2007 MERCEDES-BENZ S550 Power

502 OperationTires and wheelsTread depth
Do not allow your tires to wear down too
far. Adhesion properties on wet roads are
sharply reduced at tread depths under 1/8in (3 mm).
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and
become visible at a tread depth of approx-
imately
1/16
in (1.6 mm), at which point
the tire is considered worn and should be
replaced.
Recommended minimum tire tread depth:


Summer tires
1/8in (3 mm)


Winter tires
1/6in (4 mm)
1TWI (T
readW
ear I
ndicator)
The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.Storing tires
Cleaning tires
Warning!
G
Although the applicable federal motor safety
laws consider a tire to be worn when the
treadwear indicators (TWI) become visible at
approximately
1/16in (1.6 mm), we recom-
mend that you do not allow your tires
to wear down to that level. As tread depth
approaches
1/8in (3 mm), the adhesion
properties on a wet road are sharply re-
duced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.
!
Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry place
with as little exposure to light as possible. Pro-
tect tires from contact with oil, grease and gaso-
line.
!
Never use a round nozzle to power wash
tires. The intense jet of water can result in dam-
age to the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.

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.

535 Operation
Vehicle care
We have selected car-care products and
compiled recommendations which are
specially matched to our vehicles and
which always reflect the latest technology.
You can obtain Mercedes-Benz approved
car-care products at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, corrosion or
damage due to negligent or incorrect care
cannot always be removed or repaired with
the car-care products recommended here.
In such cases it is best to seek aid at an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
The following topics deal with the cleaning
and care of your vehicle and give important
“how-to” information as well as references
to Mercedes-Benz approved car-care
products.Power washer
Tar stains
Quickly remove tar stains before they dry
and become more difficult to remove. A tar
remover is recommended.Paintwork, painted body components
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Care
should be applied when water drops on the
paint surface do not “bead up”. This should
normally be done every 3 to 5 months, de-
pending on the climate and washing deter-
gent used.
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Cleaner
should be applied if the paint surface
shows signs of embedded dirt (i.e. loss of
gloss).
Do not apply any of these products or wax
if your vehicle is parked in the sun or if the
hood is still hot.

Use the appropriate MB-Touch-Up
Stick for quick and provisional repairs
of minor paint damage (i.e. chips from
stones, vehicle doors, etc.).
!
Follow the instructions provided by the pow-
er washer manufacturer on maintaining a dis-
tance between the vehicle and the nozzle of the
power washer.
Never use a round nozzle to power-wash tires.
The intense jet of water can result in damage to
the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.
Always keep the jet of water moving across the
surface. Do not aim directly at electrical parts,
electrical connectors, seals, or other rubber
parts.
i
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of water, and
a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is in close prox-
imity, i.e. within approximately 3 ft. (approxi-
mately 1 m), the vehicle could be inadvertently
locked or unlocked.
!
Affixing stickers, adhesive tape or similar
materials to painted body components may dam-
age the paintwork.

538 OperationVehicle careCleaning the Parktronic* system
sensors
1Parktronic system sensors
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water and a
soft, non-scratching cloth to clean
sensors1 on the bumpers.Cleaning the Park Assist* system
sensors
The sensors are integrated in the front and
rear bumpers and cannot be seen from the
outside.
Position of sensors
Clean bumper area near sensors with
water, shampoo and a soft cloth.Cleaning of the Dynamic Rear View
Monitor lens*
1Camera lens

Only clean the camera lens1 with
clean water and a soft cloth.

Be careful not to apply wax to the cam-
era lens1 when waxing the vehicle. If
necessary, remove the wax using a
mixture of commercially available car
shampoo and water.
!
Do not apply strong pressure to the sensor
covers. Applying strong pressure may damage
the sensor covers.
Follow the instructions provided by the power
washer manufacturer on maintaining a distance
between the vehicle and the nozzle of the power
washer.
!
To prevent scratches, never apply strong
force and only use a soft, non-scratching cloth
when cleaning the sensors. Do not attempt to
wipe dirty sensors with a dry cloth or sponge.
!
Do not use any dry, rough or hard cloths and
do not scrub. You could otherwise scratch or
damage the surface.

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.

577 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Parking brake
See Oper. Manual
The red indicator lamp for the electric park-
ing brake flashes.
The power supply for the electric parking
brake was malfunctioning or the electric
parking brake was previously mechanically
released.

Pull handle for electric parking brake
(page 364).
or

Carefully drive off (
page 364).
or

Press handle for electric parking brake until
the warning message disappears from the
multifunction display.
(USA only)(Canada only)

617 Practical hints
Opening/closing in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Power tilt/sliding sunroof or panorama roof with power tilt/sliding panel*
You can open or close the tilt/sliding sun-
roof or tilt/sliding panel manually should
an electrical malfunction occur.
The drive mechanism is behind the left sun
visor.
1Cover
Remove cover1.2Crank

Take crank2 from the Operator’s
Manual pouch.

Switch on the ignition (
page 315).

Insert crank2 through the hole.

Turn crank2 clockwise to:

slide roof panel/sunroof closed


raise roof panel/sunroof at the rear

Turn crank3 counterclockwise to:

slide roof panel/sunroof open


lower roof panel/sunroof at the
rear
i
Turn crank2 slowly and smoothly.
The tilt/sliding sunroof (
page 442) or tilt/slid-
ing panel (
page 446) must be synchronized af-
ter being operated manually.

636 Practical hintsBatteries
Starter battery (example illustration from
S550)1Negative terminal
2Positive terminal
Disconnecting starter battery
Do not rub the battery with rags or cloths.
The battery could explode if touched due to
electrostatic charge or due to spark forma-
tion.!
Switch off the engine and switch off the ve-
hicle’s internal electrical functions (
page 637)
before you disconnect or remove the battery’s
terminal clamps. You could otherwise destroy
electronic assemblies such as the generator.
Have the battery checked regularly by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center. Refer to Mainte-
nance Booklet for maintenance intervals or
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
further information.
!
Do not connect any consumers directly to
the starter battery. The starter battery will other-
wise be discharged.
i
Only replace a discharged battery with a bat-
tery recommended by Mercedes-Benz. The con-
sumer battery is installed in the trunk in such a
way that it is safeguarded as much as possible
against mechanical destruction in the event of
an accident.
i
Remove SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the vehicle’s
on-board electronics have status 0)
(
page 315) when you turn off the engine and
no longer require any electrical consumers. The
vehicle then uses very little power and the con-
sumer battery is spared.
i
If the consumer battery is discharged, you
must use the mechanical key to unlock the vehi-
cle (page 614). Since the vehicle has a sepa-
rate starter battery, however, you can still start
the vehicle.
!
Always disconnect the starter battery in the
order described below. You could otherwise
damage the vehicle’s electronics.
!
Switch off the vehicle’s internal electrical
functions before disconnecting the starter bat-
tery. If the vehicle is stationary for more than one
hour with the SmartKey removed, you do not
need to switch off the vehicle’s internal electrical
functions.