key MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS SEDAN 2012 Owners Manual

The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
front and at the rear, under the covers.XPress the mark on cover : inwards in the
direction of the arrow.XTake cover : off the opening.XScrew the towing eye in clockwise to the
stop and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye
XLoosen the towing eye and unscrew it.XAttach cover : to the bumper and press
until it engages.XPlace the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit.
Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
Only possible on vehicles without
4MATIC.
When towing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, it is important that you observe the
safety instructions ( Y page 485).
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could
otherwise damage the brake system.
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y page 283).XTurn the SmartKey to position 0 in the
ignition lock and remove the SmartKey
from the ignition lock.XWhen leaving the vehicle, take the
SmartKey or the KEYLESS-GO key with you.
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
When having your vehicle towed, observe the
important safety notes ( Y page 485).
GWARNING
The power assistance for the steering and the
brake force booster do not work when the
engine is not running. You will then need
much more effort to brake and steer the
vehicle. Adapt your style of driving
accordingly.
The automatic transmission automatically
shifts to position P when you open the driver's
or front-passenger door or when you remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock. In order
to ensure that the automatic transmission
stays in position N when towing the vehicle,
you must observe the following points:
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary and
the SmartKey in the ignition lock is in
position 0.XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the key
instead of the Start/Stop button
( Y page 307).XDepress and hold the brake pedal.XShift the automatic transmission to
position N.XRelease the brake pedal.XRelease the electric parking brake.486Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance

XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y page 283).XLeave the SmartKey in position 2 in the
ignition lock.
i When towing with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination
switch as usual to signal a change of
direction. In this case, only the turn signals
for the desired direction flash. When the
combination switch is reset, the hazard
warning lamps start flashing again.
Transporting the vehicle
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transporting
purposes.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.XShift the automatic transmission to
position N.
As soon as the vehicle is loaded:
XPrevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.XShift the automatic transmission to
position P.XTurn the SmartKey to position 0 in the
ignition lock and remove the SmartKey
from the ignition lock.XSecure the vehicle.
! Only lash the vehicle down by the wheels
or wheel rims, not by parts of the vehicle
such as axle or steering components.
Otherwise, the vehicle could be damaged.
Notes for 4MATIC vehicles
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised,
as doing so will damage the transmission.
If the vehicle has transmission damage or
damage to the front or rear axle, have it
transported on a transporter or trailer.
In the event of damage to the electrical
system
If the battery is defective, the automatic
transmission will be locked in position P. To
shift the automatic transmission to position
N , you must provide power to the vehicle's
electrical system in the same way as when
jump-starting ( Y page 483).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter
or trailer.
Tow-starting (emergency starting)
! Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be started by tow-starting. This
could otherwise damage the transmission.
For further information on "Jump-starting"
see ( Y page 483).
Fuses
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Only use fuses that have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles and that have the
correct fuse rating for the systems
concerned. Do not attempt to repair or bridge
faulty fuses. Using fuses that have not been
approved or attempting to repair or bridge
faulty fuses could cause the fuse to be
overloaded and result in a fire. Have the cause
traced and rectified at a qualified specialist
workshop.
The fuses in your vehicle serve to close down
faulty circuits. If a fuse blows, all the
components on the circuit and their functions
stop operating.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of
the same rating, which you can recognize by
the color and value. The fuse ratings are listed
in the fuse allocation chart.
If a newly inserted fuse also blows, have the
cause traced and rectified at a qualified
Fuses487Breakdown assistanceZ

specialist workshop, e.g. an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
! Only use fuses that have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and which
have the correct fuse rating for the system
concerned. Otherwise, components or
systems could be damaged.
Before changing a fuse
XPark the vehicle and apply the electric
parking brake.XSwitch off all electrical consumers.XRemove the SmartKey from the ignition
lock.
The fuses are located in various fuse boxes:
R fuse box on the right and left-hand sides of
the dashboard
R fuse box in the rear
R fuse box in the engine compartment on the
left-hand side of the vehicle, when viewed
in the direction of travel
R fuse box in the engine compartment on the
right-hand side of the vehicle, when viewed
in the direction of travel
The fuse allocation chart is in the vehicle
document wallet.
Dashboard fuse box
There is a fuse box located on both the
driver's side and the front-passenger side.
! Do not use a pointed object such as a
screwdriver to open the cover in the
dashboard. You could damage the
dashboard or the cover.
Driver's side illustrated
XTo open: pull cover : outwards in the
direction of the arrow and remove it.XTo close: clip in cover : on the front of
the dashboard.XFold cover : inwards until it engages.
Fuse box in the rear
The fuse box is behind the armrest in the rear.
XTo open: fold down the armrest.XPull handle : on the trim behind the rear
seat armrest up in the direction of the
arrow.XFold down trim ;.488FusesBreakdown assistance

XLoosen cover ? with a suitable object =.XRemove cover ? upwards in the direction
of the arrow.
! The cover must be seated properly,
otherwise moisture or dirt could impair the
function of the fuses.
Fuse box in the engine compartment
Fuse box on the left in the direction of
travel
XOpen the hood ( Y page 458).XRemove any existing moisture from the
fuse box using a dry cloth.XAMG vehicles: remove the control unit
above the fuse box.X To open: undo screws : with an Allen
key.XRemove bracket =.XRemove cover ;.XTo close: check whether the rubber seal is
lying correctly in cover ;.XPut cover ; back in position.XReplace bracket =.XTighten screws : using an Allen key.
!
The cover must be seated properly,
otherwise moisture or dirt could impair the
function of the fuses.
XClose the hood ( Y page 459).
Fuse box on the right in the direction of
travel
XOpen the hood ( Y page 458).XRemove any existing moisture from the
fuse box using a dry cloth.XTo open: open clamps ;.XRemove cover ; upwards.XTo close: check whether the rubber seal is
lying correctly in cover ;.XPut cover ; back in position.XFold down cover : and close clamps ;.
!
The cover must be seated properly,
otherwise moisture or dirt could impair the
function of the fuses.
XClose the hood ( Y page 459).Fuses489Breakdown assistanceZ

2. this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
i Canada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
2. this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
Checking tire pressure electronicallyXMake sure that the SmartKey is in
position 2(Y page 307) in the ignition lock.XPress the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the Service
menu.XPress the 9 or : button to select
Tire Pressure .XPress the a button.
The current tire pressure for each wheel will
be displayed in the multifunction display.
If the vehicle has been parked for longer than
20minutes, the Tire pressures will be
displayed after driving for a few
minutes message appears.
After a teach-in period, the tire pressure
monitor automatically recognizes new wheels
or new sensors. As long as a clear allocation
of the tire pressure values to the individual
wheels is not possible, the Tire Pressure
Monitor Active display message is shown
instead of the tire pressure display. The tire
pressures are already being monitored.
i If a spare wheel/emergency spare wheel
is mounted, the system may continue to
show the tire pressure of the wheel that has
been removed for a few minutes. If this
occurs, note that the value displayed for
the position where the spare tire is
mounted is not the same as the spare
wheel/emergency spare wheel's current
tire pressure.
Tire pressure monitor warning
messages
If the tire pressure monitor detects a
significant pressure loss on one or more tires,
a warning message is shown in the
multifunction display. A warning tone also
sounds and the tire pressure warning lamp
lights up in the instrument cluster.
Each tire that is affected by a significant loss
of pressure is highlighted with a color.
If the Correct Tire Pressure message
appears in the multifunction display:
XCheck the tire pressure on all four wheels
and correct it if necessary.
i If the wheel positions on the vehicle are
interchanged, the tire pressures may be
displayed for the wrong positions for a
short time. This is rectified after a few
minutes of driving, and the tire pressures
are displayed for the correct positions.
Restarting the tire pressure monitor
When you restart the tire pressure monitor,
all existing warning messages are deleted and
the warning lamps go out. The monitor uses
the currently set tire pressures as the
reference values for monitoring.
The tire pressure monitor must be restarted
when you set the tire pressure to a new value
(as a result of changed drive or load
characteristics, for example). The tire
pressure monitor then monitors the new tire
pressure values.
i Canada only: in most cases, the tire
pressure monitor recognizes the new
reference values automatically. However,
Tire pressure501Wheels and tiresZ

you can also define reference values
manually as described here.
Restart the tire pressure monitor after you
have set the tire pressure to the value
recommended for the desired driving
situation ( Y page 495). Only correct tire
pressures on cold tires. Comply with the
recommended tire pressures on the Tire and
Loading Information placard the B-pillar on
the driver's side. Additional tire pressure
values for driving at high speeds or with heavy
loads can be found in the tire pressure table
on the inside of the fuel filler flap.XMake sure that the tire pressure is correct
on all four wheels.XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.XPress the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the Service
menu.XPress the 9 or : button to select
Tire Pressure .XPress the a button.
The multifunction display shows the
current tire pressure of the individual tires
or the Tire Pressures Displayed
After Driving A Few Minutes
message.XPress the : button.
The Use Current Pressures as New
Reference Values message appears in
the multifunction display.
If you wish to confirm the restart:
XPress the a button.
The Tire Pressure Monitor
Restarted message appears in the
multifunction display.
After driving for a few minutes, the system
checks whether the current tire pressures
are within the specified range. The new tire
pressures are then accepted as reference
values and monitored.If you wish to cancel the restart:XPress the % button.
The tire pressure values stored at the last
restart will continue to be monitored.
Loading the vehicle
Instruction labels for tires and loads
GWARNING
Overloaded tires can overheat, causing a
blowout. Overloaded tires can also impair the
steering and driving characteristics and lead
to brake failure. There is a risk of accident.
Observe the load rating of the tires. The load
rating must be at least half of the GAWR of
your vehicle. Never overload the tires by
exceeding the maximum load.
Two instruction labels on your vehicle show
the maximum possible load.
(1)The Tire and Loading Information placard
is on the B-pillar on the driver's side. The
Tire and Loading Information placard
shows the maximum permissible number
of occupants and the maximum
permissible vehicle load. It also contains
details of the tire sizes and
corresponding pressures for tires
installed at the factory.(2)The vehicle identification plate is on the
B-pillar on the driver's side. The vehicle
identification plate informs you of the
gross vehicle weight rating. It is made up
of the vehicle weight, all vehicle
occupants, the fuel and the cargo. You
can also find information about the
maximum gross axle weight rating on the
front and rear axle.
The maximum gross axle weight rating is
the maximum weight that can be carried
by one axle (front or rear axle). Never
exceed the maximum load or the
maximum gross axle weight rating for the
front or rear axle.502Loading the vehicleWheels and tires