2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S550 4MATIC buttons

85 Control systems
COMAND introduction
COMAND introduction
COMAND (Cockpit Management and Data
System) is an information and operating
center for vehicle sound and communica-
tions systems, including the radio and nav-
igation system, as well as other optional
equipment (satellite radio*, telephone*,
etc.).
Availability of functions while the vehi-
cle is in motion
For safety reasons, certain COMAND func-
tions are not available while the vehicle is
in motion or they are only available to a
limited extent. You will notice this, for ex-
ample, by the fact that certain menu items
cannot be selected or that the COMAND
display shows a corresponding message.
Switching COMAND on or off
Press the o shortcut button in the
center console (
page 86).
COMAND calls up the menu last select-
ed.
COMAND components
In your vehicle, COMAND can be used to
operate:

audio functions

the navigation system

the telephone* and communication
functions (SMS*)

Video DVD (USA only)

various vehicle settings
COMAND consists of the following:

COMAND shortcut buttons

COMAND display

telephone* keypad

COMAND controller
iWhen you switch off COMAND, you also
switch off the currently playing audio source.
During a telephone call, you cannot switch off
COMAND.

86 Control systems
COMAND introduction
COMAND shortcut buttons
Use the COMAND shortcut buttons to se-
lect main functions directly.
Example:
Switching directly to Radio or CD
menu: Press M once or twice.COMAND display
In the COMAND display, you will find the
function currently selected and the corre-
sponding menus. The COMAND display is
divided into several areas.
1Status line
2Main functions
3Main area
4Submenus
5Climate control settings
A white bar under the main functions 2 in-
dicates the active area.
Once you have selected a main
function2, the main area 3 is active.
iDuring Dynamic Rear View Monitor* opera-
tion (
page 453) it is not possible to operate
the COMAND shortcut buttons.
FunctionPage
1PFavorite button238
2MShortcut button for:

CD/DVD

radio
120
101
3LBack button94
4OSeat menu259
5NShortcut button for:

telephone*

navigation
132
166
6oCOMAND on/off
button85
7,Volume control96
8FMute button96

87 Control systems
COMAND introduction
Instrument cluster multifunction
display
This section describes features and con-
trols via the COMAND controller, display
and shortcut buttons only.
Please refer to the “Instrument cluster
control system” section of this manual
(
page 264) for function descriptions and
operation of the instrument cluster multi-
function display and multifunction steering
wheel buttons as they relate to COMAND
features described in this section.Adjusting COMAND display
illumination
1Knob
Brightening illumination: Turn
knob1 clockwise.
Dimming illumination: Turn knob1
counterclockwise.Swiveling COMAND display
1Button for swiveling display to the left
2Button for swiveling display to the right
You can swivel the COMAND display to the
left or right. The buttons are on the
right-hand side of the instrument cluster.
iThe layout of the menus may vary depending
on your vehicle’s equipment. This manual shows
the menus for a fully equipped vehicle.

116 Control systems
COMAND audio CD/audio DVD/MP3
Loading the CD/DVD changer
The CD/DVD changer can hold up to a to-
tal of 6 audio CDs or DVDs.
1Disc slot
2Load button (all magazine trays)
3Magazine tray buttons 1 – 6Loading an individual magazine tray
Press desired magazine tray button 3.
If a disc is loaded, it will be ejected.
Take disc out of slot 1.
Wait until LED for magazine tray
button3 which you pressed flashes
quickly.
Insert disc into slot 1.
The DVD changer draws the disc in and
begins playback if:

it has been loaded correctly

it is a permissible type of discLoading all six magazine trays
Press load button 2.
The DVD changer checks the load sta-
tus of all magazine trays and switches
to the first empty tray.
Wait until LED for corresponding maga-
zine tray button 3 flashes quickly.
Insert disc into slot 1.
The DVD changer switches to the next
empty magazine tray.
Repeat last two steps until all trays are
loaded.
The DVD changer will play the last disc
you loaded if:

it has been loaded correctly

it is a permissible type of disc
iEach magazine tray button3 indicates the
status of the corresponding magazine tray by
means of an LED.

LED off = magazine tray is empty

LED constantly lit = magazine tray is loaded

LED flashes = CD/DVD changer requesting
disc to be loaded
iIf a disc is not inserted within approximately
15 seconds COMAND resumes playback of the
last disc.

117 Control systems
COMAND audio CD/audio DVD/MP3
Inserting a PCMCIA card
1Slot for PCMCIA card
Insert PCMCIA card into slot 1.
The side with the contact must point
towards the slot.If the PCMCIA card contains a storage
medium with MP3 tracks, COMAND
switches to MP3 mode.
Ejecting CDs and DVDs Ejecting from the DVD changer
1Disc slot
2Magazine tray buttons 1 – 6
3Eject button (all discs)
Ejecting one disc: Press desired mag-
azine tray button 2.
Take disc out of slot 1.
If you do not take the disc out of
slot1, the DVD changer will draw it
back automatically in approximately
15 seconds.
iCOMAND supports commercially available
PCMCIA cards or PCMCIA card adapters with
storage media that may not be designed for the
temperatures which occur in the vehicle. You
should therefore remove the PCMCIA card from
the vehicle when not in use since extreme tem-
peratures could damage these devices.
Warning!G
Only eject a disc when the vehicle is station-
ary. You may otherwise be distracted from
the traffic conditions and could cause an ac-
cident.
iIf you eject one disc while playing another
disc, the DVD changer interrupts playback. Play-
back continues once the disc has been ejected.


132 Control systems
COMAND telephone*
Safety precautions
General notes
Calls disconnected while the vehicle is
in motion
A call may be disconnected if:

there is insufficient network coverage

you move from one transmitter/receiv-
er area (cell) into another and no chan-
nels are free or the cell is fullOperating options
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

buttonss andt on the multi-
function steering wheel (
page 265)

Voice Control* (page 289)

Bluetooth® headset (page 146)
Warning!G
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving.
Whether or not prohibited by law, for safety
reasons, the driver should not use the cellu-
lar telephone while the vehicle is in motion.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location before
placing or answering a call.
If you nonetheless choose to use the mobile
phone
1 while driving, please use the hands-
free feature and be sure to pay attention to
the traffic situation at all times. Use the mo-
bile phone only when road, weather and traf-
fic conditions permit. Otherwise, you may
not be able to observe traffic conditions and
could endanger yourself and others.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approxima-
tely 14 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements.
Warning!G
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.
iThe components and operating principles of
COMAND can be found on (
page 85) and
(
page 94).
iVarious 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. For more information about telephone
(
page 507).

144 Control systems
COMAND telephone*
Placing a call to a call list entry or
COMAND phone book entry
Call up a call list and select an entry
(
page 140).
or
Call up COMAND phone book and se-
lect an entry (
page 147).
Connecting a call: Press n.
Speed dialing
You can save telephone numbers in the
speed-dial preset locations on the mobile
phone and call up the speed-dial presets
(see mobile phone operating instructions).
You can also call up speed-dial numbers
using COMAND.Calling up speed-dial presets using the
COMAND controller
Switching screen to telephone
mode: Call up main telephone menu
(
page 139).
Entering number of a speed-dial pre-
set: Select all the digits in sequence.
Deleting individual digits:
Select) and briefly press n.
Deleting entire number:
Select) and press n until the
number is deleted.
Connecting a call (speed-dial pre-
sets 1 -99): Select “S”.
or
Connecting a call (speed-dial pre-
sets 100 - 999): Select “#” after the
digits
“S”.
In both cases, the telephone connects
the call to the saved telephone num-
ber. If the speed-dial memory contains
no telephone numbers, you will see a
corresponding message.
Deleting message: Press n.
Calling up speed-dial numbers using the
telephone keypad
Switching screen to telephone
mode: Call up main telephone menu
(
page 139).
Single-digit numbers: Press and hold
A- 9 buttons.
or
Single- and two-digit numbers: Enter
number using the A- 9 buttons.
Press s.
or
Three-digit numbers: Enter number
using the A- 9 buttons.
Press #, and then s.
In all three cases, COMAND connects
the call to the saved telephone num-
ber. If the speed-dial memory contains
no telephone numbers, you will see a
corresponding message.
iBy default, the mailbox number is preset in
the speed dial memory unless you have modified
it. For more information on the mailbox
(
page 139).
iOperation during call connection depends
on the speed-dial preset position called up.

160 Control systems
COMAND navigation (introduction)
Loading a DVD into the DVD changer
1Disc slot
2Magazine tray buttons 1 – 6
Switch on COMAND (page 85).
Press one of the magazine tray
buttons2.
If a disc is loaded, it will be ejected.
Take disc out of slot 1.
Wait until LED for magazine button 2
which you pressed flashes quickly.
Slide DVD into slot 1 with printed side
facing upwards.
COMAND loads the DVD.
Updating
After you have loaded the DVD, you will
see a message to the effect that the disc
does not contain a recognizable audio for-
mat.
Confirming message: Press n.
COMAND checks whether the map
software on the DVD is compatible with
the vehicle’s navigation system and
whether it is compatible with the cur-
rent system software.Map software is compatible with the
navigation system and the current sys-
tem software
COMAND now checks whether the map
data on the DVD is already installed.
Map data is not yet installed
You will see a comparison of the version
statuses in the display and a prompt will
appear asking whether you want to contin-
ue with the update.
Select “Yes” or “No”.
If you select “No”, COMAND automati-
cally ejects the DVD and the map data
is not updated.
Take DVD out of the slot.
If you select “Yes”, the map data is up-
dated.
iEach magazine tray button 2 indicates the
status of the corresponding magazine tray by
means of an LED.

LED off = magazine tray is empty

LED constantly lit = magazine tray is loaded

LED flashes = CD/DVD changer requesting
disc to be loaded