410 Practical hintsUnlocking/locking in an emergencyUnlocking the vehicle
If you are unable to unlock the vehicle with
the SmartKey, open the driver’s door and
the trunk using the mechanical key.
1Mechanical key locking tab
2Mechanical key
Move locking tab1 in the direction of
the arrow and slide mechanical key2
out of the housing.Unlocking the driver’s door
3Unlocking
4Locking
Unlock the door with the mechanical
key. To do so, push the mechanical key
in the lock until it stops and turn it to
the left.
iUnlocking your vehicle with the me-
chanical 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.
Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 35).
411 Practical hints
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Unlocking the trunk
A minimum height clearance of 5.90 ft
(1.80 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
If you are unable to unlock the trunk with
the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*, open the
trunk with the mechanical key.
The handle is located above the rear li-
cense plate recess.
1Unlocking in an emergency
2Handle
Insert the mechanical key into the
trunk lid lock.
Turn the mechanical key counterclock-
wise to position1 and hold it in this
position.
Pull trunk lid handle2 and lift the
trunk lid.
Locking the vehicle
If you are unable to lock the vehicle with
the SmartKey, lock it with the mechanical
key as follows:
Close the passenger doors and the
trunk.
Press the central locking switch in the
cockpit (
page 119).
Check to see whether the locking
knobs on the passenger doors are still
visible. If necessary, push them down
manually.
Slide mechanical key2 out of the
SmartKey.
Lock the driver’s door with the me-
chanical key (
page 411).
Check if the trunk is locked.
!Always make sure there is sufficient
overhead clearance.iUnlocking your vehicle with the me-
chanical key will trigger the anti-theft
alarm system. To cancel the alarm, do
one of the following:
Press buttonŒ or‹ on the
SmartKey.
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Grasp the outside door handle.
Press the start/stop button.
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
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).
471 Technical terms
ABS
(A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
ADS
(A
daptive D
amping S
ystem)
Automatically adapts the optimum sus-
pension damping to prevailing driving
conditions.
Airmatic DC
(A
irmatic D
ual C
ontrol)
Automatically selects the optimum sus-
pension tuning and ride height for your
vehicle. Airmatic consists of two com-
ponents:
Adaptive Damping System
Vehicle level control
Alignment bolt
Metal pin with thread. The centering
pin is an aid used when changing a tire
to align the wheel with the wheel hub.BAS
(B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking situa-
tions. The system is activated when it
senses an emergency based on how
fast the brake is applied.
Bi-Xenon headlamps*
Headlamps which use an electric arc as
a light source and produce a more in-
tense light than filament headlamps.
Bi-Xenon headlamps produce low
beam and high beam.
CAC
(C
ustomer A
ssistance C
enter)
Mercedes-Benz customer service cen-
ter which can help you with any ques-
tions about your vehicle and provide
assistance in the event of a break-
down.CAN system
(C
ontroller A
rea N
etwork)
Data bus network serving to control ve-
hicle functions such as door locking or
windshield wiping.
CDI
(C
ommon-Rail D
irect I
njection)
Diesel fuel injection technology where
all cylinders share a common diesel
fuel supply line. Fine injection nozzles
provide for highly accurate metering
that reduces diesel fuel consumption.
Cockpit
All instruments, switches, buttons and
indicator/warning lamps in the passen-
ger compartment needed for vehicle
operation and monitoring.
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.
484 IndexDoor handle 30
Door unlock
With Tele Aid* 278
Doors
Message in display 386
Opening from inside vehicle 109
Opening from outside 105
DOT 337
Downhill driving
Cruise control 232
Downshifting 176
Drive-dynamic seat* with multicontour
features 126
Driving
General instructions 43
Hydroplaning 291
In winter 294
Problems 53
Safety systems 85
With Distronic* 244Driving hints
SBC brake system 92
Driving instructions 287
Driving off 290
Driving safety systems
4MATIC 93
ABS 85
BAS 87
ESP 87, 472
SBC brake system 90
Driving systems 231
Airmatic DC* 247
Cruise control 231
Distronic* 235
Driving safety systems 85
Vehicle level control 248
DTR see Distronic* 472
Dual control*
Airmatic DC* 247E
E55AMG
MANUAL shift program mode 183
Easy-entry/exit
Message in display 381
Easy-entry/exit feature* 121
Activating 167
Interrupting movement 121, 167
Electric air pump 429
Electrical fuses 443
Electrical system 458
Electronic Stability Program see ESP 87,
472
Emergency call system* 271
Emergency calls
Initiating an emergency call 274
With Tele Aid* 273
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode) 185
485 Index
Emergency operations
Opening/closing sliding/pop-up roof*
or panorama sliding/pop-up
roof* 414
Releasing trunk lid from inside 117
Remote door unlock 278
Unlocking the trunk lid 411
Unlocking the vehicle 410
Emergency tensioning device see
ETD 70, 472
Emission control 297
Ending
A call (telephone) 172
Engine 450
Compartment 303
Message in the display 359, 360,
383
Starting 46
Starting with KEYLESS-GO* 47
Starting with the SmartKey 46, 47
Turning off with the key 56
Engine compartment
Hood 303
Engine malfunction indicator lamp 359,
360, 383
Engine number 472Engine oil
Adding 306
Checking level 304
Consumption 304
Display messages 387
Messages in display 305
Viscosity 472
ESP 87, 472
Four wheel electronic traction system
with ESP 93
Switching off 89
Switching on 90
Synchronizing 372
Warning lamp 357
ETD 472
Safety guidelines 64
Exterior lamp switch 133
Exterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting 41
Parking position for 168F
Fahrenheit
Setting temperature units 157
Fastening the seat belts 43
Fine adjustment
Cruise control 234
First aid kit 407
Flat tire 425
Collapsible tire 429
Mounting the spare wheel 425, 428
Spare wheel 425
Flexible Service System (Canada
vehicles) 343
Flexible Service System (FSS) 473
Fog lamp, rear 137
Fog lamps, front
Messages in display 392
Switching on 136
Following distance in Distronic* 242
Four wheel electronic traction system
(4MATIC) with ESP 93
4MATIC 93