2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R350 engine oil

348 OperationEngine compartmentIf you see the message:Observe waiting period
If engine is at operating temperature,
wait 5 minutes before repeating check
procedure.

If engine is not at operating tempera-
ture, wait 30 minutes before repeating
check procedure.
If you see the message:
Engine oil level
Not when engine on
Turn off the engine.

If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture, wait 5 minutes before checking
oil.

If the engine is not at operating temper-
ature yet, you must wait 30 minutes
before checking oil.If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at operating temperature, the following
message will appear:
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
For more information on messages in the
display concerning engine oil, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 437).Checking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick (R 350 only)
When checking the oil level


the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been
stationary for at least 5 minutes with
the engine turned off


with the engine not at operating tem-
perature yet, the vehicle also must
have been stationary for at least
5 minutes with the engine turned off
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

349 Operation
Engine compartment
To check the engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, do the following:
Open the hood (
page 345).
1Oil dipstick
2Upper mark
3Lower mark

Pull out oil dipstick1.

Wipe oil dipstick 1 clean.

Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the
dipstick guide tube.

Pull out oil dipstick1 again after
approximately 3 seconds to obtain
accurate reading.The oil level is correct when it is between
lower mark 3 (min.) and upper mark 2
(max.) mark of the oil dipstick.

If necessary, add engine oil.
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” section (
page 521) and
(
page 523).
See the “Practical hints” section
(page 437) if the low engine oil level
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes.Adding engine oiliThe filling quantity between the upper
and lower marks on the oil dipstick is
approximately 2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
!Only use approved engine oils and oil
filters required for vehicles with Main-
tenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles). For a list-
ing of approved engine oils and oil fil-
ters, refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet in your ve-
hicle literature portfolio, or contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of spec-
ification other than those expressly re-
quired for the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada
vehicles), or changing of oil and oil filter
at change intervals longer than those
called for by the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada
vehicles) will result in engine damage
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

350 OperationEngine compartmentR3501Filler capR5001Filler cap

Unscrew filler cap1 from filler neck.

Add engine oil as required. Never over-
fill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.

Screw filler cap1 back on filler neck.
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” section (
page 521) and
(
page 523).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center check the automatic trans-
mission.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It will cause damage to the engine
and catalytic converter not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

393 Operation
Maintenance
Clearing the maintenance service indicator
The maintenance service indicator is auto-
matically cleared after 10 seconds when
you switch on the ignition or when reach-
ing the service threshold while driving. You
can also clear it yourself.
Press reset button on the instrument
cluster (
page 158).
Maintenance service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested main-
tenance service term, you will see the fol-
lowing message in the multifunction
display:Service A exceeded by XXXXX miles (km)
Service A exceeded by XXX days
Service A exceeded by X day In addition, a signal sounds when the mes-
sage appears.
Any authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center will reset the maintenance service
indicator following a completed mainte-
nance service.Calling up the maintenance service
indicator
Switch on the ignition (
page 38).
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 168).

Press button k or j on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel until the
maintenance service indicator with the
service symbol 9 and the service
deadline appears in the multifunction
display.iIf the battery is disconnected, the days
of disconnection will not be included in
the count shown by the maintenance
service indicator. To arrive at the true
maintenance service deadline, you will
need to subtract these days from the
days shown in the maintenance service
indicator.
Do not confuse the maintenance ser-
vice indicator with the engine oil level
indicatorN.

437 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
N
Check eng. oil level
when next refueling
The engine oil level is too low.

Check the engine oil level (
page 346).
USA only:Add 1 qt. engine oil
when next refuelingCanada only:Add 1 liter engine oil
when next refueling
The engine oil level is too low.

Add engine oil (
page 349) and check
the engine oil level (page 346).
Engine oil level
Stop, engine off
There is no oil in the engine.
There is a danger of engine
damage.

Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt as
soon as as it is safe to do so in a safe
location.

Turn off the engine.

Add engine oil (
page 349) and check
the engine oil level (page 346).
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
You have added too much
engine oil. There is a risk of dam-
aging the engine or the catalytic
converter.

Have oil siphoned or drained off.
Observe all legal requirements with
respect to its disposal.
Change engine oil
Visit workshop
It may be that there is water in
the engine oil.

Have the engine oil checked.

438 Practical hintsWhat to do if …When the message
Add 1 qt. engine oil
when next refueling
(Canada:
1 liter
)
appears while the engine is running and at
operating temperature, the engine oil level
has dropped to approximately the mini-
mum level.
When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.Visually check for oil leaks. If no obvious oil
leaks are noted, drive to the nearest
service station where the engine oil should
be topped to the required level with an ap-
proved oil specified in the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet.
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
N
Engine oil level
Visit workshop
The engine oil has dropped to a
critical level.

Check the engine oil level (
page 346)
and add oil as required (
page 349).

If you must add engine oil frequently, have
the engine checked for possible leaks.
Oil sensor malfunction
Visit workshop
The measuring system is
malfunctioning.

Have the measuring system checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
!The engine oil level warnings should
not be ignored. Extended driving with
the symbol displayed could result in
serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

521 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match.Therefore only use products tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz.Please refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet, or inquire at
your Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filter
R 350
R 500
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
Approved engine oils
Automatic transmis-
sion
9.5 US qt (9.0 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
Transfer case
0.53 US qt (0.5 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
Rear axle
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
Hypoid gear oil
Front axle
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
Hypoid gear oil
Power steering
approx. 1.3 US qt (1.2 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid
Front wheel hubs
approx. 1.5 oz (43 g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease
Brake system
-
MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)

523 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines and durability for
our service intervals. Therefore, only use
approved engine oils and oil filters re-
quired for vehicles with Maintenance Sys-
tem (U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada
vehicles). For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory Ap-
proved Service Products pamphlet, or con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may damage the engine.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil are used in the air condition-
ing system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil. Otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center will provide you with additional in-
formation.
!Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification other than those express-
ly required for the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada
vehicles), or changing of oil and oil filter
at change intervals longer than those
called for by the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada
vehicles) will result in engine damage
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Please follow Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada
vehicles) recommendations for sched-
uled oil changes. Failure to do so could
result in engine damage not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Under extremely strenuous operating condi-
tions, this moisture content can lead to the
formation of bubbles in the system, thus re-
ducing the system’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be replaced
regularly. Refer to your vehicle’s
Maintenance Booklet for replacement inter-
val.