2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 snow chains

Contents
At the gas station .............................. 315
Refueling ...................................... 315
Check regularly and before a
long trip........................................ 317
Engine compartment ......................... 319
Hood ............................................ 319
Engine oil ..................................... 320
Transmission fluid level ................ 324
Coolant level ................................ 325
Batteries ...................................... 326
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system* ......... 327
Tires and wheels ................................ 328
Important guidelines .................... 328
Tire care and maintenance........... 329
Direction of rotation ..................... 331
Loading the vehicle ...................... 331
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 337
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 339
MOExtended system* .................. 343
Tire labeling.................................. 344
Load identification ....................... 348
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 349
Maximum tire load ....................... 350Maximum tire inflation pressure ... 351
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) .............. 351
Tire ply material ............................ 353
Tire and loading terminology......... 353
Rotating tires ................................ 356
Winter driving ..................................... 358
Winter tires ................................... 358
Block heater* (Canada only) ......... 359
Snow chains.................................. 359
Maintenance....................................... 360
Maintenance service indicator
message ....................................... 360
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display ............... 362
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator ........................... 362
Vehicle care........................................ 364
Cleaning and care of vehicle ......... 364
Practical hints.................................. 373
What to do if … ................................... 374
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 374
Lamp in center console ................ 384
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display .................... 386
Where will I find ...? ............................ 422
First aid kit.................................... 422
Spare wheel .................................. 422
Luggage box ................................. 423
Vehicle tool kit.............................. 424
Vehicle jack .................................. 424
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 426
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 426
Locking the vehicle ....................... 427
Fuel filler flap emergency release . 428
Manually unlocking the gear
selector lever ................................ 428
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 429
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* or
panorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel* ......................... 429
Resetting activated head restraints.... 430

92 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsIn this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


ESP
® (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)


Electrohydraulic brake system


4MATIC (Four Wheel Electronic
Traction System)
ABS
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even to light brake pressure.
The - indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on when you switch on the
ignition. It goes out when the engine is run-
ning.
iIn winter operation, the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS, the BAS, the
ESP
®, electrohydraulic brake system
and 4MATIC is only achieved with win-
ter tires (
page 358), or snow chains
as required.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, ESP
®, electrohydraulic brake
system and 4MATIC cannot reduce this risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.

96 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsSwitching 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.

262 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary and
the engine is running:Vehicle level
when stationary
Indicator lamp
Suspension
tuning
Use for
Ride height increase
over normal
Automatic lowering
Normal
Lamp off
Comfort
For driving on normal
roads
None
Max. approx. 0.4 in (10 mm)
Normal
Lamp off
Sport 1 or 2
For driving on normal
roads
None
Max. approx. 0.6 in (15 mm)
Raised
Lamp on
Comfort
For driving on rough
roads or with snow
chains
Approx. 0.8 in (20 mm)
Max. approx. 1.2 in (30 mm)
Raised
Lamp on
Sport 1 or 2
For driving on rough
roads or with snow
chains
Approx. 0.8 in (20 mm)
Max. approx. 1.4 in (35 mm)

309 Operation
Driving instructions
E320CDI
E 350, E 350 4MATIC
E 500, E 500 4MATIC
E 350 (Appearance Package*)
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“H”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 130 mph (210 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
130 mph (210 km/h).
E350(SportPackage*)
E500(SportPackage*)
E55AMG
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“ZR”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of above 149 mph (240 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
130 mph (210 km/h).
E 55 AMG: An electronic speed limiter pre-
vents your vehicle from exceeding a speed
of 155 mph (250 km/h).E3504MATIC (Sport Package*)
1
E5004MATIC (Sport Package*)
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“Y”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 186 mph (300 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
130 mph (210 km/h).
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever to positionN. Try
to keep the vehicle under control by cor-
rective steering action.
1Not available in Canada.iFor information on speed ratings for
winter tires, see “Winter driving”
(page 358).
For additional general information on
tire speed markings on tire sidewall,
see “Tire speed rating” (
page 346).
iFor more information on driving with
snow chains, see “Snow chains”
(page 359).
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of control loss.

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

478 Technical dataRims and tiresMixed size tires
E350(Sport Package*)
E500(Sport Package*)
E55AMG
Front axle:
Rims (light alloy)
8 J x 18 EH2
Wheel offset
1.18 in (30 mm)
Summer tires
1
1Radial-ply tires
245/40 ZR18
Rear axle:
Rims (light alloy)
9 J x 18 EH2
Wheel offset
1.54 in (39 mm)
Summer tires
1
265/35 ZR18 XL (Extra Load)
2
2Must not be used with snow chains.

480 Technical dataRims and tiresSpare wheel Minispare wheel (except E 55 AMG) Collapsible tire (E 55 AMG only)
!Please compare the recommended tire
inflation pressure for your vehicle with
the tire inflation pressure on the yellow
label located on the spare wheel rim.
If the tire inflation pressure on the yel-
low label on the spare wheel rim differs
from the values given in this Operator’s
Manual, inflate the spare wheel tire to
the recommended tire inflation pres-
sure given on the yellow label on the
spare wheel rim.iPlease note that the tire inflation pres-
sure of the Minispare and the collaps-
ible tire differs from the tire inflation
pressure of the road tires.
Make sure the Minispare tire is inflated
to approximately 61 psi (4.2 bar).
Inflate the collapsible tire to approxi-
mately 51 psi (3.5 bar).
Rim
4 B x 17
Wheel offset
1.34 (34 mm)
Tire
T 155/70 R17 110 M
1
1Must not be used with snow chains.
Rim
6 B x 18
Wheel offset
0.98 (25 mm)
Tire
175/55-18 95P
1
1Must not be used with snow chains.