495 Operation
Engine compartment
If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil (
page 496).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (page 661) and
(
page 663).
Other display messages
If the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO* start/
stop button is not in position 2, the follow-
ing message will appear:
For engine oil level,
turn on ignition
Switch on the ignition (
page 315).
If you see the message
Waiting period for,
engine oil level
not complete
If engine is at operating temperature,
wait 5 minutes before repeating check
procedure.
If engine is not at operating tempera-
ture yet, wait 30 minutes before
repeating check procedure.
If you see the message
Engine oil level
Not when engine on
Turn off the engine.
If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture, wait 5 minutes before checking
oil.
If the engine is not at operating temper-
ature yet, you must wait 30 minutes
before checking oil.
If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at operating temperature, the following
message will appear:
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(
page 602).
Checking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick (S 550)
When checking the oil level
the vehicle must be parked on level
ground
with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been sta-
tionary for at least 5 minutes with the
engine turned off
with the engine not at operating tem-
perature yet, the vehicle must have
been stationary for at least 30 minutes
with the engine turned off
!
Excess oil must be siphoned or drained off.
It could cause damage to the engine and catalyt-
ic converter (gasoline engine) not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
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.
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.
543 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Where will I find ...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Resetting activated head restraints
(S 600 only)
Replacing SmartKey batteries
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Batteries
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses
592 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Key
not recognized
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is not
recognized while the engine is running be-
cause the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is
not in the vehicle.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as
it is safe to do so.
Search for the SmartKey.
Otherwise the vehicle cannot be centrally
locked nor can the engine be started again
after the engine is stopped.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is not
recognized while the engine is running be-
cause there is strong radio-frequency inter-
ference.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as
it is safe to do so.
Remove KEYLESS-GO* button from over
starter switch (
page 316).
Operate the vehicle with the SmartKey in the
starter switch.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is mo-
mentarily not recognized.
Change the position of the SmartKey in the
vehicle.
If necessary, operate vehicle using SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* in starter switch under
KEYLESS-GO* button (
page 316).
593 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Close doors
to lock them
You wanted to lock the vehicle but not all
doors were closed.
Close doors and lock vehicle again.
Do not
forget key
This display appears (for a maximum of
60 seconds) if the driver’s door is opened
with the engine shut off and no SmartKey in
the starter switch.
This message is only a reminder.
Insert SmartKey in the starter switch.
or
Take the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* with
you when leaving the vehicle.
Please
remove key
You have forgotten to remove the
SmartKey.
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Change
key batteries
The batteries in the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* are discharged.
Replace the batteries (
page 619).
Key
still in vehicle
A SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* left in the
vehicle was recognized while locking the ve-
hicle from the outside.
Take the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* out of
the vehicle.
594 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Key
not recognized
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is mo-
mentarily not recognized.
Change the position of the SmartKey in the
vehicle.
If necessary, operate vehicle using SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* in starter switch under
KEYLESS-GO* button (
page 316).
Key being
initialized…
Please wait
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is being
initialized in the vehicle.
Wait until the message disappears from the
multifunction display.
Remove starting
button, then
insert key
The KEYLESS-GO* system is malfunction-
ing.
Remove KEYLESS-GO* button from over
starter switch (
page 316).
Operate the vehicle with the SmartKey in the
starter switch.
Replace key
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must be
replaced.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.