2003 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS ESP

308 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
STOP, ENGINE OFF!
There is no oil in the engine. There is a dan-
ger of engine damage.

Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt
as soon as possible.

Turn off the engine.

Add engine oil.
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
REDUCE OIL LEVEL
You have added too much engine oil. There
is a risk of damaging the engine or the cat-
alytic converter.

Have oil siphoned. Observe all legal
requirements with respect to its dis-
posal.
ENGINE OIL
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The engine oil has dropped to a critical lev-
el.

Check the engine oil level
(page 264) and add oil as required.

If you must add engine oil frequently,
have the engine checked for possible
leaks.
There is water in the oil.

Have the oil checked.

310 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
ESP
MALFUNCTION!
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The ESP has detected a malfunction and
switched off.
The ABS may still be operational.

Continue driving with added caution.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of an accident.
DISPLAY MALFUNCTION
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The ESP or the ESP display is malfunction-
ing.

Continue driving with added caution.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of an accident.
NOT AVAILABLE!
SEE OPER. MANUAL
The ESP was deactivated because the pow-
er supply has been interrupted. The ABS is
still operational.

With the vehicle stationary and the
engine running, turn the steering
wheel completely to the left and then
to the right to synchronize the ESP.
If the ESP message does not go out:

Continue driving with added caution.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of an accident.

311 Practical hints
What to do if …?
PRE-SAFE
INACTIVE
VISIT WORKSHOP
If BAS or ESP malfunction messages are
displayed simultaneously, PRE-SAFE has
been deactivated as a result of these mal-
functions. All other occupant safety sys-
tems, such as the airbags, are still
available.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
PRE-SAFE itself has failed. All other occu-
pant safety systems, such as the airbags,
are still available.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
A
RESERVE FUEL
The fuel level has dropped below the re-
serve mark.

Refuel at the next gas station
(page 261).
Y
HOOD OPEN!
You are driving with the hood open.

Close the hood (
page 264).
I
REMOVE KEY!
You have forgotten to remove the
SmartKey.

Remove the SmartKey from the igni-
tion.
REPLACE KEY!
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The batteries in the SmartKey are dead.

Change the batteries (
page 328).
AUTOM. LIGHT ON
REMOVE KEY!

Remove the SmartKey from the start-
er switch.
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution

346 Practical hintsBattery
Batteries contain materials that can harm
the environment if disposed of improperly.
Large 12-volt storage batteries contain
lead. Recycling of batteries is the preferred
method of disposal. Many states require
sellers of batteries to accept old batteries
for recycling.
iThe following procedures must be car-
ried out following any interruption of
battery power (e.g. due to reconnect-
ing):

Set the clock (see COMAND opera-
tor’s manual).


Resynchronize the ESP
(page 310).


Resynchronize side windows
(page 191).


Resynchronize sliding/pop-up roof
(page 195).


Resynchronize rear seats if they
were adjusted five seconds or less
before the battery was disconnect-
ed .

349 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel
lift/dolly equipment. This method is pref-
erable to other types of towing.
When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the
ground or front wheels raised (except vehi-
cles with 4MATIC*) only so far as neces-
sary to have the vehicle moved to a safe
location where the recommended towing
methods can be employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment with SmartKey in starter switch
turned to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 84) and the automatic central
locking (
page 102).
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
and/or 4MATIC*:
Do not tow-start the vehicle.!Vehicles with 4MATIC*:
Do not tow with one axle raised. Doing
so could damage the transfer case,
which is not covered by the Mer-
cedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
A l l w h e e l s m u s t b e o n o r o f f t h e g r o u n d .
Observe instructions for towing the ve-
hicle with all wheels on the ground.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised (not permissible for vehicles
with 4MATIC*), the engine must be
shut off (SmartKey in starter switch
position0 or 1). Otherwise the ESP will
immediately be engaged and will apply
the rear wheel brakes.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the selector lever must
be in positionN and the SmartKey
must be in starter switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground or the front axle raised,
the vehicle may be towed only for dis-
tances up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a
speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).

362 Technical dataEngine
EngineModel
S 430 (220.070, 220.170)
1
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and
special equipment.
S 500 (220.175)
1
S 430 4MATIC (220.183)
1
S 500 4MATIC (220.184)
1
Engine
113
113
Mode of operation
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders
8
8
Bore
3.54 in. (89.90 mm)
3.82 in. (97.00 mm)
Stroke
3.31 in. (84.00 mm)
3.31 in. (84.00 mm)
Total piston displacement
260.3 cu.in. (4266 cm
3)
303.0 cu.in. (4966 cm
3)
Compression ratio
10:1
10:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349
275 hp / 5750 rpm
(205 kW / 5750 rpm)
302 hp / 5500 rpm
(225 kW / 5500 rpm)
Maximum torque
acc. to SAE J 1349
295 ft.lb. / 2700 rpm
(400 Nm / 3000 rpm)
339 ft.lb. / 2700 rpm
(460 Nm / 2700 rpm)
Maximum engine speed
6000 rpm
6000 rpm
Firing order
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
Poly-V-belt
7 ft 10 in. (2390 mm)
7 ft 10 in. (2390 mm)

363 Technical data
Engine
Model
S 55 AMG (220.174)
1
S 600 (220.176)
1
Engine
113
275
Mode of operation
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders
8
12
Bore
3.82 in. (97.00 mm)
3.23 in. (82.00 mm)
Stroke
3.60 in. (92.00 mm)
3.43 in. (87.00 mm)
Total piston displacement
331.8cu.in. (5439cm
3)
336.4 cu.in. (5513 cm
3)
Compression ratio
9:1
9:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349
493 hp / 6 100 rpm
(368 kW / 6 100 rpm)
493 hp / 5 000 rpm
(368 kW / 5 000 rpm)
Maximum torque
acc. to SAE J 1349
517 ft.lb. / 2 750-4 000 rpm
(700 Nm / 2 750-4 000 rpm)
590 ft.lb./ 1 800-3 500 rpm
(800 Nm / 1 800-3 500 rpm)
Maximum engine speed
6500 rpm
5 950 rpm
Firing order
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
1-12-5-8-3-10-6-7-2-11-4-9
Poly-V-belt
Belt 1: 4 ft 3 in. (1289 mm)
Belt 2: 8 ft 1 in. (2462 mm)
7 ft 7 in. (2335 mm)
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and
special equipment.

371 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
CapacitiesVehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore use only
brands tested and recommended by us.Please refer to the Factory Approved Ser-
vice Products pamphlet, or inquire at your
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine with oil filter
S 430
S 500
S 55 AMG
S 600
8.5 US qt. (8.0 l)
8.5 US qt. (8.0 l)
7.9 US qt. (7.5 l)
9.5 US qt. (9.0 l)
Recommended engine oils
Automatic transmission
S 600
9.1 US qt. (8.6 l)
8.1 US qt. (7.7 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Oil
1
1MB part no. 001 989 21 03 10Rear axle
1.7 US qt. (1.6 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Front axle
S 430 4MATIC
S 500 4MATIC
0.63 US qt. (0.6 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Transfer case
S 430 4MATIC
S 500 4MATIC
0.62 US qt. (0.585 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Oil
1
Hydraulic system for ADS or ABC
4.2 US qt. (4.0 l)
MB Hydraulic Fluids
Power steering
approx. 1.1 US qt. (1.0 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid (Pentosin
CHF 11S)
Front wheel hubs
approx. 2.1 oz. (60 g) each
High-temperature roller bearing
grease