2006 MERCEDES-BENZ S500 m mode

84 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsFour wheel electronic traction system (4MATIC) with the ESP
®
Models with all-wheel drive only:
The 4MATIC improves the vehicle’s ability
to use available traction, e.g. during winter
operation in mountains under snowy con-
ditions, by applying power to all four
wheels.
Warning!
G
If you see the ESP
® warning lamp v
flashing in the speedometer dial, proceed as
follows:


While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.


While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.


Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP
® cannot prevent accidents result-
ing from excessive speed.
!Do not tow with one axle raised.
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Performance testing must only be con-
ducted on a two-axle dynamometer.
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.!Because of the ESP’s
® automatic oper-
ation, the engine and ignition must be
shut off (SmartKey in starter switch
position0 or1 or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (
page 35) in
position0 or1) when the parking
brake is being tested on a brake test
dynamometer.
Active braking action through the ESP
®
may otherwise seriously damage the
front or rear axle brake system.
Operational tests with the engine run-
ning can only be conducted on a
two-axle dynamometer.

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.

125 Controls in detailSeats
Seat heating*
Vehicles without seat ventilation*
The switches are located on the door.
1Normal heating
2Rapid heating
The red indicator lamps above the switch-
es show the heating level selected:

Switch on the ignition (
page 34).
Switching on seat heating

Press switch1.
A red indicator lamp above the switch
comes on.
Switching off seat heating

Press switch1 again.
The indicator lamp above the switch
goes out.
Switching on rapid seat heating

Press switch2.
Both red indicator lamps above the
switch come on. Switching off rapid seat heating mode

Press switch2 again.
Both indicator lamps above the switch
go out.
Leveloff
No indicator lamp on.
1
One left indicator lamp on.
2
Two right indicator lamps on.
iThe seat heating will be automatically
switched off after approximately
30 minutes.
iThe system switches over to normal
heating mode after approximately
five minutes. Only the right-hand indi-
cator lamp remains lit. iIf one or both of the lamps on the seat
heating switch are flashing, there is in-
sufficient voltage available since too
many electrical consumers are turned
on. The seat heating switches off auto-
matically.
The seat heating will switch back on
again automatically as soon as suffi-
cient voltage is available.

126 Controls in detailSeatsVehicles with seat ventilation*
The switch is located on the door.
1Seat heating switch
The red indicator lamps above the switch
show the heating level selected:

Switch on the ignition (
page 34).
Switching on seat heating

Press switch1 twice.
A red indicator lamp above the switch
comes on.
Switching off seat heating

Press switch1 again.
The indicator lamp above the switch
goes out.
Switching on rapid seat heating

Press switch1 once.
Both indicator lamps above the switch
come on. Switching off rapid seat heating mode

Press switch1 twice.
Both indicator lamps above the switch
go out.
Leveloff
No indicator lamp on.
1
One indicator lamp on.
2
Two indicator lamps on.
iThe seat heating will be automatically
switched off after approximately
30 minutes.
iThe system switches over to normal
heating mode after approximately
five minutes. Only the right-hand indi-
cator lamp remains lit. iIf one or both of the lamps on the seat
heating switch are flashing, there is in-
sufficient voltage available since too
many electrical consumers are turned
on. The seat heating switches off auto-
matically.
The seat heating will switch back on
again automatically as soon as suffi-
cient voltage is available.

131 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
For information on how to switch on the
headlamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 50)
and “Turn signals” (
page 51).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
M
Off
Daytime running lamp mode
(page 133)
U
Automatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(page 133)
C
Parking lamps (also side marker
lamps, tail lamps, license plate
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
B
Low beam headlamps (or high
beam headlamps when the combi-
nation switch is pushed forward)
and parking lamps
ˆ
Standing lamps, right (turn left one
stop)
‚
Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
C
Indicator lamp for parking lamps
‡
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 in which the vehicle is reg-
istered, you must have the headlamps
modified for symmetrical low beams.
Relevant information can be obtained
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.

132 Controls in detailLightingManual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch. For exterior lamp
switch, see (
page 131).Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off au-
tomatically depending on the brightness of
the ambient light:


Low beam headlamps


Tail and parking lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps
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:
TURN OFF LIGHTS
appears in the multifunction display.
Warning!
G
If the exterior lamp switch is set toU,

the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright am-
bient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.


the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others, acti-
vate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch to B when driving or when traffic
and/or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from position U to B with the
vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching from U to B will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions
may result in an accident.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle’s lights at all
times.iThe front fog lamps and rear fog lamp
cannot be switched on manually with
exterior lamp switch in positionU.
To activate the fog lamps, turn exterior
lamp switch to positionB and pull
the exterior lamp switch to first or sec-
ond stop (
page 134).

133 Controls in detail
Lighting

Turn the exterior lamp switch to U.
With the SmartKey in starter switch po-
sition 1 or the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button pressed once, only
the parking lamps will switch on and off
automatically.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps, the tail and parking
lamps, the license plate lamps, and the
side marker lamps will switch on and
off automatically.
Daytime running lamp mode

Turn exterior lamp switch to
positionM orU.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps are switched on. In
low ambient light conditions, the fol-
lowing lamps will switch on additional-
ly:

tail and parking lamps


license plate lamps


side marker lampsFor nighttime driving you should turn the
exterior lamp switch to positionB to
permit activation of the high beam head-
lamps.
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 395).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 165).
When the engine is running, and you turn
the exterior lamp switch to position C
orB, the manual headlamp mode has
priority over the daytime running lamp
mode.
The corresponding exterior lamps switch
on (
page 395).
Locator lighting and night security illu-
mination
Locator lighting and night security illumi-
nation are described in the control system
section under “Setting locator lighting”
(
page 166) and “Setting night security il-
lumination” (
page 166).

142 Controls in detailInstrument clusterTachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
S 55 AMG and S 65 AMG
The tachometer of the S 55 AMG and
S 65 AMG does not have a red marking de-
noting excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated at
an excessive engine speed.
Outside temperature indicator
The outside temperature is displayed in
the instrument cluster (
page 24). For in-
formation on how to select the unit of the
displayed temperature, i.e. degrees
Celsius (°C) or degrees Fahrenheit (°F),
see “Selecting temperature display mode”
(
page 163).
The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. There-
fore, the accuracy of the displayed temper-ature can only be verified by comparison to
a thermometer placed next to the sensor,
not by comparison to external displays
(e.g. bank signs, etc.).
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
Clock
The time is indicated in the instrument
cluster in the tachometer display.
You can adjust the clock using the
COMAND system. Refer to separate
COMAND operating instructions.
!Avoid driving at excessive engine
speeds, as it may result in serious en-
gine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.