2016 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class SEDAN check engine

Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all models
and all standard and optional equipment of
your vehicle available at the time of publica-
tion of the Operator's Manual. Country-spe-
cific differences are possible. Please note
that your vehicle may not be equipped with all
features described. This also applies to
safety-related systems and functions.
iRead the information on qualified specialist
workshops (Ypage 28).
Hybrid vehicles
General notes
Hybrid technology combines a fuel efficient
internal combustion engine with a powerful
electric motor.
Important safety notes
Danger of electric shock
GDANGER
The vehicle's high-voltage electrical system is under high voltage. If you modify components
in the vehicle's high-voltage electrical system
or touch damaged components, you may be
electrocuted. The components in the vehi-
cle's high-voltage electrical system may be
damaged in an accident, although the damage
is not visible. There is a risk of fatal injury.
Following an accident, do not touch any high-
voltage components and never modify the
vehicle's high-voltage electrical system. Have
the vehicle towed away after an accident and
the vehicle's high-voltage electrical system
checked by a qualified specialist workshop.
When towing a vehicle after an accident, be sure
to observe the following sections:
RTransporting the vehicle (Ypage 381)
RTowing a vehicle with both axles on the
ground (Ypage 380)
Read the safety instructions on towing and tow-
starting (
Ypage 379).
All components of the hybrid drive system are
marked with yellow warning stickers that warn
you of the danger of high voltage. The cables of
the vehicle's high-voltage electrical system are
orange in color.
The ignition must be switched off when carrying
out general tasks, such as adding washer fluid to
the windshield washer system or checking the
coolant level.
Automatic switching off of the hybrid
drive system
If components of the restraint system are acti-
vated during an accident, the hybrid drive sys-
tem is automatically deactivated.
The hybrid drive system is not activated when
the vehicle is started if:
Ran electrical short circuit is detected in the
hybrid drive system
Ran electrical connection in the hybrid drive
system is disconnected
This ensures that you do not come into contact
with high voltage.
Manual switching off of the hybrid drive
system
The hybrid drive system can be deactivated
manually using the high voltage switch-off
device.
!To prevent damage to the hybrid drive sys-
tem please observe the following instruc-
tions:
Ronly deactivate the hybrid drive system
manually in the following situations.
Rwork on the hybrid drive system may only
be carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop, even when it has been deactivated
manually.
42Hybrid vehicles
Safety

Deactivate the hybrid system manually if:
Rthe6 restraint system warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up after an accident
Rthe vehicle is badly damaged, e.g. after an
accident, and the restraint system compo-
nents were not activated
Rthe vehicle is badly damaged and has to be
towed or transported
XIf possible, move the vehicle out of the
danger zone: shift the automatic transmis-
sion into position N.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XRoll the vehicle to a safe place and park it
safely.
Get assistance from others if necessary.
iThe vehicle is locked automatically when
the ignition is switched on and the wheels are
turning. There is therefore a risk of being
locked out if the vehicle is being pushed or
tested on a dynamometer.
XSwitch the ignition off.
XShift the automatic transmission to park posi-
tion P(Ypage 170).
Depress the electric parking brake
(
Ypage 190).
Secure the vehicle against rolling away
(
Ypage 406).
XTo use the high-voltage switch-off device:
open the trunk lid.
XLift the trunk floor upwards (Ypage 329).
XRemove the right-hand paneling in the trunk.
XPress release clip :in the direction of the
arrow and pull it out.
XPull the high voltage switch-off device ;
apart until it engages in the stop position.
If the hybrid drive system has been deactivated
due to reasons mentioned above, have it checked at a qualified specialist workshop
before reactivation.
High-voltage battery
GWARNING
In the event of a vehicle fire, the internal pres- sure of the high-voltage battery can exceed a
critical value. In this case flammable gas
escapes through a ventilation valve on the
underbody. The gas can ignite. There is a risk
of injury.
Leave the danger zone immediately. Secure
the danger area at a suitable distance, whilst
observing legal requirements.
GWARNING
If the housing of the high-voltage battery has
been damaged, electrolyte and gases may
leak out. These are poisonous and caustic.
There is a risk of injury.
Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing.
Immediately rinse electrolyte splashes off
with water and seek medical attention
straight away.
!Exhaustive discharge caused by the vehicle
standing idle for lengthy periods can damage
the high-voltage battery.
Hybrid vehicles: if the vehicle is idle for
lengthy periods, run it for a few minutes once every six weeks to charge up the high-voltage
battery. During the charging process, switch
off all electrical consumers, e.g. the auto-
matic climate control or the seat heating.
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles: make sure that
the high-voltage battery is connected to a
charging station during long periods when the
vehicle is standing idle.
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles: charging the high-
voltage battery (
Ypage 180).
Engine compartment
Before opening the hood:
XApply the electric parking brake.
XShift the automatic transmission to park posi-
tion P.
XSwitch the ignition off.
Hybrid vehicles43
Safety
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Information on restraint system operation can
be found under "Triggering of the Emergency
Tensioning Devices and air bags" (
Ypage 57).
For information on children traveling with you in
the vehicle and on child restraint systems, see
"Children in the vehicle" (
Ypage 61).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Modifications to the restraint system may
cause it to no longer work as intended. The
restraint system may then not perform its
intended protective function and may fail in an
accident or trigger unexpectedly, for example.
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify parts of the restraint system.
Never tamper with the wiring, the electronic
components or their software.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
details. USA only: for further information con-
tact our Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1‑800‑367‑6372).
Restraint system warning lamp
The functions of the restraint system are
checked after the ignition is switched on and at regular intervals while the engine is running.
Therefore, malfunctions can be detected in
good time.
The 6 restraint system warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition is
switched on. It goes out no later than a few sec- onds after the vehicle is started. The compo-
nents of the restraint system are in operational
readiness.
A malfunction has occurred if the 6restraint
system warning lamp:
Rdoes not light up after the ignition is switched
on
Rdoes not go out after a few seconds with the
engine running
Rlights up again while the engine is running
All vehicles, except hybrid vehicles:
GWARNING
If restraint system is malfunctioning, restraint
system components may be triggered unin-
tentionally or might not be triggered at all in
the event of an accident with a high rate of
vehicle deceleration. This can affect the Emer- gency Tensioning Device or air bag, for exam-
ple. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired in a qualified specialist workshop as
soon as possible.
Hybrid vehicles:
GDANGER
If the restraint system is malfunctioning, indi- vidual restraint system components may be
triggered unintentionally or might not be trig-
gered at all in the event of an accident with a
high rate of vehicle deceleration. This could
affect Emergency Tensioning Devices or air
bags, for example. The vehicle's high-voltage
electrical system may also not be deactivated
as intended in the event of an accident. You
could suffer an electric shock if you touch the
damaged components of the vehicle's high-
voltage electrical system. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. Immediately switch off the ignition
and remove the SmartKey from the ignition
lock after an accident.
Occupant safety45
Safety
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cle occupants. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
RABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
(Ypage 68)
RBAS ( Brake Assist System) (Ypage 69)
RBAS PLUS ( BrakeAssist System PLUS) with
Cross-Traffic Assist (Ypage 69)
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
(Ypage 71)
RESP®( E lectronic StabilityProgram)
(Ypage 73)
REBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(Ypage 75)
RADAPTIVE BRAKE (Ypage 75)
RPRE-SAFE®Brake (Ypage 75)
RSTEER CONTROL (Ypage 77)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor override the laws of physics. Driving safety systems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for maintaining the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time, and for staying in lane. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road and weather conditions and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The driving safety systems described only work as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quate contact between the tires and the road
surface. Pay particular attention to the informa-
tion regarding tires, recommended minimum
tire tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and tires"
section (
Ypage 384). In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow chains.
Only in this way will the driving safety systems
described in this section work as effectively as
possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that
the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steering the vehicle when
braking.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface conditions.
ABS works on slippery surfaces, even when you
only brake gently.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 68).
GWARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp (
Ypage 316) and dis-
play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (
Ypage 278).
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit-
uation is over.
XTo make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.
68Driving safety systems
Safety

There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause Adaptive Brake Assist to inter-
vene.
If adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to a
malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system remains available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS.
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 68).
ESP
®monitors driving stability and traction, i.e.
power transmission between the tires and the
road surface.
If ESP
®detects that the vehicle is deviating from
the direction desired by the driver, one or more
wheels are braked to stabilize the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the vehi-
cle on the desired course within physical limits.
ESP
®assists the driver when pulling away on
wet or slippery roads. ESP®can also stabilize
the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 68).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®. On vehicles
with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part of ESP®.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP
®.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP
®checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
If the å ESP
®OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, then ESP®is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®warning lamp lights up contin-
uously, ESP®is not available due to a malfunc-
tion.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 317) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 278).
Only use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP
®function properly.
Characteristics of ESP®
General information
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP®is automatically
active.
If ESP
®intervenes, the ÷ESP®warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster.
Driving safety systems73
Safety
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Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all models
and all standard and optional equipment of
your vehicle available at the time of publica-
tion of the Operator's Manual. Country-spe-
cific differences are possible. Please note
that your vehicle may not be equipped with all
features described. This also applies to
safety-related systems and functions.
iRead the information on qualified specialist
workshops (Ypage 28).
SmartKey
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
GWARNING
If you attach heavy or large objects to the
SmartKey, the SmartKey could be uninten-
tionally turned in the ignition lock. This could
cause the engine to be switched off. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not attach any heavy or large objects to theSmartKey. Remove any bulky key rings before
inserting the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
!Keep the SmartKey away from strong mag-
netic fields. Otherwise, the remote control
function could be affected.
Strong magnetic fields can occur in the vicin-
ity of powerful electrical installations.
Do not keep the SmartKey:
Rwith electronic devices, e.g. a mobile phone
or another SmartKey.
Rwith metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal foil.
Rinside metallic objects, e.g. a metal case.
This can affect the functionality of the Smart-
Key.
Do not keep the SmartKey in the temperature-
controlled cup holder (
Ypage 332). On vehicles
with the KEYLESS-GO start function, do not
keep it on the parcel shelf or in the trunk. Oth-
erwise, the SmartKey may not be detected, e.g. when starting the engine using the Start/Stop
button.
A check which periodically establishes a radio
connection between the vehicle and the Smart-
Key determines whether a valid SmartKey is in
the vehicle. This occurs, for example:
Rwhen starting the engine
Rwhilst driving
Rwhen using HANDS-FREE ACCESS
Rwhen the external door handles are touched
Rduring convenience closing
SmartKey functions
:& To lock the vehicle
;FTo open/close the trunk lid
=%To unlock the vehicle
SmartKey79
Opening and closing
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conserving battery power. For the purposes of
activation/deactivation, the vehicle must not be
nearby.
XTo deactivate:press the&button on the
SmartKey twice in rapid succession.
The battery check lamp (
Ypage 82) of the
SmartKey flashes twice briefly and lights up
once, then KEYLESS-GO is deactivated .
XTo activate: press any button on the Smart-
Key.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
KEYLESS-GO and all of its associated features
are available again.
KEYLESS-GO start function
General notes
Bear in mind that the engine can be started by
any of the vehicle occupants if there is a Smart-
Key in the vehicle (
Ypage 164).
Changing the settings of the locking
system
You can change the settings of the locking sys-
tem. This means that only the driver's door and
the fuel filler flap are unlocked when the vehicle
is unlocked. This is useful if you frequently travel
on your own.
XTo change the setting: press and hold down
the % and& buttons simultaneously
for approximately six seconds until the bat-
tery check lamp flashes twice (
Ypage 82).
If the setting of the locking system is changed
within the signal range of the vehicle, pressing
the & or% button:
Rlocks or
Runlocks the vehicle
The SmartKey now functions as follows:
XTo unlock: press the%button once.
XTo unlock centrally: press the%button
twice.
XTo lock: press the &button. The KEYLESS-GO function is changed as fol-
lows:
XTo unlock the driver's door:
touch the inner
surface of the door handle on the driver's
door.
XTo unlock centrally: touch the inner surface
of the door handle on the front-passenger
door or the rear door.
XTo lock centrally: touch the outer sensor
surface on one of the door handles.
XTo restore the factory settings: press and
hold the %and& buttons simultane-
ously for approximately six seconds until the
battery check lamp flashes twice
(
Ypage 82).
Mechanical key
General notes
If the vehicle can no longer be locked or
unlocked with the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO,
use the mechanical key.
If you use the mechanical key to unlock and
open the driver's door, the anti-theft alarm sys-
tem will be triggered. Switch off the alarm
(
Ypage 78).
If you unlock the vehicle using the mechanical
key, the fuel filler flap will not be unlocked auto-
matically.
XTo unlock the fuel filler flap: insert the
SmartKey into the ignition lock.
Removing the mechanical key
XPush release catch :in the direction of the
arrow and at the same time remove mechan- ical key ;from the SmartKey.
SmartKey81
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ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The engine cannot be
started using the Smart-
Key.The on-board voltage is too low.
XSwitch off non-essential consumers, e.g. seat heating or interior
lighting, and try to start the engine again.
If this does not work:
XCheck the starter battery and charge it if necessary (Ypage 374).
or
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 376).
or
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine cannot be
started using the Start/
Stop button. The Smart-
Key is in the vehicle.The vehicle is locked.
XUnlock the vehicle and try to start the vehicle again.
The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged.
XCheck the SmartKey battery (Ypage 82) and replace it if necessary
(Ypage 82).
If this does not work:
XStart your vehicle with the SmartKey in the ignition lock.
There is interference from a powerful source of radio waves.
XStart your vehicle with the SmartKey in the ignition lock.
You have lost a Smart-
Key.XHave the SmartKey deactivated at a qualified specialist workshop.
XReport the loss immediately to the vehicle insurers.
XIf necessary, have the locks changed as well.
You have lost the
mechanical key.XReport the loss immediately to the vehicle insurers.
XIf necessary, have the locks changed as well.
Doors
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
Doors85
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