2007 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS ignition

44 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are

Seat belts (
page 55)


Child restraints (
page 61)


Lower anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH) (
page 64)
Additional protection potential provide


Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
with

Air bags (
page 45)


Air bag control unit (with crash
sensors)


Emergency tensioning device (ETD)
for seat belts (
page 58)


Seat belt force limiter (
page 58)


Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE
®) (page 60)Air bag system components with


The front passenger front air bag off in-
dicator lamp (
page 53)


Front passenger seat with Occupant
Classification System (OCS)
(page 50)
As independent systems, their protective
functions work in conjunction with each
other.
The SRS system conducts a self-test when
the ignition is switched on and in regular
intervals while the engine is running. This
facilitates early detection of malfunctions.
The =indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster (page 28) comes on when the
ignition is switched on and goes out no lat-
er than a few seconds after the engine has
been started.The SRS components are in operational
readiness when the =indicator lamp is
not lit when the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been
detected if the =indicator lamp:


fails to go out not later than approxi-
mately 4 seconds after the engine was
started


does not come on at all


comes on after the engine was started
or while driving
i
For information on infants and children trav-
eling with you in the vehicle and restraint sys-
tems for infants and children, see “Children in
the vehicle” (
page 61).
Warning!
G
Modifications to or work improperly con-
ducted on restraint systems (such as seat
belts and anchors, emergency tensioning
devices, seat belt force limiters or air bags)
or their wiring, as well as tampering with in-
terconnected electronic systems, can lead
to the restraint systems no longer function-
ing as intended.

69 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems
This section contains information about
Adaptive Brake Lights as well as the follow-
ing driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


Adaptive Brake


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


BAS Plus* (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem Plus*)


EBP (E
lectronic B
rake P
roportioning)


ESP
® (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)


ETS (E
lectronic T
raction S
ystem)
ABS
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even to light brake pressure.
The - indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster (
page 28) comes on when you
switch on the ignition (
page 315). It goes
out when the engine is running.
Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode.

Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal while experiencing the pul-
sation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, BAS Plus*, EBP, ESP
® and
ETS cannot reduce this risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.i
In winter operation, the maximum effective-
ness of the ABS, Adaptive Brake, BAS,
BAS Plus*, EBP, ESP
® and ETS is only achieved
with winter tires (
page 530), or snow chains
as required.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.

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.

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.


89 Control systems
COMAND introduction
Main menus of COMAND
Sound
Muting: Press the F shortcut but-
ton in the center console (
page 80).
The sound of the current audio source
is switched on or is muted.Switching off navigation announce-
ments entirely

Canceling navigation message:
Briefly press F shortcut button dur-
ing an announcement.

Switching off navigation messages:
Press and hold F during an an-
nouncement until the announcement is
switched off.
You will see the message “The driving
instructions have been muted.” for a
short while.Adjusting volume
1Thumbwheel

Adjusting: Turn, thumbwheel.
The volume of the currently selected
audio source changes.
i
The components and operating principles of
COMAND can be found on (
page 79).
i
When the sound is muted, you will see the
symbol
F
in the status line. When you
change the audio source, the sound is automati-
cally switched on. You will be able to hear an-
nouncements from the navigation system even
when the sound is muted.
i
The announcements remain switched off
even if you start a new route guidance or if
COMAND is switched off/on with theo but-
ton.
If you switch COMAND off by removing the
SmartKey from the starter switch and then
switch the ignition back on after more than
3 minutes, the announcements are automatical-
ly switched back on.

191 Control systems
COMAND navigation system (route guidance)
Navigation announcements
Route guidance is already active.

Calling up a current announcement:
Select “Navi”
6.
or

Press P favorite button if the button
has been programmed with this func-
tion.

Canceling navigation message:
Briefly press F shortcut button dur-
ing an announcement.

Switching off navigation messages:
Press and hold F during an an-
nouncement until the announcement is
switched off.
You will see the message “The driving
instructions have been muted.” for a
short while.

Switching navigation announce-
ments back on manually:
Select “Navi”
6.

Adjusting volume of the messages:
adjust the volume during an automatic
announcement (
page 89).
or

Call up an announcement manually us-
ing “Navi”
6 and adjust the vol-
ume (
page 89).
Warning!
G
Navigation announcements are intended to
direct you while driving without diverting
your attention from the road and driving.
Please always use this feature instead of
consulting the map display for directions.
Consulting the symbols or map display for
directions may cause you to divert your at-
tention from driving and increase your risk
of an accident.i
If Russian or Chinese is set as the system
language, the navigation announcements are in
English. You will find how to set the system lan-
guage on (
page 216).
Navigation announcements are muted during
telephone calls. You can, however, call up a cur-
rent announcement at any time. You can also
call up a current announcement at any time if
you have missed an announcement.
i
You will find the button programming on
(
page 216).
i
The announcements remain switched off
even if you start a new route guidance or if
COMAND is switched off/on with theo but-
ton.
If you switch COMAND off by removing the
SmartKey from the starter switch and then
switch the ignition back on after more than
3 minutes, the announcements are automatical-
ly switched back on.

252 Control systemsInstrument cluster control systemAnswering a call
When your telephone is ready to receive
calls, you can answer a call at any time
with the ignition on. When you are in the
“Telephone” menu, you will see the follow-
ing message on the multifunction display:
Press s.
Ending a call or rejecting an incoming
call

Press t.
Assistance menu*
In the “Assistance” menu, you can change
the settings of your driving systems.
Displaying distance graphic*
Please refer to the “Driving systems” sec-
tion of this manual (
page 385) for in-
structions on how to activate DISTRONIC
Plus*.

Press ( or & to select the
“Assistance” menu.

Press % or $ to select the
“Distance display” function.

Press #.
The DISTRONIC Plus distance graphic
appears on the multifunction display.Distance warning function*
activating/deactivating

Press ( or & to select the
“Assistance” menu.

Press % or $ to select the
“Distance warning” function.

Press #.

Press # again if you would like to
change the current status.
Distance warner : appears on the
left-hand side of the multifunction dis-
play.
For more information (
page 397).
i
The caller’s number appears only if it is
transmitted.
The caller’s name appears only if the number and
the name are stored in the phone book.
i
The menu overview can be found on
(
page 243).