2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E55AMG tow

319 Operation
Tires and wheels
Certification label
Even after careful determination of the
combined weight of all occupants, cargo
and the trailer tongue load (if applicable)
(page 319) as to not exceed the permis-
sible load limit, you must make sure that
your vehicle never exceeds the Gross Vehi-
cle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the
front or rear axle. You can obtain the
GVWR and GAWR from the Certification la-
bel. The Certification Label can be found
on the driver’s door B-pillar, see “Technical
data” (
page 448).Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): The
total weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
all cargo, and the trailer tongue load
(
page 319) must never exceed the
GVWR.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): The to-
tal allowable weight that can be carried by
a single axle (front or rear).
To assure that your vehicle does not ex-
ceed the maximum permissible weight
limits (GVWR and GAWR for front and rear
axle), have the loaded vehicle (including
driver, passengers and all cargo and, if ap-
plicable, trailer fully loaded) weighed on a
suitable commercial scale.Trailer tongue load
The tongue load of any trailer is an impor-
tant weight to measure because it affects
the load you can carry in your vehicle. If a
trailer is towed, the tongue load must be
added to the weight of all occupants riding
and any cargo you are carrying in the
vehicle. The tongue load typically is ten
percent of the trailer weight and every-
thing loaded in it.
Your Mercedes-Benz has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and their
cargo. Mercedes-Benz does not recom-
mend trailer towing with your vehicle.

350 OperationVehicle careEngine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment,
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from contact with
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as MB Anticor-
rosion Wax should be applied to the engine
compartment after every engine cleaning.
Before applying, all control linkage bush-
ings and joints should be lubricated. The
poly-V-belt and all pulleys should be pro-
tected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight. Only use a mild car wash
detergent, such as Mercedes-Benz ap-
proved Car Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water. Direct only a very weak
spray towards the ventilation intake. Use
plenty of water and rinse the sponge and
chamois frequently. Rinse with clear water and thoroughly dry
with a chamois. Do not allow cleaning
agents to dry on the finish.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in
exterior rear view mirrors prior to running
the vehicle through an automatic car wash
to prevent damage to the mirrors.
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the underbody, do not for-
get to clean the inner sides of the wheels.Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of very dirty
chrome-plated parts, use a chrome clean-
er.
Headlamps, tail lamps, side markers,
turn signal lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Shampoo,
with plenty of water.
To prevent scratches, never apply strong
force and only use a soft, non-scratchy
cloth when cleaning the lenses. Do not at-
tempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry cloth
or sponge.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of
water, and a SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is in close proximity, i.e.
within approximately 3 ft (approxi-
mately 1 m), the vehicle could be inad-
vertently locked or unlocked.

355 Practical hints
What to do if …
Where will I find ...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Replacing SmartKey batteries
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Bleeding the fuel system (Diesel engine only)
Batteries
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses

382 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
(USA only);(Canada only)3
Brake fluid
Visit workshop
There is insufficient brake fluid in the
reservoir.

Risk of accident! Stop the vehicle and
notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Do not add brake fluid! This
will not solve the problem.
Warning!
G
Driving while these messages are displayed
can result in an accident. Have your brake
system checked immediately.
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).
If the SBC brake system enters its emergen-
cy operation mode, the driver must apply
significantly greater brake pedal pressure
and depress the pedal much further than
normal to obtain braking effect. If neces-
sary, apply full pressure to the brake pedal.
Brakes may only be applied to the front
wheels. Stopping distance is increased!
Do not add brake fluid before checking the
brake system. Overfilling the brake fluid res-
ervoir can result in spilling brake fluid on hot
engine parts and the brake fluid catching
fire. You can be seriously burned.!If you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks.!Brake pad thickness must be visually
inspected by a qualified technician at
the intervals specified in the
Maintenance Booklet.

409 Practical hints
Where will I find ...?
Install luggage box
Insert luggage box into trunk so that
fastening clips are in line with fastening
bolts.

Push front edge of luggage box in direc-
tion of arrow under cover of trunk sill.

Press fastening clips onto fastening
bolts until they lock into place.
Vehicle tool kit
The vehicle tool kit is stored in the com-
partment underneath the trunk floor
(page 407).
The vehicle tool kit includes:


One pair of universal pliers


One towing eye bolt


One wheel wrench


One alignment bolt


One fuse extractor


Spare fuses

412 Practical hintsUnlocking/locking in an emergencyFuel filler flap emergency release
In case the central locking system does
not release the fuel filler flap, you can open
it manually.
1Release knob
Open trunk lid.

Remove right-side tail trim.

Turn release knob1 clockwise (ar-
row).
The fuel filler flap can know be opened.Manually unlocking the transmission
selector lever
In the case of power failure, the transmis-
sion selector lever can be manually un-
locked, e.g. to tow the vehicle.
Depending on production date, your vehi-
cle is equipped with cup holders in either
the center console or in the center arm-
rest.
Cup holder in the center console
1Pin
Open the storage compartment in the
center console (
page 265).

Take out the cup holder (
page 266).

Hold the cover at a 45° angle.

Insert a suitable object1 (e.g. a pin)
through the hole and press the pin
downward.

Remove pin1. iThe selector lever is locked again when
moving it to positionP.

422 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsSide marker lamp bulb
Carefully slide the lamp towards the
front in direction of arrows.

Remove the rear end first.

Turn the bulb socket with the bulb
counterclockwise and remove it.

Pull the bulb out of the bulb socket.

Insert the new bulb into the bulb sock-
et.

Place the bulb socket back into the
lamp and turn it clockwise.

To reinstall the lamp, set the front end
in the bumper and let the rear end en-
gage.
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps
Tail lamp unit
The tail lamps are equipped with HiP bulbs.License plate lamp
1Screw

Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionM (
page 133).

Loosen both screws1.

Remove the license plate lamp.

Replace the bulb.

Reinstall the license plate lamp.

Retighten screws1.
Warning!
G
The bulbs in the tail lamps cannot be re-
placed individually. The tail lamp bulbs are
under pressure and could explode during an
attempt to replace them.
If the tail lamps are malfunctioning, have
them exchanged at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

430 Practical hintsFlat tire
Screw air hose 4 onto the tire valve.

Insert electrical plug 3 into vehicle ci-
gar lighter socket.

Turn the SmartKey in the ignition to
position1.
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button on the gear selector lever once
without depressing the brake pedal.

Press I on electric air pump switch 2.
The electric air pump should now
switch on and inflate the tire.

Inflate the tire to approx. 51 psi
(3.5 bar).
This takes about five minutes for the
collapsible tire. Air hose 4 and union
nut5 can become hot duration infla-
tion. Exercise proper caution to avoid
burning yourself when using the equip-
ment.

Press 0 on electric air pump switch 2.

Turn the SmartKey in the ignition to
position0.
or

Press KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
on the gear selector lever twice without
depressing the brake pedal.
The electric air pump should now be
switched off.

If the tire inflation pressure is above
51 psi (3.5 bar), release excess tire in-
flation pressure using the vent screw.

Detach the electric air pump.

Stow electrical plug 3 and air hose 4
behind flap 1 and place the air pump
back in the trunk.
!Do not operate the air pump longer
than eight minutes without interrup-
tion. Otherwise it may overheat.
You may operate the air pump again af-
ter it has cooled off.
Warning!
G
Follow recommend inflation pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflating tires
can result in sudden deflation (blowout) be-
cause they are more likely to become punc-
tured or damaged by road debris, potholes,
etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.