432 Practical hintsBleeding the fuel system (Diesel engine only)Allowing the vehicle to be driven until the
fuel tank is empty is not recommended. If
this occurs, air may be pulled into the fuel
system. If this happens, the? malfunc-
tion indicator lamp (USA only) or the
±malfunction indicator lamp (Canada
only) comes and it may be possible that
the engine will not start immediately after
you refuel the vehicle.
After refueling:
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position2 for at least 30 seconds.
Return the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 and hold it there for up to
60 seconds, i.e. until the engine is run-
ning surge-free.If the engine does not start:
Try to start the engine again without in-
terruption for a maximum of 60 sec-
onds until it is running smoothly.
If the engine still does not start even after
this attempt, do not make any further at-
tempts to start the engine. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
iWhere the? malfunction indicator
lamp (USA only) or the± malfunc-
tion indicator lamp (Canada only) in the
instrument cluster has been illuminat-
ed for the above condition, it will re-
main illuminated until the engine was
cycled on and off four times in a row.
434 Practical hintsBatteries
Disconnecting the battery
Depress parking brake firmly or move
gear selector lever to positionP.
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Remove SmartKey from starter switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Press the start/stop button until
the engine shuts off.
Open the driver’s door.
Open the trunk.
!Never loosen or detach battery termi-
nal clamps while the engine is running
or the SmartKey is in the starter switch.
Otherwise the alternator and other
electronic components could be se-
verely damaged.
Have the battery checked regularly by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Refer to Maintenance Booklet for main-
tenance intervals or contact your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
further information.Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof battery only to avoid the risk
of acid burns in the event of an accident.
Warning!
G
The SBC brake system requires electrical
power to operate.
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. The same applies if
battery is disconnected. To brake, the driver
must then apply significantly greater brake
pedal pressure and depress the pedal much
further to obtain the expected braking ef-
fect. If necessary, apply full pressure to the
brake pedal. Brakes may only be applied to
the front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased! Adjust your driving style according-
ly. For more information, refer to “SBC brake
system” (
page 90).
Warning!
G
With a disconnected battery
you will no longer be able to turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch and
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button on the gear selector lever will
have no effect
the gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP
439 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel
lift/dolly equipment. This method is pref-
erable to other types of towing.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the
ground or front wheels raised (except vehi-
cles with 4MATIC) only so far as necessary
to have the vehicle moved to a safe loca-
tion where the recommended towing
methods can be employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment with SmartKey in starter switch
turned to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts.
Switch off the tow-away alarm and the
automatic central locking
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC:
Do not tow with one axle raised. Doing
so could damage the transfer case,
which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
All wheels must be on or off the ground.
Observe instructions for towing the ve-
hicle with all wheels on the ground.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised (not permissible for vehicles
with 4MATIC), the engine must be shut
off (SmartKey in starter switch
position0 or 1). Otherwise the ESP will
immediately be engaged and will apply
the rear wheel brakes.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the selector lever must
be in positionN and the SmartKey
must be in starter switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground or the front axle raised,
the vehicle may be towed only for dis-
tances up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a
speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).
440 Practical hintsTowing the vehicle
!
To be certain to avoid a possibility of
damage to the drive train, however, we
recommend the drive shaft be discon-
nected at the rear axle drive flange (ve-
hicles with 4MATIC: disconnected at
the front and rear axle drive flanges) for
any towing beyond a short tow to a
nearby garage.
Warning!
G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:
the engine will not run
there is a malfunction in the SBC brake
system
there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
as that will be necessary to adequately con-
trol the towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain that the SmartKey
is in starter switch position2.
If the SmartKey is left in the starter switch
position0 for an extended period of time, it
can no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock, re-
move SmartKey from starter switch and re-
insert.
Warning!
G
The brake system requires electrical power
to operate.
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. To brake, the driver
must then apply significantly greater brake
pedal pressure and depress the pedal much
further to obtain the expected braking ef-
fect. If necessary, apply full pressure to the
brake pedal. Brakes may only be applied to
the front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased! Adapt your driving style according-
ly. For more information, refer to “SBC brake
system” (
page 90).
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the steering system. In
this case, it is important to keep in mind that
a considerably higher degree of effort is nec-
essary to steer the vehicle. Adapt your driv-
ing accordingly.
441 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
iTo signal turns while being towed with
the hazard warning flasher in use, turn
SmartKey in starter switch to
position2 and activate the combina-
tion switch for the left or right turn sig-
nal in the usual manner – only the
selected turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the haz-
ard warning flasher will operate again.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, please note the follow-
ing:
With the automatic central locking acti-
vated and the SmartKey in starter
switch position2, or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button in position2, the ve-
hicle doors lock if the left front wheel
as well as the right rear wheel are turn-
ing at vehicle speeds of approximately
9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 95).
To prevent the vehicle door locks from
locking, deactivate the automatic cen-
tral locking (
page 118).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the properly installed tow-
ing eye bolt. Never attach tow cable,
tow rope or tow rod to the vehicle chas-
sis, frame or suspension parts.
iThe selector lever will remain locked in
positionP and the SmartKey will not
turn in the starter switch if the battery
is disconnected or discharged. For
more information see “Battery”
(page 433) or “Jump starting”
(page 436).
Manual unlocking of the transmission
selector lever (
page 412).
473 Technical terms
FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles)
(F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem PLUS)
Maintenance service indicator in the
multifunction display that informs the
driver when the next vehicle mainte-
nance service is due. FSS evaluates en-
gine temperature, oil level, vehicle
speed, engine speed, distance driven
and the time elapsed since your last
service, calculates other maintenance
service work required, and calls for the
next maintenance service accordingly.
Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the selector lever.GPS
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs DVD digital maps for
navigation.
Heater booster system
Provides for additional heat in the
vehicle interior in vehicle models with
diesel engines.
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer
and fuel gauge.
KEYLESS-GO*
System for entering and operating the
vehicle without the use of a SmartKey.Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.
Lock button
Button on the door which indicates
whether the door is locked or un-
locked. Pushing the lock button down
on an individual door from inside will
lock that door.
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles)
Maintenance service indicator in the
multifunction display that informs the
driver when the next vehicle mainte-
nance service is due. The Vehicle Main-
tenance System in your vehicle tracks
distance driven and the time elapsed
since your last maintenance service,
calculates other maintenance service
work required, and calls for the next
maintenance service accordingly.
474 Technical termsMemory function*
Used to store three individual seat,
steering wheel and exterior mirror posi-
tions for each SmartKey.
MON
(M
otor O
ctane N
umber)
The Motor Octane Number for gasoline
as determined by a standardized meth-
od. It is an indication of a gasoline's
ability to resist undesired detonation
(knocking). The average of both the
MON (Motor Octane Number) and
->RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Multifunction display
The display field in the instrument clus-
ter used to present information provid-
ed by the control system.
Multifunction steering wheel
Steering wheel with buttons for operat-
ing the control system.Overspeed range
Engine speeds within the red marking
on the tachometer dial. Avoid this en-
gine speed range, as it may result in se-
rious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Parktronic (Parking assist)*
System which uses visual and acoustic
signals to assist the driver during park-
ing maneuvers.
Poly-V-belt drive
Drives engine-components (alternator,
AC compressor, etc.) from the engine.Power train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing:
Engine
Clutch/torque converter
Transmission
Transfer case*
Drive shaft
Axle shafts/axles
Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic transmis-
sion between standard operationS and
operationC.
E 55 AMG with steering wheel gearshift
control and manual shift program: in
addition to S and C (for sporty S or
comfortable C operation), you can use
M for manual shift program.
477 Index
A
ABS 85, 471
ABS control 86
Malfunction indicator lamp 356
Messages in display 369
Warning lamp 356
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission* 180
Accessory weight 337
Accident
In case of 54
Activating
Air conditioning (cooling) 201, 214
Air recirculation mode 199, 212
Anti-theft alarm system 94
Automatic climate control
(Dual-zone) 194, 195
Central locking (control system) 166
Defrosting 199
Distance warning function* 244
Distronic* 240
Easy-entry/exit feature* 167ESP 90
Exterior headlamps 50
Exterior lamps 134
Front fog lamps 136
Hazard warning flasher 138
Headlamps 50
High beams 137
Ignition 34
Ignition with KEYLESS-GO* 36
Immobilizer 56, 94
Rear fog lamp 136
Rear window defroster 191
Residual heat 202, 215
Seat heater* 128
Tow-away alarm 95
Windshield wipers 52
Adding
Engine oil 306
Additional turn signal 418
Adjustable air vents, rear passenger
compartment 216Adjusting 37
Air distribution 198, 210
Air volume 198, 211
Backrest tilt 38
Drive-dynamic seat* with multicontour
features 126
Exterior rear view mirror 41
Head restraint height 39
Head restraint tilt 39
Instrument cluster illumination 142
Interior rear view mirror 41
Mirrors 40
Seat cushion tilt 38
Seat fore and aft adjustment 38
Seat height 38
Seats 37
Steering column height 40
Steering wheel 39
Adjusting steering column in or out 40
Adjusting steering column up or down 40
Adjusting the dynamic seat 169