2012 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class ECU

XTo open: fold down the rear seat armrest.XPull handle : and fold down cover ;.
i
It will be easier to open the cover when
the rear seats are in the basic position.
Stowage pockets
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.
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 cargo
Cargo tie-down rings
Observe the following notes on securing
loads:
R secure the load using the cargo tie down
rings.
R do not use elastic straps or nets to secure
a load, as these are only intended as an
anti-slip protection for light loads.
R do not route tie downs across sharp edges
or corners.
R pad sharp edges for protection.
There are four cargo tie down rings in the
trunk.
Bag hooks
! The bag hook can bear a maximum load
of 6.6 lbs (3 kg). Do not use it to secure a
load.
Stowage areas435Stowing and featuresZ

Depending on the vehicle equipment,
ensure that when the roof carrier is
installed you can:
R raise the sliding sunroof fully
R open the panorama roof with power tilt/
sliding panel fully
R open the trunk lid fully
Attaching the roof carrierXOpen covers : carefully in the direction of
the arrow.XFold covers : upwards.XOnly secure the roof carrier to the
anchorage points under covers :.XObserve the manufacturer's installation
instructions.
Features
Cup holders
Important safety notes
GWARNING
In order to help prevent spilling liquids on
vehicle occupants and/or vehicle equipment,
only use containers that fit into the cup
holder. Use lids on open containers and do
not fill containers to a height where the
contents, especially hot liquids, could spill
during braking, vehicle maneuvers, or in an
accident. Liquids spilled on vehicle occupants
may cause serious personal injury. Liquids
spilled on vehicle equipment may cause
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
When not in use, keep the cup holder closed.
An open cup holder may cause injury to you
or others when contacted during braking,
vehicle maneuvers, or in an accident.
Keep in mind that objects placed in the cup
holder may come loose during braking,
vehicle maneuvers, or in an accident and be
thrown around in the vehicle interior. Objects
thrown around in the vehicle interior may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Cup holder in the front-compartment
center console
You can remove the cup holder to clean it.
Clean with clear, lukewarm water only.
XTo open: press marking :.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 on or support your body weight
on the rear seat armrest when it is folded
down, as you could otherwise damage it.
! Close the cup holder before folding the
rear seat armrest up. Otherwise, the cup
holder could be damaged.
Features437Stowing and featuresZ

Rear window roller sunblind
Important safety notesGWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. The children
could:
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
even if the SmartKey is removed from the
ignition lock or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system's
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.
GWARNING
When adjusting a roller sunblind, the roller
blind moves up or down. You might become
trapped in the process.
In the event of danger, briefly press the button
for the roller sunblind to change the roller
blind's direction of movement.
Extending/retracting from the driver's
seat
! Make sure that the roller sunblind can
move freely. Otherwise, the roller sunblind
or other objects could be damaged.
At temperatures below Ò4 ‡ ( Ò20 †), the
roller sunblind cannot be operated.XTo extend or retract: briefly press
button :.
The roller sunblind fully extends or fully
retracts.XTo stop: briefly press button : again.
The roller sunblind stops briefly and moves
back into the out-of-use position.
Extending/retracting from the rear
The switch is located on the rear door control
panel.
Extending
XPull switch : up and release it.
The roller sunblind extends fully.XTo stop: press switch : down briefly.
The roller sunblind stops briefly and then
retracts again.Features439Stowing and featuresZ

RetractingXPress switch : down past the point of
resistance and release it.
The roller sunblind retracts fully.XTo stop: pull switch : up.
The roller sunblind stops briefly and then
extends again.
Ashtray
Ashtray in the front-compartment
center console
XTo open: slide cover : forwards until it
engages.XTo remove insert: hold insert = by the
ribbing at the sides and lift it up ; and out.XTo re-install the insert: press insert =
into the holder until it engages.XTo close: press cover : briefly at the
front.
The cover moves back.
Ashtray in the rear-compartment center
console
The ashtrays are located in the rear doors.
XTo open: lift up cover ;.XTo remove the insert: press open
cover ; past the stop.
Insert : pops out of the holder.XLift insert : up and out.XTo install the insert: install insert : from
above into the holder and press down into
the holder until it engages.
Cigarette lighter
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. The children
could:
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
even if the SmartKey is removed from the
ignition lock or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function
440FeaturesStowing and features

found on the reverse side of the remote
control).
The integrated garage door opener is
compatible with devices that can be
operated with units in a frequency range of
280 to 390 MHz.
R change the batteries in garage door remote
control A. This increases the probability
that garage door remote control A will
send a strong and precise signal to the
integrated garage door opener on the rear-
view mirror.
R when programming, hold garage door
remote control A at different distances
and angles from the transmitter button that
you are programming. Try different angles
at a distance between 2 and 12 inches (5
to 30 cm) or the same angle at varying
distances.
R if another remote control for the same
garage door drive is available, repeat the
same programming steps with this remote
control. Before you perform the steps of the
operation, make sure that there are new
batteries in the garage door remote
control.
R note that some remote controls only
transmit for a limited amount of time (the
indicator lamp on the remote control goes
out). Press the remote control button again
before it stops transmitting.
R align the antenna cable of the garage door
opener unit. This can improve signal
reception/transmission.
Opening/closing the garage door
Once programmed, the integrated garage
door opener will assume the function of the
garage door system's remote control. Please
also read the operating instructions for the
garage door system.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.XPress transmitter button ;, = or ? in the
overhead control panel that you have
programmed to operate the garage door.
Garage door system with a fixed code:
indicator lamp : lights up green.
Garage door system with a rolling code:
indicator lamp : flashes green.
i
The transmitter will transmit a signal for
as long as the transmitter button is being
pressed. After a maximum of ten seconds,
transmission is terminated and indicator
lamp : flashes yellow. Press the
transmitter button again, if necessary.
Clearing the memory of the integrated
garage door opener on the rear-view
mirror
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.XPress transmitter buttons ; and ?.
The indicator lamp lights up yellow.XPress and hold transmitter buttons ;
and ? until the indicator lamp turns green.
i
Make sure that you clear the memory of
the integrated garage door opener before
selling the vehicle.
Floormat on the driver's side
GWARNING
Whenever you are using a floormat, make sure
there is enough clearance and that the
floormat is securely fastened.
The floormat should always be securely
fastened using the fastening equipment.
Before driving off, check that the floormat is
securely in place and adjust it if necessary. A
loose floormat could slip and hinder proper
functioning of the pedals.
Do not place several floormats on top of each
other as this may impair pedal movement.
Features453Stowing and featuresZ

When the hood is open, you or others could
be injured by the wiper linkage.
Make sure that the windshield wipers are
switched off. Remove the SmartKey or make
sure that no ignition position has been
selected with KEYLESS-GO. All indicator
lamps must be off in the instrument cluster.XPull release lever : for the hood.
The hood is released.
! Make sure that the windshield wipers are
not folded away from the windshield. You
could otherwise damage the windshield
wipers or the hood.
XPull hood catch handle ; outwards from
the radiator grill as far as it will go and lift
the hood from underneath by the radiator
grill.
Once you have lifted the hood about
15 inches (40 cm), it is automatically
opened the rest of the way and held open
by the gas-filled struts.! Do not lift the hood by hood catch
handle ;. The handle may otherwise be
damaged.
Closing the hoodGWARNING
When closing the hood, use extreme caution
not to catch hands or fingers. Be careful that
you do not close the hood on anyone.
Make sure the hood is securely engaged
before driving off. Do not continue driving if
the hood can no longer engage after an
accident, for example. The hood could
otherwise come loose while the vehicle is in
motion and injure you and/or others.
XLower the hood and let it fall from a height
of approximately 8 inches (20 cm).XCheck that the hood has engaged properly.
If the hood can be raised slightly, it is not
properly engaged. Open it again and close
it with a little more force.
Radiator
i Vehicles with a diesel engine: do not
cover the radiator, for example with a
winter front or bug cover. Otherwise, the
readings of the on-board-diagnostic
system may be inaccurate. Some of these
readings are required by law and must be
accurate at all times.
Engine oil
Notes on the oil level
GWARNING
Hybrid vehicles: ensure that you read the
"HYBRID" supplement. You may otherwise fail
to recognize dangers.
Depending on the driving style, the vehicle
consumes up to 0.9 US qts. (0.8 l) of oil over
a distance of 600 miles (1000 km). The oil
Engine compartment457Maintenance and careZ

XTurn cap : counterclockwise and remove
it.XAdd engine oil.
Vehicles with oil level measurement
function in the on-board computer: observe
the information in the on-board computer
when doing so. Vehicles with oil dipstick: if
the oil level is at or below the MIN mark on
the oil dipstick,
add 0.55 to 1.1 US qt (0.5 to 1.0 l) engine
oil.XReplace cap : on the filler neck and turn
clockwise.
Ensure that the cap locks into place
securely.XCheck the oil level again with the oil
dipstick ( Y page 458) or the on-board
computer ( Y page 458).
Further information on engine oil
( Y page 527).
Checking and adding other service
products
Checking the coolant level
Only check the coolant level when the vehicle
is on a level surface and the engine has cooled
down.
XTurn the SmartKey to position
2 (Y page 303) in the ignition lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, press the
Start/Stop button twice ( Y page 303).XCheck the coolant temperature display in
the instrument cluster.
The coolant temperature must be below
158 ‡ (70 †).GWARNING
In order to avoid any potentially serious burns:
R 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 display indicates
that the coolant is overheated.
R do not remove the pressure cap on the
coolant reservoir if the coolant temperature
is above 158 ‡ (70 †). Allow the engine to
cool down before removing the cap. The
coolant reservoir contains hot fluid and is
under pressure.
R using a rag, slowly turn the cap
approximately 1
/ 2 turn to relieve excess
pressure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out under
pressure.
R do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts.XSlowly turn cap : half a turn counter-
clockwise and allow excess pressure to
escape.XTurn cap : further counter-clockwise and
remove it.
If the coolant is at the level of marker bar
= in the filler neck when cold, there is
enough coolant in coolant expansion
tank ;.
If the coolant is approximately 0.6 in
(1.5 cm) above marker bar = in the filler
neck when warm, there is enough coolant
in coolant expansion tank ;.460Engine compartmentMaintenance and care

Always have paintwork repairs performed
at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
! Do not use wash programs with a hot wax
treatment under any circumstances.
i The vehicle should preferably be washed
by hand using a soft sponge, car shampoo
and plenty of water.
i Use only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of recommended and
approved Mercedes-Benz care products.
Cleaning the windowsGWARNING
Before cleaning the windshield or wiper
blades, switch off the windshield wipers and
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, press the
Start/Stop button repeatedly until all
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster have
gone out. The windshield wipers could
otherwise move and injure you.
! Only fold the windshield wipers away from
the windshield when vertical. Otherwise,
you will damage the hood.
XClean the inside and outside of the
windows with a damp cloth and a cleaning
agent that is recommended and approved
by Mercedes-Benz.
! Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing
solvents to clean the inside of the windows.
Do not touch the insides of the windows
with hard objects, e.g. an ice scraper or
ring. There is otherwise a risk of damaging
the windows.
! Clean the water drainage channels of the
windshield and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals
and pollen may under certain
circumstances prevent water from draining
away. This can lead to corrosion damage
and damage to electronic components.
Cleaning the wiper bladesGWARNING
Before cleaning the windshield or wiper
blades, switch off the windshield wipers and
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, press the
Start/Stop button repeatedly until all
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster have
gone out. The windshield wipers could
otherwise move and injure you.
! Only fold the windshield wipers away from
the windshield when vertical. Otherwise,
you will damage the hood.
! Do not pull the wiper blade. Otherwise,
the wiper blade could be damaged.
! Do not clean wiper blades too often and
do not rub them too hard. Otherwise, the
graphite coating could be damaged. This
could cause wiper noise.
XFold the wiper arms away from the
windshield.XCarefully clean the wiper blades with a
damp cloth.XFold the windshield wipers back again
before switching on the ignition.
! Hold the wiper arm securely when folding
back. The windshield could be damaged if
the wiper arm smacks against it suddenly.
Cleaning the exterior lighting
XClean the plastic lenses of the exterior
lights with a wet sponge and a mild cleaning
agent, e.g. Mercedes-Benz car shampoo or
cleaning cloths.
! Only use cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths which are suitable for plastic light
lenses. Unsuitable cleaning agents or
cleaning cloths could scratch or damage
the plastic light lenses.
466CareMaintenance and care