2006 MERCEDES-BENZ S55AMG Owner's Manual

136 Controls in detailLightingHazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be
switched on at all times, even with the
SmartKey removed from the starter switch
or with the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle.
The hazard warning flasher switches on au-
tomatically when an airbag deploys.
1Hazard warning flasher switchSwitching on the hazard warning
flasher

Press hazard warning flasher switch.
All turn signals will flash.Switching off the hazard warning
flasher

Press hazard warning flasher switch
again.
iWith the hazard warning flasher acti-
vated and the combination switch set
for either left or right turn, only the re-
spective left or right turn signals will
operate when the SmartKey in the
starter switch is in position1 or2 or
the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(page 35) is pressed once or twice.
iIf the hazard warning flasher was acti-
vated automatically, also press hazard
warning flasher switch 1 to switch off
the hazard warning flasher.

137 Controls in detail
Lighting
Interior lighting
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
1Left reading lamp on/off
2Rear interior lamps on/off
3Right reading lamp on/off
4Rocker switch for automatic
control on/offAutomatic control
Activating

Press rocker switch 4 to the center
position.
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 “Interior lighting
delayed switch-off” (
page 167).Deactivating

Press the ñ symbol on rocker
switch 4.
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
Manual control
Front interior lighting

Press the ð symbol on rocker
switch 4.
The front interior lighting switches on.

Press the ñ symbol on rocker
switch 4 again.
The front interior lighting switches off.
The automatic control function is acti-
vated.
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 five minutes.

138 Controls in detailLightingRear interior lighting
Press switch2 on theò symbol.
The rear compartment lighting switch-
es on.

Press switch2 on theò symbol
again.
The rear compartment lighting switch-
es off.Reading lamps in the front
The reading lamps are integrated into the
interior rear view mirror.

Press reading lamp switch1or3 to
switch on the desired reading lamp.

Press reading lamp switch1or3
again to switch off the respective read-
ing lamp.Reading lamps in the rear
The reading lamps are located in the roof
lining for the rear seat passengers.
1Reading lamps on/off
2Reading lamps

Press reading lamp switch1 to switch
on reading lamps2.

Press reading lamp switch1 to switch
off reading lamps2.
iThe setting selected for the interior
lighting is used for the trunk lighting as
well.
If the trunk lid remains open, the trunk
lighting switches off automatically after
approximately ten minutes.

139 Controls in detail
Lighting
Courtesy lighting
For better orientation in the dark, courtesy
lamps will illuminate the interior of your ve-
hicle as follows:
With parking lamps switched on:

the door handles


the driver and passenger footwells
With the SmartKey in the starter switch
position1:


the door handles


the center console
Door entry lamps
For better orientation in the dark, the cor-
responding door entry lamps will switch on
in darkness when you open a door and the
automatic control is activated.
The door entry lamps switch off when the
corresponding door is closed.
Trunk lighting
The trunk lighting switches on if the trunk
lid is opened.
If you leave the trunk open for an extended
period of time, the trunk lighting will switch
off automatically after approximately
ten minutes.
iIf you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 and switch off the
exterior headlamps, the door handle
lamps will remain lit for approximately
five minutes.
iIf you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 and switch off the
exterior headlamps, the door entry
lamps will remain lit for approximately
five minutes.

140 Controls in detailInstrument clusterA full view illustration of the instrument
cluster can be found in the “At a glance”
section of this manual (
page 24).
1Reset buttonJ
The instrument cluster is activated when
you:


open a door


switch on the ignition (
page 34)


press the reset buttonJ1


switch on the exterior lamps
You can change the instrument cluster set-
tings in the instrument cluster submenu of
the control system (
page 163).
Instrument cluster illumination
1Knob for adjusting instrument cluster
illumination
Use knob1 to adjust the illumination
brightness for the instrument cluster.

Press knob1.
The knob will pop out.
To brighten illumination

Turn knob1 in the instrument cluster
clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.
To dim illumination

Turn knob1 in the instrument cluster
counterclockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to
suit ambient light conditions.
The instrument cluster illumination will
also be adjusted automatically when
you switch on the vehicle’s exterior
lamps.

141 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Coolant temperature gauge
During severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C),
i.e. close to the red zone of the tempera-
ture gauge.
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248°F
(120°C), i.e. in the red zone of the coolant
temperature gauge. Doing so may cause
serious engine damage which is not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited War-
ranty.
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip
odometer display.

If it is not displayed, press the è or
ÿ button on the multifunction
steering wheel repeatedly until the trip
odometer appears (
page 143).

Press and hold reset buttonJ
(page 140) until the trip odometer is
reset.
Warning!
G


Driving when your engine is badly over-
heated can cause some fluids which
may have leaked into the engine com-
partment to catch fire. You could be se-
riously burned.


Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the hood. Stay away from
the engine if you see or hear steam com-
ing from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
iExcessive coolant temperature triggers
a warning in the multifunction display
(page 363).

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.

143 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1 or as soon as the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(page 35) is in position1. The control
system enables you to:


call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Trip odometer
2Main odometer
iThe displays for the audio systems (ra-
dio, CD player etc.) will appear in En-
glish, regardless of the language
selected.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.