2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E WAGON key

57 Getting started
Driving
Rear window wiper/washer
The button is located on the center con-
sole.
1Intermittent wipe
2Indicator lamp
3Rear window washer system
Switch on the ignition (
page 36)
!If anything blocks the windshield wip-
ers (leaves, snow, etc.), switch them off
immediately.

For safety reasons, stop the vehicle
in a safe location

remove SmartKey from starter
switch
or


turn off the engine by pressing
the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button and open the driver’s
door (with the driver’s door
open, starter switch is in
position0, same as with
SmartKey removed from starter
switch)
before attempting to remove any
blockage.


Remove blockage.


Turn the windshield wipers on
again.
If windshield wipers fail to function at
all in switch positionI,


set the combination switch to the
next highest wiper speed


have the windshield wipers
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center
iThe rear window wiper engages
automatically if the gear selector lever
is moved to positionR with the
windshield wipers switched on.

59 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle.Warning!
G
Vehicles with Airmatic*: If you have selected
the Comfort suspension tuning
(page 255), the vehicle lowers slightly
when it is locked. You should therefore
make sure that no one is standing near the
wheel arches or lying underneath the vehi-
cle when it is being locked. Otherwise, per-
sonal injury could result.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press
start- / stop button (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*).


Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* and lock vehicle when
leaving.!Vehicles with Airmatic*: If you have se-
lected the Comfort suspension tuning
(page 255), the vehicle lowers slight-
ly when you lock it within approximate-
ly 60 seconds after switching off the
engine. When parking, make sure that
your vehicle cannot come into contact
with other objects, such as a curb,
while lowering. Your vehicle could oth-
erwise be damaged.

60 Getting startedParking and lockingParking brake
1Parking brake pedal
2Release handle
Step firmly on parking brake pedal1.
When the engine is running, the warn-
ing lamp ; (USA only) or 3
(Canada only) in the instrument cluster
will be illuminated.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Children
could release the parking brake and/or
move the gear selector lever from
positionP, either of which could result in an
accident and/or serious injury.
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.

61 Getting started
Parking and locking
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM
(page 54).
For more information, see the “Controls in
detail” section (
page 143).
Turning off engine 
Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.

Apply the parking brake (
page 60).Turning off with the SmartKey

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
(page 36) to position0 and remove
it.
The immobilizer is activated.Turning off with KEYLESS-GO*

Place the gear selector lever inP.

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton to shut off the engine.
With the driver’s door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(page 36).
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.
!If you hear a warning signal, you have
either

forgotten to switch off the vehicle’s
exterior lamps before opening the
driver’s door,
or


tried to turn off the engine while the
gear selector lever is not inP.
Turn off the lights or place the gear se-
lector lever inP.

62 Getting startedParking and lockingReleasing seat belts
Press the seat belt release button
(page 48).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
Locking

Exit the vehicle and close all doors and
the tailgate.
!Make sure the seat belt retracts fully so
that the seat belt and/or latch plate
cannot get caught or pinched in the
door or in the seat mechanism. This
can damage the seat belt and impair
the effectiveness of the seat belt,
and/or cause damage to the door
and/or door trim panel. Such damage
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Damaged seat belts must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you, and lock the vehi-
cle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehi-
cle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment
may cause an accident and/or serious per-
sonal injury.
iA warning sounds and the message Switch off lights
appears in the mul-
tifunction display if the vehicle’s exteri-
or lamps are not switched off


with the SmartKey removed from
the starter switch and the driver’s
door open


with the engine turned off using the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
and the driver’s door open (same as
SmartKey removed from starter
switch)
Switch off the exterior lamps.

63 Getting started
Parking and locking
Locking with the SmartKey
After exiting the vehicle, press lock
button‹ on the SmartKey
(page 34).


All turn signal lamps flash three
times.


An acoustic signal sounds three
times (if equipped and feature acti-
vated).
For more information, see “Factory
setting” (
page 108).


The locking knobs in the doors
move down.


The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see the “Controls in
detail” section (
page 106).Locking with KEYLESS-GO*
1Lock button

After exiting the vehicle, press lock
button1 on an outside door handle or
on the tailgate.

All turn signal lamps flash three
times.


An acoustic signal sounds three
times (if equipped and feature acti-
vated).
For more information, see “Factory
setting” (
page 114).


The locking knobs in the doors
move down.


The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see the “Controls in
detail” section (
page 111).

75 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The system is designed to enhance the
protection offered to properly belted oc-
cupants in certain frontal (front air bags
and ETD) and side (side impact and win-
dow curtain air bags and ETD) impacts
which exceed preset deployment
thresholds and in certain rollovers (win-
dow curtain air bags and ETD).


Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your shoul-
der. In a frontal crash, your body would
move too far forward. That would in-
crease the chance of head and neck in-
juries. The belt would also apply too
much force to the ribs or abdomen,
which could severely injure internal or-
gans such as your liver or spleen.


Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eyeglasses, pens, SmartKeys etc., as
these might cause injuries.


Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips and not across the abdo-
men. If the belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries
in a crash.


Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat
belt around a person and another per-
son or other objects.


Belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you wouldn’t have the full width
of the belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted belt against your body could
cause injuries.


Pregnant women should also use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible pres-
sure on the abdomen.


Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.


When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in boost-
er seats, always follow the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions.

85 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The 75indicator lamp1 will be
illuminated, except with the SmartKey
removed or in starter switch position0.Self-test Occupant Classification Sys-
tem
After turning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position1 or2 or pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button once or
twice, the 75indicator lamp1
located in the center console illuminates. If
an adult occupant is properly sitting on the
front passenger seat and the system sens-
es the occupant as being an adult, the
75indicator lamp will illuminate
and go out after approximately 6 seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the system
senses the front passenger seat as being
empty, the 75indicator lamp
will illuminate and not go out. Warning!
G
If the 1indicator lamp and the
75indicator lamp are lit at the
same time, there is a malfunction in the
Occupant Classification System. The front
passenger front air bag will be deactivated
in this case.
In order to ensure proper operation of the
air bag system and OCS:

Have the system checked as soon as
possible by qualified technicians.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.


Do not place more than 4.4 lbs (2 kg)
into the ruffled storage bag on the back
of the front passenger seat. Otherwise,
the OCS may not be able to properly ap-
proximate the occupant weight
category.


Do not place objects under and/or
around the front passenger seat.


Do not hang anything from or attach any
items to the seats.


Do not stuff objects such as books be-
tween the middle console and the front
passenger seat.


Do not move the front passenger seat
backwards against stiff objects.


Sit properly belted in a nearly upright
position with your back against the seat
backrest.


Do not lean on the armrests or lift your-
self from the seat by using the handle
over the door as this may cause the OCS
to be unable to correctly approximate
the occupant weight category.


Only have the seat repaired or replaced
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.


Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.