423 Practical hints
Where will I find ...?
In case of a flat tire, you may temporarily
use the spare wheel when observing the
following restrictions:
Do not exceed a vehicle speed of
50 mph (80 km / h).
Drive to the nearest tire repair facility
to have the flat tire repaired or re-
placed as appropriate.
Do not operate vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
For more information, see “Spare wheel”
(
page 480).
Luggage box
Remove luggage box
1Fastening clip
2Luggage box
Turn fastening clips1 to the left up-
wards from fastening bolts.
Lift luggage box in the area of the fas-
tening bolts and remove it from trunk.Install luggage box
Insert luggage box into trunk so that
fastening clips are in line with fastening
bolts.
Push front edge of luggage box in direc-
tion of arrow under cover of trunk sill.
Press fastening clips onto fastening
bolts until they lock into place.
Warning!
G
The dimension of the Minispare wheel is dif-
ferent from those of the road wheels. As a
result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a spare wheel
mounted.
The spare wheel should only be used tempo-
rarily, and replaced with a regular road
wheel as quickly as possible.
424 Practical hintsWhere will I find ...?Vehicle tool kit
The vehicle tool kit is stored in the com-
partment underneath the trunk floor
(page 422).
The vehicle tool kit includes:
One pair of universal pliers
One towing eye bolt
One wheel wrench
One alignment bolt
One fuse extractor
Spare fuses
Collapsible wheel chock
A pair of gloves
Setting up the collapsible wheel chock
The collapsible wheel chock serves to
additionally secure the vehicle, e.g. while
changing the wheel.1Tilt the plates upward
2Fold the lower plate outward
3Insert the plate
Tilt both plates upward1.
Fold the lower plate outward2.
Guide the tabs of the lower plate all the
way into the openings of the base
plate3.
Vehicle jackWarning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack take-up brackets
built into both sides of the vehicle. To help
avoid personal injury, use the jack only to lift
the vehicle during a wheel change. Never
get beneath the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack. Keep hands and feet away from
the area under the lifted vehicle. Always
firmly set parking brake and block wheels
before raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
always vertical (plumb line) when in use,
especially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. Make sure the jack arm is
fully seated in the jack take-up bracket.
Always lower the vehicle onto sufficient
capacity jackstands before working under
the vehicle.
441 Practical hints
Flat tire
Flat tire
Preparing 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 146).
Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead po-
sition.
Set the parking brake (
page 61).
Move the gear selector lever toP.
Vehicles with SmartKey:
Turn off the engine (
page 62).
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 62).
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.
Mounting the spare wheel
iOpen door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the spare wheel
(Minispare or collapsible tire) are different
from those of the road wheels. As a result,
the vehicle handling characteristics change
when driving with a spare wheel mounted.
Adapt your driving style accordingly.
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with spare wheel mounted,
ensure proper tire pressure and do not ex-
ceed a vehicle speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible to have the spare wheel
replaced with a regular road wheel.
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a
Minispare or collapsible tire is mounted.
442 Practical hintsFlat tirePreparing the vehicle
Prepare the vehicle as described
(page 441).
Vehicles with Minispare wheel
(except E 55 AMG):
Take the Minispare wheel, wheel
wrench and the jack out of the trunk
(page 422).
Vehicles with collapsible tire
(E 55 AMG only):
Take the collapsible tire, wheel wrench,
jack and electric air pump out of the
cargo compartment (
page 422).Lifting the vehicle
Prevent the vehicle from rolling away
by blocking wheels with wheel chocks
or other sizable objects.
One wheel chock is included with the
vehicle tool kit (
page 424).
When changing wheel on a level surface:
Place the wheel chock in front of and
another sizable object behind the
wheel that is diagonally opposite to the
wheel being changed.
Always try lifting the vehicle using the jack
on a level surface. However, should
circumstances require you to do so on a
hill, place the wheel chock and the other
sizeable object as follows:
Place the wheel chock and another siz-
able object on the downhill side block-
ing both wheels of the axle not being
worked on.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack take-up brackets
built into either side of the vehicle. To help
avoid personal injury, use the jack only to lift
the vehicle during a wheel change. Never
get beneath the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack. Keep hands and feet away from
the area under the lifted vehicle. Always
firmly set parking brake and block wheels
before raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
always vertical (plumb line) when in use, es-
pecially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. Be sure that the jack arm is
fully seated in the jack take-up bracket. Al-
ways lower the vehicle onto sufficient ca-
pacity jackstands before working under the
vehicle.
444 Practical hintsFlat tire
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
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.Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be re-
paired immediately. Do not continue to drive
under these circumstances! Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect wheel bolts or improperly tight-
ened wheel bolts can cause the wheel to
come off. This could cause an accident. Be
sure to use the correct wheel bolts.
494 Technical termsCOMAND
(C
ockpit M
anagement and D
ata Sys-
tem)
Information and operating center for
vehicle sound and communications
systems, including the radio and navi-
gation system, as well as other optional
equipment (CD changer, telephone,
etc.).
Control system
The control system is used to call up
vehicle information and to change
component settings. Information and
messages appear in the multifunction
display. The driver uses the buttons on
the multifunction steering wheel to
navigate through the system and to ad-
just settings.
Cruise control
Driving convenience system for auto-
matically maintaining the vehicle speed
set by the driver.
Curb weight
(
page 354)Distronic*
A driving convenience cruise control
system which helps the driver maintain
a pre-selected speed:
If there is no vehicle directly ahead,
the system operates in the same
way as conventional ->cruise con-
trol.
If a slower moving vehicle is ahead,
Distronic will reduce your vehicle
speed to the extent permitted by re-
duced throttle and up to 20% brak-
ing power to maintain the preset
minimum following distance.
DOT
(Department of Transportation)
(
page 354)
Electrohydraulic brake system
Electronically controlled hydraulic
braking system for increased braking
safety and comfort.Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.
Engine oil viscosity
Measurement for the inner friction (vis-
cosity) of the oil at different tempera-
tures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can tol-
erate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.
ESP
®(Electronic S
tability Pr
ogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem’s threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS
518 IndexVoice control system* 499
W
Warning lamps see Lamps, Indicator and
warning
Warning sounds
Distance warning function* 256
Distronic* 250
Parking brake 54
Parktronic system* 267
Seat belt telltale 73
Warranty coverage 467
Washer fluid see Windshield washer fluid
Washer reservoir level 492
Washing the vehicle 364
Wear pattern, Tires 357
Weights, Vehicle 483
Wheel
Change 441
Removing 444
Spare 444
Tightening torque 447
Wheels, Sizes 475
Wheels, Tires and 328
Window curtain air bags 72
Windows see Power windows 231
Windows, cleaning 369Windshield
Cleaning 57
Cleaning wiper blades 369
Defogging 209, 224
Windshield washer fluid 492
Message in display 419
Mixing ratio
Refilling 327
Wiping 57
Windshield washer system 492
Windshield wipers 56
Replacing wiper blade 440
Winter driving
Block heater* (Canada only) 359
Snow chains 359
Tires 358
Winter driving instructions 309
Winter tires 358
Wood trims, cleaning 372
X
Xenon headlamps* see Headlamps