2004 MERCEDES-BENZ S55AMG engine

323 Practical hints
What to do if …?
During severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
Ï
COOLANT
STOP, ENGINE OFF!
The coolant is too hot.

Stop the vehicle and turn off the engine.

Only start the engine again after the mes-
sage disappears. You could otherwise
damage the engine.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly overheat-
ed 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 the
engine has cooled down.
!The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248°F
(120°C). Doing so may cause serious
engine damage which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

324 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
Ï
COOLANT
STOP, ENGINE OFF!
The poly-V-belt could be broken.

Stop immediately and check the
poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:

Do not continue to drive. Otherwise the
engine will overheat due to an inoperative
water pump which may result in damage
to the engine. Notify an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is intact:

Do not continue to drive the vehicle with
this message displayed. Doing so could
result in serious engine damage that is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limit-
ed Warranty.
Ï
COOLANT
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The cooling fan for the coolant is malfunc-
tioning.

Observe the coolant temperature display.

Have the fan replaced as soon as possi-
ble.

326 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
:
USA only:ADD 1.0 QT. ENGINE
OIL
AT NEXT REFUELING!Canada only:ADD 1.0 LITER ENGINE
OIL
AT NEXT REFUELING!
The engine oil level is too low.

Add engine oil (
page 277) and check
the engine oil level (page 274).
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
STOP, ENGINE OFF!
There is no oil in the engine. There is a
danger of engine damage.

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

Turn off the engine.

Add engine oil (
page 277) and check
the engine oil level (page 274).
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
REDUCE OIL LEVEL
You have added too much engine oil.
There is a risk of damaging the engine or
the catalytic converter.

Have excess oil siphoned or drained off.
Observe all legal requirements with re-
spect to its disposal.

327 Practical hints
What to do if …?
When the message
ADD 1.0 QT. ENGINE
OIL AT NEXT REFUELING!
(Canada:
1 Liter
) appears while the engine is run-
ning and at operating temperature, the en-
gine oil level has dropped to approximately
the minimum level.When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.
Visually check for oil leaks. If no obvious oil
leaks are noted, drive to the nearest ser-
vice station where the engine oil should be
topped to the required level with an ap-
proved oil.
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
:
ENGINE OIL
VISIT WORKSHOP!
It may be that there is water in the engine
oil.

Have the engine oil level checked
(page 274).
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The engine oil has dropped to a critical
level.

Check the engine oil level (
page 274)
and add engine oil as required
(
page 277).

If you must add engine oil frequently,
have the engine checked for possible
leaks.
ENGINE OIL SENSOR
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The measuring system is malfunctioning.

Have the measuring system checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!The engine oil level warnings should
not be ignored. Extended driving with
the symbol displayed could result in
serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

328 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
_
ENTRY POSITION
DO NOT DRIVE!
Seat, exterior mirrors and steering wheel
have not yet moved to their preset driving
positions.

Wait until the seat, exterior mirrors and
steering wheel have moved to their driv-
ing positions.
The message will disappear.
Y

HOOD OPEN!
You are driving with the hood open.

Close the hood (
page 273).
I
REMOVE KEY!
You have forgotten to remove the
SmartKey.

Remove the SmartKey from the ignition.
REPLACE KEY!
DRIVE TO WORKSHOP!
The batteries in the SmartKey are dead.

Change the batteries (
page 349).
AUTOM. LIGHT ON
REMOVE KEY!

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
F
KEY
CHECK BATTERY
!
The battery in the KEYLESS-GO* key is
discharged.

Change the battery (
page 349).
KEY
NOT RECOGNIZED!
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is not rec-
ognized while the engine is running be-
cause

the SmartKey is not in the vehicle


there is strong radio-frequency inter-
ference

Stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so.

Search for the SmartKey.
Otherwise the vehicle cannot be centrally
locked nor can the engine be started again
after it has been stopped.

334 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
L
TELE AID
DRIVE TO WORKSHOP!
One or more main functions of the Tele
Aid system are malfunctioning.

Have the Tele Aid system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
TELE AID BATTERY
DRIVE TO WORKSHOP!
The emergency power battery for the Tele
Aid system is malfunctioning. If the vehi-
cle battery is also discharged, Tele Aid
will not be operational.

Have the Tele Aid system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
t
FUNCTION
NOT AVAILABLE!
This display appears if button t or
s on the multifunction steering wheel
is pressed and the vehicle is not equipped
with a telephone.
Ê
TRUNK OPEN!
This message will appear whenever the
trunk lid is open.

Close the trunk lid.
W
WASHER FLUID
CHECK LEVEL!
The fluid level has dropped to about
1/3
of total reservoir capacity.
Add washer fluid (
page 281).
Warning!
G
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts. You could be seriously burned.

361 Practical hints
Flat tire
Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard surface.

Turn on the hazard warning flashers.

Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead
position.

Set the parking brake.

Move the gear selector lever toP.
Vehicles with SmartKey:

Turn off the engine (
page 53).

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.Vehicles with SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*:

Turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* button on the gear se-
lector lever once (
page 54).

Open the driver’s door (this puts the
starter switch in position0, same as
with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch). The driver’s door then
can be closed again.

Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Mounting the spare wheel
iOpen door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
Warning!
G
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
The spare wheel rim is for temporary use
only. Use for over a total of 12 000 miles
(20 000 km) (aggregate of all uses) may
cause wheel rim failure leading to an acci-
dent and possible injuries.
The spare wheel should only be used tempo-
rarily and replaced with a regular road wheel
as quickly as possible.
S 55 AMG and Sport Package* only:
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with spare wheel mounted, en-
sure proper tire pressure and do not exceed
vehicle speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).
The dimensions of the spare wheel are dif-
ferent from those of the road wheels. As a
result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a mounted spare
wheel. Adapt your driving style accordingly.

363 Practical hints
Flat tire
1Jack support tube cover
Move cover1 toward rear by pressing
at point indicated by arrow.

Remove cover1 carefully to avoid
damage to the locking tabs.1Jack support tube hole
2Jack arm
3Crank

Insert jack arm2 fully into tube
hole1 up to the stop.

Keeping jack in this position, turn
crank3 clockwise until the jack base
meets the ground. Make sure the jack
is vertical (plumb line).

Continue to turn the crank until the tire
is a maximum of 1.2 in (3 cm) from the
ground.
Warning!
G
Insert the jack arm fully into the jack sup-
port tube hole up to the stop. Otherwise the
vehicle may fall from the jack and cause per-
sonal injury or damage to the vehicle.
Warning!
G
The jack is intended only for lifting the vehi-
cle briefly for wheel changes. It is not suited
for performing maintenance work under the
vehicle.

Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised.


Never lie down under the raised vehicle.