start the engine.

61 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(page 347).
Air bags
Warning!
G
In the event that the 1 indicator lamp
comes on during driving or does not come
on at all, the SRS self-check has detected a
malfunction. For your safety, we strongly
recommend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have
the system checked; otherwise the SRS may
not be activated when needed in an acci-
dent, which could result in serious or fatal
injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could also result in
injury.
In addition, improper repair work on the SRS
creates a risk of rendering the SRS inopera-
tive or causing unintended air bag deploy-
ment. Work on the SRS must therefore only
be performed by qualified technicians. Con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Air bags are designed to reduce the poten-
tial of injury and fatality in certain frontal im-
pacts (front air bags), side impacts (side
impact air bags and head protection window
curtain air bags) or rollovers (head protec-
tion window curtain air bags). However, no
system available today can totally eliminate
injuries and fatalities.
The activation of the air bags temporarily re-
leases a small amount of dust from the
air bags. This dust, however, is neither inju-
rious to your health, nor does it indicate a
fire in the vehicle. The dust might cause
some temporary breathing difficulty for peo-
ple with asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, you may wish to get out of the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have any breathing difficulty but cannot get
out of the vehicle after the air bag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
door.
Warning!
G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and passenger front to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear your
seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the seat backrest.
Fasten your seat belt and make sure it is
properly 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. Oc-
cupants who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the air bag can be seriously in-
jured 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.


62 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety

Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possi-
ble rearward, still permitting proper op-
eration 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 an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Do not lean with your head or chest
close to the steering wheel or dash-
board.


Keep hands on the outside of steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in-
side 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 lean their heads in the area of the
door where the side air bag inflates.
This could result in serious injuries or
death should the air bag be triggered.
Always sit nearly upright, properly use
the seat belts and appropriate size in-
fant or child restraint system.


Children 12 years old and under must
never ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized
BabySmart
TM1
compatible child seat,
which operates with the BabySmart
TM
system installed in the vehicle to deacti-
vate the passenger front air bag when it
is properly installed. Otherwise they will
be struck by the air bag when it inflates
in a crash. If this happens, serious or fa-
tal injury will result.
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injuries to you or other occu-
pants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety in-
formation. Be sure to give the buyer this Op-
erator’s Manual.
1BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens Automo-
tive Corp.
Warning!
G
Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in an automobile is in the
rear seat. Should you choose to place a child
12 years old or under in the front passenger
seat of your vehicle, you must properly use
a BabySmart
TM child restraint which will
turn off the passenger front air bag.
BabySmart
TM will not, however, turn off any
side impact air bag.
It should be noted that with respect to both
front and rear side impact air bags there is a
possibility for a side air bag related injury if
occupants, especially children, are not prop-
erly seated or restrained when next to a side
air bag which needs to deploy rapidly in a
side impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
side air bag inflates. This could result in


63 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
serious injuries or death should the side
air bag be activated.
(2) Always sit nearly upright, properly use
the seat belts and use an appropriately
sized infant or child restraint system for
all children 12 years old or under.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of
these guidelines, it would be safer for your
rear seat occupants to have the rear mount-
ed side air bags deactivated, then deactiva-
tion can be accomplished upon your written
request to do so at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center at an additional cost.
Please contact your local authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details.
iAir bags are designed to activate only
in certain frontal (front air bags) im-
pacts, side impacts (side impact and
head protection window curtain
air bags) which exceed preset thresh-
olds, and in certain rollovers (head pro-
tection window curtain air bags). Only
during these events will they provide
their supplemental protection.
The driver and passengers should al-
ways wear their seat belts. Otherwise it
is not possible for air bags to provide
their supplemental protection.
In case of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, air bags will not be activat-
ed. The driver and passengers will then
be protected to the extent possible by
a properly fastened seat belt. A proper-
ly fastened seat belt is also needed to
provide the best possible protection in
a rollover.
We caution you not to rely on the pres-
ence of the air bags in order to avoid
wearing your seat belt.
Your vehicle was originally equipped
with air bags that are designed to acti-
vate in certain impacts exceeding a
preset threshold to reduce the poten-
tial and severity of injury. It is important
for your safety and that of your passen-
gers that you replace deployed air bags
and repair any malfunctioning air bags
to make sure the vehicle will continue
to provide supplemental crash protec-
tion for occupants.