2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class engine

736 Practical hintsJump starting
Remove red cover from positive
terminal 1.

Connect positive terminal2 of the
charged battery with positive
terminal1 of the discharged battery
with the jumper cable. Clamp cable to
charged battery2 first.

Connect negative terminal3 of
charged battery to jumper cables and
attach other end4 to a suitable
ground point on the vehicle.

Get into vehicle and start engine within
30 seconds.
If the starting attempt does not suc-
ceed: 
Turn the SmartKey in starter switch
to position 0.

Take out the SmartKey.

Turn off engine of donor vehicle, re-
start it and let it run at idle speed
for several minutes.

Disconnect the jumper cable during
this time.

Reconnect jumper cable as de-
scribed before.

Restart engine.

While the engine is running, switch off
several electrical consumers such as
the blower.

Disconnect jumper cables first from
ground point4 and negative
terminal3, then from positive
terminals1 and2.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!
Never invert the terminal connections.


739 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing with all wheels on the ground

Switch on the ignition.

Shift the automatic transmission to
neutral positionN.

If engaged, manually release the
electronic parking brake.
Warning!
G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:

the engine will not run


there is a malfunction in the brake
system


there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
This is necessary to adequately control the
towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain the SmartKey is in
starter switch position2.
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.
!
Keep in mind that it is important to have the
ignition switched on. As soon as the SmartKey is
removed from the starter switch or the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* is removed from the vehicle,
the automatic transmission will shift to park
positionP.
!
The vehicle may be towed only for distances
up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to ex-
ceed 30 mph (50 km/h).
i
To signal turns while being towed with the
hazard warning flasher in use, the ignition must
be switched on. You can then activate the com-
bination switch for the left or right turn signal in
the usual manner – only the selected turn signal
will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the hazard warn-
ing flasher will operate again.

741 Practical hintsFuses
Fuses
The electrical fuses in your vehicle serve to
switch off malfunctioning power circuits.
If a fuse is blown, the component(s) and
systems secured by that fuse will stop op-
erating.
If a newly inserted fuse blows again, have
the cause determined and rectified by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
A fuse chart explains the fuse allocation
and fuse amperages. It is located in the
trunk with the vehicle tool kit
(
page 705).The electrical fuses are located in different
fuse boxes:


in the dashboard on the passenger side
(page 743)


in the dashboard on the driver’s side
(page 743)


behind the rear center armrest
(page 744)


on the driver’s side of the engine com-
partment (
page 742)


on the passenger side of the engine
compartment (
page 743)
Warning!
G
Only use fuses approved by Mercedes-Benz
with the specified amperage for the system
in question and do not attempt to repair or
bridge a blown fuse. Using other than ap-
proved fuses or using repaired or bridged
fuses may cause an overload leading to a
fire, and/or cause damage to electrical
components and/or systems. Have the
cause determined and remedied by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.!
Switch off the vehicle’s internal electrical
functions (
page 732) when you are working on
the fuses.
i
A blown fuse must be replaced by an appro-
priate spare fuse (recognizable by its color or the
fuse rating given on the fuse) of the amperage
recommended in the fuse chart.
Any Mercedes-Benz Center will be glad to advise
you on this subject.
i
In case of a blown fuse contact Roadside As-
sistance or an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

742 Practical hintsFusesBefore replacing fuses:
Engage the electronic parking brake
(page 422).

Make sure the automatic transmission
is set to park positionP (
page 426).
The gear position indicator in the multi-
function display should be on park po-
sition P.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Turn off the engine (
page 424).

Switch off the vehicle’s internal electri-
cal functions (
page 732).
Fuse boxes in engine compartment
Open the hood (
page 573).
Box on the driver’s side
Example illustration from S 55014 screws
2Cover
3JumperOpening

Take the crank from the Operator’s
Manual pouch.

Loosen screws1 with crank.

Remove jumper3.

Remove cover2.
Closing

Attach cover2.

Attach jumper3.

Tighten screws1 with crank.
!
The cover must fit properly, as otherwise
moisture or dirt may impair the functionality of
the fuses.

744 Practical hintsFusesFuse box in the rear passenger
compartment
1CoverOpening

Swing down center armrest.

Open cover behind center armrest.

Pull cover1 forward in direction of ar-
row.
Closing

Press cover1 backward and engage.
Emergency engine shut-down
If the engine cannot be turned off as de-
scribed in the “Turning off the engine” sec-
tion (
page 424), you may use the
following emergency procedure.

Take the fuse chart and the fuse extrac-
tor from the vehicle tool kit
(page 705).

Find row “Emergency engine
shut-down” in the fuse chart table to
identify the fuses that have to removed
as well as their locations.

Remove the respective fuses.
!
Make sure that the seal in the cover is not
damaged during opening or closing.

745 Technical data
Parts service
Warranty coverage
Identification labels
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
Engine
Rims and tires
Electrical system
Main dimensions and weights
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.

749 Technical data
Identification labels
4VIN
Fold down rear center armrest.
VIN 4 is underneath a cover in the
center armrest.
Example illustration
(all models except S 63 AMG and
S65AMG)5Engine number (engraved on engine)
6VIN (lower edge of windshield)
7Emission control information label,
includes both federal and California
certification exhaust emission
standards
S 63 AMG and S 65 AMG5Engine number (engraved on engine)
6VIN (lower edge of windshield)
7Emission control information label,
includes both federal and California
certification exhaust emission
standards
i
When ordering parts, please specify vehicle
identification and engine numbers.

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