2007 MERCEDES-BENZ E550 4MATIC Owner's Manual

144 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 air bag deploys.
The hazard warning flasher switch is locat-
ed on the upper part of the center console.
1Hazard warning flasher switchSwitching on hazard warning flasher

Press the hazard warning flasher
switch1.
All turn signals lamps are flashing.Switching off hazard warning flasher

Press hazard warning flasher switch1
again.
i
With the hazard warning flasher activated
and the combination switch set for either left or
right turn, only the respective left or right turn
signals will operate when the ignition is switched
on.
i
If the hazard warning flasher has been acti-
vated automatically, press hazard warning flash-
er switch1 once to switch it off.

145 Controls in detail
Lighting
Interior lighting in the front
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.1Left front reading lamp on/off
2Automatic control on/off
3Rear interior lighting on/off
4Right front reading lamp on/off
5Front interior lighting on/off
6Interior lighting
7Ambient lighting
8Front reading lamps
Deactivating automatic control

Press switch2.
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
Activating automatic control

Press switch2.
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 after a
preset time (
page 176).
!
An interior lamp switched on manually does
not go out automatically.
Leaving an interior lamp switch in the ON posi-
tion for extended periods of time with the engine
turned off could result in a discharged battery.
i
The interior lighting is factory-set to auto-
matic mode.
i
If a door remains open, the interior lighting
switches off automatically after approximately
5minutes.
An interior lamp switched on manually does not
go out automatically.

146 Controls in detailLightingManual control
Switching front/rear interior lighting on
and off
Press front/rear interior lighting
switch5 or 3 (
page 145) to switch
on the desired interior light.

Press front/rear interior lighting
switch5 or 3 again to switch off the
respective interior light.
Switching front reading lamps on and off
The front reading lamps are located in the
lower edge of the interior rear view mirror.

Press front reading lamp
switch1or4 (
page 145) to
switch on the desired front reading
lamp.

Press front reading lamp
switch1or4 again to switch off the
respective front reading lamp.Ambient lighting
You can switch the ambient lighting7
(
page 145) on and off, using the “Control
system” (
page 175).
Interior lighting in the rear
The overhead control panel is located
above the rear seat bench.
1Left rear reading lamp on/off
2Left rear reading lamp
3Ambient lighting switch, to brighten
4Ambient lighting
5Right rear reading lamp
6Right rear reading lamp on/off
7Ambient lighting switch, to dim
8Rear interior lamp

147 Controls in detail
Lighting
Rear reading lamps
Press rear reading lamp
switch1or6 to switch on the re-
spective rear reading lamp.

Press rear reading lamp
switch1or6 again to switch off the
respective rear reading lamp.
Ambient lighting

Press ambient lighting switch3or7
repeatedly until ambient lighting4
has reached the desired intensity.
You can switch the ambient lighting on and
off, using the “Control system”
(
page 175).
Door entry lamps
For better orientation in the dark, the cor-
responding door entry lamps will switch on
in the darkness when you open a door and
the automatic control is activated.
The door entry lamps will switch off when
the corresponding door is closed.
Trunk lamps
The trunk lamps switch on if the trunk is
opened.
If the trunk lid remains open, the trunk
lamps switch off automatically after ap-
proximately 10 minutes.
i
If you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 and switch off the head-
lamps, the door entry lamps will remain lit for ap-
proximately 5 minutes.

148 Controls in detailInstrument clusterA full view illustration of the instrument
cluster can be found in the “At a glance”
section of this manual (
page 26).
1Reset button
The instrument cluster is activated when
you


open a door


switch on the ignition (
page 37)


press the reset button1


switch on the exterior lamps
You can modify the instrument cluster set-
tings in the instrument cluster submenu of
the control system (
page 169).Adjusting instrument cluster illumina-
tion
Use the reset button1 to adjust the illu-
mination brightness for the instrument
cluster.
To brighten illumination
Turn the reset button1 in the instru-
ment cluster clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.
To dim illumination

Turn the reset button1 in the instru-
ment cluster counterclockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
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. Visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
i
The 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.

149 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Coolant temperature indicator
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip odome-
ter display (
page 151).

If it is not displayed, press button è
or ÿ repeatedly until the trip
odometer appears.

Press and hold the reset button1
(page 148) until the trip odometer is
reset.
Tachometer
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.
Warning!
G


Driving when your engine is overheated
can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously
burned.


Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns which can occur
just by opening the engine hood. Stay
away from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
!
Excessive coolant temperature triggers the
coolant temperature warning lamp (
page 386)
and (
page 415) and a warning in the multifunc-
tion display (
page 386) and (
page 415).
The engine should not be operated with the cool-
ant temperature above 248°F (120°C). Doing so
may cause serious engine damage which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
i
During severe operating conditions, e.g.
stop-and-go traffic, the coolant temperature may
rise close to 248°F (120°C).
!
Avoid driving at excessive engine speeds, as
it may result in serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

150 Controls in detailInstrument clusterOutside temperature indicator
The outside temperature is displayed in
the instrument cluster (
page 26).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. This
means that the accuracy of the displayed
temperature can only be verified by com-
parison 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.
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.

151 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* 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
1Outside temperature
2Trip odometer
3Automatic transmission program mode
4Main odometer
5Current gear selector lever position
Above illustration shows the standard
display.
For more information on menus displayed
in the multifunction display, see “Menus”
(page 154).
i
The displays for the audio systems (radio,
CD player) will appear in English, 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.