2007 MERCEDES-BENZ S550 ABS

522 OperationTires and wheelsIn addition to tire load rating, special load
information may be molded into the tire
sidewall following the letter designating
the tire speed rating6 (
page 518).
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.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
U.S. tire regulations require each new tire
manufacturer or tire retreader to mold a
TIN into or onto a sidewall of each tire
produced.
The TIN is a unique identifier which facili-
tates efforts by tire manufactures to notify
purchasers in recall situations or other safety matters concerning tires and gives
purchasers the means to easily identify
such tires.
The TIN is comprised of “Manufacturer’s
identification mark”, “Tire size”, “Tire type
code” and “Date of manufacture”.
1DOT
2Manufacturer’s identification mark
3Tire size
4Tire type code (at the option of the tire
manufacturer)
5Date of manufactureDOT (D
epartment o
f T
ransportation)
A tire branding symbol1 (
page 522)
which denotes the tire meets require-
ments of the U.S. Department of Transpor-
tation.
Manufacturer’s identification mark
The manufacturer’s identification mark2
(
page 522) denotes the tire
manufacturer.
New tires have a mark with two symbols.
Retreaded tires have a mark with four sym-
bols. For more information on retreaded
tires (
page 500).
Tire size
The code3 (
page 522) indicates the
tire size.
Tire type code
The code4 (page 522) may, at the
option of the manufacturer, be used as a
descriptive code for identifying significant
characteristics of the tire.
i
For illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and may vary
from data shown in above illustration.

530 OperationWinter drivingBefore 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 666).


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, EBP
and ESP
® 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.

544 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Lamps in instrument clusterGeneral information:
If any of the following lamps in the instru-
ment cluster fails to come on during the bulb self-check when switching on the igni-
tion, have the respective bulb checked and
replaced if necessary.Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
-
The yellow Antilock Brake
System (ABS) indicator lamp
comes on while the engine is
running.
The ABS has detected a malfunction and
has switched off. The BAS, ESP
® and
PRE-SAFE
® are also switched off (see mes-
sages in multifunction display).
The brake system is still functioning nor-
mally but without the ABS available.
If the ABS control unit is malfunctioning,
other systems such as Parktronic*, DIS-
TRONIC Plus*, navigation system, Park As-
sist* and the automatic transmission may
also be malfunctioning.

Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.

Read and observe messages in the mul-
tifunction display (
page 557).

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increas-
es the risk of an accident.
The charging voltage has fallen below
10 volts. The ABS has switched off.
The battery may not be charged sufficiently.
When the voltage is above this value again,
the ABS is operational again and the ABS in-
dicator lamp should go out.
If the ABS indicator lamp does not go out:
Have the generator (alternator) and the
battery checked.

545 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
;(USA only)3(Canada only)-
v
The red brake warning
lamp comes on while the
engine is running. In addi-
tion, the yellow ABS mal-
function indicator lamp,
and the yellow ESP
®
warning lamp come on
and a warning will sound.
A malfunction in the Electronic Brake Pro-
portioning (EBP) was detected. The ABS,
BAS, ESP
® and PRE-SAFE
® are also
switched off (see messages in multifunction
display).
The brake system continues to function
normally, but without electronic support.

Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.

Read and observe messages in the mul-
tifunction display (
page 557).

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increas-
es the risk of an accident.
-
v
The yellow ABS malfunc-
tion indicator lamp, and
the yellow ESP
® warning
lamp come on while the
engine is running and a
warning will sound.
ABS and ESP
® are switched off due to a
malfunction.
The BAS, EBP and PRE-SAFE
® are also
switched off (see messages in multifunction
display).

Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.

Read and observe messages in the mul-
tifunction display (
page 557).

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increas-
es the risk of an accident.

572 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
ABS and ESP
inoperative
See Oper. Manual
ABS, ESP
® as well as PRE-SAFE
® are
switched off due to a malfunction. BAS is
also switched off.
The brake system is still functioning nor-
mally but without the ABS available.

Continue driving with added caution. Wheels
may lock during hard braking, reducing steer-
ing capability.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the
risk of an accident.
ABS and ESP
currently unavailable
See Oper. Manual
ABS, ESP
® as well as PRE-SAFE
® are not
available due to a malfunction. BAS is also
switched off. It is possible that the self-diag-
nostics have not yet been completed.
The brake system still functions normally.

Drive a short distance with gentle turns
above a speed of 12 mph (20 km/h).
The message disappears when ABS and ESP
®
are again available.
The ABS, ESP
® as well as PRE-SAFE
® were
deactivated because of insufficient power
supply. The charging voltage has fallen be-
low 10 volts.
The brake system still functions normally
but without the ABS, ESP
® and PRE-SAFE
®
available.When the voltage is above this value again, the
ABS, ESP
® and PRE-SAFE
® are operational again
and the message in the multifunction display
should disappear.
If the message in the multifunction display does
not disappear:

Have the generator (alternator) and the bat-
tery checked.

574 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Brake immediately
A malfunction has occurred while DISTRON-
IC Plus* was switched on.

While observing surrounding traffic condi-
tions and when it is safe, immediately de-
press the brake pedal firmly until the warning
message disappears.

Secure vehicle from rolling away before get-
ting out of it (
page 363).
(USA only)(Canada only)
EBV, ABS, ESP
inoperative
See Oper. Manual
ESP
®, EBP and ABS are switched off due to
a malfunction. BAS is also switched off. As
a result, PRE-SAFE
® is also inoperative.

Continue driving with added caution.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the
risk of an accident.
(USA only)(Canada only)

582 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Turn on the ignition
to release the
parking brake
The yellow indicator lamp for the electric
parking brake comes on.
You have tried to release the electric park-
ing brake, but the ignition was not switched
on.

Switch on the ignition (
page 315).
(USA only)(Canada only)
Inoperative
See Oper. Manual
ESP
® as well as PRE-SAFE
® are switched off
due to a malfunction. In addition, the v
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
comes on.
The ABS is still operational.

Continue driving with added caution.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the
risk of an accident.

613 Practical hints
Where will I find ...?
Minispare wheel
The Minispare wheel is stored in the com-
partment underneath the trunk floor.
1Minispare wheel with spare wheel bolts
in container on wheel rim
2Luggage bowl
3Vehicle tool kit, jack and collapsible
wheel chock
Removing the Minispare wheel
Turn luggage bowl2 counterclock-
wise.

Remove Minispare wheel1.Setting up the collapsible wheel chock
The collapsible wheel chock serves to
additionally secure the vehicle, e.g. while
changing the wheel.
1Tilt the plates upward
2Fold the lower plate outward
3Insert the plate

Tilt both plates upward1.

Fold the lower plate outward2.

Guide the tabs of the lower plate all the
way into the openings of the base
plate3.