Contents
At the gas station .............................. 321
Refueling ...................................... 321
Check regularly and before a
long trip........................................ 322
Engine compartment ......................... 324
Hood ............................................ 324
Engine oil ..................................... 326
Transmission fluid level ................ 328
Coolant level ................................ 329
Battery ......................................... 330
Windshield/rear window washer
system and headlamp cleaning
system* ....................................... 331
Tires and wheels ................................ 332
Important guidelines .................... 332
Tire care and maintenance........... 333
Direction of rotation ..................... 335
Loading the vehicle ...................... 335
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 340
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 341
Tire labeling.................................. 349
Load identification ....................... 353
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 353
Maximum tire load ....................... 355Maximum tire inflation pressure ... 355
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) .............. 356
Tire ply material ............................ 358
Tire and loading terminology......... 358
Rotating tires ................................ 361
Winter driving ..................................... 363
Winter tires ................................... 363
Block heater* (Canada only) ......... 364
Snow chains.................................. 364
Maintenance....................................... 365
Maintenance service indicator
message ....................................... 365
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display ............... 367
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator ........................... 367
Vehicle care........................................ 368
Cleaning and care of vehicle ......... 368
Practical hints.................................. 377
What to do if … ................................... 378
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 378
Lamp in center console ................ 391
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display .................... 394
Where will I find ...? ............................ 430
First aid kit.................................... 430
Vehicle tool kit, jack and spare
wheel ............................................ 430
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 435
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 435
Locking the vehicle ....................... 436
Manually unlocking the gear
selector lever ................................ 437
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 438
Power tilt/sliding sunroof ............. 438
Resetting activated head restraints.... 439
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 440
SmartKey/SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* ............................... 440
Replacing bulbs .................................. 442
Bulbs............................................. 442
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 444
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 447
ContentsReplacing wiper blades ...................... 448
Placing front wiper arms in
vertical position ............................ 448
Removing front wiper blades ........ 449
Installing front wiper blades ......... 449
Removing rear wiper blade ........... 449
Installing rear wiper blade ............ 450
Flat tire .............................................. 451
Preparing the vehicle.................... 451
Sealing tires with TIREFIT ............. 451
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 456
Battery ............................................... 462
Disconnecting the battery ............ 464
Removing the battery ................... 464
Charging and reinstalling the
battery.......................................... 465
Reconnecting the battery ............. 465
Jump starting ..................................... 466
Towing the vehicle ............................. 468
Installing towing eye bolt.............. 470
Fuses ................................................. 471
Fuse box in passenger
compartment................................ 472
Fuse box in cargo compartment ... 472
Technical data................................. 473
Parts service ...................................... 474
Warranty coverage............................. 475
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ..................... 475
Identification labels ........................... 476
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 478
E 350 4MATIC .............................. 478
E 63 AMG ..................................... 478
Engine................................................ 479
Rims and tires.................................... 480
Same size tires ............................. 481
Mixed size tires ............................ 482
Spare wheel ................................. 483
Electrical system ............................... 484
Main dimensions and weight ............. 485
Main dimensions .......................... 485
Weight .......................................... 485Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. .......... 486
Capacities .................................... 486
Engine oils ................................... 489
Engine oil additives ...................... 489
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 489
Brake fluid.................................... 489
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 490
Fuel requirements ........................ 490
Gasoline additives ........................ 491
Coolants ...................................... 491
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*......... 494
Index................................................. 495
23 At a glance
Exterior view
Item
Page
1
Tailgate
Unlocking
121
Opening and closing
121,
123
Spare wheel
433
Vehicle tool kit
431
2
Rear lamps
443
3
Rear window, defrosting
204
4
Fuel filler flap
321
Gasoline
490
5
Doors
Locking and unlocking
110
Opening and closing
120
Item
Page
6
Towing eye bolt
470
General information
468
7
Rims and tires
480
Checking tire inflation
pressure
341
Spare wheel
433
Flat tire
451
8
Front lamps
442
9
Hood, opening
324
Engine oil
326
Coolant
329
Item
Page
a
Windshield wipers
57
Wiper blades, replacing
448
Wiper blades, cleaning
372
b
Window, cleaning
372
c
Roof
Power tilt/sliding sun-
roof
243
d
Exterior rear view mirror
47
Parking position
140
e
Headlamp cleaning system*
200
102 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsSwitching off the ESP
®
Switching off the ESP
®
(except E 63 AMG)
To improve the vehicle’s traction, switch
off the ESP
® in driving situations where it
would be advantageous to have drive
wheels spin and thus cut into surfaces for
better grip such as:
when driving with snow chains
in deep snow
in sand or gravelWhen you switch off the ESP
®
the ESP
® does not stabilize the vehicle
the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip
the traction control will still apply the
brakes to a spinning wheel
the ESP
® continues to operate when
you are braking
you cannot activate the cruise control
or the Distronic*
the cruise control or Distronic* switch
off if currently activatedThe switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1ESP
® switch
With the engine running, press ESP
®
switch1 until the ESP
® warning
lampv in the instrument cluster
comes on.
The ESP
® is switched off.
Warning!
G
The ESP
® should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in driving
maneuvers.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a spare
wheel is mounted.
Warning!
G
Switch on the ESP
® immediately if the afore-
mentioned circumstances do not apply any-
more. Otherwise the ESP
® will not stabilize
the vehicle when it is starting to skid or a
wheel is spinning.
i
When the ESP
® is switched off and one or
more drive wheels are spinning, the ESP
® warn-
ing lamp v in the instrument cluster flashes.
However, the ESP
® will then not stabilize the ve-
hicle.
103 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Switching off the ESP
® (E 63 AMG only)When you switch off the ESP
®
the ESP
® does not stabilize the vehicle
the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin
the traction control will still apply the
brakes to a spinning wheel
the ESP
® operates while you are brak-
ing
you cannot activate the cruise control
or the Distronic*
the cruise control or Distronic* switch
off if currently activated
Warning!
G
When the ESP
® warning lamp v is
illuminated continuously, the ESP
® is
switched off or is not operational due to a
malfunction. Vehicle stability in standard
driving maneuvers is reduced.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP
®.
!
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an ex-
tended period with the ESP
® switched off. This
may cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
The ESP
® should not be switched off during
normal driving. Disabling of the system will
result in the following:
no restriction to engine torque
loss of system supported traction
control
“ESP® O F F ” i s d e s i g n e d f or driving on closed
tracks when the vehicle’s natural oversteer
and understeer characteristics are desired
and requires a highly skilled and experi-
enced driver able to handle these critical
driving situations.
You could lose control of your vehicle and
cause an accident.
Please be aware of these limits when you
switch off the ESP
®.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a spare
wheel is mounted.
i
When the ESP
® is switched off and one or
more drive wheels are spinning, the ESP
® warn-
ing lamp v in the instrument cluster flashes.
However, the ESP
® will then not stabilize the ve-
hicle.
333 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire care and maintenance
Regularly check your tire inflation pressure
at least once a month. For more informa-
tion on checking tire inflation pressure,
see “Recommended tire inflation pres-
sure” (
page 340).Tire inspection
Every time you check your tire inflation
pressure, you should also inspect your
tires for the following:
excessive treadwear (
page 334)
cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber
bumps, bulges, cuts, cracks or splits in
the tread or side of the tire
Replace the tire if you find any of the above
conditions.
Make sure you also inspect the spare tire
periodically for condition and inflation.
Spare tires will age and become worn over
time even if never used, and thus should be
inspected and replaced when necessary.Life of tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:
Driving style
Tire inflation pressure
Distance driven
Warning!
G
Regularly check the tires for damage. Dam-
aged tires can cause tire inflation pressure
loss. As a result, you could lose control of
your vehicle.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
Warning!
G
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after
6 years, regardless of the remaining tread.
335 Operation
Tires and wheels
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advan-
tages, such as better hydroplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
make sure the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the
intended direction of rotation (spinning) of
the tire.
Loading the vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much
weight it may properly carry.
1) The Tire and Loading Information
placard can be found on the driver’s
door B-pillar. This placard tells you im-
portant information about the number
of people that can be in the vehicle and
the total weight that can be carried in
the vehicle. It also contains information
on the proper size and recommended
tire inflation pressures for the original
equipment tires on your vehicle.
2) The certification label, also found on
the driver’s door B-pillar tells you about
the gross weight capacity of your vehi-
cle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
fuel and cargo. The certification label
also tells you about the front and rear
axle weight capacity, called the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).The GAWR is the total allowable weight
that can be carried by a single axle
(front or rear). Never exceed the GVWR
or GAWR for either the front axle or
rear axle.
1Driver’s door B-pillar
Following is a discussion on how to work
with the information contained on the two
placards with regards to loading your vehi-
cle.
i
Spare wheels may be mounted against the
direction of rotation (spinning) even with a unidi-
rectional tire for temporary use only until the reg-
ular drive wheel has been repaired or replaced.
Always observe and follow applicable temporary
use restrictions and speed limitations indicated
on the spare wheel.
343 Operation
Tires and wheels
Reactivating the Run Flat Indicator
The tire inflation pressure monitor must be
reactivated in the following situations:
If you have changed the tire inflation
pressure
If you have replaced the wheels or tires
If you have installed new wheels or
tires
Using the tire placard on the driver’s
door B-pillar or, if available, the inside
of the fuel filler flap, make sure the tire
inflation pressure of all four tires is cor-
rect.
Warning!
G
When the multifunction display shows the
message
Tire pressure Check tires
,
one or more of your tires is significantly un-
derinflated. You should stop and check your
tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper tire inflation pressure as indicat-
ed on the vehicle’s tire information placard.
Driving on a significantly underinflated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Underinflation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Each tire, including the spare, should be
checked monthly when cold and set to the
recommended tire inflation pressure as
specified in the vehicle placard and owner’s
manual.
i
The recommended tire inflation pressures
for your vehicle can be found on the tire placard
located on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 335). The tire inflation pressures are
not listed in the owner’s manual.
Warning!
G
The Run Flat Indicator does not provide a
warning for wrongly selected tire inflation
pressures. Always adjust tire inflation pres-
sure according to the placard on the driver’s
door B-pillar or fuel filler flap.
The Run Flat Indicator does not replace reg-
ular checks of the tire inflation pressures
since a gradual pressure loss in more than
one tire cannot be detected by the Run Flat
Indicator.
The Run Flat Indicator is not able to issue a
warning due to a sudden dramatic loss of
tire inflation pressure (e.g. tire blowout
caused by a foreign object). In this case
bring the vehicle to a halt by carefully apply-
ing the brakes and avoiding abrupt steering
maneuvers.
Warning!
G
The Run Flat Indicator can only warn you in
a reliable manner if you have set the correct
tire inflation pressures for each tire.
If an incorrect tire inflation pressure was
set, the system will monitor the pressure ac-
cording to the incorrect value.