2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S600 engine

73 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Switching off the ESP®
(except S 63 AMG)
To improve the vehicle’s traction, turn off
the ESP
® in driving situations where it
would be advantageous to have the drive
wheels spin and thus cut into surfaces for
better grip such as:

when driving with snow chains

in deep snow

in sand or gravelWhen you switch off the ESP
®

the ESP® does not stabilize the vehicle

the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip

the electronic traction system will still
apply the brakes to a spinning wheel

the ESP® continues to operate when
you are braking

you cannot activate the cruise control
or the DISTRONIC Plus* 1ESP
® off/on
Press ESP® switch1 until the ESP®
warning lampv in the instrument
cluster comes on.
The ESP
® is switched off.
Warning!G
The ESP® should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in stan-
dard driving maneuvers.
Warning!G
Switch on the ESP® immediately if the afore-
mentioned circumstances do not apply any-
more. Otherwise the ESP
® will not stabilize
the vehicle when it is starting to skid or a
wheel is spinning.
iWhen the ESP® is switched off and one or
more drive wheels are spinning, the ESP® warn-
ing lampv in the instrument cluster flashes.
However, the ESP
® will then not stabilize the
vehicle.

74 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Switching off the ESP® (S 63 AMG only)When you switch off the ESP®

the ESP® does not stabilize the vehicle

the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip

the traction control will still apply the
brakes to a spinning wheel

the ESP® operates while you are
braking

you cannot activate the cruise control
or the Distronic*

the cruise control or Distronic* switch
off if currently activated
Warning!G
When the ESP® warning lampv is illumi-
nated continuously, the ESP® is switched
off.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP
®.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an ex-
tended period with the ESP® switched off. This
may cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
Warning!G
The ESP® should not be switched off during
normal driving. Disabling of the system will
result in the following:

no restriction to engine torque

loss of system supported traction
control
“ESP
® OFF” is designed for driving on closed
tracks when the natural oversteer and un-
dersteer characteristics are desired and re-
quires a highly skilled and experienced
driver able to handle these critical driving
situations.
You could lose control of your vehicle and
cause an accident.
Please be aware of these limits when you
switch off the ESP
®.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a spare
wheel is mounted.

75 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
1ESP® off/on
With the engine running, press ESP®
switch1 until the ESP® warning
lampv in the instrument cluster
comes on.
The ESP
® is switched off.Switching on the ESP
®
Press ESP® switch1.
The ESP
® warning lampv in the in-
strument cluster goes out.
You are now again in normal driving
mode with the ESP
® switched on.Four wheel electronic traction system
(4MATIC) with the ESP®
Models with all-wheel-drive only.
The 4MATIC improves the vehicle’s ability
to use available traction, e.g. during winter
operation in mountains under snowy
conditions, by applying power to all four
wheels.
iWhen the ESP® is switched off and one or
more drive wheels are spinning, the ESP® warn-
ing lamp v in the instrument cluster flashes.
However, the ESP
® will then not stabilize the
vehicle.
Warning!G
When the ESP® warning lamp v is
illuminated continuously, the ESP® is
switched off or is not operational due to a
malfunction. Vehicle stability in standard
driving maneuvers reduces.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP
®.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an ex-
tended period with the ESP® switched off. This
may cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

76 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
PRE-SAFE® Brake* (vehicles with
DISTRONIC Plus* only)
PRE-SAFE
® Brake* can assist you in mini-
mizing the risk of a rear-end collision with
a vehicle in front of you and in reducing the
severity of an accident. At speeds over ap-
prox 20 mph (30 km/h), it will

warn you of a possible collision

automatically begin to brake the vehi-
cle lightly in a speed range of up to
112 mph (180 km/h)

activate preventative occupant safety
measures (PRE-SAFE®) (page 56)
Warning!G
If you see the ESP® warning lampv
flashing in the speedometer, proceed as fol-
lows:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible

While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor

Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP
® cannot prevent accidents result-
ing from excessive speed.
!Do not tow with one axle raised.
Otherwise the transfer case can be damaged,
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
!Performance testing must only be conduct-
ed on a two-axle dynamometer.
Otherwise the transfer case can be damaged,
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine and the ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1 or
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* in position0
or1) when the parking brake is being tested on a
brake test dynamometer.
Active braking action through ESP
® may other-
wise seriously damage the front or rear axle
brake system.
Operational tests with the engine running can
only be conducted on a two-axle dynamometer.
Warning!G
PRE-SAFE® Brake is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The responsibility for the vehicle
speed and the distance to the vehicle ahead,
including most importantly brake operation
to assure safe stopping distance, always re-
mains with the driver.

81 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft systems
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
Activating
With the SmartKey: Remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch.
With the KEYLESS-GO*: Turn off the
engine (
page 346) and open the driv-
er’s door.
Deactivating
Switch on the ignition (page 344).
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens:

a door

the trunk

the hood
The alarm will stay on even if the activating
element (a door, for example) is immedi-
ately closed.
The alarm system will also be triggered
when

the vehicle is opened with the
mechanical key

a door is opened from the inside
To cancel the alarm after it has been trig-
gered, see “Canceling the alarm”
(
page 82).1Indicator lamp
Arming: Lock your vehicle with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash three times
to indicate that the vehicle is locked.
The indicator lamp1 flashes to indi-
cate that the alarm system is armed.
iStarting the engine will also deactivate the
immobilizer.
In case the engine cannot be started (yet the ve-
hicle’s battery is charged), the system is not op-
erational. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the
USA), or 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response Center is ini-
tiated automatically by the Tele Aid system
(
page 510) provided Tele Aid service was sub-
scribed to and properly activated, and that nec-
essary mobile phone, power supply and GPS
coverage are available.


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).

159 Control systems
COMAND navigation (introduction)
COMAND navigation (introduction)
Map software
The digital maps generated by the map
software become outdated in the same
way as conventional road maps. Optimum
route guidance can only be provided by the
navigation system in conjunction with the
most up-to-date map software.
Information about new map software ver-
sions can be obtained from an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Updating the map software
You can update the map software yourself
using a DVD.
Notes about handling DVDs

Only hold discs by the edge.

Handle discs carefully to prevent read
problems.

Avoid getting scratches, fingerprints
and dust on discs.

Use a commercially-available cleaning
cloth to clean discs. Do not wipe them
with a circular motion, but only in
straight lines from the center out-
wards.

Place discs back in their boxes after
use.

Protect discs from heat and direct sun-
light.
Updating process
The updating process has the following
phases:

Loading a DVD into the DVD changer
(
page 160)

Updating process (page 160)
iThe updating process can take between
10 and 60 minutes, depending on the size of the
map software. If the radio was switched on be-
fore you started the updating process, you can
still adjust the volume. You can also use
COMAND to operate the automatic air condition-
ing and to cancel the process. Other functions
are not operational.
If possible, carry out the update when the vehicle
is stationary.
iIf you carry out the update with the engine
switched off and the vehicle battery has insuffi-
cient power, COMAND may automatically switch
off during the process in order to protect the bat-
tery. If this occurs, restart the update with the
engine running period. Similarly, if the SmartKey
position is unintentionally switched to 0, restart
the update.
Warning!G
Never leave the engine running in an en-
closed space. The exhaust gases contain
carbon monoxide. Inhaling exhaust gases
constitutes a health hazard and could lead
to loss of consciousness or even death.

254 Control systems
COMAND automatic climate control
Central climate control menu via
COMAND
The central climate control menu is in the
center of the climate control settings.
When the automatic climate control is
switched on, you will see “on” in the cen-
tral menu. The following functions can only
be operated in the central climate control
menu via COMAND:
Select climate control settings
Cen-
tral menu.Switching cooling on or off
The cooling function, only operational
when the engine is running, cools the vehi-
cle interior down to the selected tempera-
ture. The cooling function also
dehumidifies the air in the vehicle interior,
thus preventing the windows from fogging
up.The “AC
OFF” function is used to permanent-
ly switch off the cooling function of the au-
tomatic climate control system.
Select climate control settings
Cen-
tral climate control menu.
FunctionPage
Switching off cooling (“ACOFF”)254
Central climate control (“Mono”)255
Footwell temperature255
Air flow from air vents256
Rear climate control*257
iCondensation may drip out from underneath
the vehicle. This is normal and not an indication
of a malfunction.
Warning!G
If you turn off the cooling function, the
vehicle will not be cooled when weather
conditions are warm. The windows can fog
up more quickly. Window fogging may
impair visibility and endanger you and
others.