2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 Child

299 Operation
Engine compartment
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)
(page 431).
The batteries should always be sufficiently
charged in order to achieve their rated ser-
vice 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 the battery, always use
batteries 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 clean
water and seek medical help if
necessary.
E
Wear eye protection.
C
Keep children away.
F
Follow the instructions in this
Operator's Manual.

342 OperationVehicle careCleaning and care of vehicle
While in operation, even while parked, your
vehicle is subjected to varying external in-
fluences which, if gone unchecked, can at-
tack the paintwork as well as the
underbody and cause lasting damage.Such damage is caused not only by ex-
treme and varying climatic conditions, but
also by:


Air pollution


Road salt


Tar


Gravel and stone chipping
To avoid paint damage, you should imme-
diately remove:


Grease and oil


Fuel


Coolant


Brake fluid


Bird droppings


Insects


Tree resins etc.
Frequent washing reduces and/or elimi-
nates the aggressiveness and potency of
the above adverse influences.More frequent washings are necessary to
deal with unfavorable conditions:


near the ocean


in industrial areas (smoke, exhaust
emissions)


during winter operation
You should check your vehicle from time to
time for stone chipping or other damage.
Any damage should be repaired as soon as
possible to prevent corrosion.
In doing so, do not neglect the underbody
of the vehicle. A prerequisite for a thor-
ough check is a washing of the underbody
followed by a thorough inspection. Dam-
aged areas need to be re-undercoated.
Your vehicle has been treated at the facto-
ry with a wax-base rustproofing in the body
cavities which will last for the lifetime of
the vehicle. Post-production treatment is
neither necessary nor recommended by
Mercedes-Benz because of the possibility
of incompatibility between materials used
in the production process and others ap-
plied later.
Warning!
G
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the partic-
ular container. Always open your vehicle’s
doors or windows when cleaning the inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not
designed for cleaning your vehicle.
Always lock away cleaning products and
keep them out of reach of children.

362 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Lamp in center consoleProblem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
75
The passenger front
air bag off indicator
lamp comes on and re-
mains illuminated
(page 78).
A BabySmart
TM child seat is installed on
the passenger seat. Therefore the passen-
ger front air bag is switched off.
The system is malfunctioning when there
is no BabySmart
TM child seat installed on
the passenger seat.

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
The passenger front
air bag off indicator
lamp does not come on
or does not remain illu-
minated with a
BabySmart
TM child seat
properly installed on
the passenger seat.
The system is malfunctioning.

Make sure there is nothing between
seat cushion and child seat.

Check installation of the child seat
(page 80).
If the passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp remains out:

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
Do not use the BabySmart
TM restraint to
transport children on the front passenger
seat until the system has been repaired.

408 Practical hintsReplacing SmartKey batteriesIf the batteries in the SmartKey are dis-
charged, the vehicle can no longer be
locked or unlocked. It is recommended to
have the batteries replaced at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
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.
SmartKey
Replacement batteries: Lithium, type
CR 2025 or equivalent.
Remove the mechanical key1
(page 402).
1Mechanical key
2Slide
3Battery compartment
Warning!
G
Keep the batteries out of reach of children.
If a battery is swallowed, seek medical help
immediately.
iWhen inserting the batteries, make
sure they are clean and free of lint.iWhen replacing batteries, always
replace both batteries.
The required replacement batteries are
available at any Mercedes-Benz
Center.

413 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Notes on bulb replacement

Use only 12 volt bulbs of the same type
and with the specified watt rating.


Switch lights off before changing a bulb
to prevent short circuits.


Always use a clean lint-free cloth when
handling bulbs.


Your hands should be dry and free of oil
and grease.


If the newly installed bulb does not light
up, visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.Have the LEDs and bulbs for the following
lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center:


Additional turn signals in the exterior
rear view mirrors


High mounted brake lamp


Bi-Xenon* lamps


Front fog lamps


Front side marker lamps


Rear lamps (except license plate
lamps)
Warning!
G
Bulbs and bulb sockets can be very hot. Al-
low the lamp to cool down before changing
a bulb.
Keep bulbs out of reach of children.
Halogen lamps contain pressurized gas. A
bulb can explode if you:

touch or move it when hot


drop the bulb


scratch the bulb
Wear eye and hand protection.
Because of high voltage in Xenon lamps, it is
dangerous to replace the bulb or repair the
lamp and its components. We recommend
that you have such work done by a qualified
technician.
iHave the headlamp adjustment
checked regularly.

420 Practical hintsFlat tire
Foreign objects (e.g. screws or nails)
should not be removed from the tire.

Take TIREFIT, the sticker, and the elec-
tric air pump out of the trunk.

Attach the sticker where it will be easily
seen by the driver on the instrument
cluster.1TIREFIT container
2Flap
3Notch
4Electrical plug
5Air hose
6Flange

Open flap2 on the electric air pump.

Pull plug4 and air hose5 out of the
pump housing.
Warning!
G
TIREFIT is a limited repair device. TIREFIT
cannot be used for cuts or punctures larger
than approximately 0.16 in (4 mm) and tire
damage caused by driving with extremely
low tire inflation pressure, or on a flat tire, or
a damaged wheel.
Do not drive the vehicle under such circum-
stances.
Contact your nearest Mercedes-Benz
Center for assistance or call Roadside
Assistance.
Warning!
G
Take care not to allow the contents of
TIREFIT to come in contact with hair, eyes or
clothing. TIREFIT is harmful if inhaled, swal-
lowed or absorbed through the skin - causes
skin, eye and respiratory irritation.
Any contact with eyes or skin should be
flushed immediately with plenty of water.
If clothing comes in contact with TIREFIT,
change clothing as soon as possible.
In case of allergic reaction or rash, consult a
physician immediately.Warning!
G
Keep TIREFIT out of reach of children.
If swallowed, rinse mouth immediately with
plenty of water and drink plenty of water.
Do not induce vomiting!
Consult a physician immediately.
Keep away from open flame or heat source.
iIf sealant has leaked out, let it dry. You
can then peel it off.

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.
Accessory weight
(
page 332)
ADS
(Adaptive D
amping S
ystem)
Automatically adapts the optimum sus-
pension damping to prevailing driving
conditions.
Air pressure
(
page 332)Airmatic DC
(A
irmatic D
ual C
ontrol)
Automatically selects the optimum
suspension tuning and ride height for
your vehicle. Airmatic consists of two
components:


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.
Aspect ratio
(
page 332)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
57indicator lamp in the
center console comes on and remains
illuminated).
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.

476 Technical termsPower train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing:


Engine


Clutch/torque converter


Transmission


Transfer case*


Drive shaft


Axle shafts/axles
Production options weight
(
page 333)Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic transmis-
sion between standard operationS and
operationC.
CLS 55 AMG with steering wheel gear-
shift control and manual shift program:
in addition to S and C (for sporty S or
comfortable C operation), you can use
M for manual shift program.
PSI
(P
ounds per s
quare i
nch)
(
page 333)
Recommended tire inflation pressure
(page 333)
Restraint systems
Seat belts, belt tensioners, air bags and
child restraint systems. As indepen-
dent systems, their protective func-
tions complement one another.Rim
(
page 333)
RON
(Research O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line's ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the ->MON (Motor Octane Number)
and RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Electro-hydraulic brake system
Electronically controlled hydraulic
braking system for increased braking
safety and comfort.
Sidewall
(
page 333)