515 Practical hints
Jump starting
The jump-start contacts are located in the
engine compartment.
1Negative (-) terminal
2Positive (+) terminal
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Apply parking brake.
Set automatic transmission to
positionP.
Open the hood (page 364).
Open cover of positive terminal 2.1Negative terminal of discharged
battery
2Positive terminal of discharged battery
3Negative terminal of charged battery
4Positive terminal of charged battery
Warning!G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries.
517 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the
vehicle be transported with all wheels off
the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment. This method is
preferable to other types of towing.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the
vehicle may be towed with all wheels on
the ground only so far as necessary to have
the vehicle moved to a safe location where
the recommended towing methods can be
employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equipment,
with the 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.
Use the towing eyes.
Switch off the ESP
® (page 104) and the
automatic central locking (
page 130).
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!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 vehicles 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 power
supply or in the vehicle’s electrical
system
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make sure the starter switch is
in position2 (
page 39).
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
vehicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, the automatic transmission must be
in positionN and the starter switch must be in
position2 (
page 39).
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground, 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).
Keep in mind that it is important for the
SmartKey to be in the respective starter switch
positions as described above. As soon as the
SmartKey is removed from the starter switch or
the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is removed
from the vehicle, the automatic transmission will
shift to park positionP, see “Starter switch posi-
tions” (
page 39).
518 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolt
Depending on whether you are towing a
vehicle or you are being towed, the towing
eye bolt can be screwed into threaded
holes which are located behind covers on
the right-hand side of each bumper.
Example illustration R 500
1Towing eye cover
Example illustration R 500
1Towing eye cover
!Towing of the vehicle should only be done
using the towing eye. Never attach tow cable,
tow rope or tow rod to vehicle chassis, frame or
suspension parts.
iWhen towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, note the following:
With the automatic central locking activated and
the ignition in position2 (
page 39), the vehicle
doors lock if the left front wheel is turning at a
speed of approx. 9 mph (15 km / h) or above.
To prevent the vehicle doors from locking,
deactivate the automatic central locking
(
page 130).
iTo signal turns while being towed with
hazard warning flasher in use, set the starter
switch to position2 and activate combination
switch for left or right turn signal in usual manner
– only the selected turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the hazard warn-
ing flasher will operate again.
iIf the battery is disconnected or discharged,
the automatic transmission will remain locked in
positionP and the SmartKey will not turn in the
starter switch. For more information, see “Bat-
tery” (
page 506) and “Jump starting”
(
page 514).
Warning!G
In order to avoid possible serious burns or
injury, use extreme caution when removing
the cover, because the rear exhaust pipe is
extremely hot.
520 Practical hints
Fuses
The electrical fuses in your vehicle serve to
switch off malfunctioning power circuits.
If a fuse is blown, the components and
systems secured by that fuse will stop
operating.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. They are included with the
vehicle tool kit (
page 473):
Fuse chart
The fuse chart explains the fuse alloca-
tion and fuse amperages.
Spare fuses
Fuse extractor
The electrical fuses are located in different
fuse boxes:
on the passenger side of the engine
compartment (
page 521)
in the cargo compartment
(
page 521)
in the passenger compartment
(
page 522)Before replacing fuses:
Apply the parking brake (page 66).
Make sure automatic transmission is
set to position P (
page 199).
The gear position indicator in the
multifunction display should be on
P.
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Turn off the engine (page 67).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Open the driver’s door (this puts
the starter switch to position0,
same as with the SmartKey re-
moved from starter switch). The
driver’s door can then be closed
again.
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
approved 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 Light Truck
Center
iA 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 Light Truck Center will be
glad to advise you on this subject.
538 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore use only
products tested and approved by
Mercedes Benz.
Please refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet, or inquire at
your Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Warning!G
Comply with all valid regulations with re-
spect to handling, storing and disposing of
service fluids. Otherwise you could endan-
ger persons or the environment.
Keep service fluids out of the reach of chil-
dren.
If a service fluid is swallowed, contact a phy-
sician immediately.
ModelCapacityFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filterR320CDI
R350
R500
R63AMG9.5 US qt (9.0 l)
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
10.1 US qt (9.6 l)Approved engine oils
Automatic transmission9.5 US qt (9.0 l)MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
Transfer case0.53 US qt (0.5 l)MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
Rear axle1.2 US qt (1.1 l)Hypoid gear oil
Front axle1.2 US qt (1.1 l)Hypoid gear oil
547 Index
A
ABS 100
Indicator lamp 420
Messages in the multifunction
display 435
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 203
Accessory weight 401
Accident 64
Active head restraint 83, 137, 482
Air bags 74
Children 75, 86
Front, Driver 77
Front, Passenger 77
Messages in the multifunction
display 445–448
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) 88
Safety guidelines 76
Side impact 78
Window curtain 78
Air conditioning, Cooling 228, 243
Air conditioning refrigerant 540Air conditioning system see
Climate control or
Automatic climate control (3-zone)*
Air distribution 223, 238
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air pressure, Tires 401
Air pump, Electric 502
Air recirculation mode 226, 240
Air vents, Front 218, 224, 232, 238
Air vents, Rear 230, 245, 249
Air volume 224, 239
AIRMATIC* 285
Messages in the multifunction
display 470
Alarm system see Anti-theft systems
Alignment bolt (vehicle tool kit) 472, 500
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 543, 546
Antiglare, Interior rear view mirror 212
Antiglare, Auto-dimming rear view
mirrors* 213
Anti-theft systems 107
Anti-theft alarm system 107
Immobilizer 107Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning
Arm rests, Second-row 141
Armrest storage compartments
Front 313
Rear* 314
Ashtrays* 319
Aspect ratio 401
ATF 370
AUDIO menu 171
CD operation 172
Radio operation 171
Satellite radio* operation 172
Audio search function 188
Auto-dimming*, Rear view mirrors 213
Automatic antiglare for rear view
mirrors* 213
Automatic central locking, Control
system 189
548 Index
Automatic climate control (3-zone)* 232
Air conditioning, Cooling 243
Air conditioning refrigerant 540
Air distribution 238
Air recirculation mode 240
Air vents, Front 232, 238
Air vents, Rear 245, 249
Air volume 239
Control panel, Front 234
Control panel, Rear 245
Deactivating system 236
Defogging 240
Defrosting 239
Maximum cooling, MAX COOL 240
Rear passenger compartment 245
Residual heat utilization (REST) 244
Automatic headlamp mode 147
Automatic lighting control, Interior
lighting 154
Automatic locking when driving 130
Automatic shift program 206Automatic transmission 197
Accelerator position 203
Automatic shift program 206
Emergency operation
(limp-home mode) 211
Gear ranges 205
Gear selector lever 54, 197
Gear shifting malfunctions 211
Hill start assist system 204
Kickdown 203
Kickdown, manual shift program
(R 63 AMG only) 211
Manual shift program
(R 63 AMG only) 209
Program mode selector switch 206
Shifting procedure 200
Starting the engine 54
Steering wheel gearshift control 207
Transmission fluid level 370
Transmission positions 201
Automatic transmission fluid see ATF
AUX-socket 311B
Backrest
Seat 44
Seat, Lumbar support 136
Seat, Multicontour* 136
Backup lamps
Messages in the multifunction
display 463–468
Replacing bulbs 484
Bar 401
BAS 102
Lamps in instrument cluster 420
Messages in the multifunction
display 435
Batteries, SmartKey
Check lamp 112, 116
Checking battery condition 115, 120
Battery, Vehicle 506
Charging 513
Disconnecting and connecting 508
Jump starting 514
Removing and installing 508
Bead 401
553 Index
Emission control 358
Information label 527
System warranties 10
Vacuum routing diagram label 527
Engine
Belt layout 528
Break-in recommendations 346
Cleaning 412
Compartment 364
Malfunction indicator lamp 29, 423
Maximum engine speed 157, 530
Number 527
Starting 54
Tachometer 29, 157
Technical data 530
Turning off 67
Engine coolant see CoolantEngine oil 366, 540
Adding 369, 540
Additives 540
Changing 369, 540
Checking level 366
Checking level, Control system 366
Checking level, Dipstick 368
Consumption 366
Filler neck 369
Messages in the multifunction
display 366, 367, 458
Recommended engine oils and
filters 540
ESP
®102
Messages in the multifunction
display 441–442
Warning lamp 27, 425
ETD 82
Safety guidelines 76
Extending cargo compartment 301
Exterior rear view mirrors 48, 212
Power folding* 214
Synchronizing 214F
Fastening the seat belts 51
Filler neck, Engine oil 369
First aid kit 472
Flat tire 497
Collapsible tire 475, 500, 534
Jacking up the vehicle 498
Lowering the vehicle 503
Mounting the spare wheel 500
Preparing the vehicle 498
Spare wheel 475, 500, 534
Floormats 343
Fluids
Automatic transmission fluid 370,
538
Brake fluid 362, 538, 541
Capacities 538
Engine coolant 362, 370, 539, 543
Engine oil 366, 538, 540
Power steering fluid 538
Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning* system 372, 539