2006 MERCEDES-BENZ S500 headlamp

296 OperationEngine compartmentWindshield washer system and headlamp cleaning system*
The windshield washer reservoir is located
in the engine compartment.
1Washer fluid reservoir
Fluid for the windshield washer system and
the headlamp cleaning system is supplied
from the windshield washer reservoir. It
has a capacity of approximately:

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


7.1 US qt. (6.7 l) in vehicles with head-
lamp cleaning system or heated reser-
voirDuring all seasons, add MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate “S” to water. Premix
the windshield washer fluid in a suitable
container.

Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate and water (or
commercially available premixed wind-
shield washer solvent/antifreeze, de-
pending on ambient temperatures).
Always use washer solvent/antifreeze
where temperatures may fall below
freezing point. Failure to do so could re-
sult in damage to the washer sys-
tem/reservoir.For more information, see “Windshield and
headlamp washer system” (
page 442).
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.
!Only use washer fluid which is suitable
for plastic lenses. Improper washer
fluid can damage the plastic lenses of
the headlamps.

327 Operation
Winter driving
Winter driving
Before the onset of winter, have your
vehicle winterized at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. This service
includes:

Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze
concentration.


Addition of cleaning concentrate to the
water of the windshield and headlamp
cleaning system. Add MB Concentrate
“S” to a premixed windshield washer
solvent/antifreeze which is formulated
for below freezing temperatures
(page 440).


Battery test. Battery capacity drops
with decreasing ambient temperature.
A well charged battery helps to make
sure that the engine can be started,
even at low ambient temperatures.


Tire change.
Winter tires
Always use winter tires at temperatures
below 45°F (7°C) and whenever wintry
road conditions prevail. Not all M+S rated tires provide special winter performance.
Make sure the tires you use show the
mountain/snowflake.marking on the
tire sidewall. These tires meet specific
snow traction performance requirements
of the Rubber Manufacturers Association
(RMA) and the Rubber Association of Can-
ada (RAC) and have been designed specif-
ically for use in snow conditions. Use of
winter tires is the only way to achieve the
maximum effectiveness of the ABS, ESP
®
and 4MATIC in winter operation.
For safe handling, make sure that all
mounted winter tires are of the same make
and have the same tread design.Always observe the speed rating of the
winter tires installed on your vehicle. If the
maximum speed for which your tires are
rated is below the speed rating of your
vehicle, you must place a notice to this
effect where it will be seen by the driver.
Such notices are available from your tire
dealer or from any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Winter tires with a tread depth under
1/6in
(4 mm) must be replaced. They are no
longer suitable for winter operation.
Warning!
G
If you use your spare tire when winter tires
are fitted on the other wheels, be aware that
the difference in tire characteristics may
very well impair turning stability and that
overall driving stability may be reduced.
Adapt your driving style accordingly.
Have the spare tire replaced with a winter
tire at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

334 OperationVehicle careEngine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from the intrusion of
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as MB Anticor-
rosion Wax should be applied to the engine
compartment after every engine cleaning.
Before applying, all control linkage bush-
ings and joints should be lubricated. The
poly-V-belt and all pulleys should be pro-
tected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight. Only use a mild car wash
detergent, such as Mercedes-Benz ap-
proved Car Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water. Direct only a very weak
spray towards the ventilation intake. Use
plenty of water and rinse the sponge and
chamois frequently. Rinse with clear water and thoroughly dry
with a chamois. Do not allow cleaning
agents to dry on the finish.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in ex-
terior rear view mirrors prior to running the
vehicle through an automatic car wash to
prevent damage to the mirrors.
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the underbody, do not for-
get to clean the inner sides of the wheels.Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of very dirty
chrome-plated parts, use a chrome clean-
er.
Headlamps, tail lamps, side markers,
turn signal lenses

Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Sham-
poo, with plenty of water.
To prevent scratches, never apply strong
force and use only a soft, non-scratchy
cloth when cleaning the lenses. Do not at-
tempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry cloth
or sponge.
iAfter running the vehicle through an au-
tomatic car wash, wipe any wax off of
the windshield (
page 336) and the
wiper blade inserts (page 335). This
will prevent smears and reduce wiping
noise which can be caused by residual
wax on the windshield.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of
water, and a SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is in close proximity, i.e.
within approx. 3 ft. (approx. 1 m), the
vehicle could be inadvertently locked
or unlocked.

350 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?
On the pages that follow, you will find a
compilation of the most important warning
and malfunction messages that may ap-
pear in the malfunction display.
For your convenience the messages are di-
vided into two sections:

Text messages (
page 351)


Symbol messages (
page 358)
iSwitching on the ignition causes all in-
strument cluster lamps (except high
beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps unless acti-
vated) as well as the multifunction dis-
play to come on. Make sure the lamps
and multifunction display are in work-
ing order before starting your journey.

370 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause
Possible solution
.
FRONT FOGLAMP, LEFT
CHECK LIGHT
The left front fog lamp is malfunctioning.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter as soon as possible.
FRONT FOGLAMP, RIGHT
CHECK LIGHT
The right front fog lamp is malfunctioning.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter as soon as possible.
HIGH BEAM, LEFT
CHECK LIGHT
The left high beam lamp is malfunction-
ing.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
HIGH BEAM, RIGHT
CHECK LIGHT
The right high beam lamp is malfunction-
ing.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
LICENSE PLATE L, L
CHECK LIGHT
The left license plate lamp is malfunction-
ing.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
LICENSE PLATE L, R
CHECK LIGHT
The right license plate lamp is malfunc-
tioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
LIGHT SENSOR
DRIVE TO WORKSHOP
The lamp sensor is malfunctioning. The
headlamps switch on automatically.

In the control system, set lamp operation
to manual (
page 165).

Switch on headlamps using the exterior
lamp switch.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.

371 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause
Possible solution
.
LOW BEAM, LEFT
CHECK LIGHT
The left low beam lamp is malfunctioning.
Halogen headlamp:
Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
LOW BEAM, RIGHT
CHECK LIGHT
The right low beam lamp is malfunction-
ing.
Halogen headlamp:
Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
MARKER LIGHT, FL
CHECK LIGHT

The front left side marker lamp is mal-
functioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
MARKER LIGHT, FR
CHECK LIGHT

The front right side marker lamp is mal-
functioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
REAR FOGLIGHT
CHECK LIGHT

The rear fog lamp is malfunctioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
REVERSE LIGHT, LEFT
CHECK LIGHT
The left reverse lamp is malfunctioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
REVERSE LIGHT, RIGHT
CHECK LIGHT
The right reverse lamp is malfunctioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.

394 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsSafe vehicle operation depends on proper
exterior lighting and signaling. It is there-
fore essential that all bulbs and lamp as-
semblies are in good working order at all
times.
Correct headlamp adjustment is extremely
important. Have headlamps checked and
readjusted at regular intervals and when a
bulb has been replaced. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for headlamp ad-
justment.
iIf the headlamps or front fog lamps are
fogged up on the inside as a result of
high humidity, driving the vehicle a dis-
tance with the lights on should clear up
the fogging.
iSubstitute bulbs will be brought into
use when the following lamps malfunc-
tion:

Brake lamps


Rear parking lamps


Rear turn signal lamps


Tail lamps
Observe the messages in the multi-
function display (
page 369).

395 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Bulbs Front lamps Rear lamps
Lamp
Type
1
Additional turn signal
lamp
LED
2
Halogen headlamp:
Low beam
H7-55 W
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:
Low and high beam
1
1Vehicles with Bi-Xenon headlamps*: Low beam
and high beam use the same D2S-35W lamp. Do
not replace the Bi-Xenon bulbs yourself. See an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
D2S-35 W
3
Turn signal lamp
2357 A
4
Fog lamp
H7-55 W
5
Parking and standing
lamp
W5W
6
Side marker lamp
W5W
7
Halogen headlamp:
High beam/high beam
flasher lamp
H7-55 W
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:
High beam flasher
H7-55 W
Lamp
Type
8
Brake lamp
LED
9
Turn signal lamp
PY 21 W
a
Tail and standing lamp,
side marker
P 21/4 W
b
Backup lamp
P21W
c
License plate lamp
C5W
d
Tail lamp, rear fog lamp
(driver’s side only)
P 21/4 W
e
High mounted brake
lamp
LED