engine oil MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS 2005 User Guide

291 Operation
Engine compartment
Adding engine oil
S 430, S 430 4MATIC, S 500, S 500 4MATIC,
and S 55 AMG1Oil dipstick (S 430, S 500, and
S 55 AMG only)
2Filler cap
Unscrew filler cap2 from filler neck.

Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.

Screw filler cap2 back on filler neck.
S 6001Filler cap
Unscrew filler cap1 from filler neck.

Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
!Only use approved engine oils and oil
filters required for vehicles with Main-
tenance System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS
(Canada vehicles). For a listing of ap-
proved engine oils and oil filters, refer
to the Factory Approved Service Prod-
ucts pamphlet in your vehicle literature
portfolio, or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of spec-
ification other than those expressly re-
quired for the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehi-
cles), or changing of oil and oil filter at
change intervals longer than those
called for by the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada Vehi-
cles) will result in engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the en-
gine and catalytic converter not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.


292 OperationEngine compartmentBe careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.
Screw filler cap1 back on filler neck.
For more information on engine, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 429) and
(
page 431).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
check the automatic transmission.Active Body Control* (ABC*) fluid level
Regular fluid level check is not required. If
you notice fluid leaks or malfunction mes-
sages in the multifunction display, have an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center check
the ABC-system.
Coolant level
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze.
When checking the coolant level,

the vehicle must be parked on level
ground, and


the engine must be cool.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the en-
gine and catalytic converter not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.


329 Operation
Maintenance
Maintenance service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested main-
tenance service term, you will see the fol-
lowing message in the multifunction
display:'A' SERVICE EXCEEDED
BY XXXX MILES (KM)
'A' SERVICE EXCEEDED BY XXX DAYS
'A' SERVICE EXCEEDED BY X DAYIn addition, a signal sounds when the mes-
sage appears.
Any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
reset the maintenance service indicator
following a completed maintenance ser-
vice.
Calling up the maintenance service in-dicator
Switch on ignition.
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 148).

Press button k or j on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel until the
maintenance service indicator with the
service symbol 9 or ´ and the
service deadline appears in the multi-
function display.
Resetting the maintenance service indi-
cator
In the event that the maintenance service
on your vehicle is not carried out by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center, you can have the maintenance service indicator re-
set. The automotive maintenance facility
carrying out the maintenance service will
find the information for resetting the main-
tenance service indicator in the mainte-
nance-relevant information for your
vehicle. Such information is available from
either your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or directly from Mercedes-Benz
USA, LLC.
iIf the battery is disconnected, the days
of disconnection will not be included in
the count shown by the maintenance
service indicator. To arrive at the true
maintenance service deadline, you will
need to subtract these days from the
days shown in the maintenance service
indicator.
Do not confuse the maintenance ser-
vice indicator with the engine oil level
indicator :.
iIf the maintenance service indicator
was inadvertently reset, have an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center correct it.
Only reset if the proper maintenance
service has been performed. Resetting
the system without performing the
proper service as called for by the
maintenance service indicator will re-
sult in engine damage and/or other ve-
hicle damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

362 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause
Possible solution
:
USA only:ADD 1.0 QT. ENGINE
OIL
AT FILLING STATIONCanada only:ADD 1.0 LITER ENGINE
OIL
AT FILLING STATION
The engine oil level is too low.

Add engine oil (
page 291) and check
the engine oil level (page 288).
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
STOP, ENGINE OFF!
There is no oil in the engine.
There is a danger of engine damage.
Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt as
soon as possible.

Turn off the engine.

Add engine oil (
page 291) and check
the engine oil level (page 288).
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
REDUCE OIL LEVEL
You have added too much engine oil.
There is a risk of damaging the engine or
the catalytic converter.

Have excess oil siphoned or drained off.
Observe all legal requirements with re-
spect to its disposal.

363 Practical hints
What to do if …?
When the message
ADD 1.0 QT. ENGINE
OIL AT FILLING STATION
(Canada:
1 Liter
) appears while the engine is run-
ning and at operating temperature, the en-
gine oil level has dropped to approximately
the minimum level.When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.
Visually check for oil leaks. If no obvious oil
leaks are noted, drive to the nearest ser-
vice station where the engine oil should be
topped to the required level with an ap-
proved oil specified in the Factory Ap-
proved Service Products pamphlet.
Display
Possible cause
Possible solution
:
ENGINE OIL
VISIT WORKSHOP
It may be that there is water in the engine
oil.

Have the engine oil level checked
(page 288).
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
VISIT WORKSHOP
The engine oil has dropped to a critical
level.

Check the engine oil level (
page 288)
and add engine oil as required
(
page 291).

If you must add engine oil frequently,
have the engine checked for possible
leaks.
ENGINE OIL SENSOR
VISIT WORKSHOP
The measuring system is malfunctioning.

Have the measuring system checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!The engine oil level warnings should
not be ignored. Extended driving with
the symbol displayed could result in
serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

429 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
CapacitiesVehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore use only
brands tested and approved by us.Please refer to the Factory Approved Ser-
vice Products pamphlet, or inquire at your
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filter
S 430
S 500
S 55 AMG
S 600
8.5 US qt. (8.0 l)
8.5 US qt. (8.0 l)
7.9 US qt. (7.5 l)
9.5 US qt. (9.0 l)
Approved engine oils
Automatic transmission
S 600
9.1 US qt. (8.6 l)
8.1 US qt. (7.7 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
Rear axle
S55AMG
S 600
1.7 US qt. (1.6 l)
2.1 US qt. (2.0 l)
2.1 US qt. (2.0 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Front axle
S 430 4MATIC
S 500 4MATIC
0.63 US qt. (0.6 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Transfer case
S 430 4MATIC
S 500 4MATIC
0.62 US qt. (0.585 l)
MB Transfer Case Oil
Hydraulic system for ADS or ABC
4.2 US qt. (4.0 l)
MB Hydraulic Fluids
Power steering
approx. 1.1 US qt. (1.0 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid (Pentosin
CHF 11S)

431 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines and durability for
our service intervals. Therefore, only use
approved engine oils and oil filters
required for vehicles with Maintenance
System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada
vehicles). For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet, or
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification other than those expressly
required for the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehicles), or
changing of oil and oil filter at change
intervals longer than those called for by
the Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS (Canada Vehicles) will result in engine
damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Please follow Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehicles)
recommendations for scheduled oil
changes. Failure to do so will result in
engine damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may damage the engine.Damage or
malfunctions resulting from blending oil
additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil is used in the air condition-
ing system.Never use R-12 (CFC) or miner-
al-based lubricating oil. Otherwise damage
to the system will occur.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere. Under extremely strenu-
ous operating conditions, this moisture
content can lead to the formation of bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the sys-
tem’s efficiency.Therefore, the brake fluid
must be replaced every two years, prefera-
bly in the spring.Only brake fluid approved
by Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.

432 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Use only premium unleaded fuel:

The octane number (posted at the
pu mp ) m ust b e 91 m i n. It is an a ve ra ge
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M)/2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as Ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of Methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional co-solvents.
Using mixtures of Ethanol and Methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% Ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build-up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to en-
gine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking/pinging


Misfire


Power loss
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
gasoline is not available and low octane
fuel is used, follow these precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible.


Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration.


Do not exceed an engine speed of
3000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two
persons and no luggage.


Do not exceed 2/3 of maximum
accelerator pedal position if the ve-
hicle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain.

433 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
In areas where carbon deposits may be en-
countered due to lack of availability of gas-
olines which contain these additives,
Mercedes-Benz recommends the use of
additives approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Refer to Factory
Approved Service Products Pamphlet for a
listing of approved product(s). Follow di-
rections on product label.
Do not blend any specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
cost and may be harmful to the engine op-
eration.
Damage or malfunction resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending addition-
al fuel additives other than those tested
and approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles listed in the Fac-
tory Approved Service Products Pamphlet
are not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

Corrosion protection


Freeze protection


Boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -22°F (-30°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).The coolant solution must be used
year-round to provide the necessary corro-
sion protection and increase boil-over pro-
tection. Refer to Maintenance Booklet for
replacement interval.
Coolant system design and coolant used
determine the replacement interval. The
replacement interval published in the
Maintenance Booklet is only applicable if
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze solu-
tion or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see
Factory Approved Service Products pam-
phlet) are used to renew the coolant con-
centration or bring it back up to the proper
level.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze [equivalent to freeze
protection to approximately - 22°F
(-30°C)]. If you use a solution that is more
than 55% anticorrosion/antifreeze [freeze
protection to approximately - 49°F
(-45°C)], the engine temperature will in-
crease due to the lower heat transfer capa-

439 Technical terms
Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and stamped on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.
Engine oil viscosity
Measurement for the inner friction (vis-
cosity) of the oil at different tempera-
tures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can tol-
erate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.
ESP
(E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS
FSS (Canada vehicles)
(F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem)
Maintenance service indicator in the
multifunction display that informs the
driver when the next vehicle mainte-
nance service is due. FSS evaluates
engine temperature, oil level, vehicle
speed, engine speed, distance driven
and the time elapsed since your last
maintenance service, and calls for the
next maintenance service accordingly.
Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the selector lever.GPS
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs DVD digital maps for
navigation.
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer,
engine temperature and fuel gauge.
KEYLESS-GO*
System for entering and operating the
vehicle without the use of a SmartKey.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.