2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R350 ESP

274 Controls in detailDriving systemsParktronic* (Parking assist)
The Parktronic system is an electronic aid
designed to assist the driver during
parking maneuvers. It visually and audibly
indicates the relative distance between the
vehicle and an obstacle.
The Parktronic system is automatically
activated when you switch on the ignition,
release the parking brake, and set the
automatic transmission to positionD,R,
orN.
The Parktronic system deactivates at
vehicle speeds exceeding approximately
11 mph (18 km/h). At lower vehicle
speeds, the Parktronic system turns on
again.The Parktronic system also deactivates
when you set the automatic transmission
to positionP or depress the parking brake
pedal.
The Parktronic system monitors the sur-
roundings of your vehicle with six sensors
in the front bumper and four sensors in the
rear bumper.
1Sensors in the front bumperWarning!
G
Parktronic is a supplemental system. It is
not intended to, nor does it replace, the
need for extreme care. The responsibility
during parking and other critical maneuvers
always rests with the driver.
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or road
curbs). Such objects may not be detected by
the system and can damage the vehicle.
The operational function of the Parktronic
system can be affected by dirty sensors,
especially at times of snow and ice. See
“Cleaning the Parktronic system sensors”
(page 399).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic
signals (e.g. working jackhammers, car
wash, or the air brakes of trucks) can cause
the system to send erratic indications, and
should be taken into consideration.
Warning!
G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. Other-
wise you run the risk of causing injury.

283 Controls in detail
Loading
Expanding cargo compartment
You can separately fold each seat of the
rear passenger compartment to expand
the cargo compartment.Expanding cargo compartment in part
Folding third-row seats

Push in the head restraints of the
third-row seats all the way
(page 139).
1Seat belt holder
2Release handle
3Seat backrest

Remove cargo compartment cover
blind* (
page 288), if so equipped.

Place seat belt in seat belt holder 1.
Warning!
G
When expanding the cargo compartment,
always fully fold the corresponding seats
and always use the partition net
(page 290) when transporting cargo.
Unless you are transporting cargo, the back-
rests must remain properly locked in the up-
right position.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and can cause
injury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
Always use the cargo tie down rings
(page 281).
Warning!
G
Never drive vehicle with the tailgate open.
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in uncon-
sciousness and death.!When the second-row seats are folded
forward, the front seats may not be
moved to the rearmost position. Other-
wise you could damage the front and
second-row seats.


299 Controls in detail
Useful features
Parcel net in cargo compartment
1Parcel net
2Clips
3Mounting openings
4Mounting lug
5Rail
Take parcel net 1 out of lower
clips2.

Push rails 5 up slightly in direction of
arrows.

Pull mounting lugs 4 out of mounting
openings 3.

Install parcel net 1 in reverse order.
Cup holders
Cup holders in front center console
A cupholder and a card/ticket holder with
bottle opener are located in the front cen-
ter console.
1Cup holdersWarning!
G
In order to help prevent spilling liquids on
vehicle occupants and/or vehicle equip-
ment, only use containers that fit into the
cup holder. Use lids on open containers and
do not fill containers to a height where the
contents, especially hot liquids, could spill
during braking, vehicle maneuvers, or an
accident. Liquids spilled on vehicle occu-
pants may cause serious personal injury.
Liquids spilled on vehicle equipment may
cause damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
When not in use, keep cup holders closed.
An open cup holder may cause injury to you
or others when contacted during braking,
vehicle maneuvers, or in an accident.
Keep in mind that objects placed in a cup
holder may come loose during braking,
vehicle maneuvers, or an accident and be
thrown around in the vehicle interior.
Objects thrown around in the vehicle interi-
or may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

306 Controls in detailUseful featuresPower outletsPower outlets are located


in the additional storage compartment
in front center console (
page 306)


in the front passenger footwell
(page 307)


in the second-row footwell
(page 307)


on the right-hand side of the cargo
compartment (
page 307)Power outlet in front center console
1Cover plate
2Power outlet cover

Open cover plate1 (
page 296).

Switch on the ignition (
page 38).

Pull out cover 2 and insert electrical
plug (cigarette lighter type).
!The cigarette lighter is not designed for
use with the electric air pump
(page 483). Use a power outlet
(page 306) for electric air pump
operation.
iIf the engine is off, and the cigarette
lighter is being used extensively, the
vehicle battery may become dis-
charged.!If you use all power outlets in the vehi-
cle, make sure that the maximum cur-
rent drawn does not exceed 55 A.
iThe power outlets can be used to
accommodate electrical consumers
(e.g. air pump, auxiliary lamps) up to a
maximum of 240 W.
If the engine is off, and the outlets are
being used extensively, the vehicle
battery may become discharged.
iIf your vehicle is equipped with a
smoking package*, the storage
compartment contains an ashtray with
cigarette lighter (
page 303) instead.

311 Controls in detail
Useful features
You can take and place telephone calls us-
ing thes andt buttons on the
steering wheel. To carry out other tele-
phone functions, use the control system
(page 194).
See separate instruction manual for infor-
mation on how to operate the telephone.
Tele Aid*
Shortly after the completion of your Tele
Aid acquaintance call, you will receive a
user ID and password. By visiting
www.mbusa.com and selecting “Tele Aid”
(USA only), you will have access to account
information, remote door unlock and
more.The Tele Aid system
(Tele
matic A
larm I
dentification on
D
emand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:

automatic and manual emergency


roadside assistance


information
The Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and cel-
lular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the Modular COMAND System or on the
multifunction steering wheel. To raise, turn
the rotary volume control on Modular
COMAND System clockwise or press
buttonæ on the multifunction steering
wheel. To lower, turn the rotary volume
control on Modular COMAND System con-
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid
system may only be performed by
completing the subscriber agreement
and placing an acquaintance call using
the ¡button. Failure to complete
either of these steps will result in a
system that is not activated.
If you have any questions regarding
activation, please call the Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).

312 Controls in detailUseful featurestrol counterclockwise or press
buttonç on the multifunction steering
wheel.
To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• or
the Information button¡, depend-
ing on the type of response required.System self-check
Initially, after switching on the ignition,
malfunctions are detected and indicated
(the indicator lamps in the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• and the
Information button¡ stay on longer
than 10 seconds or do not come on). The
message
Malfunction. Drive to work-
shop
appears in the multifunction display.
iThe SOS button is located in the over-
head control panel.
The Roadside Assistance button•
and the Information button¡ are
located below the center armrest
cover.!The Tele Aid system utilizes the cellular
network for communication and the
GPS (G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem) satel-
lites for vehicle location. If either of
these signals are unavailable, the
Tele Aid system may not function and if
this occurs, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.
iWhen a Tele Aid call has been initiated,
the Modular COMAND System audio is
muted and the selected mode (radio,
CD etc.) pauses. The optional cellular
phone (if installed) inserted in cradle
switches off. If you must use this
phone, we recommend that you use it
only with the vehicle at a standstill in a
safe location. Remove the phone from
the cradle and place the call. The navi-
gation* system (if engaged) will contin-
ue to run. The display in the instrument
cluster is available for use, and spoken
commands are only available by press-
ing the RPT button on the Modular
COMAND System. A pop-up window
will appear in the Modular COMAND
System display to indicate that a Tele
Aid call is in progress. After the Tele Aid
call has ended, the optional cellular
phone inserted in the cradle switches
on again. A PIN entry might be neces-
sary.

313 Controls in detail
Useful features
Emergency calls
An emergency call is initiated automatical-
ly following an accident in which the emer-
gency tensioning devices (ETDs) or
air bags deploy.
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
interior rear view mirror labeled SOS, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See (
page 314) for
instructions on initiating an emergency call
manually.Once the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp on the SOS button will
begin to flash. The message
Connecting Call
appears in the multifunc-
tion display. When the connection is estab-
lished, the message
Call connected

appears in the multifunction display. All in-
formation relevant to the emergency, such
as the location of the vehicle (determined
by the GPS satellite location system), vehi-
cle model, identification number and color
are generated.
A voice connection between the Response
Center and the occupants of the vehicle
will be established automatically soon af-
ter the emergency call has been initiated.
The Response Center will attempt to
determine more precisely the nature of the
accident provided they can speak to an
occupant of the vehicle.
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamps on the SOS button, on
the Roadside Assistance button, and/or on
the Information button remain illuminated
continuously in red and/or the message Malfunction. Drive to workshop
is
displayed in the multifunction display after
the system self-check, a malfunction in the
system has been detected.
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined
above, the system may not operate as
expected. Have the system checked at the
nearest Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center
as soon as possible.

314 Controls in detailUseful featuresThe Tele Aid system is available if

it has been activated and is operation-
al. Activation requires a subscription
for monitoring services, connection
and cellular air time


vehicle battery power is available


the relevant cellular phone network
and GPS signals are available and pass
the information on to the response cen-
terInitiating an emergency call manually
1Cover
2SOS button

Briefly press on cover1.
The cover opens.

Press SOS button2 briefly.
The indicator lamp in SOS button2
will flash until the emergency call is
concluded.

Wait for a voice connection to the
Response Center.

Close cover1 after the emergency
call is concluded.
iLocation of the vehicle on a map is only
possible if the vehicle is able to receive
signals from the GPS satellite network
and pass the information on to the
Response Center.
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamp in the SOS button is
flashing continuously and there was no
voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could
not initiate an emergency call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network is not available).
The message
Call failed
appears in the
multifunction display for approximately
10 seconds.
Should this occur, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.