open hood MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class 2008 W221 Comand Manual

574 OperationEngine compartment
Closing
Let the hood drop from a height of ap-
proximately 1 ft (30 cm).
The hood will lock audibly.

Check to make sure the hood is fully
closed.
If you can raise the hood at a point
above the headlamps, then it is not
properly closed. Open it again and let it
drop with somewhat greater force.
Warning!
G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running.
The radiator fan may continue to run for ap-
proximately 30 seconds or even restart af-
ter the engine has been turned off. Stay
clear of fan blades.Warning!
G
If you see flames or smoke coming from the
engine compartment, or if the coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is
overheated, do not open the hood. Move
away from vehicle and do not open the hood
until the engine has cooled down. If neces-
sary, call the fire department.
Warning!
G
The engine is equipped with a transistorized
ignition system. Because of the high voltage
it is dangerous to touch any components (ig-
nition coils, spark plug sockets, diagnostic
socket) of the ignition system

with the engine running


while starting the engine


if ignition is “on” and the engine is
cranked manually
Warning!
G
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 that the hood is securely en-
gaged before driving off. Do not continue
driving if the hood can no longer engage af-
ter an accident, for example. The hood could
otherwise come loose while the vehicle is in
motion and endanger you and/or others.


577 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick (all models except S 600 and
S65AMG)
To check the engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, do the following:
Open the hood (
page 573).
S 550 and S 63 AMG1Oil dipstick
2Upper mark
3Lower mark
S 450 4matic and S 550 4matic1Oil dipstick
2Upper mark
3Lower mark
Pull out oil dipstick1.

Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.

Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the dip-
stick guide tube.

Pull out oil dipstick1 again after ap-
proximately 3 seconds to obtain accu-
rate reading.The oil level is correct when it is between
lower mark3 (min.) and upper mark2
(max.) of the oil dipstick.

If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil (
page 578).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (page 765) and
(
page 769).
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(page 642).
i
S 450 4MATIC, S 550 and S 550 4MATIC:
The filling quantity between the upper and lower
marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
i
S 63 AMG only:
The filling quantity between the upper and lower
marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
1.6 US qt. (1.5 l).

579 Operation
Engine compartment
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


the coolant temperature must be be-
low 158°F (70°C)
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the passenger side of the engine compart-
ment.
Example illustration from S 5501Cap
2Coolant expansion tank
Warning!
G
In order to avoid potentially serious burns:

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 gauge indi-
cates that the coolant is overheated.


Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if coolant temperature is
above 158°F (70°C). Allow engine to
cool down before removing cap. The
coolant reservoir contains hot fluid and
is under pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately
1/2 turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.

622 OperationVehicle care2Camera
Clean inside of windshield in front of
camera2 with a soft, non-scratching
cloth.

Use recessed handles1 to swing
camera cover up.Cleaning the windows and the wiper
blades

Make sure the hood is fully closed.
Placing wiper arms in vertical position
Vehicles with SmartKey:

Turn SmartKey in starter switch
position1.

Turn combination switch to wiper
settingu (
page 408).

With wiper arm in vertical position, turn
the SmartKey in starter switch to
position0.Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:

Make sure the vehicle’s on-board elec-
tronics have status 1 (
page 372).

Turn combination switch to wiper
settingu (
page 408).

Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
repeatedly until windshield wipers
start.

Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
when the wiper arms are in a vertical
position.
!
If you use a windshield cleaning product,
make sure that none of the cleaning product
comes into contact with the lens of the Night
View Assist camera.
!
The windshield wipers must be in a vertical
position before folding them away from the wind-
shield. They could otherwise damage the hood.
Never open the hood when the wiper arms are
folded forward.


647 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
DISTRONIC PLUS
Override
You have depressed the accelerator pedal,
DISTRONIC Plus* is no longer controlling
the speed of the vehicle.

Release the accelerator pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS
- - - mph
(USA only)
Canada only:
DISTRONIC PLUS
- - - kmh
(Canada only)
You have attempted to activate DISTRONIC
Plus* at a speed below 20 mph (30 km/h)
without the vehicle in front being displayed
in the multifunction display (
page 454).

Drive faster than 20 mph (30 km/h) and activate DISTRONIC
Plus* again.
ESP
® is switched off.

Switch on ESP
® (page 76).
The automatic transmission is in park posi-
tion P, reverse gearR or neutral positionN.

Shift the automatic transmission to drive positionD
(page 426).
The system is overheated.

Wait until the system cools down.
The vehicle is secured in place by the elec-
tronic parking brake.

Release electronic parking brake (
page 422).
The driver’s door is open and the drivers
seat belt is unbuckled.

Close the driver’s door and fasten your seat belt.
The hood is open.

Close the hood (
page 574).

680 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?
During severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Coolant Low
Stop Vehicle
Turn Engine Off
The coolant is too hot.

Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as soon
as it is safe to do so and immediately turn off
the engine.

Engage the electronic parking brake
(page 422).

Only start the engine again after the message
disappears. You could otherwise damage the
engine.

Observe the coolant temperature gauge in
the instrument cluster (
page 28).
Warning!
G


Driving when your engine is overheated
can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously
burned.


Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns which can occur
just by opening the engine hood. Stay
away from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of
the vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle
until the engine has cooled down.
!
The engine should not be operated with the
coolant temperature above 248°F (120°C). Do-
ing so may cause serious engine damage which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

683 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Gas Cap Loose
A loss of pressure has been detected in the
fuel system. The fuel cap may not be closed
properly or the fuel system may be leaky.

Check the fuel cap (
page 570).
If it is not closed properly:

Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:

Have the fuel system checked by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Reserve Fuel
The fuel level has dropped below the re-
serve mark.

Refuel at the next gas station (
page 570).
You are driving with the hood open.

Stop your vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so.

Engage the electronic parking brake
(page 422).

Close the hood (
page 574).
There is otherwise danger of an accident.

717 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
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 399).

Open the hood (
page 573).
1Cover 1
2Cover 2
3Cover 3Removing 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 screwRemoving

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.

721 Practical hints
Replacing wiper blades
Replacing wiper blades
Placing wiper arms in vertical positionWiper blades in vertical position
Make sure the hood is fully closed.
Vehicles with SmartKey

Turn SmartKey in starter switch
position1.

Turn combination switch to wiper
settingu (
page 408).

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. Replace the wiper
blades twice a year, preferably in the spring
and fall. Otherwise the front window 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.
For your convenience, we recommend that you
have this work carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

732 Practical hintsBatteriesSwitching off vehicle’s internal
electrical functions
Turn off all electrical consumers.

Turn SmartKey in starter switch to po-
sition 0.

Turn SmartKey in starter switch to po-
sition 1.

Wait for 30 seconds.
The vehicle’s internal electrical func-
tions are switched off.

Turn SmartKey in starter switch to po-
sition 0.Disconnecting starter battery

Open the hood (
page 573).

Use a 10-mm open-end wrench to dis-
connect the battery negative lead.

Remove cover2 (
page 731) from
the positive terminal.

Disconnect the battery positive lead.
Removing starter battery
Pull out the battery ventilation hose
from the battery (depending on battery
arrangement in your vehicle model, the
ventilation hose is located either on the
left or right side of the battery).

Fold bar on starter battery up.

Take out the starter battery.
Charging battery
i
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
KEYLESS-GO button (
page 371) and use the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO like a normal
SmartKey.
!
Do not remove the SmartKey!
i
For your convenience, have the starter bat-
tery removed by a Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Never charge a battery while still installed in
the vehicle unless the accessory battery
charge unit approved by Mercedes-Benz is
being used. Gases may escape during charg-
ing and cause explosions that may result in
paint damage, corrosion or personal injury.
An accessory battery charge unit specially
adapted for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and
tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz is
available, permitting the charging of the bat-
tery in its installed position. Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
information and availability. Charge battery
in accordance with the separate instruc-
tions for the accessory battery charger.i
Have the batteries charged by a
Mercedes-Benz Center. If you charge the batter-
ies yourself, follow the operating instructions for
your charging device.