2007 MERCEDES-BENZ R500 octane

13 Introduction
Operator’s Manual
Change of address or ownership
If you change your address, be sure to
send in the “Change of Address Notice”
found in the Service and Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet, or simply call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes, or Customer Ser-
vice (in Canada) at 1-800-387-0100. It is in
your own interest that we can contact you
should the need arise.
If you sell your Mercedes, please leave all
literature with the vehicle to make it avail-
able to the next operator.
If you bought this vehicle used, be sure to
send in the “Notice of Purchase of Used
Truck” found in the Service and Warranty
Information Booklet, or call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Cen-
ter (in the USA) at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes,
or Customer Service (in Canada) at
1-800-387-0100.Operating your vehicle outside the USA
or Canada
If you plan to operate your vehicle in for-
eign countries, please be aware that:

service facilities or replacement parts
may not be readily available,

unleaded gasoline for vehicles with cat-
alytic converters may not be available;
the use of leaded fuels will damage the
catalysts,

gasoline may have a considerably low-
er octane rating, and improper fuel can
cause engine damage.

361 Operation
At the gas station
Open the fuel filler flap completely.
Turn the fuel cap to the counterclock-
wise and hold on to it until possible
pressure is released.
Take off the fuel cap.
To prevent fuel vapors from escaping
into open air, fully insert filler nozzle
unit.
Only fill your tank until the filler nozzle
unit cuts out – do not top up or overfill.
Replace the fuel cap by turning it clock-
wise until it audibly engages.
Close the fuel filler flap.
You should hear the latch close shut.
!The fuel filler cap is tethered to the fuel filler
neck. Do not drop the cap. It could damage the
vehicle paint finish.
Warning!G
Overfilling of the fuel tank may create pres-
sure in the system which could cause a gas
discharge. This could cause the gas to spray
back out when removing the fuel pump
nozzle, which could cause personal injury.
iLeaving the engine running and the fuel cap
open can cause the yellow fuel tank reserve
warning lamp to flash and the? malfunction
indicator lamp (USA only) or the± malfunc-
tion indicator lamp (Canada only) comes on.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 424).
iGasoline engine:
Only use premium unleaded gasoline with a min-
imum Posted Octane Rating of 91 (average of
96 RON/86 MON). Information on gasoline
quality can normally be found on the fuel pump.
For more information on gasoline, see see “Pre-
mium unleaded gasoline (gasoline engine)”
(
page 541), see “Fuel requirements”
(
page 542), and the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet.
iDiesel engine:
Only use commercially available vehicular diesel
fuels No. 2 or No. 1 (ASTM D975 No. 2-D or
No. 1-D). Information on diesel quality can
normally be found on the fuel pump.
The sulfur content in diesel fuel should not
exceed 50 parts per million (ppm). When using
diesel fuel with a sulfur content of above
300 ppm, the engine oil interval should be
shortened.
For more information on diesel fuels, refer to the
Factory Approved Service Products pamphlet or
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
!Diesel engine:
The engine is more susceptible to wear and
damage if you use

marine diesel fuel

heating oil

additives
The use of such non-approved fuels and/or
special additives is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

530 Technical data
Engine
ModelR 320 CDI (251.122)1R 350 (251.165)1
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and special
equipment.
Engine642272
Mode of operationDiesel 4-stroke engine4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders66
Bore3.27 in (83.00 mm)3.66 in (92.90 mm)
Stroke3.62 in (92.00 mm)3.39 in (86.00 mm)
Total piston displacement182 cu in (2 987 cm3)213cuin (3498cm3)
Compression ratio16.5:110.7:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349221 hp/3 800 rpm
(165 kW/3 800 rpm)268 hp/6 000 rpm2
(200 kW/6 000 rpm)
2Premium fuel required. Performance may vary with fuel octane rating.
Maximum torque acc. to SAE J 1349398 lb-ft/1 600 - 2 400 rpm
(540 Nm/1 600 - 2 400 rpm)258 lb-ft/2 400 - 5 000 rpm
(350 Nm/2 400 - 5 000 rpm)
Maximum engine speed4 500 rpm6500 rpm
Firing order1-4-2-5-3-61-4-3-6-2-5
Poly-V-belt2 035 mm2404 mm

531 Technical data
Engine
ModelR 500 (251.175)1
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and special
equipment.
R 63 AMG (251.177)1
Engine113156
Mode of operation4-stroke engine, gasoline injection4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders88
Bore3.82 in (97.00 mm)4.02 in (102.20 mm)
Stroke3.31 in (84.00 mm)3.72 in (94.60 mm)
Total piston displacement303 cu in (4 966 cm3)379 cu in (6 208 cm3)
Compression ratio10:111.3:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349302 hp/5 600 rpm2
(225 kW/5 600 rpm)
2Premium fuel required. Performance may vary with fuel octane rating.
503 hp/6 800 rpm2
(375 kW/6 800 rpm)
Maximum torque acc. to SAE J 1349339 lb-ft/2 700 - 4 750 rpm
(460 Nm/2 700 - 4 750 rpm)465 lb-ft/5 200 rpm
(630 Nm/5 200 rpm)
Maximum engine speed6300 rpm7 200 rpm
Firing order1-5-4-2-6-3-7-81-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
Poly-V-belt2370 mm2369 mm

539 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
ModelCapacityFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Power steeringapprox. 1.3 US qt (1.2 l)MB Power Steering Fluid
Front wheel hubsapprox. 1.5 oz (43 g) eachHigh temperature roller bearing grease
Brake systemMB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)
Cooling systemR320CDI
R350
R500
R63AMG10.0 US qt (9.5 l)
10.0 US qt (9.5 l)
11.1 US qt (10.5 l)
12.2 US qt (11.5 l)MB Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
Fuel Tank
including a reserve of
All, except R 63 AMG
R63AMG
21.1 US gal (80.0 l)
approx. 3.4 US gal (13.0 l)
approx. 4.0 US gal (15.0 l)Premium unleaded gasoline:
Minimum Posted Octane 91
(Avg.of96RON/86MON)
Air conditioning systemR-134a refrigerant and special PAG lubricant
oil (never R-12)
Windshield washer and
headlamp cleaning*
system8.0 US qt (7.6 l)MB Windshield Washer Concentrate1
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available
premixed windshield washer solvent/antifreeze for temperatures below freezing. Follow suggested mixing ratios (page 546).

541 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Brake fluid
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center will provide you with additional
information.Premium unleaded gasoline
(gasoline engine)
Warning!G
During vehicle operation, the boiling point of
the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from the
atmosphere. Under extremely strenuous
operating conditions, this moisture content
can lead to the formation of bubbles in the
system, thus reducing the system’s
efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be
replaced regularly. Refer to your vehicle’s
Maintenance Booklet for replacement
interval.
Warning!G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
injury.
Never allow sparks, flame or smoking mate-
rials near gasoline!
Turn off the engine before refueling.
Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid in-
haling fumes and skin or clothing contact,
extinguish all smoking materials.
Direct skin contact with gasoline and the in-
halation of gasoline vapors are damaging to
your health.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and per-
formance, premium unleaded gasoline must be
used. If premium unleaded is not available and
low octane fuel is used, follow these precau-
tions:

Have the fuel tank only partially filled with
unleaded regular and fill up with premium
unleaded as soon as possible.

Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt acceler-
ation.

Do not exceed an engine speed of 3000 rpm
if the vehicle is loaded with a light load such
as two persons and no luggage.

Do not exceed2/3of maximum accelerator
pedal position if the vehicle is fully loaded or
operating in mountainous terrain.

542 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Gasoline additives (gasoline engine)
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build-up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives carbon deposits
can build up, especially on the intake
valves and in the combustion area, leading
to engine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation

Unstable idle

Knocking/pinging

Misfire

Power lossIn areas where carbon deposits may be
encountered due to lack of availability of
gasolines which contain these additives,
Mercedes-Benz recommends the use of
additives approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Refer to Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet for a
listing of approved product(s). Follow
directions on product label.
Do not blend other specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
costs and may be harmful to the engine
operation.
Damage or malfunction resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending addition-
al fuel additives other than those tested
and approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles listed in the Fac-
tory Approved Service Products pamphlet
are not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Fuel requirements
Gasoline engine
Only use premium unleaded fuel.

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M) /2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not
exceed 10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.

554 Index
Fog lamp, Front see Corner-illuminating
front fog lamps*
Fog lamp, Rear 150
Messages in the multifunction
display 466
Replacing bulbs 484
4-ETS 106
Front air bags 77
Front defroster 224, 239
Front lamps see Headlamps
Front passenger front
air bag 77, 88, 93, 431
Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp 31, 77, 88, 93, 431
Front seat head restraints see
Head restraints
Front towing eye 518
FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles) 407
Fuel 360, 539, 541
Additives 542
Capacities, Fuel tank 539Consumption statistics 191
Filling the tank 360
Fuel filler flap and cap 360
Fuel gauge 29
Fuel reserve warning lamp 29, 430
Premium unleaded gasoline 360,
541, 542
Requirements, Octane rating 542
Fuel cap
Messages in the multifunction
display 460
Fuel filler flap 360
Locking/unlocking 360
Opening 360
Opening in an emergency 479
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. 538
Fuses 520
Fuse box, Cargo compartment 521
Fuse box, Engine compartment 521
Fuse box, Passenger
compartment 522
Fuse chart 472, 520
Fuse extractor 472, 520
Replacing 520
Spare fuses 472, 520G
Garage door opener* 337
Gasoline see Fuel
GAWR 401
Gear range
Automatic transmission 205
Limiting 205
Shifting into optimal 208
Gear selector lever 25, 54, 197
Gearshift pattern 54, 197
Message in the display 443
Messages in the multifunction
display 443
Position 200
Shifting procedure 200
Transmission position 201
Global locking/unlocking see
Key, SmartKey
Glove box 311
Good visibility 212