2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R500 steering

189 Controls in detail
Control system
Limiting opening height of tailgate*
Use this function to activate or deactivate
the limiting opening height of the tailgate.
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Vehicle

submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Opening limiter
Tailgate
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to switch
the limiting opening height of the
tailgate
on or
off
.Convenience submenu
Access the
Convenience
submenu via the
Settings
menu. Use the
Convenience
sub-
menu to change the settings for a number
of convenience features.
The following functions are available:Activating easy-entry/exit feature*
Use this function to activate and
deactivate the easy-entry/exit feature
(
page 132).
Function
Page
Activating easy-entry/exit
feature*
189
Setting parking position for
exterior rear view mirror*
190
Setting fold-in function for
exterior rear view mirrors
191
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 button* (
page 145).


190 Controls in detailControl system
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the Convenience
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Func. Easy-entry
feature
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to change
the easy-entry/exit setting.The following settings are available for the
easy-entry/exit feature:
Setting parking position for exterior rear
view mirror*
Use this function to select whether the
passenger-side exterior rear view mirror
should be turned downward during parking
maneuvers when reverse gearR is
engaged. For additional information, see
“Activating exterior rear view mirror park-
ing position*” (
page 210).

Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the Convenience
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Mirror adjustment
parking aid
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to switch
the function
on or
off
.
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.
off
The easy-entry/exit
feature is
deactivated.
Steering col.
Only the steering
column is moved.
Steer. col.+seat
Both the steering
column and the
driver’s seat are
moved.


194 Controls in detailControl systemTEL menu*
You can use the functions in the
TEL
menu
to operate your telephone, provided it is
connected to a hands-free system and
switched on.

Switch on the telephone and Modular
COMAND System.

Press buttonÿ orè on the
multifunction steering wheel repeated-
ly until the message
TEL
appears in the
multifunction display.Which messages will appear in the multi-
function display depends on whether your
telephone is switched on or off:


If the telephone is off, the message PHONE OFF
appears in the multifunction
display.


If the telephone is on:
The telephone will then search for a
network. During this time the multi-
function display is empty.
As soon as the telephone has found a
network, the message
READY
appears
in the multifunction display.
This standby message indicates that your
telephone is ready for use and you can
operate it using the control system.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road must always
be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call. If you choose to use the tele-
phone while driving, please use the
hands-free device and only use the tele-
phone when weather, road and traffic condi-
tions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.

197 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
For information on driving with an auto-
matic transmission see “Automatic trans-
mission” (
page 53).
Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear
shifting process to your individual driving
style by continually adjusting the shift
points up or down. These shift point adjust-
ments are performed based on current
operating and driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the
automatic transmission reacts by
adjusting its shift program.
Gear selector lever
The gear selector lever is located on the
right of the steering column.Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive positionShifting from P to N
Moving the gear selector lever up or down
shifts the automatic transmission out of
park positionP:

Depress the brake pedal and keep it
pressed.

Move gear selector lever up or down to
resistance point to select neutral
positionN.
iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperature.
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the automatic trans-
mission out of park positionP or neutral
positionN if the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the
brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

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.

202 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Gear ranges
With the automatic transmission in drive
positionD, you can select a gear range for
the automatic transmission to operate
within.
You can limit the gear range by pressing
the respective downshift button on the
steering wheel gearshift control, and
reverse the gear range limit by pressing
the respective upshift button on the
steering wheel gearshift control.
1Current gear range
The selected gear range appears in the
multifunction display (
page 199). If you
press on the accelerator when the engine
has reached its rpm limit, the transmission
will upshift beyond any gear range limit
selected.
Warning!
G
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. Children could shift the
automatic transmission out of park
positionP, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
Effect
ï
The transmission shifts through
sixth gear only.
î
The transmission shifts through
fifth gear only.
é
The transmission shifts through
fourth gear only.
è
The transmission shifts through
third gear only.
With this selection you can use
the braking effect of the engine.

205 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
The current gear range/transmission
position (
page 199) and the selected
program mode (
C/S) are indicated in the
multifunction display.
1Current program mode

Press program mode selector switch
repeatedly until the letter of the de-
sired program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
SelectCfor comfort driving:

The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.


Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
Steering wheel gearshift control
With drive positionD selected, you can use
the steering wheel gearshift control but-
tons to manually shift the gears. When
doing so, you are also limiting or extending
the gear range.
!Never change the program mode when
the automatic transmission is out of
park positionP. This could result in a
change of driving characteristics for
which you may not be prepared.iThe last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
downshifting with steering wheel
gearshift buttons, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.

206 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
The steering wheel gearshift buttons are
located to the left and right of the steering
wheel.
1Button, inside: downshift
2Button, outside: upshiftDownshifting

Briefly press the inside1 of one of the
buttons on the steering wheel.
The transmission will shift to the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously limits
the gear range of the transmission
(
page 202).
Upshifting

Briefly press the outside2 of one of
the buttons on the steering wheel.
!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.
iYou cannot shift with the steering
wheel gearshift buttons when the
transmission in positionP,N orR.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.