2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 transmission

Contents
Control system .................................. 153
Multifunction display .................... 153
Multifunction steering wheel ........ 154
Menus .......................................... 156
Standard display menu ................ 159
AUDIO menu ................................ 159
NAV* menu .................................. 161
Distronic* menu........................... 161
Vehicle status message memory
menu ............................................ 162
Settings menu .............................. 163
Trip computer menu..................... 178
TEL menu* ................................... 180
Automatic transmission ..................... 183
Gear selector lever position ......... 185
Driving tips ................................... 186
Gear ranges ................................. 188
Automatic shift program .............. 189
Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting .................................. 190
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting E 55 AMG 191
Manual shift program E 55 AMG .. 193
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ...................... 196Good visibility ..................................... 197
Headlamp cleaning system* ......... 197
Rear view mirrors.......................... 197
Sun visors ..................................... 199
Rear window sunshade* ............... 200
Roller sunblind* in the rear doors . 201
Rear window defroster .................. 201
Dual-zone automatic climate control
(USA only) .......................................... 202
Deactivating the climate control
system .......................................... 206
Operating the climate control
system in automatic mode............ 206
Setting the temperature................ 207
Adjusting air distribution............... 208
Adjusting air volume ..................... 209
Front defroster.............................. 209
Air recirculation mode .................. 210
Air conditioning............................. 212
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents....................... 2134-zone automatic climate control* ..... 214
Deactivating the climate control
system .......................................... 219
Operating the climate control
system in automatic mode ........... 220
Setting the temperature ............... 221
Adjusting air distribution .............. 222
Adjusting air volume ..................... 223
Front defroster ............................. 223
Maximum cooling MAX COOL ....... 224
Air recirculation mode .................. 224
Air conditioning ............................ 227
Residual heat and ventilation
(Canada only)................................ 228
Rear climate control ..................... 229
Power windows .................................. 231
Opening and closing the windows 231
Synchronizing power windows ...... 233
Summer opening feature .............. 234
Convenience closing feature......... 235
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* ................ 236
Opening and closing the power
tilt/sliding sunroof........................ 236
Synchronizing the power
tilt/sliding sunroof........................ 238

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

28 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
Ashtray
281
2
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button
37
3
Gear selector lever for
automatic transmission
50,
185
4
Parking assist (Parktronic
system)* deactivation
switch
263
5
Adaptive Damping System
(ADS)* switch
259
Item
Page
6
Vehicle level control
switch*
260
7
Thumbwheel for setting
distance for Distronic*
255
8
Distance warning function*
on/off switch
256
9
Program mode selector
switch for automatic
transmission
189

50 Getting startedDrivingStarting the engine Automatic transmission
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with gear selector lever
lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
For more information, see the “Controls in
detail” section (
page 188). Starting with the SmartKey
For information on turning off the engine
with the SmartKey, see “Turning off en-
gine” (
page 62).
Gasoline engine:

Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to P.

Do not depress the accelerator.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 and hold until the engine
starts (
page 36).
Warning!
G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon-
sciousness and possible death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while driving,
have the cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive only with at least one win-
dow fully open.
iYou can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the SmartKey to
position3 and release it again immedi-
ately. The engine then starts automati-
cally.

105 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Good visibility
Dual-zone automatic climate control (USA only)
4-zone automatic climate control*
Power windows
Power tilt/sliding sunroof*
Panorama roof with power tilt/sliding panel*
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features

153 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1 or as soon as the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* is in
position1. The control system enables you
to:

call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings.
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Outside temperature
2Trip odometer
3Automatic transmission program mode
4Main odometer
5Current gear selector lever position
Above illustration shows the standard
display.
For more information on menus displayed
in the multifunction display, see “Menus”
(page 156).
iThe displays for the audio systems (ra-
dio, CD player) will appear in English,
regardless of the language selected.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.

183 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
For more information on driving with an
automatic transmission, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 50).
Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear
shifting process to your individual driving
style by continually adjusting the shift
points up or down. These shift point adjust-
ments are performed based on current
operating and driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the
automatic transmission reacts by
adjusting its shift program.
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on:

the gear selector lever
positionD(
page 185) with
gear ranges (page 188)


the selected program mode:
(C/S)(
page 189)
or
(M/C/S) (E 55 AMG only)
(
page 193)


the position of the accelerator pedal
(page 186)


the vehicle speed
iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter (gasoline engine) or
the oxidation catalyst (Diesel engine)
to heat up more quickly to operating
temperature.

184 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission1Current gear range/gear selector lever
position
2Current program mode
The current gear range/gear selector lever
position and program mode (
C/S) or
(
M/C/S) (E 55 AMG only) appear in the mul-
tifunction display.An additional indication of the current gear
selector lever position can be found on the
cover of the shifting-gate.
The indicators come on when you activate
a switch (e.g. unlocking the vehicle or
opening a door) and go out after approxi-
mately 15 minutes.
When the gear selector lever is in
positionD, you can influence transmission
shifting by:


limiting the gear range


changing gears manually
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out ofP orN if the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gear R or parking
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.