2004 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 page 2

229 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Parktronic system* (Parking assist)
The Parktronic system is an electronic aid
designed to assist the driver during park-
ing maneuvers. It visually and audibly indi-
cates the relative distance between the
vehicle and an obstacle.
The Parktronic system is automatically ac-
tivated when you switch on the ignition
and release the parking brake. The
Parktronic system deactivates at speeds
over 11 mph (18 km / h). At lower speeds
the Parktronic system turns on again.The Parktronic system monitors the sur-
roundings of your vehicle with six sensors
in the front bumper and four sensors in the
rear bumper.
1Sensors in the front bumperWarning!
G
The Parktronic system is a supplemental
system. It is not intended to, nor does it re-
place, the need for extreme care. The re-
sponsibility during parking and other critical
maneuvers always rests with the driver.
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or road
curbs). Such objects may not be detected by
the system and can damage the vehicle.
The operational function of the Parktronic
system can be affected by dirty sensors, es-
pecially at times of snow and ice. See
“Cleaning the Parktronic system sensors”
(page 305).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers or the air
brakes of trucks) can cause the system to
send erratic indications, and should be tak-
en into consideration.
Warning!
G
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.

232 Controls in detailDriving systemsSwitching the Parktronic system
on / off
You can switch off the Parktronic system
manually.
The Parktronic system switch is located in
the lower section of the center console.
1Parktronic system on / off
2Indicator lampSwitching off the Parktronic system

Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2 comes on.
Switching on the Parktronic system

Press button 1 again.
Indicator lamp 2 goes out.
Parktronic system malfunction
There is a malfunction in the Parktronic
system if the red segments of the
Parktronic system warning indicator come
on and a warning sounds. The Parktronic
system will switch itself off after
30 seconds and the indicator lamp on the
Parktronic system switch comes on.

Have the Parktronic system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter as soon as possible.If only the red segments of the Parktronic
system warning indicator come on and no
warning sounds, then the sensors of the
Parktronic system are dirty or malfunction-
ing. Malfunction may also be caused by in-
terference from other radio or ultrasonic
signals. The Parktronic system will switch
itself off after 20 seconds.

Clean Parktronic system sensors
(page 305).

Switch on the ignition.
or

Check Parktronic system operation at
another location to rule out interfer-
ence from outside radio or ultrasonic
signals.

236 Controls in detailLoadingRemoval of ski sack
For removal of the ski sack we recommend
that you contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Split rear bench seat*
To expand the trunk, you can fold down the
left and right rear seat backrests.
The two sections can be folded down sep-
arately to enlarge the trunk.Folding the backrest forward
1Release handle
Warning!
G
Never drive vehicle with trunk open while
the ski sack is removed. Deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior, resulting in unconsciousness and
death.iTo prevent unauthorized persons from
access to the trunk, always close the
cover.
Warning!
G
When expanding the luggage compartment,
always fold the seat cushions fully forward.
Unless you are transporting cargo, the back-
rests must remain properly locked in the up-
right position.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
Always use the cargo tie down rings
(page 241).
!You must always release the seat cush-
ion and fold it up before folding the seat
backrests forward. The upholstery on
the seat backrest may otherwise be
damaged.

241 Controls in detail
Loading
Cargo tie-down rings*
Four rings1 are located in the trunk.
Carefully secure cargo by applying
even load on all rings with rope of suffi-
cient strength to hold down the cargo.
Always follow loading instructions
(page 240).Rear seat
There is a cargo tie-down ring located on
each side of the footwell under the rear
seat.

247 Controls in detail
Useful features
Removing ashtray insert

Secure vehicle from movement by set-
ting the parking brake. Move the gear
selector lever to positionN.
Now you have more room to take out
the insert.

Push sliding button2 to the right and
hold.

Grip and remove insert from ashtray
frame.
Reinstalling ashtray insert

Install insert by pushing it back into
frame until it engages again.
Rear seat ashtrayOpening rear seat ashtray

Briefly press the top of the ashtray.
The ashtray opens.
Cigarette lighter
The cigarette lighter is located in the cen-
ter console compartment in front of the
armrest (
page 26).
1Cigarette lighter

Turn ignition on.

Push in cigarette lighter1.
The lighter will pop out automatically
when hot. it in a convenient location in the vehi-
cle.
Warning!
G
Only use rubber mat in conjunction with
storing coins / tokens. Always remove rub-
ber mat and / or all other contents and rein-
sert ashtray insert before placing hot
cigarettes or other hot smoking materials in
this compartment.Warning!
G
Remove front ashtray only with vehicle
standing still. Set the parking brake to se-
cure vehicle from movement. Move gear se-
lector lever to positionN. With gear selector
lever in positionN, turn off the engine.

250 Controls in detailUseful featuresYou can take and place telephone calls us-
ing thes andt buttons on the
steering wheel. To carry out other tele-
phone functions, use the control system
(page 129).
See separate operating manual for instruc-
tions on how to use the telephone.
Tele Aid* The Tele Aid system
(Tele
matic A
larm I
dentification on D
e-
mand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:


automatic and manual emergency


roadside Assistance and


information
The Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and cel-
lular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the multifunction steering wheel. To
raise, press buttonæ and to lower,
press buttonç.

To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• or
the Information button¡, depend-
ing on the type of response required.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of approximately
44 feet (approximately 13.5 m) every sec-
ond.Warning!
G
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle. Whether or not prohibited by law, for
safety reasons, the driver should not use the
cellular telephone while the vehicle is in mo-
tion.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location before an-
swering or placing a call.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid sys-
tem may only be performed by com-
pleting the subscriber agreement and
placing an acquaintance call using the
SOS button. Failure to complete either
of these steps will result in a system
that is not activated. If the system is
not activated, the indicator lamp in the
SOS button stays on after turning the
SmartKey in starter switch to
position2, or pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button twice
to position2. The message
Tele Aid –
not activated
will be shown in the
multifunction display for approximately
10 seconds.
If you have any questions regarding ac-
tivation, please call the Response Cen-
ter at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).


252 Controls in detailUseful featuresEmergency calls
An emergency call is initiated automatical-
ly:

following an accident in which the
emergency tensioning devices (ETDs)
or airbags deploy


if the anti-theft alarm or the tow-away
alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds. See anti-theft alarm sys-
tem (
page 84) and tow-away alarm
(
page 85)
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
interior rear view mirror labeled SOS, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See below for instructions on
initiating an emergency call manually.
Once the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp in the SOS button will begin
to flash. The message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CONNECTING CALL
appears in the multifunc-
tion display. When the connection is estab-
lished, the message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CALL CONNECTED
appears in the multifunc-tion display. All information relevant to the
emergency, such as the location of the ve-
hicle (determined by the GPS satellite loca-
tion system), vehicle model, identification
number and color are generated.
A voice connection between the Response
Center and the occupants of the vehicle
will be established automatically soon af-
ter the emergency call has been initiated.
When a voice connection is established,
the audio system mutes and the message
TELE AID – EMERGENCY CALL ACTIVE
ap-
pears in the multifunction display. The Re-
sponse Center will attempt to determine
more precisely the nature of the accident
provided they can speak to an occupant of
the vehicle.The Tele Aid system is available if:


it has been activated and is operation-
al. Activation requires a subscription
for monitoring services, connection
and cellular air time


the relevant cellular phone network
and GPS signals are available and pass
the information on to the response cen-
teriLocation of the vehicle on a map is only
possible if the vehicle is able to receive
signals from the GPS satellite network
and pass the information on to the re-
sponse center.

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.