2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R500 wheel

486 Practical hintsFlat tire
Store jack and all other vehicle tool kit
items back into the storage well.iThe removed road wheel cannot be
stored in the spare wheel well under
the cargo compartment floor, but
should be transported in the cargo
compartment wrapped in a protective
wrap.


499 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the
vehicle be transported with all wheels off
the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment. This method is
preferable to other types of towing.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the
vehicle may be towed with all wheels on
the ground only so far as necessary to have
the vehicle moved to a safe location where
the recommended towing methods can be
employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment, with the SmartKey in starter
switch turned to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts. Use the towing eyes.
Switch off the ESP
® (page 101),
tow-away alarm (
page 107) and the
automatic central locking
(
page 130).
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!Do not tow with one axle raised. Doing
so could damage the transfer case,
which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
All wheels must be on or off the ground.
Observe instructions for towing the ve-
hicles with all wheels on the ground.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the automatic transmis-
sion must be in positionN and the
SmartKey must be in starter switch
position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the vehicle may be
towed only for distances up to 30 miles
(50 km) and at a speed not to exceed
30 mph (50 km / h).
If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised (observe instructions re-
garding flexible drive shaft), the engine
must be shut off (SmartKey in starter
switch position1). Otherwise, the
4-ETS may become engaged which may
cause loss of towing control.

500 Practical hintsTowing the vehicle
!
To be certain to avoid additional dam-
age to the vehicle powertrain, however
you should observe the following:

With damage to the front axle

raise front axle


remove flexible drive shaft be-
tween rear axle and transfer
case


With damage to the rear axle

raise rear axle


tow vehicle with wheel lift or
dolly placed under front wheels


With damage to the transfer case

remove flexible drive shaft to
the drive axles
Always install new self-locking nuts
when reinstalling flexible drive shaft.
Warning!
G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:

the engine will not run


there is a malfunction in the power
supply or in the vehicle’s electrical sys-
tem
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make sure the SmartKey is in
starter switch position2.
If the SmartKey is left in starter switch
position0 for an extended period of time, it
can no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock,
remove SmartKey from starter switch and
reinsert.
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.iTo signal turns while being towed with
hazard warning flasher in use, turn the
SmartKey in starter switch to
position2 and activate combination
switch for left or right turn signal in
usual manner – only the selected turn
signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the
hazard warning flasher will operate
again.

501 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolts
The front towing eye is located behind a
cover on the passenger side below the
front bumper.
1Towing eye cover
iThe vehicle cannot be started via
tow-start.iIf the battery is disconnected or dis-
charged, the automatic transmission
will remain locked in positionP and the
SmartKey will not turn in the starter
switch. For more information, see “Bat-
tery” (
page 487) and “Jump starting”
(
page 496).
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, note the following:
With the automatic central locking
activated and the ignition in position2
(page 38), the vehicle doors lock if
the left front wheel is turning at a speed
of approx. 9 mph (15 km / h) or above.
To prevent the vehicle doors from
locking, deactivate the automatic
central locking (
page 130).
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(
page 107).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the towing eye. Never
attach tow cable, tow rope or tow rod
to vehicle chassis, frame or suspension
parts.

502 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleThe rear towing eye is located behind the
right side cover in the rear bumper panel.
1Towing eye cover

Press mark on cover1 as indicated by
the arrow.

Lift off cover1 to reveal the threaded
hole for towing eye bolt.

Take the towing eye bolt and wheel
wrench from the vehicle toolkit
(page 455).

Screw towing eye bolt in to its stop and
tighten with wheel wrench.

After use, unscrew towing eye bolt.

Store the towing eye bolt and wheel
wrench back into the vehicle toolkit
(page 455).

Engage cover1 at top and press at
bottom.
Stranded vehicle
Freeing a stranded vehicle, on which the
wheels are dug into sand or mud, should
be done with the greatest of care, especial-
ly if the vehicle is heavily loaded.
Avoid pulling the vehicle abruptly or diago-
nally, since it could result in damage to the
chassis alignment.
Never try to free a vehicle that is still cou-
pled to a trailer.
If possible, a vehicle equipped with trailer
hitch receiver should be pulled backward
in its own previously made tracks.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid possible serious burns or
injury, use extreme caution when removing
the cover, because the rear exhaust pipe is
extremely hot.

504 Practical hintsFusesMain fuse box
The main fuse box is located on the pas-
senger side of the engine compartment.
Open the hood (
page 345).
1Clamp
2Main fuse box cover

Switch off the ignition (
page 38) and
remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:

Switch off the ignition (
page 39).

Open the driver’s door (this puts the
starter switch in position 0, same as
with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch). The driver’s door then
can be closed again.

Release clamp1.

Lift fuse box cover2 up.

Install main fuse box cover in reverse
order.
Fuse box in cargo compartment
The fuse box is located behind under the
cargo compartment cover on the
right-hand side of the spare wheel well.
Open the tailgate (
page 122).

Lift the cargo compartment cover
(page 454).

Secure cargo compartment cover with
strap (
page 455).
1Cover
2Handle

Lift cover1 at handle 2.
!The fuse box cover must be installed
properly to prevent moisture and/or
dirt from entering the fuse box and pos-
sibly impairing fuse operation.

515 Technical data
Rims and tires
iThe following pages also list the
approved wheel rim and tire sizes for
equipping your vehicles with winter
tires. Winter tires are not available as
standard or optional factory equip-
ment, but can be purchased from an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Depending on vehicle model and the
standard or optional factory-equipped
wheel rim/tire configuration on your
vehicle (Appearance Package, Sport
Package etc.), equipping your vehicle
with winter tires approved for your
vehicle model may also require the
purchase of two or four wheel rims of
the recommended size for use with
these winter tires. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for more infor-
mation.

516 Technical dataRims and tiresSame size tires
R 350
R 500
R 350 (Sport Package*)
R 500 (Sport Package*)
Rims (light alloy)
7.5 J x 17 H2
8Jx18H2
8Jx19H2
Wheel offset
2.20 in (56 mm)
2.64 in (67 mm)
2.64 in (67 mm)
Summer tires
1
-
-
255/50 R19 103W
All-season tires
1
235/65 R17 104H M+S
255/55 R18 105H M+S
-
Winter tires
1,2
235/65 R17 104H M+S.
255/55 R18 105H M+S.
-
1Radial-ply tires2Not available as factory equipment.