2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class warning light

671 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Parking Brake
See Oper. Manual
If overheated:
Let vehicle cool down, and do not engage
electronic parking brake during this time.
or

Switch ignition off and back on again, and en-
gage or release electronic parking brake.
(USA only)(Canada only)
Parking Brake
Inoperative
When you engage or release the electronic
parking brake, the red indicator lamp for
the electronic parking brake flashes and
goes out after approx. 10 seconds. The yel-
low warning lamp for the electronic parking
brake lights up.
The electronic parking brake is malfunction-
ing.

Switch ignition off and back on again, and en-
gage electronic parking brake (
page 422).
If the electronic parking brake cannot be en-
gaged:

Shift the automatic transmission to park
positionP (
page 426).

Protect vehicle from rolling away while
parked by using a chock from the vehicle tool
kit (
page 707).

Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter as soon as possible.

676 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
STOP,
Car Too Low
You have started driving although the vehi-
cle level was too low.
The vehicle will be raised. The Airmatic
warning lamp goes out after several sec-
onds.

Stop your vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so.

Engage the electronic parking brake
(page 422).

Wait until the message disappears from the
multifunction display.
You may then drive off.
STOP,
Car Too Low
The Airmatic is malfunctioning.
The Airmatic warning lamp lights up contin-
uously.

Stop and press the vehicle level control but-
ton to select a higher vehicle level
(page 468).

Do not turn steering wheel too far to avoid
damaging the front fenders.

Listen for scraping noises.

Do not exceed a speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).

Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
There is otherwise danger of an accident.

716 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsNotes on bulb replacement


Only use 12-volt-bulbs of the same
type and with the specified watt rating.


Switch lights off before changing a bulb
to prevent short circuits.


Always use a clean lint-free cloth when
handling bulbs.


Your hands should be dry and free of oil
and grease.


If the newly installed bulb does not
come on, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Have the LEDs and bulbs for the following
lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center:


the Bi-Xenon lamps


the front turn signal lamps


the front fog lamps


the additional turn signal lamps in the
exterior rear view mirrors


the parking and standing lamps


the front side marker lamps


the high mounted brake lamps


the brake, tail and rear standing lamps


the rear side marker lamps


the rear fog lamp


the rear turn signal lamps


the rear side marker lamps


the license plate lamps
Warning!
G
Bulbs and bulb sockets can be very hot. Al-
low the lamp to cool down before changing
a bulb.
Keep bulbs out of reach of children.
Halogen lamps contain pressurized gas. A
bulb can explode if you:

touch or move it when hot


drop the bulb


scratch the bulb
Wear eye and hand protection.
Because of high voltage in Xenon lamps, it is
dangerous to replace the bulb or repair the
lamp and its components. We recommend
that you have such work done by a qualified
technician.
!
Do not replace the LEDs yourself. You could
otherwise damage the LEDs or parts of the vehi-
cle. Only have the LEDs replaced by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
i
Have the headlamp adjustment checked
regularly.

726 Practical hintsFlat tireRemoving the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and
remove.

Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied in the tool kit.

Remove the remaining bolts.

Remove the wheel.Attaching the spare wheel
1Wheel bolt for light alloy rims and
Minispare wheel with light alloy rim
2Wheel bolt for Minispare wheel with
steel rim (located in trunk with spare
wheel)
!
Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt. This
could result in damage to the bolt and wheel hub
threads.
Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be re-
paired immediately. Do not continue to drive
under these circumstances! Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect wheel bolts or improperly tight-
ened wheel bolts can cause the wheel to
come off. This could cause an accident.
Make sure you are using the correct wheel
bolts.
Warning!
G
Only use Genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts. Other wheel bolts may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the ve-
hicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle could
fall off the jack.

727 Practical hints
Flat tire

Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.

Guide the spare wheel onto the align-
ment bolt and push it on.

Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.

Unscrew the alignment bolt, install the
last wheel bolt and tighten slightly.Lowering the vehicle

Lower vehicle by turning crank coun-
terclockwise until vehicle is resting ful-
ly on its own weight.

Remove the jack.
1 - 5 Wheel bolts
!
Wheel bolts2 must be used when mount-
ing a Minispare wheel with steel rim. The use of
any wheel bolts other than wheel bolts2 for a
Minispare wheel with steel rim will physically
damage the vehicle’s brakes.
Wheel bolts1 must be used when mounting a
Minispare wheel with light alloy rim. The use of
any wheel bolts other than wheel bolts1 for
a Minispare wheel with light alloy rim will physi-
cally damage the vehicle’s brakes.
Warning!
G
Make sure to use the original length wheel
bolts when remounting the original wheel
after it has been repaired.
!
To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while installing first
wheel bolt.

735 Practical hints
Jump starting
Jump starting should only be performed on
the starter battery. The starter battery is
located in the engine compartment on the
passenger side (
page 731).

Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.

Secure vehicle in place with electronic
parking brake (
page 422).

Shift the automatic transmission to
park positionP (
page 426).

Turn off all electrical consumers, ex-
cept hazard warning flashers or work
lights.

Open the hood (
page 573).

Start the engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.1Positive terminal of your vehicle’s
battery
2Positive terminal of other vehicle’s
battery
3Negative terminal of other vehicle’s
battery
4Negative clamp
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 729).
i
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: remove the
KEYLESS-GO button (
page 371) and use the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO like a normal
SmartKey.


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.

779 Index
Cruise control 446
Activating 447
Canceling 448
Driving downhill 448
Driving uphill 448
Message in display 645
Setting current speed 447
Setting to last stored speed
(“Resume” function) 450
Cupholder
In front seat armrest 530
In rear seat armrest 530
Curb weight 606D
Date
Setting (COMAND) 261
Daytime running lamp mode 401
Setting 306
Deceleration
With DISTRONIC Plus* 455
Deep water see Standing water
Defrosting 504
Delayed switch-off
Exterior lighting (COMAND) 264
Interior lighting (COMAND) 270
Department of Transportation see DOT
Destination entry (COMAND) 202
Destination memory (COMAND) 251
Difficulties
While driving 420
While starting 418
Digital speedometer 292
Additional speedometer 306
Dimensions, Vehicle 762
Direction of rotation, Tires 585
Displays
Additional speedometer 306
Digital speedometer 292
DISTRONIC Plus* 454Maintenance service indicator 612
Multifunction display 287
Vehicle status message see Multifunc-
tion display messages
Distance
Decreasing in DISTRONIC Plus* 465
Increasing in DISTRONIC Plus* 465
Setting in DISTRONIC Plus* 464
Distance to Empty (Range) 292
Distance warning lamp* 29, 634
DISTRONIC Plus* 451
Activated 456
Activating 457
Calling up settings 455
Cleaning system sensor 619
Deactivated 456
Deactivating 463
Deceleration 455
Decreasing distance 465
Decreasing time interval 464
Displays in the
multifunction display 454
Distance warning lamp 29, 634
Driving hints 465
Increasing distance 465
Increasing time interval 464