2007 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 Engine compartment

Contents
Driving and parking............................ 378
Starting the engine....................... 378
Driving off .................................... 381
Turn signals.................................. 382
Problems while driving ................. 383
Parking......................................... 384
Turning off the engine .................. 387
Releasing seat belts ..................... 388
Automatic transmission ..................... 389
Gear selector lever ....................... 389
Shifting procedure ....................... 392
Transmission positions................. 393
Driving tips ................................... 396
Gear ranges ................................. 398
Automatic shift program .............. 399
Steering wheel gearshift control .. 400
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) ...................... 401
Instrument cluster ............................. 402
Adjusting instrument cluster
display illumination ...................... 402
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 403
Tachometer .................................. 403
Outside temperature indicator ..... 404
Fuel gauge ................................... 404Driving systems .................................. 405
Cruise control ............................... 405
DISTRONIC Plus* .......................... 411
Active Body Control (ABC) ............ 429
Parktronic system* ....................... 431
Park Assist* .................................. 435
Dynamic Rear View Monitor*........ 439
Night View Assist* ........................ 446
Air vents ............................................. 450
Opening and closing air vents ....... 452
Ventilated storage compartment .. 452
Automatic climate control .................. 453
Deactivating
climate control system ................. 455
Operating climate control
system in automatic mode............ 455
Setting temperature...................... 456
Adjusting air volume ..................... 456
Front defroster.............................. 456
Rear window defroster .................. 457
Maximum cooling
MAXCOOL (USA only) ................... 458
Air recirculation mode .................. 458
Residual engine heat
and ventilation .............................. 460Trunk .................................................. 461
Opening trunk ............................... 461
Closing trunk ................................ 462
Trunk emergency release ............. 464
Valet locking ................................. 465
Power tilt/sliding sunroof .................. 466
Opening and closing
power tilt/sliding sunroof ............. 466
Synchronizing ............................... 468
Loading and storing............................ 469
Loading instructions ..................... 469
Storage compartments ................. 469
Cup holders .................................. 473
Trunk ............................................ 474
Useful features ................................... 476
Sun visors ..................................... 476
Ashtray ......................................... 476
Cigarette lighter ............................ 477
Floormats* ................................... 478
Telephone* ................................... 479
Tele Aid ......................................... 482
Garage door opener ...................... 490
Infrared reflecting windshield ....... 496

Contents
Operation......................................... 497
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 498
Driving instructions ............................ 499
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 499
Drinking and driving ..................... 499
Pedals .......................................... 499
Power assistance ......................... 499
Brakes .......................................... 500
Driving off..................................... 501
Parking ......................................... 502
Tires ............................................. 502
Hydroplaning ................................ 503
Tire traction .................................. 503
Tire speed rating .......................... 504
Winter driving instructions ........... 504
Standing water ............................. 505
Passenger compartment .............. 506
Driving abroad .............................. 506
Control and operation
of radio transmitters .................... 506
Catalytic converter ....................... 507
Emission control........................... 507
Coolant temperature .................... 508At the gas station .............................. 509
Refueling ...................................... 509
Check regularly
and before a long trip ................... 511
Engine compartment ......................... 512
Hood ............................................ 512
Engine oil ..................................... 513
Transmission fluid level ................ 517
Active Body Control
(ABC) fluid level ............................ 517
Coolant level ................................ 518
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 519
Tires and wheels ................................ 520
Important guidelines .................... 520
Tire care and maintenance ........... 521
Direction of rotation ..................... 523
Loading the vehicle ...................... 523
Recommended
tire inflation pressure ................... 528
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 530
Tire labeling.................................. 536
Load identification ....................... 540
DOT,
Tire Identification Number (TIN) ... 540
Maximum tire load ....................... 541Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 542
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading Standards (U.S. vehicles) 542
Tire ply material ........................... 544
Tire and loading terminology ........ 544
Rotating tires ............................... 548
Winter driving .................................... 549
Winter tires .................................. 549
Snow chains................................. 550
Maintenance...................................... 551
Maintenance
service indicator message ........... 551
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display .............. 553
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 553
Vehicle care....................................... 554
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 554

Contents
Practical hints................................. 565
What to do if …?................................. 566
Lamps in instrument cluster ........ 566
Air bag off indicator lamp............. 578
Vehicle status messages
in the multifunction display .......... 580
Where will I find ...? ........................... 632
First aid kit ................................... 632
Vehicle jack, vehicle tool kit,
luggage bowl, Minispare wheel .... 632
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 635
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 635
Locking the vehicle ...................... 636
Mechanically releasing
the electronic parking brake ........ 637
Opening/closing in an emergency..... 638
Power tilt/sliding sunroof ............ 638
Replacing SmartKey batteries ........... 639
SmartKey/SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO*....................... 639Replacing bulbs .................................. 641
Bulbs ............................................. 642
Replacing bulbs
for front lamps .............................. 644
Replacing bulbs
for the rear lamps ......................... 646
Replacing wiper blades....................... 647
Placing wiper arms
in vertical position ........................ 647
Removing wiper blades ................. 648
Installing wiper blades .................. 648
Flat tire ............................................... 649
Preparing the vehicle .................... 649
Mounting the Minispare wheel...... 649Batteries............................................. 655
Disconnecting starter battery ....... 657
Removing starter battery .............. 658
Charging battery ........................... 658
Reinstalling starter battery ........... 659
Reconnecting starter battery ........ 659
Jump starting...................................... 660
Towing the vehicle.............................. 663
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 666
Fuses.................................................. 667
Fuse boxes
in engine compartment................. 668
Fuse boxes
in passenger compartment ........... 669
Emergency engine shut-down ....... 670

36 At a glance
Center console
ItemPage
1Thumbwheel for air volume
control for left center air vent452
2Thumbwheel for air volume
control for right center air
vent 452
3AUTO mode for air distribu-
tion and volume, left455
4Temperature control, left456
5Manual fan speed adjust-
ment, left456
6Front defroster456
7Air recirculation458
8Climate control on/off455
9Residual engine heat and
ventilation (REST)460
aRear window defroster 457
ItemPage
bManual fan speed adjust-
ment, right456
cTemperature control, right456
dAUTO mode for air distribu-
tion and volume, right455
eAlarm system indicator lamp77
fCup holder473
gCover of compartment with:

Ashtray

Lighter
476
477
hCover of compartment with

CD/DVD changer

PCMCIA card slot
111
112

403 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Coolant temperature gauge
The coolant temperature gauge is on the
left side in the instrument cluster
(
page 30).
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
Warning!G

Driving when your engine is overheated
can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously
burned.

Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the hood. Stay away from
the engine if you see or hear steam com-
ing from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of
the vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle
until the engine has cooled down.
!Excessive coolant temperature triggers a
warning in the multifunction display
(
page 610).
The engine should not be operated with the cool-
ant temperature above 248°F (120°C), i.e. in
the red zone of the coolant temperature gauge.
Doing so may cause serious engine damage
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
iDuring severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant temperature
may rise close to 248°F (120°C), i.e. close to
the red zone of the temperature gauge.
!Avoid driving at excessive engine speeds, as
it may result in serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warran-
ty.

420 Controls in detail
Driving systems
StoppingWhen DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is stopping, the vehicle
brakes until it also stops.
Once DISTRONIC Plus has stopped your
vehicle and it is at a standstill, it remains
stationary; the brake pedal does not need
to be depressed.
Warning!G
DISTRONIC Plus’s braking effect is canceled
and the vehicle can start to roll if

DISTRONIC Plus is switched off using
the DISTRONIC Plus lever

you accelerate

the system or the power supply is mal-
functioning, e.g. due to battery failure

the electrical components in the engine
compartment or the fuses have been
manipulated

the battery is disconnected
Warning!G
Never get out of the vehicle while
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on!
DISTRONIC Plus must never be operated or
switched off by passengers or from outside
the vehicle.
DISTRONIC Plus is not a substitute for the
electronic parking brake and may not be
used for parking.
When you get out of the vehicle or switch off
the engine, deactivate DISTRONIC Plus and
secure the vehicle from rolling away by en-
gaging the electronic parking brake.
iAfter a short while, your vehicle is secured in
place by the electronic parking brake so that the
operating brake can be relieved of load.
iDepending on the following distance set us-
ing the distance setting switch on the DISTRON-
IC Plus lever, your vehicle will stop
approximately 13.1 ft away from the vehicle in
front of you.

454 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing on the selected interior temperature
and the current outside temperature.
It can only function optimally when you are
driving with the windows and the tilt/slid-
ing sunroof closed.
It is possible to completely deactivate the
climate control system (
page 455). Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.The following automatic climate control
functions can be operated via COMAND:
iIf you have the air distribution and air vol-
ume automatically controlled, you can adjust the
temperature, footwell temperature and air flow.
The following basic settings are recommended:

Automatic air distribution control
(
page 453)

Temperature: 72°F (22°C) (page 456)

Footwell temperature: 0 (page 249)

Air flow: focused (page 249)
Warning!G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pages
and in the “COMAND automatic climate
control” section (
page 244). Otherwise
the windows could fog up, impairing visibili-
ty and endangering you and others.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air pollution)
may require replacement of the filter before its
scheduled interval. A clogged filter will reduce
the air volume to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate the interior
before driving off, see “Summer opening fea-
ture” (
page 376). The automatic climate con-
trol will then adjust the interior temperature to
the set value much faster.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the wind-
shield free of snow, leaves, sticks, and any other
debris.
Do not obstruct air volume by placing objects on
the air volume-through exhaust slots below the
rear window.
FunctionPage
Temperature245
Air distribution246
Air volume246
Switching off cooling (“ACOFF”)247
Central climate control (“Mono”)248
Footwell temperature249
Air flow from air vents249

458 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL (USA only)
If U is selected on both the left and
right side and there is a high demand for
cooling, the display “MAXCOOL” appears
in the COMAND display.
This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when windows and
tilt/sliding sunroof are closed).
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside (e.g. before driving in a
tunnel). This setting cuts off the intake of
outside air and recirculates the air in the
passenger compartment.
Activating: Press button,
(
page 453) up or down.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Warning!G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before driv-
ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.
iIf the rear window defroster switches off too
soon and the indicator lamp goes out, this indi-
cates that too many electrical consumers are op-
erating simultaneously and the load on the
battery is reducing available voltage. The system
responds automatically by deactivating the rear
window defroster.
iMaximum cooling MAXCOOL is only avail-
able when the engine is running.
Warning!G
Fogged windows impair visibility, endanger-
ing you and others. If the windows begin to
fog on the inside, switching off the air
recirculation mode immediately should clear
interior window fogging. If interior window
fogging persists, make sure the air
conditioning (
page 247) is activated, or
press button;.
iThe air recirculation mode is activated auto-
matically at high outside temperatures.
The indicator lamp on button, is not lit when
the air recirculation mode is automatically acti-
vated.
A quantity of outside air is added when the cool-
ing demand is not at maximum.
If the air conditioning has been turned off
(
page 247) or the outside temperature is be-
low 41°F (5°C), the air recirculation mode will
not switch on automatically.