MERCEDES-BENZ S55AMG 2003 W220 Service Manual

41 Getting started
Driving
1Release button
2Buckle
3Latch plate
Pull the seat belt smoothly from the
seat belt presenter.

Place the belt over your shoulder.

Push latch plate3 into buckle2 until it
clicks.

If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle's
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er’s instructions.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.Warning!
G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re-
strained with a separate seat belt.
Warning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest reclined. Sitting in an excessively
reclined position can be dangerous. You
could slide under the seat belt in a collision.
If you slide under it, the belt would apply
force at the abdomen or neck. That could
cause serious or even fatal injuries. The seat
backrest and seat belt provide the best re-
straint when the wearer is in an upright po-
sition and the belt is properly positioned on
the body.Warning!
G
Read and observe the additional warning no-
tices printed in the “Safety and Security”
section (
page 60).

42 Getting startedDrivingProper use of seat belts

Do not twist the belt when fastening.


Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck or pass under the
arm).


Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.


Place the seat backrest in a nearly up-
right position.


Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.


Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-
son and another object at the same
time.


Check your seat belt during travel to
ensure that it is properly positioned.


Ensure that the seat belt is always fit-
ted snugly. You should avoid wearing
bulky clothing, such as winter coats,
when traveling in the vehicle.
Starting the engine
Warning!
G
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the belts.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon-
sciousness and lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while driving,
have the cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive with at least one window
fully open.

43 Getting started
Driving
Automatic transmissionGearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with selector lever lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
Make sure that the gear selector lever
is set toP.Starting with the SmartKey

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 and hold until the engine
starts (
page 31).

Firmly depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
For information on turning off the engine
with the SmartKey, see “Turning off engine
with the SmartKey” (
page 52).
Starting with KEYLESS-GO*
You can start your vehicle without a
SmartKey using the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button on the gear selector le-
ver.1KEYLESS-GO start/stop button

Firmly depress the brake pedal during
the starting procedure. Do not depress
accelerator.
The selector lever lock is released.

Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button1 once.
The engine starts automatically.
For information on turning off the engine
with KEYLESS-GO, see “Turning off engine
with KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 53).
iYou can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the SmartKey to
position3 and release it again immedi-
ately. The engine then starts automati-
cally.

44 Getting startedDrivingStarting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:
If you are starting the engine with the
SmartKey, turn SmartKey in starter
switch to position0 and repeat starting
procedure.

If you are starting the engine with
KEYLESS-GO: Close any doors that
may be open to allow for better detec-
tion of the KEYLESS-GO card.
or:
Start the engine with the SmartKey as
radio signals from another source may
be interfering with the KEYLESS-GO
card.

Repeat the starting procedure
(page 42). Remember that extended
starting attempts can drain the battery.

Get a jump start (
page 347).If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal-
function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Parking brake
1Parking brake pedal
2Parking brake release handle

Release the parking brake by pulling
handle2.
The indicator lamp
;
(USA only) or
3
(Canada only) in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with you
and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. Children could release
the parking brake, which could result in an
accident and/or serious injury.

45 Getting started
Driving
Driving
Firmly depress the brake pedal.

Move selector lever to positionDorR.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.
Once the vehicle is in motion, the automat-
ic central locking system engages and the
locking knobs drop down.After a cold start the automatic transmis-
sion engages at a higher revolution. This al-
lows the catalytic converter to reach its
operating temperature earlier.iYou can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.!If you hear a warning signal when driv-
ing off, you have forgotten to release
the parking brake.
Release the parking brake.
iWait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out
ofPorN if the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the
brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or in reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the en-
gine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
!Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.

46 Getting startedDrivingSwitching on headlampsExterior lamp switch1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn the switch to
B
.
For more information, see “Lighting”
(
page 120).
Turn signals and high beam
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press the combination switch up1 or
down2.High beam

Push the combination switch forward.
The high beam headlights are switched
on.
The high beam symbol
A
in the
tachometer lights up.
For more information, see “High beam
flasher” (
page 123).
iTo signal minor directional changes,
move combination switch to point of
resistance only and release. The turn
signal blinks three times.

47 Getting started
Driving
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Single wipe
2Switching on windshield wipers
Make sure that the ignition is switched
on.Switching on windshield wipers

Turn the combination switch to the de-
sired position depending on the inten-
sity of the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speed
Single wipe

Press switch briefly in the direction of
arrow1.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.
iThe intermittent wiping interval is de-
pendent on wetness of windshield.
Wiping will not occur with a door open.
!Do not leave windshield wipers in inter-
mittent setting when vehicle is taken to
an automatic car wash or during wind-
shield cleaning. Wipers will operate in
the presence of water sprayed on the
windshield, and wipers may be dam-
aged as a result.
The switch should not be left in inter-
mittent setting as the wipers will wipe
the windshield once every time the en-
gine is started. Dust that accumulates
on the windshield might scratch the
glass when wiping occurs on a dry
windshield.

48 Getting startedDrivingWiping with windshield washer fluid
Push switch in the direction of arrow1
past the resistance point.
The windshield wiper operates with
washer fluid.
Problems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.The coolant temperature is over 248°F
(120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.

Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 268).
!If leaves, snow, etc. block the wind-
shield wipers, switch off the wipers.

For safety reasons, withdraw
SmartKey from starter switch. Re-
move blockage.


Turn the windshield wipers on
again.
If windshield wipers fail to function at
all in switch positionI:


Set the combination switch to the
next highest wiper speed.


Have the windshield wipers
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

49 Getting started
Driving
In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:
Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Start the engine in the usual manner if no
damage can be determined on the follow-
ing:


Major assemblies


Fuel system


Engine mount

50 Getting startedParking and locking
Parking and lockingYou have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
1Parking brake
2Release handle
Step firmly on parking brake1.
When the engine is running, the
indicator lamp
;
(USA only) or
3
(Canada only) in the instrument
cluster illuminates.
Warning!
G
Wait until the vehicle is stationary before re-
moving the SmartKey from the starter
switch. The vehicle cannot be steered when
the SmartKey is removed.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 or steer the ve-
hicle.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay, or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Move the selector lever to positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press
start- / stop button (vehicles with KEY-
LESS-GO*).


Take the SmartKey or the KEYLESS-GO*
card (if so equipped) and lock vehicle
when leaving.