2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 tow

456 Practical hintsJump starting
Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect negative terminals4 and2
of the batteries with the jumper cable.
Clamp cable to charged battery4
first.

Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.Now you can again turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals2 and4 and then
from positive terminals1 and3.
Now you can turn on the lights.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
iThe message
Malfunction - electric
consumers switched off
may appear
in the instrument cluster. It will disap-
pear as soon as the battery is suffi-
ciently charged.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.


457 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel
lift/dolly equipment. This method is pref-
erable to other types of towing.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the
ground or front wheels raised (except vehi-
cles with 4MATIC) only so far as necessary
to have the vehicle moved to a safe loca-
tion where the recommended towing
methods can be employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment with SmartKey in starter switch
turned to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts.
Switch off the tow-away alarm and the
automatic central locking.
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC:
Do not tow with one axle raised. Doing
so could damage the transfer case,
which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
All wheels must be on or off the ground.
Observe instructions for towing the ve-
hicle with all wheels on the ground.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised (not permissible for vehicles
with 4MATIC), the engine must be shut
off (SmartKey in starter switch
position0 or 1). Otherwise the ESP
®
will immediately be engaged and will
apply the rear wheel brakes.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the gear selector lever
must be in positionN and the
SmartKey must be in starter switch
position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground or the front axle raised,
the vehicle may be towed only for dis-
tances up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a
speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).

458 Practical hintsTowing the vehicle
!
To be certain to avoid a possibility of
damage to the drivetrain, however, we
recommend the drive shaft be discon-
nected at the rear axle drive flange (ve-
hicles with 4MATIC: disconnected at
the front and rear axle drive flanges) for
any towing beyond a short tow to a
nearby garage.
Warning!
G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:

the engine will not run


there is a malfunction in the electrohy-
draulic brake system


there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
as that will be necessary to adequately con-
trol the towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain the SmartKey is in
starter switch position2.
If the SmartKey is left in the starter switch
position0 for an extended period of time, it
can no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock, re-
move SmartKey from starter switch and re-
insert.
Warning!
G
The brake system requires electrical power
to operate.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. To brake, the driver
must then apply significantly greater brake
pedal pressure and depress the pedal much
further to obtain the expected braking ef-
fect. If necessary, apply full pressure to the
brake pedal. Brakes may only be applied to
the front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased! Adapt your driving style according-
ly. For more information, refer to
“Electrohydraulic brake system”
(page 97).
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the steering system. In
this case, it is important to keep in mind that
a considerably higher degree of effort is nec-
essary to steer the vehicle. Adapt your driv-
ing accordingly.

459 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
iTo signal turns while being towed with
the hazard warning flasher in use, turn
SmartKey in starter switch to
position2 and activate the combina-
tion switch for the left or right turn sig-
nal in the usual manner – only the
selected turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the haz-
ard warning flasher will operate again.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, please note the follow-
ing:
With the automatic central locking acti-
vated and the SmartKey in starter
switch position2, or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button in position2, the ve-
hicle doors lock if the left front wheel
as well as the right rear wheel are turn-
ing at vehicle speeds of approximately
9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 103).
To prevent the vehicle door locks from
locking, deactivate the automatic cen-
tral locking (
page 129).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the properly installed tow-
ing eye bolt. Never attach tow cable,
tow rope or tow rod to the vehicle chas-
sis, frame or suspension parts.
iThe gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP and the SmartKey
will not turn in the starter switch if the
battery is disconnected or discharged.
For more information see “Battery”
(page 450) or “Jump starting”
(page 454).
For information on manual unlocking of
the gear selector lever,
see (page 428).

460 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleInstalling towing eye bolt
Front of vehicle
1Cover on right side of front bumperTo remove cover:

Press mark on cover1 in direction of
arrow.

Lift cover1 off to reveal the threaded
hole for towing eye bolt.
The towing eye bolt is supplied with the
tool kit (located in the storage compart-
ment under the trunk floor).

Screw towing eye bolt in to its stop and
tighten with lug wrench.
To reinstall cover:

Fit cover1 and snap into place.Rear of vehicle
2Cover on right side of rear bumper
To remove cover:

Pull cover2 in direction of arrow.

Fold cover2 down to reveal the
threaded hole for the towing eye bolt.
The towing eye bolt is supplied with the
tool kit (located in the storage compart-
ment under the trunk floor).

Screw towing eye bolt in to its stop and
tighten with lug wrench.
To reinstall cover:

Fit cover2 and snap into place.

501 Index
A
ABS 92, 493
Indicator lamp 374
Messages in display
Accelerator position
Automatic transmission 186
Accessory weight 353
Accident 59
Active head restraints 77
Air bags 67
Children 68
Front, Driver 71
Front, Passenger 71
Safety guidelines 70
Side impact 72
Window curtain 72
Air conditioning refrigerant 487
Air conditioning system see Climate con-
trol system
Air conditioning, Cooling 212, 227
Air distribution 208, 222Air pressure 353
Air pressure see Tire inflation
pressure 339
Air pump, electric
Turning on 446
Air recirculation mode 210, 224
Air vents 208, 222
Air volume 209, 223
Airmatic DC (Dual Control)* 259, 493
Messages in display 420
Suspension tuning 259
Vehicle level control 260
Alarm system see Anti-theft systems
Alignment bolt (vehicle tool kit) 424,
444, 493
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 490
Antilock Brake System see ABS
Anti-theft systems 101
Anti-theft alarm system 101
Immobilizer 101
Tow-away alarm 103
Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning 307Ashtray 281
Aspect ratio 353
AUDIO menu 159
Selecting radio station 159
Selecting satellite radio* station 160
Audio system
CD mode 160
Auto-dimming
Rear view mirrors 197
Automatic central locking, Control
system 174
Automatic headlamp mode 142
Automatic lighting control, Interior
lighting 147
Automatic locking when driving 174
Automatic shift program, Automatic
transmission 189
Automatic transmission 183
Accelerator position 186
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode) 196
Gear ranges 188
Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting 190
Gear selector lever position 183, 185

505 Index
Drive-Dynamic seat* with multicontour
features 134
Massage function 135
Driving
Abroad 311
Hydroplaning 307
In winter 309
Instructions 47, 303
Problems 58
Safety systems 92
Through standing water 310
With Distronic* 257
Driving safety systems
4MATIC 100
ABS 92
BAS 94
Electrohydraulic brake system 97
ESP
®
94, 494
E
Easy-entry/exit feature 43, 175
Electrical fuses see Fuses
Electrical system, Technical data 481Electrohydraulic brake system 494
Activating/deactivating 98
Driving hints 99
Messages in display 400, 401
Self-check 99
Warning lamp 97
Electronic Stability Program see
ESP
®
94, 494
Emergency calls
Tele Aid calls 287
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode) 196
Emergency operations 427
Fuel filler flap 428
Gear selector lever, Unlocking 428
Locking/unlocking the vehicle 426
Remote door unlock 292
Tilt/sliding sunroof* or tilt/sliding pan-
el*, Manual operation 429
Trunk lid, Releasing from inside 127
Trunk lid, Unlocking 427
Emergency tensioning device see ETDEmergency, In case of
Battery, Jump starting 454
First aid kit 422
Flat tire, changing 441
Fuses
Hazard warning flasher 146
Instrument cluster, Indicator
lamps 374, 375, 376, 377, 378,
379, 380, 381, 383
Roadside Assistance 12
Towing the vehicle 457
Emission control 313
Emission control information label 468
Emission control system warranties 10
Emission control vacuum line routing dia-
gram label 468

516 IndexTemperature
Display mode
Interior temperature 207, 221
Setting display unit
Tether attachment points, see Cihildren in
the vehicle
Tie-down rings, Trunk 275
Tightening torque 447, 498
Time 169, 170
Setting minutes 169
TIN 355
Tire and Loading Information
Placard 332
Tire and Loading Terminology 353
Tire inflation pressure
Checking
Tire Pressure Monitoring System*
(TPMS*), (USA only)
Checking tire pressure
electronically 339
Tires 328, 473
Air pressure
Care and maintenance 329
Chains 359
Cleaning 330
Direction of rotation, Spinning 331Driving instructions 307
Important notes, Tire inflation
pressure 338
Inflation pressure 339, 343
Information Placard 332
Inspection 329
Load rating 355
Messages in display 416
MOExtended system* 343, 448
Ply composition and material
used 355
Problems under-/overinflation 343
Retreads 328
Rims and tires 473
Rotation 356
Service life 329
Sizes 475
Snow 358
Spare wheel
Speed rating 308, 346, 356
Storing 330
Temperature 338, 352
Terminology 353
Tire Identification Number see TIN
TPMS malfunction telltale 381
Traction 308, 356Tread 356
Tread depth 330, 358
Treadwear indicators 356
Wear pattern 356, 357
Winter 358
Tools 424
Top tether see Children in the vehicle
Tow-away alarm 103
Towing eye bolt 460
Towing the vehicle 457
Traction 189, 356
Transmission fluid level 324
Transmission gear slector lever see Gear
selector lever
Traveling abroad 311
Tread 356
Tread depth 330, 358
Treadwear indicators 356
Trip computer 178
Trip odometer 151