check engine MERCEDES-BENZ S550 2007 W221 Owner's Guide

583 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Inoperative
See Oper. Manual
S 600 only:
ESP
® a s w e l l a s P R E - S A F E
® are switched off
due to a malfunction. In addition, the v
and ; (USA only) or 3(Canada only)
warning lamps come on in the instrument
cluster.
Brake force assistance is impaired and is
sustained through an electric substitute
function as long as the engine is running.
The brake system continues to function
normally. You will feel a pulsating effect at
the brake pedal while braking.

Continue driving with added caution.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the
risk of an accident.

587 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Coolant,
please refill
See Oper. Manual
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 497).

If you have to add coolant frequently, have
the cooling system checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts. You can be seriously burned.!
Do not ignore the low engine coolant level
warning. Extended driving with the message and
symbol displayed may cause serious engine
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
Do not drive without a sufficient amount of cool-
ant in the cooling system. The engine will over-
heat, causing major engine damage.

589 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Coolant level
Stop vehicle!
Switch engine off
The poly-V-belt could be broken.

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

Check the poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:

Do not continue to drive. Otherwise the en-
gine will overheat due to an inoperative water
pump which may result in damage to the en-
gine. Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If it is intact:

Do not continue to drive the vehicle with this
message displayed. Doing so could result in
serious engine damage that is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

Observe the coolant temperature gauge in
the instrument cluster (
page 28).
(Continued on next page)

602 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Night View Assist
Lights ON or AUTO,
not in R gear
You have tried to switch on Night View As-
sist* but the light switch is not set to *
or B.
In addition, the automatic transmission is in
positionR.

Turn the exterior lamp switch to * or
B (
page 342).

Shift the automatic transmission to P, N or D
(page 367).
Night View Assist
only when
it is dark
You have tried to switch on Night View As-
sist* by daylight.
You can only switch on Night View Assist* when
it is dark.
Engine oil level
Stop vehicle!
Switch engine off
S 600 only:
There is no oil in the engine. There is a dan-
ger of engine damage.

Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt as soon
as it is safe to do so in a safe location.

Turn off the engine.

Add engine oil (
page 494) and check the
engine oil level (page 494).

603 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
USA only:
Add 1.0 qts. engine oil
at next refueling
Canada only:
Add 1.0 l engine oil
at next refueling
S 600 only:
The engine oil level is too low.

Check the engine oil level (
page 494) and
add engine oil as required (page 494).

If you must add engine oil frequently, have
the engine checked for possible leaks.
Check engine oil level
at next refueling
S 550 only:
The engine oil level has dropped to approx-
imately the minimum level.

Check the engine oil level (
page 495) and
add engine oil as required (page 494).

If you must add engine oil frequently, have
the engine checked for possible leaks.

604 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?When the message “Check engine oil level
at next refueling” (S 550) or “Add 1.0 qts.
(Canada:1.0 l) engine oil at next refueling”
(S 600) 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/consequence
Possible solution
Engine oil level
cannot be
measured
S 600 only:
The measuring system is malfunctioning.

Have the measuring system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
S 600 only:
You have added too much engine oil.
There is a risk of damaging:

the engine


the catalytic converter

Have excess oil siphoned or drained off. Con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!
The engine oil level warnings should not be
ignored. Extended driving with the symbol dis-
played could result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limit-
ed Warranty.

636 Practical hintsBatteries
Starter battery (example illustration from
S550)1Negative terminal
2Positive terminal
Disconnecting starter battery
Do not rub the battery with rags or cloths.
The battery could explode if touched due to
electrostatic charge or due to spark forma-
tion.!
Switch off the engine and switch off the ve-
hicle’s internal electrical functions (
page 637)
before you disconnect or remove the battery’s
terminal clamps. You could otherwise destroy
electronic assemblies such as the generator.
Have the battery checked regularly by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center. Refer to Mainte-
nance Booklet for maintenance intervals or
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
further information.
!
Do not connect any consumers directly to
the starter battery. The starter battery will other-
wise be discharged.
i
Only replace a discharged battery with a bat-
tery recommended by Mercedes-Benz. The con-
sumer battery is installed in the trunk in such a
way that it is safeguarded as much as possible
against mechanical destruction in the event of
an accident.
i
Remove SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the vehicle’s
on-board electronics have status 0)
(
page 315) when you turn off the engine and
no longer require any electrical consumers. The
vehicle then uses very little power and the con-
sumer battery is spared.
i
If the consumer battery is discharged, you
must use the mechanical key to unlock the vehi-
cle (page 614). Since the vehicle has a sepa-
rate starter battery, however, you can still start
the vehicle.
!
Always disconnect the starter battery in the
order described below. You could otherwise
damage the vehicle’s electronics.
!
Switch off the vehicle’s internal electrical
functions before disconnecting the starter bat-
tery. If the vehicle is stationary for more than one
hour with the SmartKey removed, you do not
need to switch off the vehicle’s internal electrical
functions.


638 Practical hintsBatteriesStarter battery
Connect the switched-off charging de-
vice to the terminals of the starter bat-
tery. Observe the operating
instructions in the manual for the
charging device while doing so.
Reinstalling starter battery
Install starter battery in engine com-
partment.

Swing retaining bar down.
Reconnecting starter battery

Make sure that the consumer battery in
the trunk is correctly installed and con-
nected.

Turn SmartKey in starter switch to po-
sition 0 and remove.

Connect the positive lead and fasten its
cover2 (
page 636).

Connect negative lead1
(page 636).

Attach ventilation tube.

Switch on the ignition (
page 315).

Start the engine (
page 359).

Check vehicle functions.
!
Only use charging devices with a maximum
charging voltage of 14.8 V.
Warning!
G
During the charge procedure, there is a risk
of acid burns due to gases escaping from
the battery. Do not bend over the battery
during the charge procedure.
!
The battery and the battery ventilation hose
must always be securely installed when the vehi-
cle is in operation.
!
Always connect the starter battery in the or-
der described below. Otherwise, the vehicle’s
electronics could be damaged.
Warning!
G
Do not drive without a properly installed and
connected consumer battery.
Have any work on the consumer battery car-
ried out by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
!
Never invert the terminal connections.
!
Make sure that the battery has a plug where
the ventilation tube is attached to it.

639 Practical hints
Jump starting
Jump starting
If the starter battery is discharged, the en-
gine can be started with jumper cables and
the battery of another vehicle. Observe the
following:

Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic convert-
er are cold.


Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.


Only use 12-volt battery to jump start
y o ur ve h i c l e . J u m p s t a r t i n g w i t h a m o r e
powerful battery could damage the ve-
hicle’s electrical system, which will not
be covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.


Only use jumper cables with sufficient
cross-section and insulated terminal
clamps.


Always make sure that the jumper ca-
bles are not on or near pulleys, fans or
other parts that move when an engine
is started or running.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
Attempting to jump start a frozen battery
can result in it exploding, causing personal
injury.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
!
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!
Jump starting should only be performed on
the starter battery installed in the engine com-
partment.
Avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine using a bat-
tery quick charge unit.
If engine does not run after several unsuccessful
starting attempts, have it checked at the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by repeated
failed starting attempts may damage the catalyt-
ic converter and may present a fire risk.
Make sure the jumper cables do not have loose
or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not touch any
other metal part while the other end is still at-
tached to a battery.

641 Practical hints
Jump starting

Remove red cover from positive
terminal 1.

Connect positive terminal2 of the
charged battery with positive
terminal1 of the discharged battery
with the jumper cable. Clamp cable to
charged battery2 first.

Connect negative terminal3 of
charged battery to jumper cables and
attach other end4 to a suitable
ground point on the vehicle.

Get into vehicle and start engine within
30 seconds.
If the starting attempt does not suc-
ceed: 
Turn the SmartKey in starter switch
to position 0.

Take out the SmartKey.

Turn off engine of donor vehicle, re-
start it and let it run at idle speed
for several minutes.

Disconnect the jumper cable during
this time.

Reconnect jumper cable as de-
scribed before.

Restart engine.

While the engine is running, switch off
several electrical consumers such as
the blower.

Disconnect jumper cables first from
ground point4 and negative
terminal3, then from positive
terminals1 and2.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!
Never invert the terminal connections.