2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E WAGON engine

440 Practical hintsFlat tirePreparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle in a safe distance from
moving traffic on a hard, flat surface
when possible.

Turn on the hazard warning flasher
(page 147).

Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead po-
sition.

Set the parking brake (
page 60).

Move the gear selector lever toP.
Vehicles with SmartKey:

Turn off the engine (
page 61).

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.Vehicles with SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*:

Turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button on the
gear selector lever once (
page 61).

Open the driver’s door (this puts the ig-
nition in position0, same as with the
SmartKey removed from the starter
switch). The driver’s door then can be
closed again.

Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Sealing tires with TIREFIT
E 55 AMG vehicles with foldable third row
seat are equipped with TIREFIT.
Small tire punctures, particularly those in
the tread, can be sealed with TIREFIT.
TIREFIT can be used in ambient tempera-
tures down to -4°F (-20°C).
iOpen door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
Warning!
G
Keep TIREFIT away from sparks, open flame
or heat source.
Do not smoke.

447 Practical hints
Flat tire

Jack up the vehicle until the wheel is a
maximum of 1.2 in (3 cm) from the
ground. Never start engine while
vehicle is raised.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 spare wheel

Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.
Warning!
G
Position the jack only on the jack take-up
brackets designed for this purpose.
If the jack is not properly positioned, the ve-
hicle may slip off of the jack.
Warning!
G
The jack is intended only for lifting the
vehicle briefly for wheel changes. It is not
suited for performing maintenance work
under the vehicle.

Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised.


Never lie down under the raised vehicle.
!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.


453 Practical hints
Batteries
Disconnecting the battery
Depress parking brake firmly or move
gear selector lever to positionP.

Turn off all electrical consumers.
!Never loosen or detach battery termi-
nal clamps while the engine is running
or the SmartKey is in the starter switch.
Otherwise the alternator and other
electronic components could be se-
verely damaged.
Have the battery checked regularly by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Refer to Maintenance Booklet for main-
tenance intervals or contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for further
information.Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof battery only to avoid the risk
of acid burns in the event of an accident.
Warning!
G
The electrohydraulic 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. The same applies if
battery is disconnected. To brake, the driver
must then apply significantly greater brake
pedal pressure and depress the pedal much
further to obtain the expected braking ef-
fect. If necessary, apply full pressure to the
brake pedal. Brakes may only be applied to
the front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased! Adjust your driving style according-
ly. For more information, refer to
“Electrohydraulic brake system”
(page 96).
Warning!
G
With a disconnected battery

you will no longer be able to turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch and
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button on the gear selector lever will
have no effect


the gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP


454 Practical hintsBatteries
Remove SmartKey from starter switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Press the start/stop button until
the engine shuts off.

Open the driver’s door.

Open the cargo compartment.

Read and observe safety instructions
and precautions (
page 452).

Access the cargo compartment under-
neath the third row seat cushions and
footwell (
page 420).

Remove cover to access battery
(page 452).

Disconnect battery negative lead1.

Remove cover2 from the positive ter-
minal.

Disconnect the battery positive lead.
Removing the battery
Remove the screw-nuts securing the
battery.

Remove the battery bracket.

Pull out the battery ventilation tube
from the battery (depending on battery
arrangement in your vehicle model, the
ventilation tube is located either on the
left or right side of the battery).

Take out the battery.
Charging and reinstalling the battery
Charge battery in accordance with the
instructions of the battery charger
manufacturer.Warning!
G
Never charge a battery while still installed in
the vehicle unless the accessory battery
charge unit* approved by Mercedes-Benz is
being used. Gases may escape during charg-
ing and cause explosions that may result in
paint damage, corrosion or personal injury.
An accessory battery charge unit* specially
adapted for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and
tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz is
available, permitting the charging of the bat-
tery in its installed position. Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
information and availability. Charge battery
in accordance with the separate instruc-
tions for the accessory battery charger*.


456 Practical hintsJump starting
If the battery is discharged, the engine can
be started with jumper cables and the bat-
tery of another vehicle. Observe the follow-
ing:

Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic
converter are cold.


Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.


Only jump start from batteries with the
same voltage rating (12 V). Jump start-
ing with a more powerful battery could
damage the vehicle’s electrical system,
which will not be covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


Use only jumper cables with sufficient
cross-section and insulated terminal
clamps.


Always make sure the jumper cables
are not on or near pulleys, fans or other
parts that move when the engine is
started or running.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
Attempting to jump start a frozen battery
can result in it exploding, causing personal
injury.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
!Jump starting may only be performed
on the designated jump start terminals
located in the engine compartment
(page 457).
Avoid repeated and lengthy starting at-
tempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine us-
ing a battery quick charge unit.
If the engine does not run after several
unsuccessful starting attempts, have it
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by
repeated failed starting attempts may
damage the catalytic converter.
Make sure the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not
touch any other metal part while the
other end is still attached to a battery.

457 Practical hints
Jump starting
The jump-start contacts are located in the
engine compartment.
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift gear selector lever to positionP.

Open the hood (
page 315).

Open cover 2 of the positive terminal.

Connect positive terminal 2 and the
positive terminal of the charged battery
with the jumper cable. Clamp cable to
charged battery first. 1Negative (-) terminal
2Cover of Positive (+) terminal

Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect negative terminal1 and the
negative terminal of the charged
battery with the jumper cable. Clamp
cable to charged battery first.

Start the engine of the disabled
vehicle.Now you can again turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals on each battery and
then from the positive terminals on
each battery.
Now you can turn on the lights.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 322).
!Never invert the terminal connections!
iThe message
Malfunction - electric
consumers switched off
may appear
in the instrument cluster. It will disap-
pear as soon as the battery is suffi-
ciently charged.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.

458 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleMercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel
lift/dolly equipment. This method is pref-
erable to other types of towing.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the
ground or front wheels raised (except vehi-
cles with 4MATIC) only so far as necessary
to have the vehicle moved to a safe loca-
tion where the recommended towing
methods can be employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment with SmartKey in starter switch
turned to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts.
Switch off the tow-away alarm and the
automatic central locking.
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC:
Do not tow with one axle raised. Doing
so could damage the transfer case,
which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
All wheels must be on or off the ground.
Observe instructions for towing the ve-
hicle with all wheels on the ground.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised (not permissible for vehicles
with 4MATIC), the engine must be shut
off (SmartKey in starter switch
position0 or 1). Otherwise the ESP
®
will immediately be engaged and will
apply the rear wheel brakes.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the gear selector lever
must be in positionN and the
SmartKey must be in starter switch
position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground or the front axle raised,
the vehicle may be towed only for dis-
tances up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a
speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).

459 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
!
To be certain to avoid a possibility of
damage to the drivetrain, however, we
recommend the drive shaft be discon-
nected at the rear axle drive flange (ve-
hicles with 4MATIC: disconnected at
the front and rear axle drive flanges) for
any towing beyond a short tow to a
nearby garage.
Warning!
G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:

the engine will not run


there is a malfunction in the electrohy-
draulic brake system


there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
as that will be necessary to adequately con-
trol the towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain the SmartKey is in
starter switch position2.
If the SmartKey is left in the starter switch
position0 for an extended period of time, it
can no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock, re-
move SmartKey from starter switch and re-
insert.
Warning!
G
The 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. To brake, the driver
must then apply significantly greater brake
pedal pressure and depress the pedal much
further to obtain the expected braking ef-
fect. If necessary, apply full pressure to the
brake pedal. Brakes may only be applied to
the front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased! Adapt your driving style according-
ly. For more information, refer to
“Electrohydraulic brake system”
(page 96).
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the steering system. In
this case, it is important to keep in mind that
a considerably higher degree of effort is nec-
essary to steer the vehicle. Adapt your driv-
ing accordingly.