2011 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class weight

Vehicle equipment
i This manual describes all the standard
and optional equipment of your vehicle
which was available at the time of
purchase. Country-specific differences are
possible. Bear in mind that your vehicle
may not feature all functions described
here. This also refers to safety-related
systems and functions.
Loading guidelines
GWarning!
Always fasten items being carried as securely
as possible. Use cargo tie-down rings and
fastening materials appropriate for the weight
and size of the load.
In an accident, during hard braking or sudden
maneuvers, loose items will be thrown around
inside the vehicle. This can cause injury to
vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a collision
or sudden maneuver, exercise care when
transporting cargo. Do not pile luggage or
cargo higher than the seat backrests.
The trunk is the preferred place to carry
objects.
Never drive a vehicle with the trunk open.
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in
unconsciousness and death.
The handling characteristics of a laden
vehicle are dependent on the distribution of
the load within the vehicle. For this reason,
you should observe the following notes when
transporting a load:
R when transporting a load, never exceed the
maximum permissible gross vehicle weight
or the permissible axle loads for the vehicle
(including occupants). The values are
specified on the vehicle identification plate
on the B-pillar of the driver's door.
R position heavy loads as far forwards as
possible and as low down in the trunk as
possible.
R the load must not protrude above the upper
edge of the seat backrests.
R always place the load against the rear seat
backrests.
R always place the load behind unoccupied
seats if possible.
R secure the load with sufficiently strong and
wear-resistant lashing material. Pad sharp
edges for protection.
Stowage compartments
Important safety notes
GWarning!
To help avoid personal injury during a collision
or sudden maneuver, exercise care when
storing objects in the vehicle. Put luggage or
cargo in the trunk if possible.
Do not pile luggage or cargo higher than the
seat backrests.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
R braking
R vehicle maneuvers
R an accident
Stowage compartments in the front
Glove box
i Depending on the vehicle's equipment,
you will find the following installed in the
glove box: an audio and video AUX jack, a
USB socket or Media Interface, a universal
interface for portable audio equipment, e.g.
for an iPod or USB device, and a bracket for
a remote control (see the COMAND section
of this Operator's Manual.
422Stowage compartmentsLoading, stowing and features

Coat hooks
The coat hooks are located on the left and
right in the headliner in the rear
compartment.
! Only hang light loads on the coat hooks.
Do not place a load of more than 6.6 lbs
(3 kg) on the coat hooks.
XTo open: press coat hook :.
The coat hooks fold out.
XTo close: press coat hook : until it
engages.
Stowage compartments in the rear
Stowage compartment in the rear seat
armrest
! Do not sit or lean your bodyweight on the
armrests when they are folded out as you
could damage them.
! Close the cover of the stowage
compartment before folding the rear seat
armrest back into the seat backrest.
Vehicles without a control panel in the rear seatarmrest
XTo open: fold down the seat armrest.XPull handle : and fold the armrest
upwards.
Vehicles with a control panel in the rear seatarmrest
XTo open: press button : and fold up the
armrest.
Stowage box between the rear seats
XTo open: pull handle : backwards in the
direction of the arrow.
424Stowage compartmentsLoading, stowing and features

Stowage box in the rear seat backrest
! Do not sit or lean your bodyweight on the
armrests when they are folded out as you
could damage them.
XTo open: fold down the rear seat armrest.XPull handle : and fold down cover ;.
iIt will be easier to open the cover when
the rear seats are in the basic position.
Storage bags
GWarning!
Storage bags are intended for storing light-
weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
storage bag. In an accident, during hard
braking, or sudden maneuvers, they could be
thrown around inside the vehicle and cause
injury to vehicle occupants.
Storage bags cannot protect transported
goods in the event of an accident.
Storage bags are located in the rear
compartment on the driver's and front-
passenger seat backrests.
Stowage areas
Parcel nets
GWarning
Parcel nets are intended for storing light-
weight items only, such as road maps, mail,
etc.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges, or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
parcel nets. In an accident, during hard
braking, or sudden maneuvers, they could be
thrown around inside the vehicle and cause
injury to vehicle occupants.
Parcel nets cannot protect transported goods
in the event of an accident.
Parcel nets are located in the front-passenger
footwell and on the left and right-hand sides
of the trunk.
Securing cargos
Cargo tie down rings
Observe the following notes on securing
loads:
Rsecure the load using the cargo tie down
rings.
Rdo not use elastic straps or nets to secure
a load, as these are only intended as an
anti-slip protection for light loads.
Rdo not route tie downs across sharp edges
or corners.
Rpad sharp edges for protection.
There are four cargo tie down rings in the
trunk.
Stowage areas425Loading, stowing and featuresZ

XTo open: press marking ; at the front.XTo remove: slide catch : back and pull
the cup holder upwards.
XTo insert: insert the cup holder and slide
catch : forwards.
Cup holder in the rear seat armrest
! Do not sit or lean your bodyweight on the
armrests when they are folded out as you
could damage them.
Vehicles without multicontour seats in the rearcompartment
Vehicles without Rear Seat Entertainment System
Vehicles with Rear Seat Entertainment System
XTo open: fold down the rear armrest.XPress the marking on the front of cup
holder :.
XTo close: slide the cup holder back until it
engages.
Sun visors
Overview of sun visors
GWarning
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the vanity mirrors in the sun visors
closed while the vehicle is in motion.
Reflected glare can endanger you and others.
:Mirror light;Bracket=Retaining clip, e.g. for a car park ticket?Vanity mirrorAMirror cover428FeaturesLoading, stowing and features

Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
GWarning
Hybrid vehicles: ensure that you read the
"HYBRID" supplement. You may otherwise fail
to recognize dangers.
GWarning
If you tow the vehicle, you must use a rigid
towing bar if:
R the engine will not run.
R there is a malfunction in the brake system.
R there is a malfunction in the power supply
or the vehicle's electrical system.
With the engine not running, there is no power
assistance for the brake and steering
systems. You will then need considerably
more force to steer and to brake and the
brake pedal travel will be longer. If necessary,
depress the brake pedal with maximum force.
Before towing away, make sure that the
steering can be moved and is not locked.
If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum
permissible gross vehicle weight of your
vehicle.
GWarning
The vehicle is braked when the HOLD function
or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore,
deactivate HOLD and DISTRONIC PLUS if the
vehicle is to be towed.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
! You may only tow the vehicle a maximum
distance of 30 miles (50 km). A towing
speed of 30 mph (50 km/h) must not be
exceeded.
For towing distances over 30 miles
(50 km), the vehicle must loaded onto a
transporter.
! Make sure that the electric parking brake
is released. If the electric parking brake is
faulty, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
this purpose.
! Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could
be damaged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
as this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
! Drive slowly and smoothly when towing.
Excessive tractive power could otherwise
damage the vehicles.
! Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage the vehicle.
! When towing vehicles with KEYLESS-GO,
use the key instead of the Start/Stop
button. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission may shift to position P when
the driver's or front-passenger door are
opened, which could lead to damage to the
transmission.
! Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be started by tow-starting. This
could otherwise damage the transmission.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised. This could
otherwise damage the transmission.
The automatic transmission must be in
position N when the vehicle is being towed.
Make sure that the battery is connected and
charged. You will otherwise not be able to:
R turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.
R shift the automatic transmission to
position N.
i Switch off the automatic locking feature
before the vehicle is towed ( Y page 261).
Otherwise, you could lock yourself out of
the vehicle when pushing or towing the
vehicle.Towing and tow-starting473Roadside assistanceZ

XPress the 9 or : button to select
Tire Pressure .XPress the a button.
The current tire pressure of each wheel or
the Tire Pressures Displayed After
Driving A Few Minutes message is
shown in the multifunction display.XPress the : button.
The Use Current Pressures as New
Reference Values message appears in
the multifunction display.
If you wish to confirm the restart:
XPress the a button.
The Tire Pressure Monitor
Restarted message appears in the
multifunction display.
After driving for a few minutes, the system
checks whether the current tire pressures
are within the specified range. The new tire
pressures are then accepted as reference
values and monitored.
If you wish to cancel the restart:
XPress the % button.
The tire pressure values stored at the last
restart will continue to be monitored.
Loading the vehicle
Instruction labels for tires and loads
GWarning
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information placard on the
driver's door B-pillar. Overloading the tires
can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also result
in handling or steering problems, or brake
failure.
Two instruction labels on your vehicle show
the maximum possible load.
(1)The Tire and Loading Information placard
is on the B-pillar on the driver's side. TheTire and Loading Information placard
shows the maximum possible number of
occupants and the maximum possible
vehicle load. It also contains details of the
tire sizes and corresponding pressures
for tires mounted at the factory.(2)The vehicle identification plate is on the
B-pillar on the driver's side. The vehicle
identification plate informs you of the
gross vehicle weight rating. It is made up
of the vehicle weight, all vehicle
occupants, the fuel and the cargo. You
can also find information about the
maximum gross axle weight rating of the
front and rear axle.
The maximum gross axle weight rating is
the maximum weight that can be carried
by one axle (front or rear axle). Never
exceed the maximum load or the
maximum gross axle weight rating for the
front or rear axle.:B-pillar, driver's side
Maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight rating
i The details on the Tire and Loading
Information placard illustration are only an
example. The maximum permissible gross
vehicle weight rating is vehicle-specific and
may differ from that which is illustrated.
You can find the valid maximum
permissible gross vehicle weight rating for
your vehicle on the Tire and Loading
Information placard.
490Loading the vehicleTires and wheels

XThe Tire and Loading Information placard
gives you details on maximum permissible
gross vehicle weight rating :: "The gross
weight of occupants and luggage must
never exceed XXX kilograms or XXX
pounds."
The gross weight of all vehicle occupants,
cargo, luggage and trailer load/noseweight (if
applicable) must not exceed the specified
value.
Number of seats
i The details on the Tire and Loading
Information placard illustration are only an
example. The number of seats is vehicle-
specific and can differ from the details
shown. The number of seats in your vehicle
can be found on the Tire and Loading
Information placard.
Maximum number of seats : determines the
maximum number of occupants allowed to
travel in the vehicle. This information can be
found on the Tire and Loading Information
placard.Loading the vehicle491Tires and wheelsZ

Determining the maximum load
The following steps have been developed as required of all manufacturers under Title 49, Code
of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part 575 pursuant to the "National Traffic and Motor Vehicle
Safety Act of 1966".XStep 1: Locate the statement "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs." on your vehicle's Tire and Loading Information placard.XStep 2: Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be traveling
in your vehicle.XStep 3: Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX kilograms or
XXX lbs.XStep 4: The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the "XXX" amount equals 1,400 lbs and there will be five 150 lb passengers
in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs (1,400
- 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).X Step 5: Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle.
For reasons of safety, that weight must not exceed the available cargo and luggage cargo
capacity calculated in step 4.XStep 6 (if applicable): If you intend to tow a trailer behind your vehicle, the load on the
trailer is transferred to your vehicle. Consult this Operator's Manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle ( Y page 494).
The following table shows examples on how to calculate total and cargo load capacities with
varying seating configurations and number and size of occupants. The following examples use
a cargo limit of 1,500 lbs (680 kg). This is for illustration purposes only. Make sure you
always use the actual load limit for your vehicle stated on the vehicle's Tire and Loading
Information placard ( Y page 491).
Example 1Example 2Example 3Step 1Combined maximum
weight of occupants
and cargo (data from
the Tire and Loading
Information placard)1500 lbs
(680 kg)1500 lbs
(680 kg)1500 lbs
(680 kg)Example 1Example 2Example 3Step 2Number of people in
the vehicle (driver
and occupants)531Distribution of the
occupantsFront: 2
Rear: 3Front: 1
Rear: 2Front: 1492Loading the vehicleTires and wheels