Page 76 of 801

75 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Switching off the ESP
® (S 63 AMG only)When you switch off the ESP
®
the ESP
® does not stabilize the vehicle
the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip
the traction control will still apply the
brakes to a spinning wheel
the ESP
® operates while you are
braking
you cannot activate the cruise control
or the Distronic*
the cruise control or Distronic* switch
off if currently activated
Warning!
G
When the ESP
® warning lampv is illumi-
nated continuously, the ESP
® is switched
off.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP
®.
!
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an ex-
tended period with the ESP
® switched off. This
may cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
Warning!
G
The ESP
® should not be switched off during
normal driving. Disabling of the system will
result in the following:
no restriction to engine torque
loss of system supported traction
control
“ESP® OFF” is designed for driving on closed
tracks when the natural oversteer and un-
dersteer characteristics are desired and re-
quires a highly skilled and experienced
driver able to handle these critical driving
situations.
You could lose control of your vehicle and
cause an accident.
Please be aware of these limits when you
switch off the ESP
®.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a spare
wheel is mounted.
Page 610 of 801

609 Operation
Tires and wheels
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
A tire information system that provides
consumers with ratings for a tire’s traction,
temperature and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers using
government testing procedures. The
ratings are molded into the sidewall of the
tire.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle its
share of the maximum loaded vehicle
weight and dividing it by two.Rotating tiresTire rotation can be performed on vehicles
with tires of the same dimension all
around. If your vehicle is equipped with
tires of the same dimension all around,
tires can be rotated, observing a
front-to-rear rotation pattern that will
maintain the intended rotation (spinning)
direction of the tire (
page 585).
In some cases, such as when your vehicle
is equipped with mixed-size tires (different
tire dimension front vs. rear), tire rotation
is not possible.
If applicable to your vehicle’s tire configu-
ration, tires can be rotated according to
the tire manufacturer’s recommended in-
tervals in the tire manufacturer’s warranty
pamphlet located in your vehicle literature
portfolio. If none is available, tires should
be rotated every 3 000 to 6 000 miles
(5 000 to 10 000 km), or sooner if neces-
sary, according to the degree of tire wear.
The same rotation (spinning) direction
must be maintained (page 585). Rotate tires before the characteristic tire
wear pattern becomes visible (shoulder
wear on front tires and tread center wear
on rear tires).
Thoroughly clean the mounting face of
wheels and brake disks, i.e. the inner side
of the wheels/tires, during each rotation.
Check for and ensure proper tire inflation
pressure.
For information on wheel change, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 723).
Warning!
G
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the tires
are of the same dimension.
If your vehicle is equipped with mixed-size
tires (different tire dimensions front vs.
rear), tire rotation is not possible.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. Wheels could become
loose if not tightened with a torque of
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).
Only use Genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts specified for your vehicle’s rims.
Page 729 of 801
728 Practical hintsFlat tire6Wheel wrench
Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly, fol-
lowing the diagonal sequence illustrat-
ed (1 to 5), until all bolts are tight.
Observe a tightening torque of
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).
Fully collapse the jack, with handle
folded in (storage position),
(page 706).
Store the jack and the other vehicle
tools in the designated storage space
underneath the trunk floor
(page 705).
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque of
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).i
Vehicles with Advanced TPMS:
Do not activate the tire inflation pressure moni-
tor until a full size wheel/tire with functioning
sensor has been placed back into service on the
vehicle.
Page 752 of 801

751 Technical data
Engine
Engine
Model
S 450 4MATIC (221.184)
1,2
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and special equip-
ment.2Canada only
S 550 (221.171)
1
Engine
273
273
Mode of operation
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders
8
8
Bore
3.66 in (92.90 mm)
3.86 in (98.00 mm)
Stroke
3.39 in (86.00 mm)
3.56 in (90.50 mm)
Total piston displacement
284.6 cu in (4 663 cm
3)
333.3 cu in (5 461 cm
3)
Compression ratio
10.5:1
10.7:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349
3
3Premium fuel required. Performance may vary with fuel octane rating.
335 hp/6 000 rpm
(250 kW/6 000 rpm)
382 hp/6 000 rpm
(285 kW/6 000 rpm)
Maximum torque
acc. to SAE J 1349
391 lb-ft/2 700 - 5 000 rpm
(460 Nm/2 700 - 5 000 rpm)
391 lb-ft/3 000 rpm
(530 Nm/3 000 rpm)
Maximum engine speed
6 500 rpm
6500 rpm
Firing order
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
Poly-V-belt
2 404 mm
2404 mm
Page 753 of 801

752 Technical dataEngineModel
S 550 4MATIC (221.186)
1
S 600 (221.176)
1
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and special equip-
ment.Engine
273
275
Mode of operation
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders
8
12
Bore
3.86 in (98.00 mm)
3.23 in (82.00 mm)
Stroke
3.56 in (90.50 mm)
3.43 in (87.00 mm)
Total piston displacement
333.3 cu in (5 461 cm
3)
336.4 cu in (5 513 cm
3)
Compression ratio
10.5:1
9:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349
2
2Premium fuel required. Performance may vary with fuel octane rating.
382 hp/6 000 rpm
(285 kW/6 000 rpm)
510 hp/5 000 rpm
(380 kW/5 000 rpm)
Maximum torque
acc. to SAE J 1349
391lb-ft/2800-4800rpm
(530 Nm/2 800 - 4 800 rpm)
612 lb-ft/1 800 - 3 500 rpm
(830 Nm/1 800 - 3 500 rpm)
Maximum engine speed
6500 rpm
5 950 rpm
Firing order
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
1-12-5-8-3-10-6-7-2-11-4-9
Poly-V-belt
2404 mm
2 370 mm
Page 754 of 801

753 Technical data
Engine
Model
S 63 AMG (221.077)
1
S 65 AMG (221.179)
1
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and special equip-
ment.Engine
156
275
Mode of operation
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders
8
12
Bore
4.02 in (102.20 mm)
3.25 in (82.60 mm)
Stroke
3.72 in (94.60 mm)
3.66 in (93.00 mm)
Total piston displacement
378.8 cu in (6 208 cm
3)
364.9 cu in (5 980 cm
3)
Compression ratio
11.3:1
9:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349
2
2Premium fuel required. Performance may vary with fuel octane rating.
518 hp/6 800 rpm
(386 kW/6 800 rpm)
603 hp/4 800 - 5 100 rpm
(450 kW/4 800 - 5 100 rpm)
Maximum torque
acc. to SAE J 1349
465 lb-ft/5 200 rpm
(630 Nm/5 200 rpm)
738 lb-ft/2 000 - 4 000 rpm
(1 000 Nm/2 000 - 4 000 rpm)
Maximum engine speed
7 200 rpm
5950 rpm
Firing order
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
1-12-5-8-3-10-6-7-2-11-4-9
Poly-V-belt
2360 mm
2370 mm
Page 761 of 801
760 Technical dataElectrical systemModel
S 450 4MATIC
1
1Canada only
S 550
S 550 4MATIC
S 600
Generator (alternator)
14 V/220 A
14 V/220 A
14 V/220 A
Starter motor
12 V/1.7 kW
12 V/1.7 kW
12 V/1.7 kW
Starter battery
12 V/35 Ah
12 V/35 Ah
12 V/35 Ah
Electrical consumer
battery
12 V/95 Ah
12 V/95 Ah
12 V/95 Ah
Spark plugs
NGK PLKR 6A
Bosch Y 7 MPP 33
NGK PLKR 6A
Bosch Y 7 MPP 33
NGK IFR 6Q-G
Electrode gap
0.031 in (0.8 mm)
0.031 in (0.8 mm)
0.028 in (0.7 mm)
Tightening torque
15 – 18 lb-ft (20 – 25 Nm)
15 – 18 lb-ft (20 – 25 Nm)
18 – 22 lb-ft (25 – 30 Nm)
Page 762 of 801
761 Technical data
Electrical system
Model
S63 AMG
S65 AMG
Generator (alternator)
14 V/220 A
14 V/220 A
Starter motor
12 V/2.1 kW
12 V/1.7 kW
Starter battery
12 V/35 Ah
12 V/35 Ah
Electrical consumer
battery
12 V/95 Ah
12 V/95 Ah
Spark plugs
–1
1Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
NGK IFR 6Q-G
Electrode gap
0.039 in (1.0 mm)
0.028 in (0.7 mm)
Tightening torque
15 – 18 lb-ft (20 – 25 Nm)
15 – 22 lb-ft (20 – 30 Nm)