2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class Vehicle

706 Practical hintsWhere will I find ...?Vehicle jack
Storage position
Remove vehicle jack from its
compartment.

Turn crank handle in direction of arrow
as far as it will go.
Operational position
Turn crank handle clockwise.
Before storing the vehicle jack in its
compartment:


It should be fully collapsed.


The handle must be folded in (storage
position).
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack take-up brackets
built into both sides of the vehicle. To help
avoid personal injury, use the jack only to lift
the vehicle during a wheel change. Never
get beneath the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack. Keep hands and feet away from
the area under the lifted vehicle. Always
firmly engage the electronic parking brake
and block wheels before raising vehicle with
jack.
Do not disengage electronic parking brake
while the vehicle is raised. Be certain that
the jack is always vertical (plumb line) when
in use, especially on hills. Always try to use
the jack on level surface. Make sure the jack
arm is fully seated in the jack take-up brack-
et. Always lower the vehicle onto sufficient
capacity jackstands before working under
the vehicle.

707 Practical hints
Where will I find ...?
Minispare wheel
The Minispare wheel is stored in the com-
partment underneath the trunk floor.
1Minispare wheel with spare wheel bolts
in container on wheel rim
2Luggage bowl
3Vehicle tool kit, jack and collapsible
wheel chock
Removing the Minispare wheel
Turn luggage bowl2 counterclock-
wise.

Remove Minispare wheel1.Setting up the collapsible wheel chock
The collapsible wheel chock serves to
additionally secure the vehicle, e.g. while
changing the wheel.
1Tilt the plates upward
2Fold the lower plate outward
3Insert the plate

Tilt both plates upward1.

Fold the lower plate outward2.

Guide the tabs of the lower plate all the
way into the openings of the base
plate3.
For information on where to place wheel
chocks when changing a wheel, see “Lift-
ing the vehicle” (
page 724).

708 Practical hintsUnlocking/locking in an emergencyUnlocking the vehicle
If you cannot unlock the vehicle with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*, unlock the
driver’s door and the trunk using the me-
chanical key. Removing the mechanical key
1Mechanical key locking tab
2Mechanical key

Move locking tab1 in the direction of
arrow.

Slide mechanical key2 out of the
housing.Unlocking the driver’s door

Insert mechanical key2 into the driv-
er’s door lock until it stops.

Turn mechanical key2 counterclock-
wise to position 1 and hold it there.

Pull the door handle until the locking
knob moves up.
The driver’s door is unlocked.

Pull the door handle once more to open
the driver’s door.
i
Unlocking the vehicle with the mechanical
key and opening the driver’s door or the trunk
with the mechanical key will trigger the anti-theft
alarm system (
page 82).
To cancel the alarm, insert the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* in the starter
switch.
1
Unlocking
2
Mechanical key

709 Practical hints
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Unlocking the trunk
A minimum height clearance of 6.0 ft
(1.8 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
Insert the mechanical key2 into the
trunk lid lock until it stops.

Turn mechanical key2 all the way
counterclockwise to position 1.
The trunk opens.

Turn the mechanical key2 back and
remove it from the trunk lid lock.
Locking the vehicle
If you cannot lock the vehicle with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*, do the follow-
ing:
Close the front passenger door, the
rear right door and the trunk.

Open the driver’s door and the rear left
door.

Press the central locking switch on the
driver’s door (
page 369).
The locking knobs of the front passen-
ger door and the rear doors move
down.
If the vehicle battery is disconnected or
drained:

Press down the locking knobs of
the front passenger door and the
rear doors manually.

Exit the vehicle.

Check whether the trunk is locked.

If necessary, lock the trunk with the
mechanical key (
page 517).

Close the driver’s door.

Enter the vehicle through the rear left
door.

Press down the locking knob of the
driver’s door.

Exit the vehicle.

Close the rear left door.
The vehicle is locked.
1
Unlocking in an emergency
2
Mechanical key
!
The trunk lid swings open upwards automat-
ically. Always make sure that there is sufficient
overhead clearance.
i
If you cannot close the trunk with the re-
mote trunk opening/closing* switch, lower the
trunk lid manually and close it with hands placed
flat on the trunk lid until it is engaged in its lock.
!
To prevent inadvertent lockout, make sure
to have the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you before proceeding with
the next step. The next step will lock the vehicle.
i
This procedure does not arm the anti-theft
alarm system nor does it lock the fuel filler flap.

710 Practical hintsResetting activated head restraintsIf the active head restraints (front seats)
have been triggered in an accident, the ac-
tive head restraints must be reset. Other-
wise, the active head restraints cannot
offer any additional protection in the event
of another rear-end collision.
You can tell that the head restraints have
been triggered when they have been
moved forward and cannot be adjusted.
For information on active head restraints,
see “Active head restraints” (
page 56).
For information on head restraint adjust-
ment, see “Head restraints” (page 379).
Head restraints (standard)
1Fold back
2Push down
3Push back
Push the head restraint cushion by the
bottom, back as far as it will go1.

Push the head restraint cushion down
into the guide as far as it will go2.

Fold the head restraint cushion by the
top, back firmly until it engages3.

Repeat this procedure on the active
head restraints for second head re-
straint.
i
For your convenience, we recommend that
you have this work carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
You will find the reset tool for manually operating
the head restraints in the Mercedes-Benz vehicle
literature pouch.Warning!
G
For safety reasons, have the active head
restraints checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center after a rear-end
collision.
Warning!
G
When pushing back the head restraint cush-
ion, take care that your fingers do not be-
come caught between the head restraint
cushion and the cover. Failing to do so may
lead to injury.

711 Practical hints
Resetting activated head restraints
Luxury head restraints*
Take reset tool1 out of the
Mercedes-Benz vehicle literature
pouch.

Guide reset tool1 into center of head
restraint between head restraint cush-
ion and rear head restraint cover.

Press reset tool1 forward in direction
of arrow.

Press reset tool downward until you
hear the head restraint release
mechanism audibly engage.

Pull out reset tool1.

Firmly press head restraint cushion
backward towards the rear of the vehi-
cle until it engages.

Repeat this procedure on the active
head restraints for second head re-
straint.
!
Be careful not to damage upholstery.

714 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsSafe vehicle operation depends on proper
exterior lighting and signaling. It is there-
fore essential that all bulbs and lamp as-
semblies are in good working order at all
times.
Correct headlamp adjustment is extremely
important. Have headlamps checked and
readjusted at regular intervals and when a
bulb has been replaced. Contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for headlamp
adjustment.
i
If the headlamps or front fog lamps are
fogged up on the inside as a result of high humid-
ity, driving the vehicle a distance with the lights
on should clear up the fogging.
i
Substitute bulbs will be brought into use
when the following lamps malfunction:


Brake lamps


Rear fog lamps


Front parking lamps


Tail lamps


Turn signal lamps
Read and observe messages in the multifunction
display (
page 642).

717 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Replacing bulbs for front lamps
Before you start to replace a bulb for a
front lamp, do the following first:
Turn the exterior lamp switch to M
(page 399).

Open the hood (
page 573).
1Cover 1
2Cover 2
3Cover 3Removing and installing washer fluid
reservoir on left-hand side
Vehicles with Airmatic*
You must remove the washer fluid reser-
voir in order to change the bulbs of the
front headlamp on the left-hand side. The
washer fluid reservoir is on the front
left-hand side of the engine compartment.
Washer fluid reservoir (example illustration
from S 550)1Retaining screwRemoving

Turn retaining screw1 counterclock-
wise.

Take washer fluid reservoir out of
mounting.

Place washer fluid reservoir to the side
and do not disconnect any wires or ca-
bles.
Installing

Guide washer fluid reservoir into
mounting so that the bottom retaining
lug slides into the rubber sleeve on the
longitudinal member.

Turn retaining screw1 clockwise.