2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S63AMG display

516 Controls in detail
Useful features
Destination Download to the COMAND
System
Destination Download allows you access
to a database of over 10,000,000 points of
interest (POIs) that can be downloaded to
your vehicle’s navigation system. If you
know the destination the address can be
downloaded. Or if you are unsure of your
destination you can be provided with
points of interests near your location.
The Response Center can transmit desti-
nation data to the COMAND during the
connection with the Roadside Assistance
or Customer Assistance Center.
The transmitted data can contain address
details for a Mercedes-Benz Center or POIs
(points of interest).Route guidance
A prompt appears for confirmation if route
guidance to the address is to be started.
Slide rmq or rotate ymz to select
“Yes” menu item and confirm by
pressingn.
The system starts the route calculation
and subsequently the route guidance
to the defined address (
page 159).
Call priority
If other service calls such as a Roadside
Assistance call or Information call are ac-
tive, an emergency call is still possible. In
this case, the emergency call will take pri-
ority and override all other active calls.
iThe components and operating principles of
COMAND can be found on (
page 85).
iIf you select “No”, you can save the address
in your address book (
page 224).
iThe destination download feature is avail-
able if the relevant mobile phone network is
available and data connection is possible.
iThe indicator lamp in the respective button
flashes until the call is concluded. Calls can only
be terminated by a Response Center or Custom-
er Assistance Center representative except
Roadside Assistance and Information calls,
which can also be terminated by pressing
buttont on the multifunction steering wheel
or COMAND (
page 132).
!If the indicator lamp continues to flash or
the system does not terminate the call at all,
contact the Response Center at
1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada), or Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) in the USA or Customer Ser-
vice at 1-800-387-0100 in Canada.
iWhen a Tele Aid call has been initiated, the
audio system is muted. The optional mobile
phone (if installed) switches off. If you must use
this phone, the vehicle must be parked. Unplug
the telephone, switch it on and place the call.
The COMAND navigation system (if engaged) will
continue to run. The multifunction display in the
instrument cluster is available for use, but spo-
ken commands are not available.

517 Controls in detail
Useful features
Remote door unlock
In case you have locked your vehicle unin-
tentionally (e.g. SmartKey inside vehicle),
and the reserve SmartKey is not handy:
Contact the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
You will be asked to provide your pass-
word which you provided when you
completed the subscriber agreement.
or
Contact the Tele Aid web page via In-
ternet using the ID and password sent
to you shortly after the completion of
your acquaintance call.
Then return to your vehicle and pull the
trunk lid handle for a minimum of
20 seconds until the SOS button be-
gins to flash.
The message: “Call connecting” ap-
pears in the multifunction display and
the SOS button is flashing.
The Response Center will then unlock
your vehicle with the remote door un-
locking feature.Remote door lock
If you have forgotten to lock your vehicle
and are no longer near it, you can have it
locked remotely through the Response
Center.
The vehicle can be remotely locked within
4 days after the ignition has been switched
off.
Contact the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
You will be asked to provide your pass-
word which you provided when you
completed the subscriber agreement.
When you are inside your vehicle the next
time and switch on the ignition, the mes-
sage “Tele Aid Doors locked by remote con-
trol” will appear on the multifunction
display.
iYou can exit Roadside Assistance and/ or
the information display during an active connec-
tion and call up the COMAND application last se-
lected. To do so, select “Back”. Meanwhile,
mute remains active (
page 85).
iThe remote door unlock feature is available
if the relevant mobile phone network is available
and data connection is possible.
The SOS button will flash and the message: “Call
connecting” appears in the multifunction display
to indicate receipt of the door unlock command.
Once the vehicle is unlocked, a Response Center
specialist might attempt to establish voice con-
tact with the vehicle occupants.
If the trunk lid handle was pulled for more than
20 seconds before door unlock authorization
was received by the Response Center, you must
wait 15 minutes before pulling the trunk lid han-
dle again.
iThe remote door lock feature is available if
the relevant mobile phone network is available
and data connection is possible.

528 Operation
Driving instructions
Brakes
To help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only sub-
jected to moderate loads, you should occa-
sionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.Refer to the description of the Brake Assist
System (BAS or BAS Plus*) (
page 68).
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid level in
the reservoir.
The brake fluid level in the reservoir may
be too low if the red brake warning lamp in
the instrument cluster comes on while the
engine is running and an acoustic warning
sounds (
page 601). Observe additional
messages in the multifunction display that
may appear (
page 612).
Have the brake system inspected
immediately. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking
effect. Maintain a safe distance from
vehicles in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an
accident.
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine and ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1 or
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* in position0
or1) when

the electronic parking brake is being tested
on a brake test dynamometer

the vehicle is being towed with the
front/rear axle raised
Active braking action through the ESP
® may oth-
erwise seriously damage the brake system.
Warning!G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking ma-
neuvers.

529 Operation
Driving instructions
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only install brake pads and brake fluid
recommended by Mercedes-Benz.After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
park, so that the air stream can cool down
the brakes faster.
High-performance brake system
(S 63 AMG and S 65 AMG only)
The high-performance brake system is de-
signed to operate under the extremely high
operating demands required to accommo-
date the performance capabilities of the
vehicle. The brakes may produce a squeak-
ing-type noise depending on the

vehicle speed

brake force applied

ambient conditions, e.g. temperature
and humidity
As with any brake system, the wear of indi-
vidual brake system components such as
brake pads or disks strongly depends on
your driving style and the conditions under which you operate the vehicle. Thus, a driv-
ing style calling for high demand braking
will cause your vehicle’s brakes to wear
more quickly.
Warning!G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.
!When driving down long and steep grades,
relieve the load on the brakes by shifting into a
lower gear to use the engine’s braking power.
This helps prevent overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear.
When using the engine’s braking power, a drive
wheel may not spin for an extended period of
time, e.g. on slippery road surfaces.
This may cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
Warning!G
New vehicle brake pads and discs, and
replacement brake pads and discs may take
several hundred miles of driving until they
provide optimum braking efficiency. Until
that time, you may need to use increased
brake pedal pressure while braking. Please
be aware of this and adjust your driving and
braking accordingly during this break-in
period.
Excessive high demand braking will cause
correspondingly high brake wear. Please be
attentive to the brake warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and brake condition mes-
sages in the multifunction display. Especial-
ly for high performance driving, it is
important to maintain and have the brake
system checked regularly.

543 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 344).
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:
“Engine oil level
Measuring now
Correct measurement
only if 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.
iThe menu overview can be found on
(
page 266).


544 Operation
Engine compartment
One 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 546).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 724) and
(
page 728).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,
turn on ignition”
Switch on the ignition (page 344).
If you see the message
“Waiting period for,
engine oil level
not complete”
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 when engine on”
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:
“Engine oil level
Reduce 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 659).
iIf 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.


545 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick (S 550 and S 63 AMG)
To check the engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, do the following:
Open the hood (page 541).
Example illustration from S 550
1Oil dipstick
2Upper mark
3Lower mark
Example illustration from S 550 4matic
1Oil dipstick
2Upper mark
3Lower mark
Pull out oil dipstick1.
Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.
Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the dip-
stick guide tube.
Pull out oil dipstick1 again after ap-
proximately 3 seconds to obtain accu-
rate reading.
The oil level is correct when it is between
lower mark3 (min.) and upper mark2
(max.) of the oil dipstick.
If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil (
page 546).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 724) and
(
page 728).
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(
page 612).
iS 550 only:
The filling quantity between the upper and lower
marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
iS 63 AMG only:
The filling quantity between the upper and lower
marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
1.6 US qt. (1.5 l).

547 Operation
Engine compartment
Active Body Control* (ABC*) fluid level
Regular fluid level check is not required. If
you notice fluid leaks or malfunction mes-
sages in the multifunction display, have an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center check
the ABC-system.Coolant level
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze.
When checking the coolant level,

the vehicle must be parked on level
ground

the coolant temperature must be be-
low 158°F (70°C)
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the passenger side of the engine compart-
ment.
Example illustration from S 550
1Cap
2Coolant expansion tank
Warning!G
In order to avoid potentially serious burns:

Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates that the coolant is overheated.

Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if coolant temperature is
above 158°F (70°C). Allow engine to
cool down before removing cap. The
coolant reservoir contains hot fluid and
is under pressure.

Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately 1/2 turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.

Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.