2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R500 start stop button

127 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking

Press tailgate closing switch1 briefly.
The tailgate closes.
If the tailgate comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high), the closing procedure
is stopped and the tailgate reopens
slightly.iYou can also close the tailgate manual-
ly (
page 125).
Warning!
G
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
make sure no one is in danger of being in-
jured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from
the cargo compartment opening when clos-
ing the tailgate. Be especially careful when
small children are around. To stop the clos-
ing procedure, do one of the following:

Press the tailgate closing switch1.


Press the Šbutton on the SmartKey.


Press or pull the remote tailgate switch
(on the driver’s door).
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch, the tailgate closing switch
can be operated. Therefore, do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.
Warning!
G
Only drive with the tailgate closed as,
among other dangers such as blocked
visibility, exhaust fumes may enter the vehi-
cle interior.iDo not place the SmartKey in the open
cargo compartment. You may lock
yourself out.iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the tailgate will lock automati-
cally after closing it. The turn signals
will flash three times to confirm lock-
ing.

132 Controls in detailSeatsFor information on seat adjustment, see
the “Getting started” section (
page 43).
For more information on seats, see “Load-
ing” (
page 279).
Easy-entry/exit feature*
Easy-entry/exit feature for driver’s
seat
This feature allows for easier entry into and
exit from the vehicle.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be
activated or deactivated in the Convenience
submenu of the control sys-
tem (
page 189).When exiting the vehicle, with the
easy-entry/exit feature activated and
depending on your selection, the steering
wheel tilts upwards and/or the driver’s
seat moves a few inches to the rear when
you


remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or


open the driver’s door with the
SmartKey in starter switch position
0or1(
page 38) or the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button in
position1 (page 40)
Warning!
G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel and driver’s seat when the
easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
To cancel seat/steering wheel movement,
do one of the following:

Press seat adjustment switch
(page 43).


Move steering column stalk*
(page 46).


Press memory buttonM* (
page 145).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
!Do not activate the easy-entry/exit fea-
ture if the seat backrest is in an exces-
sively reclined position. Doing so could
cause damage to the driver’s seat or
left rear seat.
Move the seat backrest to an upright
position first.

133 Controls in detailSeats
When entering the vehicle, with the
easy-entry/exit feature activated, the
steering wheel or, depending on your se-
lection, the steering wheel and driver’s
seat will return to their last set memory po-
sition or a factory-set maximum forward
position when you

close the driver’s door with the ignition
switched on


insert the SmartKey into the starter
switch or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (
page 40) once
with the driver’s door closed
iIf the current position for the steering
wheel is in the uppermost tilt position,
the steering wheel will no longer be
able to move upward when the
easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
If the current seat position falls into a
factory-set position range and the sys-
tem recognizes the current seat posi-
tion to be rearward enough for easy
entry and exit, the driver’s seat will not
move to the rear when the
easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
iFor safety reasons, the driver’s seat will
not return to its last set position with
the easy-entry/exit feature activated if
the system recognizes the last set posi-
tion as an extreme forward position. In-
stead, the driver’s seat will remain at or
move to a factory-set maximum for-
ward position. To again fully return the
driver’s seat to your last set position or
to memory position, adjust the seat to
the desired position or press and hold
the respective memory position button
(page 145).
iVehicles with memory function*:
The steering wheel and seat position is
stored into memory when you

switch off the ignition (
page 38)


allocate the current position steer-
ing wheel and seat position to a cer-
tain memory position button
(page 145)

174 Controls in detailControl systemShould the vehicle’s system record any
conditions while driving, the number of
messages will reappear in the multifunc-
tion display

when the SmartKey in the starter
switch is turned to position0 or
removed from the starter switch
or


when you turn off the engine by
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 66) in the starter
switch once and open the driver’s door
(this puts the starter switch in
position0, same as with the SmartKey
removed from the starter switch)
Settings menu
In the
Settings
menu there are two func-
tions:


The function
Reset to factory
settings?
, with which you can reset all
the settings to the original factory
settings.


A collection of submenus with which
you can make individual settings for
your vehicle.

Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until the
Settings
menu appears in the
multifunction display.
iThe vehicle status message memory
will be cleared when you turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch to
position1 or2, or when you press the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button once
or twice without depressing the brake
pedal. You will then only see high
priority messages in the multifunction
display (
page 416).

200 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionWith drive positionD selected, you can use
the steering wheel gearshift control
buttons (
page 206) to influence trans-
mission shifting by:


limiting the gear range


changing gears manually
Transmission positions
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or park
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Effect
ì
Park position
Shift into park positionP only
when vehicle is stopped. The
park position is not intended to
serve as a brake when the vehi-
cle is parked. Rather, the driver
should always set the parking
brake in addition to shifting into
park positionP to secure the
vehicle.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the automatic
transmission could remain
locked in park positionP. 
Have the vehicle checked as
soon as possible by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
!SmartKey:
If you turn off the engine using the
SmartKey and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch, the transmis-
sion will shift to park positionP auto-
matically. Keep in mind that turning off
the engine with the SmartKey alone will
not automatically shift the transmis-
sion to P. Only when the SmartKey is
removed from the starter switch, will
the transmission automatically shift
toP.
KEYLESS-GO*:
If you turn off the engine using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button and
open the driver’s door, the transmis-
sion will shift to park positionP
automatically. Keep in mind that
turning off the engine using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button alone
will not automatically shift the trans-
mission to P. Only when the driver’s
door is opened, will the transmission
automatically shift to P.

201 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Even though this is possible, make it a
practice to always shift into park
positionP before turning off the engine
and remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch, or when using
KEYLESS-GO*, before turning off the
engine with the start/stop button and
opening the driver’s door.!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.
Effect
í
Reverse gear
Shift into reverse gearR only
when the vehicle is stopped.
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never shift into neutral
positionN while driving.
If the ESP
® is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Shift into neutral positionN only
if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason in neutral positionN can
result in transmission damage that is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle without shifting
into park positionP is dangerous. Also, park
positionP alone is not intended to or capa-
ble of preventing your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to park positionP (
page 65).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.

207 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
The transmission will shift to the next
higher gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the
transmission.
Canceling gear range limit
Press and hold the outside2 of one of
the buttons on the steering wheel
until
Dreappears in the multifunction
display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range

Press and hold the inside1 of one of
the buttons on the steering wheel.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears.Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration becomes less re-
sponsive or sluggish or the transmission
no longer shifts, the transmission is most
likely operating in limp home (emergency
operation) mode. In this mode only second
gear and reverse gear can be selected.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location.

Shift to park positionP.

Turn off the engine.

Wait at least 10 seconds before
restarting.

Restart the engine.

Shift to drive positionD (for second
gear) or reverse gearR.

Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.

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.