2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class buttons

406 Controls in detailLightingInterior 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

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
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Even with the SmartKey being removed from
the starter switch you can still use the lighting for
the storage compartment, glove box and vanity
mirrors, when you open a door or press one of
the interior lighting buttons. If a lamp is switched
on and you do not lock the vehicle, it will be
switched off automatically after 30 minutes.
When you lock the vehicle from the outside, the
interior lighting is switched off.
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The interior lighting is factory-set to auto-
matic mode.

429 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Shifting from D or R to N
If you want to select neutral positionN
with the transmission being in drive
positionD or reverse gearR:
With the vehicle at a standstill, depress
the brake pedal and keep it pressed.

Press the handle for electronic parking
brake (
page 422).

Move gear selector lever up to resis-
tance point when in drive positionD or
down to resistance point when in
reverse gear R to select neutral
positionN.

Release the brake pedal.
Shifting procedure
The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on:

drive positionD(
page 430) with
gear ranges (
page 435)


the selected program mode:
(C/S) (
page 436)
or
(M/C/S) (S 63 AMG and S 65 AMG
only) (
page 440)


the position of the accelerator pedal
(page 433)


the vehicle speedWith drive positionD selected, you can use
the steering wheel gearshift control
buttons (
page 438) or gearshift control
paddles (page 438) to influence trans-
mission shifting by:


limiting the gear range


changing gears manually
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When the vehicle needs to be moved with
the engine switched off and the transmission set
to neutral positionN (
page 430), do not press
the handle for electronic parking brake.
!
Allow engine to warm up under low load use.
Do not place full load on the engine until the op-
erating temperature has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or park positionP only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an extended
period when driving off on slippery road
surfaces. This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

438 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionSteering wheel gearshift control
With drive positionD selected and driving
in program modeC orS, you can limit or
extend the gear range.
If your vehicle is equipped with manual
shift program M, you can use the steering
wheel gearshift control to manually shift
the gears.
Gearshift control buttons1Left shift button: limiting gear range
2Right shift button: extending gear
range
Gearshift control paddles (S 63 AMG and
S65AMGonly)1Left shift paddle: limiting gear range or
downshift (in program modeM)
2Right shift paddle: extending gear
range or upshift (in program modeM)
The following instructions describe opera-
tion of the steering wheel gearshift control
when driving in program modeC orS.
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S63AMG and S65AMG only:
For information on using the steering wheel gear-
shift control in program mode M, see “Manual
shift program (S 63 AMG and S 65 AMG only)”
(
page 440).
!
Allow engine to warm up under low load use.
Do not place full load on the engine until the op-
erating temperature has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or park positionP only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an extended
period when driving off on slippery road
surfaces. This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
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You cannot shift with the steering wheel
gearshift control buttons or paddles when the
transmission in park positionP, neutral
positionN or reverse gearR.

492 Controls in detailDriving systems

the light switch is set to * or B
or if the daytime driving lamps are
switched on


the automatic transmission is not in re-
verse gearR
1Night View Assist on or off

Press button1 up or down.
The Night View Assist image appears
on the multifunction display.Image on multifunction display
When you switch on Night View Assist, the
image for the speed gauge changes on the
multifunction display. The speed gauge is
shown as a bar on the lower edge of the
multifunction display. The line for main
menus is no longer available. If you would
like to change a setting using the steering
wheel buttons, you must first switch off
Night View Assist.
1Night View Assist image
2Speedometer displayAdjusting instrument cluster
illumination
1Knob

Make sure the Night View Assist is
switched on.

Brightening illumination: Turn
knob1 clockwise.

Dimming illumination: Turn knob1
counterclockwise.
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The infrared headlamps only come on above
a speed of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h).
Therefore, when you are at a standstill, you do
not have a complete view and cannot check the
function of the Night View Assist.
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If you change the brightness of the instru-
ment cluster while Night View Assist is switched
on, only the brightness of the multifunction dis-
play is changed.

504 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlDeactivating
Press buttonU (
page 501) up or
down.
or

Adjust air distribution (
page 275).
or

Adjust air volume (
page 504).
The indicator lamp on buttonU
goes out. The automatic function is
switched off.
You can adjust the air distribution
(
page 275) or air volume
(page 504) manually.
Setting temperature
Use temperature controls %$
2anda (
page 501) in the center con-
sole or COMAND (
page 274) to sepa-
rately adjust the air temperature on each
side of the passenger compartment. You
should raise or lower the temperature set-
ting in small increments, preferably start-
ing at 72°F (22°C). The automatic climate
control will adjust to the set temperature
as fast as possible.

Press temperature control %$
2and/ora (
page 501) upward or
downward.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Adjusting air volume
Use buttonsQ (
page 501) in the cen-
ter console or COMAND to separately ad-
just the air volume on each side of the
passenger compartment.

Press buttonQ up to increase or
down to decrease air volume.
The indicator lamps on buttonsU
(page 501) goes out.
The automatic function is switched off.
The air volume is adjusted correspond-
ing to the set blower speed.
Front defroster
You can use this setting to defrost the
windshield, for example if it is iced up. You
can also defog the windshield and the door
windows.i
Keep this setting selected only until the
windshield is clear again.

511 Controls in detailTrunk
Trunk
Opening trunk
You can open the trunk if the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
A minimum height clearance of 6.0 ft
(1.8 m) is required to open the trunk lid.Opening trunk from outside
1Trunk lid handle

Press and hold button Š on the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* until trunk unlocks and
begins to open.
or

Pull on handle1.
In vehicles without KEYLESS-GO*: The
vehicle must be unlocked.Opening trunk from inside
Vehicles without trunk opening/closing
system*
1Remote trunk opening switch

Press switch1 until the trunk begins
to open.
The trunk opens. The indicator lamp in
switch1 comes on and remains lit un-
til the trunk closed.
Warning!
G
Make sure the trunk is closed when the en-
gine is running and while driving. Among
other dangers exhaust fumes may enter the
vehicle interior. These fumes are damaging
to your health.!
The trunk lid swings open upwards automat-
ically. Always make sure that there is sufficient
overhead clearance.
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If the trunk does not open, it is still locked
separately (
page 517).
!
Vehicles with trunk opening/closing sys-
tem*: To stop the opening procedure, press
buttonŠ on the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.

540 Controls in detailUseful features
When the mobile phone is inserted in the
cradle, you can operate the telephone us-
ing the following devices:

mobile phone keypad


COMAND telephone keypad
(page 144)


buttonss andt on the multi-
function steering wheel (
page 288)


Voice Control (
page 313)


Bluetooth
® headset (
page 157)
Please note that these functions are only
available with Mercedes-Benz approved
mobile phones. Please contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for informa-
tion on features available for your mobile
phone of choice.

Open telephone compartment
(page 527).Inserting mobile phone in mobile phone
cradle
Once the mobile phone has been inserted
in the mobile phone cradle, you have to
use the hands-free device or Bluetooth
headset to respond during phone calls.

If applicable, remove the cover for the
external antenna connection from the
back of the mobile phone and store it in
a s a f e p l a c e . B e s u r e t o c o m p l y w i t h t h e
mobile phone’s operating instructions,
as well.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.i
Various mobile phone cradles can be in-
stalled in the front center armrest, see separate
installation instructions for the mobile phone
cradle. These mobile phone cradles can be ob-
tained from an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
The functions and services available to you while
using the mobile phone depend on your service
provider and the type of mobile phone you are
using. See also separate operating manual for in-
structions on how to use your mobile phone.
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The roof cargo container* may impair mo-
bile phone reception. In an emergency, remove
the mobile phone from the mobile phone cradle
to make a call.
!
Do not try to remove the mobile phone along
with the cradle. You could otherwise damage the
mobile phone cradle.


548 Controls in detailUseful features
Destination Download to the COMAND
System
Destination Download allows you access
to a database of over 10,000,000 points of
interest (POIs) that can be downloaded to
your vehicle’s navigation system. If you
know the destination the address can be
downloaded. Or if you are unsure of your
destination you can be provided with
points of interests near your location.
The Response Center can transmit desti-
nation data to the COMAND during the
connection with the Roadside Assistance
or Customer Assistance Center.
The transmitted data can contain address
details for a Mercedes-Benz Center or POIs
(points of interest).Route guidance
A prompt appears for confirmation if route
guidance to the address is to be started.

Slide rmq or rotate ymz to select
“Yes” menu item and confirm by
pressingn.
The system starts the route calculation
and subsequently the route guidance
to the defined address (
page 188).
Call priority
If other service calls such as a Roadside
Assistance call or Information call are ac-
tive, an emergency call is still possible. In
this case, the emergency call will take pri-
ority and override all other active calls.
mobile phone network is not available). The mes-
sage:

“Call Failed” appears in the multifunction
display for approximately 10 seconds


“Call could not be connected!” appears in
the COMAND display. Confirm the message
pressing n (
page 90).
Information calls can be terminated using button
t on the multifunction steering wheel or
COMAND (
page 141).
!
If the indicator lamps do not start flashing
after you press one of the buttons or remain illu-
minated (in red) at any time, the Tele Aid system
has detected a fault or the service is not current-
ly activated, and may not initiate a call. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center and have
the system checked or contact the Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada) as soon as possi-
ble.
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The components and operating principles of
COMAND can be found on (
page 87).
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If you select “No”, you can save the address
in your address book (
page 167).
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The destination download feature is avail-
able if the relevant mobile phone network is
available and data connection is possible.