2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E WAGON snow chains

Contents
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 330
Tire ply material ........................... 332
Tire and loading terminology ........ 332
Rotating tires ............................... 335
Winter driving .................................... 337
Winter tires .................................. 337
Block heater* (Canada only) ........ 338
Snow chains................................. 338
Maintenance...................................... 339
Clearing the maintenance
service indicator........................... 340
Maintenance service term
exceeded ..................................... 340
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator........................... 341
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator........................... 341
Setting the date for special
works ........................................... 342
Calling up the maintenance
service data information .............. 343
Vehicle care ....................................... 344
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 344
Practical hints.................................. 351
What to do if … ................................... 352
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 352
Lamp in center console................. 360
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display..................... 362
Where will I find ...? ............................ 401
First aid kit.................................... 401
Vehicle tool kit, jack and
spare wheel .................................. 401
Unlocking / locking in an emergency .. 404
Unlocking the vehicle.................... 404
Locking the vehicle ....................... 405
Fuel filler flap emergency release . 405
Manually unlocking the
gear selector lever ........................ 405
Opening / closing in an emergency ..... 407
Tilt / sliding sunroof*..................... 407
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 408
SmartKey ...................................... 408
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ....... 409
Replacing bulbs .................................. 410
Bulbs ............................................. 410
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 413
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 415Replacing wiper blades ...................... 416
Removing wiper blades ................. 416
Installing wiper blades .................. 417
Flat tire............................................... 418
Preparing the vehicle .................... 418
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 419
Batteries............................................. 424
Disconnecting the battery ............ 426
Removing the battery ................... 426
Charging and reinstalling the
battery .......................................... 427
Reconnecting the battery ............. 427
Jump starting...................................... 428
Towing the vehicle.............................. 430
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 433
Fuses.................................................. 434
Aids for replacing fuses ................ 434
Fuse box in passenger
compartment ................................ 435
Fuse box in cargo compartment ... 435

87 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems
In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


ESP (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)


SBC (S
ensotronic B
rake C
ontrol)


4MATIC (Four Wheel Electronic
Traction System)
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
approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) indepen-
dent 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 comes on when you switch on the
ignition. It goes out when the engine is run-
ning.
iIn winter operation, the maximum
effectiveness of the ABS, the BAS, the
ESP, SBC and 4MATIC is only achieved
with winter tires (M + S tires), or snow
chains as required.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 ABS, BAS, ESP, SBC and 4MATIC cannot
reduce this risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
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.

91 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Switching off the ESP
To improve the vehicle's traction, turn off
the ESP in driving situations where it would
be advantageous to have drive wheels spin
and thus cut into surfaces for better grip
such as:

starting out on slippery surfaces and in
deep snow in conjunction with snow
chains


in sand or gravelWhen you switch off the ESP


the ESP does not stabilize the vehicle


the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip


the traction control will still brake a
spinning wheel


the ESP continues to operate when you
are braking


you cannot activate Distronic*The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1ESP off/on switch

Press ESP switch 1 until the
ABS/ESP warning lamp v in the
instrument cluster comes on.
The ESP is deactivated.
Warning!
G
The ESP should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in driving
maneuvers.!Turn on the ESP immediately if the
aforementioned circumstances do not
apply anymore.
iWhen the ESP is switched off and one
or more drive wheels are spinning, the
ABS/ESP warning lamp v in the
speedometer flashes. However, the
ESP will then not stabilize the vehicle.

246 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary and
the engine is running:
The button is located in the lower section
of the center console.
1Vehicle level control button
2Indicator lamp

Briefly press button1 to change from
“Normal” level to “Raised” level. When
vehicle is at “Raised” level, pressing
the switch will return the vehicle to
“Normal” level.
Vehicle level when
stationary
Use for
Ride height increase
over normal
Automatic lowering
Indicator lamp (
page 246)
Normal
Normal operation
None
Max. approx. 0.6 in (15 mm)
Lamp off
Raised
Driving with snow
chains or very
rough road sur-
face conditions
Approx. 0.8 in (20 mm)
Max. approx. 1.4 in (35 mm)
Lamp on
iAt a speed of approximately above
75 mph (120 km / h) or if the speed
amounts to between 50 mph
(80 km / h) and 75 mph (120 km / h)
for approximately five minutes, the set-
ting “Raised” is canceled. The message Leveling cancelled
appears in the
multifunction display.
If you do not drive in this speed range,
the “Raised” level remains stored even
if the SmartKey is removed from the
starter switch.

291 Operation
Driving instructions
E 320, E 320 4MATIC, E 500
1,
E 500 4MATIC,
E 320 (Appearance Package*)
E 320 4MATIC (Appearance Package*)
E 500 (Appearance Package*)
E 500 4MATIC (Appearance Package*)
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“H”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 130 mph (210 km / h).
E 320 4MATIC (Sport Package*),
E 500 4MATIC (Sport Package*)
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“Y”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 186 mph (300 km / h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
130 mph (210 km/h).E 320 (Sport Package*)
E500
1 (Sport Package*)
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“Z”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of above 149 mph (240 km / h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
130 mph (210 km/h).
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever to positionN. Try
to keep the vehicle under control by cor-
rective steering action.
1Not available in the U.S.
iFor information on speed ratings for
winter tires, see “Winter driving”
(page 337).
For additional general information on
tire speed markings on tire sidewall,
see “Tire speed rating” (
page 335).
iFor more information on driving with
snow chains, see “Snow chains”
(page 338).
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 control loss.

338 OperationWinter drivingBlock heater* (Canada only)
The engine is equipped with a block heat-
er.
The electrical cable may be installed at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Snow chains
Snow chains should only be driven on
snow-covered roads at speeds not to ex-
ceed 30 mph (50 km/h). Remove chains
as soon as possible when driving on roads
without snow.Please observe the following guidelines
when using snow chains:


Use of snow chains is not permissible
with all wheel/tire combinations.


Snow chains should only be used on
the rear wheels. Follow the manufac-
turer's mounting instructions.


Only use snow chains that are ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz. Your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center will be
glad to advise you on this subject.


Use of snow chains may be prohibited
depending on location. Always check
local and state laws before installing
snow chains.
!When driving with snow chains, always
select the raised level of the level con-
trol system Airmatic* (
page 245).
Other settings may result in damage to
your vehicle.
iWhen driving with snow chains, you
may wish to deactivate the ESP
(page 91) before setting the vehicle
in motion. This will improve the vehi-
cle’s traction.
!Even on vehicles with all-wheel-drive
use snow chains on rear tires only.
Use of snow chains is not permissible
with tire sizes:

265 / 35 ZR18 XL


T 155/70 R17 110 M

445 Technical data
Rims and tires
18’’ tiresMixed size tires
E3204MATIC (Sport Package*)
E5004MATIC (Sport Package*)
AMG light alloy rims
8 J x 18 EH2
Wheel offset
1.18 in (30 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
245 / 40 R18 97Y XL (Extra Load)
All-season tires (radial-ply tires)
-
Winter tires (radial-ply tires)
-
E 320 / E 500
1 (Sport Package*)
1Not available in the U.S.Front axle:
AMG light alloy rims
8 J x 18 EH2
Wheel offset
1.18 in (30 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
245 / 40 ZR18
Rear axle:
AMG light alloy rims
9 J x 18 EH2
Wheel offset
1.54 in (39 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
265 / 35 ZR18 XL (Extra Load) M0
2
2Must not be used with snow chains.

446 Technical dataRims and tiresMinispare wheel
E320/E3204MATIC
E500
1/ E 500 4MATIC
1Not available in the U.S.Rim
4 B x 17
Wheel offset
1.34 (34 mm)
Tire
T 155/70 R17 110 M
2
2Must not be used with snow chains.iPlease note that the tire pressure of the
Minispare differs from the tire pressure
of the road tires.
Make sure the Minispare wheel is in-
flated to approx. 61 psi (4.2 bar).