2007 MERCEDES-BENZ S550 automatic transmission

421 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Switching on or off
You can only switch on the Night View As-
sist if

the SmartKey in the starter switch is
set to position2


it is dark


the light switch is set to * or B
or if the daytime driving lamps are
switched on


the automatic transmission is not in
positionR
1Night View Assist on or off

Press button1.
The Night View Assist image appears
on the multifunction display.
Image on multifunction display
When you switch on Night View Assist, the
image for the speed gauge changes on the
multifunction display. The speed gauge is
shown as a bar on the lower edge of the
multifunction display. The line for main
menus is no longer available. If you would
like to change a setting using the steering
wheel buttons, you must first switch off
Night View Assist.1Night View Assist image
2Speedometer display
i
The infrared headlamps only come on above
a speed of approx. 9 mph (15 km/h). Therefore,
when you are at a standstill, you do not have a
complete view and cannot check the function of
the Night View Assist.
i
If you change the brightness of the instru-
ment cluster while Night View Assist is switched
on, only the brightness of the multifunction dis-
play is changed.

456 Controls in detailUseful featuresRear window sunshade
The switches are on the rear doors.
1Opening
2Closing
You can also operate the rear window sun-
shade via COMAND (
page 227) or via
the favorite button (
page 216).

Switch on the ignition (
page 315).

Press upper part 1 of the rocker
switch briefly to extend the sunshade.

Press lower part 2 of the rocker
switch briefly to retract the sunshade.
Ashtrays
Center console ashtray
1Button for disengaging ashtray
2Cover plate
i
Operating the rear window sunshade from
the rear is not possible if you activate the over-
ride switch (
page 67).
i
If you operate the rear window sunshade via
COMAND or via the favorite button, this takes
precedence over the rear window sunshade but-
tons on the rear doors.
i
The rear window sunshade is switched off at
temperatures below -4°F (-20°C).
Warning!
G
Remove ashtray only with vehicle standing
still. Set the parking brake to secure vehicle
from movement. Set automatic transmis-
sion toP. With the automatic transmission
set toP, turn off the engine.

481 Operation
Driving instructions
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
park, so that the air stream can cool down
the brakes faster.
Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a drive wheel to spin for an ex-
tended period with the ESP
® switched off.
Doing so may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Parking
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.!
When driving down long and steep grades,
relieve the load on the brakes by shifting into a
lower gear to use the engine’s braking power.
This helps prevent overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear.
When using the engine’s braking power, a drive
wheel may not spin for an extended period of
time, e.g. on slippery road surfaces. This may
cause serious damage to the drivetrain which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited War-
ranty.
!
Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brake reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of inadvertent vehicle movement, be-
fore turning off the engine and leaving the
vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Shift the automatic transmission toP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.


489 Operation
At the gas station
At the gas station
RefuelingThe fuel filler flap is located on the
right-hand side of the vehicle towards the
rear. Locking and unlocking the vehicle au-
tomatically locks and unlocks the fuel filler
flap.
1To open fuel filler flap
2To insert fuel filler cap
3Supplemental tire inflation pressure
information (
page 510)
4To insert fuel filler cap

Turn off the engine (
page 366).

Shift the automatic transmission to P
(page 367).

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Vehicles with SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*:
Turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* button once
(page 366).

Open the driver’s door (this puts
the starter switch in position0,
same as with the SmartKey re-
moved from the starter switch). The
driver’s door then can be closed
again.

Open the fuel filler flap by pushing at
the point indicated by the arrow 1.
The fuel filler flap springs open.

Turn the fuel cap counterclockwise and
hold on to it until possible pressure is
released.
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
injury. Never allow sparks, flame or smoking
materials near gasoline!
Do not allow fuel to come into contact with
skin or clothing. Direct skin contact with fu-
els and the inhalation of fuel vapors are
damaging to your health.
Switch off the engine before refueling.


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.


526 OperationTires and wheelsTire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of those
standard items which may be replaced) of
automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power
seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as
factory-installed equipment (whether
installed or not).
Air pressure
The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire.
Air pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or
bars.
Aspect ratio
Dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width
expressed in percentage.Bar
Another metric unit for air pressure. There
are 14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi)
to 1 bar; there are 100 kilopascals (kPa)
to 1 bar.
Bead
The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped
by steel cords that hold the tire onto the
rim.
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire inflation pressure when your vehicle
has been sitting for at least 3 hours or driv-
en no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Curb weight
The weight of a motor vehicle with stan-
dard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, and, if so
equipped, air conditioning and additional
optional equipment, but without passen-
gers and cargo.DOT (D
epartment o
f T
ransportation)
A tire branding symbol which denotes the
tire meets requirements of the
U.S. Department of Transportation.
GAWR (G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible
axle weight. The gross vehicle weight on
each axle must never exceed the GAWR for
the front and rear axle indicated on the
Certification label located on the driver’s
door B-pillar.
GVW (G
ross V
ehicle W
eight)
The GVW comprises the weight of the
vehicle including fuel, tools, spare wheel,
installed accessories, passengers and
cargo and, if applicable, trailer tongue
load. The GVW must never exceed the
GVWR indicated on the Certification label
located on the driver’s door B-pillar.

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.

559 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Text messagesDisplay
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Apply brake
to shift
from ’P’
You have tried to Shift the automatic trans-
mission to D, R or N without stepping on
the brake.

Step on brake.
USA only:
Cruise control
- - - mph
Canada only:
Cruise control
- - - km/h
You have tried to switch on cruise control
below a speed of 20 mph (30 km/h).

Drive faster than 20 mph (30 km/h) and save the speed.
ESP
® is deactivated.

Activate ESP
® (page 72).
The automatic transmission is in position P,
R or N.

Shift the automatic transmission toD (
page 367).
The system is overheated.

Wait until the system cools down.
The vehicle is secured in place by the elec-
tric parking brake.

Release electric parking brake (
page 364).
Cruise control
inoperative
Cruise control is malfunctioning.

Have cruise control checked by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.