2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 warning

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.

443 Practical hints
Flat tire

On whee l to b e c hang ed, l oose n but d o
not yet remove the wheel bolts (ap-
proximately one full turn with wrench). The jack take-up brackets are located di-
rectly behind the front wheel housings and
in front of the rear wheel housings.
1Jack take-up bracket
2Jack

Place jack2 on firm ground.

Position jack2 under take-up
bracket1 so that it is always vertical
(plumb-line) as seen from the side,
even if the vehicle is parked on an
incline.

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.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.


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.


445 Practical hints
Flat tire

Guide the spare wheel onto the align-
ment bolt and push it on.

Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.

Unscrew the alignment bolt, install last
wheel bolt and tighten slightly.
Vehicles with collapsible tire
(E 55 AMG only):

Continue the procedure by following
the instructions under “Inflating the
collapsible tire” (
page 445) and then
“Lowering the vehicle” (
page 447).
Vehicles with Minispare wheel
(except E 55 AMG):

Continue the procedure by following
the instructions under “Lowering the
vehicle” (
page 447).Inflating the collapsible tire
(E 55 AMG only)

Take the electric air pump out of the
trunk (
page 422).
Warning!
G
Only use Genuine equipment
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts. Other wheel
bolts may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the ve-
hicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle could
fall off the jack.
Warning!
G
Inflate collapsible tire only after the wheel is
properly mounted.
Inflate the collapsible tire using the electric
air pump before
lowering the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Observe instructions on air pump label.!Do not lower the vehicle before
inflating the collapsible tire. Otherwise
the rim may be damaged.


446 Practical hintsFlat tire1Flap
2On/off switch
3Electrical plug
4Air hose with pressure gauge and vent
screw
5Union nut
Open flap 1 on electric air pump.

Pull out electrical plug 3 and air hose
with pressure gauge 4.

Remove the valve cap from the
collapsible tire valve.

Screw union nut5 onto the collaps-
ible tire valve.

Insert electrical plug 3 into vehicle
cigarette lighter socket.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1.

PressI on electric air pump switch 2.
The electric air pump should now
switch on and inflate the collapsible
tire.

Inflate the tire to approximately 51 psi
(3.5 bar).
This takes about 5 minutes for the col-
lapsible tire. Air hose 4 and union
nut5 can become hot during infla-
tion. Exercise proper caution to avoid
burning yourself when using the equip-
ment.

Press0 on electric air pump switch 2.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0.

If the tire pressure is above 51 psi
(3.5 bar), release excess tire pressure
using the vent screw.

Detach the electric air pump.
!Do not operate the electric air pump
longer than 8 minutes without interrup-
tion. Otherwise it may overheat.
You may operate the electric air pump
again after it has cooled off.
Warning!
G
Follow recommend inflation pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflating tires
can result in sudden deflation (blowout) be-
cause they are more likely to become punc-
tured or damaged by road debris, potholes,
etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.


447 Practical hints
Flat tire

Store the electrical plug 3 and the air
hose 4 behind the flap 1 and place
the electric air pump back in the desig-
nated storage space underneath the
trunk floor (
page 422).
Lowering the vehicle

Lower vehicle by turning crank coun-
terclockwise until vehicle is resting ful-
ly on its own weight.

Remove the jack.
1-5 Wheel bolts

Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly, fol-
lowing the diagonal sequence illustrat-
ed (1 to 5), until all bolts are tight.
Observe a tightening torque of 96 lb-ft
(130 Nm).
Before storing the jack, it should be fully
collapsed, with handle folded in (storage
position).

Store the jack and the other vehicle
tools in the designated storage space
underneath the trunk floor
(page 422).
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque of
96 lb-ft (130 Nm).
iWrap the damaged wheel in the protec-
tive film that comes with the spare
wheel and put the wheel in the trunk.
You can also place the damaged wheel
down into the spare wheel well. In this
case, you must stow the holder from
the spare wheel well in the trunk.
Do not activate the tire pressure moni-
toring system* until the depressurized
tire is no longer in the vehicle.

448 Practical hintsFlat tireMOExtended system*
The MOExtended system allows you to
continue driving your vehicle even if there
is a total loss of pressure in one or more
tires.
You may only use the MOExtended system
with the Tire Pressure Monitoring System*
(TPMS*) (
page 339).
!The maximum distance in emergency
mode depends on the vehicle’s load. It
is 30 miles (50 km) if the vehicle is par-
tially loaded and 18 miles (30 km) if the
vehicle is fully loaded.
The point at which the maximum driv-
ing distance begins in emergency
mode is when the warning message
appears in the multifunction display
indicating that there is a loss of tire
inflation pressure.
Do not exceed the maximum speed of
50 mph (80 km/h).
Warning!
G
In emergency mode, your vehicle’s driving
characteristics are diminished in such situa-
tions as:

driving around curves


while braking


while accelerating rapidly
Therefore, your driving style must be adapt-
ed accordingly. Avoid abrupt steering and
driving maneuvers, as well as driving over
obstacles (road curbs, potholes, or off-road
areas). This is especially important if the ve-
hicle is heavily loaded.
The emergency driving distance that can be
achieved greatly depends on the demands
placed on the vehicle. Depending on speed,
load, driving maneuvers, road conditions,
outside temperature, etc., the distance can
be significantly shorter or, if the vehicle is
driven cautiously, somewhat longer.
Do not continue driving in emergency mode
if

you notice knocking sounds


the vehicle starts to shake


smoke develops and you smell rubber


ESP
® is intervening continuously


you notice tears on the tire sidewalls
After driving in emergency mode, you must
have the rims inspected by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to check if they are
suitable for further use. The failed tire must
be replaced in any case.iWhen replacing individual or all tires on
the vehicle, make sure only matching
tires marked with “MOExtended” are
mounted in the size specified for your
vehicle.