2005 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS fuel

432 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Use only premium unleaded fuel:

The octane number (posted at the
pu mp ) m ust b e 91 m i n. It is an a ve ra ge
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M)/2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as Ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of Methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional co-solvents.
Using mixtures of Ethanol and Methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% Ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build-up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to en-
gine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking/pinging


Misfire


Power loss
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
gasoline is not available and low octane
fuel is used, follow these precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible.


Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration.


Do not exceed an engine speed of
3000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two
persons and no luggage.


Do not exceed 2/3 of maximum
accelerator pedal position if the ve-
hicle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain.

433 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
In areas where carbon deposits may be en-
countered due to lack of availability of gas-
olines which contain these additives,
Mercedes-Benz recommends the use of
additives approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Refer to Factory
Approved Service Products Pamphlet for a
listing of approved product(s). Follow di-
rections on product label.
Do not blend any specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
cost and may be harmful to the engine op-
eration.
Damage or malfunction resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending addition-
al fuel additives other than those tested
and approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles listed in the Fac-
tory Approved Service Products Pamphlet
are not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

Corrosion protection


Freeze protection


Boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -22°F (-30°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).The coolant solution must be used
year-round to provide the necessary corro-
sion protection and increase boil-over pro-
tection. Refer to Maintenance Booklet for
replacement interval.
Coolant system design and coolant used
determine the replacement interval. The
replacement interval published in the
Maintenance Booklet is only applicable if
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze solu-
tion or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see
Factory Approved Service Products pam-
phlet) are used to renew the coolant con-
centration or bring it back up to the proper
level.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze [equivalent to freeze
protection to approximately - 22°F
(-30°C)]. If you use a solution that is more
than 55% anticorrosion/antifreeze [freeze
protection to approximately - 49°F
(-45°C)], the engine temperature will in-
crease due to the lower heat transfer capa-

434 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.bility of the solution. Therefore, do not use
more than this amount of anticorrosion/
antifreeze.
If the coolant level is low, water and
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
should be used to bring it up to the proper
level (have cooling system checked for
signs of leakage).
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality, con-
sult an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Anticorrosion/antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of alumi-
num parts. The use of aluminum compo-
nents in motor vehicle engines
necessitates that anticorrosion/antifreeze
coolant used in such engines be specifical-
ly formulated to protect the aluminum
parts. (Failure to use such anticorrosion/
antifreeze coolant will result in a signifi-
cantly shortened service life.)Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz 325.0 Anticorrosion/
Antifreeze Agent.
Before the start of the winter season (or
once a year in hot southern regions), you
should have the anticorrosion/antifreeze
concentration checked. The coolant is also
regularly checked each time you bring your
vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for service.

435 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze quantityModel
Approx. freeze protection
– 35°F (– 37°C)
– 49°F (– 45°C)
S 430, S 500
6.1 US qt. (5.75 l)
6.7 US qt. (6.3 l)
S 600 (main cooling system)
7.9 US qt. (7.5 l)
8.7 US qt. (8.25 l)
S 600 (low temperature cooling system)
1.2 US qt. (1.1 l)
1.3 US qt. (1.2 l)
S55 AMG
7.1 US qt. (6.75 l)
7.8 US qt. (7.4 l)

436 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Windshield and headlamp washer system
Both the windshield and headlamp washer
systems are supplied from the windshield
washer fluid reservoir.
The washer fluid reservoir has a capacity of
approximately:

3.2 US qt. (3.0 l) in vehicles without
headlamp cleaning system*


7.4 US qt. (7 .0 l ) i n ve hi c le s wi th he ad -
lamp cleaning system* or heated reser-
voir

Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate and water (or con-
centrate and commercially available
premixed windshield washer solvent/
antifreeze, depending on ambient tem-
peratures).Windshield and headlamp washer fluid
mixing ratio
For temperatures above freezing point, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and water:


1 part “S” to 100 parts water
[40 ml “S” to 1 gallon (4 liters) water].
For temperatures below freezing point, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and commercially available premixed
windshield washer solvent/antifreeze:


1 part “S” to 100 parts solvent
[40 ml “S” to 1 gallon (4 liters) solvent].
Warning
G
Washer solvent/antifreeze is highly flamma-
ble. Do not spill washer solvent/antifreeze
on hot engine parts, because it may ignite
and burn. You could be seriously burned.

439 Technical terms
Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and stamped on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.
Engine oil viscosity
Measurement for the inner friction (vis-
cosity) of the oil at different tempera-
tures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can tol-
erate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.
ESP
(E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS
FSS (Canada vehicles)
(F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem)
Maintenance service indicator in the
multifunction display that informs the
driver when the next vehicle mainte-
nance service is due. FSS evaluates
engine temperature, oil level, vehicle
speed, engine speed, distance driven
and the time elapsed since your last
maintenance service, and calls for the
next maintenance service accordingly.
Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the selector lever.GPS
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs DVD digital maps for
navigation.
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer,
engine temperature and fuel gauge.
KEYLESS-GO*
System for entering and operating the
vehicle without the use of a SmartKey.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.

452 IndexExterior rear view mirror
Auto-dimming on the driver’s
side 186
Exterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting 41
Folding electrically 188
Parking position for 171
F
Fahrenheit (°F)
Setting temperature units 163
Fastening the seat belts 43
Fine adjustment
Cruise control 216
Distronic* 223
First aid kit 379
Flat tire 398
Lowering the vehicle 402
Mounting the spare wheel 398
Preparing the vehicle 398
Flexible Service System (FSS) 328
Flexible Service System see FSS
Fog lamp, rear 134, 390
Replacing bulb 395Fog lamps
Replacing bulbs 390
Fog lamps, front
Messages in display 366
Switching on 134
Folding electrically
Exterior rear view mirrors 188
Four wheel electronic traction system
(4MATIC)
with ESP 85
4MATIC 85
Front air bags 65
Front lamps
Messages in display 366–369
Replacing bulbs 390, 392
Switching on 131
Front passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp 346
Front seat head restraints
Installing 116
Power seat 116
Removing 116
FSS (Flexible Service System) 328
FSS (Flexible Service System) (Canada
vehicles) 439Fuel 284
Fuel reserve warning lamp 341
Premium unleaded gasoline 284
Reserve warning lamp 25
Fuel consumption statistics
After start 157
Since last reset 158
Fuel filler flap 283
Locking 283
Opening 385
Unlocking 283
Fuel tank
Filler flap 283
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. 429
Functions (control system) 145, 147
Resetting 161
Fuse box 412, 413
Fuse chart 380
Fuses 411
Auxiliary fuse box in trunk 412
Fuse box in engine compartment 413
Fuse box in passenger
compartment 412
Fuse chart 380
Fuse extractor 380
Spare fuses 380

453 Index
G
Garage door opener 264
Erasing in remote control 269
Integrated remote control 266
Rolling code programming 267
Gasoline see Fuel 284
GAWR 322
Gear range 439
Automatic transmission 176
Limiting 176
Shifting into optimal 175
Gear range limit
Canceling 175
Gear selector lever
Cleaning 335
Position (Automatic
transmission) 177
Position (automatic
transmission) 173
Glasses
Storage compartment in front of
armrest 246Global
Locking 94
Unlocking 94
Global Positioning System (GPS) 439
Glove box 244
Closing 244
Locking 244
Opening 244
Unlocking 244
Gloves (vehicle tool kit) 380
Good visibility 186
GPS 255, 439
Gross Axle Weight Rating see GAWR
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating see GVWR
Gross Vehicle Weight see GVW
GVW 322
GVWR 323
H
Hand-held transmitter
Programming integrated remote
control 266
Hands-free microphone 29Hard plastic trim items
Cleaning 335
Hazard warning flasher 136
Switching off 136
Switching on 136
Head restraints 116
Headlamp cleaning system* 295
Headlamps
Automatic control 132
Bi-Xenon 437
Cleaning 332
Cleaning system* 186, 295
Refilling washer fluid 295
Switching off 57
Switching on 50
Headliner
Cleaning 335
Heated steering wheel* 253
Height adjustment
Head restraints 39
Steering wheel 40