2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class engine oil

694 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Night View Assist
Lights ON or AUTO,
Not in R Gear
You have tried to switch on Night View As-
sist* but the light switch is not set to *
or B.
In addition, the automatic transmission is in
reverse gearR.

Turn the exterior lamp switch to * or
B (
page 399).

Shift the automatic transmission to park
positionP, neutral positionN or drive
positionD (
page 426).
Night View Assist
Only When
It Is Dark
You have tried to switch on Night View As-
sist* by daylight.
You can only switch on Night View Assist* when
it is dark.
Engine Oil Level Low
Stop Vehicle
Turn Engine Off
S 600 and S 65 AMG only:
There is no oil in the engine. There is a dan-
ger of engine damage.

Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt as soon
as it is safe to do so in a safe location.

Engage the electronic parking brake
(page 422).

Turn off the engine.

Add engine oil (
page 578) and check the
engine oil level (page 575).

695 Practical hints
What to do if …?
When the message “Check Engine Oil Level
at Next Refueling” (all models except S 600
and S 65 AMG) or “Check Engine Oil Level
(Add 1 quart). (Canada:1Liter)” (S 600
and S 65 AMG) appears while the engine is
running and at operating temperature, the
engine oil level has dropped to approxi-
mately the minimum level.When this occurs, the warning is at first in-
termittent and then remains on if the oil
level drops further.
Visually check for oil leaks. If there are no
obvious oil leaks, drive to the nearest ser-
vice station to refill engine oil to the re-
quired level with an approved oil.For information on approved engine oils,
refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet (USA only) or contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Check
Engine Oil Level
(Add 1 quart)
(USA only)
Check
Engine Oil Level
(Add 1 Liter)
(Canada only)
S 600 and S 65 AMG only:
The engine oil level is too low.

Check the engine oil level (
page 575) and
add engine oil as required (page 578).

If you must add engine oil frequently, have
the engine checked for possible leaks.
Check
Engine Oil Level
at Next Refueling
All models except S 600 and S 65 AMG:
The engine oil level has dropped to approx-
imately the minimum level.

Check the engine oil level (
page 575) and
add engine oil as required (page 578).

If you must add engine oil frequently, have
the engine checked for possible leaks.
!
Engine oil level warnings should not be ig-
nored. Extended driving with the symbol dis-
played could result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limit-
ed Warranty.

696 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Engine Oil Level
Cannot Be
Measured
S600 and S65AMG only:
The measuring system is malfunctioning.

Have the measuring system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Engine Oil
Level Too High
S600 and S65AMG only:
You have added too much engine oil.
There is a risk of damaging:

the engine


the catalytic converter

Have excess oil siphoned or drained off. Con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

765 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filter
S 450 4MATIC
1
S 550
S 550 4MATIC
1Canada only
8.98 US qt. (8.5 l)
Approved engine oils
S600
9.51 US qt. (9.0 l)
S63 AMG
9.25 US qt. (8.75 l)
S65 AMG
9.51 US qt. (9.0 l)
Automatic transmission
S 450 4MATIC
1
10.14 US qt. (9.6 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
S 550
10.36 US qt. (9.8 l)
S 550 4MATIC
10.14 US qt. (9.6 l)
S600
8.14 US qt. (7.7 l)
S63 AMG
9.25 US qt. (8.75 l)
S65 AMG
9.2 US qt. (8.7 l)
Rear axle
S 450 4MATIC
2
2Canada only
1.90 US qt. (1.8 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
S 550
1.27 US qt. (1.2 l)
S 550 4MATIC
1.90 US qt. (1.8 l)
S600
2.11 US qt. (2.0 l)

769 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines and durability for
our service intervals. Therefore, only use
approved engine oils and oil filters
required for vehicles with Maintenance
System. For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet
(USA only), or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Engine oil additivesAir conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil are used in the air condition-
ing system.
Brake fluid
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Any au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.
!
Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification other than those expressly
required for the Maintenance System, or chang-
ing of oil and oil filter at change intervals longer
than those called for by the Maintenance System
will result in engine or emission control system
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
Please follow Maintenance System recommen-
dations for scheduled oil changes. Failure to do
so will result in engine or emission control sys-
tem damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
!
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may damage the engine. Damage or mal-
functions resulting from blending oil additives
are not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil. Otherwise damage to the system
will occur.
Warning!
G
During vehicle operation, the boiling point of
the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from the
atmosphere.
Under extremely strenuous operating condi-
tions, this moisture content can lead to the
formation of bubbles in the system, thus re-
ducing the system’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be replaced
regularly. Refer to your vehicle’s Mainte-
nance Booklet for replacement interval.

770 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel:

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
of both the Research Octane Number
(RON) and the Motor Octane Number
(MON): (RON+MON)/2. This is also
known as the ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional co-solvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious per-
sonal injury.
Never allow sparks, flame or smoking mate-
rials near gasoline!
Turn off the engine before refueling.
Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid in-
haling fumes and skin or clothing contact,
extinguish all smoking materials.
Direct skin contact with fuels and the inha-
lation of fuel vapors are damaging to your
health.
!
To maintain the engine’s durability and per-
formance, premium unleaded gasoline must be
used. If premium unleaded gasoline is not avail-
able and low octane fuel is used, follow these
precautions:


Have the fuel tank only partially filled with
unleaded regular gasoline and fill up with
premium unleaded gasoline as soon as
possible.


Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt acceler-
ation.


Do not exceed an engine speed of 3 000 rpm
if the vehicle is loaded with a light load such
as two persons and no luggage.


Do not exceed
2/3 of maximum accelerator
pedal position if the vehicle is fully loaded or
operating in mountainous terrain.

771 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build-up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to en-
gine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking/pinging


Misfire


Power lossIn areas where carbon deposits may be en-
countered due to lack of availability of gas-
olines which contains these additives,
Mercedes-Benz recommends the use of
additives approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Refer to the Fac-
tory Approved Service Products pamphlet
(USA only) or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for a listing of ap-
proved product(s). Follow directions on
product label.
Do not blend other fuel additives with fuel.
This only results in unnecessary cost and
may be harmful to the engine operation.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

Corrosion protection


Freeze protection


Boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -22°F (-30°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).
!
Damage or malfunction resulting from poor
fuel quality or from blending additional fuel addi-
tives other than those tested and approved by us
for use on Mercedes-Benz vehicles are not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!
Add premixed coolant solution only. Adding
water and MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
separately from each other, could cause engine
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.

772 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase boil-over protec-
tion. Refer to Maintenance Booklet for re-
placement interval.
Coolant system design and coolant used
determine the replacement interval. The
replacement interval published in the
Maintenance Booklet is only applicable if
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze solu-
tion or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification are used to
renew the coolant concentration or bring it
back up to the proper level.
For information on other Mercedes-Benz
approved products of equal specification,
refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet (USA only) or contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 50% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze (equivalent to freeze
protection to approximately –35°F
[–37°C]).If you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze (freeze protec-
tion to approximately –49°F [–45°C]), the
engine temperature will increase due to
the lower heat transfer capability of the so-
lution. Therefore, do not use more than
this amount of anticorrosion/ antifreeze.
If the coolant level is low, water and
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
should be used to bring it up to the proper
level (have cooling system checked for
signs of leakage).
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality, con-
sult an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Anticorrosion/antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of alumi-
num parts. The use of aluminum compo-
nents in motor vehicle engines
necessitates that anticorrosion/antifreeze
coolant used in such engines be specifical-
ly formulated to protect the aluminum
parts. Failure to use such anticorrosion/
antifreeze coolant will result in a signifi-
cantly shortened service life.
Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz 325.0 Anticorrosion/
Antifreeze agent.
Before the start of the winter season (or
once a year in hot southern regions), you
should have the anticorrosion/antifreeze
concentration checked. The coolant is also
regularly checked each time you bring your
vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for service.