transmission MERCEDES-BENZ S55AMG 2003 W220 Owner's Manual

ContentsControls in detail............................... 85
Locking and unlocking ......................... 86
SmartKey ....................................... 86
KEYLESS-GO card*......................... 89
Opening the doors from the
inside ............................................. 94
Opening the trunk lid...................... 95
Opening the trunk from the
inside ............................................. 96
Trunk lid emergency release .......... 96
Closing the trunk lid ....................... 97
Separately locking the trunk .......... 98
Separately unlocking the trunk ...... 98
Trunk lid opening/closing
ystem* ........................................... 99
Power closing assist for doors
and trunk lid ................................. 102
Automatic central locking ............ 102
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 103
Seats.................................................. 104
Lumbar support ............................ 104
Easy-entry/exit feature ................ 104
Head restraints............................. 105
Multicontour seat* ....................... 107Drive-dynamic seat* .................... 109
Seat ventilation* .......................... 110
Seat heating* ............................... 111
Rear seats .................................... 113
Memory function ............................... 117
Storing positions into memory ..... 118
Recalling positions from
memory ........................................ 118
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position ........................... 118
Lighting.............................................. 120
Exterior lamp switch..................... 120
Combination switch ..................... 123
Hazard warning flasher ................ 124
Interior lighting............................. 124
Courtesy lighting .......................... 126
Instrument cluster ............................. 127
Instrument cluster illumination .... 127
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 128
Trip odometer .............................. 128
Tachometer .................................. 129
Outside temperature indicator ..... 129
Control system .................................. 130
Multifunction display .................... 130
Multifunction steering wheel ........ 131
Menus .......................................... 133Standard display menu ................ 135
AUDIO menu ................................ 135
CD changer* operating mode ...... 137
TEL menu* ................................... 139
NAVI menu ................................... 142
Distronic* menu .......................... 142
Trip computer menu..................... 143
Malfunction memory menu .......... 145
Settings menu .............................. 146
Automatic transmission ..................... 160
One-touch gearshifting ................ 161
Gear ranges ................................. 162
Gear selector lever position ......... 163
Program mode selector switch .... 164
Accelerator position ..................... 165
Emergency operation (Limp home
mode) .......................................... 165
Steering wheel gearshift control
(Speedshift) and manual shift
program S 55 AMG ...................... 166
Good visibility .................................... 168
Rear view mirror .......................... 168
Electrically folding exterior rear
view mirrors ................................. 170
Windshield wipers ........................ 171
Headlamp cleaning system .......... 171

ContentsAt the gas station............................... 261
Check regularly and before a
long trip ........................................ 262
Engine compartment.......................... 263
Hood ............................................ 263
Engine oil...................................... 264
Transmission fluid level ................ 268
Active Body Control* (ABC*)
fluid level ...................................... 268
Coolant......................................... 268
Battery ......................................... 270
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system* ......... 271
Tires and wheels ................................ 272
Important guidelines .................... 272
Life of tires ................................... 273
Direction of rotation ..................... 273
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 273
Rotating wheels............................ 277
Winter driving..................................... 278
Winter tires................................... 278
Block heater* ............................... 279
Snow chains ................................. 279Maintenance ...................................... 280
Clearing the service indicator....... 280
Service term exceeded ................ 280
Calling up the service indicator .... 281
Resetting the service indicator..... 281
Vehicle care ....................................... 282
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 282
Practical hints.................................. 289
What to do if …? ................................. 290
Lamps in instrument cluster......... 290
Lamp in center console ................ 295
Messages in the display ............... 296
Where will I find ...? ........................... 322
First aid kit ................................... 322
Vehicle jack, vehicle tool kit,
luggage bowl, spare wheel ........... 322
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 326
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 326
Locking the vehicle ...................... 327
Changing batteries ....................... 328
Fuel filler flap ............................... 329
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 330
Sliding/pop-up roof ..................... 330Replacing bulbs ................................. 331
Bulbs ............................................ 331
Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 333
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps .... 336
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 337
Removing ..................................... 337
Installing ...................................... 338
Flat tire .............................................. 339
Preparing the vehicle ................... 339
Mounting the spare wheel............ 339
Battery............................................... 344
Disconnecting the battery ............ 345
Removing the battery................... 345
Charging and reinstalling
battery ......................................... 345
Reconnecting the battery............. 345
Jump starting ..................................... 347
Towing the vehicle ............................. 349
Installing towing eye bolt ............. 351
Fuses ................................................. 353
Fuse boxes in passenger
compartment ............................... 353
Fuse boxes in engine
compartment ............................... 354
Emergency engine shut-down ...... 355

26 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
KEYLESS-GO* start / stop
button
33
2
Selector lever for
automatic transmission
43
3
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp
69
4
Thumbwheel for setting
distance in Distronic*
206
Item
Page
5
Distance warning func-
tion* on / off switch
206
6
Lower storage space
225
7
Program mode selector for
automatic transmission
164

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.

85 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Good visibility
Automatic climate control
Power windows
Sliding/pop-up roof
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features

160 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Automatic transmissionInformation for driving with an automatic
transmission is found in the “Getting start-
ed” section (
page 43).
Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear
shifting process to your individual driving
style by continually adjusting the shift
points up or down. These shift point adjust-
ments are performed based on current op-
erating and driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the au-
tomatic transmission reacts by adjusting
its gear shift program.The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on:


the selector lever positionD with gear
ranges4, 3, 2, 1 (
page 162)


the selected shift program (C/S)
(page 164)


the position of the accelerator pedal
(page 165)


the vehicle speed
The current selector lever position and
shift program (C/S) appear in the tachom-
eter display (
page 22). When the selector lever is in positionD,
you can influence transmission shifting by:


limiting the gear range


changing gears manually
iDuring the brief warm-up, the transmis-
sion upshifting is delayed. This allows
the catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperature.
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out
of P or N 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 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.

161 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
One-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission you
can change the gears manually when the
selector lever is in positionD.
Downshifting
Briefly press the selector lever to the
left in the D–direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next lower gear. This action si-
multaneously limits the gear range of the
transmission (
page 162).Upshifting

Briefly press the selector lever to the
right in the D+direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simulta-
neously extends the gear range of the
transmission.Canceling gear range limit

Press and hold the selector lever in the
D+direction until
D reappears in the ta-
chometer display field.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in the D–direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal accelera-
tion and deceleration. This will involve
shifting down one or more gears.
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.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the selector lever is moved to the
D–direction, the transmission will not
shift to a lower gear if the engine's
max. speed would be exceeded.

162 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionGear ranges
With the selector lever in positionD, you
can limit the transmission’s gear range by
pressing the lever to the left (D-), and re-
verse the gear range limit by pressing the
lever to the right (D+).
The selected gear range will appear in the
tachometer display field. If you press on
the accelerator when the engine has
reached its rpm limit, the transmission will
upshift beyond any gear range limit
selected.
Gear
range
Effect
é
The transmission shifts
through fourth gear only.
è
The transmission shifts
through third gear only.
With this selection you can
use the braking effect of the
engine.
Gear
range
Effect
ç
The transmission shifts
through second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving:

on steep downgrades


in mountainous regions


under extreme operating
conditions
æ
The transmission operates
only in first gear.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep
or lengthy downgrades.

163 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear selector lever position
Effect
P
Park position
Selector position when the vehicle
is parked. Only place selector lever
in positionP when vehicle is
stopped. The park position is not in-
tended to serve as a brake when
the vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the park-
ing brake in addition to placing the
selector lever in positionP to se-
cure the vehicle.
The SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the se-
lector lever in positionP. With the
SmartKey removed, the selector le-
ver is locked in positionP.
Effect
R
Reverse gear
Place selector lever in positionR only
when vehicle is stopped.
N
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the en-
gine to the drive axle. When the
brakes are released, the vehicle can
be moved freely (pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the transmission,
never engageN while driving.
If the ESP is deactivated or malfunc-
tioning:
Only move selector lever toN if the
vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g.
on icy roads).
D
Drive
The transmission shifts automatical-
ly. All five forward gears are avail-
able.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with selector lever inN
can result in transmission damage that
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector
lever not fully engaged in positionP is dan-
gerous. Also, positionP alone is not intend-
ed to or capable of preventing your vehicle
from moving, possibly hitting people or ob-
jects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 44).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.

164 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Program mode selector switch
1Program mode selector switch
S Sport For standard driving
C Comfort For comfort driving

Press the program mode selector
switch repeatedly until the letter of the
desired shift program appears in the ta-
chometer display field (
page 130).
Select C for comfort driving:


The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are im-
proved on icy roads.


Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.


The power transmission ratio for se-
lector lever positionR changes de-
pending on the program mode
selected (C or S).
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 move
the selector lever from positionP, which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
!Never change the program mode when
the selector lever is out of positionP.
This could result in a change of driving
characteristics for which you may not
be prepared.