2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R500 rear view mirror

208 Controls in detailGood visibilityFor information on the windshield wipers,
see “Windshield wipers” (
page 59).
Headlamp cleaning system*
The button is located on the left side of the
dashboard.
1Headlamp washer button
Switch on the ignition (
page 38).

Press button1.
The headlamps are cleaned with a
high-pressure water jet.For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield / rear window
washer system and headlamp cleaning
system*” (
page 352).
Rear view mirrors
For more information on setting the rear
view mirrors, see “Mirrors” (
page 47).
Interior rear view mirror, antiglare
position
1Lever

Tilt the mirror to the antiglare night
position by moving lever1 towards
the windshield.
The interior rear view mirror is dimmed.
iThe headlamps will automatically be
cleaned when you have

switched on the headlamps
and


operated the windshield wipers
with windshield washer fluid
fifteen times
When you switch off the ignition, the
counter resets.

209 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Auto-dimming rear view mirrors*
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the interior rear view mirror will respond
automatically to glare when

the ignition is switched on


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view
mirror
The rear view mirror will not react if


reverse gearR is engaged


the interior light is turned on
Warning!
G
The auto-dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at sen-
sors in the interior rear view mirror.
The interior rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, when transporting cargo
which covers the rear window.
Glare can endanger you and others.Warning!
G
In case of an accident liquid electrolyte may
escape from the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not
allow the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can be
completely removed only while in the
liquid state and by applying plenty of
water.Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your
interior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.

210 Controls in detailGood visibilityActivating exterior rear view mirror
parking position*
Follow these steps to activate the exterior
rear view mirror parking position, so that
the passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror will be turned downward to the stored
position.
Make sure that you have stored a park-
ing position for the passenger-side
exterior rear view mirror (
page 146).

Make sure the
Mirror adjustment
parking aid function in the
Convenience
submenu of the control
system is set to
on (page 190).

Start the engine (
page 53).1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror button

Set the automatic transmission in
reverse gear R.
The passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror turns downward to the stored
position (
page 146) if the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror is se-
lected.
The indicator lamp in button 2 should
come on when you select reverse
gearR.

If the passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror is not selected, press button 2.
The exterior rear view mirror returns to its
previous stored driving position:


when you switch off the ignition


10 seconds after you have put the
automatic transmission out of reverse
gear R
Approximately 15 seconds later, the
indicator lamp in button 2 goes out.


immediately once your vehicle exceeds
a speed of approximately
6mph(10km/h)


immediately when you press button 1
for driver’s side exterior rear view
mirror
iWith the automatic transmission in re-
verse gear R, the previously selected
rear view mirror is activated. The indi-
cator lamp in the respective button
comes on.
iWith the automatic transmission in re-
verse gear R, you can deactivate the
exterior rear mirror parking position by
pressing button 1 or activate it by
pressing button 2. The indicator lamp
of the selected button is on.

211 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Power folding exterior rear view mirrors*
Folding the exterior rear view mirrors
in and out automatically
When the corresponding function in the
control system is activated (
page 191):


The exterior rear view mirrors automat-
ically fold in as soon as the vehicle is
locked from the outside.


The exterior rear view mirrors automat-
ically fold out as soon as the vehicle is
unlocked and the driver’s or front pas-
senger door are subsequently opened.Synchronizing exterior rear view
mirrors
The power folding rear view mirrors may
have to be synchronized after the vehicle
battery has been disconnected or dis-
charged. If the exterior rear view mirrors
do not fold properly upon locking or un-
locking the vehicle although the corre-
sponding function in the control system is
activated (
page 191), do the following:

Fold each exterior rear view mirror in
completely (
page 212).

Fold each exterior rear view mirror out
completely (
page 212).
When the exterior rear view mirrors fold
properly upon locking the vehicle, the exte-
rior mirrors are synchronized. Otherwise
repeat the above steps.Folding the exterior rear view mirrors
in and out manually
The button is located on the door control
panel.
1Button for folding exterior rear view
mirrors in and out

Switch on the ignition (
page 38).
!Before you drive the vehicle through an
automatic car wash, fold the exterior
rear view mirrors in. Otherwise they
may get damaged.
iThe exterior rear view mirrors can vi-
brate if they are not folded out com-
pletely.

212 Controls in detailGood visibilityFolding in
Briefly press button1.
Both exterior rear view mirrors fold in.
Folding out

Briefly press button1 again.
Both exterior rear view mirrors fold out.
Sun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.
iIf you are driving at more than approxi-
mately 30 mph (47 km/h), you will not
be able to fold the exterior mirrors in.
!If an exterior rear view mirror housing
is forcibly pushed forward (hit from the
rear) or forcibly pushed rearward (hit
from the front) press button1 to fold
mirrors in, then press button1 again
to fold mirrors out. Do not force mirrors
by hand as this may damage the adjust-
ment mechanism.
The mirror housing is then properly
positioned and you can adjust the mir-
ror in the usual manner.
Warning!
G
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed
while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare
can endanger you and others.

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.

320 Controls in detailUseful features
Garage door opener*
The integrated remote control is capable of
operating up to three separately controlled
devices. It provides a convenient way to
replace up to three hand-held remote
controls used to operate devices such as
garage door openers, gate openers, or
other devices compatible with HomeLink
®
or some other systems.
Before the integrated remote control can
be used, it must be programmed to the
garage door opener, gate operator or other
device you wish to operate. See the follow-
ing instructions for programming informa-
tion.
Interior rear view mirror with integrated
remote control1Indicator lamp
2 3 4Signal transmitter button
Needed for programming (not part of vehi-
cle equipment):
5Hand-held remote control of ga-
rage door opener, gate operator
or other device
6Hand-held remote control but-
ton
iWhen the anti-theft alarm or the
tow-away alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call is initiated automat-
ically to the Response Center. See
anti-theft alarm system (
page 104)
and tow-away alarm (
page 106).

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.