fuel consumption MERCEDES-BENZ S550 4MATIC 2008 W221 Owner's Manual

266 Control systems
Instrument cluster control system
Menus
Trip (page 268)Navi (page 269)Audio (page 271)AMG1 (page 273)
1S63AMG and S65AMG only.
Commands/submenus
Standard displayShowing route guidance in-
structions, current direction
traveledSelecting radio stationGear currently engaged
Engine oil temperature
Vehicle supply voltage
Fuel consumption statistics since startSelecting satellite radio
channel* (USA only)RACETIMER
Fuel consumption statistics since last
resetOperating DVD changer/
audio CD/ audio DVD/MP3Overall analysis
Resetting fuel consumption statisticsOperating Video DVDLap analysis
Distance to empty
Digital speedometer

268 Control systems
Instrument cluster control system
Trip menu
In the “Trip” menu, you can show an addi-
tional display for the speedometer and call
up or reset your vehicle’s statistical data.
Standard display
In the standard display, the trip odometer
and main odometer are shown in the mul-
tifunction display.
Press ( or & to select the “Trip”
menu.
1Main odometer
2Trip odometerFuel consumption statistics since start
Press ( or & to select the “Trip”
menu.
Press % to select “After start”.
1Distance driven since start
2Time elapsed since start
3Average speed since start
4Average fuel consumption since startFuel consumption statistics since last
reset
Press ( or & to select the “Trip”
menu.
Press % or $ to select “After re-
set”.
1Distance driven since last reset
2Time elapsed since last reset
3Average fuel consumption since last re-
set
4Average speed since last reset
iThe menu overview can be found on
(
page 266).
iAll values that are based on the last start are
reset when you turn off the vehicle’s engine for
more than four hours (
page 397).
iIf you turn the SmartKey to position1 or2
again during this time, the values will not be re-
set. After 999 hours or 9 999 miles (kilometers),
the fuel consumption statistics since start are
automatically reset.iAfter 9999 hours or 99 999 miles (kilome-
ters), the fuel consumption statistics since last
reset are automatically reset.

269 Control systems
Instrument cluster control system
Resetting fuel consumption statistics
Press ( or & to select the “Trip”
menu.
Press % or $ to select the func-
tion you wish to reset.
Press #.
Illustration: Reset trip odometer
Press % t o s e l e c t “Yes” and confirm
with #.Distance to empty
Press ( or & to select the “Trip”
menu.
Press % or $ to select “Range”.
The calculated remaining driving range
based on the current fuel tank level ap-
pears in the multifunction display.
Digital speedometer
Press ( or & to select the “Trip”
menu.
Press % or $ to select the digital
speedometer.
1Digital speedometer
Navi menu
The display in the “Navi” menu depends on
whether route guidance is active or not.
Press ( or & to select the “Navi”
menu.
Route guidance not active
The multifunction display shows the direc-
tion of travel and the name of the street
you are currently driving on, if known by
the navigation system.
1Direction of travel
2Street you are currently driving on
iYou can reset the trip odometer by pressing
and holding the
L button. The trip odometer
is then reset without confirmation.
iIf only very little fuel is left in the tank, a fuel
pump is shown instead of the range.
iThe menu overview can be found on
(
page 266).

441 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Vehicle level control with Airmatic
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to:

increase vehicle safety

reduce fuel consumption
The vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed:

With increasing speed, ride height is re-
duced by up to approximately 0.8 in
(20 mm).

With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the selected vehicle
level.The following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary:
Select the “Raised” level setting only when
required by current driving conditions.
Otherwise:

Fuel consumption may increase.

Handling may be impaired.1Vehicle level control switch
2Indicator lamp
Start the engine.
Briefly press switch1 to change from
one level setting to the other.
The message:
“Vehicle rising”
appears in the multifunction display
when changing from normal level to
raised level.
The indicator lamp2 is then lit. The
display switches off when the vehicle is
raised.
Warning!G
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands
and feet away from wheel housing area, and
stay away from under the vehicle when low-
ering the vehicle chassis.
iThese height adjustments are so small that
you may not notice any change.
Level
NormalFor driving on normal roads.
The indicator lamp is off.
RaisedFor driving on rough roads or
with snow chains. The indica-
tor lamp is on.


443 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Vehicle level control with ABC
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to:

increase vehicle safety

reduce fuel consumption
The vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed:

With increasing speed, ride height is re-
duced by up to approximately 0.6 in
(15 mm).

With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the selected vehicle
level.
The following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary:
Select the “Raised” level setting only when
required by current driving conditions.
Otherwise:

Fuel consumption may increase.

Handling may be impaired.1Vehicle level control switch
2Indicator lamp
Selecting a higher level
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp2 is off:
Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 comes on. The vehi-
cle is raised to a higher level.
iS63AMG and S65AMG only:
When you switch off the engine, the entire vehi-
cle is lowered by 0.2 in (5 mm).
Warning!G
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands
and feet away from wheel housing area, and
stay away from under the vehicle when low-
ering the vehicle chassis.
iThese height adjustments are so small that
you may not notice any change.
Level
NormalFor driving on normal roads.
The indicator lamp is off.
RaisedFor driving on rough roads or
with snow chains. The indica-
tor lamp is on.
iThe selected vehicle level setting remains
stored in memory even if the engine is turned off
and restarted.

527 Operation
Driving instructions
Driving instructions
Drive sensibly – save fuel
Fuel consumption, to a great extent,
depends on driving habits and operating
conditions.
To save fuel you should:

Keep tires at the recommended tire
inflation pressures.

Remove unnecessary loads.

Remove roof rack when not in use.

Allow engine to warm up under low
load use.

Avoid frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.

Have all maintenance work performed
at the intervals specified in the Mainte-
nance Booklet and as required by the
Maintenance System. Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Fuel consumption is also increased by driv-
ing in cold weather, in stop-and-go traffic,
on short trips, and in hilly area.
Drinking and drivingPedals
Power assistance
Warning!G
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs
and driving are very dangerous combina-
tions. Even a small amount of alcohol or
drugs can affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal ac-
cident are greatly increased when you drink
or take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or
taking drugs.
Warning!G
Make sure that absolutely no objects are ob-
structing the pedals’ range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all obsta-
cles. If there are any floormats or carpets in
the footwell, make sure the pedals still have
sufficient clearance. Otherwise this could
lead to accidents or injury.
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle.

718 Technical data
Rims and tires
!Only use tires which have been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. Tires approved by
Mercedes-Benz are developed to provide best
possible performance in conjunction with the
driving safety systems on your vehicle such as
ABS or ESP
®. Tires specially developed for your
vehicle and tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz can be identified by finding the
following on the tire’s sidewall:

MO = Mercedes-Benz Original equipment
tires
S63AMG and S65AMG:
Does not apply to all approved tires on AMG
vehicles. For information on tested and
approved tires for AMG vehicles, contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz may result in damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz can have detrimental effects,
such as

poor handling characteristics

increased noise

increased fuel consumption
Moreover, tires and rims not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may, under load, exhibit dimen-
sional variations and different tire deformation
characteristics that could cause them to come
into contact with the vehicle body or axle parts.
Damage to the tires or the vehicle may be the
result.
iFurther information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. A placard with the recommended tire in-
flation pressures is located on the driver’s door
B-pillar (
page 553). Some vehicles may have
supplemental tire inflation pressure information
for driving at high speeds (
page 559) or for ve-
hicle loads less than the maximum loaded
vehicle condition (
page 568). If such informa-
tion is provided, it can be found on the placard lo-
cated on the inside of the fuel filler flap. The tire inflation pressure should be checked
regularly and should only be adjusted on cold
tires. Follow tire manufacturer’s maintenance
recommendation included with vehicle.
iThe following pages also list the approved
wheel rim and tire sizes for equipping your vehi-
cles with winter tires. Winter tires are not avail-
able as standard or optional factory equipment,
but can be purchased from an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Depending on vehicle model and the standard or
optional factory-equipped wheel rim/tire config-
uration on your vehicle (Appearance Package,
Sport Package etc.), equipping your vehicle with
winter tires approved for your vehicle model may
also require the purchase of two or four wheel
rims of the recommended size for use with these
winter tires. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for more information.

743 Index
Fuel 539, 726, 729
Additives 730
Capacity, Fuel tank 726
Filling the tank 538
Fuel filler flap and cap 538
Fuel reserve warning lamp 29, 605
Gauge 29
Premium unleaded gasoline 539,
726, 729
Requirements, Octane rating 729
Fuel cap
Message in display 649
Fuel consumption statistics
Since last reset 268
Since start 268
Fuel filler flap 538
Locking/Unlocking 538
Fuel tank
Capacity 726
Filler flap 538
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Capacities 724Fuses 704
Fuse box in engine compartment 705
Fuse box in passenger
compartment 706
Fuse boxes in dashboard 706
Fuse chart (vehicle tool kit) 668
Fuse extractor (vehicle tool kit) 668
Replacing 704
Spare fuses (vehicle tool kit) 668
G
Garage door opener 518
Gasoline see Fuel
GAWR 576
Gear range
Automatic transmission 408
Limiting 408
Shifting into optimal 413
Gear selector lever 399
Gearshift pattern 399
Messages in display 617, 622, 624,
625, 667
Position 402
Shifting procedure 402
Transmission position 403Glove box 494
Gloves, Vehicle tool kit 668
GPS
Reception (COMAND) 163
Tele Aid 510
Gross Axle Weight Rating see GAWR
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating see GVWR
Gross Vehicle Weight see GVW
GVW 576
GVWR 577
H
Hands-free microphone 33
Hard plastic trim items, cleaning 594
Hazard warning flasher 377
Head restraints 353
Adjustment 353
Folding back and placing upright rear
head restraints 354
Front seat 353
Luxury active head restraints
(S 600 only) 55
Rear seat 354
Resetting activated luxury active head
restraints (S 600 only) 675