2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R500 key

305 Controls in detail
Useful features
Cigarette lighter*
Switch on the ignition (
page 38).1Cover plate
2Cigarette lighter

Open cover plate1 (
page 302).

Push in cigarette lighter2
(page 303).
The cigarette lighter will pop out auto-
matically when hot.
Warning!
G
Never touch the heating element or sides of
the cigarette lighter; they are extremely hot.
Hold the knob only.
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
!The lighter socket can accommodate
12V DC electrical accessories (up to a
maximum of 85 W) designed for use
with the standard “cigarette lighter”
plug type. Keep in mind, however, that
connecting accessories to the lighter
socket (for example extensive connect-
ing and disconnecting, or using plugs
that do not fit properly) can damage the
lighter socket. With the socket dam-
aged, the lighter may no longer be able
to be placed in the heating (pushed-in)
position, or the lighter may pop out too
early with the lighter not hot enough.
To help avoid damaging the cigarette
lighter socket, we recommend con-
necting 12V DC electrical accessories
designed for use with the standard
“cigarette lighter” plug type to the
12V power outlets (
page 306) in
your vehicle whenever possible.

319 Controls in detail
Useful features
Remote door unlock
In case you have locked your vehicle unin-
tentionally (e.g. SmartKey inside vehicle),
and the reserve SmartKey is not handy:
Contact the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
You will be asked to provide your pass-
word which you provided when you
completed the subscriber agreement.

Then return to your vehicle at the time
arranged with the Response Center
and pull the tailgate recessed handle
for minimum of 20 seconds until the
SOS button is flashing.
The message
Connecting call
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.
As an alternative, you may unlock the vehi-
cle via Internet using the ID and password
sent to you shortly after the completion of
your acquaintance call.The Response Center will then unlock your
vehicle with the remote door unlocking
feature.Stolen Vehicle Recovery services
In the event your vehicle was stolen:

Report the incident to the police.
The police will issue a numbered
incident report.

Pass this number on to the
Mercedes-Benz Response Center along
with your password issued to you when
you subscribed to the service.
The Response Center will then attempt
to covertly contact the vehicle’s
Tele Aid system. Once the vehicle is
located, the Response Center will
contact the local law enforcement and
you. The vehicle’s location will only be
provided to law enforcement.
iThe remote door unlock feature is
available if the relevant cellular phone
network is available.
The SOS button will flash and the
message
Connecting call
will appear
in the multifunction display to indicate
receipt of the door unlock command.
Once the vehicle is unlocked, a
Response Center specialist may
attempt to establish voice contact with
the vehicle occupants.
If the tailgate recessed handle was
pulled for more than 20 seconds
before door unlock authorization was
received by the Response Center, you
must wait 15 minutes before pulling
the tailgate recessed handle again.

334 OperationDriving instructionsParking
Tires
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and
become visible at a tread depth of
approximately
1/16
in (1.6 mm), at which
point the tire is considered worn and
should be replaced.
!Set the parking brake whenever park-
ing or leaving the vehicle. In addition,
set the automatic transmission to
positionP.
When parking on hills, always turn front
wheels towards the curb.Warning!
G
To reduce the risk of personal injury, or
damage to the vehicle powertrain, as a
result of vehicle movement, before turning
off the engine and leaving the vehicle al-
ways:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Set the automatic transmission to
positionP.


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


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


Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you and lock vehicle
when leaving.
Warning!
G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
tion to an area which is a safe distance from
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle or tires
appear unsafe, have the vehicle towed to
the nearest Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center or tire dealer for repairs.

342 OperationAt the gas stationRefueling
The fuel filler flap is located on the
right-hand side of the vehicle towards the
rear. Locking/unlocking the vehicle with
the remote control automatically
locks/unlocks the fuel filler flap.

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.

Push on fuel filler flap at the position in-
dicated the arrow and open fuel filler
flap.

Turn the fuel cap to the left and hold on
to it until possible pressure is released.

Take off the fuel cap.

Only fill your tank until the filler nozzle
unit cuts out – do not top up or overfill.
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious inju-
ry. Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid
inhaling fumes and skin contact, extinguish
all smoking materials. Never allow sparks,
flame or smoking materials near gasoline!
!The fuel filler cap is tethered to the fuel
filler neck. Do not drop the cap. It could
damage the vehicle paint finish.!To prevent damaging the lens of the
plastic tail lamp, make certain that no
gasoline comes into contact with it.Warning!
G
Overfilling of the fuel tank may create pres-
sure in the system which could cause a gas
discharge. This could cause the gas to spray
back out when removing the fuel pump noz-
zle, which could cause personal injury.

347 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the
control system (R 500 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 must have
been stationary for at least 30 minutes
with the engine turned off
To check the engine oil level via the
multifunction display, do the following:

Switch on the ignition (
page 38).
The standard display (
page 168) should
appear in the multifunction display.

Press buttonk orj on the
steering wheel until the following
message appears in the multifunction
display:
One of the following messages will
subsequently appear in the indicator:

Engine oil level ok


Add 1.0 qt. to reach max. oil
level(Canada:
1.0 liter
)


Add 1.5 qts. to reach max. oil
level(Canada:
1.5 liters
)


Add 2.0 qts. to reach max. oil
level(Canada:
2.0 liters
)

If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil, see (
page 523).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 521) and
(
page 523).
Other display messages
If the SmartKey is not turned to position2
in the starter switch, the following
message will appear:
Switch ignition on
to check engine oil level
Switch on the ignition (
page 38).
iIf you want to interrupt the checking
procedure, press thek orj
button on the multifunction steering
wheel.

396 OperationVehicle careWe have selected car-care products and
compiled recommendations which are
specially matched to our vehicles and
which always reflect the latest technology.
You can obtain Mercedes-Benz approved
car-care products at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, corrosion or
damage due to negligent or incorrect care
cannot always be removed or repaired with
the car-care products recommended here.
In such cases it is best to seek aid at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
The following topics deal with the cleaning
and care of your vehicle and give important
“how-to” information as well as references
to Mercedes-Benz approved car-care
products.Power washer
Tar stains
Quickly remove tar stains before they dry
and become more difficult to remove. A tar
remover is recommended.
!Follow the instructions provided by the
power washer manufacturer on main-
taining a distance between the vehicle
and the nozzle of the power washer.
Never use a round nozzle to
power-wash tires. The intense jet of
water can result in damage to the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.
Always keep the jet of water moving
across the surface. Do not aim directly
at electrical parts, electrical connec-
tors, seals, or other rubber parts.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of
water, and a SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is in close proximity, i.e.
within approximately 3 ft (approxi-
mately 1 m), the vehicle could be
inadvertently locked or unlocked.

397 Operation
Vehicle care
Paintwork, painted body components
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Care
should be applied when water drops on the
paint surface do not “bead up”. This should
normally be done every 3 to 5 months, de-
pending on the climate and washing deter-
gent used.
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Cleaner
should be applied if the paint surface
shows signs of dirt embedding (i.e. loss of
gloss).
Do not apply any of these products or wax
if your vehicle is parked in the sun or if the
hood is still hot.
Use the appropriate MB-Touch-Up
Stick for quick and provisional repairs
of minor paint damage (i.e. chips from
stones, vehicle doors, etc.).Engine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from the intrusion of
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as MB Anticor-
rosion Wax, should be applied to the en-
gine compartment after every engine
cleaning. Before applying, all control link-
age bushings and joints should be lubricat-
ed. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys should
be protected from any wax.Vehicle washing
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the underbody, do not for-
get to clean the inner sides of the wheels.!Affixing stickers, adhesive tape or sim-
ilar materials to painted body compo-
nents may damage the paintwork.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of
water, and a SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is in close proximity, i.e.
within approximately 3 ft (approxi-
mately 1 m), the vehicle could be
inadvertently locked or unlocked.

398 OperationVehicle careHand-wash
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight. 
Only use a mild car wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo.

Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water.
Direct only a very weak spray towards
the ventilation intake.

Use plenty of water and rinse the
sponge and chamois frequently.

Rinse with clean water and thoroughly
dry with a chamois.
Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on
the finish.Automatic car wash
You can have your car washed in an auto-
matic car wash from the start. Automatic
car washes without brushes are prefera-
ble.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it be-
fore running it through the automatic car
wash.
!If you want the gear position to remain
inN (for example when the vehicle is
pulled through a car wash)


do not remove the SmartKey from
the starter switch
or, when using KEYLESS-GO*


do not turn off the engine using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button*
and open the driver’s door
Otherwise, the transmission will shift
toP and lock the wheels, preventing
the vehicle from being pulled through a
car wash.
!Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in
exterior rear view mirrors prior to run-
ning the vehicle through an automatic
car wash to prevent damage to the
mirrors.
Make sure that the windshield wiper
switch is set to0 (
page 59). Other-
wise, the rain sensor could activate and
cause the wipers to move unintention-
ally. This may lead to vehicle damage.
iAfter running the vehicle through an au-
tomatic car wash, wipe any wax off of
the windshield (
page 400). This will
prevent smears and reduce wiping
noise which can be caused by residual
wax on the windshield.
When leaving the car wash, make sure
that the mirrors are folded out. Other-
wise they may vibrate.