2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 Service intervals

12 IntroductionOperator’s ManualMaintenance
The Maintenance Booklet describes all the
necessary maintenance work which should
be performed at regular intervals.
Always have the Maintenance Booklet with
you when you take the vehicle to your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for ser-
vice. The service advisor will record each
service in the booklet for you.
Roadside Assistance
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
Program provides factory trained technical
help in the event of a breakdown. Calls to
the toll-free Roadside Assistance number
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA)
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada)
will be answered by Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Representatives
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For additional information refer to the
Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance Pro-
gram brochure in your vehicle literature
portfolio.
Change of address or ownership
If you change your address, be sure to
send in the “Change of Address Notice”
found in the Service and Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet, or simply call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes, or Customer Ser-
vice (in Canada) at 1-800-387-0100. It is in
your own interest that we can contact you
should the need arise.
If you sell your Mercedes, please leave all
literature with the vehicle to make it avail-
able to the next operator.
If you bought this vehicle used, be sure to
send in the “Notice of Purchase of Used
Car” found in the Service and Warranty In-
formation Booklet, or call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Cen-
ter (in the USA) at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes,
or Customer Service (in Canada) at
1-800-387-0100.

306 OperationEngine compartment
If engine is at normal operating
temperature, wait five minutes before
repeating check procedure.

If engine is not at operating tempera-
ture yet, wait 30 minutes before
repeating check procedure.
If you see the message:
Engine oil level
Not when engine on
Turn off the engine.

If the engine is at normal operating
temperature, wait five minutes before
checking oil.

If the engine is not yet at normal
operating temperature, you must wait
30 minutes before checking oil.If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at normal operating temperature, the
following message will appear:
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
For more information on messages in the
display concerning engine oil, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 387). Adding engine oil
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!Only use approved engine oils and oil
filters required for vehicles with Main-
tenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles). For a list-
ing of approved engine oils and oil fil-
ters, refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet in your ve-
hicle literature portfolio, or contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of spec-
ification other than those expressly re-
quired for the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada
vehicles), or changing of oil and oil filter
at change intervals longer than those
called for by the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada
vehicles) will result in engine damage
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

309 Operation
Engine compartment

Replace and tighten cap.
For more information on coolant, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 466).
Battery
Your vehicle is equipped with two batter-
ies:

Auxiliary battery (located in the engine
compartment).


Main battery (starter and electrical
consumers; located in the trunk).
These batteries should always be suffi-
ciently charged in order to achieve their
rated service life. Refer to Maintenance
Booklet for battery maintenance intervals.
If you use your vehicle mostly for short-dis-
tance trips, you will need to have the bat-
tery charge checked more frequently.When replacing batteries, always use bat-
teries approved by Mercedes-Benz.
If you do not intend to operate your vehicle
for an extended period of time, consult an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center about
steps you need to observe.
Batteries contain materials that can harm
the environment if disposed of improperly.
Recycling of batteries is the preferred
method of disposal. Many states require
sellers of batteries to accept old batteries
for recycling.
G
Observe all safety instructions
and precautions when handling
automotive batteries.
A
Risk of explosion.
D
Keep flames or sparks away
from battery. Do not smoke.
B
Battery acid is caustic. Do not
allow it to come into contact
with skin, eyes or clothing.
In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with clear
water and seek medical help if
necessary.
E
Wear eye protection.
C
Keep children away.
F
Follow the instructions in this
Operator's Manual.

464 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines and durability for
our service intervals. Therefore, only use
approved engine oils and oil filters re-
quired for vehicles with Maintenance Sys-
tem (U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada
vehicles). For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory Ap-
proved Service Products pamphlet, or con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of specifica-
tion other than those expressly required
for the Maintenance System (U.S. vehi-
cles) or FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles), or
changing of oil and oil filter at change inter-
vals longer than those called for by the
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles) will result in
engine damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Please follow Maintenance System (U.S.
vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles)
recommendations for scheduled oil
changes. Failure to do so could result in
engine damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may damage the engine.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil are used in the air condition-
ing system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil. Otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere. Under extremely strenu-
ous operating conditions, this moisture
content can lead to the formation of bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the sys-
tem’s efficiency.Therefore, the brake fluid
must be replaced every two years, prefera-
bly in the spring.Only brake fluid approved
by Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.