Page 428 of 506
426 Practical hintsFlat tireWhen changing wheel on a hill:
Place chocks on the downhill side
blocking both wheels of the other axle.
On wheel to be changed, loosen but do
not yet remove the wheel bolts (ap-
proximately one full turn with wrench). The jack take-up brackets are located di-
rectly behind the front wheel housing and
in front of the rear wheel housing.
1Jack take-up bracket
2Jack
3Crank
Position jack2 on firm ground under
the respective jack take-up bracket1.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack take-up brackets
built into either side of the vehicle. To help
avoid personal injury, use the jack only to lift
the vehicle during a wheel change. Never
get beneath the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack. Keep hands and feet away from
the area under the lifted vehicle. Always
firmly set parking brake and block wheels
before raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
always vertical (plumb line) when in use, es-
pecially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. Be sure that the jack arm is
fully seated in the jack take-up bracket. Al-
ways lower the vehicle onto sufficient ca-
pacity jackstands before working under the
vehicle.
Page 429 of 506
427 Practical hints
Flat tire
Make sure the foot of the jack is directly
under the take-up bracket so that it is al-
w a y s v e r t i c a l ( p l u m b - l i n e ) a s s e e n f r o m t h e
side, even if the vehicle is parked on an in-
cline
Turn crank3 until the tire is a maxi-
mum of 1.2 in (3 cm) off the ground.
Never start engine while vehicle is
raised.Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew the upper-most wheel bolt
and remove.
Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied in the tool kit.
Remove the remaining bolts.
Remove the wheel.
Warning!
G
Position the jack only on the jack take-up
brackets designed for this purpose.
If the jack is not properly positioned, the ve-
hicle may slip off of the jack.Warning!
G
The jack is intended only for lifting the vehi-
cle briefly for wheel changes. It is not suited
for performing maintenance work under the
vehicle. Never lie down under the raised ve-
hicle. Do not start the engine when the vehi-
cle is raised.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolt
and wheel hub threads.
Page 431 of 506
429 Practical hints
Flat tire
In the case of a flat tire, you may tempo-
rarily use the Minispare wheel when ob-
serving the following restrictions:
Do not exceed a vehicle speed of
50 mph (80 km / h).
Drive to the nearest tire repair facility
to have the flat tire repaired or re-
placed as appropriate.
Do not operate vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.Inflating the collapsible tire
Take the electric air pump out of the
trunk (
page 407).
1Flap
2Air pump switch
3Electrical plug
4Air hose with pressure gauge and vent
screw
5Union nut
Open flap 1 on the air pump.
Pull out electrical plug 3 and air hose
with pressure gauge 4.
Make sure the vent screw on air hose is
closed.
Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the Minispare wheel and
the collapsible tire are different from those
of the road wheels. As a result, the vehicle
handling characteristics change when driv-
ing with a Minispare wheel mounted.
The spare wheel should only be used tempo-
rarily, and replaced with a regular road
wheel as quickly as possible.
!Do not lower the vehicle before inflat-
ing the collapsible tire. Otherwise the
rim may be damaged.Warning!
G
Observe instructions on air pump label.
Page 474 of 506
472 Technical termsCOMAND
(C
ockpit M
anagement and D
ata Sys-
tem)
Information and operating center for
vehicle sound and communications
systems, including the radio and navi-
gation system, as well as other optional
equipment (CD changer, telephone,
etc.).
Control system
The control system is used to call up
vehicle information and to change
component settings. Information and
messages appear in the multifunction
display. The driver uses the buttons on
the multifunction steering wheel to
navigate through the system and to ad-
just settings.
Cruise control
Driving convenience system for auto-
matically maintaining the vehicle speed
set by the driver.Distronic*
A driving convenience cruise control
system which helps the driver maintain
a pre-selected speed:
If there is no vehicle directly ahead,
the system operates in the same
way as conventional ->cruise con-
trol.
If a slower moving vehicle is ahead,
Distronic will reduce your vehicle
speed to the extent permitted by re-
duced throttle and up to 20% brak-
ing power to maintain the preset
minimum following distance.
DTR
(->Distronic*)
Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.Engine oil viscosity
Measurement for the inner friction (vis-
cosity) of the oil at different tempera-
tures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can tol-
erate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.
ESP
(E
lectronic S
tability Pr
ogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS
Page 503 of 506
501 Index
Vehicle care
Cup holder 353
Distronic* system sensor cover 351
Engine cleaning 350
Gear selector lever 353
Hard plastic trim items 353
Leather upholstery 354
Light alloy wheels 353
Ornamental moldings 350
Paintwork 349
Parktronic* system sensor 351
Plastic and rubber parts 354
Power washer 349
Seat belts 353
Steering wheel 353
Tar stains 349
Vehicle washing 350
Window cleaning 352
Wood trims 354
Vehicle level
Changing 249
Setting 249
Automatic 249
Manual 249
Vehicle level control system*
Airmatic DC* 247Vehicle loading terminology 337
Vehicle maximum load on the tire 339
Vehicle status message memory 153
Calling up 153
Vehicle tool kit 409
Alignment bolt 409
Fuse extractor 409
Hex-socket wrench 409
Open-end wrench 409
Screwdriver 409
Spare fuses 409
Towing eye bolt 409
Universal pliers 409
Wheel wrench 409
Vehicle washing 350
VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) 476
Voice control system* 476W
Warning lamps see Lamps, indicator and
warning
Warning sounds
Distance warning function* 243
Distronic* 237
Drivers seat belts 67
Parking brake 49
Parktronic system* 253
Warranty coverage 447
Washing the vehicle 348
Wear pattern (tires) 340
Weights 460
Wheel change 425
Tightening torque 431
Wheels
Tires and wheels 311
Window curtain airbags 66
Windows see Side windows 218
Windshield
Defogging 198, 211
Refilling washer fluid 310
Replacing wiper blades 424
Washer fluid 310