2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class sport mode

109 Control systems
COMAND satellite radio
Introduction to satellite radio
SIRIUS Satellite Radio provides over
130 channels of digital-quality radio, in-
cluding 100% commercial-free music,
sports, news and entertainment. SIRIUS
Satellite Radio uses a fleet of high-orbit
satellites to broadcast 24 hours per day,
coast to coast, in the contiguous U.S. and
Canada.
This diverse, satellite-delivered program-
ming is available for a monthly subscrip-
tion fee.
For more information and service availabil-
ity call the SIRIUS Service Center
(1-888-539-7474), or contact

www.sirius.com (USA)


www.siriuscanada.com (Canada)
Switching to satellite radio
Select “Audio”
“Audio”
“Sat Ra-
dio”.
or

Press the M shortcut button once or
twice. The Satellite radio menu appears
if it was the last active radio mode.
The screen which then appears de-
pends on the activation status of the
satellite radio service.
The following options are possible:

Satellite radio service is not activat-
ed


Only the preview channel is activat-
ed


Satellite radio service is fully acti-
vated
i
A subscription to SIRIUS Satellite Radio ser-
vice provider is required for the satellite radio op-
eration described in this chapter. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for details
and availability for your vehicle.
i
Satellite radio service may be unavailable or
interrupted from time to time for a variety of rea-
sons, such as environmental or topographic con-
ditions and other things we can’t control. Service
might also not be available in certain places
(e.g., in tunnels, parking garages, or within or
next to buildings) or near other technologies. In
such situations, the satellite radio’s main menu
shows the “Acquiring signal...” screen. At this
point, the radio’s functions are restricted to
manual channel number entry (
page 113) and
service info display (
page 115).

436 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Automatic shift program
The program mode selector switch is used
to adjust

shift program


suspension tuning of Airmatic
(page 468) or ABC* (
page 470)


engine control
Program mode selector switchC Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
Program mode selector switch (S 63 AMG
and S 65 AMG only)M Manual For manual gear shifting
(
page 440)
C Comfort For standard driving
S Sport For sporty driving
Effect
è
The transmission shifts through
third gear only.
With this selection you can use
the braking effect of the engine.
ç
The transmission shifts through
second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving:

on steep downgrades


in mountainous regions


under extreme operating
conditions
æ
The transmission operates in
first gear only.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.

437 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
The selected program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
1Current program mode

Press the program mode selector
switch repeatedly until the letter of the
desired program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
SelectC for comfort driving (S 63 AMG
and S 65 AMG: standard driving):

The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.


Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.SelectS for standard driving
(S 63 AMG and S 65 AMG: sporty driv-
ing):


The vehicle starts out in first gear.


Upshifts occur later.
!
Never change the program mode when the
automatic transmission is out of park positionP.
This could result in a change of driving character-
istics for which you may not be prepared.
i
The last selected program mode (CorS) is
switched on when the engine is restarted.

440 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionShifting into optimal gear range
Press and hold left shift button1 or
pull and hold left shift paddle1.
The transmission will automatically
select the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more
gears.Manual shift program (S 63 AMG and
S65AMGonly)
In addition to the automatic shift
programC orS, your vehicle is equipped
with the manual shift programM.
Manual shift programM differs with regard
to spontaneity, response time, and shifting
smoothness from automatic shift
programS.
In the manual program modeM,
system-controlled automatic gearshifting
is switched off and you need to change the
gears by manually upshifting or downshift-
ing using the steering wheel gearshift con-
trol paddles to the left and right of the
steering wheel (
page 438).
Program mode selector switchM Manual For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For standard driving
S Sport For sporty driving!
Allow engine to warm up under low load use.
Do not place full load on the engine until the op-
erating temperature has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or park positionP only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an extended
period when driving off on slippery road
surfaces. This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

470 Controls in detailDriving systems
Press switch1 again to lower the ve-
hicle. The indicator lamp2 is off.Suspension tuning
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS) auto-
matically tunes shock absorbers and
springs.
The suspension tuning is set according to:


your driving style


road surface conditions


the vehicle loading


your choice of suspension style
The program mode selector switch (C/S)
(
page 436) is used to adjust the suspen-
sion tuning:

Start the engine.

Select the desired driving program.
Active Body Control (ABC)*
The ABC system is an active, comput-
er-controlled system that hydraulically ad-
justs the suspension at all four wheels in
response to various driving situations. It
automatically selects the optimum suspen-
sion tuning and ride height for your vehicle.
i
The selected vehicle level setting remains
stored in memory even if the engine is turned off
and restarted except when you


exceed a speed of 75 mph (120 km/h)
or


maintain a speed of between 50 mph
(80 km/h) and 75 mph (120 km/h) for more
than 3 minutes
The vehicle then lowers to regular level.
Driving program
Suspension tuning
CComfort
comfortable
(default setting)
SSport
sporty
for dynamic driving
Warning!
G
When you switch off the engine, the entire
vehicle is lowered. You should therefore
make sure that no one is near the wheel
housing or under the vehicle when you
switch off the engine. Otherwise, parts of
the individuals body could be trapped.!
When you switch off the engine, the entire
vehicle is lowered. When parking, position your
vehicle in such a way that it will not scrape
against a curb, for example, when it is lowered.
Your vehicle could otherwise be damaged.


472 Controls in detailDriving systemsSelecting a normal level
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp2 is on:

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 goes out. The vehicle
is adjusted to a normal level.
Suspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:


your driving style


road surface conditions


the vehicle loading


your choice of suspension styleThe program mode selector switch (C/S)
(
page 436) or (S/C/M) (
page 440) is
used to adjust the suspension tuning:

Start the engine.

Select the desired driving program.
Parktronic system*
Driving program
Suspension tuning
CComfort
comfortable
(default setting)
SSport
MManual
sporty
for dynamic driving
Warning!
G
Parktronic is a supplemental system. It is
not intended to, nor does it replace, the
need for extreme care. The responsibility
during parking and other critical maneuvers
always remains with the driver.Warning!
G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.!
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes (e.g.
trailer couplings, painted posts, elevated cross-
bars or road curbs). Such objects may not be de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.

754 Technical dataRims and tires!
Only use tires which have been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. Tires approved by
Mercedes-Benz are developed to provide best
possible performance in conjunction with the
driving safety systems on your vehicle such as
ABS or ESP
®. Tires specially developed for your
vehicle and tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz can be identified by finding the
following on the tire’s sidewall:


MO = M
ercedes-Benz O
riginal equipment
tires
AMG vehicles:
Does not apply to all approved tires on AMG
vehicles. For information on tested and
approved tires for AMG vehicles, contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz may result in damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!
Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz can have detrimental effects,
such as


poor handling characteristics


increased noise


increased fuel consumption
Moreover, tires and rims not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may, under load, exhibit dimen-
sional variations and different tire deformation
characteristics that could cause them to come
into contact with the vehicle body or axle parts.
Damage to the tires or the vehicle may be the
result.
i
Further information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. A placard with the recommended tire in-
flation pressures is located on the driver’s door
B-pillar (
page 585). Some vehicles may have
supplemental tire inflation pressure information
for driving at high speeds (
page 591) or for ve-
hicle loads less than the maximum loaded
vehicle condition (
page 598). If such informa-
tion is provided, it can be found on the placard lo-
cated on the inside of the fuel filler flap. The tire inflation pressure should be checked
regularly and should only be adjusted on cold
tires. Follow tire manufacturer’s maintenance
recommendation included with vehicle.
i
The following pages also list the approved
wheel rim and tire sizes for equipping your vehi-
cles with winter tires. Winter tires are not avail-
able as standard or optional factory equipment,
but can be purchased from an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Depending on vehicle model and the standard or
optional factory-equipped wheel rim/tire config-
uration on your vehicle (Appearance Package,
Sport Package etc.), equipping your vehicle with
winter tires approved for your vehicle model may
also require the purchase of two or four wheel
rims of the recommended size for use with these
winter tires. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for more information.

755 Technical data
Rims and tires
Same size tiresModel
S 450 4MATIC
S 550
S 550 4MATIC
S 450 4MATIC*
S 550 4MATIC*
S600
S550 (Sport Package*)
S600 (Sport Package*)
Rims (light alloy)
8.5 J x18 H2
8.5 J x 19 H2
8.5 J x18 H2
Wheel offset
1.69 in (43 mm)
1.69 in (43 mm)
1.69 in (43 mm)
Summer tires
1
1Radial-ply tires.
–
255/40 R19 96Y
–