2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S550 4MATIC warning

369 Controls in detail
Fastening the seat belts
1Seat belt outlet
2Latch plate
3Buckle
4Release button
Pull the seat belt smoothly from the
seat belt outlet 1.
Place the shoulder portion of the seat
belt across the top of your shoulder
and the lap portion across your hips.
Push latch plate2 into buckle3 until
it clicks.
If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.
To release the seat belt, press release
button4 and guide latch plate back to
seat belt outlet.
Warning!G
Read and observe the additional warning no-
tices printed in the “Safety and Security”
section (
page 40).

370 Controls in detail
Fastening the seat belts
Proper use of seat belts

Do not twist the seat belt when fasten-
ing.

Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck). Never pass the
shoulder portion of the seat belt under
your arm.

Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.

Place the seat backrest in a nearly up-
right position.

Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.

Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-
son and another object at the same
time. When using a seat belt to secure
infant restraints or toddler restraints or
children in booster seats, always follow
the child seat manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.

Check your seat belt during travel to
make sure that it is properly posi-
tioned.

Make sure the seat belt is always fitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.For more information, see “Seat belts”
(
page 52).
Seat belt height adjustment
The vehicle automatically adjusts the seat
belt height for the driver’s and front pas-
senger’s seats as well as for the rear outer
seats. Comply with the instructions on how
to properly fasten a seat belt
(
page 368).
Warning!G
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
Do not allow the seat belt to get caught in
the door or in the seat adjustment mecha-
nism. This could damage the seat belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the seat belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash, they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Damaged seat belts or seat belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be re-
placed. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

372 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch.
Switching on low beam headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toB.
The green indicator lampC in the
exterior lamp switch comes on.Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off au-
tomatically depending on the brightness of
the ambient light:

Low beam headlamps

Tail and parking lamps

License plate lamps

Side marker lamps
iIf you hear a warning signal you have forgot-
ten to switch off the headlamps before opening
the driver’s door.
In addition the message “Please switch off
lights” appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the headlamps.
!Failure to switch off the headlamps when
leaving the vehicle may result in a discharged
battery.
Warning!G
If the exterior lamp switch is set to*,

the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright am-
bient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.

the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others, acti-
vate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch to B when driving or when traffic
and/or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from position * to B with the
vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching from * to B will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions
may result in an accident.

374 Controls in detail
Lighting
USA only
By default, the daytime running lamp mode
is deactivated. Activate the daytime run-
ning lamp mode using the control system,
see “Setting daytime running lamp mode
(USA only)” (
page 281).
When the engine is running, and you turn
the exterior lamp switch to position C
orB, the manual headlamp mode has
priority over the daytime running lamp
mode.
The corresponding exterior lamps switch
on (
page 371).Locator lighting and night security illu-
mination
The locator lighting and night security illu-
mination are described in the COMAND ve-
hicle section under “Setting locator
lighting” (
page 243) and “Setting night
security illumination” (
page 242).
Fog lampsFront fog lampsSwitch on the low beam
headlampsB (
page 372).
Pull out exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The front fog lamps are switched on.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
exterior lamp switch comes on
(
page 371).
Push in the exterior lamp switch.
The front fog lamps are switched off.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
exterior lamp switch goes out.
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated and the exterior lamp switch in
position M, you cannot switch on the high
beam headlamps.
The high beam flasher is available at all times.
For nighttime driving you should turn the exterior
lamp switch to positionB or * to permit
activation of the high beam headlamps.
Warning!G
In low ambient lighting or foggy conditions,
only switch from position * to B with
the vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching from * to B will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions
may result in an accident.
iFog lamps will operate with the parking
lamps and/or the low beam headlamps on. Fog
lamps should only be used in conjunction with
low beam headlamps. Consult your State or
Province Motor Vehicle Regulations regarding
permissible lamp operation.
iFog lamps cannot be switched on manually
with exterior lamp switch in position*. To
activate the fog lamps, turn exterior lamp switch
to positionB first.

377 Controls in detail
Lighting
Switching off the corner-illuminating
lamps
The combination switch for the turn signal
resets automatically after major steering
wheel movements. This will switch off the
corner-illuminating lamps if they were acti-
vated by switching on the left or right turn
signal.
If the turn signal should stay on after mak-
ing the turn, the turn signal and corner-illu-
minating lamp can be switched off by
returning the combination switch to its
original position.Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be
switched on at all times, even with the
SmartKey removed from the starter switch
or with the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle.
The hazard warning flasher is automatical-
ly switched on if

an air bag has been triggered

S 600/S 65 AMG and USA only: you
brake the vehicle strongly at a speed of
more than 50 mph (70 km/h) and
bring it to a complete stop
1Hazard warning flasher switch
Switching on: Press hazard warning
flasher switch.
All turn signals will flash.
Switching off: Press hazard warning
flasher switch again.
iIf you are driving faster than 25 mph
(40 km/h) when activating the turn signal indica-
tor, the corner-illuminating lamp function is
switched off.
iThe corner-illuminating lamp may remain lit
for a short time. The corner-illuminating lamp
lights up for no more than 20 seconds with the
vehicle standing still. It is then switched off even
if the turn signal is still switched on or you have
turned the steering wheel to full lock.
iWith the hazard warning flasher activated
and the combination switch set for either left or
right turn, only the respective left or right turn
signals will operate when the SmartKey in the
starter switch is in position
1 or2 or the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button (
page 346) is
pressed once or twice.
iIf the hazard warning flasher was activated
automatically, also press hazard warning flasher
switch 1 to switch off the hazard warning flash-
er.

383 Controls in detail
Power windows
Power windows
Opening and closing power windows
The door windows are opened and closed
electrically. The switches

for all door windows are on the driver’s
door

for the front passenger side window
are on the front passenger door

for each rear side window are on the
rear doors
1Left front door window
2Right front door window
3Left rear door window
4Right rear door window
Warning!G
Do not keep any part of your body up against
the side window pane when opening a win-
dow. The downward motion of the pane may
pull that part of your body down between
the window pane and the door frame and
trap it there. If there is a risk of entrapment,
release the switch and press it again to
close the window.
Warning!G
When closing the windows, make sure that
there is no danger of anyone being harmed
by the closing procedure.
Activate the override switch (
page 63)
when children are riding in the back seats of
the vehicle. The children may otherwise in-
jure themselves, e.g. by becoming trapped
in the window opening.
The closing of the door windows can be im-
mediately halted by releasing the switch or,
if the switch was pressed past the resis-
tance point and released, by pressing the
lower part of the respective switch again.
The door windows are equipped with the ex-
press-close and automatic reversal func-
tion. If the window encounters an
obstruction that blocks its path in a circum-
stance where you pressed the switch past
the resistance point and released it to close
the window, the automatic reversal function
will stop the window and open it slightly.


384 Controls in detail
Power windows
Switch on the ignition (page 344).
Opening: Press the lower part of
switch1 to 4 (
page 383) to the re-
sistance point.
The corresponding window will move
downwards until you release the
switch.
Closing: Press the upper part of
switch1 to 4 (
page 383) to the re-
sistance point.
The corresponding window will move
upwards until you release the switch.
If the window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you are closing the window by pressing and
holding the switch, by pressing and holding
button ‹ on the SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO*, by pressing and holding
the sensor surface (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*) on an outside door handle,
or by pressing and holding button, on
the climate control panel, the automatic re-
versal function will not operate.
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.iYou can also open or close the windows us-
ing the SmartKey, see “Summer opening fea-
ture” (
page 385) and “Convenience closing
feature” (
page 386).
Depending on current position, the windows may
also open or close when the air recirculation
button, (
page 469) is pressed and held
for 2 seconds.
iOperating the windows from the rear is not
possible if you activate the override switch
(
page 63).
iIf PRE-SAFE® has been activated, the door
windows close automatically until only a small
gap remains.
iWith the SmartKey in starter switch
position0 or removed from the starter switch,
the power windows can be operated:

until you open the driver’s or front passenger
door

for at least 5 minutes if no door was opened
Warning!G
If you press and hold the switch up when
closing the window, and upward movement
of the window is blocked by some obstruc-
tion including but not limited to arms, hands,
fingers, etc., the automatic reversal will not
operate.


385 Controls in detail
Power windows
Express-opening: Press the lower part
of switch1 to4 (
page 383) past
the resistance point and release.
The corresponding window opens com-
pletely.
Express-closing: Press the upper part
of switch1 to4 (
page 383) past
the resistance point and release.
The corresponding window closes com-
pletely.
Stopping during Express-operation:
Briefly press the respective power win-
dow switch again.
Rear side window sunshades*
Closing: With the side window fully
closed, press the upper part of
switch3 or4 (
page 383).
The rear side window sunshade will be
fully closed.
Opening: Press the lower part of
switch3 or4 (
page 383).
The rear side window sunshade will be
fully opened.
Summer opening feature
If the weather is warm, you can ventilate
the vehicle before driving off by simulta-
neously:

opening the door windows and rear
side window sunshades*

opening the tilt/sliding sunroof or
tilt/sliding panel* and extending the
roller sunblinds*

turning on the seat ventilation* for the
driver’s seat
Warning!G
Driver’s door only:
If within 5 seconds you again press the
switch past the resistance point and re-
lease, the automatic reversal will not oper-
ate.
!If the upward movement of the window is
blocked during the closing procedure, the win-
dow will stop and open slightly. Remove the ob-
struction, press the respective power window
switch at the upper part again past the resis-
tance point and release. If the window still does
not close when there is no obstruction, press
and hold the respective power window switch at
the upper part. The side window will then close
without the obstruction sensor function.
iThe rear side window sunshade cannot be
partially closed.
iThe switches on the rear doors can also be
used to close the rear side window sunshades on
the other side of the vehicle.
iThe switches on the driver’s door take pre-
cedence over the rocker switches on the other
doors.