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
ContentsFuses ................................................. 462
Aids for replacing fuses ................ 462
Main fuse box in passenger
compartment................................ 463
Fuse box in cargo compartment ... 463Technical data.................................. 465
Parts service ...................................... 466
Warranty coverage ............................. 467
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet...................... 467
Identification labels............................ 468
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 469
E 350/E 350 4MATIC ................... 469
E 500/E 500 4MATIC ................... 469
E 55 AMG ..................................... 469
Engine ................................................ 470
Rims and tires .................................... 472
Same size tires ............................. 474
Mixed size tires ............................ 476
MOExtended tires* ....................... 477
Spare wheel ................................. 478
Electrical system................................ 479Main dimensions and weight ............. 480
Main dimensions .......................... 480
Weight .......................................... 481
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. .......... 482
Capacities .................................... 482
Engine oils.................................... 485
Engine oil additives ...................... 485
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 485
Brake fluid .................................... 485
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 486
Gasoline additives ........................ 486
Fuel requirements ........................ 487
Coolants....................................... 487
Windshield and headlamp
washer system ............................. 490
Technical terms............................... 491Index................................................. 497
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.
286 Controls in detailUseful featuresRoadside Assistance button•
Located below the center armrest cover is
the Roadside Assistance button•.
Press and hold the button (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to a Mercedes-Benz Roadside As-
sistance dispatcher will be initiated.
The button will flash while the call is in
progress. The message
Connecting
call
will appear in the multifunction
display and the audio system is muted.
When the connection is established, the
message Call connected
appears in the
multifunction display. The Tele Aid system
will transmit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established.
Describe the nature of the need for
assistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may ap-
ply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance man-
ual for more information.
The following is only available in the USA:
Sign and Drive services: Services such
as a jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.
iThe indicator lamp on the Roadside As-
sistance button• remains illumi-
nated in red for approximately
10 seconds during the system
self-check after switching on the igni-
tion (together with the SOS button and
the Information button¡).
See system self-check (
page 283)
when the indicator lamp does not come
on in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp on the Roadside
Assistance button• is flashing con-
tinuously and there was no voice con-
nection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate a Roadside Assis-
tance call (e.g. the relevant cellular
phone network is not available). The
message
Call failed
appears in the
multifunction display.
325 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire care and maintenance
Regularly check your tire inflation pressure
at least once a month. For more informa-
tion on checking tire inflation pressure,
see “Recommended tire inflation pres-
sure” (
page 333).Tire inspection
Every time you check your tire inflation
pressure, you should also inspect your
tires for the following:
excessive treadwear (
page 326)
cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber
bumps, bulges, cuts, cracks or splits in
the tread or side of the tire
Replace the tire if you find any of the above
conditions.
Make sure you also inspect the spare tire
periodically for condition and inflation.
Spare tires will age and become worn over
time even if never used, and thus should be
inspected and replaced when necessary.Life of tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:
Driving style
Tire inflation pressure
Distance driven
Warning!
G
Regularly check the tires for damage. Dam-
aged tires can cause tire inflation pressure
loss. As a result, you could lose control of
your vehicle.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
Warning!
G
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after
6 years, regardless of the remaining tread.
327 Operation
Tires and wheels
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advan-
tages, such as better hydroplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
make sure the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the
intended direction of rotation (spinning) of
the tire.
Loading the vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much
weight it may properly carry.
The Tire and Loading Information
placard (Example A) or the Vehicle Tire
Information placard (Example B) can be
found on the driver’s door B-pillar. This
placard tells you important information
about the number of people that can be
in the vehicle and the total weight that
can be carried in the vehicle. It also
contains information on the proper size
and recommended tire inflation
pressures for the original equipment
tires on your vehicle.
The Certification label, also found on
the driver’s door B-pillar tells you about
the gross weight capacity of your vehi-
cle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
fuel and cargo. The Certification label
also tells you about the front and rear
axle weight capacity, called the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). The GAWR
is the total allowable weight that can be
carried by a single axle (front or rear).
Never exceed the GVWR or GAWR for
either the front axle or rear axle.
iSpare wheels may be mounted against
the direction of rotation (spinning) even
with a unidirectional tire for temporary
use only until the regular drive wheel
has been repaired or replaced. Always
observe and follow applicable tempo-
rary use restrictions and speed limita-
tions indicated on the spare wheel.
336 OperationTires and wheelsThe TPMS only functions on wheels that
are equipped with the proper electronic
sensors. It monitors the tire inflation pres-
sure, as selected by the driver, in all four
tires. A warning is issued to alert you to a
decrease in pressure in one or more of the
tires.Warning!
G
The TPMS does not indicate a warning for
wrongly selected inflation pressures. Always
adjust tire inflation pressure according to
the placard on the driver’s door B-pillar or, if
available, the supplemental tire pressure in-
formation on the inside of the fuel filler flap.
The TPMS is not able to issue a warning due
to a sudden dramatic loss of pressure (e.g.
tire blowout caused by a foreign object). In
this case bring the vehicle to a halt by care-
fully applying the brakes and avoiding
abrupt steering maneuvers.
Warning!
G
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or the tire inflation pressure
label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or the tire inflation pressure label,
you should determine the proper tire infla-
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitor-
ing system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illu-
minates, you should stop and check your
tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a significant-
ly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the vehi-
cle’s handling and stopping ability. Please
note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv-
er’s responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of
the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction, the
telltale will flash for approximately
one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long
as the malfunction exists. When the mal-
function indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal low tire
pressure as intended.
341 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire size designation, load and speed
rating
1Tire width
2Aspect ratio in %
3Radial tire code
4Rim diameter
5Tire load rating
6Tire speed ratingGeneral:
Depending on the design standards used,
the tire size molded into the sidewall may
have no letter or a letter preceding the tire
size designation.
No letter preceding the size designation
(as illustrated above): Passenger car tire
based on European design standards.
Letter “P” preceding the size designation:
Passenger car tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “LT” preceding the size designation:
Light Truck tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “T” preceding the size designation:
Temporary spare tires which are high
pressure compact spares designed for
temporary emergency use only. Tire width
The tire width1 (
page 341) indicates
the nominal tire width in mm.
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio2 (page 341) is the
dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width and is
expressed in percentage. The aspect ratio
is arrived at by dividing section height by
section width.
Tire code
The tire code3 (
page 341) indicates
the tire construction type. The “R” stands
for radial tire type. Letter “D” means
diagonal or bias ply construction; letter “B”
means belted-bias ply construction.
At the tire manufacturer’s option, any tire
with a speed capability above 149 mph
(240 km/h) can include a “ZR” in the size
designation (for example: 245/40 ZR 18).
For additional information, see “Tire speed
rating” (
page 343).
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehi-
cle and may vary from data shown in
above illustration.