2007 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 Light

374 Controls in detail
Power windows
Opening and closing power windows
The side windows are opened and closed
electrically. The switches

for all side windows are on the driver’s
door

for the passenger door window are on
the passenger door

for each rear side window are on the re-
spective rear side trim panel
1Left front window
2Right front window
3Left rear window
4Right rear window
Warning!G
When closing the windows, make sure there
is no danger of anyone being harmed by the
closing procedure.
Activate the override switch (
page 62)
when children are riding in the back seats of
the vehicle. The children may otherwise in-
jure themselves, e.g. by becoming trapped
in the window opening.
The closing of the side windows can be im-
mediately halted by releasing the switch or,
if the switch was pressed past the resis-
tance point and released, by pressing the
lower part of the respective switch again.
The door windows are equipped with the ex-
press-close and automatic reversal func-
tion. If a door window encounters an
obstruction that blocks its path in a circum-
stance where you pressed the switch past
the resistance point and released it to close
the window, the automatic reversal function
will stop the window and open it slightly.
If a door window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you are closing the window by pressing and
holding the switch, by pressing and holding
button ‹ on the SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO*, by pressing and holding
the sensor surface (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*) on an outside door handle,
or by pressing and holding button, on
the climate control panel, the automatic re-
versal function will not operate.
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. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

376 Controls in detail
Power windows
Stopping during Express-operation:
Briefly press the respective power win-
dow switch again.
Summer opening feature
If the weather is warm, you can ventilate
the vehicle before driving off by simulta-
neously:

opening the side windows

opening the tilt/sliding sunroof

turning on the seat ventilation* for the
driver’s seat
Aim transmitter eye of the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* at the
driver’s outside door handle. The
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* must be in close proxim-
ity to the driver’s door handle.
Press and hold button Πuntil the
side windows and tilt/sliding sunroof
have reached the desired position.The vehicle unlocks.
Release button Πto interrupt pro-
cedure.
Convenience closing feature
When you lock the vehicle, you can close
the side windows and tilt/sliding sunroof
simultaneously.
!If the upward movement of a door window is
blocked during the closing procedure, the door
window will stop and open slightly.
Remove the obstruction, press the respective
power window switch at the upper part again
past the resistance point and release.
If the door window still does not close when
there is no obstruction, press and hold the re-
spective power window switch at the upper part.
The door window will then close without the ob-
struction sensor function.iThe “Summer opening” function can only be
activated via the remote control of the SmartKey
or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*.
iThe seat ventilation* for the driver’s seat is
automatically set to the highest level if activated
via summer opening feature.
iThe function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO* function.
Warning!G
When closing the side windows and the
tilt/sliding sunroof, make sure that there is
no danger of anyone being harmed by the
closing procedure.
If potential danger exists, proceed as fol-
lows:

Release button ‹ to stop the closing
procedure. To open, press and hold but-
ton Œ. To continue the closing after
making sure that there is no danger of


396 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
transmission shifts into a lower gear.
Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:
Leave the transmission in gear.
Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop for a longer period of time
with the engine idling and/or on a hill:
Engage the electronic parking brake.
Shift into park positionP.
Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:
Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.
Accelerate gently.
Never abruptly step on the accelerator.
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. Children could shift the
automatic transmission out of park
positionP, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

402 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
A full view illustration of the instrument
cluster can be found in the “At a glance”
section of this manual (
page 30).
The instrument cluster is activated when
you:

open a door

switch on the ignition (page 336)

switch on the exterior lamps
The language setting for the multifunction
display can be changed via COMAND
(
page 81).Adjusting instrument cluster display il-
lumination
1Knob
Brightening illumination: Turn
knob1 clockwise.
Dimming illumination: Turn knob1
counterclockwise.
Warning!G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction dis-
play is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see infor-
mation about your driving conditions, such
as speed or outside temperature, warning/
indicator lamps, malfunction/warning mes-
sages or the failure of any systems. Driving
characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, please do so
with added caution. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to suit am-
bient light conditions.
The instrument cluster illumination will also be
adjusted automatically when you switch on the
vehicle’s exterior lamps.

405 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control (page 405) and
DISTRONIC Plus*(
page 411), with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed.

ABC (page 429) adjusts the vehicle
suspension characteristics automati-
cally and control the vehicle level.

Parktronic* (page 431) and
Park Assist* (
page 435), which serve
as a parking assistant.

Dynamic Rear View Monitor*
(
page 439) is an electronic and
visual parking aid.

Night View Assist* (page 446) illumi-
nates the road with infrared light in
addition to the normal headlamps.
For information on the ABS, Adaptive
Brake, BAS, BAS Plus*, EBP, ESP
® and
PRE-SAFE® Brake*, see “Driving safety
systems” (
page 64).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
The use of the cruise control is recom-
mended for driving at a constant speed for
extended periods of time.
You can set or resume the cruise control at
any speed over 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
Warning!G
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle’s speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road,
traffic, and weather conditions make it
advisable to travel at a constant speed.

The use of the cruise control can be dan-
gerous on winding roads or in heavy traf-
fic because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a constant speed.

The use of the cruise control can be dan-
gerous on slippery roads. Rapid changes
in tire traction can result in wheel spin
and loss of control.

Deactivate the cruise control when
driving in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

428 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Narrow vehicles
Because of their narrow profile, the vehi-
cles traveling near the outer edge of the
lane have not yet been detected by
DISTRONIC Plus. There will be insufficient
distance to the vehicles ahead.Obstacles and stationary vehicles
DISTRONIC Plus does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example,
the vehicle detected in front of you chang-
es lanes to bypass an obstacle or station-
ary vehicle in front of it, DISTRONIC Plus
will not brake for the obstacle or stationary
vehicle.Cross-traffic
DISTRONIC Plus may inadvertently detect
crossing vehicles. If you switch on DIS-
TRONIC Plus, for example, at a traffic light
with cross-traffic, the vehicle may sudden-
ly start to drive off.

440 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Warning!G
Please note that objects which do not touch
the ground, such as the bumper of a vehicle
parked behind you, a trailer hitch, or the
back of a truck, may appear to be further
away than they actually are. In this case, you
should not use the guide lines to judge dis-
tance. The use of the guide lines to judge
distance increases the risk of impacting the
objects.
Warning!G
The Dynamic Rear View Monitor is a supple-
ment system. It is not intended to, nor does
it replace, the need for extreme care. The re-
sponsibility during parking and other driving
maneuvers always remains with the driver.
The Dynamic Rear View Monitor may show
obstacles with a distorted perspective, in-
correctly or not at all.
Special attention must be paid to objects
outside of the camera’s field of view such as
those located very close to or below the rear
bumper, or above the recessed grip of the
luggage compartment lid. Such objects may
not be detected by the system and can dam-
age the vehicle.
The Dynamic Rear View Monitor does not
warn you about impending collisions with
objects. The driver is always responsible for
safety and must continue to pay attention to
the immediate surroundings while parking
or maneuvering the vehicle. This applies not
only to the area behind the vehicle, but also
to the area in front of and to the sides of the
v e h i c l e . F a i l u r e t o d o s o c o u l d r e s u l t i n i n j u r y
to persons and/or damage to the vehicle or
other property. We also recommend that the
driver use the Parktronic system* or Park
Assist* when parking or maneuvering the
vehicle.Warning!G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.
Warning!G
The Dynamic Rear View Monitor may not
function if:

the trunk lid is not completely closed

it is raining or snowing heavily, or if
there is thick fog

in a very dark area

the camera is exposed to very strong
white light (white stripes may appear on
the COMAND display)

the surrounding area is lit with fluores-
cent light (the COMAND display can
flicker)

outside temperatures are very high (lens
condensation)

446 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Night View Assist*
Night View Assist illuminates the road with
infrared light in addition to the normal
headlamps.
A camera at the top of the windshield mea-
sures the infrared light and shows a
black-and-white image on the multifunc-
tion display. The image on the multifunction display cor-
responds to a road lit up by high-beam
headlamps.
The Night View Assist image on the multi-
function display is not impaired

by the headlamps of approaching vehi-
cles

if you cannot switch on the high beams
due to oncoming traffic
As a result, you can better follow the
course of the road and detect obstacles
earlier on.The camera is at the top of the windshield.
1Night View Assist camera
Warning!G
Night View Assist is only an aid to support
you while driving and cannot substitute your
careful attention. Do not rely on the display
of the Night View Assist; instead, continue
to look through the windshield. You are al-
ways responsible for safety and must drive
in accordance with traffic conditions. Other-
wise, you could endanger yourself and oth-
ers.
If it is foggy, raining or snowing, the clarity of
the Night View Assist image on the multi-
function display may be diminished.Warning!G
Night View Assist cannot record objects im-
mediately in front of or next to the vehicle.
When maneuvering, continue to look
through the windshield. Make sure no per-
sons or animals are in the area in which you
are maneuvering. You could otherwise in-
jure them.
iInfrared light is invisible to the human eye
and can therefore remain permanently switched
on without blinding oncoming traffic.