2011 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class airmatic

1, 2, 3 ...
12 V socket ........................................ 431
4ETS see ETS/4ETS
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel
drive) .................................................. 339
A
ABC see Active Body Control
ABC (Active Body Control)
Display message ............................ 403
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Display message ............................ 388
Function/notes ................................ 67
Warning lamp ................................. 415
Active Blind Spot Assist
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 376
Display message ............................ 404
Function/information ....................356
Active Body Control (ABC) ................ 338
Active Driving Assistance package . 355
Active Lane Keeping Assist Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 376
Display message ............................ 404
Function/information ....................359
Active light function (display
message) ............................................ 397
Active multicontour seat .......... 106, 268
Active partition (USB devices only) Selecting ........................................ 234
Active service system
see Service interval display
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ................................. 71
Adaptive brake lamps ......................... 69
Adaptive Damping System (ADS) ..... 337
Adaptive Highbeam Assist Display message ............................ 397
Switching on/off ........................... 275
Switching on/off (on-board
computer) ...................................... 377
Additional speedometer ................... 377
Address book
Calling up ....................................... 201
Connecting a call ........................... 204
Creating an entry ........................... 203
Deleting an entry ........................... 204
Importing contacts ........................200
Introduction ................................... 200
Starting route guidance .................204
Voice tag ....................................... 205
Address book entry
Adopting as a home address .........175
Address entry menu .......................... 151
Air bags Display message ............................ 386
Front air bag (driver, front
passenger) ....................................... 46
Important safety notes ....................44
Safety guidelines ............................. 43
Side impact air bag ..........................46
Window curtain air bag ....................47
Air-conditioning system
see Climate control
Air dehumidification
Activating/deactivating with
cooling ........................................... 289
Air distribution
Setting ........................................... 291
Setting (COMAND) .........................262
Airflow
Setting ........................................... 292
AIRMATIC ........................................... 336
AIRMATIC (display message) ............ 402
Air nozzles see Air vents .................................. 295
Air pressure
see Tire pressure
Air-recirculation mode
Activating/deactivating .................293
Air vents ............................................. 295
Glove box ....................................... 295
Important safety information .........294
Rear ............................................... 295
Setting the center air vents ...........295
Setting the side air vents ...............295
Alarm system
see ATA 4Index

Displays in the multifunction
display ........................................... 332
Driving tips .................................... 333
Setting the specified minimum
distance ......................................... 331
Warning lamp ................................. 419
Door
Automatic locking ............................ 83
Display message ............................ 410
Emergency locking ........................... 84
Emergency unlocking .......................84
Opening (from inside) ......................83
Power closing feature ......................84
Door control panel
Overview .......................................... 37
Doors
Important safety notes ....................82
Drinking and driving ......................... 319
Drinks holder see Cup holder
Drive program
Automatic ...................................... 311
Manual ........................................... 311
Driving abroad ................................... 323
Driving Assistance package ............. 352
Driving on flooded roads .................. 322
Driving safety system BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS) ............................................... 68
Electronic Brake-force
Distribution ...................................... 71
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability
Program) .......................................... 69
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction
System) ........................................... 70
Important safety information ...........66
Driving safety systems
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) .......67
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ............................. 71
Adaptive brake lamps ......................69
BAS (Brake Assist System) ..............67
Overview .......................................... 66
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ............................. 71
Driving system
Driving Assistance package ...........352Driving systems
Active Blind Spot Assist .................356
Active Body Control .......................338
Active Driving Assistance
package ......................................... 355
Active Lane Keeping Assist ............359
AIRMATIC ...................................... 336
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................347
Blind Spot Assist ............................ 352
Cruise control ................................ 323
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 325
HOLD function ............................... 335
Lane Keeping Assist ......................354
Night View Assist Plus ...................348
Parking Guidance ........................... 342
PARKTRONIC ................................. 339
Rear view camera .......................... 346
Driving tips ........................................ 309
Braking .......................................... 322
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 333
Downhill gradients .........................320
Driving on flooded roads ................322
Wet road surface ........................... 321
Winter ............................................ 323
DTMF tones
Sending ......................................... 200
DVD
Copy protection ............................. 225
Data medium ................................. 225
Handling ........................................ 186
Inserting ........................................ 217
Selecting a track ............................ 221
DVD changer ...................................... 217
DVD menu .................................. 240, 253
DVD playback conditions ................. 237
DVD-Video Picture settings .............................. 236
DVD-Video Operation
Automatic picture shutoff ..............235
E
EASY-ENTRY feature ......................... 108
Activating (COMAND) ....................258
EASY-EXIT feature ............................. 108
Activating (COMAND) ....................258
Crash-responsive ........................... 109
Index9

Working on the vehicleGWarning!
When working on the vehicle, engage the
electronic parking brake and shift the
automatic transmission into park position P.
Otherwise the vehicle could roll away which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Program selector button
The program selector button influences:
Rthe drive program
Rthe AIRMATIC (Y page 336) or ABC
(Y page 338) suspension settings
Rthe engine management
Program selector button
Program selector button on AMG vehicles
E Economy
C Comfort
Comfortable, economical
driving
S SportSporty driving styleM ManualManual gearshifting
iFor further information on "Automatic
drive program" (Y page 311).
AMG vehicles: only change from automatic
drive program C or S to manual drive program
M when the vehicle is stationary.
XPress program selector button :
repeatedly until the letter for the desired
gearshift program appears in the
multifunction display.
iThe automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program E each time the
engine is started (on AMG vehicles: drive
program C).
Steering wheel paddle shifters
:Left-hand steering wheel paddle shifter;Right-hand steering wheel paddle shifter
You can restrict or derestrict the shift range
by using the steering wheel paddle shifter.
You can change gear yourself by using the
steering wheel paddle shifters in the manual
drive program.
310Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated
automatically if:
R you accelerate and the transmission is in
position D or R.
R the transmission is in position P.
R you apply the brakes again with a certain
amount of pressure until HOLD disappears
from the instrument cluster.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
GWarning
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the
electric parking brake and must not be used
for parking.
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
canceled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g.
battery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses are
tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
AIRMATIC
Vehicle level
Your vehicle regulates its height
automatically. All-round self-leveling ensures
the best possible suspension and constant
ground clearance, even with a laden vehicle.
When you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered
automatically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption.
The following vehicle levels are possible on
vehicles without 4MATIC:
R normal.
R raised: the vehicle is raised above the
normal level by 1.00 in (25 mm).
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered beyond the
normal level by 0.60 in (15 mm).
The following vehicle levels are possible on
vehicles with 4MATIC:
R normal: in comfort mode, the vehicle is
raised above Sport mode by 0.40 in
(10 mm).
R raised: in comfort mode, the vehicle is
raised by about 0.60 in (15 mm) and in
Sport mode by about 1.00 in (25 mm) over
the normal level.
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered beyond the
normal level by 0.40 in (10 mm).
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can
be set manually.
The "Lowered” vehicle level is set
automatically:
R in vehicles without 4MATIC at speeds
above 60 mph (100 km/h)
R in vehicles with 4MATIC at speeds above
50 mph (80 km/h)
Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
336Driving systemsDriving and parking

GWarning!
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands and
feet away from wheel housing area, and stay
away from under the vehicle when lowering
the vehicle chassis.
Setting raised level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ; is not lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ; lights up. The vehicle
height is adjusted to raised level.
The Vehicle rising message appears in
the multifunction display.
The "Raised Level" setting is canceled if you:
Rdrive at speeds above approximately
75 mph (120 km/h)
Rdrive about 3 minutes at speeds above
50 mph (80 km/h)
The "Raised Level" remains saved when you
are not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ; is lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ; goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
automatically controls the calibration of the
dampers and springs.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
Ryour individual selection, i.e. sports or
comfort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Sports tuning
The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
XIf indicator lamp ; is not lit: press
button :.
Indicator lamp ; lights up. You have
selected the suspension for a sporty driving
style.
The AIRMATIC SPORT message appears in
the multifunction display.
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you prefer a more comfortable
driving style, but also when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. highways.
Driving systems337Driving and parkingZ

XIf indicator lamp ; is lit: press
button :.
Indicator lamp ; goes out. You have
selected the suspension for a comfortable
driving style.
The AIRMATIC COMFORT message appears
in the multifunction display.
Active Body Control (ABC)
Vehicle level
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to improve driving safety and reduce
fuel consumption.
Depending on the vehicle height that has
been set, the vehicle automatically adjusts its
height, depending on the current speed. As
the speed is increased, the vehicle is lowered
up to 0.6 in (15 mm). As the speed is reduced,
the vehicle is raised up to the set vehicle
height.
GWarning
The vehicle is lowered when the engine is
switched off. Therefore, make sure that
nobody is in the vicinity of the wheel housing
or under the vehicle when you switch off the
engine. Otherwise, limbs could become
trapped.
! The vehicle is lowered when the engine is
switched off. Make sure when parking that
you position your vehicle so that it does not
make contact with the curb as the vehicle
is lowered. Your vehicle could otherwise be
damaged.
iAMG vehicles: the vehicle is lowered by
about 0.4 in (10 mm) when the engine is
switched off.
Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces.
GWarning!
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands and
feet away from wheel housing area, and stay
away from under the vehicle when lowering
the vehicle chassis.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Setting raised level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ; is not lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ; lights up. The vehicle
height is adjusted to raised level.
Setting the normal level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ; is lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ; goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning
The electronically controlled ABC suspension
system works continuously. This improves
driving safety and comfort.
The ABC suspension system is tuned
individually to each wheel and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
338Driving systemsDriving and parking

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and M SolutionsÁ
Night View Assist
Only When It Is
DarkYou have attempted to activate Night View Assist Plus in the
daytime.
Night View Assist Plus can only be activated when it is dark.¨
Vehicle RisingYour vehicle is adjusting to the level you have selected.¨
Vehicle Rising
Please Wait BrieflyThe vehicle level is too low when the vehicle is stationary. A
warning tone also sounds.XDo not pull away.
The vehicle level is set when the display message disappears.¨
STOP Car Too LowYou have pulled away while the vehicle level is still too low.
AIRMATIC sets the vehicle to the selected level after a short
period.XPull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.XEngage the parking brake.XWait until the display message disappears before pulling away.GRisk of accident
AIRMATIC is faulty. A warning tone also sounds.
XDo not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h).XMake only slight steering movements. The front fender or the
tires could be damaged if the steering movement is too large.XListen for scraping sounds.XPull over and stop the vehicle safely, paying attention to road
and traffic conditions, and select a higher vehicle level.
The vehicle may be raised, depending on the type of
malfunction.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.¨
MalfunctionGRisk of accident
The AIRMATIC function is restricted. The vehicle's handling
characteristics may be affected.
XDo not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h).XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.402Display messagesOn-board computer and displays