Page 293 of 474

291 Operation
Engine compartment
Adding engine oil
S 430, S 430 4MATIC, S 500, S 500 4MATIC,
and S 55 AMG1Oil dipstick (S 430, S 500, and
S 55 AMG only)
2Filler cap
Unscrew filler cap2 from filler neck.
Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.
Screw filler cap2 back on filler neck.
S 6001Filler cap
Unscrew filler cap1 from filler neck.
Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
!Only use approved engine oils and oil
filters required for vehicles with Main-
tenance System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS
(Canada vehicles). For a listing of ap-
proved engine oils and oil filters, refer
to the Factory Approved Service Prod-
ucts pamphlet in your vehicle literature
portfolio, or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of spec-
ification other than those expressly re-
quired for the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehi-
cles), or changing of oil and oil filter at
change intervals longer than those
called for by the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada Vehi-
cles) will result in engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the en-
gine and catalytic converter not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Page 433 of 474

431 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines and durability for
our service intervals. Therefore, only use
approved engine oils and oil filters
required for vehicles with Maintenance
System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada
vehicles). For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet, or
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification other than those expressly
required for the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehicles), or
changing of oil and oil filter at change
intervals longer than those called for by
the Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS (Canada Vehicles) will result in engine
damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Please follow Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehicles)
recommendations for scheduled oil
changes. Failure to do so will result in
engine damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may damage the engine.Damage or
malfunctions resulting from blending oil
additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil is used in the air condition-
ing system.Never use R-12 (CFC) or miner-
al-based lubricating oil. Otherwise damage
to the system will occur.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere. Under extremely strenu-
ous operating conditions, this moisture
content can lead to the formation of bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the sys-
tem’s efficiency.Therefore, the brake fluid
must be replaced every two years, prefera-
bly in the spring.Only brake fluid approved
by Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.
Page 449 of 474

447 Index
Centigrade (°C)
Setting temperature units 163
Central locking
Automatic 112
From inside 113
Switch 113
Switching on/off (control
system) 168
Unlocking from inside 113
Change of address or ownership 12
Changing
CDs 151
SmartKey setting 169
Vehicle level 230, 233
Charcoal filter 200
Activating 200
Deactivating 201
Charging
Vehicle battery 404Checking
Brake fluid 284
Coolant level 292
Oil level 285, 287
Oil level via control system 288
Tire inflate pressure 285
Vehicle lighting 285
Child safety 71
Air bags 62
Infant and child restraint systems 66,
71
LATCH child seat anchors 76
Cigarette lighter 252
Cleaning
Cup holder 335
Distronic* system sensor cover 333
Gear selector lever 335Hard plastic trim items 335
Headlamps 186
Headliner and shelf below rear
window 335
Instrument cluster 335
Leather upholstery 336
Light alloy wheels 335
Nubuck leather upholstery 336
Parktronic* system sensor 333
Plastic and rubber parts 336
Seat belts 335
Steering wheel 335
Upholstery 336
Windows 334
Windshield 53
Wiper blades 333
Wood trims 336
Cleaning tires 298