2006 MERCEDES-BENZ S500 index

ContentsTechnical data.................................. 419
Parts service ...................................... 420
Warranty coverage ............................. 421
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet...................... 421
Identification labels............................ 422
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 423
S 350/S 430/S 430 4MATIC/
S 500/ S 500 4MATIC ................. 423
S 55 AMG ..................................... 423
S 600 and S 65 AMG.................... 423
Engine ................................................ 424
Rims and tires .................................... 426
Same size tires ............................. 428
Mixed size tires ............................ 430
Spare wheel ................................. 431
Electrical system................................ 432Main dimensions and weights............ 433
Main dimensions .......................... 433
Weights ........................................ 433
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. ......... 434
Capacities .................................... 434
Engine oils.................................... 437
Engine oil additives ...................... 437
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 437
Brake fluid .................................... 437
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 438
Fuel requirements ........................ 438
Gasoline additives ........................ 439
Coolants....................................... 439
Windshield and headlamp
washer system ............................. 442
Technical terms............................... 443Index................................................. 451

14 IntroductionWhere to find itThis Operator’s Manual is designed to pro-
vide comprehensive support information
for you, the vehicle operator. Each section
has its own reference color.At a glance
Here you will find an overview of all the
controls that can be operated from the
driver’s seat.Getting started
Here you will find all the information you
need for your first drive. You should read
this section first if this is your first
Mercedes-Benz vehicle or if you are rent-
ing or borrowing this vehicle.Safety and Security
Here you will find descriptions of the safety
and security features of your vehicle.
Controls in detail
Here you will find detailed information
about the equipment installed in your vehi-
cle. This section expands on the “Getting
started” section and also describes techni-
cal innovations. If you are already familiar
with the basic functions of your vehicle,
this section will be of particular interest to
you.Operation
Here you will find all the information you
need for the proper operation of your vehi-
cle.Practical hints
This section provides fast assistance for
dealing with problems you may encounter.
Technical data
All important technical data for your vehi-
cle can be found in this section.Indexes
The glossary provides explanations of the
most important technical terms.
The table of contents and the index are de-
signed to help you find information quickly
and easily.
The following publications are part of your
vehicle documentation:

this Operator’s Manual


the Maintenance Booklet
Separate operating instructions will be
provided as required depending on the
equipment options installed in your vehi-
cle.

281 Operation
Driving instructions
Passenger compartmentDriving abroad
Abroad, there is an extensive
Mercedes-Benz service network at your
disposal. If you plan to drive into areas
which are not listed in the index of your
Mercedes-Benz Center directory, you
should request pertinent information from
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Control and operation of radio trans-
mitters
COMAND*, radio, and telephone*Telephones and two-way radios
Radio transmitters, such as a portable tele-
phone or a citizens band unit should only
be used inside the vehicle if they are con-
nected to an antenna that is installed on
the outside of the vehicle.
Refer to the radio transmitter operation in-
structions regarding use of an external an-
tenna.
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
The trunk is the preferred place to carry ob-
jects.
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle safely.
Only operate the COMAND (Cockpit Man-
agement and Data System), radio, or tele-
phone
1 if road, weather and traffic
conditions permit.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements.
Warning!
G
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.

314 OperationTires and wheelsGeneral:
Depending on the design standards used,
the tire size molded into the sidewall may
have no letter or a letter preceding the tire
size designation.
No letter preceding the size designation
(as illustrated above): Passenger car tire
based on European design standards.
Letter “P” preceding the size designation:
Passenger car tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “LT” preceding the size designation:
Light Truck tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “T” preceding the size designation:
Temporary spare tires which are high
pressure compact spares designed for
temporary emergency use only. Tire width
The tire width1 (
page 313) indicates
the nominal tire width in mm.
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio2 (page 313) is the
dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width and is
expressed in percentage. The aspect ratio
is arrived at by dividing section height by
section width.
Tire code
The tire code3 (
page 313) indicates
the tire construction type. The “R” stands
for radial tire type. Letter “D” means diag-
onal or bias ply construction; letter “B”
means belted-bias ply construction.
At the tire manufacturer’s option, any tire
with a speed capability above 149 mph
(240 km/h) can include a “ZR” in the size
designation (for example: 245/40 ZR 18).
For additional information, see “Tire speed
rating” (
page 315).Rim diameter
The rim diameter4 (
page 313) is the
diameter of the bead seat, not the
diameter of the rim edge. Rim diameter is
indicated in inches (in).
Tire load rating
The tire load rating5 (page 313) is a
numerical code associated with the
maximum load a tire can support.
For example, a load rating of 91 corre-
sponds to a maximum load of 1 356 lbs
(615 kg) the tire is designed to support.
See also “Maximum tire load”
(
page 319) where the maximum load as-
sociated with the load index is indicated in
kilograms and lbs.

316 OperationTires and wheelsSummer tires

At the tire manufacturer’s option, any
tire with a speed capability above
149 mph (240 km/h) can include a
“ZR” in the size designation (for exam-
ple: 245/40 ZR18). To determine the
maximum speed capability of the tire,
the service description for the tire must
be referred to. The service description is comprised of the tire load rating5
(
page 313) and the tire speed
rating6 (
page 313).
If your tire includes “ZR” in the size
designation and no service
description5 and6 (
page 313) is
given, the tire manufacturer must be
consulted for the maximum speed ca-
pability.
If a service description5 and6
(
page 313) is given, the speed capa-
bility is limited by the speed symbol in
the service description.
Example: 245/40 ZR18 97Y.
In this example, “97Y” is the service
description. The letter “Y” designates
the speed rating and the speed capabil-
ity of the tire is limited to 186 mph
(300 km/h).


Any tire with a speed capability above
186 mph (300 km/h) must include a
“ZR” in the size designation AND the
service description must be placed in
parenthesis.
Example: 275/40 ZR 18 (99Y).
The “(Y)” speed rating in parenthesis
designates the maximum speed capa-
bility of the tire as being above
186 mph (300 km/h). Consult the tire
manufacturer for the actual maximum
permissible speed of the tire.
Index
Speed rating
Q
up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
R
up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S
up to 112 mph (180 km/h)
T
up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H
up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V
up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
W
up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
Y
up to 186 mph (300 km/h)
(Y)
above 186 mph (300 km/h)
ZR
above 149 mph (240 km/h)

317 Operation
Tires and wheels
All-season and winter tires
Load identification
1Load identificationIn addition to tire load rating, special load
information may be molded into the tire
sidewall following the letter designating
the tire speed rating6 (
page 313).
No specification given: absence of any text
(like in above example) indicates a
standard load (SL) tire.
XL (Extra Load): designates an extra load
(or reinforced) tire.
Light Load: designates a light load tire.
C, D, E: designates load range associated
with the maximum load a tire can carry at
a specified pressure.
Index
Speed rating
QM+S
1
1or M+S.for winter tires
up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
TM+S
1
up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
HM+S
1
up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
VM+S
1
up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
iNot all M+S rated tires provide special
winter performance. Make sure the
tires you use show M+S and the moun-
tain/snowflake.marking on the
tire sidewall. These tires meet specific
snow traction performance require-
ments of the Rubber Manufacturers As-
sociation (RMA) and the Rubber
Association of Canada (RAC) and have
been designed specifically for use in
snow conditions.
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehi-
cle and may vary from data shown in
above illustration.

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

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
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.
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
injury. Whenever you are around gasoline,
avoid inhaling fumes and skin contact, extin-
guish all smoking materials. Never allow
sparks, flame or smoking materials near
gasoline!
!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.

447 Technical terms
MON
(M
otor O
ctane N
umber)
The Motor Octane Number for gasoline
as determined by a standardized meth-
od. It is an indication of a gasoline’s
ability to resist undesired detonation
(knocking). The average of both the
MON (Motor Octane Number) and
->RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Multifunction display
Display field in the speedometer used
to present information provided by the
control system.
Multifunction steering wheel
Steering wheel with buttons for operat-
ing the control system.
Normal occupant weight
(
page 324)Overspeed range
Engine speeds within the red marking
of the tachometer dial. Avoid this en-
gi ne s pe ed r ange , as it m a y re su lt i n se -
rious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Parktronic system (Parking assist)*
System which uses visual and acoustic
signals to assist the driver during park-
ing maneuvers.
Poly-V-belt drive
Drives engine components (alternator,
AC compressor, etc.) from the engine.Power train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing:


Engine


Clutch/torque converter


Transmission


Transfer case


Drive shaft


Differential


Axle shafts/axles
PRE-SAFE
®
(Pre
ventive occupant Safe
ty system)
Vehicles equipped with PRE-SAFE take
preventive measures when the system
senses certain driving dynamics sug-
gesting a possible accident.
Production options weight
(
page 324)