2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class center console

Contents
Introduction....................................... 13
Product information ............................. 13
Operator’s Manual ............................... 14
Service and warranty information .. 14
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 15
Maintenance .................................. 15
Roadside Assistance ...................... 15
Change of address or ownership.... 16
Operating your vehicle outside the
USA or Canada............................... 16
Where to find it .................................... 17
Symbols ............................................... 18
Operating safety .................................. 19
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 19
Problems with your vehicle .................. 20
Reporting safety defects...................... 21
Reporting safety defects ................ 21
Vehicle data recording......................... 22
Information regarding electronic
recording devices........................... 22
At a glance.......................................... 23
Exterior view ......................................... 24
Cockpit ................................................. 26
Instrument cluster ................................ 28
Control systems ................................... 30
Center console ..................................... 32
Upper part ...................................... 32
Overhead control panel ........................ 33
Driver’s door control panel ................... 34
Rear door control panel ........................ 35
Storage compartments ......................... 36
Rear passenger compartment .............. 38Safety and Security............................ 39
Occupant safety ................................... 40
Air bags........................................... 42
Occupant Classification System ..... 47
Seat belts........................................ 52
Active head restraints ..................... 56
Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE
®).................................... 57
Children in the vehicle .................... 58
Override switch for rear passenger
compartment .................................. 64Panic alarm .......................................... 66
Activating........................................ 66
Deactivating.................................... 66
Driving safety systems ......................... 67
ABS ................................................. 67
Adaptive Brake ............................... 68
Adaptive Brake Lights
(S 600 and S 65 AMG, USA only).... 69
BAS ................................................. 69
BAS Plus* ....................................... 70
EBP ................................................. 72
ESP
®............................................... 72
Four wheel electronic traction
system (4MATIC) with the ESP
®..... 76
PRE-SAFE
® Brake* (vehicles with
DISTRONIC Plus* only) ................... 77
Anti-theft systems ................................ 82
Immobilizer ..................................... 82
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 82
Canceling the alarm ........................ 83

23 At a glance
Exterior view
Cockpit
Instrument cluster
Control systems
Center console
Overhead control panel
Driver’s door control panel
Rear door control panel
Storage compartments
Rear passenger compartment

27 At a glance
Cockpit
Item
Page
1
Combination switch

High beam


Corner-illuminating lamps


Windshield wipers


Turn signals
403
404
408
420
2
Lever for

Cruise control


DISTRONIC Plus*
447
451
3
Horn
4
Multifunction steering wheel
288
5
Instrument cluster
28
6
Steering wheel gearshift con-
trol
438
7
Gear selector lever for
automatic transmission
416
Item
Page
8
Control panel with

Front passenger front
air bag indicator lamp


Vehicle level control
switch


Electronic Stability Pro-
gram (ESP
®) switch


Parktronic*/Park Assist*
deactivation switch


Swivel COMAND display


COMAND/instrument
cluster display
illumination
51
469,
471
74
475,
480
89
444
9
COMAND display
87
a
Overhead control panel
33
b
Automatic climate control
Center console, upper part
501
32
Item
Page
c
Glove box lock
526
d
Cover of compartment with

CD/DVD changer


PCMCIA card slot
120
121
e
Center console, lower part
30
f
Starter switch
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button
370
371
g
Steering wheel adjustment
Heated steering wheel*
386
387
h
Electronic parking brake
422
j
Door control panel
34
k
Hood lock release
573
l
Night View Assist*
491
m
Exterior lamp switch
399

32 At a glanceCenter consoleUpper part
Item
Page
1
Thumbwheel for air volume
control for left center air vent
500
2
Thumbwheel for air volume
control for right center air
vent
500
3
AUTO mode for air distribu-
tion and volume, left
503
4
Temperature control, left
504
5
Manual fan speed adjust-
ment, left
504
6
Front defroster
504
7
Air recirculation
506
8
Climate control on/off
503
9
Residual engine heat and
ventilation (REST)
509
a
Rear window defroster
506
Item
Page
b
Manual fan speed adjust-
ment, right
504
c
Temperature control, right
504
d
AUTO mode for air distribu-
tion and volume, right
503
e
Alarm system indicator lamp
83
f
Cupholder
530
g
Cover of compartment with:

Ashtray


Lighter
536
537
h
Cover of compartment with

CD/DVD changer


PCMCIA card slot
120
121

37 At a glance
Storage compartments
Item
Page
1
Glove box
526
2
Document holder in sun visor
534
3
Door pocket
4
Ruffled storage pocket
530
5
Door pocket
Ashtray
536
6
Side storage pocket in trunk
Retainer for Operator’s Manu-
al pouch
533
7
Storage spaces under trunk
floor
532
8
Side storage pocket in trunk
9
Door pocket
Ashtray
536
Item
Page
a
Ruffled storage pocket
530
b
Door pocket
c
Document holder in sun visor
534
d
Ashtray
Cigarette lighter
536
537
e
Eyeglasses compartment in
overhead control panel
527
f
Parcel net in front passenger
footwell
528
g
Front passenger seat storage
compartment with first aid kit
705
h
Front center armrest with

Storage tray/telephone*
compartment


Storage compartment
527
Item
Page
j
Cupholder in the rear center
armrest
Cupholder under the rear cen-
ter storage compartment*
530
530
k
Rear center armrest with stor-
age compartment
Storage compartment be-
tween rear seats
528
529
l
Rear storage box
529
m
Cupholder in the front center
console
530
n
Driver’s seat storage com-
partment
527

46 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyFront air bags
1Driver air bag
2Front passenger front air bag
Driver and front passenger front air bags
are deployed:

in the event of certain frontal impacts


if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold


independently of the side impact air
bagsThe air bags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protec-
ted by the fastened seat belts.The passenger front air bag will only be
deployed if:


the system, based on OCS weight sen-
sor readings, senses that the front
passenger seat is occupied


the 59indicator lamp in
the center console is not lit
(page 51)


the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment threshold
Side impact air bags
1Front side impact air bag
2Rear side impact air bag
i
The front air bags in this vehicle have been
designed to inflate in two stages. This allows the
air bag to have different rates of inflation that are
based on the rate of relevant vehicle decelera-
tion as assessed by the air bag control unit.
On the front passenger-side, the front air bag de-
ployment is additionally influenced by the pas-
senger’s weight category as identified by the
Occupant Classification System (OCS)
(
page 47).
The lighter the front passenger-side occupant,
the higher the vehicle deceleration rate required
for the second stage inflation of the air bag.

48 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyFurthermore, the occupant weight may ap-
pear to increase or decrease due to the fol-
lowing: objects hanging on the seat,
lodged underneath the seat, stuffed be-
tween the seat and middle console or the
seat and door, other passengers pushing
on the seat or objects applying pressure to
the back of the seat.
Both driver and the front passenger should
always use the 59indicator
lamp as an indication of whether or not the
front passenger is properly positioned.i
If your seat, including your trim cover and
cushion needs to be serviced in any way, take
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Only seat accessories approved by
Mercedes-Benz may be used.
Warning!
G
If the 59indicator lamp illumi-
nates when an adult or someone larger than
a small individual is in the front passenger
seat, have the front passenger re-position
himself or herself in the seat until the
59indicator lamp goes out, or
check whether objects are caught under or
around the seat.
More information about air bag display mes-
sages (
page 649).
In the event of a collision, the air bag control
unit will not allow front passenger front air
bag deployment when the OCS classified
the front passenger seat occupant as being
up to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child re-
straint or if the front passenger seat is
sensed as being empty.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat occupant is classified as being up
to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child
restraint, the 59indicator
lamp will illuminate when the engine is start-
ed and remain illuminated, indicating that
the front passenger front air bag is deacti-
vated.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat is classified as being empty, the
59indicator lamp will illumi-
nate when the engine is started and remain
illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat occupant is classified as being
heavier than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint or as being a small individual
(such as a young teenager or a small adult),
the 59indicator lamp will illu-
minate for approximately 6 seconds when
the engine is started and then, depending on
occupant weight sensor readings from

51 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The 59 indicator lamp is lo-
cated on the dashboard to the right of the
instrument cluster.
1Front passenger front air bag indicator
lamp
The 59indicator lamp1 will
be illuminated, except with the SmartKey
removed from the starter switch or with
the starter switch in position0
(page 372).
Warning!
G
If the =indicator lamp and the
59 indicator lamp are lit at the
same time, there is a malfunction in the
Occupant Classification System. The front
passenger front air bag will be deactivated
in this case.
Have the system checked as soon as possi-
ble by qualified technicians. Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only have the seat repaired or replaced by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
In order to ensure proper operation of the
air bag system and OCS:

Do not place more than 4.4 lbs (2 kg)
into the ruffled storage bag on the back
of the front passenger seat. Otherwise,
the OCS may not be able to properly
approximate the occupant weight
category.


Do not place objects under and/or
around the front passenger seat.


Do not hang anything from or attach any
items to the seats.


Do not stuff objects such as books be-
tween the middle console and the front
passenger seat.


Do not move the front passenger seat
backwards against stiff objects.


Sit properly belted in a position that is
as upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest.
While seated, an occupant should not
position him/herself in such a way as to
cause the occupant’s weight to be lifted
from the seat bottom as this may result
in the OCS being unable to correctly ap-
proximate the occupant’s weight cate-
gory.


Do not lean on the armrests or lift your-
self from the seat by using the handle
over the door as this may cause the OCS
to be unable to correctly approximate
the occupant weight category.


Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.