2007 MERCEDES-BENZ S550 Auto Start

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.


482 OperationDriving instructions
Tires
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and be-
come visible at a tread depth of approxi-
mately
1/16
in (1.6 mm), at which point
the tire is considered worn and should be
replaced.The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
Specified tire inflation pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly if the
tires are subject to extreme operating con-
ditions (e.g. high speeds, heavy loads, high
ambient temperatures).


Turn the SmartKey to starter switch po-
sition 0 and remove the SmartKey from
the starter switch, or press the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(page 317).


Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO
* with you and lock the
vehicle when leaving.
!
Set the parking brake whenever parking or
leaving the vehicle. In addition, shift the auto-
matic transmission to P.
When parking on hills, always turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
Warning!
G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
tio n to an a rea whic h is a s afe d ista nc e fro m
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle or tires
appear unsafe, have the vehicle towed to
the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center or tire
dealer for repairs.
Warning!
G
Although the applicable federal motor vehi-
cle safety laws consider a tire to be worn
when the treadwear indicators (TWI) be-
come visible at approximately
1/16 in
(1.6 mm), we recommend that you do not al-
low your tires to wear down to that level. As
tread depth approaches
1/8 in (3 mm), the
adhesion properties on a wet road are
sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.


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.


536 OperationVehicle careEngine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment,
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from contact with
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as
MB Anticorrosion Wax, should be applied
to the engine compartment after every en-
gine cleaning. Before applying, all control
linkage bushings and joints should be lu-
bricated. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys
should be protected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the vehicle underbody, do
not forget to clean the inner sides of the
wheels.Hand-wash
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight.

Only use a mild car wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved 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 clean water and thoroughly
dry with a chamois.
Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on
the finish.
Automatic car wash
You can have your vehicle washed in an au-
tomatic car wash from the start. Automatic
car washes without brushes are prefera-
ble.If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it be-
fore running it through the automatic car
wash.
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.
!
Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic
touchless car wash which uses caustic spray.
Otherwise the caustic spray will damage the
paint or ornamental moldings.
!
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in
exterior rear view mirrors prior to running the ve-
hicle through an automatic car wash to prevent
damage to the mirrors.
Make sure that the windshield wiper switch is set
to0 (page 351). Otherwise, the rain sensor
could activate and cause the wipers to move un-
intentionally. This may lead to vehicle damage.
i
After running the vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash, wipe any wax off of the wind-
shield (
page 540). This will prevent smears
and reduce wiping noise which can be caused by
residual wax on the windshield.
When leaving the car wash, make sure that the
mirrors are folded out. Otherwise they may vi-
brate.

540 OperationVehicle careCleaning the windows and the wiper
blades
Make sure the hood is fully closed.

Place wiper arms in vertical position
(page 627).

Make sure the vehicle’s on-board elec-
tronics have status 0 (
page 315).

Fold the wiper arms forward until they
snap into place.

Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.

Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild win-
dow cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is recom-
mended.
!
If the windshield wipers leave smears on the
windshield after the vehicle has been driven
through an automatic car wash, wax or other res-
idue is on the windshield. Clean the windshield
with washer fluid shortly after cleaning the car in
an automatic car wash (
page 352).
!
The windshield wipers must be in a vertical
position before folding them away from the wind-
shield. They could otherwise damage the hood.
Never open the hood when the wiper arms are
folded forward.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status0) before cleaning the windshield
and/or the wiper blades. Otherwise, the
wiper motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.!
While doing so, only touch the wiper arm so
as not to damage the wiper blade inserts.
!
Fold the windshield wiper arms back onto
the windshield before turning the SmartKey in
the starter switch or pressing the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*).
Hold on to the wiper when folding the wiper arm
back. If released, the force of the impact from
the tensioning spring could crack the windshield.
!
To clean the window interior, do not use a
dry cloth, abrasives, solvents or cleaners con-
taining solvents. Do not touch the inside of the
front, rear or side windows with hard objects
such as an ice scraper or ring. Doing so may
damage the windows.

567 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Park Assist
inoperative
Park Assist* is unavailable due to a mal-
function.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
PRE-SAFE
inoperative
See Owner's Manual
PRE-SAFE
® itself has failed. All other occu-
pant safety systems, such as the air bags,
are still available.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Check tires
then restart
Run Flat Indicator
There was a warning message about a loss
in tire inflation pressure and the Run Flat In-
dicator* has not been restarted yet.

Check and adjust tire inflation pressure as required
(page 514).

Then restart the Run Flat Indicator* (
page 515).
Radar sensor
deactivated
See Oper. Manual
You attempt to activate DISTRONIC Plus*
or Park Assist* even though you have
switched off the radar sensors* on the vehi-
cle.

Check if the radar sensors* may be switched on (
page 256).

Switch on the radar sensors* using the instrument cluster
control system.
Run Flat Indicator
inoperative
The Run Flat Indicator* is malfunctioning.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Service X
due
Service X must be carried out (
page 532).

Have the maintenance service carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Service X exceeded
by X days
by XXX mls (km)
Service X must be carried within the next ...
or before you have driven ... miles (kilome-
ters) (
page 532).

Have the maintenance service carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Shift to P or N
to start engine
You have attempted to start the engine
while the automatic transmission was set to
position R or D.

Shift the automatic transmission to P or N (
page 367).

610 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Shift to 'P'
You have attempted to turn off the engine
with the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
and opened the driver’s door with the auto-
matic transmission not shift to positionP.

Shift the automatic transmission toP
(page 367).
or

Close the driver’s door.
You are driving with the trunk open.

Close the trunk (
page 437).
Washer fluid,
please refill
The water level has dropped to approx.
1.1 US qts (1.0 l).

Add washer fluid (
page 498).

616 Practical hintsUnlocking/locking in an emergencyMechanically releasing the electric parking brake
The mechanical release device for the
electric parking brake is underneath the
fuel filler flap next to the fuel cap.
1Fuel filler flap
2Release tool
3Protective cap

Shift the automatic transmission to P
(page 367).

Place chock from vehicle tool kit
(page 611) under a rear wheel.

Open fuel filler flap1.

Remove protective cap3.

Screw release tool2 from vehicle tool
kit clockwise 2 to 3 rotations onto re-
lease lever.

Pull release tool2 in direction of ar-
row.
The electric parking brake is released.
The red indicator lamp 0 (USA only)
or ! (Canada only) in the instru-
ment cluster for the electric parking
brake flashes. The message “Parking
brake See Oper. Manual” appears on
the driver’s display.
After it has been unlocked, you can engage
the electric parking brake again from the
driver’s seat.

Press the electric parking brake handle
(page 364).
Warning!
G
If you mechanically release the electric
parking brake, the vehicle may start to move
on its own. Make sure that no one is in front
of or behind the vehicle. Otherwise, an acci-
dent could occur resulting in injury or fatali-
ty. Shift the automatic transmission to P and
secure your vehicle in place using the chock
from the vehicle tool kit.
i
You must pull the release tool with more
force if the electric parking brake cannot be re-
leased.
!
Reattach protective cap
3
after you have
mechanically released the electric parking
brake.