2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S65AMG ABS

442 Controls in detail
Driving 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 409) 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.
iThe 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 programSuspension tuning
CComfortcomfortable
(default setting)
SSportsporty
for dynamic driving
Warning!G
S63AMG and S65AMG only:
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.
!S63AMG and S65AMG only:
When you switch off the engine, the entire vehi-
cle is lowered. When parking, position your vehi-
cle in such a way that it will not scrape against a
curb, for example, when it is lowered. Your vehi-
cle could otherwise be damaged.


527 Operation
Driving instructions
Driving instructions
Drive sensibly – save fuel
Fuel consumption, to a great extent,
depends on driving habits and operating
conditions.
To save fuel you should:

Keep tires at the recommended tire
inflation pressures.

Remove unnecessary loads.

Remove roof rack when not in use.

Allow engine to warm up under low
load use.

Avoid frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.

Have all maintenance work performed
at the intervals specified in the Mainte-
nance Booklet and as required by the
Maintenance System. Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Fuel consumption is also increased by driv-
ing in cold weather, in stop-and-go traffic,
on short trips, and in hilly area.
Drinking and drivingPedals
Power assistance
Warning!G
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs
and driving are very dangerous combina-
tions. Even a small amount of alcohol or
drugs can affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal ac-
cident are greatly increased when you drink
or take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or
taking drugs.
Warning!G
Make sure that absolutely no objects are ob-
structing the pedals’ range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all obsta-
cles. If there are any floormats or carpets in
the footwell, make sure the pedals still have
sufficient clearance. Otherwise this could
lead to accidents or injury.
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle.

533 Operation
Driving instructions
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of

All models except S 63 AMG and
S65AMG:
130 mph (210 km/h)

S 63 AMG:
S 65 AMG:
155 mph (250 km/h)

S 63 AMG with increased top speed*:
S 65 AMG with increased top speed*:
186 mph (300 km/h)
The factory equipped tires on your vehicle
may have a tire speed rating above the
maximum speed permitted by the elec-
tronic speed limiter.
Make sure your tires have the required tire
speed rating as specified for your vehicle in
the “Technical data” section (
page 718),
for example when purchasing new tires.
For information on how to identify the tire
speed rating on a tire’s sidewall, see “Tire
size designation, load and speed rating”
(
page 568).If you are uncertain about the correct read-
ing of the information given on a tire’s side-
wall, any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center will be glad to assist you.
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
or DISTRONIC Plus* system under such
conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever to neutral
positionN. Try to keep the vehicle under
control by corrective steering action.Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal braking effect.
Depressing the brake pedal periodically
when traveling at length on salt-strewn
roads can bring road-salt impaired braking
efficiency back to normal.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible af-
ter driving is resumed.
iFor information on speed ratings for winter
tires, see (
page 571) and (page 580).
iFor information on driving with snow chains,
see “Snow chains” (
page 581).
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of control loss.

571 Operation
Tires and wheels

Any tire with a speed capability above
186 mph (300 km/h) must include a
“ZR” in the size designation AND the
service description must be placed in
parenthesis.
Example: 275/40 ZR 18 (99Y).
The “(Y)” speed rating in parenthesis
designates the maximum speed capa-
bility of the tire as being above
186 mph (300 km/h). Consult the tire
manufacturer for the actual maximum
permissible speed of the tire.
All-season and winter tiresLoad identification
1Load identification
In addition to tire load rating, special load
identification1 may be molded into the
tire sidewall following the letter designat-
ing the tire speed rating6 (
page 568).
No specification given: absence of any text
(like in above example) indicates a
standard load (SL) tire.
XL (Extra Load): designates an extra load
(or reinforced) tire.
IndexSpeed rating
QM+S1
1or M+S.for winter tires
up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
TM+S1up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
HM+S1up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
VM+S1up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
iNot all M+S rated tires provide special win-
ter performance. Make sure the tires you use
show M+S and the mountain/snow-
flake
.marking on the tire sidewall. These
tires meet specific snow traction performance
requirements of the Rubber Manufacturers As-
sociation (RMA) and the Rubber Association of
Canada (RAC) and have been designed specifi-
cally for use in snow conditions.
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and may vary
from data shown in above illustration.

580 Operation
Winter driving
Before the onset of winter, have your
vehicle winterized at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. This service
includes:

Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze
concentration.

Addition of cleaning concentrate to the
water of the windshield and headlamp
cleaning system. Add MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate “MB Summerfit”
to a premixed windshield washer sol-
vent/antifreeze which is formulated for
below freezing temperatures
(
page 731).

Battery test. Battery capacity drops
with decreasing ambient temperature.
A well charged battery helps to make
sure that the engine can be started,
even at low ambient temperatures.

Tire change.
Winter tires
Always use winter tires at temperatures
below 45°F (7°C) and whenever wintry
road conditions prevail. Not all M+S rated
tires provide special winter performance.
Make sure the tires you use show the
mountain/snowflake.marking on the
tire sidewall. These tires meet specific
snow traction performance requirements
of the Rubber Manufacturers Association
(RMA) and the Rubber Association of Can-
ada (RAC) and have been designed specif-
ically for use in snow conditions. Use of
winter tires is the only way to achieve the
maximum effectiveness of the ABS, EBP,
ESP
® and 4MATIC in winter operation.
For safe handling, make sure that all
mounted winter tires are of the same make
and have the same tread design.Always observe the speed rating of the
winter tires installed on your vehicle. If the
maximum speed for which your tires are
rated is below the speed rating of your
vehicle, you must place a notice to this
effect where it will be seen by the driver.
Such notices are available from your tire
dealer or from any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
Winter tires with a tread depth of less than 1/6in (4 mm) must be replaced. They are no
longer suitable for winter operation.

598 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Lamps in instrument cluster
General information:
If any of the following lamps in the instru-
ment cluster fails to come on during the
bulb self-check when switching on the igni-
tion, have the respective bulb checked and
replaced if necessary.
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
-The yellow Antilock
Brake System (ABS)
indicator lamp comes on
while the engine is run-
ning.The ABS has detected a malfunction and
has switched off. The BAS, ESP®, EBP and
PRE-SAFE® are also switched off (see mes-
sages in multifunction display).
The brake system is still functioning nor-
mally but without the ABS available.
If the ABS control unit is malfunctioning,
other systems such as Parktronic*,
DISTRONIC Plus*, navigation system, Park
Assist* and the automatic transmission
may also be malfunctioning.
Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.
Read and observe messages in the mul-
tifunction display (
page 612).
Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increas-
es the risk of an accident.

599 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
-The yellow Antilock
Brake System (ABS)
indicator lamp comes on
while the engine is run-
ning.The charging voltage has fallen below
10 volts. The ABS has switched off.
The battery may not be charged sufficiently.When the voltage is above this value again,
the ABS is operational again and the ABS in-
dicator lamp should go out.
If the ABS indicator lamp does not go out:
Have the generator (alternator) and the
battery checked.
When the voltage is above this value again,
the ABS is operational again.
;
(USA only)
3
(Canada only)
-
v
The red brake warning
lamp comes on while the
engine is running. In addi-
tion, the yellow ABS mal-
function indicator lamp,
and the yellow ESP
®
warning lamp come on
and an acoustic warning
sounds.
A malfunction in the Electronic Brake Pro-
portioning (EBP) was detected. The ABS,
BAS, ESP
® and PRE-SAFE® are also
switched off (see messages in multifunction
display).
The brake system continues to function
normally, but without electronic support.
Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.
Read and observe messages in the mul-
tifunction display (
page 612).
Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increas-
es the risk of an accident.

600 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
-
vThe yellow ABS malfunc-
tion indicator lamp and
the yellow ESP
® warning
lamp come on while the
engine is running and an
acoustic warning sounds.
ABS and ESP® are switched off due to a
malfunction.
The BAS, EBP and PRE-SAFE
® are also
switched off.
The brake system is still functioning nor-
mally but without the ABS available.
Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.
Read and observe messages in the mul-
tifunction display (
page 612).
Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increas-
es the risk of an accident.
0
(USA only)
!
(Canada only)
The red indicator lamp
for the electronic parking
brake flashes and/or the
yellow warning lamp for
the electronic parking
brake is on.The electronic parking brake is malfunction-
ing or defective.Read and observe messages in the mul-
tifunction display (
page 612).
Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.