2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R500 maintenance

481 Practical hints
Flat tire
Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and
remove.

Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied in the vehicle tool kit
(page 454).

Remove the remaining wheel bolts.

Remove the wheel.Mounting the spare wheel
1Wheel bolt for 18" and 19" light alloy
wheels
2Wheel bolt for 17" light alloy wheels or
collapsible tire (located in trunk with
spare wheel)
Warning!
G
The jack is intended only for lifting the
vehicle briefly for wheel changes. It is not
suited for performing maintenance work
under the vehicle.

Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised.


Never lie down under the raised vehicle.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolts
and wheel hub threads.
!Wheel bolts2 must be used when
mounting the spare wheel with collaps-
ible tire. The use of any wheel bolts oth-
er than wheel bolts2 for the spare
wheel with collapsible tire will physical-
ly damage the vehicle’s brakes.

488 Practical hintsBattery
!
The battery is a valve-regulated lead
acid (VRLA) battery, also referred to as
“fleece” battery. Such batteries do not
require topping-up of the electrolyte
level. VRLA batteries therefore do not
have cell caps and the battery cover is
non-removable. Do not attempt to
open the battery as otherwise the bat-
tery will be damaged.
Even though VRLA batteries do not
require topping-up of the electrolyte
level and cannot be opened to check
the electrolyte level, the battery condi-
tion must be checked periodically by
performing a battery conductance test.
Refer to Maintenance Booklet for bat-
tery condition testing intervals.
As with any other battery, the battery
may discharge if the vehicle is not
operated for an extended period of
time. You can connect a battery
maintenance charge unit tested and
approved for use on your vehicle model
or disconnected the battery to prevent
battery discharge. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center for more information.
!The factory-equipped VRLA battery is
leak-proofed. Only use a battery as re-
placement that has the same security
features and is of identical size,
voltage, and capacity as the
factory-equipped battery.
The battery, the battery ventilation and
the lateral plug must always be
securely installed when the vehicle is in
operation.Warning!
G
Jump starting must only be done using the
jump-start contacts located in the engine
compartment (
page 496).

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.

526 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase boil-over protec-
tion. Refer to Maintenance Booklet for
replacement interval.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze (equivalent to freeze
protection to approx. - 22°F [-30°C]). If
you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze (freeze protec-
tion to approx. - 49°F [-45°C]), the engine
temperature will increase due to the lower
heat transfer capability of the solution.
Therefore, do not use more than this
amount of anticorrosion/antifreeze.If the coolant level is low, water and
MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze should
be used to bring it up to the proper level
(have cooling system checked for signs of
leakage). Please make sure the mixture is
in accordance with label instructions.
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality, con-
sult an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.

530 Technical termsCollapsible tire
An especially compact spare tire that
must be inflated with a provided air
pump before using. It should only be
used to bring the vehicle to the nearest
service station.
Control system
The control system is used to call up
vehicle information and to change
component settings. Information and
messages appear in the multifunction
display. The driver uses the buttons on
the multifunction steering wheel to
navigate through the system and to ad-
just settings.
Cruise control
Driving convenience system for
automatically maintaining the vehicle
speed set by the driver.
Curb weight
(
page 386)
DOT
(Department o
f Transportation)
(
page 386)Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine
produced.
Engine oil viscosity
Measurement for the inner friction (vis-
cosity) of the oil at different tempera-
tures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can tol-
erate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.
ESP
®(Electronic S
tability Pr
ogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRSFSS PLUS (Canada vehicles)
(F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem PLUS)
Maintenance service indicator in the
speedometer display that informs the
driver when the next vehicle mainte-
nance service is due. FSS evaluates en-
gine temperature, oil level, vehicle
speed, engine speed, distance driven
and the time elapsed since your last
service, and calls for the next mainte-
nance service accordingly.
GAWR
(G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
(
page 386)
Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the gear selector
lever.

531 Technical terms
GPS
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs CD or DVD digital
maps for navigation.
GVW
(G
ross V
ehicle W
eight)
(
page 386)
GVWR
(Gross V
ehicle W
eight R
ating)
(
page 386)
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer,
engine temperature and fuel gauge.Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.
Kilopascal (kPa)
(
page 386)
Line of fall
The direct line that an object moves
downhill when influenced by the force
of gravity alone.
Locking knob
Knob on the door which indicates
whether the door is locked or un-
locked. Pushing the locking knob down
on an individual door from inside will
lock that door.Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles)
Maintenance service indicator in the
multifunction display that informs the
driver when the next vehicle mainte-
nance service is due. The Maintenance
system tracks distance driven and the
time elapsed since the last mainte-
nance service, calculates other mainte-
nance service work required, and calls
for the next service accordingly.
Maximum load rating
(
page 387)
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
(page 387)
Maximum tire inflation pressure
(page 387)
Modular COMAND System
Information and operating center for
vehicle sound and communications
systems, including the radio and the ra-
dio and navigation system, as well as
for other optional equipment (CD
changer, telephone, etc.).

540 IndexD
Daytime running lamp mode 149
Setting 182
Deactivating
Air conditioning 227
Air conditioning (cooling) 242
Air recirculation mode 226, 240
Alarm 106
Anti-theft alarm system 106
Automatic climate control*
(3-zone) 234
Central locking (control system) 188
Climate control system 220
Cruise control 266
Defrost 223, 238
Engine 66
ESP
®
101
Hazard warning flasher 154
Headlamps 65
Immobilizer 104
Interior lighting delayed
switch-off 185Rear passenger compartment ventila-
tion and climate control 245
Rear window defroster 215
Rear window wiper 62
Residual heat 228, 243
Seat heating* 143
Tow-away alarm 107
Deep water see Standing water
Defogging
Windshield 224, 238
Delayed switch-off
Interior lighting 185
Department of Transportation see DOT
Dialing
A number (telephone*) 195
Difficulties
While driving see Problems while driv-
ing
Digital speedometer 168
Direction of rotation (tires) 356Discharged battery
Jump starting 496
Disconnecting
Vehicle battery 489
Display
Selecting 179
Displays
Digital speedometer 169
Maintenance service indicator 392
Messages 347
Selecting 179
Showing malfunctions 173
Distance to empty (range)
Calling up 192
Door control panel 34
Door entry lamps 157
Door handle 34
Door unlock
With Tele Aid* 319
Door windows 248
Automatic closing 250
Automatic opening 250

546 IndexLocking 67, 110
Automatic while driving 130
Centrally from inside 131
Fuel filler flap 342
Global (SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*) 118
Global, SmartKey 112
Vehicle in an emergency 460
Locking the vehicle 120
Loss of Service and Warranty Information
Booklet 509
Loss of SmartKey 114
Loss of Smartkey with
KEYLESS-GO* 121
Low beam bulbs
Replacing bulbs 468
Low tire pressure telltale 25
Lowering
Vehicle 485M
Main dimensions 519
Main fuse box 504
Maintenance 12
Maintenance service
Overdue 393
Resetting maintenance service
indicator 394
When due 392
Maintenance service indicator 392
Resetting 394
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) 531
Malfunction
Displaying 173
Malfunction memory 173
Calling up 173
Manual operations
Fuel filler flap 461
Interior lighting control 155
Locking the vehicle 460
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* 462
Unlocking the driver’s door 459
Manual seat
Adjusting head restraint tilt 45
MAXCOOL maximum cooling 239
Maximum inflation pressure 387Maximum load rating 387, 531
Maximum loaded vehicle weight 387,
531
Maximum tire inflation pressure 531
Mechanical key 459
Memory function 144, 532
Storing exterior rear view mirror park-
ing positions 146
Storing SmartKey dependent
settings 145
Memory function*
Recalling positions from
memory 145
Menus 164
AUDIO 170
In control system 164, 165
Malfunction memory 173
Settings menu 174
Standard display 168
Submenus 163
TEL* 194
Trip computer 192
Miles/kilometers in speedometer
Setting 178