2004 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 towing

ContentsReplacing bulbs ................................. 359
Bulbs ............................................ 359
Replacing bulbs for front lamps.... 361
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 363
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 364
Removing wiper blades ................ 364
Installing wiper blades.................. 365
Flat tire .............................................. 366
Preparing the vehicle.................... 366
Sealing tires with TIREFIT
(E 55 AMG) ................................... 366
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 370
Batteries ............................................ 375
Disconnecting the battery ............ 376
Removing the battery ................... 377
Charging and reinstalling
the battery.................................... 377
Reconnecting the battery ............. 377
Jump starting ..................................... 378
Towing the vehicle ............................. 381
Installing towing eye bolt.............. 384
Fuses ................................................. 385
Fuse box in passenger
compartment................................ 385
Technical data................................. 387
Spare parts service ............................ 388
Warranty coverage............................. 389
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ..................... 389
Identification labels ........................... 390
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 391
E 320 / E 500 ............................... 391
E 55 AMG ..................................... 391
Engine................................................ 392
Rims and tires.................................... 394
Same size tires ............................. 394
Mixed size tires
(E 55 AMG only) ........................... 396
Minispare wheel ........................... 396
Electrical system ............................... 397
Main dimensions ............................... 398
Weights.............................................. 399Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. .......... 400
Capacities .................................... 400
Engine oils ................................... 403
Engine oil additives ...................... 403
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 403
Brake fluid.................................... 403
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 404
Fuel requirements ........................ 404
Gasoline additives ........................ 404
Coolants ...................................... 405
Windshield and headlamp
washer system ............................. 407
Consumer information ....................... 408
Uniform tire quality grading ......... 408
Technical terms............................... 411Index................................................. 417

80 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systems
The SBC brake system is automatically ac-
tivated when you:

unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or the KEYLESS-GO*


open the driver’s or passenger door


turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1


in vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*, press
the start/stop button on gear selector
lever once


depress the brake pedal


release the parking brake
If there is a malfunction in the SBC brake
system, we recommend that the vehicle be
transported with all wheels off the ground
using flatbed or appropriate wheel lift/dolly
equipment. A tow bar must be used if cir-
cumstances do not permit the use of the
recommended towing methods and the ve-
hicle requires towing with all four wheels on
the ground. Towing the vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground is only permissible for
distances up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a
speed not to exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For
more information, refer to “Towing the vehi-
cle” (
page 381).
iIf the SBC brake system is activated as
the brake pedal is first depressed, you
may feel a reduced pedal resistance
and longer pedal travel than normal.
When releasing the pedal, you may also
feel the brake pedal pulsate and you
may hear a sound which is caused by
the activation of the SBC brake system-
pump. This is normal and not an indica-
tion of a malfunction. Pedal travel
returns to normal when you release the
brake pedal and the sound soon ceas-
es.
If you experience the above while driv-
ing and the red brake warning lamp
(page 312) illuminates and/or warn-
ing messages appear in the instrument
cluster (
page 318), the brake system
is malfunctioning. Follow the instruc-
tions of the warning message(s) and
have the brake system checked imme-
diately.


85 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Canceling the alarm
With the SmartKey
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
or

Press the Œ or ‹ button on the
SmartKey.
The alarm is canceled.
With KEYLESS-GO*

Grasp the outside door handle.
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button.
The alarm is canceled.
Tow-away alarm
Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle.Arming the tow-away alarm
When you lock your vehicle, the tow-away
alarm is automatically armed after about
30 seconds.
When you unlock your vehicle, the
tow-away protection disarms automatical-
ly.
Disarming the tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm
feature, switch off the tow-away alarm be-
fore towing the vehicle, or when parking on
a surface subject to movement, such as a
ferry or auto train.
The button is located on the overhead con-
trol panel.
iThe tow-away protection alarm is trig-
gered, for example, if the vehicle is lift-
ed on one side.
If the alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds, an emergency call is initi-
ated automatically by the Tele Aid sys-
tem* (
page 250), provided that the
Tele Aid service was subscribed to and
properly activated, and that necessary
cellular service and GPS coverage are
available.

106 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingSeparately unlocking the trunk
Pull the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey (
page 353).

Insert the mechanical key in the trunk
lid lock.

Turn the mechanical key completely to
the left to position2, (
page 105).
You can now open the trunk (page 97).
A minimum height clearance of 5.90 ft
(1.80 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
Automatic central locking
The doors and the trunk automatically lock
when the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of ap-
proximately 9mph (15km/h) or more.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.Information on towing the vehicle can be
found in the “Practical hints” section
(
page 381).
You can deactivate the automatic locking
mode over the control system
(page 149).
iUnlocking the trunk with the mechani-
cal key will trigger the anti-theft alarm
system. To cancel the alarm, do one of
the following:

Press button Œ or ‹ on the
SmartKey.


Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset threshold.
The vehicle automatically locks when
the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more. You could therefore lock yourself
out when the vehicle

is pushed or towed


is on a test stand

242 Controls in detailUseful features
Useful featuresInterior storage spaces Parcel net in front passenger footwell
A small convenience parcel net is located
in the front passenger footwell. It is for
small and light items, such as road maps,
mail, etc.Glove box
1Glove box lid release
2Compartment for mobile
phone / glasses
Opening the glove box

Push lid release1.
The glove box lid opens downward.
Closing the glove box

Push lid up to close.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when stowing objects in the vehicle. Put lug-
g a g e o r c a r g o i n t h e t r u n k i f p o s s i b l e . D o n o t
pile luggage or cargo higher than the seat
backs. Do not place anything on the shelf
below the rear window.
Luggage nets cannot secure hard or heavy
objects.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
an accident.
Warning!
G
The parcel net is intended for storing
light-weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
parcel net.
The parcel net cannot protect transported
goods in the event of an accident.

254 Controls in detailUseful featuresRoadside Assistance button•
Located below the center armrest cover is
the Roadside Assistance button•.
Press and hold the button (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to a Mercedes-Benz Roadside As-
sistance dispatcher will be initiated.
The button will flash while the call is in
progress. The message
ROADSIDE AS-
SISTANCE – CONNECTING CALL
will ap-
pear in the multifunction display.
When the connection is established, the
message
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE –
CALL CONNECTED
appears in the multifunc-
tion display. The Tele Aid system will trans-
mit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).
A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established. When a
voice connection is established, the
audio system mutes and the message
TELE AID – ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
CALL ACTIVE
appears in the multifunction
display.

Describe the nature of the need for as-
sistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and / or towing, charges may ap-
ply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance man-
ual for more information.
These programs are only available in the
USA:


Sign and Drive services: Services such
as a jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.


Remote Vehicle Diagnostics: This func-
tion permits the Mercedes-Benz Road-
side Assistance dispatcher to
download malfunction codes and actu-
al vehicle data.
iThe indicator lamp on the Roadside As-
sistance button• remains illumi-
nated in red for approximately
10 seconds during the system
self-check after turning the ignition on
(together with the SOS button and the
Information button¡).
See system self-check (
page 251)
when the indicator lamp does not come
on in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp on the Roadside
Assistance button• is illuminated
continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Response Center es-
tablished, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate a Roadside Assis-
tance call (e.g. the relevant cellular
phone network is not available). The
message
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE –
CALL FAILED
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.

268 OperationDriving instructionsPower assistance
Brakes
Warning!
G
The brake system requires electrical energy
for operation.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. In such a case, the
red brake warning lamp (
page 312) and
warning messages in the instrument cluster
(
page 318) come on while driving. To
brake, the driver must then apply signifi-
cantly greater brake pedal pressure and de-
press the pedal much further to obtain the
expected braking effect. If necessary, apply
full pressure to the brake pedal. Brakes may
only be applied to the front wheels. Stop-
ping distance is increased! If there is a mal-
function in the SBC brake system, we
recommend that the vehicle be transported
with all wheels off the ground using flatbed
or appropriate wheel lift/dolly equipment. A
tow bar must be used if circumstances do
not permit the use of the recommended
towing methods and the vehicle requires
towing with all four wheels on the ground.
Towing the vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is only permissible for distances
up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For more infor-
mation, refer to “Towing the vehicle”
(page 381). For more information see
SBC brake system (
page 79).
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.
Warning!
G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking ef-
fect. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles
in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an acci-
dent.

309 Practical hints
What to do if …
Where will I find ...?
Unlocking / locking in an emergency
Opening / closing in an emergency
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Batteries
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses