tow MERCEDES-BENZ S63AMG 2008 W221 Owner's Manual

Contents
COMAND telephone* ........................ 132
Safety precautions ....................... 132
General notes............................... 132
Switching telephone on or off ...... 134
Activating telephone mode .......... 134
Telephone keypad ........................ 134
“911” emergency call................... 135
Entering the PIN ........................... 136
Entering the PIN2 ......................... 137
Entering the PUK/PUK2 ............... 137
Entering the unlock code ............. 137
Telephone submenu overview ...... 138
Main telephone menu .................. 139
Mailbox ........................................ 139
Call lists ....................................... 140
Incoming call ................................ 142
Making an outgoing call ............... 143
Functions during a single-call
connection ................................... 145
Transferring a call ........................ 146
COMAND phone book .................. 147
SMS messages
(Short Message Service) .............. 155
COMAND navigation .......................... 158
Safety precautions ....................... 158COMAND navigation (introduction) .... 159
Map software ................................ 159
Updating the map software........... 159
Updating process .......................... 159
Loading a DVD into the
DVD changer................................. 160
Updating ....................................... 160
General notes ............................... 163
Input restrictions .......................... 164
Navigation system
menu overview .............................. 165
Calling up the map display and
switching to navigation mode ....... 166
Basic settings ............................... 168
COMAND navigation system
(entering a destination) ...................... 172
Entering a destination by the
address ......................................... 172
Entering a destination from the
destination memory ...................... 191
Entering a destination from the
list of last destinations .................. 193
Entering a destination
from the map ................................ 193
Entering a stopover ....................... 194COMAND navigation system
(Point of interest entry) ...................... 196
Entering a POI in the
surrounding area .......................... 196
Entering a POI in the surroundings
of a given town ............................. 196
Entering a POI in a
different region ............................. 196
Designating a POI category........... 197
Entering a POI from the map ........ 203
COMAND navigation system
(real-time traffic) (USA only) ............... 204
Real-time traffic notifications
in the map .................................... 204
Displaying real-time traffic reports 205
Example message ......................... 206
COMAND navigation system
(route guidance) ................................. 207
Route guidance ............................. 207
Examples of displays and
announcements for a
driving maneuver .......................... 207
Example of a display without
driving maneuvers ........................ 209
Destination or destination area
reached ........................................ 209

Contents
Where will I find ...? ........................... 668
First aid kit ................................... 668
Vehicle jack, vehicle tool kit,
luggage bowl, Minispare wheel .... 668
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 671
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 671
Locking the vehicle ...................... 672
Mechanically releasing the
electronic parking brake .............. 673
Opening/closing in an emergency..... 674
Power tilt/sliding sunroof or
panorama roof with
power tilt/sliding panel*.............. 674
Resetting activated head restraints ... 675
Replacing SmartKey batteries ........... 676
Replacing bulbs ................................. 678
Bulbs ............................................ 679
Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 680
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 684
Placing wiper arms in vertical
position ........................................ 684
Removing wiper blades ................ 685
Installing wiper blades................. 685
Flat tire .............................................. 686
Preparing the vehicle ................... 686
Mounting the spare wheel............ 686Batteries ............................................. 692
Disconnecting starter battery ....... 694
Removing starter battery .............. 695
Charging battery ........................... 695
Reinstalling starter battery ........... 696
Reconnecting starter battery ........ 696
Jump starting ...................................... 697
Towing the vehicle .............................. 700
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 703
Fuses .................................................. 704
Fuse boxes in engine
compartment ................................ 705
Fuse boxes in passenger
compartment ................................ 706
Emergency engine shut-down ....... 707
Technical data.................................. 709
Parts service....................................... 710
Warranty coverage ............................. 711
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ...................... 711
Identification labels ............................ 712
Layout of poly-V-belt drive .................. 714
S 550 ............................................ 714
S 63 AMG ..................................... 714S 600 and S 65 AMG .................... 714
Engine ................................................ 715
Rims and tires .................................... 718
Same size tires ............................. 719
Mixed size tires ............................. 720
Spare wheel .................................. 721
Electrical system ................................ 722
Main dimensions and weights ............ 723
Main dimensions........................... 723
Weights......................................... 723
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. .......... 724
Capacities ..................................... 724
Engine oils .................................... 728
Engine oil additives ....................... 728
Air conditioning refrigerant ........... 728
Brake fluid .................................... 728
Premium unleaded gasoline.......... 729
Fuel requirements......................... 729
Gasoline additives......................... 730
Coolants ....................................... 730
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 733
Index................................................. 735

19 Introduction
Operating safety
Operating safety
Proper use of the vehicle
Proper use of the vehicle requires that you
are familiar with the following information
and rules:

the safety precautions in this manual

the “Technical data” section in this
manual

traffic rules and regulations

motor vehicle laws and safety stan-
dards
Warning!G
Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause them to cease functioning. Because
the vehicle’s electronic components are in-
terconnected, any modifications made may
produce an undesired effect on other sys-
tems. Electronic malfunctions could seri-
ously impair the operating safety of your
vehicle.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter for repairs or modifications to electronic
components.
Other improper work or modifications on the
vehicle could also have a negative impact on
the operating safety of the vehicle.
Some safety systems only function while the
engine is running. You should therefore nev-
er turn off the engine while driving.
Warning!G
Heavy blows against the vehicle underbody
or tires/wheels, for example when running
over an obstacle, road debris or a pothole,
may cause serious damage and impair the
operating safety of your vehicle. If you feel a
sudden significant vibration or ride distur-
bance, or you suspect that damage to your
vehicle has occurred, you should turn on
your hazard warning flashers, carefully slow
down, and drive with caution to an area
which is a safe distance from the road.
Inspect the vehicle underbody and
tires/wheels for possible damage. If the ve-
hicle appears unsafe, have it towed to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or other qualified maintenance or repair fa-
cility for further inspection or repairs.
Warning!G
Various warning labels are attached to your
vehicle. These warning labels are intended
to make you and others aware of various
risks. You should not remove any of these
warning labels unless explicitly instructed to
do so by information on the label itself. Re-
moval of any of these labels may cause you
and others to be unaware of certain risks
which may result in an accident and/or per-
sonal injury.

25 At a glance
Exterior view
ItemPage
1Trunk

Unlocking

Opening and closing

Minispare wheel

Vehicle tool kit
479
479
686
668
2Rear lamps679
3Rear window, defrosting473
4Fuel filler flap
Gasoline538
729
5Doors

Locking and unlocking

Opening and closing
332
332
ItemPage
6Exterior rear view mirror
Parking position361
364
7Towing the vehicle700
8Rims and tires

Checking tire inflation
pressure

Minispare wheel

Flat tire
718
560
670
686
9Hood, opening
Engine oil
Coolant541
543
547
ItemPage
aHeadlamp cleaning system375
bFront lamps679
cWindshield wipers
Wiper blades, replacing
Wiper blades, cleaning381
684
592
dWindow, cleaning592
eRoofs

Power tilt/sliding sunroof

Panorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel*
486
489

72 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see “Practical hints”
section (
page 604) and (page 612).Electronic traction system
The electronic traction system is a compo-
nent of ESP
®.
The electronic traction system improves
the vehicle’s ability to utilize available trac-
tion, especially under slippery road condi-
tions by applying the brakes to a spinning
wheel.
When you switch off the ESP
®, the elec-
tronic traction system is still enabled.
Warning!G
The ESP® cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
®
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ESP
® equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.
iDISTRONIC Plus* and cruise control are
switched off when the ESP® engages.
iThe ESP® will only function properly if you
use wheels of the recommended tire size
(
page 718).
!Vehicles without 4MATIC:
Because the ESP® operates automatically, the
engine and ignition must be shut off (SmartKey
in starter switch position0 or1 or KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button* in position0 or1) when

the electronic parking brake is being tested
on a brake test dynamometer

the vehicle is being towed with the
front/rear axle raised
Active braking action through the ESP
® may oth-
erwise seriously damage the brake system.
For information on vehicles with 4MATIC, see
“Four wheel electronic traction system (4MATIC)
with the ESP
®” (page 75).
Warning!G
If you are driving too fast, the electronic
traction system cannot reduce the risk of an
accident.
The electronic traction system cannot pre-
vent the natural laws of physics from acting
on the vehicle.

76 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
PRE-SAFE® Brake* (vehicles with
DISTRONIC Plus* only)
PRE-SAFE
® Brake* can assist you in mini-
mizing the risk of a rear-end collision with
a vehicle in front of you and in reducing the
severity of an accident. At speeds over ap-
prox 20 mph (30 km/h), it will

warn you of a possible collision

automatically begin to brake the vehi-
cle lightly in a speed range of up to
112 mph (180 km/h)

activate preventative occupant safety
measures (PRE-SAFE®) (page 56)
Warning!G
If you see the ESP® warning lampv
flashing in the speedometer, proceed as fol-
lows:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible

While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor

Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP
® cannot prevent accidents result-
ing from excessive speed.
!Do not tow with one axle raised.
Otherwise the transfer case can be damaged,
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
!Performance testing must only be conduct-
ed on a two-axle dynamometer.
Otherwise the transfer case can be damaged,
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine and the ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1 or
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* in position0
or1) when the parking brake is being tested on a
brake test dynamometer.
Active braking action through ESP
® may other-
wise seriously damage the front or rear axle
brake system.
Operational tests with the engine running can
only be conducted on a two-axle dynamometer.
Warning!G
PRE-SAFE® Brake is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The responsibility for the vehicle
speed and the distance to the vehicle ahead,
including most importantly brake operation
to assure safe stopping distance, always re-
mains with the driver.

93 Control systems
COMAND introduction
Entering characters
Illustration: entering a navigation destina-
tion
Selecting characters
Slide omp or rotate ymz.
Confirming selection: Press n.
COMAND completes your entry as
soon as it can be clearly identified. In
this case, you do not need to switch to
the list.Deleting individual characters
Select and press ) repeatedly in the
bottom line.
Deleting entire words or numbers
Press and hold ) in the bottom line
until the word or number is deleted.
Exiting character entry
Select and press “Back” in the bottom
line.
or
Press back button L in the center
console (
page 86).
Switching to the list
Slide qm.
or
Select and press ? in the second line
from the bottom.
Exiting list: Slide om to select “Back”.Accepting first entry
Press nuntil you exit the character
entry window.
Selecting list item
Illustration: list of towns and cities for navi-
gation
1Symbol for other selection options
(e.g. county)
Selecting a line: Slide rmq or
rotateymz.


98 Control systems
COMAND introduction
Adjusting balance or fader
Balance is used to determine whether the
sound focus should be shifted toward the
driver’s side or the passenger’s side.
Fader is used to determine whether the
sound focus should be shifted toward the
front or rear of the vehicle
Select “Sound”
“Balance/Fader”.
The setting last selected is indicated by
an outlined bar.
Adjusting balance and fader
1Current setting indicated by orange
cross-hair symbol
Changing setting: Slide rmq or omp
until desired balance/fader setting is
reached.
Exiting menu: Press n or L.
The setting is saved.
Surround sound
With surround sound, you can choose be-
tween “LOGIC7
® ON” and “LOGIC7® OFF”.
Harman/kardon LOGIC7
® surround sound
is available for the following operating
modes:

Audio DVD (MLP, DTS, PCM, and Dolby
Digital audio formats)

Video DVD (DTS, PCM, and Dolby Digi-
tal audio formats) (USA only)

Audio CD

MP3

Radio (FM, AM, WB,
Satellite* (USA only))

PCMCIA
iSince some DVDs contain both stereo as
well as multi-channel audio formats, it may be
necessary to adapt the audio format
(
page 123).
iThe “LOGIC7® ON” function of the har-
man/kardon LOGIC7® surround sound system
makes it possible to play discrete 5.1 and stereo
recordings with optimal surround sound for ev-
ery passenger. Music on CDs or audio DVDs with
high-resolution surround formats such as MLP,
DTS or Dolby Digital is played back optimally.
For an ideal sound experience on all seats,
LOGIC7
® distributes 5.1 surround information
via the 13-channel system architecture. The re-
sult is a sound as intended by the sound engi-
neers during the original recording.
harman/kardon LOGIC7
® converts all two-chan-
nel stereo sound material into multi-channel sur-
round sound. With the help of LOGIC7
®,
surround information stored during the original
recording are read out and distributed through
the 13 channels. No effects are created during
this process; only that which was already there
becomes audible.
In addition, harman/kardon LOGIC7
® moves the
perceived sound source away from the individual
loudspeakers, thus generating a natural 360°
sound experience for every passenger.

117 Control systems
COMAND audio CD/audio DVD/MP3
Inserting a PCMCIA card
1Slot for PCMCIA card
Insert PCMCIA card into slot 1.
The side with the contact must point
towards the slot.If the PCMCIA card contains a storage
medium with MP3 tracks, COMAND
switches to MP3 mode.
Ejecting CDs and DVDs Ejecting from the DVD changer
1Disc slot
2Magazine tray buttons 1 – 6
3Eject button (all discs)
Ejecting one disc: Press desired mag-
azine tray button 2.
Take disc out of slot 1.
If you do not take the disc out of
slot1, the DVD changer will draw it
back automatically in approximately
15 seconds.
iCOMAND supports commercially available
PCMCIA cards or PCMCIA card adapters with
storage media that may not be designed for the
temperatures which occur in the vehicle. You
should therefore remove the PCMCIA card from
the vehicle when not in use since extreme tem-
peratures could damage these devices.
Warning!G
Only eject a disc when the vehicle is station-
ary. You may otherwise be distracted from
the traffic conditions and could cause an ac-
cident.
iIf you eject one disc while playing another
disc, the DVD changer interrupts playback. Play-
back continues once the disc has been ejected.


163 Control systems
COMAND navigation (introduction)
General notes
Operational readiness of the navigation
system following a system software
update by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center
After a system software update by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center, the in-
stalled map software may no longer be
compatible. If this is the case, the naviga-
tion system will not be operational.
You will know if this is the case, when the
following message will appear when you
switch to navigation mode: “The system
software has been updated. The map soft-
ware must be updated now. Please insert
the DVD with the map software.”
Updating map software: Proceed as
described in the “Updating the map
software” section (
page 159). Use
map software which is compatible with
the system software.Initial use or use following a system
software update
In both these cases, the navigation system
must determine the position of the vehicle.
You may have to drive for a while before
precise route guidance is possible.
GPS reception
Correct functioning of the navigation sys-
tem depends on GPS reception, among
other things. In certain situations, GPS re-
ception may be impaired, there may be in-
terference or there may be no reception at
all, e.g. in tunnels, in multistory parking ga-
rage or due to snow on the GPS antenna. If
there is snow on the GPS antenna, you
should remove it. The GPS antenna is at
the back of the vehicle roof.The roof cargo container* may also impair
mobile phone reception and GPS cover-
age.
Route guidance after vehicle transpor-
tation
COMAND has to redetermine the position
of the vehicle if the vehicle has been trans-
ported (e.g. by ferry, by train or after tow-
ing).
Positioning takes place automatically even
when COMAND is switched off. The dura-
tion varies from one case to another.
Route guidance may be restricted as fol-
lows during vehicle positioning:

Navigation announcements, route
guidance displays and displayed street
names are not consistent with the ac-
tual location of the vehicle.

COMAND does not generate navigation
announcements.
iPlease note that the update must be allowed
to run to the end in this case. If you interrupt it,
the navigation system will continue to be non-op-
erational.