2007 MERCEDES-BENZ S550 Trunk

314 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingLocking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the doors and the
trunk from the inside using the central
locking or unlocking switch. This can be
useful, for example, if you want to lock the
vehicle before starting to drive.
The fuel filler flap will not be locked or un-
locked with the central locking or unlock-
ing switch, respectively.1Central unlocking switch
2Central locking switch

Locking: Press switch ‹.
If the front passenger door is closed,
the vehicle locks.

Unlocking: Press switch Œ.
The vehicle unlocks.
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. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
i
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
If the vehicle was previously centrally locked
with the SmartKey or the with KEYLESS-GO*, it
will not unlock using the central unlocking
switch1.
If the vehicle was previously locked with the cen-
tral locking switch2:


While in the global remote control mode, the
vehicle is unlocked completely when a door
is opened from the inside.


While in the selective remote control mode,
only the door opened from inside is un-
locked.

349 Controls in detail
Lighting
Interior lighting in the front
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
1Left reading lamp on/off
2Rear interior lamps on/off
3Front interior lighting on/off
4Interior lighting control
5Right reading lamp on/offAutomatic control

Deactivating: Press button4.
The OFF indicator lamp next to the but-
ton comes on.
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: Press button4.
The interior lighting switches on in
darkness when you:

unlock the vehicle


remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch


open a door


open the trunkThe interior lighting switches off auto-
matically following an adjustable time
delay (
page 226).
Manual control

Switching on/off front interior light-
ing: Press button 3.

Switching on/off rear interior light-
ing: Press button 2.

Switching on/off front reading
lamps: Press button 1 or 5.
The reading lamps are integrated into
the interior rear view mirror.

Ambient lighting: the brightness of
the ambient lighting is adjusted via
COMAND (
page 79).
!
Leaving an interior light switch in the ON po-
sition for extended periods of time with the en-
gine turned off could result in a discharged
battery.
i
If the door remains open, the interior lighting
switches off automatically after approximately
5minutes.
An interior lamp switched on manually does not
go out automatically.

350 Controls in detailLightingInterior lighting in the rear
1Rear interior lamp
2Button
3Reading lamp
Press button2.
You can switch the lamps on/off in
succession as follows:

reading lamp3 and rear interior
lamp1 on


only reading lamp3 on


reading lamp3 off
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 lamp
The trunk lamp switches on if the trunk is
opened.
If the trunk remains open, the trunk light-
ing switches off automatically after ap-
proximately 10 minutes.
i
If 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 5 minutes.
i
If 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 5 minutes.
i
The interior lighting is factory-set to auto-
matic mode (
page 349).
The setting selected for the interior lighting is
used for the trunk lighting as well.

361 Controls in detail
Driving and parking

If you are starting the engine with
KEYLESS-GO: Close any doors that
may be open to allow for better detec-
tion of the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO.
or

Remove the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button from starter switch.

Start the engine with the SmartKey as
radio signals from another source may
be interfering with the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO.

Repeat the starting procedure
(page 359). Remember that extend-
ed starting attempts can drain the bat-
tery.

Get a jump start (
page 639).
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal-
function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.

Call Roadside Assistance.

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Driving off
Depress the brake pedal.
The gear selector lever can now be
used.

Shift automatic transmission toD orR.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.
The electric parking brake is automati-
cally released (
page 364).
The red brake warning 0 (USA only)
or ! (Canada only) in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Once the vehicle is in motion, the auto-
matic central locking system engages
and the locking knobs in the doors
move down.
After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts at a higher engine revolution.
This allows the catalytic converter to reach
its operating temperature earlier.
i
Wait for the gear selection process to com-
plete before setting the vehicle in motion.
i
Shifting from gear position P to position R,
N, or D is only possible with the brake pedal de-
pressed. Without the brake pedal depressed, the
gear selector lever can be moved, but the park-
ing pawl remains engaged, not allowing shifting
to occur.
i
After driving off the doors and the trunk lock
automatically.
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
You can deactivate the automatic locking using
the COMAND system (
page 223).


364 Controls in detailDriving and parkingElectric parking brake
1Handle for electric parking brake
Manually releasing electric parking
brake

Pull handle1.
The red indicator lamp 0 (USA only)
or ! (Canada only) in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
You cannot release the electric parking
brake until the ignition is switched on.Automatically releasing electric parking
brake
Your vehicle’s electric parking brake is au-
tomatically released when:


The engine is running.


Transmission is in position D or R.


The hood is closed.


You have fastened your seat belt.


You step on the accelerator pedal.
If gear R is engaged, the trunk must be
closed.
Warning!
G
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could release the parking brake
and/or shift the automatic transmission out
of position P, either of which could result in
an accident and/or serious personal injury.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the automat-
ic transmission not fully engaged in
positionPis dangerous. Also, when parked
on an incline, position P alone may not pre-
vent your vehicle from moving, possibly hit-
ting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to position P (
page 359).
i
If you have not fastened your seat belt, the
following conditions must be met in order for the
parking brake to be automatically released:


The driver's door is closed


You must move the gear selector out of P po-
sition or drive faster than 2 mph (3 km/h).

365 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
Manually engaging electric parking
brake
Press handle1.
The red indicator lamp 0 (USA only)
or ! (Canada only) in the instru-
ment cluster comes on.
Automatically engaging electric parking
brake
Your vehicle’s electric parking brake is au-
tomatically engaged when DISTRONIC
Plus* (
page 385) brings your vehicle to a
standstill and at least one of the following
conditions is met:


The engine is switched off


The driver’s door is opened and the
seat belt is not inserted in the belt
buckle


The hood is released


The trunk lid is open while gear R is en-
gaged


The vehicle is parked for an extended
period
The red indicator lamp 0 (USA only) or
! (Canada only) in the instrument clus-
ter comes on.
Emergency braking with electric park-
ing brake
In an emergency situation, you can also
brake your vehicle while driving by using
the electric parking brake.

While driving, press handle for electric
parking brake (
page 364).During the braking procedure, the red indi-
cator lamp 0 (USA only) or !
(Canada only) flashes in the instrument
cluster, the message “Please release park-
ing brake” appears on the multifunction
display and you will hear a warning tone.
Once the vehicle comes to a complete stop
the electronic parking brake will engage.
Turning off the engine
i
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
i
You can also engage the electric parking
brake when the SmartKey is removed from the
starter switch.
i
In addition to the electric parking brake,
park position P can be automatically engaged.
i
Your vehicle will be braked for as long as you
press and hold the switch for the electric parking
brake. The longer you keep the electric parking
brake pressed, the more strongly your vehicle
will be braked. This method occurs on all
4 wheels, not just the rear wheels.
Warning!
G
Do not turn off the engine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop. With the en-
gine not running, there is no power assis-
tance for the brake and steering systems. In
this case, it is important to keep in mind that
a considerably higher degree of effort is nec-
essary to brake and steer the vehicle.i
With the SmartKey removed from the starter
switch or the engine turned off with
KEYLESS-GO* and the driver’s door open, a
warning sounds if the parking lamps or low beam


413 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Dynamic Rear View Monitor*
The Dynamic Rear View Monitor is an elec-
tronic and visual parking aid. It shows you
the area behind the vehicle on the
COMAND display.
In addition, the Dynamic Rear View Moni-
tor contains guide lines to help you with re-
verse parking (back-in parking) and
parallel parking.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as
a reverse-mirror image similar to the view
in a rear-view mirror.The Dynamic Rear View Monitor is in the
handle strip of the trunk lid.
1Dynamic Rear View Monitor
View through the camera
i
The image from the Dynamic Rear View
Monitor is shown on the COMAND display
(
page 31).
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.

414 Controls in detailDriving systemsWarning!
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 rests 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
vehicle. Failure to do so could result in injury
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 that no persons or animals are
standing in the area where you are maneu-
vering. 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)


there is a sudden change in tempera-
ture, for example when you drive out of
the cold into a heated garage in winter
(lens condensation)


outside temperatures are very high (lens
condensation)


the camera lens is dirty or covered, see
“Cleaning of the Dynamic Rear View
Monitor lens*” (
page 538)


the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In
this case, have the position and setting
of the camera checked by a qualified
technician. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Do not use the Dynamic Rear View Monitor
if the roads are icy, slippery or covered with
snow. The vehicle could slip causing the ac-
tual vehicle position to deviate from the one
shown on the COMAND display.