MERCEDES-BENZ S550 2007 W221 Owner's Manual
Page 621 of 705
620 Practical hintsReplacing SmartKey batteries
Pull battery compartment 2 out of the
housing.
3Batteries
4Contact springs
Pull out batteries3.
Using a line-free cloth, insert new bat-
teries 3 under contact springs 4 with
the positive terminal (+) side facing up.
Return battery compartment 2
(page 619) into housing until it locks
into place.
Slide the mechanical key back into the
SmartKey/SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.
Check the operation of the SmartKey/
KEYLESS-GO*.
Page 622 of 705
621 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Replacing bulbs
Safe vehicle operation depends on proper
exterior lighting and signaling. It is there-
fore essential that all bulbs and lamp as-
semblies are in good working order at all
times.
Correct headlamp adjustment is extremely
important. Have headlamps checked and
readjusted at regular intervals and when a
bulb has been replaced. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for headlamp ad-
justment.
i
If the headlamps or front fog lamps are
fogged up on the inside as a result of high humid-
ity, driving the vehicle a distance with the lights
on should clear up the fogging.
i
Substitute bulbs will be brought into use
when the following lamps malfunction:
Brake lamps
Rear fog lamps
Front parking lamps
Tail lamps
Turn signal lamps
Observe the messages in the multifunction dis-
play (page 557).
Page 623 of 705
622 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsBulbs Front lamps Rear lamps
Lamp
Type
1
Bi-Xenon headlamp:
Low and high beam
1
1Bi-Xenon headlamps: Low beam and high beam
use the same D1S-35W lamp. Do not replace the
Bi-Xenon bulbs yourself. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
D1S-35 W
2
Additional turn signal
lamp
LED
3
Parking and standing
lamp
W5W
4
Side marker lamp
W5W
5
Bi-Xenon headlamp:
High beam flasher lamp
H7-55 W
IR emitter* (for Night
View Assist*)
H11-55 W
6
Corner-illuminating
lamp
H7-55 W
7
Fog lamp
H11-55 W
8
Turn signal lamp
PY 24 W
Lamp
Type
9
High mounted brake
lamp
LED
a
Turn signal lamp
HiP 16 W
b
Brake lamp/tail lamp
and standing lamp
LED
c
License plate lamp
W5W
d
Backup lamp
HiP 16 W
e
Side marker lamp
LED
f
Rear fog lamp (driver’s
side only)
HiP 16 W
Page 624 of 705
623 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Notes on bulb replacement
Only use 12-volt-bulbs of the same
type and with the specified watt rating.
Switch lights off before changing a bulb
to prevent short circuits.
Always use a clean lint-free cloth when
handling bulbs.
Your hands should be dry and free of oil
and grease.
If the newly installed bulb does not
come on, visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Have the LEDs and bulbs for the following
lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
the Bi-Xenon lamps
the front turn signal lamps
the front fog lamps
the additional turn signal lamps in the
exterior rear view mirrors
the parking and standing lamps
the front side marker lamps
the high mounted brake lamps
the brake, tail and rear standing lamps
the rear side marker lamps
the rear fog lamp
the rear turn signal lamps
the rear side marker lamps
the license plate lamps
Replacing bulbs for front lamps
Before you start to replace a bulb for a
front lamp, do the following first:
Turn the exterior lamp switch to M
(page 342).
Open the hood (
page 492) (except
for side marker lamps).
Warning!
G
Keep bulbs out of reach of children.
Bulbs and bulb sockets can be very hot. Al-
low the lamp to cool down before changing
a bulb.
Halogen lamps contain pressurized gas. A
bulb can explode if you:
touch or move it when hot
drop the bulb
scratch the bulb
Wear eye and hand protection.
Because of high voltage in Xenon lamps, it is
dangerous to replace the bulb or repair the
lamp and its components. We recommend
that you have such work done by a qualified
technician.
i
Have the headlamp adjustment checked
regularly.
Page 625 of 705
624 Practical hintsReplacing bulbs1Cover 1
2Cover 2
3Cover 3
Removing and installing washer fluid
reservoir on left-hand side
Vehicles with Airmatic*
You must remove the washer fluid reser-
voir in order to change the bulbs of the
front headlamp on the left-hand side. The
washer fluid reservoir is on the front
left-hand side of the engine compartment.
Washer fluid reservoir (example illustration
from S 550)1Retaining screw
Removing
Turn retaining screw1 counterclock-
wise.
Take washer fluid reservoir out of
mounting.
Place washer fluid reservoir to the side
and do not disconnect any wires or ca-
bles.Installing
Guide washer fluid reservoir into
mounting so that the bottom retaining
lug slides into the rubber sleeve on the
longitudinal member.
Turn retaining screw1 clockwise.
Bi-Xenon headlampsWarning!
G
Do not remove the cover for the Bi-Xenon
headlamp. Because of high voltage in Xenon
lamps, it is dangerous to replace the bulb or
repair the lamp and its components. We rec-
om me n d tha t yo u hav e su ch work don e by a
qualified technician.
Page 626 of 705
625 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
High beam flasher lamp
In vehicles with Bi-Xenon headlamps, you
can only change the halogen bulb for the
high-beam flasher lamp.
1Bulb holder
2Wire position
3Grip
Turn cover2 (
page 624) counter-
clockwise and remove it.
Turn bulb holder1 counterclockwise
until it disengages.
Take out bulb holder1.
Take bulb out of holder.
Insert new bulb into holder and press it
all the way down.
The tab of the bulb holder must be po-
sitioned on the upper left-hand side
and wire2 must point upward and to
the right for the left headlamp, down-
ward and to the left for the right head-
lamp.
Turn bulb holder clockwise until it en-
gages and grip3 is in a vertical posi-
tion.IR emitter*
1Bulb
2Wire position
Turn cover2 (
page 624) counter-
clockwise and remove it.
Turn bulb holder1 counterclockwise
until it disengages.
Take out bulb holder1.
Press both catches on left and right
sides of bulb holder1 and take bulb
out of holder.
Insert new bulb into holder until it en-
gages.
Page 627 of 705
626 Practical hintsReplacing bulbs
Insert bulb holder1 into guide in
headlamp. Wire2 must point down-
ward and to the right.
Turn bulb holder1 clockwise until it
engages and wire2 points downward
and to the left.
Corner-illuminating lamp
1Bulb holder
2Grip
3Wire position
Turn cover3 (
page 624) counter-
clockwise and remove it.
Turn bulb holder1 counterclockwise
until it disengages.
Take out bulb holder1.
Take bulb out of holder.
Insert new bulb into holder and press it
all the way down.
Insert bulb holder1 into guide in
headlamp.
The tab of the bulb holder must be po-
sitioned on the upper left-hand side
and wire3 must point downward and
to the left for the left headlamp, up-
ward and to the right for the right head-
lamp.
Turn bulb holder1 clockwise until it
engages and grip2 is in a horizontal
position.Additional turn signal lamp bulbs
The additional turn signal lamps in the ex-
terior rear view mirrors have LEDs.
If a malfunction occurs or LEDs fail to func-
tion, the entire turn signal unit must be re-
placed. Have the turn signal unit replaced
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Front side marker lamp bulbs
Since replacing the side marker lamp bulbs
is a technically highly demanding process,
we recommend you have the side marker
lamp bulbs replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Page 628 of 705
627 Practical hints
Replacing wiper blades
Replacing wiper blades
Placing wiper arms in vertical positionWiper blades in vertical positionVehicles with SmartKey
Turn SmartKey in starter switch
position1.
Turn combination switch to wiper
settingu (
page 351).
With wiper arm in vertical position, turn
the SmartKey in starter switch to
position0.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status0) before replacing a wiper blade.
Otherwise, the wiper motor could suddenly
turn on and cause injury. Warning!
G
Wiper blades are components that are sub-
ject to wear and tear. Change the wiper
blades twice a year, preferably in the spring
and fall. Otherwise the windows will not be
properly wiped. As a result, you may not be
able to observe surrounding traffic condi-
tions and could cause an accident.
!
To avoid damage to the hood:
The wiper arms should only be folded for-
ward when in the vertical position.
Never open the hood when the wiper arm is
folded forward.
!
Hold on to the wiper when folding the wiper
arm back. If released, the force of the impact
from the tensioning spring could crack the wind-
shield.
Do not allow the wiper arms to contact the wind-
shield glass without a wiper blade inserted.
Make certain that the wiper blades are properly
installed. Improperly installed wiper blades may
cause windshield damage.
For your convenience, we recommend that you
have this work carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Page 629 of 705
628 Practical hintsReplacing wiper bladesVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*
Turn off the engine (
page 366).
Take foot off brake pedal.
Turn combination switch to wiper
settingu (
page 351).
Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
(page 317) repeatedly until wind-
shield wipers start.
Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
(page 317) when the wiper arms are
in a vertical position.
Removing wiper blades
Fold the wiper arm forward until it
snaps into place.
Turn the wiper blade at a right angle to
wiper arm (arrow 1).
Slide the wiper blade sideways out of
the retainer in the direction of
arrow2.
Installing wiper blades
Slide the wiper blade onto wiper arm
until it locks in place.
Rotate the wiper blade into position
parallel to wiper arm.
Fold the wiper arm backward to rest on
the windshield. Make sure you hold
onto the wiper when folding the wiper
arm back.
!
To do so, only touch the wiper arm so as not
to damage the wiper blade inserts.
Page 630 of 705
629 Practical hints
Flat tire
Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle in a safe distance from
moving traffic on a hard, flat surface
when possible.
Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead
position.
Shift the automatic transmission toP.
Turn off the engine (
page 365).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Vehicles with SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*:
Turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* button once
(page 366).
Open the driver’s door (this puts
the starter switch in position0,
same as with the SmartKey re-
moved from the starter switch). The
driver’s door then can be closed
again.
Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Mounting the Minispare wheel
i
Open the door only when conditions are safe
to do so.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the Minispare wheel are
different from those of the road wheels. As
a result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a Minispare wheel
mounted. Adapt your driving style accord-
ingly.
The Minispare wheel is for temporary use
only. When driving with Minispare wheel
mounted, ensure proper tire inflation
pressure and do not exceed a vehicle speed
of 50 mph (80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible to have the Minispare
wheel replaced with a regular road wheel.
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one Minispare wheel mounted.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a Minis-
pare wheel is mounted.