2012 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class instrument panel

Climate controlAutomatic climate control .............291
COMAND ....................................... 265
Controlling automatically ...............293
Controlling centrally (COMAND) ....267
Cooling with air dehumidification ..293
Cooling with air dehumidification
(COMAND) ..................................... 267
Defrosting the windows .................296
Defrosting the windshield ..............296
Important safety notes ..................290
Indicator lamp ................................ 293
Main menu ..................................... 266
Maximum cooling .......................... 296
Overview of systems ......................290
Problems with cooling with air
dehumidification ............................ 293
Problem with the rear window
defroster ........................................ 297
Rear compartment (COMAND) ......268
Rear control panel .........................291
Refrigerant ..................................... 528
Setting the air distribution .............295
Setting the airflow .........................295
Setting the airflow (COMAND) .......268
Setting the air vents ......................298
Setting the footwell temperature
(COMAND) ..................................... 268
Setting the temperature ................294
Switching air-recirculation mode
on/off ............................................ 297
Switching on/off ........................... 292
Switching residual heat on/off ......298
Switching the rear window
heating on/off ............................... 297
Coat hooks ......................................... 434
Cockpit Overview .......................................... 34
see Instrument cluster
Color, setting (TV, video) .................. 240
COMAND At a glance (overview) .................... 118
Back button ................................... 119
Basic functions .............................. 133
Components .................................. 118
Display ........................................... 121
Example of operation .....................128
Function buttons ........................... 119Menu overview .............................. 121
Remote control .............................. 125
Switching on/off ........................... 133
System settings ............................. 143
COMAND controller ........................... 118
COMAND display Cleaning instructions .....................125
Folding in and swiveling .................124
Setting ........................................... 143
COMAND operating system .............. 118
Combination switch .......................... 279
Compass function ............................. 188
Conference connection ..................... 201
Consumption statistics (on-board
computer) .......................................... 376
Contrast, setting (TV, video) ............ 240
Convenience closing feature .............. 94
Convenience opening feature ............ 93
Convenience telephone Importing contacts ........................204
Convenience telephony .................... 193
Introduction ................................... 193
Coolant (engine)
Checking the level .........................460
Display message ............................ 404
Notes ............................................. 529
Temperature (on-board computer) . 379
Temperature gauge ........................ 372
Cooling
see Climate control
Copy protection (CD/DVD) ............... 229
Cornering light function Display message ............................ 401
Function/notes ............................. 280
Cruise control
Cruise control lever .......................331
Deactivating ................................... 332
Display message ............................ 415
Driving system ............................... 330
Function/notes ............................. 330
Important safety notes ..................330
LIM indicator lamp .........................331
Setting a speed .............................. 332
Storing and maintaining current
speed ............................................. 3318Index

Cockpit ................................................. 34
Instrument cluster ..............................35
On-board computer and COMAND .....37
Center console .................................... 38
Overhead control panel ......................39
Door control panel .............................. 40
Rear seats ............................................ 4233At a glance

CockpitFunctionPage:Steering wheel paddle
shifters
314
;Combination switch279=Cruise control lever331?HornAInstrument cluster35BDIRECT SELECT lever310CControl panel for:Vehicle level343Suspension tuning344PARKTRONIC347Swiveling the COMAND
display
124
COMAND display
brightness
124
Instrument lighting124FunctionPageDOverhead control panel39EAutomatic climate control290FIgnition lock303Start/Stop button303GAdjusts the steering wheel109Steering wheel heating110HElectric parking brake324IOn-board diagnostics
socketJOpens the hood456KNight View Assist Plus357LLight switch27634CockpitAt a glance

injuries when the window curtain air bag is
deployed.
R Air bag system components will be hot after
an air bag has inflated. Do not touch them.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
R Improper repair work on the SRS creates a
risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or
causing unintended air bag deployment.
Work on the SRS must therefore only be
performed by qualified technicians.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
R For your protection and the protection of
others, when scrapping the air bag unit or
ETD, our safety instructions must be
followed. These instructions are available
from any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
R Given the considerable deployment speed,
required inflation volume, and the material
of the air bags, there is the possibility of
abrasions or other, potentially more serious
injuries resulting from air bag deployment.
If you sell your vehicle, Mercedes-Benz
strongly recommends that you inform the
subsequent owner that the vehicle is
equipped with SRS. Also, refer them to the
applicable section in the Operator's Manual.
Air bags
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Air bags are designed to reduce the incidence
of injuries and fatalities in certain situations:
R frontal impacts (driver's and front-
passenger front air bags)
R side impacts (side impact air bags and
window curtain air bags)
R rollover (window curtain air bags)
However, no system available today can
completely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
When the air bags are deployed, a small
amount of powder is released. The powder
generally does not constitute a health hazard
and does not indicate that there is a fire in the
vehicle. In order to prevent potential
breathing difficulties, you should leave the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have any breathing difficulty but cannot get
out of the vehicle after the air bag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
door.GWARNING
To reduce the risk of injuries during front air
bag inflation, the driver and front-passenger
must always be seated correctly and have
their seat belts fastened accordingly.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision, you must always be in the normal
seat position with your back against the
backrest. Fasten your seat belt and make sure
that it is correctly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating position
and correct positioning of the hands on the
steering wheel will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the air bag. Occupants who are
not wearing their seat belt, are not seated
properly or are too close to the air bag can be
seriously injured or killed by an air bag as it
inflates with great force instantaneously:
R Sit with the seat belt properly fastened in a
position that is as upright as possible with
your back against the seat backrest.
R Move the driver's seat as far back as
possible, still permitting proper operation
of vehicle controls. The distance from the
center of the driver's chest to the center of
the air bag cover on the steering wheel
must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) or more.
You should be able to accomplish this by
adjusting the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any difficulties, please contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
46Occupant safetySafety

RMake sure the seat belt is always routed
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
R Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat belt
around a person and another person or
other objects at the same time.
R Seat belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you would not have the full width of
the seat belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted seat belt against your body
could cause injuries.
R Pregnant women should also always use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible on
the hips to avoid any possible pressure on
the abdomen.
R Place the seat backrest in a position that is
as upright as possible.
R Check your seat belt during travel to make
sure it is properly positioned.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
R When using a seat belt to secure infant
restraints, toddler restraints, or children in
booster seats, always follow the child seat
manufacturer's instructions.GWARNING
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 mechanism.
This could damage the seat belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to seat
belts. This could impair the effectiveness of
the seat belts.
Fastening seat belts
GWARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommend that children be
placed in the rear seat whenever possible.
Regardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriately sized
child restraint system or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child. For additional information, see the
"Children in the vehicle" section.
A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and/
or the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.XAdjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position ( Y page 102).XPull the seat belt smoothly through belt
sash guide :.XWithout twisting it, guide the shoulder
section of the seat belt across the middle
of your shoulder and the lap section across
your hips.Occupant safety59SafetyZ

Cornering light function
The cornering light function improves the
illumination of the road over a wide angle in
the direction you are turning, enabling better
visibility in tight bends, for example. It can
only be activated when the low-beam
headlamps are switched on.
Active:
R if you are driving at speeds below
25 mph (40 km/h) and switch on the turn
signals or turn the steering wheel.
R if you are driving at speeds between
25 mph (40 km/h) and
45 mph (70 km/h) or turn the steering
wheel.
Not active: if you are driving at speeds above
25 mph (40 km/h) or switch off the turn
signal or turn the steering wheel to the
straight-ahead position.
The cornering light function may remain lit for
a short time, but is automatically switched off
after no more than three minutes.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist
You can use this function to set the
headlamps to change between low beam and
high beam automatically. The system
recognizes vehicles with their lights on, either
approaching from the opposite direction or
traveling in front of your vehicle, and
consequently switches the headlamps from
high beam to low beam.
The system automatically adapts the low-
beam headlamp range depending on the
distance to the other vehicle. Once the
system no longer detects any other vehicles,
it reactivates the high-beam headlamps.
The system's optical sensor is located behind
the windshield near the overhead control
panel.XTo activate: activate the Adaptive
Highbeam Assist function using the on-
board computer ( Y page 386).XTurn the light switch to c.XPress the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of arrow :
( Y page 279).
If it is dark and the light sensor activates
the low-beam headlamps, the _
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up.
If you drive faster than approximately
28 mph (45 km/h):
the headlamp range is set automatically
depending on the distance between the
vehicle and other road users.
If you drive faster than approximately
35 mph (55 km/h) and no other road users
are identified:280Exterior lightingLights and windshield wipers

the high-beam headlamps are switched on
automatically. The K indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster also lights up.
When you drive slower than approximately
30 mph (45 km/h) or if other road users
are identified or if the roads are sufficiently
illuminated:
the high-beam headlamps are switched off
automatically. The K indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster goes out. The _
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
stays on.XTo deactivate: move the combination
switch back to its normal position.
The _ indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.GWARNING
The Adaptive Highbeam Assist is only an aid
intended to support you while driving. The
driver is and remains responsible for proper
vehicle lighting in accordance with the
prevailing light, sight and traffic conditions.
The system may be impaired or unavailable
when
R visibility is poor, e.g. due to snow, rain, fog,
or heavy spray
R the optical sensor area of the windshield is
dirty, fogged up, or covered by a sticker for
example
The system cannot recognize the following
road users:
R Road users without a lighting system of
their own, e.g. pedestrians
R Road users with dim lighting of their own,
e.g. cyclists
R Road users whose lighting is obstructed,
e.g. road users behind a guardrail
R In some seldom cases, even road users with
a lighting system of their own may be
recognized too late or not at all.
The automatic high-beam headlamps will then
not be deactivated or it will be activated in
spite of preceding or oncoming road users.
This could endanger you and/or others and
cause an accident. Always pay close attention
to the traffic situation and switch off the high
beam manually if necessary.
Headlamps fogged up on the inside
The headlamps may fog up on the inside if
there is high atmospheric humidity.
XDrive with the headlamps switched on.
The level of moisture diminishes,
depending on the length of the journey and
the weather conditions (humidity and
temperature).
If the level of moisture does not diminish:
XHave the headlamps checked at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Interior lighting
Overview of interior lighting
Front overhead control panel
:p Switches the left-hand reading lamp
on/off;u Switches the rear interior lighting
on/off=c Switches the front interior lighting
on/off?| Switches the automatic interior
lighting control on/offAp Switches the right-hand reading
lamp on/offInterior lighting281Lights and windshield wipersZ