Page 453 of 522

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.
Page 462 of 522

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.
Page 463 of 522

462 Practical hintsBattery
Remove SmartKey from starter switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Press the start/stop button until
the engine shuts off.
Open the driver’s door.
Open the trunk.
Read and observe safety instructions
and precautions (
page 331) and
(
page 460).
Remove the luggage box (
page 433).
Disconnect the negative lead from neg-
ative terminal2 (
page 460).
Remove cover1 (
page 460) from
the positive terminal.
Disconnect the positive lead.
Removing the battery
Remove the screw-nuts securing the
battery.
Remove the battery bracket3
(page 460).
Pull out the battery ventilation hose4
(page 460) from the battery (de-
pending on battery arrangement in
your vehicle model, the ventilation
hose is located either on the left or
right side of the battery).
Take out the battery.
Charging and reinstalling the batteryWarning!
G
Never charge a battery while still installed in
the vehicle unless the accessory battery
charge unit* approved by Mercedes-Benz is
being used. Gases may escape during charg-
ing and cause explosions that may result in
paint damage, corrosion or personal injury.
An accessory battery charge unit* specially
adapted for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and
tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz is
available, permitting the charging of the bat-
tery in its installed position. Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
information and availability. Charge battery
in accordance with the separate instruc-
tions for the accessory battery charger.
Page 468 of 522

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).
Page 514 of 522

513 Index
Power tilt/sliding sunroof*
Opening/closing 242
Opening/closing in an
emergency 439
Stopping 244
Synchronizing 244
Power washer 370
Power windows 237
Cleaning 374
Operating 237
Rear door window, Blocking
operation 95
Synchronizing 239
Practical hints 380
PRE-SAFE
®
Messages in display 398, 407
Problems
While driving 60
With vehicle 17
Product information 9
Production options weight 361
Program mode see Automatic transmis-
sion, Automatic shift program
Program mode selector switch
Automatic shift program 190
PSI 361Push-start see Tow-start
R
Radio
Selecting stations 161
Selecting stations (satellite*) 161
Radio transmitters 318
Reading lamp, front 146
Reading lamp, rear 147
Rear bench seat*, foldable 276
Rear door ashtray see Ashtray
Rear door window
Blocking operation 95
Rear fog lamp see Fog lamps 141
Rear lamps see Tail lamps
Rear seat head restraints see Head re-
straints
Rear view mirrors see Mirrors
Rear window defroster 203
Rear window sunshade* 202
Recommended tire inflation
pressure 361
Recovery services, Stolen vehicle
(Tele Aid) 301
Refrigerant, Air conditioning 495
Refueling 321
Regular checks 323Reminder, Seat belt see Seat belts,
Telltale 388
Remote control see Key, SmartKey
Remote door unlock (Tele Aid) 300
Replacing bulbs
Additional turn signals 448
Brake lamps 446
Headlamps 446
High beam headlamps 444
High mounted brake lamp 445
License plate lamps 445, 449
Low beam headlamps 444, 446
Parking lamps 445, 448
Side marker lamps 443
Side marker lamps, front 448
Tail lamps 445, 448
Turn signal lamps 443, 444, 447
Reporting safety defects 18
Research Octane Number see RON
Reserve fuel
Message in display 419
Reset button, In instrument cluster 148,
166
Reset tool
Depository 440