2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class battery

367 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Opening doors from the inside
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
1Locking knob
2Inside door handleFront doors

Pull on door handle2 on the respec-
tive front door to open door.
If the door was locked, locking knob1
will move up.
Rear doors

Pull up locking knob1 on the respec-
tive rear door to unlock door.

Pull on door handle2 on the respec-
tive rear door to open door.
i
If the vehicle has been locked with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*, opening a door from
the inside will trigger the anti-theft alarm system.
To cancel the alarm, do one of the following:


Insert the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* in the starter switch.


Press button Œ or ‹ on the SmartKey
or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*.
In vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:


Grasp an outside door handle.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must be
within 3 ft (1 m) of the vehicle.


Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(page 372).
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must be
inside the vehicle.
i
If you hear a warning signal you have forgot-
ten to switch off the low beam headlamps or the
parking lamps before opening the driver’s door.
In addition the message “Please Switch Off
Lights” appears in the multifunction display.Switch off the low beam headlamps or the park-
ing lamps.
If the message “Turn Lights Off or Remove Key”
appears in the multifunction display remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch or switch off
the automatic headlamp mode.
!
Failure to switch off the exterior lamps when
leaving the vehicle may result in a discharged
battery.

370 Controls in detailStarter switch positionsSmartKeyStarter switch
0For removing SmartKey
1Power supply for some electrical con-
sumers
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position.
All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary.
If a lamp in the instrument cluster re-
mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, refer to “Lamps
in instrument cluster” (
page 628).
3Starting positionFor information on starting the engine us-
ing the SmartKey, see “Starting with the
SmartKey” (
page 417).
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. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
i
When you switch on the ignition, the indica-
tor and warning lamps (except high beam head-
lamp indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instrument cluster
come on. The indicator and warning lamps (ex-
cept high beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps if activated) should go
out when the engine is running. This indicates
that the respective systems are operational.
i
When the SmartKey is removed from the
starter switch and the automatic transmission is
in a position other than park positionP, the auto-
matic transmission automatically shifts to park
positionP.
!
If the SmartKey cannot be turned in the
starter switch, the battery may not be sufficient-
ly charged.


Check the battery and charge it if necessary
(page 729).


Have the vehicle jump-started (
page 734).
To prevent accelerated battery discharge or a
completely discharged battery, always remove
the SmartKey from the starter switch when the
engine is not in operation.

399 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
i
If you drive in countries where vehicles drive
on the other side of the road than the country in
which the vehicle is registered, you must have
the headlamps modified for symmetrical low
beams. Relevant information can be obtained at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
i
The active Bi-Xenon headlamps monitor
your steering angle and driving speed, then auto-
matically shift their beams to either side to bet-
ter follow the curvature of the road ahead,
increasing usable illumination over conventional
headlamps.
1‚
Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
2ˆ
Standing lamps, right (turn left
one stop)
3M
Off
Daytime running lamp mode
(page 401)
4*
Automatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(page 401)
5C
Parking lamps (also tail lamps, li-
cense plate lamps, side marker
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
6B
Low beam headlamps or high
beam headlamps
7‡
Front fog lamps
8†
Rear fog lamp
i
If you hear a warning signal you have forgot-
ten to switch off the low beam headlamps or the
parking lamps before opening the driver’s door.
In addition the message “Please Switch Off
Lights” appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the low beam headlamps or the park-
ing lamps.
If the message “Turn Lights Off or Remove Key”
appears in the multifunction display remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch or switch off
the automatic headlamp mode.
!
Failure to switch off the exterior lamps when
leaving the vehicle may result in a discharged
battery.

418 Controls in detailDriving and parking
Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
once.
The engine starts if the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO is in the vehicle.
For information on turning off the engine
with KEYLESS-GO, see “Turning off the en-
gine” (
page 424).Starting difficulties
The engine does not start. You can hear
the starter.
There could be a malfunction


in the engine electronics, or


in the fuel supply system
Carry out the following steps:

If you are starting the engine with the
SmartKey: Turn SmartKey in starter
switch to position0 and repeat starting
procedure (
page 416).

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 416).
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts:

Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call Roadside Assistance.
The engine does not start. You cannot
hear the starter.
The battery may not be sufficiently
charged.

Have the vehicle jump-started
(page 734).
If the engine will not start despite a jump
start:

Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call Roadside Assistance.
i
You can also start the engine with the auto-
matic transmission set to neutral positionN.
i
If you wish to start the vehicle with the
SmartKey instead of the KEYLESS-GO feature,
remove the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button from
the starter switch and proceed as described in
“Starting with the SmartKey” (
page 417).
!
Remember that extended starting attempts
can drain the battery.


460 Controls in detailDriving systemsStopping
When DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is stopping, the vehicle
brakes until it also stops.
Once DISTRONIC Plus has stopped your
vehicle and it is at a standstill, it remains
stationary; the brake pedal does not need
to be depressed.Setting the current speed

Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.

Briefly lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever in
the direction of arrow1 or depress in
the direction of arrow2.
DISTRONIC Plus is activated and the
current speed is set.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus’s braking effect is canceled
and the vehicle can start to roll if

DISTRONIC Plus is switched off using
the DISTRONIC Plus lever


you accelerate


the system or the power supply is mal-
functioning, e.g. due to battery failure


the electrical components in the engine
compartment or the fuses have been
manipulated


the battery is disconnected
Warning!
G
Never get out of the vehicle while
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on!
DISTRONIC Plus must never be operated or
switched off by passengers or from outside
the vehicle.
DISTRONIC Plus is not a substitute for the
electronic parking brake and may not be
used for parking.
When you get out of the vehicle or switch off
the engine, deactivate DISTRONIC Plus and
secure the vehicle from rolling away by en-
gaging the electronic parking brake.
i
After a short while, your vehicle is secured in
place by the electronic parking brake so that the
operating brake can be relieved of load.
i
Depending on the following distance set us-
ing the distance setting switch on the
DISTRONIC Plus lever, your vehicle will stop ap-
proximately 13.1 ft away from the vehicle in
front of you.

506 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlRear window defroster
Activating
Switch on the ignition (
page 370).

Press button< (
page 501) up or
down.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating

Press button< (
page 501) up or
down.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL (USA only)
If U is selected on both the left and
right side and there is a high demand for
cooling, the display “MAXCOOL” appears
in the COMAND display.
This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when windows and
tilt/sliding sunroof or tilt/sliding panel*
are closed).
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside (e.g. before driving in a
tunnel). This setting cuts off the intake of
outside air and recirculates the air in the
passenger compartment.
!
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep battery drain to a min-
imum, switch off the defroster as soon as the
rear window is clear.
i
The defroster is automatically deactivated
after some time of operation depending on the
outside temperature.
Warning!
G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before driv-
ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.i
If the rear window defroster switches off too
soon and the indicator lamp goes out, this indi-
cates that too many electrical consumers are op-
erating simultaneously and the load on the
battery is reducing available voltage. The system
responds automatically by deactivating the rear
window defroster.
i
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL is only avail-
able when the engine is running.Warning!
G
Fogged windows impair visibility, endanger-
ing you and others. If the windows begin to
fog on the inside, switching off the air
recirculation mode immediately should clear
interior window fogging. If interior window
fogging persists, make sure the air
conditioning (
page 276) is activated, or
press button;.

509 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Residual engine heat and ventilation
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior.
This feature makes use of the residual heat
produced by the engine.Activating

Switch off the ignition (
page 370).

Press buttonT (
page 501) up or
down.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating

Press buttonT (
page 501) up or
down.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.Rear passenger compartment climate
control*
i
If you switch on the residual heat function
when outside temperatures are high, only the
ventilation will be switched on.
i
Regardless of the selected air volume, the
blower operates at low speed when heating. In
case of ventilation the blower operates at higher
speed.
i
How long the system will provide heating de-
pends on


the coolant temperature


the temperature set by the operator
i
The residual heat is automatically turned off:


when the ignition is switched on


after approximately 30 minutes


if the battery voltage drops


if the coolant temperature is too low
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling as given in the instructions
for the front climate control (
page 501).
Otherwise the windows could fog up, impair-
ing visibility for the driver and endangering
you and others.

517 Controls in detailTrunk
Illumination of the emergency release but-
ton:

The button will flash for 30 minutes af-
ter opening the trunk.


The button will flash for 60 minutes af-
ter closing the trunk.
Valet locking
1Neutral position
2Locked
Close the trunk (
page 512).

Remove the mechanical key from the
SmartKey (
page 708).

Insert the mechanical key in the trunk
lid lock.

Turn the mechanical key clockwise to
position 2 to lock the trunk.
The trunk remains locked even when the
vehicle is centrally unlocked.

Insert the mechanical key in the trunk
lid lock.

Turn the mechanical key counterclock-
wise to neutral position 1 to unlock the
trunk.
You can now open the trunk
(page 511).
i
The emergency release button does not
open the trunk if the vehicle battery is dis-
charged or disconnected.
i
To deny any unauthorized person access to
the trunk, e.g. when you valet park the vehicle,
lock it separately with the mechanical key. Leave
only the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* less its mechanical key with the
vehicle.
i
You can only cancel the separate trunk lock-
ing mode by means of the mechanical key.