Page 498 of 705

497 Operation
Engine compartment
Example illustration from S 5501Filler cap
Unscrew filler cap1 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 cap1 back on filler neck.For more information on engine, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 661) and
(
page 663).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
check the automatic transmission.Active Body Control* (ABC*) fluid level
Regular fluid level check is not required. If
you notice fluid leaks or malfunction mes-
sages in the multifunction display, have an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center check
the ABC-system.
Coolant level
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze. To check
the coolant level, the vehicle must be
parked on level ground and the engine
must be cool.
!
Excess oil must be siphoned or drained off.
It will cause damage to the engine and catalytic
converter not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid any possibly serious burns:
Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates that the coolant is overheated.
Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if coolant temperature is
above 158°F (70°C). Allow engine to
cool down before removing cap. The
coolant reservoir contains hot fluid and
is under pressure.
Page 603 of 705
602 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Night View Assist
Lights ON or AUTO,
not in R gear
You have tried to switch on Night View As-
sist* but the light switch is not set to *
or B.
In addition, the automatic transmission is in
positionR.
Turn the exterior lamp switch to * or
B (
page 342).
Shift the automatic transmission to P, N or D
(page 367).
Night View Assist
only when
it is dark
You have tried to switch on Night View As-
sist* by daylight.
You can only switch on Night View Assist* when
it is dark.
Engine oil level
Stop vehicle!
Switch engine off
S 600 only:
There is no oil in the engine. There is a dan-
ger of engine damage.
Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt as soon
as it is safe to do so in a safe location.
Turn off the engine.
Add engine oil (
page 494) and check the
engine oil level (page 494).
Page 604 of 705
603 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
USA only:
Add 1.0 qts. engine oil
at next refueling
Canada only:
Add 1.0 l engine oil
at next refueling
S 600 only:
The engine oil level is too low.
Check the engine oil level (
page 494) and
add engine oil as required (page 494).
If you must add engine oil frequently, have
the engine checked for possible leaks.
Check engine oil level
at next refueling
S 550 only:
The engine oil level has dropped to approx-
imately the minimum level.
Check the engine oil level (
page 495) and
add engine oil as required (page 494).
If you must add engine oil frequently, have
the engine checked for possible leaks.
Page 605 of 705

604 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?When the message “Check engine oil level
at next refueling” (S 550) or “Add 1.0 qts.
(Canada:1.0 l) engine oil at next refueling”
(S 600) 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 specified in the Factory Ap-
proved Service Products pamphlet.Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Engine oil level
cannot be
measured
S 600 only:
The measuring system is malfunctioning.
Have the measuring system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
S 600 only:
You have added too much engine oil.
There is a risk of damaging:
the engine
the catalytic converter
Have excess oil siphoned or drained off. Con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!
The engine oil level warnings should not be
ignored. Extended driving with the symbol dis-
played could result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limit-
ed Warranty.
Page 667 of 705

666 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.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-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.
Page 686 of 705

685 Index
Dynamic Rear View Monitor* 413
Parallel parking 417
Reverse parking (back-in
parking) 415
Switching on 415
View through the camera 413
E
Easy-entry/exit feature 328
COMAND menu 224
EBP 71
ELCODE 672
Electric parking brake 364
Electrical fuses see Fuses
Electrical outlet see Power outlet
Electrical system, Technical Data 659
Electronic Brake Proportioning see EBP
Electronic Stability Program see ESP
®
Emergency call system 462
Emergency calls, Tele Aid 463
Emergency engine shut-down 648
Emergency operation (Limp-Home
Mode) 377
Emergency operations
Locking the vehicle 614
mechanically releasing the parking
brake 616Releasing from inside 440
Remote door lock 469
Remote door unlock 468
Tilt/sliding sunroof or tilt/sliding
panel* 617
Unlocking the trunk 615
Unlocking the vehicle 614
Emergency tensioning device see ETD
Emergency, In case of
Battery, Jump starting 639
First aid kit 611
Flat tire 629
Fuses 645
Instrument cluster, Indicator
lamps 544
Roadside Assistance 16
Roadside Assistance (Tele Aid) 465
Towing the vehicle 642
Emission control 488
Emission control information label 652
Emission control system warranties 14
Engine
Belt layout 653
Cleaning 536
Compartment 492
Coolant 497, 662, 665Malfunction indicator lamp 547
Number 652, 672
Oil 496, 661, 663
Oils 494
Residual heat and ventilation 433
Starting 359
Technical data 654
Turning off 365
Engine coolant see Coolant
Engine oil 494
Adding 496
Additives 663
Checking level 494
Checking level (Dipstick) 495
Checking level (Instrument cluster con-
trol system) 494
Consumption 494
Dipstick 495
Filler neck 496, 497
Messages in display 495, 602
Recommended engine oils and oil
filters 661
Viscosity 672
ESP
®
72
Messages in display 572, 582
Warning lamp 549