Contents
Shifting procedure ....................... 402
Transmission positions................. 403
Driving tips ................................... 406
Gear ranges ................................. 408
Automatic shift program .............. 409
Steering wheel gearshift control .. 411
Manual shift program
(S 63 AMG and S 65 AMG only) ... 413
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) ...................... 416
Instrument cluster ............................. 417
Adjusting instrument cluster
display illumination ...................... 417
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 417
Tachometer .................................. 418
Outside temperature indicator ..... 418
Fuel gauge ................................... 418
Driving systems ................................. 419
Cruise control .............................. 419
DISTRONIC Plus* ......................... 424
Airmatic (S 550 only) ................... 440
Active Body Control (ABC)*.......... 442
Parktronic system* ...................... 444
Park Assist* ................................. 448
Dynamic Rear View Monitor* ....... 453
Night View Assist* ....................... 461Air vents ............................................. 466
Opening and closing air vents ....... 468
Ventilated storage compartment .. 468
Automatic climate control .................. 469
Deactivating climate control
system .......................................... 471
Operating climate control system
in automatic mode ........................ 471
Setting temperature...................... 472
Adjusting air volume ..................... 472
Front defroster.............................. 472
Rear window defroster .................. 473
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL
(USA only) ..................................... 474
Air recirculation mode .................. 474
Residual engine heat and
ventilation ..................................... 476
Rear passenger compartment
climate control* ............................ 477
Trunk .................................................. 479
Opening trunk ............................... 479
Closing trunk ................................ 480
Trunk emergency release.............. 484
Valet locking ................................. 484
Power tilt/sliding sunroof................... 486Opening and closing
power tilt/sliding sunroof ............. 486
Synchronizing ............................... 488
Panorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel*............................... 489
Roller sunblinds ............................ 489
Opening and closing panorama
roof with power tilt/sliding panel . 490
Synchronizing ............................... 492
Loading and storing............................ 493
Roof rack* .................................... 493
Loading instructions ..................... 493
Storage compartments ................. 494
Cup holders .................................. 498
Trunk ............................................ 500
Useful features ................................... 502
Sun visors ..................................... 502
Vanity mirror in rear...................... 502
Rear window sunshade ................. 503
Ashtrays........................................ 503
Cigarette lighters .......................... 504
Power outlet ................................. 506
Floormats* ................................... 506
Telephone* ................................... 507
Tele Aid......................................... 510
Garage door opener ...................... 518
35 At a glance
Rear door control panel
Rear door control panel
ItemPage
1Selection switch for right
front passenger seat adjust-
ment*
1
1This switch is located on the right rear passenger
side only.
349
2Memory function* (for storing
seat settings) (Canada only)365
3Inside door handle341
4Seat adjustment347
5Seat heating*
Seat ventilation*351
352
6Button for extending/retract-
ing panorama roof sunblind*489
7Switch for extending/retract-
ing rear window sunshade*503
8Switches for opening/closing
door windows
Switches for opening/closing
rear side window sunshades*383
385
64 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
sunblinds for panorama roof*
(
page 489)
rear window sunshade (page 503)
and rear side window sunshades
(
page 385)
The override switch is located on the driv-
er’s door.
1Override switch
2Indicator lamp
Activating: Press switch 1.
Indicator lamp2 comes on. The func-
tions in the rear are disabled.
Deactivating: Press switch 1 again.
Indicator lamp2 goes out. The func-
tions in the rear are enabled again.
Warning!G
Activate the override switch when children
are riding in the back seats of the vehicle.
The children may otherwise injure them-
selves, e.g. by becoming trapped in the win-
dow opening.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock your vehicle. Do not leave children un-
attended 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.
iOperation of the rear door windows with the
switches located in the driver’s door is still pos-
sible.
363 Controls in detail
Mirrors
Auto-dimming rear view mirrors
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the interior rear view mirror will respond
automatically to glare when
the ignition is switched on
(
page 344)
and
incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view
mirror
The interior rear view mirror will not react if
reverse gearR is engaged
the interior lighting is turned on
Warning!G
The auto-dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at the
sensors in the interior rear view mirror.
The interior rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, if the rear window sun-
shade is in raised position.
Light hitting the mirror(s) at certain angles
(incident light) could blind you. As a result,
you may not be able to observe traffic con-
ditions and could cause an accident.
Warning!G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
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.
386 Controls in detail
Power windows
Aim transmitter eye of the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* at the
driver’s outside door handle. The
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* must be in close proxim-
ity to the driver’s door handle.Vehicles with tilt/sliding sunroof
Press and hold button Œ until the
door windows and tilt/sliding sunroof
have reached the desired position.
Release button Œ to interrupt pro-
cedure.
Vehicles with panorama roof* and/or
rear side window sunshades*
If roller sunblinds are retracted and/or
rear side window sunshades* are closed:
Press and hold button Œ. The win-
dows and sunblinds and/or rear side
window sunshades* begin to open/ex-
tend after approximately 1 second.
With the windows and roller blinds
and/or rear side window sunshades*
fully opened/extended, press and hold
button
Œ again. The tilt/sliding pan-
el tilts and opens.If roller sunblinds and/or rear side window
sunshades* are open/extended:
Press and hold button Œ. The win-
dows move down and the tilt/sliding
panel tilts and opens after approxi-
mately 1 second.
Release button Œ to interrupt proce-
dure.
Convenience closing feature
When you lock the vehicle, you can close
the door windows and tilt/sliding sunroof
or tilt/sliding panel* simultaneously.
Afterward, you can close the roller sun-
blinds* of the panorama tilt/sliding sun-
roof* and the rear side window
sunshades*.
iThe “Summer opening” function can only be
activated via the remote control of the SmartKey
or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*.
iThe seat ventilation* for the driver’s seat is
automatically set to the highest level if activated
via summer opening feature.
iThe function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO function.
387 Controls in detail
Power windows
Vehicles with SmartKey
Aim transmitter eye of the SmartKey
towards the sensor in the driver’s door
handle. The SmartKey must be in close
proximity to the driver’s door handle.
Vehicles with tilt/sliding sunroof
Press and hold button ‹ until the
door windows and the tilt/sliding sun-
roof are completely closed.
Release button ‹ to interrupt pro-
cedure.Vehicles with panorama roof* and/or
rear side window sunshades*
Press and hold button ‹ until the
door windows and the tilt/sliding panel
are completely closed.
Press and hold button ‹ again.
The roller sunblinds and/or rear side
window sunshades* close.
Release button ‹ to interrupt pro-
cedure.
Warning!G
When closing the windows and the tilt/slid-
ing sunroof or tilt/sliding panel*, make sure
that there is no danger of anyone being
harmed by the closing procedure.
If potential danger exists, proceed as fol-
lows:
Release button ‹ to stop the closing
procedure. To open, press and hold but-
ton Œ. To continue the closing after
making sure that there is no danger of
anyone being harmed by the closing pro-
cedure, press and hold button‹.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Release the sensor surface on the out-
side door handle (
page 388) to stop
the closing procedure.
Immediately pull on the same outside
door handle and hold firmly. The door
windows and the tilt/sliding sunroof or
tilt/sliding panel* will open for as long
as the outside door handle is held but
the door is not opened.
iIf you press ‹ while one of the front door
windows is open and one of the rear door win-
dows is closed, for example, then the front side
window and the rear side window sunshade will
be closed. To prevent this from happening, first
open all door windows slightly by briefly
pressingŒ and then close all door windows
by pressing ‹.
388 Controls in detail
Power windows
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*
1Sensor surface on door handle
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located outside the vehicle within approxi-
mately 3 ft (1 m) of a door.
Close all doors.Vehicles with tilt/sliding sunroof
Touch and hold sensor surface1 until
the windows and the tilt/sliding sun-
roof are completely closed.
Release sensor surface1 to interrupt
procedure.Vehicles with panorama roof* and/or
rear side window sunshades*
Touch and hold sensor surface1 until
the windows and the tilt/sliding panel
are completely closed.
Touch and hold sensor surface1
again.
The roller sunblinds and/or rear side
window sunshades* close.
Release sensor surface1 to interrupt
procedure.
iMake sure that you are only touching the
sensor surface.
iMake sure that you are only touching the
sensor surface.
iIf you touch the sensor surface while one of
the front door windows is open and one of the
rear door windows is closed, for example, the
front side window will be closed as well as the
rear side window sunshade*.