2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class check oil

Contents
Driving abroad .............................. 567
Control and operation of
radio transmitters......................... 567
Catalytic converter ....................... 568
Emission control........................... 568
Coolant temperature .................... 569
At the gas station............................... 570
Refueling ...................................... 570
Check regularly and
before a long trip .......................... 572
Engine compartment.......................... 573
Hood ............................................ 573
Engine oil...................................... 575
Transmission fluid level ................ 578
Active Body Control* (ABC*)
fluid level ...................................... 579
Coolant level ................................ 579
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 580
Tires and wheels ................................ 582
Important guidelines .................... 582
Tire care and maintenance ........... 583
Direction of rotation ..................... 585
Loading the vehicle ...................... 585
Recommended tire
inflation pressure ......................... 590Checking tire inflation pressure ... 592
Tire labeling.................................. 598
Load identification ....................... 601
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN) ..
602
Maximum tire load ....................... 603
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 603
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 604
Tire ply material ........................... 606
Tire and loading terminology ........ 606
Rotating tires ............................... 609
Winter driving .................................... 610
Winter tires .................................. 610
Snow chains ................................. 611
Maintenance ...................................... 612
Maintenance service
indicator message ........................ 612
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display............... 613
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator........................... 614
Vehicle care ....................................... 615
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 615
Practical hints................................. 627
What to do if …? ................................ 628
Lamps in instrument cluster ........ 628
Air bag off indicator lamp............. 640
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display.................... 642
Where will I find ...? ........................... 705
First aid kit ................................... 705
Vehicle jack, vehicle tool kit,
luggage bowl, Minispare wheel .... 705
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 708
Unlocking the vehicle................... 708
Locking the vehicle ...................... 709
Resetting activated head restraints ... 710
Head restraints (standard) ........... 710
Luxury head restraints* ............... 711
Replacing SmartKey batteries ........... 712
Replacing bulbs ................................. 714
Bulbs ............................................ 715
Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 717
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 721
Placing wiper arms in
vertical position ........................... 721
Removing wiper blades ................ 722
Installing wiper blades ................. 722

25 At a glance
Exterior view
Item
Page
1
Trunk

Unlocking


Opening and closing


Minispare wheel


Vehicle tool kit
511
511
723
705
2
Rear lamps
715
3
Rear window, defrosting
506
4
Fuel filler flap
Gasoline
570
770
5
Doors

Locking and unlocking


Opening and closing
358
358
Item
Page
6
Exterior rear view mirror
Parking position
388
391
7
Towing the vehicle
737
8
Rims and tires

Checking tire inflation
pressure


Minispare wheel


Flat tire
754
592
707
723
9
Hood, opening
Engine oil
Coolant
573
575
579
Item
Page
a
Headlamp cleaning system
403
b
Front lamps
715
c
Windshield wipers
Wiper blades, replacing
Wiper blades, cleaning
408
721
622
d
Window, cleaning
622
e
Roofs

Power tilt/sliding sunroof


Panorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel*
518
521

290 Control systemsInstrument cluster control system
Telephone* (
page 299)
Assistance* (
page 303)
Service (
page 304)
Settings (
page 305)
Commands/submenusDialing a number from the
phone book
Displaying the distance graph-
ic*, DISTRONIC Plus*
Calling up vehicle malfunction,
warning and system status
messages stored in memory
Setting daytime running lamp
mode (USA only)
Redialing
Activating/deactivating
PRE-SAFE
® Brake*
(vehicles with
DISTRONIC Plus* only)
Checking tire inflation pres-
sure
Switching additional speedome-
ter on or off
Answering a call
Switching on or off Rear View
Camera* automatically
Calling up maintenance ser-
vice display
Switching on or off radar
sensors*
Ending a call or rejecting an in-
coming call
Switching on or off Blind Spot
Assist*
Checking engine oil level*

304 Control systemsInstrument cluster control systemThe following settings are available:Switching on or off Blind Spot Assist*

Press ( or & to select the
“Assistance” menu.

Press % or $ to select the “Blind
Spot Assist” function.

Press #.

Press # again if you would like to
change the current status.
Service menu
The “Service” menu is used for

calling up messages


checking tire inflation pressure elec-
tronically with the Advanced TPMS


calling up the maintenance service in-
dicator display


check engine oil level*
Calling up vehicle malfunction, warning
and system status messages stored in
memory
Use the vehicle status message memory
menu to scan malfunction and warning
messages that may be stored in the sys-
tem. Such messages appear in the multi-
function display and are based on
conditions or system status the vehicle’s
system has recorded.
“On when in
Reverse”
The Rear View Camera au-
tomatically switches on
when reverse gear is en-
gaged.
“Disabled”
The Rear View Camera is
not switched on.
i
The menu overview can be found on
(
page 289).


305 Control systems
Instrument cluster control system
The vehicle status message memory menu
only appears if there are any messages
stored.
Press ( or & to select the
“Service” menu.If conditions have occurred causing
status messages to be recorded, the
number of messages appears in the
multifunction display: “2 messages”.

Press % or $ to select the mes-
sage.

Press # to confirm.
Checking tire inflation pressure
For information about checking tire infla-
tion pressure (
page 593).Calling up the maintenance service in-
dicator display
For information about calling up the main-
tenance service indicator display
(
page 612).
Checking engine oil level (S 600 and
S65AMG)
For information about checking engine oil
level (
page 575).
Settings menu
In the “Settings” menu, you can:

switch the daytime running lamps on or
off (USA only)


switch the additional speedometer on
or off


switch the radar sensors* on or off
(USA only)
Warning!
G
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are inten-
tionally not very detailed. The malfunction
and warning messages are simply a remind-
er with respect to the operation of certain
systems and do not replace the owner’s
and/or driver’s responsibility to maintain
the vehicle’s operating safety by having all
required maintenance and safety checks
performed on the vehicle and by bringing
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center to address the malfunction and
warning messages (
page 642).
i
See the “Practical hints” section for mal-
function and warning messages (
page 642).
i
If you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 and then back to position2,
all messages will be deleted from the message
memory.
i
The menu overview can be found on
(
page 289).

572 OperationAt the gas stationCheck regularly and before a long tripExample illustration from S 5501Coolant level
2Brake fluid
3Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning systemWindshield washer system and head-
lamp cleaning system
For more information on refilling the wash-
er reservoir, see “Windshield washer sys-
tem and headlamp cleaning system”
(
page 580).
Coolant
For more information on coolant, see
“Coolant level” (
page 579) and see “Fu-
els, coolants, lubricants, etc.”
(
page 764).
Brake fluid
For information on brake fluid, see “Brake
fluid” (
page 769).Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil, see
“Engine oil” (
page 575).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For more
information on replacing light bulbs, see
“Replacing bulbs” (
page 714).
For more information, see “Lighting”
(
page 399).
Tire inflation pressure
For information on tire inflation pressure,
see “Checking tire inflation pressure”
(page 592).
i
Opening the hood (
page 573).
!
If you find that the brake fluid in the brake
fluid reservoir has fallen to the minimum mark or
below, have the brake system checked for brake
pad thickness and leaks immediately. Notify an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center immediately.
Do not add brake fluid as this will not solve the
problem. For more information, see “Practical
hints” (page 631) and (
page 664).

574 OperationEngine compartment
Closing
Let the hood drop from a height of ap-
proximately 1 ft (30 cm).
The hood will lock audibly.

Check to make sure the hood is fully
closed.
If you can raise the hood at a point
above the headlamps, then it is not
properly closed. Open it again and let it
drop with somewhat greater force.
Warning!
G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running.
The radiator fan may continue to run for ap-
proximately 30 seconds or even restart af-
ter the engine has been turned off. Stay
clear of fan blades.Warning!
G
If you see flames or smoke coming from the
engine compartment, or if the coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is
overheated, do not open the hood. Move
away from vehicle and do not open the hood
until the engine has cooled down. If neces-
sary, call the fire department.
Warning!
G
The engine is equipped with a transistorized
ignition system. Because of the high voltage
it is dangerous to touch any components (ig-
nition coils, spark plug sockets, diagnostic
socket) of the ignition system

with the engine running


while starting the engine


if ignition is “on” and the engine is
cranked manually
Warning!
G
When closing the hood, use extreme caution
not to catch hands or fingers. Be careful that
you do not close the hood on anyone.
Make sure that the hood is securely en-
gaged before driving off. Do not continue
driving if the hood can no longer engage af-
ter an accident, for example. The hood could
otherwise come loose while the vehicle is in
motion and endanger you and/or others.


575 Operation
Engine compartment
Engine oil
The amount of oil your engine needs will
depend on a number of factors, including
driving style. Higher oil consumption can
occur when

the vehicle is new


the vehicle is driven frequently at
higher engine speeds
Engine oil consumption checks should only
be made after the vehicle break-in period.Notes about checking engine oil level
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
stationary 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 offChecking engine oil level with the con-
trol system (S 600 and S 65 AMG)
To check the engine oil level via the multi-
function display, do the following:

Switch on the ignition (
page 370).

Press( or& to select the menu
“Service”.

Press$ or% to select “Engine
Oil Level”.

Press#.
The following message is seen in the multi-
function display:
“Measuring
Engine Oil Level
Accurate Only
When Vehicle Is Level”
!
Do not use any special lubricant additives,
as these may damage the drive assemblies. Us-
ing special additives not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may cause damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
More information on this subject is available at
any Mercedes-Benz Center.
i
The menu overview can be found on
(
page 289).