2002 MERCEDES-BENZ S55AMG engine

115 Instrument cluster
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Coolant temperature gauge (5)
During severe operating conditions and stop-and-go city
traffic, the coolant temperature may rise close to the red
marking.
The engine should not be operated with the coolant
temperature in the red zone. Doing so may cause
serious engine damage which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Outside temperature indicator (6)
The temperature sensor is located in the front bumper
area. Due to its location, the sensor can be affected by
road or engine heat during idling or slow driving. This
means that the accuracy of the displayed temperature
can only be verified by comparison to a thermometer
placed next to the sensor, not by comparison to external
displays (e.g. bank signs etc.).
Adaption to ambient temperature takes place in steps
and depends on the prevailing driving conditions (stop-
and-go or moderate, constant driving) and amount of
temperature change.
Note:
The unit for the temperature indicator display can be set
in the individual setting menu “INST. CLUSTER” –
“TEMP. INDICATOR” on page 140.
Wa r n i n g !
• Driving when your engine is badly overheated
can cause some fluids which may have leaked
into the engine compartment to catch fire. You
could be seriously burned.• Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns and can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine if
you see or hear steam coming from it. Turn off
the engine, get out of the vehicle and do not
stand near the vehicle until it cools down.
Wa r n i n g !
The outside temperature indicator is not designed
to serve as an Ice-Warning Device and is therefore
unsuitable for that purpose. Indicated
temperatures just above the freezing point do not
guarantee that the road surface is free of ice.

117 Instrument cluster
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Trip odometer (13)
To reset to “0” miles / km:
Activate the instrument cluster if it is not already
activated by pressing theJbutton on the instrument
cluster.
Press the è or ÿ button on the multifunction
steering wheel repeatedly until the trip odometer
appears if it is not displayed. See page 122.
Press button Jon the instrument cluster until the trip
odometer is reset.Tachometer (16)
The red marking on the tachometer denotes excessive
engine speed.
Avoid this engine speed, as it may result in serious
engine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply is interrupted
if the engine is operated within the red marking.

119 Multifunction steering wheel, multifunction display
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Depending on your vehicle’s equipment, you may use
the buttons on the multifunction steering wheel to call
up, control and set the following systems in the
multifunction display:
1Trip and main odometer, see page 122
Flexible service system (FSS), see page 149
Tire inflation pressure monitor, see page 152
Engine oil level indicator, see page 156
2Audio systems, see page 124
Radio, seepage124
CD player, see page 125
Cassette player, see page 126
3Telephone, see page 1274Navigation system, see page 132
5Distronic (DTR), see page 133
6Trip computer, see page 134
After start
After reset
Range
7Malfunction message memory, see page 136
8Individual settings, see page 138
9Malfunction messages are stored in memory (7), see
page 136.
Press the è or ÿ button repeatedly until the
required system is displayed.
The display advances by one system each time the
button is pressed.
You may call up additional displays within some of these
categories by pressing the j or k button.

123 Multifunction steering wheel, multifunction display
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index 1Trip and main odometer
See page 117 for instructions on resetting the trip
odometer.
2FSS (Flexible service system), see page 149
3Tire inflation pressure monitor, see page 152
4Engine oil level indicator, see page 156
5Ve h i c l e s p e e dPress è or ÿ button repeatedly until the trip and
main odometer display (1) appears.
Press the j or k button repeatedly until the
required display (2, 3, 4, 5, 1) appears.
Pressing the è or ÿ button displays the next or
previous system.

135 Multifunction steering wheel, multifunction display
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Transferring values from the previous journey to the
“AFTER START” short distance memory (1):
The “AFTER START” display will flash until a distance of
approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) has been covered or two
minutes have elapsed since the engine was restarted.
During this period you can incorporate the values for
the previous journey by pressing button Jin the
instrument cluster.
If buttonJis not pressed, the short distance memory
is reset to “0”.To reset the short “AFTER START” (1) or long
“AFTER RESET” distance memory (2):
Call up the relevant display (1 or 2) using the j or
k button and press the Jbutton in the instrument
cluster until the values are reset to “0”.

150 Flexible service system
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
The service indicator disappears automatically after
30 seconds or if button Jon the instrument cluster is
pressed.
Calling up service indicator manually:
Turn the electronic key in starter switch to position 1
or 2.
Call up the trip odometer and main odometer by
pressing button è or ÿ on the multifunction
steering wheel until the display appears. See page 122.
Press button j or k until the FSS indicator
appears.
The next or previous system is displayed by pressing
button è or ÿ.
Important!
The FSS indicator does not include an engine oil level
indicator. See page 156 for engine oil level indicator.Note:
When disconnecting vehicle battery for one or more
days at a time, such days will not be counted. Any such
days not counted by the FSS can be added by your
Mercedes-Benz Center.
The interval between services is determined by the type
of driving for which the vehicle is used. For example,
driving at extreme speeds, and cold starts combined
with short distance driving in which the engine does not
reach operating normal temperature, reduce the interval
between services.

156 Engine oil level indicator
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Engine oil level indicator
To check the engine oil level, park vehicle on level
ground, with engine at normal operational temperature.
Check oil level approximately 5 minutes after turning
off the engine, allowing for the oil to return to the oil
pan.
The message “OBSERVE WAITING PERIOD” will be
displayed if the required waiting period has not been
observed after turning off the engine:
•with engine at operational temperature
approximately 5 minutes.•with engine not at operational temperature up to
approximately 30 minutes.
The engine oil level check can be repeated after a short
time.
Turn the electronic key in starter switch to position 2.
To call up the trip odometer and main odometer, press
button è or ÿ on the multifunction steering
wheel until the display appears. See page 122.
Press button j or k on the multifunction
steering wheel repeatedly until the “CORRECT
MEASUREMENT ONLY IF VEHICLE LEVEL” engine oil
level indicator appears. This indicator is only a
reminder. Measurement can be cancelled by pressing
button j or k if the vehicle is not parked on level
ground. An incorrect reading will be recorded if you do
not cancel the measurement. Move the vehicle to level
ground and measure again.
The electronic key in starter switch is not in position 2 if
the “ENGINE OIL LEVEL – IGNITION ON PLEASE!”
message appears.
The “ENGINE OIL LEVEL – MEASUREMENT IN
PROCESS” message is displayed after approximately
3seconds.
MEASUREMENT CORRECT

157 Engine oil level indicator
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index One of the following messages will subsequently appear
on the indicator:
“ENGINE OIL LEVEL – O.K.”
No oil needs to be added.
“ENGINE OIL LEVEL – ADD 1.0 QUART”
(Canada: 1.0 L)
“ENGINE OIL LEVEL – ADD 1.5 QUART”
(Canada: 1.5 L)
“ENGINE OIL LEVEL – ADD 2.0 QUART”
(Canada: 2.0 L)
See “Checking engine oil level”, on page 342 for
instructions on adding engine oil.
“ENGINE OIL LEVEL – REDUCE OIL LEVEL”
Do not overfill the engine.
Excessive oil must be siphoned or drained off. It could
cause damage to the engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
The “MEASURING NOT POSSIBLE!” message will be
displayed if a proper oil level check cannot be
performed. The engine oil level check can be repeated
after a short while.S 430, S 500 and S 55 AMG only:
Perform the engine oil level check with the dipstick, if it
cannot be completed via the multifunction display.
See “Checking engine oil level”, page 342.
In this case we recommend that you have the system
checked at a Mercedes-Benz Center.
Notes:
See malfunction and warning messages on page 309
and page 324 if an engine oil level indicator appears in
the multifunction display when the engine is running.
The engine oil level cannot be checked while the engine
is running. The “ENGINE OIL LEVEL – NOT WHEN
ENGINE ON” message will appear.
Engine oil consumption
Engine oil consumption checks should only be made
after the break-in period. During the break-in period,
higher oil consumption may be noticed and is normal.
Frequent driving at high engine speeds results in
increased consumption.