2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 tow

ContentsSafety and Security........................... 59
Occupant safety................................... 60
Air bags ......................................... 61
Seat belts ....................................... 67
Children in the vehicle .................... 71
Blocking of rear door window
operation ........................................ 83
Panic alarm .......................................... 84
Activating ....................................... 84
Deactivating ................................... 84
Driving safety systems ......................... 85
ABS ................................................ 85
BAS ................................................ 87
ESP ................................................. 87
SBC brake system .......................... 90
Four wheel electronic traction
system (4MATIC) with the ESP ....... 93
Anti-theft systems................................ 94
Immobilizer..................................... 94
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 94
Tow-away alarm ............................. 95
Controls in detail............................... 97
Locking and unlocking ......................... 98
SmartKey ....................................... 98
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 102
Opening the doors from
the inside ..................................... 109
Opening the trunk ........................ 110
Closing the trunk.......................... 112
Trunk lid emergency release ........ 117
Automatic central locking ............ 118
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 119
Seats ................................................. 121
Easy-entry/exit feature ................ 121
Removing and installing front
seat head restraints ..................... 123
Rear seat head restraints ............. 124
Drive - Dynamic seat* with
multicontour features................... 126
Seat heating* ............................... 127
Seat ventilation* .......................... 128Memory function ............................... 130
Storing positions into memory ..... 131
Recalling positions from memory . 131
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position ........................... 132
Lighting ............................................. 133
Exterior lamp switch .................... 133
Combination switch ..................... 137
Hazard warning flasher ................ 138
Interior lighting in the front .......... 139
Door entry lamps ......................... 140
Interior lighting in the rear ........... 141
Trunk lamp ................................... 141
Instrument cluster ............................. 142
Instrument cluster illumination .... 142
Coolant temperature indicator ..... 143
Trip odometer .............................. 143
Tachometer .................................. 144
Outside temperature indicator ..... 144

ContentsReplacing bulbs ................................. 417
Bulbs ............................................ 417
Replacing bulbs for front lamps.... 420
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 422
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 423
Removing wiper blades ................ 423
Installing wiper blades.................. 424
Flat tire .............................................. 425
Preparing the vehicle.................... 425
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 425
Bleeding the fuel system
(Diesel engine only) ........................... 432
Batteries ............................................ 433
Disconnecting the battery ............ 434
Removing the battery ................... 435
Charging and reinstalling the
battery.......................................... 435
Reconnecting the battery ............. 435
Jump starting ..................................... 436
Towing the vehicle ............................. 439
Installing towing eye bolt.............. 442
Fuses ................................................. 443
Fuse box in passenger
compartment................................ 443
Technical data................................. 445
Parts service ...................................... 446
Warranty coverage............................. 447
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ..................... 447
Identification labels ........................... 448
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 449
E 320/E 500 ................................ 449
E 55 AMG ..................................... 449
E 320 CDI..................................... 449
Engine................................................ 450
Rims and tires.................................... 453
Same size tires ............................. 454
Mixed size tires ............................ 456
Spare wheel ................................. 457
Electrical system ............................... 458
Main dimensions ............................... 459
Weights.............................................. 460Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. .......... 461
Capacities .................................... 461
Engine oils ................................... 464
Engine oil additives ...................... 464
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 464
Brake fluid.................................... 464
Premium unleaded gasoline
(Gasoline engine) ......................... 465
Gasoline additives
(Gasoline engine) ......................... 465
Fuel requirements ........................ 466
Coolants ...................................... 466
Windshield and headlamp washer
system ......................................... 469
Technical terms............................... 471Index................................................. 477

16 IntroductionOperating safety
Proper use of the vehicle
Proper use of the vehicle requires that you
are familiar with the following information
and rules:

the safety precautions in this manual


the “Technical data” section in this
manual


traffic rules and regulations


motor vehicle laws and safety stan-
dards
Warning!
G
Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause them to cease functioning. Because
the vehicle’s electronic components are in-
terconnected, any modifications made may
produce an undesired effect on other sys-
tems. Electronic malfunctions could seri-
ously impair the operating safety of your
vehicle.
See your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for repairs or modifications to electronic
components.
Other improper work or modifications on the
vehicle could also have a negative impact on
the operating safety of the vehicle.
Some safety systems only function while the
engine is running. You should therefore nev-
er turn off the engine while driving.
Warning!
G
Heavy blows against the vehicle underbody
or tires / wheels, for example when running
over an obstacle, road debris or a pothole,
may cause serious damage to and impair the
operating safety of your vehicle. If you feel a
sudden strong vibration or ride disturbance,
or you suspect that damage to your vehicle
has occurred, you should turn on your haz-
ard warning flashers, carefully slow down,
and drive with caution to an area which is a
safe distance from the road.
Inspect the vehicle underbody and
tires / wheels for possible damage. If the ve-
hicle appears unsafe, have it towed to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or other qualified maintenance or repair fa-
cility for further inspection or repairs.
Warning!
G
Various warning labels are attached to your
vehicle. These warning labels are intended
to make you and others aware of various
risks. You should not remove any of these
warning labels unless explicitly instructed to
do so by information on the label itself. Re-
moval of any of these labels may cause you
and others to be unaware of certain risks
which may result in an accident and/or per-
sonal injury.

29 At a glance
Overhead control panel
Overhead control panel
Item
Page
1
Rear interior lighting
on/off
139
2
Automatic interior lighting
139
3
Front interior lighting
on/off
139
4
Temperature sensor
5
Right reading lamp on/off
139
6
Tilt/sliding sunroof* or
tilt/sliding panel*
223,
226
Item
Page
7
Tele Aid (emergency call
system) button
271
8
Rear view mirror
186
9
Reading lamps
139
a
Garage door opener
279
b
Tow-away alarm button
95
c
Ambient lighting
165
d
Interior lighting
e
Left reading lamp on/off
139

56 Getting startedParking and locking
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM
(page 50).
For more information, see the “Controls in
detail” section (
page 133).
Turning off engine 
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.Turning off with the SmartKey

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
(page 34) to position0 and remove
it.
The immobilizer is activated.

Press the seat belt release button
(page 44).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear se-
lector lever not fully engaged in positionP is
dangerous. Also, when parked on an incline,
positionP alone may not prevent your vehi-
cle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP.
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
iAlways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to shifting to positionP.
On slopes, turn the front wheels to-
wards the road curb.
iThe SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in positionP.iWith the SmartKey removed and the
driver’s door open, a warning sounds
and the message
Switch off lights
appears in the multifunction display if
the vehicle’s exterior lamps are not
switched off.

88 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systems
For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 357).
Warning!
G
Never switch off the ESP when you see the
ABS/ESP warning lamp v fla s hi n g in th e
instrument cluster. In this case proceed as
follows:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.


While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.


Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP cannot prevent accidents resulting
from excessive speed.
Warning!
G
The ESP cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ESP equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.!The ESP will only function properly if
you use wheels of the recommended
tire size (
page 453).
!Vehicles without 4MATIC:
Because of the ESP’s automatic opera-
tion, the engine and the ignition must
be shut off (SmartKey in starter switch
position0 or1 or KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button* in position0 or1)
when:

the parking brake is being tested on
a brake test dynamometer


the vehicle is being towed with the
front axle raised
Active braking action through the ESP
may otherwise seriously damage the
brake system.
For information on vehicles with
4MATIC, see “Four wheel electronic
traction system (4MATIC) with the
ESP” (
page 93).

91 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
The SBC brake system is automatically ac-
tivated when you

unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or the KEYLESS-GO*


open the driver’s or passenger door


turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1


in vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*, press
the start/stop button on the gear se-
lector lever once


depress the brake pedal


release the parking brake
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. In such a case, the
red brake warning lamp (
page 358) and
warning messages in the instrument cluster
(
page 367) come on while driving. To
brake, the driver must then apply signifi-
cantly greater brake pedal pressure and de-
press the pedal much further to obtain the
expected braking effect. If necessary, apply
full pressure to the brake pedal. Brakes may
only be applied to the front wheels. Stop-
ping distance is increased!
If there is a malfunction in the SBC brake
system, we recommend that the vehicle be
transported with all wheels off the ground
using flatbed or appropriate wheel lift/dolly
equipment.
A tow bar must be used if circumstances do
not permit the use of the recommended
towing methods and the vehicle requires
towing with all four wheels on the ground.
Towing the vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is only permissible for distances
u p t o 3 0 m i l e s ( 5 0 k m ) a n d a t a s p e e d n o t t o
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For more infor-
mation, refer to “Towing the vehicle”
(page 439).
iIf the SBC brake system is activated as
the brake pedal is first depressed, you
may feel a reduced pedal resistance
and longer pedal travel than normal.
When releasing the pedal, you may also
feel the brake pedal pulsate and you
may hear a sound which is caused by
the activation of the SBC brake system
pump. This is normal and not an indica-
tion of a malfunction. Pedal travel re-
turns to normal when you release the
brake pedal and the sound soon ceas-
es.
If you experience the above while driv-
ing and the red brake warning lamp
(page 358) illuminates and/or warn-
ing messages appear in the instrument
cluster (
page 367), the brake system
is malfunctioning. Follow the instruc-
tions of the warning message(s) and
have the brake system checked imme-
diately.

93 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Four wheel electronic traction system (4MATIC) with the ESP
Models with all-wheel-drive only.
The 4MATIC improves vehicle’s ability to
use available traction, e.g. during winter
operation in mountains under snowy
conditions, by applying power to all four
wheels.Warning!
G
If you see the ESP warning lampv flash-
ing in the speedometer, proceed as follows:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible


While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor


Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP cannot prevent accidents resulting
from excessive speed.
!Do not tow with one axle raised.
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.!Performance testing must only be con-
ducted on a two-axle dynamometer.
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Because of the ESP’s automatic opera-
tion, the engine and the ignition must
be shut off (SmartKey in starter switch
position0 or1 or KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button* in position0 or1)
when the parking brake is being tested
on a brake test dynamometer.
Active braking action through ESP may
otherwise seriously damage the front
or rear axle brake system.
Operational tests with the engine
running can only be conducted on a
two-axle dynamometer.