2005 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS wheel alignment

380 Practical hintsWhere will I find ...?The vehicle tool kit includes:

One interchangeable slot/Phillips
screwdriver


One towing eye bolt


One wheel bolt wrench with socket
wrench


One alignment bolt


One pair of gloves


One fuse extractor


One fuse chart for the main fuse box


Spare fusesVehicle jack
To prepare the vehicle jack for use

Remove the vehicle jack from the spare
wheel well under the trunk floor.

Push the crank handle up.

Turn the crank handle clockwise until it
engages (operational position).Storing the vehicle jack in the trunk

Retract the vehicle jack arm to the
base of the vehicle jack.

Push the crank handle up.

Turn the crank handle counterclock-
wise to the end of the stop (storage po-
sition).
!To prevent damage, always disengage
trunk floor handle from trunk lid and
lower trunk floor before closing the
trunk lid.


401 Practical hints
Flat tire
Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and re-
move.

Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied in the tool kit.

Remove the remaining bolts.

Remove the wheel.Mounting the new wheel

Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.

Guide the spare wheel onto the align-
ment bolt and push it on.

Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.

Unscrew the alignment bolt, install last
wheel bolt and tighten slightly.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolt
and wheel hub threads.
!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while in-
stalling first wheel bolt.Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be re-
paired immediately. Do not continue to drive
under these circumstances! Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect wheel bolts or improperly tight-
ened wheel bolts can cause the wheel to
come off. This could cause an accident.
Make sure you are using the correct wheel
bolts.
Warning!
G
Use only genuine equipment
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts. Other wheel
bolts may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the ve-
hicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle could
tip over.

402 Practical hintsFlat tireLowering the vehicle
Lower vehicle by turning crank coun-
terclockwise until vehicle is resting ful-
ly on its own weight.

Remove the jack.
1 - 5 Wheel bolts

Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly, fol-
lowing the diagonal sequence illustrat-
ed (1 to 5), until all bolts are tight.
Observe a tightening torque of
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).

Before storing the jack in the trunk, it
should be fully collapsed, with handle
folded in.

Place the wheel bolt wrench, alignment
bolt and jack back in the vehicle tool kit
in the trunk and close the covering lid.Replacing jack support tube cover

Slide tongue of cover under the upper
edge of the tube opening.

Applying even pressure, press cover
until it snaps into place. Be careful not
to damage the locking tabs or clamp
the plastic retaining strap.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque of
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).
!You can also screw the faulty wheel
down into the spare wheel well in the
trunk.
Do not activate the tire inflation pres-
sure monitor* until the depressurized
tire is no longer in the vehicle.

437 Technical terms
ABC
(A
ctive B
ody C
ontrol)
Active, computer-controlled system
that hydraulically adjusts the suspen-
sion at all four wheels in response to
various driving situations.
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
Automatically selects the optimum sus-
pension tuning and ride height for your
vehicle. Airmatic consists of two com-
ponents:


Adaptive Damping System


Vehicle level controlAlignment bolt
Metal pin with thread. The centering
pin is an aid used when changing a tire
to align the wheel with the wheel hub.
BabySmart
TM air bag deactivation
system
This system detects if a special system
compatible child restraint seat is in-
stalled on the front passenger seat. The
system will automatically deactivate
the passenger front air bag when such
a seat is properly installed (the
58indicator lamp in the center
console comes on). See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for availability.
BabySmartTM compatible child seats
Special restraint system for children.
The sensor system for the passenger
seat prevents deployment of the pas-
senger front air bag if a BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat is installed. See
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for availability.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
the 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.

444 Index
Seat cushion tilt 38
Seat fore and aft adjustment 38
Seat height 38
Seat in the lumbar region 123
Seat in the shoulder region 123
Seats 37
Steering column height 40
Steering column in or out 40
Steering column up or down 40
Steering wheel 40
ADS 229, 437
Air bags 61
BabySmart
TM air bag deactivation
system 73, 437
Children 62
Front 65
Passenger 65
Safety guidelines 64
Side impact 65
Window curtain 66
Air bag off indicator lamp 346Air conditioning
Turning off 202
Turning on 202
Air pressure 322
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air recirculation mode 199
Activating 199
Deactivating 200
Air vents, rear passenger compartment
Adjustable 204
Air volume
Adjusting 198
AIRMATIC 229
Airmatic 229, 437
Alarm
Audible 79, 88
Canceling 88
Visual 87Alarm system
Anti-theft 87
Anti-theft alarm system indicator
lamp 27
Alignment bolt (vehicle tool kit) 380,
401, 437
Antiglare
Automatic 186
Antilock brake system (ABS) 437
Antilock Brake System see ABS 25
Anti-theft alarm system
Arming 87
Canceling alarm 88
Disarming 88
Anti-theft systems 86
Anti-theft alarm system 87
Anti-theft alarm system indicator
lamp 27
Immobilizer 86
Tow-away alarm 89
Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning 277

469 Index
Vehicle care 330
Cup holder 335
Distronic* system sensor cover 333
Engine cleaning 332
Gear selector lever 335
Hard plastic trim items 335
Headlamps 332
Instrument cluster 335
Leather upholstery 336
Light alloy wheels 335
Nubuck leather upholstery 336
Ornamental moldings 332
Paintwork 331
Parktronic* system sensor 333
Plastic and rubber parts 336
Power-wash 331
Seat belts 335
Side markers 332
Steering wheel 335
Tail lamps 332
Tar stains 331
Turn signals 332
Upholstery 336
Vehicle washing 332
Window cleaning 334
Wiper blades 333Wood trims 336
Vehicle data recording 19
Vehicle level 230, 232
Changing 230, 233
Setting 230, 233
Automatic 230, 233
Manual 230, 233
Vehicle lighting
Checking 285
Vehicle loading terminology 322
Vehicle maximum load on the tire 324
Vehicle status message memory 159
Calling up 159
Displaying 159
Vehicle submenu
Limiting opening height of trunk lid*
(Control system) 169
Vehicle tool kit 379, 380
Alignment bolt 380
Fuse chart 380
Fuse extractor 380
Gloves 380
Screwdriver 380
Spare fuses 380
Wheel wrench 380Vehicle washing 332
Ventilated storage compartment 204
Ventilation
Storage compartment 204
VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) 442
Voice control system* 442
Hands-free microphone 29
W
Warning indicators
Parktronic* 237
Warning lamps see Lamps, indicator and
warning
Warning sounds
Distance warning function* 225
Distronic* 219
Drivers seat belts 66
Parking brake 49
Warranty coverage 417
Washing the vehicle 330
Wear pattern (tires) 325
Weights 428
Wheel change
Tightening torque 402
Wheels
Tires and wheels 296
Window curtain air bags 66