2007 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS engine

72 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsESP
®
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP
®) is
operational as soon as the engine is run-
ning and monitors the vehicle’s traction
(force of adhesive friction between the
tires and the road surface) and handling.
The ESP
® recognizes when a wheel is spin-
ning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By ap-
plying brakes to the appropriate wheel and
by limiting the engine output, the ESP
® works to stabilize the vehicle. The ESP
® is
especially useful while driving off and on
wet or slippery road surfaces. The ESP®
also stabilizes the vehicle during braking
maneuvers.
The ESP
® warning lamp v in the instru-
ment cluster flashes when the ESP
® is en-
gaged.
The ESP
® warning lamp v in the instru-
ment cluster comes on when you switch on
the ignition (
page 315). It goes out when
the engine is running.
Warning!
G
When the EBP is malfunctioning, the ABS,
BAS, BAS Plus*, ESP
® and ETS are also
switched off.
If the EBP is malfunctioning, the brake sys-
tem will still function with full brake boost.
However, the rear wheels could lock up dur-
ing emergency braking situations, for exam-
ple. You could lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident. Adapt your driving style
to the changed driving characteristics.
Warning!
G
Never switch off the ESP
® when you see the
ESP
® warning lamp v flashing in the in-
strument cluster. In this case proceed as fol-
lows:


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.
Warning!
G
The ESP
® cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
®
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ESP
® equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.
i
DISTRONIC Plus* is switched off when the
ESP® engages.

73 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see “Practical hints”
section (
page 549) and (
page 582).
ETS
The Electronic Traction System is a compo-
nent of ESP
®.
The Electronic Traction System (ETS) im-
proves the vehicle’s ability to utilize avail-
able traction, especially under slippery road conditions. The brakes are applied to
the spinning wheel and power is trans-
ferred to the wheel(s) with traction.
The ESP
® warning lampvin the instru-
ment cluster starts to flash at any vehicle
speed, as soon as a tire loses traction and
the wheel begins to spin.
When you switch off the ESP
®, the ETS is
still enabled.Switching off the ESP
®
To improve the vehicle’s traction, turn off
the ESP
® in driving situations where it
would be advantageous to have the drive
wheels spin and thus cut into surfaces for
better grip such as:


when driving with snow chains


in deep snow


in sand or gravel
i
The ESP
® will only function properly if you
use wheels of the recommended tire size
(
page 655).
!
Because of the ESP’s
® automatic operation,
the engine and ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1 or
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* in position0
or1) when


the parking brake is being tested on a brake
test dynamometer


the vehicle is being towed with the
front/rear axle raised
Active braking action through the ESP
® may oth-
erwise seriously damage the brake system.
Warning!
G
If you are driving too fast, the Electronic
Traction System cannot reduce the risk of
an accident.
The ETS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle.i
If the yellow ESP
® warning lampv
comes on while driving, the ETS is being
switched off temporarily to prevent overheating
of the drive wheel brakes. In addition, the mes-
sage “ESP Currently unavailable See Oper. Man-
ual” appears in the multifunction display.
Warning!
G
The ESP
® should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in stan-
dard driving maneuvers.
!
Turn the ESP
® on immediately if the afore-
mentioned circumstances do not apply anymore.
i
DISTRONIC Plus* cannot be activated when
the ESP
® has been switched off.

74 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsWhen you switch off the ESP
®


the ESP
® does not stabilize the vehicle


the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip


the traction control will still brake a
spinning wheel


the ESP
® continues to operate when
you are braking
1ESP
® off/on

Press ESP
® switch1 until the ESP
®
warning lampv in the speedometer
comes on.
The ESP
® is switched off.Switching on the ESP
®

Press ESP
® switch1.
The ESP
® warning lampv in the in-
strument cluster goes out.
You are now again in normal driving
mode with the ESP
® switched on.
i
When the ESP
® is switched off and one or
more drive wheels are spinning, the ESP
® warn-
ing lamp
v
in the instrument cluster flashes.
However, the ESP
® will then not stabilize the ve-
hicle.
Warning!
G
When the ESP
® warning lampv is illumi-
nated continuously, the ESP
® is switched
off.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP
®.
!
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an ex-
tended period with the ESP
® switched off. This
may cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.

75 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft systems
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
Activating
With the SmartKey: Remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch.

With the KEYLESS-GO*: Turn off the
engine (
page 317) and open the driv-
er’s door.
Deactivating

Switch on the ignition (
page 315).
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens:

a door


the trunk


the hood
The alarm will stay on even if the activating
element (a door, for example) is immedi-
ately closed.
The alarm system will also be triggered
when


the vehicle is raised


the vehicle is opened with the
mechanical key


a door is opened from the inside
To cancel the alarm after it has been trig-
gered, see “Canceling the alarm”
(
page 76).1Indicator lamp

Arming: Lock your vehicle with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash three times
to indicate that the alarm system is ac-
tivated. The indicator lamp1 flashes
to indicate that the alarm system is
armed.
i
Starting the engine will also deactivate the
immobilizer.
In case the engine cannot be started (yet the ve-
hicle’s battery is charged), the system is not op-
erational. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the
USA), or 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
i
If the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response Center is ini-
tiated automatically by the Tele Aid system
(
page 462) provided Tele Aid service was sub-
scribed to and properly activated, and that nec-
essary mobile phone, power supply and GPS
coverage are available.


115 Control systems
COMAND telephone*
COMAND telephone*
Safety precautions
General notes
Calls disconnected while the vehicle is
in motion
A call may be disconnected if:

there is insufficient network coverage


you move from one transmitter/receiv-
er area (cell) into another and no chan-
nels are free or the cell is fullOperating options
If the mobile phone is inserted in the cra-
dle, you can use the mobile phone func-
tions with the following devices:


COMAND / telephone keypad


Multifunction steering wheel


Voice Control*


Bluetooth headset
The descriptions in this section assume
that the mobile phone is inserted in the
cradle. Exceptions to this are clearly stat-
ed.
Warning!
G
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving.
Whether or not prohibited by law, for safety
reasons, the driver should not use the cellu-
lar telephone while the vehicle is in motion.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location before
placing or answering a call.
If you nonetheless choose to use the cellular
phone while driving, please use the hands-
free feature and be sure to pay attention to
the traffic situation at all times. Use the cel-
lular phone only when road, weather and
traffic conditions permit.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approxima-
tely 14 m) every second.
Warning!
G
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.
i
The components and operating principles of
COMAND can be found on (
page 79) and
(
page 87).
i
In order for the functions described in this
section to work correctly, the Bluetooth headset
must be linked to COMAND (
page 217).
Please make sure any Bluetooth headset linked
with the mobile phone is switched off or that the
headset is linked with COMAND before you use
the functions described in this section.

141 Control systems
COMAND navigation (introduction)
Updating the map software
You can update the map software yourself
using a DVD.
Notes about handling DVDs

Only hold discs by the edge.


Handle discs carefully to prevent read
problems.


Avoid getting scratches, fingerprints
and dust on discs.


Use a commercially-available cleaning
cloth to clean discs. Do not wipe them
with a circular motion, but only in
straight lines from the center out-
wards.


Place discs back in their boxes after
use.


Protect discs from heat and direct sun-
light.
Updating process
The updating process has the following
phases:

Loading a DVD into the DVD changer
(page 142)


Updating process (
page 142)
i
The updating process can take between 10
and 60 minutes, depending on the size of the
map software. If the radio was switched on be-
fore you started the updating process, you can
still adjust the volume. You can also use
COMAND to operate the automatic air condition-
ing and to cancel the process. Other functions
are not operational.
If possible, carry out the update when the vehicle
is stationary.
i
If you carry out the update with the engine
switched off and the vehicle battery has insuffi-
cient power, COMAND may automatically switch
off during the process in order to protect the bat-
tery. If this occurs, restart the update with the
engine running period. Similarly, if the SmartKey
position is unintentionally switched to 0, restart
the update.Warning!
G
Never leave the engine running in an en-
closed space. The exhaust gases contain
carbon monoxide. Inhaling exhaust gases
constitutes a health hazard and could lead
to loss of consciousness or even death.

231 Control systems
COMAND automatic climate control

Changing air volume: Slide qmr or
rotate ymz.

Exiting menu: Press n, back
buttonL in the center console
(page 80) or slideomp.
The setting is saved.
Central climate control menu via
COMAND
The central climate control menu is in the
center of the climate control settings.
When the automatic climate control is
switched on, you will see “on” in the cen-tral menu. The following functions can only
be operated in the central climate control
menu via COMAND:

Select climate control settings
Cen-
tral menu.Switching cooling on or off
The cooling function, only operational
when the engine is running, cools the vehi-
cle interior down to the selected tempera-
ture. The cooling function also
dehumidifies the air in the vehicle interior,
thus preventing the windows from fogging
up.
The “AC
OFF” function is used to permanent-
ly switch off the cooling function of the au-
tomatic climate control system.
Function
Page
Switching off cooling (“AC
OFF”)
231
Central climate control (“Mono”)
232
Footwell temperature
232
Air flow from air vents
233
Rear climate control
234
i
Condensation may drip out from underneath
the vehicle. This is normal and not an indication
of a malfunction.Warning!
G
If you turn off the cooling function, the
vehicle will not be cooled when weather
conditions are warm. The windows can fog
up more quickly. Window fogging may
impair visibility and endanger you and
others.

244 Control systemsInstrument cluster control system
Assistance* (
page 252)
Service (
page 253)
Settings (
page 254)
Commands/submenusDisplaying the distance graphic*
(DISTRONIC Plus*)
Call up vehicle malfunction, warning
and system status messages stored in
memory
Set daytime running lamp mode (USA only)
Distance warning function*
activating/deactivating
Check tire inflation pressure
Switch additional speedometer on or off
Switch on the Dynamic Rear View Moni-
tor* automatically
Call up maintenance service display
Switch radar sensors* on or off
Check engine oil level*
i
The headings used in the menus table are
designed to facilitate navigation within the sys-
tem and are not necessarily identical to those
shown in the control system displays. The first function displayed in each menu will au-
tomatically show you which part of the system
you are in.