2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 airmatic dc

ContentsPanorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel* .............................. 239
Opening and closing the roller
sunblinds for the panorama roof
with power tilt/sliding panel ........ 239
Opening and closing the
panorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel........................... 240
Synchronizing the panorama
roof with power tilt/sliding panel . 242
Driving systems ................................. 243
Cruise control............................... 243
Distronic*..................................... 247
Airmatic DC (Dual Control)* ......... 259
Parktronic system
(Parking assist)* ........................... 263
Loading .............................................. 268
Roof rack* .................................... 268
Ski sack* ...................................... 268
Split rear bench seat* .................. 271
Expanding the cargo area* ........... 273
Loading instructions ..................... 274
Cargo tie-down rings* .................. 275Useful features .................................. 276
Storage compartments ................ 276
Cup holders.................................. 278
Ashtrays ....................................... 281
Cigarette lighter ........................... 282
Power outlet................................. 283
Heated steering wheel* ............... 283
Floormats ..................................... 284
Telephone* .................................. 285
Tele Aid ........................................ 286
Garage door opener ..................... 293
Operation......................................... 301
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km) ........ 302
Driving instructions ........................... 303
Drive sensibly – save fuel............. 303
Drinking and driving ..................... 303
Pedals .......................................... 303
Power assistance ......................... 304
Brakes.......................................... 304
Driving off .................................... 306
Parking......................................... 306
Tires ............................................. 307
Hydroplaning................................ 307
Tire traction ................................. 308
Tire speed rating .......................... 308
Winter driving instructions ........... 309
Standing water............................. 310
Passenger compartment .............. 311
Driving abroad ............................. 311
Control and operation of radio
transmitter ................................... 311
Catalytic converter
(Gasoline engine) ......................... 312
Oxidation catalyst (Diesel engine) 312
Emission control .......................... 313
Coolant temperature.................... 314

60 Getting startedParking and lockingYou have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle.Warning!
G
Vehicles with Airmatic*: If you have selected
the Comfort suspension tuning
(page 259), the vehicle lowers slightly
when it is locked. You should therefore
make sure that no one is standing near the
wheel arches or lying underneath the vehi-
cle when it is being locked. Otherwise, per-
sonal injury could result.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press
start- / stop button (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*).


Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* and lock vehicle when
leaving.!Vehicles with Airmatic*: If you have se-
lected the Comfort suspension tuning
(page 259), the vehicle lowers slight-
ly when you lock it within approximate-
ly 60 seconds after switching off the
engine. When parking, make sure that
your vehicle cannot come into contact
with other objects, such as a curb,
while lowering. Your vehicle could oth-
erwise be damaged.

243 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control and Distronic*, with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed


Airmatic DC* adjusts the vehicle sus-
pension characteristics automatically
and controls the vehicle level


Parktronic system*, which assists the
driver during parking maneuvers
For information on BAS, ABS, electrohy-
draulic brake system and ESP
® driving sys-
tems, see “Driving safety systems”
(
page 92).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever on the left-hand side of the steering
column (
page 22).
Warning!
G
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must remain at
all times responsible for the vehicle speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate the cruise control when driv-
ing in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

259 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Narrow vehicles
Because of their narrow profile, the vehi-
cles traveling near the outer edges of the
lane have not yet been detected by Dis-
tronic. There will be insufficient distance to
the vehicles ahead.
Airmatic DC (Dual Control)*
Airmatic automatically selects the opti-
mum suspension tuning and ride height for
your vehicle. The Airmatic consists of two
components:

Adaptive Damping System (ADS)


Vehicle level control
The ADS automatically selects the opti-
mum damping for the respective driving
conditions. At the same time the suspen-
sion is set to either Sport 1, Sport 2 or
Comfort.Suspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:


Your driving style


Road surface conditions


Your choice of suspension style,
Sport 1, Sport 2 or Comfort, which you
select using the damping button1
(page 260).
The following suspension styles are
available:


Comfort
Both indicator lamps2
(page 260) are off.


Sport 1
One indicator lamp2
(page 260) is on.


Sport 2
Both indicator lamps2
(page 260) are on.

359 Operation
Winter driving
Block 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.
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 260).
Other settings may result in damage to
your vehicle.
iWhen driving with snow chains, you
may wish to deactivate the ESP
®
(
page 96) before setting the vehicle
in motion. This will improve the vehi-
cle’s traction.
!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 95 P

420 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
@
Vehicle rising
Your vehicle is adjusting to your level se-
lection.
Vehicle rising
Please wait briefly
The vehicle level is too low.

Do not drive off.
The Airmatic* has not yet adjusted the ve-
hicle level to the necessary height re-
quired for driving.

Wait until the message disappears from
the multifunction display.
You may then drive off.
Stop, car too low
The Airmatic* is malfunctioning.
Avoid excessive steering input. The fender or
tires could otherwise be damaged. Listen for
scraping noises. Do not drive faster than
50 mph (80 km/h).
Drive to the side of the road and select a
higher vehicle level. Depending on the
type of malfunction, this may raise the ve-
hicle’s level.
There is otherwise danger of an accident.

482 Technical dataMain dimensions and weightsMain dimensionsModel
E320CDI/E350
E500
E55AMG
Overall vehicle length
190.3 in (4833 mm)
190.3 in (4833 mm)
190.9 in (4849 mm)
Overall vehicle width (exterior view
mirrors folded out)
78.3 in (1990 mm)
78.3 in (1990 mm)
78.3 in (1990 mm)
Overall vehicle height
57.1 in (1449 mm)
-
-
Overall vehicle height (Airmatic DC*)
(optional on E 320 CDI/E 350;
standard on E 500/E 55 AMG)
56.2 in (1429 mm)
56.3 in (1431 mm)
55.6 in (1412 mm)
Wheelbase
112.4 in (2854 mm)
112.4 in (2854 mm)
112.4 in (2854 mm)
Track, front
61.4 in (1559 mm)
61.7 in (1567 mm)
62.3 in (1583 mm)
Track, rear
61.1 in (1552 mm)
61.4 in (1560 mm)
61.3 in (1558 mm)

483 Technical data
Main dimensions and weights
WeightsModel
E 350 4MATIC
E5004MATIC
Overall vehicle length
190.3 in (4833 mm)
190.3 in (4833 mm)
Overall vehicle width (exterior view
mirrors folded out)
78.3 in (1990 mm)
78.3 in (1990 mm)
Overall vehicle height
57.6 in (1463 mm)
-
Overall vehicle height (Airmatic DC*)
(optional on E 350; standard on E 500)
56.7 in (1439 mm)
57.7 in (1441 mm)
Wheelbase
112.4 in (2854 mm)
112.4 in (2854 mm)
Track, front
61.3 in (1557 mm)
61.6 in (1565 mm)
Track, rear
61.1 in (1552 mm)
61.4 in (1560 mm)
Max. roof load
220 lbs (100 kg)
Max. trunk load
220 lbs (100 kg)