warning light MERCEDES-BENZ S63AMG 2008 W221 Owner's Manual

Contents
Controls in detail............................. 331
Locking and unlocking ....................... 332
SmartKey ..................................... 332
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*....... 335
Checking batteries in the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*............................... 340
Loss of the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*....... 340
Opening doors from the inside ..... 341
Power closing assist for doors
and trunk lid ................................. 342
Automatic central locking ............ 342
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 343
Starter switch positions ..................... 344
SmartKey ..................................... 344
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*....... 345
Seats.................................................. 347
Seat adjustment ........................... 347
Seat heating* ............................... 351
Seat ventilation* .......................... 352
Head restraints............................. 353
Multicontour seats*, rear ............. 356
Easy-entry/exit feature ................ 357Steering wheel ................................... 359
Steering wheel adjustment .......... 359
Heated steering wheel* ............... 360
Mirrors ............................................... 361
Interior rear view mirror ............... 361
Exterior rear view mirrors............. 361
Power folding exterior
rear view mirrors .......................... 362
Auto-dimming rear view mirrors ... 363
Activating exterior rear view
mirror parking position................. 364
Memory function ............................... 365
Storing positions into memory ..... 366
Recalling positions from memory . 366
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position ........................... 367
Fastening the seat belts .................... 368
Proper use of seat belts ............... 370
Seat belt height adjustment ......... 370
Lighting.............................................. 371
Exterior lamp switch..................... 371
Switching on high beams ............. 375
Headlamp cleaning system .......... 375
Corner-illuminating lamps ............ 376
Hazard warning flasher ................ 377
Interior lighting............................. 378Door entry lamps ......................... 379
Courtesy lighting .......................... 380
Trunk lamp ................................... 380
Windshield wipers ............................. 381
Switching on/off
windshield wipers ........................ 381
Intermittent wiping ...................... 382
Single wipe .................................. 382
Wiping with windshield washer
fluid.............................................. 382
Power windows ................................. 383
Opening and closing
power windows ............................ 383
Rear side window sunshades* ..... 385
Summer opening feature ............. 385
Convenience closing feature ........ 386
Driving and parking ........................... 389
Starting the engine ...................... 389
Driving off .................................... 392
Turn signals.................................. 393
Problems while driving ................. 393
Parking......................................... 394
Turning off the engine .................. 397
Releasing seat belts ..................... 398
Automatic transmission..................... 399
Gear selector lever....................... 399

14 Introduction
Operator’s Manual
This Operator’s Manual contains a great
deal of useful information. We urge you to
read it carefully and familiarize yourself
with the vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life
of the vehicle, we urge you to follow the in-
structions and warnings contained in this
manual. Ignoring them could result in dam-
age to the vehicle or personal injury to you
or others. Vehicle damage caused by fail-
ure to follow instructions is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
the operation of any equipment, any autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center will be glad to
demonstrate the proper procedures.We continuously strive to improve our
product, and ask for your understanding
that we reserve the right to make changes
in design and equipment. Therefore, infor-
mation, illustrations and descriptions in
this Operator’s Manual might differ from
your vehicle.
Optional equipment is also described in
this manual, including operating instruc-
tions wherever necessary. Since they are
special-order items, the descriptions and
illustrations herein may vary slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are
not shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center will be glad to inform you of correct
care and operating procedures. The Oper-
ator’s Manual and Maintenance Booklet
are important documents and should be
kept with the vehicle.Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
Booklet contains detailed information
about the warranties covering your
Mercedes-Benz, including:

New Vehicle Limited Warranty

Emission System Warranty

Emission Performance Warranty

California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont Emission Control System
Warranty
(California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont only)

State Warranty Enforcement Laws
(Lemon Laws)

18 Introduction
Symbols
Trademarks:

Bluetooth® is a registered trademark of
of Bluetooth SIG Inc.

ESP® and PRE-SAFE® are registered
trademark of DaimlerChrysler.

HomeLink® is a registered trademark
of Prince, a Johnson Controls
Company.

LOGIC7® is a registered trademark of
Harman International Industries, Incor-
porated.

SIRIUS and related marks are trade-
marks of SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc.The following symbols are found in this
Operator’s Manual:
* Optional equipment is identified
with an asterisk. Since standard
equipment varies between models,
the descriptions and illustrations in
this manual may differ slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehi-
cle.
This symbol points to instructions for
you to follow.
A number of these symbols appearing
in succession indicates a multiple-step
procedure.
 page This symbol tells you where to
look for further information on a
topic.
This continuation symbol marks
a warning which is continued on
the next page.
This continuation symbol marks
a procedure which is continued
on the next page.
-> This symbol is used to indicate
cross-references to term defini-
tions.
DisplayWords appearing in the multi-
function display and COMAND
display are printed in the type
shown here.
Warning!G
Warning notices draw your attention to haz-
ards that may endanger your health or life,
or the health or life of others.
!Highlights hazards that may result in dam-
age to your vehicle.
iHelpful hints or further information you may
find useful.

45 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When you sell your vehicle we strongly
urge you to give notice to the subsequent
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by
alerting them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.Front air bags
1Driver air bag
2Front passenger front air bag
Driver and front passenger front air bags
are deployed:

in the event of certain frontal impacts

if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold

independently of the side impact air
bagsThe air bags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protec-
ted by the fastened seat belts.

Given the considerable deployment
speed, required inflation volume, and
the textile structure of the air bags,
there is the possibility of abrasions or
other, potentially more serious injuries
resulting from air bag deployment.
Warning!G
Only use seat covers which have been
tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle model. Using other seat covers
may interfere with or prevent the
deployment of the front side impact air bags
or the rear side impact air bags. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for avail-
ability.
iThe front air bags in this vehicle have been
designed to inflate in two stages. This allows the
air bag to have different rates of inflation that are
based on the rate of relevant vehicle decelera-
tion as assessed by the air bag control unit.
On the front passenger-side, the front air bag de-
ployment is additionally influenced by the pas-
senger’s weight category as identified by the
Occupant Classification System (OCS)
(
page 47).
The lighter the front passenger-side occupant,
the higher the vehicle deceleration rate required
for the second stage inflation of the air bag.

58 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Infant and child restraint systems
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
All lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s
seat belt have special seat belt retractors
for secure fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow child
restraint instructions for mounting. Then
pull the shoulder belt out completely and
let it retract. During seat belt retraction, a
ratcheting sound can be heard to indicate
that the special seat belt retractor is acti-
vated. The seat belt is now locked. Push
down on child restraint to take up any
slack.
Warning!G
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if they are secured in a child re-
straint system. The children could

injure themselves on parts of the vehicle

be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or
cold
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system’s
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.
If children open a door, they could

injure other persons

get out of the car and injure themselves
or be injured by following traffic
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child’s risk of injury in the event
of

strong braking maneuvers

sudden changes of direction

an accident

63 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
If you have not installed a child seat, the
LATCH anchors are hidden by an uphol-
stery cover.
1Indicates the position of the anchors
2Anchors
3Upholstery cover
4Installation device
Bring the rear power seat backrest* to
its fully upright position (
page 349).
Fold upholstery cover3 upward.
Turn installation device4 to a vertical
position so that upholstery cover3
does not fold down.
Install child seat according to the man-
ufacturer’s instructions.
A rigid connection is established be-
tween the child seat and the body of
the vehicle.Override switch for rear passenger
compartment
You can disable select functions in the rear
passenger compartment for added safety
(for instance when you have children riding
in the rear passenger compartment).
You can disable the following functions in
the rear passenger compartment:

rear door window operation
(
page 383)

adjustment of front passenger seat
from the rear* (
page 349)

rear center console lighter
(
page 505)
Damaged or impact damaged child seats or
child seat mounting fittings must be re-
placed.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system.
Warning!G
Vehicles with rear power seats*: Never ad-
just the rear seat position after installing the
child restraint. Adjusting the rear seat posi-
tion after installing the child restraint could
damage the child restraint and/or introduce
undesirable slack or tension into the seat
belt and loosen or misposition the child re-
straint, lessening the effectiveness of the
child restraint and thus increasing the
chance or severity of injury in an accident.
iThe child seat must be firmly attached to the
right and left side anchor fittings.
Make sure the seat belt for the center seat can
operate freely with a child seat installed.
Non-LATCH type child seats may also be used
and can be installed using the vehicle’s seat belt
system. Install child seat according to the manu-
facturer’s instructions.

66 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
This section contains information about
Adaptive Brake Lights as well as the follow-
ing driving safety systems:

ABS (Antilock Brake System)

Adaptive Brake

BAS (Brake Assist System)

BAS Plus* (Brake Assist System Plus)

EBP (Electronic Brake Proportioning)

ESP® (Electronic Stability Program)

4MATIC (Four Wheel Electronic
Traction System)

PRE-SAFE® Brake* (Preventive Occu-
pant Safe
ty Brake)
ABS
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even to light brake pressure.
The - indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster (
page 28) comes on when you
switch on the ignition (
page 344). It goes
out when the engine is running.
Warning!G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns

Wet and slippery road surfaces

Following another vehicle too closely
The driving safety systems described in this
section cannot reduce these risks or pre-
vent the natural laws of physics from acting
on the vehicle.
Always adapt your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions and
keep a safe distance to other road users and
objects on the street.
iIn winter operation, the maximum effective-
ness of the ABS, Adaptive Brake, BAS,
BAS Plus*, EBP, ESP
® and 4MATIC is only
achieved with winter tires (
page 580), or snow
chains as required.
Warning!G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.

67 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode.
Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal while experiencing the pul-
sation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.
Emergency brake maneuver
Keep continuous full pressure on the
brake pedal.For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 598).
Adaptive Brake
Adaptive Brake provides a high level of
braking safety as well as increased braking
comfort. It is coupled with ABS, ESP
® and
BAS. Adaptive Brake takes driver and vehi-
cle characteristics into consideration, thus
achieving an optimal braking effect.
Warning!G
When the ABS is malfunctioning, the BAS,
BAS Plus* and ESP® are also switched off.
When the ABS is malfunctioning, the wheels
may lock during hard braking, reducing
steering capability and extending the brak-
ing distance.
Warning!G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency
beyond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction
afforded. The ABS cannot prevent acci-
dents, including those resulting from exces-
sive speed in turns, following another
vehicle too closely, or hydroplaning.
Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver can
prevent accidents.
The capabilities of an ABS equipped vehicle
must never be exploited in a reckless or dan-
gerous manner which could jeopardize the
user’s safety or the safety of others.

68 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Adaptive Brake Lights
(S 600/S 65 AMG and USA only)
The brake lamps flash in quick intervals
while you are braking in order to signal to
cars behind you that

you are braking strongly at a speed of
more than 30 mph (50 km/h)

you are braking with the aid of BAS or
BAS Plus*
If you bring the car to a complete stop by
hard braking at a speed of more than
40 mph (70 km/h), the hazard warning
flasher automatically comes on as soon as
the vehicle is at a standstill. While the vehi-
cle is stationary, the brake lamps are con-
tinuously lit up.
Once you drive faster than 6 mph
(10 km/h) afterward, the hazard warning
flasher goes out.
BAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing the braking distance.
Apply continuous full braking pressure
until the emergency braking situation is
over.
The ABS will prevent the wheels from
locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
section (
page 598).
Warning!G
When the BAS is malfunctioning, the brake
system is still functioning normally, but with-
out the additional brake boost available that
BAS would normally provide in an emergen-
cy braking maneuver. Therefore, the braking
distance may increase.
Warning!G
The BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires or the traction afforded. The BAS
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or hydro-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents.
The capabilities of a BAS equipped vehicle
must never be exploited in a reckless or dan-
gerous manner which could jeopardize the
user’s safety or the safety of others.

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.