2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 run flat

Contents
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 320
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 321
Tire ply material ........................... 323
Tire and loading terminology ........ 323
Rotating tires ............................... 326
Winter driving .................................... 328
Winter tires .................................. 328
Block heater* (Canada only) ........ 329
Snow chains................................. 329
Maintenance ...................................... 330
Maintenance service indicator
message....................................... 330
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator........................... 331
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator........................... 332
Vehicle care ....................................... 333
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 333
Practical hints.................................. 343
What to do if … ................................... 344
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 344
Lamp in center console................. 356
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display..................... 358
Where will I find...? ............................. 393
First aid kit .................................... 393
Spare wheel .................................. 393
Vehicle tool kit .............................. 395
Luggage box ................................. 397
Unlocking/locking in an emergency... 398
Unlocking the vehicle.................... 398
Locking the vehicle ....................... 399
Fuel filler flap emergency release . 400
Manually unlocking the gear
selector lever ................................ 400
Resetting activated head restraints .... 401
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 402
Replacing bulbs .................................. 404
Bulbs ............................................. 404
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 407
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 409
Replacing wiper blades....................... 410
Wiper blades ................................. 410Flat tire............................................... 412
Preparing the vehicle .................... 412
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 412
MOExtended system* ................... 419
Battery ............................................... 420
Disconnecting the battery ............ 421
Removing the battery ................... 421
Charging and reinstalling the
battery .......................................... 422
Reconnecting the battery ............. 422
Jump starting...................................... 423
Towing the vehicle.............................. 425
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 426
Fuses.................................................. 428
Fuse box in passenger
compartment ................................ 429
Fuse box in trunk .......................... 429

23 At a glance
Exterior view
ItemPage
1Trunk

Unlocking100

Opening and closing109

Spare wheel393

Vehicle tool kit395
2Rear lamps404
3Rear window, defrosting191
4Fuel filler flap283

Fuel requirements451
5Doors

Locking and unlocking100

Opening and closing108
ItemPage
6Towing eye bolt395

Installing towing eye bolt425
7Rims and tires

Checking tire inflation
pressure303

Flat tire412
8Front lamps404
9Hood, opening286

Engine oil287

Coolant290
aWindshield wipers56

Wiper blades, replacing410

Wiper blades, cleaning338
ItemPage
bWindow, cleaning338
cPower tilt/sliding sunroof210
dExterior rear view mirrors

Adjusting47

Auto-dimming183

Parking position184
eSide marker lamps404

111 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Closing the trunk Closing trunk from the outside
manually
1Handles
Lower trunk lid by pulling firmly on
handles1.
Close trunk with hands placed flat on
trunk lid.
Warning!G
Only drive with the trunk closed as, among
other dangers such as blocked visibility, ex-
haust fumes may enter the vehicle interior.
iDo not place the SmartKey in the open
trunk. You may lock yourself out.
iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the trunk will lock automatically after
closing it. All turn signal lamps flash three times
to confirm locking.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: To prevent a possi-
ble inadvertent lockout, the trunk will open auto-
matically if a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
recognized inside the vehicle or in the trunk.
The vehicle is only locked when the turn signals
flash three times. If you are carrying a second
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO with you, you can
still lock the vehicle.
Warning!G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the trunk
opening when closing the trunk. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

241 Controls in detail
Loading
1Cover
With insert or cup holder removed, fold
cover1 upward.1Hook
2Eye
Connect hook1 to eye2 located in
the front storage compartment in the
rear center console.
Tighten strap by pulling at the loose
end (arrow).Unloading and folding
Loosen both straps.
Disconnect hook1 from eye2.
Unload skis.
Close flap in trunk.
Fold and flatten ski bag lengthwise.
Place folded ski bag inside recess of
backrest.
Fasten hook and loop fastener.
Close ski bag compartment cover.

304 Operation
Tires and wheels
Checking tire inflation pressure
manually
Follow the steps below to achieve correct
tire inflation pressure:
Remove the cap from the valve on one
tire.
Firmly press a tire gauge onto the
valve.
Read tire inflation pressure on tire
gauge and check against the recom-
mended tire inflation pressure on the
Tire and Loading Information placard
on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 296) or, if available, the inside
of the fuel filler flap. If necessary, add
air to achieve the recommended tire
inflation pressure.
Install the valve cap.
Repeat this procedure for each tire.Run Flat Indicator (Canada only)
While the vehicle is being driven, the Run
Flat Indicator monitors the set tire inflation
pressures by evaluating each wheel’s rota-
tional speed. This allows the system to de-
tect a significant loss of pressure in a tire.
If a wheel’s rotational speed changes due
to falling tire inflation pressure, you will
see a corresponding warning message in
the multifunction display.
The Run Flat Indicator may function in a
restricted manner or with a delay

if snow chains are mounted to the
vehicle

in winter road conditions prevail in
presence of ice and snow

if you are driving on a loose surface
(e.g. sand or gravel)

if you are driving in a very sporty man-
ner (involving rapid acceleration or high
speeds in curves)
iIf you have overfilled the tire, release tire in-
flation pressure by pushing the metal stem of the
valve with e.g. a tip of a pen. Then recheck the
tire inflation pressure with the tire gauge.
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 and Loading Infor-
mation placard or, if available, on the tire
inflation pressure label. Driving on a signifi-
cantly underinflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-
inflation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s han-
dling and stopping ability. Each tire, includ-
ing the spare, should be checked monthly
when cold and set to the recommended tire
inflation pressure as specified on the Tire
and Loading Information placard on the driv-
er’s door B-pillar (
page 296) or, if avail-
able, on the tire inflation pressure label
located on the inside of the fuel filler flap.

305 Operation
Tires and wheels
Restarting the Run Flat Indicator
The tire inflation pressure monitor must be
restarted 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 and Loading Information
placard on the driver’s door B-pillar or,
if available, the tire inflation pressure
label on the inside of the fuel filler flap,
make sure the tire inflation pressure of
all four tires is correct.
Switch on the ignition (page 38).
Make sure the standard display menu
appears in the multifunction display
(
page 139).
Press buttonk orj repeatedly
until the following message appears in
the multifunction display:
Run Flat Indicator
Active
Menu: R-Button
Press the reset button (page 27).
The following message will appear in
the multifunction display:
Restart
Run Flat Indicator?
Cancel
Yes
If you wish to confirm activation:
Press buttonæ.
The following message will appear in
the multifunction display:
Run Flat Indicator
Restarted
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 Tire and Loading Infor-
mation placard on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 296) or, if available, on the tire in-
flation pressure label located on the inside
of the 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.


306 Operation
Tires and wheels
After a certain “learning phase”, the Run
Flat Indicator checks the set pressure val-
ues for all four tires.
If you wish to cancel activation:
Press buttonç.
or
Wait until the message
Restart
Run Flat Indicator?
Cancel
Yes
disappears.Checking tire inflation pressure elec-
tronically with the Tire Pressure Moni-
toring System (TPMS), (USA only)
The TPMS only functions on wheels that
are equipped with the proper electronic
sensors. It monitors the tire inflation pres-
sure, as selected by the driver, in all four
tires. A warning is issued to alert you to a
decrease in pressure in one or more of the
tires.
iThe Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) is equipped with a combination low tire
pressure/TPMS malfunction telltale in the in-
strument cluster (
page 27). Depending on
how the telltale illuminates, it indicates a low tire
pressure condition or a malfunction in the TPMS
system itself:

If the telltale illuminates continuously, one
or more of your tires is significantly underin-
flated. There is no malfunction in the TPMS.

If the telltale flashes for 60 seconds and
then stays illuminated, the TPMS system
itself is not operating properly.
iThis device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.

313 Operation
Tires and wheels
Potential problems associated with
underinflated and overinflated tires
Underinflated tires
Underinflated tires can:

cause excessive and uneven tire wear

adversely affect fuel economy

lead to tire failure from being
overheated

adversely affect handling
characteristicsOverinflated tires
Overinflated tires can:

adversely affect handling
characteristics

cause uneven tire wear

be more prone to damage from road
hazards

adversely affect ride comfort

increase stopping distance
MOExtended system*
The MOExtended system allows you to
continue driving your vehicle even if there
is a total loss of pressure in one or more
tires.
You may only use the MOExtended system
in conjunction with the Run Flat Indicator
(Canada only) (
page 304) or the TPMS
(USA only) (
page 306) or the Advanced
TPMS* (Canada only) (
page 309).
For information on driving in case of pres-
sure loss in one or more tires (emergency
mode), see the “Practical hints” section
(
page 419).Warning!G
Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being
overheated.
Warning!G
Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stopping
distance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road
debris, potholes etc.