2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E WAGON snow chains

Contents
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 347
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 348
Tire ply material ........................... 350
Tire and loading terminology ........ 350
Rotating tires ............................... 353
Winter driving .................................... 355
Winter tires .................................. 355
Block heater* (Canada only) ........ 356
Snow chains................................. 356
Maintenance...................................... 358
Maintenance service indicator
message....................................... 358
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display............... 360
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator........................... 361
Vehicle care ....................................... 362
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 362
Practical hints.................................. 371
What to do if … ................................... 372
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 372
Lamp in center console................. 381
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display..................... 383
Where will I find ...? ............................ 419
First aid kit.................................... 419
Vehicle tool kit, jack and
spare wheel .................................. 419
Unlocking/locking in an emergency... 424
Unlocking the vehicle.................... 424
Locking the vehicle ....................... 425
Fuel filler flap emergency release . 425
Manually unlocking the gear
selector lever ................................ 426
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 427
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* ........... 427
Resetting activated head restraints .... 428
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 429
SmartKey ...................................... 429
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ....... 430Replacing bulbs .................................. 431
Bulbs............................................. 431
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 434
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 436
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 437
Removing front wiper blades ........ 437
Installing front wiper blades ......... 438
Removing rear wiper blade ........... 438
Installing rear wiper blade ............ 439
Flat tire............................................... 440
Preparing the vehicle .................... 440
Sealing tires with TIREFIT ............. 440
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 445
MOExtended system* ................... 451
Batteries............................................. 452
Disconnecting the battery ............ 453
Removing the battery ................... 454
Charging and reinstalling the
battery .......................................... 454
Reconnecting the battery ............. 455
Jump starting...................................... 456
Towing the vehicle.............................. 458
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 461

91 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems
In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


ESP
® (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)


Electrohydraulic brake system


4MATIC (Four Wheel Electronic
Traction System)
ABS
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of
approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) indepen-
dent of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even to light brake pressure.
The - indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on when you switch on the
ignition. It goes out when the engine is run-
ning.
iIn winter operation, the maximum
effectiveness of the ABS, the BAS, the
ESP
®, electrohydraulic brake system
and 4MATIC is only achieved with win-
ter tires (
page 355), or snow chains
as required.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, ESP
®, electrohydraulic brake
system and 4MATIC cannot reduce this risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.

95 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Switching off the ESP
®
To improve the vehicle’s traction, turn off
the ESP
® in driving situations where it
would be advantageous to have drive
wheels spin and thus cut into surfaces for
better grip such as:


when driving with snow chains


in deep snow


in sand or gravelWhen you switch off the ESP
®


the ESP
® does not stabilize the vehicle


the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip


the traction control will still brake a
spinning wheel


the ESP
® continues to operate when
you are braking


you cannot activate Distronic*The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1ESP
® switch (off/on)

Press ESP
® switch 1 until the
ABS/ESP®warning lamp v in the
instrument cluster comes on.
The ESP
® is deactivated.
Warning!
G
The ESP
® should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in driving
maneuvers.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a
Minispare or collapsible tire is mounted.
!Turn on the ESP
® immediately if the
aforementioned circumstances do not
apply anymore.
iWhen the ESP
® is switched off and one
or more drive wheels are spinning, the
ABS/ESP
® warning lamp v in the
speedometer flashes. However, the
ESP
® will then not stabilize the vehicle.

258 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary and
the engine is running:Vehicle level
when stationary
Indicator lamp
Suspension
tuning
Use for
Ride height increase
over normal
Automatic lowering
Normal
Lamp off
Comfort
For driving on normal
roads
None
Max. approx. 0.4 in (10 mm)
Normal
Lamp off
Sport 1 or 2
For driving on normal
roads
None
Max. approx. 0.6 in (15 mm)
Raised
Lamp on
Comfort
For driving on rough
roads or with snow
chains
Approx. 0.8 in (20 mm)
Max. approx. 1.2 in (30 mm)
Raised
Lamp on
Sport 1 or 2
For driving on rough
roads or with snow
chains
Approx. 0.8 in (20 mm)
Max. approx. 1.4 in (35 mm)

307 Operation
Driving instructions
E 350, E 350 4MATIC
E 500, E 500 4MATIC
E 350 (Appearance Package*)
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“H”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 130 mph (210 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
130 mph (210 km/h).
E350(SportPackage*)
E500(SportPackage*)
E55AMG
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“ZR”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of above 149 mph (240 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
130 mph (210 km/h).
E 55 AMG: An electronic speed limiter pre-
vents your vehicle from exceeding a speed
of 155 mph (250 km/h).E3504MATIC (Sport Package*)
1
E5004MATIC (Sport Package*)
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“Y”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 186 mph (300 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
130 mph (210 km/h).
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever to positionN. Try
to keep the vehicle under control by cor-
rective steering action.
1Not available in Canada.iFor information on speed ratings for
winter tires, see “Winter driving”
(page 355).
For additional general information on
tire speed markings on tire sidewall,
see “Tire speed rating” (
page 352).
iFor more information on driving with
snow chains, see “Snow chains”
(page 356).
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of control loss.

356 OperationWinter drivingBlock heater* (Canada only)
The engine is equipped with a block heat-
er.
The electrical cable may be installed at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Snow chains
Snow chains should only be driven on
snow-covered roads at speeds not to ex-
ceed 30 mph (50 km/h). Remove chains
as soon as possible when driving on roads
without snow.Please observe the following guidelines
when using snow chains:


Use of snow chains is not permissible
with all wheel/tire combinations.


Snow chains should only be used on
the rear wheels. Follow the manufac-
turer’s mounting instructions.


Only use snow chains that are ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz. Your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center will be
glad to advise you on this subject.


Use of snow chains may be prohibited
depending on location. Always check
local and state laws before installing
snow chains.
Warning!
G
If you use your spare tire when winter tires
are fitted on the other wheels, be aware that
the difference in tire characteristics may
very well impair turning stability and that
overall driving stability may be reduced.
Adapt your driving style accordingly.
Have the spare tire replaced with a winter
tire at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
!When driving with snow chains, always
select the raised level of the level con-
trol system Airmatic* (
page 256).
Other settings may result in damage to
your vehicle.
iWhen driving with snow chains, you
may wish to deactivate the ESP
®
(
page 95) before setting the vehicle
in motion. This will improve the vehi-
cle’s traction.

357 Operation
Winter driving
!
Even on vehicles with all-wheel-drive,
use snow chains on rear tires only.
Some tire sizes do not leave adequate
clearance for snow chains. To help
avoid serious damage to your vehicle or
tires, use of snow chains is not permis-
sible with the following tire sizes:

265 / 35 ZR18 XL (Extra load)


T 155/70 R17 110 M


T 175/55-18 95P

476 Technical dataRims and tiresMixed size tires
E350(Sport Package*)
E500(Sport Package*)
E55AMG
Front axle:
Rims (light alloy)
8 J x 18 EH2
Wheel offset
1.18 in (30 mm)
Summer tires
1
1Radial-ply tires
245/40 ZR18
Rear axle:
Rims (light alloy)
9 J x 18 EH2
Wheel offset
1.54 in (39 mm)
Summer tires
1
265/35 ZR18 XL (Extra Load)
2
2Must not be used with snow chains.