2007 MERCEDES-BENZ E550 4MATIC brake

446 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsHave the LEDs and bulbs for the following
lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center:

Additional turn signals in the exterior
rear view mirrors


High mounted brake lamp


Bi-Xenon* lamps


Front fog lamps


Rear lamps (except license plate
lamps)


Front side marker lamps
Replacing bulbs for front lamps
1Housing cover for low beam halogen or
Bi-Xenon* headlamp2Bulb socket for high beam head-
lamp/high beam flasher bulb
3Bulb socket for parking and standing
lamp bulb
4Bulb socket for low beam headlamp
bulb (halogen headlamps only)
5Bulb socket for turn signal lamp bulb
Before you start to replace a bulb for a
front lamp, do the following first:

Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionM (
page 137).

Open the hood (
page 325).
!
Do not replace the LEDs yourself. You could
otherwise damage the LEDs or parts of the vehi-
cle. Only have the LEDs replaced by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Do not remove the cover1 for the
Bi-Xenon* headlamp. Because of high volt-
age in Bi-Xenon* lamps, it is dangerous to
replace the bulb or repair the lamp and its
components. We recommend that you have
such work done by a qualified technician.

452 Practical hintsFlat tirePreparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle in a safe distance from
moving traffic on a hard, flat surface
when possible.

Turn on the hazard warning flasher
(page 144).

Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead po-
sition.

Set the parking brake (
page 62).

Move the gear selector lever toP.
Vehicles with SmartKey:

Turn off the engine (
page 63).

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.Vehicles with SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*:

Turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button on the
gear selector lever once (
page 64).

Open the driver’s door (this puts the ig-
nition in position0, same as with the
SmartKey removed from the starter
switch). The driver’s door then can be
closed again.

Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Mounting the spare wheel
i
Open door only when conditions are safe to
do so.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the spare wheel
(Minispare or collapsible tire) are different
from those of the road wheels. As a result,
the vehicle handling characteristics change
when driving with a spare wheel mounted.
Adapt your driving style accordingly.
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with spare wheel mounted,
ensure proper tire pressure and do not ex-
ceed a vehicle speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible to have the spare wheel
replaced with a regular road wheel.
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a
Minispare or collapsible tire is mounted.

453 Practical hints
Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Prepare the vehicle as described
(page 452).
Vehicles with Minispare wheel
(except E 63 AMG):

Take the Minispare wheel, wheel
wrench and the jack out of the trunk
(page 432).
Vehicles with collapsible tire
(E 63 AMG only):

Take the collapsible tire, wheel wrench,
jack and electric air pump out of the
trunk (
page 432).Lifting the vehicle

Prevent the vehicle from rolling away
by blocking wheels with wheel chocks
or other sizeable objects.
One wheel chock is included with the
vehicle tool kit (
page 434).
When changing wheel on a level surface:

Place the wheel chock in front of and
another sizeable object behind the
wheel that is diagonally opposite to the
wheel being changed.
Always try lifting the vehicle using the jack
on a level surface. However, should
circumstances require you to do so on a
hill, place the wheel chock and the other
sizeable object as follows:

Place the wheel chock and another
sizeable object on the downhill side
blocking both wheels of the axle not
being worked on.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack take-up brackets
built into either side of the vehicle. To help
avoid personal injury, use the jack only to lift
the vehicle during a wheel change. Never
get beneath the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack. Keep hands and feet away from
the area under the lifted vehicle. Always
firmly set parking brake and block wheels
before raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
always vertical (plumb line) when in use, es-
pecially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. Be sure that the jack arm is
fully seated in the jack take-up bracket. Al-
ways lower the vehicle onto sufficient ca-
pacity jackstands before working under the
vehicle.


461 Practical hints
Battery
Disconnecting the battery
Apply the parking brake (
page 62).

Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to positionP.

Turn off all electrical consumers.
!
As with any other battery, disconnect the
battery if you do not intend to operate your vehi-
cle for an extended period of time to prevent bat-
tery discharge or connect an accessory battery
charge unit expressly approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model to main-
tain the battery charge. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for further information.
The battery, the battery ventilation hose and the
lateral plug must always be securely installed
when the vehicle is in operation.
!
Never loosen or detach battery terminal
clamps while the engine is running or the
SmartKey is in the starter switch. Otherwise the
alternator and other electronic components
could be severely damaged.
Have the battery checked regularly by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Refer to Maintenance Booklet for maintenance
intervals or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for further information.
Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof batteries only to avoid the
risk of acid burns in the event of an acci-
dent.
Warning!
G
With a disconnected battery

you will no longer be able to turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch and
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button on the gear selector lever will
have no effect


the gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP
!
Always disconnect the battery in the order
described below. Otherwise the vehicle’s
electronics can be damaged.


465 Practical hints
Jump starting
The battery is located in the trunk under-
neath the luggage box (
page 433). Only
jump start the vehicle from the battery in
the trunk.

Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply the parking brake (
page 62).

Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to positionP.

Open the trunk.1Positive terminal of discharged battery
2Negative terminal of discharged bat-
tery
3Positive terminal of charged battery
4Negative terminal of charged battery

Connect positive terminals1 and3
of the batteries with the jumper cable.
Clamp cable to charged battery3
first.

Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect negative terminals4 and2
of the batteries with the second jumper
cable. Clamp the cable to negative
terminal4 of the charged battery
first.

Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.
You can now turn on the electrical con-
sumers. Do not switch on the headlamps
under any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals2 and4 and then
from positive terminals1 and3.
You can now switch on the headlamps.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 331).
!
Never invert the terminal connections!

466 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleMercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel
lift/dolly equipment. This method is pref-
erable to other types of towing.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the
ground or front wheels raised (except vehi-
cles with 4MATIC) only so far as necessary
to have the vehicle moved to a safe loca-
tion where the recommended towing
methods can be employed.!
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!
Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equipment
with SmartKey in starter switch turned to
position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment. Towing
with sling-type equipment over bumpy roads will
damage radiator and supports.
To prevent damage during transport, do not tie
down vehicle by its chassis or suspension parts.
Switch off the tow-away alarm and the automatic
central locking.
!
Vehicles with 4MATIC:
Do not tow with one axle raised. Doing so could
damage the transfer case, which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
All wheels must be on or off the ground. Observe
instructions for towing the vehicle with all
wheels on the ground.
Warning!
G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:

the engine will not run


there is a malfunction in the brake
system


there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
as that will be necessary to adequately con-
trol the towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain the SmartKey is in
starter switch position2.
If the SmartKey is left in the starter switch
position0 for an extended period of time, it
can no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock, re-
move SmartKey from starter switch and re-
insert.

467 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.!
If the vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised (not permissible for vehicles with
4MATIC), the gear selector lever must be in
positionN and the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1).
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground, the gear selector lever must be in
positionN and the SmartKey must be in starter
switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground or the front axle raised, the vehicle may
be towed only for distances up to 30 miles
(50 km) and at a speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).
!
Towing of the vehicle should only be done
using the properly installed towing eye bolt.
Never attach tow cable, tow rope or tow rod to
the vehicle chassis, frame or suspension parts.
i
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, please note the following:
With the automatic central locking activated and
the SmartKey in starter switch position2, or
KEYLESS-GO
* start/stop button in position2,
the vehicle doors lock if the left front wheel as
well as the right rear wheel are turning at vehicle
speeds of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more.
To prevent the vehicle door locks from locking,
deactivate the automatic central locking
(
page 127).
i
To signal turns while being towed with the
hazard warning flasher in use, turn SmartKey in
starter switch to position2 and activate the
combination switch for the left or right turn sig-
nal in the usual manner – only the selected turn
signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the hazard warn-
ing flasher will operate again.
i
The gear selector lever will remain locked in
positionP and the SmartKey will not turn in the
starter switch if the battery is disconnected or
discharged. For more information see “Batter-
ies” (page 460) or “Jump starting”
(
page 464).
For information on manual unlocking of the gear
selector lever, see (
page 438).

469 Practical hintsFuses
Fuses
The electrical fuses in your vehicle serve to
switch off malfunctioning power circuits.
If a fuse is blown, the components and sys-
tems secured by that fuse will stop operat-
ing.If a newly inserted fuse blows again, have
the cause determined and rectified by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
The following aids are available to help you
replace fuses.


Fuse chart
The fuse chart is located in the fuse box
in the passenger compartment
(page 470). The fuse chart explains
the fuse allocation and fuse amperag-
es.


Spare fuses
Spare fuses are located in the vehicle
tool kit in the trunk (
page 434).


Fuse extractor
The fuse extractor is located in the ve-
hicle tool kit in the trunk (
page 434).The electrical fuses are located in different
fuse boxes:


in the passenger compartment on the
driver’s side (
page 470)


in the trunk (
page 470)
Before replacing fuses:

Apply the parking brake (
page 62).

Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to position P (
page 184).

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Turn off the engine (
page 63).

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Open the driver’s door.
Warning!
G
Only use fuses approved by Mercedes-Benz
with the specified amperage for the system
in question and do not attempt to repair or
bridge a blown fuse. Using other than ap-
proved fuses or using repaired or bridged
fuses may cause an overload leading to a
fire, and/or cause damage to electrical
components and/or systems. Have the
cause determined and remedied by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.i
A blown fuse must be replaced by an appro-
priate spare fuse (recognizable by its color or the
fuse rating given on the fuse) of the amperage
recommended in the fuse chart.
Any Mercedes-Benz Center will be glad to advise
you on this subject.