2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R500 tailgate

319 Controls in detail
Useful features
Remote door unlock
In case you have locked your vehicle unin-
tentionally (e.g. SmartKey inside vehicle),
and the reserve SmartKey is not handy:
Contact the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
You will be asked to provide your pass-
word which you provided when you
completed the subscriber agreement.

Then return to your vehicle at the time
arranged with the Response Center
and pull the tailgate recessed handle
for minimum of 20 seconds until the
SOS button is flashing.
The message
Connecting call
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.
As an alternative, you may unlock the vehi-
cle via Internet using the ID and password
sent to you shortly after the completion of
your acquaintance call.The Response Center will then unlock your
vehicle with the remote door unlocking
feature.Stolen Vehicle Recovery services
In the event your vehicle was stolen:

Report the incident to the police.
The police will issue a numbered
incident report.

Pass this number on to the
Mercedes-Benz Response Center along
with your password issued to you when
you subscribed to the service.
The Response Center will then attempt
to covertly contact the vehicle’s
Tele Aid system. Once the vehicle is
located, the Response Center will
contact the local law enforcement and
you. The vehicle’s location will only be
provided to law enforcement.
iThe remote door unlock feature is
available if the relevant cellular phone
network is available.
The SOS button will flash and the
message
Connecting call
will appear
in the multifunction display to indicate
receipt of the door unlock command.
Once the vehicle is unlocked, a
Response Center specialist may
attempt to establish voice contact with
the vehicle occupants.
If the tailgate recessed handle was
pulled for more than 20 seconds
before door unlock authorization was
received by the Response Center, you
must wait 15 minutes before pulling
the tailgate recessed handle again.

439 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
A
Check gas cap
See Operator’s Manual
A loss of pressure has been
detected in the fuel system. The
fuel cap may not be closed
properly or the fuel system may
be leaky.

Check the fuel cap (
page 342).
If it is not closed properly:

Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:

Have the fuel system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
a
Hood open
Trunk open
You are driving with the hood or
the tailgate open.

Close the hood (
page 345) or the
tailgate (
page 124).
You are trying to lock the vehicle
with the KEYLESS-GO* function
with a door or the tailgate open.

Close all doors and/or the tailgate
(page 124).

454 Practical hintsWhere will I find ...?First aid kit
The first aid kit is stored under the cargo
compartment floor, see “Vehicle tool kit”
(page 454).
Vehicle tool kit
The vehicle tool kit is stored under the car-
go compartment floor.
The vehicle tool kit includes:

Towing eye bolt


Wheel wrench


Alignment bolt


Vehicle jack


Fuse chart


Spare fuses


Fuse extractor


Collapsible wheel chock


Wheel bolts for spare wheel1Cargo compartment floor, lowered
2Handle cover

Open the tailgate (
page 122).

Push in handle cover2 and pull han-
dle in direction of arrow.

Lift cargo compartment floor 1.
iCheck expiration dates and contents
for completeness at least once a year
and replace missing / expired items.

460 Practical hintsUnlocking / locking in an emergencyUnlocking the driver’s door
1Unlocking
2Mechanical key
Insert mechanical key 2 into the
driver’s door lock until it stops.

Turn mechanical key 2 counterclock-
wise to position1 and hold it there.

Pull the door handle until the locking
knob moves up.
The driver’s door is unlocked.

Pull the door handle once more to open
the driver’s door.
Locking the vehicle
If you cannot lock the vehicle with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*, lock the vehi-
cle carrying out the following steps.
Close the front passenger door, the
rear right door and the tailgate.

Open the driver’s door and the rear left
door.

Press the central locking switch on the
driver’s door (
page 131).
The locking knobs of the front passen-
ger door and the rear doors move
down.
If the vehicle battery is disconnected or
drained:

Press down the locking knobs of
the front passenger door and the
rear doors manually.

Exit the vehicle.

Close the driver’s door.

Enter the vehicle through the rear left
door.

Press down the locking knob of the
driver’s door.

Exit the vehicle.

Close the rear left door.
The vehicle is locked.!To prevent inadvertent lockout, make
sure to have the SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* with you before
proceeding with the next step. The next
step will lock the vehicle.

461 Practical hints
Unlocking / locking in an emergency
Fuel filler flap
Open the tailgate (
page 122).
The fuel filler flap release is located behind
a cover in the right side trim panel of the
cargo compartment.
1Lock
2Cover

Insert a suitable object such as a coin
into the slot of lock1.

Turn lock1 counterclockwise by 90°
in direction of arrow.

Remove cover2.
3Fuel filler flap release

Pull red fuel filler flap release 3 in di-
rection of arrow.
The fuel filler flap is unlocked.

Open the fuel filler flap (
page 342).
iThe fuel filler flap release may differ,
depending on production date. If your
vehicle is not equipped with the fuel
filler flap release as illustrated, pulling a
red fabric cord instead unlocks the fuel
filler flap.

472 Practical hintsReplacing bulbs
Turn bulb socket 5 clockwise until it
engages.

Insert corner-illuminating front fog
lamp 1 back into bumper.

Fasten retaining screws4.

Reinsert cover 2 and press it in until it
engages.

Fasten retaining screw3.Additional turn signal lamps bulbs
The additional turn signal lamps in the
exterior rear view mirrors have LEDs.
If a malfunction occurs or LEDs fail to func-
tion, the entire turn signal unit must be re-
placed. Have the turn signal unit replaced
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Front sidemarker lamp bulbs
Since replacing the sidemarker lamp bulbs
is a technically highly demanding process,
we recommend you have the sidemarker
lamp bulbs replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps
Before you start to replace a bulb for a rear
lamp, do the following first:
Turn the combination switch to
positionM (
page 147).
Tail lamp unit

Open the tailgate (
page 122).
iTo access the tail lamp units, you have
to remove the cover in the correspond-
ing side trim panel of the cargo com-
partment.


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.

538 IndexCatalytic converter 340
CD player
Operating 171
CD-changer* 294
Center console 29
Lower part 30
PASS AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp 414
Upper part 29
Central locking
Automatic 130
Switch 131
Switching on/off (control
system) 188
Unlocking from inside 131
Central locking switch 131
Certification label 510
Changing
SmartKey setting 189
Charging
Vehicle battery 495
CHECK ENGINE malfunction indicator
lamp 407, 408Checking
Coolant level 351
Oil level 346
Tire inflate pressure 344
Vehicle lighting 344
Checking tire pressure electronically with
the Advanced Tire Pressure Monitoring
System* (Advanced TPMS*) 371
Checking tire pressure electronically with
the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) 368
Child safety 82
Air bags 72
Infant and child restraint systems 78,
82
LATCH child seat mounts 92
Child safety switch see Blocking of rear
door window operation
Cigarette lighter
Front center console 303
Cigarette lighter* 305Cleaning
Headlamps 208
Headliner 402
Light alloy wheels 401
Plastic and rubber parts 402
Steering wheel 402
Windows 400
Windshield 60
Cleaning tires 355
Climate control 216
Adjusting 222
Adjusting air volume 222
deactivating 220
Front defroster 223
Rear passenger compartment 228
Setting the temperature 222
Clock 180
Closing
Glove box 294
Hood 346
Panorama sliding/pop-up roof 260
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* 462
Side windows 249
Tailgate 124, 128, 129
Tilt/sliding sunroof* 255
Windows 248