2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class ignition

575 Operation
Engine compartment
Engine oil
The amount of oil your engine needs will
depend on a number of factors, including
driving style. Higher oil consumption can
occur when

the vehicle is new


the vehicle is driven frequently at
higher engine speeds
Engine oil consumption checks should only
be made after the vehicle break-in period.Notes about checking engine oil level
When checking the oil level


the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been
stationary for at least 5 minutes with
the engine turned off


with the engine not at operating tem-
perature yet, the vehicle must have
been stationary for at least 30 minutes
with the engine turned offChecking engine oil level with the con-
trol system (S 600 and S 65 AMG)
To check the engine oil level via the multi-
function display, do the following:

Switch on the ignition (
page 370).

Press( or& to select the menu
“Service”.

Press$ or% to select “Engine
Oil Level”.

Press#.
The following message is seen in the multi-
function display:
“Measuring
Engine Oil Level
Accurate Only
When Vehicle Is Level”
!
Do not use any special lubricant additives,
as these may damage the drive assemblies. Us-
ing special additives not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may cause damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
More information on this subject is available at
any Mercedes-Benz Center.
i
The menu overview can be found on
(
page 289).


576 OperationEngine compartmentOne of the following messages will
subsequently appear in the multifunction
display:

“Engine Oil Level
OK”


“Add 1.0 qts. Engine Oil
At Next Refueling”
(Canada: “1.0 l”)


“Add 1.5 qts. Engine Oil
At Next Refueling”
(Canada: “1.5 l”)


“Add 2.0 qts. Engine Oil
At Next Refueling”
(Canada: “2.0 l”)

If necessary, add engine oil
(page 578).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 765) and
(
page 769).Other display messages
If the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO* start/
stop button is not in position 2, the follow-
ing message will appear:
“For Engine Oil Level
Ignition Must be On”

Switch on the ignition (
page 370).
If you see the message
“Need More Time
to Check
Engine Oil Level”

If engine is at operating temperature,
wait 5 minutes before repeating check
procedure.

If engine is not at operating tempera-
ture yet, wait 30 minutes before
repeating check procedure.
If you see the message
“Engine Oil Level
Not Measurable
With Running Engine”

Turn off the engine.

If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture, wait 5 minutes before checking
oil.

If the engine is not at operating temper-
ature yet, you must wait 30 minutes
before checking oil.
If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at operating temperature, the following
message will appear:
“Reduce
Engine Oil Level”

Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(
page 694).
i
If you want to interrupt the checking proce-
dure, press buttonL on the multifunction
steering wheel.
!
Excess oil must be siphoned or drained off.
It could cause damage to the engine and catalyt-
ic converter not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.


594 OperationTires and wheels
Switch on the ignition (
page 370).

Press( or& to select the menu
“Service”.

Press$ or% to select “Tire
Pressure”.

Press#.
i
When the message “Tire Pressures Dis-
played After Driving a Few Minutes” appears in
the display, the individual inflation pressure val-
ues are matched with the tires. The individual
values are displayed after a few minutes driving.Warning!
G
It is the driver’s responsibility to calibrate
the TPMS on the recommended cold infla-
tion pressure. Underinflated tires affect the
ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
might lose control over the vehicle.
i
With a spare wheel without wheel sensor
mounted, the system may still indicate the tire
inflation pressure of the removed wheel for some
minutes. If this happens, keep in mind that the
indicated value where the spare wheel is mount-
ed does not reflect the actual spare tire inflation
pressure.
Warning!
G
The TPMS does not indicate a warning for
wrongly selected inflation pressures. Always
adjust tire inflation pressure according to
the Tire and Loading Information placard on
the driver’s door B-pillar or, if available, the
supplemental tire pressure information on
the inside of the fuel filler flap.
The TPMS is not able to issue a warning due
to a sudden dramatic loss of pressure (e.g.
tire blowout caused by a foreign object). In
this case bring the vehicle to a halt by care-
fully applying the brakes and avoiding
abrupt steering maneuvers.


596 OperationTires and wheelsReactivating Advanced TPMS
The TPMS must be reactivated when you
have adjusted the tire inflation pressure to
a new level (e.g. because of different load
or driving conditions). The TPMS is then
recalibrated to the current tire inflation
pressures.
Using the tire Tire and Loading Informa-
tion placard on the driver’s door B-pillar
(page 585) or, if available, the sup-
plemental tire inflation pressure
information on the inside of the fuel fill-
er flap (
page 570), make sure the tire
inflation pressure of all four tires is cor-
rect.

Switch on the ignition (
page 370).

Press( or& to select the menu
“Service”.

Press$ or% to select “Tire
Pressure”.

Press#.
You will see

the current inflation pressures for
each tire
or


the message
“Tire Pressures
Displayed After Driving
a Few Minutes”
appear in the multifunction display.

Press%.
The message
“Use Current
Pressures As New
Reference Values
Press "OK" to Confirm
Tire Press.”
appears in the multifunction display.
Warning!
G
It is the driver’s responsibility to calibrate
the TPMS on the recommended cold infla-
tion pressure. Underinflated tires affect the
ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
might lose control over the vehicle.
i
Reactivate the TPMS after adjusting the tire
inflation pressure to the inflation pressure rec-
ommended for the vehicle operating condition.
Tire inflation pressure should only be adjusted
on cold tires. Observe the recommended tire in-
flation pressure on the Tire and Loading Informa-
tion placard on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 585). Some vehicles may have supple-
mental tire inflation pressure information for
driving at high speeds (
page 591) or for vehi-
cle loads less than the maximum loaded vehicle
condition. If such information is provided, it can
be found on the inside of the fuel filler flap
(
page 570).
i
After wheel rotation or sensor replacement,
the vehicle must be parked for 20 minutes be-
fore attempting to reactivate the TPMS.
i
The menu overview can be found on
(
page 289).

612 OperationMaintenanceWe strongly recommend that you have
your vehicle serviced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center, in accordance with
the Maintenance Booklet at the times
called for by the maintenance service indi-
cator.Maintenance service indicator
message
The maintenance service indicator mes-
sage will notify you when the next mainte-
nance service is due.
Starting approximately 1 month before the
next maintenance service is due, one of
the following messages will appear in the
multifunction display while you are driving
or when you switch on the ignition (exam-
ple service A):
“Next Service A in XXX miles (km)”
“Next Service A in XX days”
“Service A Due”The maintenance services will be indicated
by showing a service type A through type H
in the multifunction display. Types A
through H are classified based on estimat-
ed time needed to perform the mainte-
nance service, ranging
from “Service A”
(approximately 1 hour)
to “Service H”
(approximately 8 hours)
Refer to Maintenance Booklet for a listing
of maintenance services and intervals they
need to be performed at.
!
Failure to have the vehicle maintained in ac-
cordance with the Maintenance Booklet and
maintenance service indicator at the designated
times/mileage will result in vehicle damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

613 Operation
Maintenance

To clear the maintenance service
indicator message: Press L
(page 288).
The maintenance service indicator
message is cleared and the standard
display appears in the multifunction
display (
page 291).Maintenance service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested main-
tenance service term, you will see the fol-
lowing message in the multifunction
display:
“Service A Exceeded by XXX miles (km)
Service A Exceeded by XX days”
In addition, a signal sounds when the mes-
sage appears.
Any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
reset the maintenance service indicator
following a completed maintenance
service.Calling up the maintenance service
indicator display
You can call up the maintenance service in-
dicator display at any time to check when
the next maintenance service is due.
Switch on the ignition (
page 370).
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 291).

Press ( or & on multifunction
steering wheel to select “Service”
menu.

Press % or $ to select the main-
tenance service indicator display.

Press #.
The service deadline appears in the
multifunction display.
i
The Maintenance System in your vehicle
tracks distance driven and the time elapsed
since the last maintenance service and calcu-
lates other maintenance service work required.
i
The maintenance service indicator message
is automatically cleared


after approximately 10 seconds when you
switch on the ignition or when reaching the
service threshold while driving


after approximately 30 seconds, once the
suggested maintenance service term has
passed
You can also clear it yourself.
i
The menu overview can be found on
(
page 289).

618 OperationVehicle careWhen taking the vehicle through an auto-
matic conveyor type car wash, observe the
following instructions.
Vehicles with SmartKey:
With the vehicle at a standstill and the
ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to neutral
positionN.

If engaged, manually release the
electronic parking brake (
page 423).

Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the starter switch.Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:

With the vehicle at a standstill, depress
the brake pedal and keep it pressed.

Shift the automatic transmission to
park positionP.

Release the brake pedal.

Remove the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button from the starter switch
(page 371).

Insert the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
into the starter switch.

With the ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to neutral
positionN.

If engaged, manually release the
electronic parking brake (
page 423).

Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO in the
starter switch.Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of ornamen-
tal moldings, use a damp cloth.
Warning!
G
When leaving the SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* in the starter switch, do
not leave children unattended in the vehicle.
It is possible for children to switch on the
ignition which could result in unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment. Unsupervised use
of vehicle equipment could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
i
After running the vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash, wipe any wax off of the wind-
shield (
page 622). This will prevent smears
and reduce wiping noise which can be caused by
residual wax on the windshield.
When leaving the car wash, make sure that the
mirrors are folded out. Otherwise they may
vibrate.
!
Do not use chrome cleaner on ornamental
moldings. Although ornamental moldings may
have chrome appearance, they could be made of
anodized aluminum that will be damaged when
cleaned with chrome cleaner. Instead, use a
damp cloth to clean those ornamental moldings.
For very dirty ornamental moldings of which you
are sure are chrome-plated, use a chrome clean-
er. If in doubt whether an ornamental molding is
chrome-plated, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

619 Operation
Vehicle care
Headlamps, tail lamps, side markers,
turn signal lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water.Cleaning the DISTRONIC Plus*/
PRE-SAFE
® Brake* system sensors
(USA only)
The sensors are integrated in the front
bumpers and cannot be seen from the out-
side.
1Sensor cover
2Bumper area near sensors

Switch off the ignition (
page 370).

Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water and a
non-scratching cloth to clean sensor
cover1.

Clean a wide area of the bumpers sur-
rounding the sensor2.
Cleaning the Parktronic* system
sensors
1Parktronic system* sensors in front
bumper
!
Only use window cleaning solutions that are
suitable for plastic lamp lenses. Window clean-
ing solutions which are not suitable may damage
the plastic lamp lenses of the headlamps. There-
fore, do not use abrasives, solvents or cleaners
that contain solvents.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the lenses.
Do not attempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the lens
surface.
!
To prevent scratches or damage, never
apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the sensor
cover and/or bumper area near sensors. Do not
attempt to wipe dirty sensors and/or bumper
with a dry cloth or sponge.