ADS MERCEDES-BENZ E500 2005 W211 Owner's Manual

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 12
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada......................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle .................. 17
Reporting safety defects...................... 18
Reporting safety defects ................ 18
Vehicle data recording......................... 19
Information regarding electronic
recording devices........................... 19
At a glance.......................................... 21
Cockpit ................................................. 22
Instrument cluster ................................ 24
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 26
Center console ..................................... 27
Upper part ...................................... 27
Lower part ...................................... 28
Overhead control panel ........................ 29
Door control panel................................ 30
Getting started................................... 31
Unlocking ............................................. 32
Unlocking with the SmartKey ......... 32
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO*......... 33
Starter switch positions .................. 33
Adjusting .............................................. 37
Seats .............................................. 37
Steering wheel ................................ 39
Mirrors ............................................ 40
Driving .................................................. 43
Fastening the seat belts ................. 43
Starting the engine ......................... 46
Switching on headlamps ................. 50
Turn signals .................................... 51
Windshield wipers ........................... 51
Problems while driving.................... 53
Parking and locking .............................. 55
Parking brake ................................. 55
Switching off headlamps................. 56
Turning off engine ........................... 56

12 IntroductionOperator’s ManualMaintenance
The Maintenance Booklet describes all the
necessary maintenance work which should
be performed at regular intervals.
Always have the Maintenance Booklet with
you when you take the vehicle to your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for ser-
vice. The service advisor will record each
service in the booklet for you.
Roadside Assistance
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
Program provides factory trained technical
help in the event of a breakdown. Calls to
the toll-free Roadside Assistance number
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA)
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada)
will be answered by Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Representatives
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For additional information refer to the
Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance Pro-
gram brochure in your vehicle literature
portfolio.
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
Car” found in the Service and Warranty In-
formation 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.

28 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
Ashtray
268
2
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button
35
3
Selector lever for
automatic transmission
46,
178
4
Parking assist (Parktronic
system)* deactivation
switch
250
5
Adaptive damping system
(ADS)* switch
247
Item
Page
6
Vehicle level control
switch*
248
7
Thumbwheel for setting
distance in Distronic*
242
8
Distance warning func-
tion* on/off switch
243
9
Program mode selector
switch for automatic trans-
mission
179

62 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyWarning!
G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear their
respective seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the backrest. Fasten
your seat belt and make sure that it is prop-
erly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating and hands
on steering wheel position will help to keep
you at a safe distance from the air bag. Oc-
cupants who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the air bag can be seriously in-
jured by an air bag as it inflates with great
force in the blink of an eye:

Sit properly belted in a nearly upright
position with your back against the seat
backrest.


Adjust the driver seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper opera-
tion of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the air bag cover
on the steering wheel must be at least
10 in (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any prob-
lems, please see your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Do not lean your head or chest close to
the steering wheel or dashboard.


Keep hands on the outside of steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in-
side the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when driver front air bag inflates.


Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.


Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
side impact air bag inflates. This could
result in serious injuries or death should
the air bag be triggered. Always sit near-
ly upright, properly use the seat belts
and use an appropriately sized infant or
toddler restraint or booster seat recom-
mended for the size and weight of the
child.
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injuries to you or other occu-
pants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety in-
formation. Be sure to give the buyer this Op-
erator's Manual.

63 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!
G
Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in an automobile is in the
rear seat.
It should be noted that with respect to both
front and rear side impact air bags there is a
possibility for a side impact air bag related
injury if occupants, especially children, are
not properly seated or restrained when next
to a side impact air bag which needs to de-
ploy rapidly in a side impact in order to do its
job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
side impact air bag inflates. This could
result in serious injuries or death should
the side impact air bag be deployed.
(2) Always sit nearly upright, properly use
the seat belts and for children 12 years
old and under, use an appropriately
sized infant or toddler restraint or boost-
er seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of
these guidelines, it would be safer for your
rear seat occupants to have the rear mount-
ed side impact air bags deactivated, then
deactivation can be accomplished upon
your written request to do so at your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center at an additional
cost.
Please contact your local authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details.
iAir bags are designed to deploy only in
certain frontal impacts (front air bags),
side impacts (side impact and head
protection window curtain air bags)
which exceed preset thresholds and in
certain rollovers (head protection win-
dow curtain air bags). Only during
these events will they provide their
supplemental protection.
The driver and passengers should al-
ways wear their seat belts. Otherwise it
is not possible for air bags to provide
their supplemental protection.

92 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systems
The SBC brake servo assistance switches
off automatically

approximately two minutes after you
turned the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 or removed the
SmartKey


approximately two minutes after you
pressed the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button to turn off the engine or power
supply and opened the driver’s door
(with driver’s door open, the starter
switch is set to position 0, same as
SmartKey removed from starter
switch)


approximately 20 seconds after you
locked the vehicle from outside
Note on driving with the SBC


Following extended periods of only mi-
nor loads to your brake system, you
should occasionally apply the brakes
when traveling at high speeds. This im-
proves the grip of the brake pads.


After driving on wet or snow-covered
roads, you should apply your brakes
firmly before parking your vehicle. This
produces heat which serves to dry the
brake disks and help prevent corro-
sion.


On long and steep grades, shift to a
lower gear (gear range1, 2, or 3) to
prevent the brakes from overheating
and to reduce brake wear.


After hard braking, it is advisable to
drive on for some time so that the air
stream will cool down the brakes fast-
er.


Only Mercedes-Benz approved compo-
nents (e.g. brake pads) should be in-
stalled on your vehicle. Brake pads not
approved by Mercedes-Benz may im-
pair the safety of your vehicle.
Warning!
G
Have brake pad replacement and other work
on the SBC brake system carried out by
qualified technicians only. Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for further
information. The SBC brake system must be
deactivated prior to working on the system.
High pressure is intermittently built up in the
system as part of its automatic self-test. In
addition, the system is automatically acti-
vated when the vehicle is unlocked by
SmartKey, when the driver or passenger
door is opened, when the starter switch is
turned to position
1, when the brake pedal
is depressed or when the parking brake is
released. Failure to deactivate the system
prior to maintenance will cause brake pis-
tons to extend and brake fluid to leak, which
may result in injuries (contusions and acid
burns). Extended brake pistons may also
cause injury.
Warning!
G
Be very careful not to endanger other road
users when you apply the brakes.

172 Controls in detailControl systemWhich messages will appear in the display
field depends on whether your telephone is
switched on or off:

If the telephone is off, the message in
the multifunction display is:
PHONE off
.


If the telephone is on:
The telephone will then search for a
network. During this time the display is
empty.
As soon as the telephone has found a
network,
READY
appears in the display.
This standby message indicates that your
telephone is ready for use and you can op-
erate it using the control system.Answering a call
When your telephone is ready to receive
calls, you can answer a call at any time. In
the display you will then see the message:

Press buttons.
You have answered the call. In the dis-
play you see the length of the call.Ending a call

Press buttont.
You have ended the call. In the display
you will again see the standby mes-
sage.
Dialing a number from the phone book
If your telephone is ready to receive calls,
you may select and dial a number from the
phone book at any time.

Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until you see the
Tel
menu in the dis-
play.

Press buttonj ork.
The control system reads the phone
book which is stored in the telephone.
This may take up to 30 seconds. In the
display you will see the message Please wait
.
When the message
Please wait
disap-
pears, the phone book has been load-
ed.
iIf you do not wish to accept a call,
press buttont.

178 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionGear selector lever position
Effect
ì
Park position
Gear selector lever position
when the vehicle is parked. Place
gear selector lever in positionP
only when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended
to serve as a brake when the
vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the
parking brake in addition to
placing the gear selector lever in
positionP to secure the vehicle.
EffectThe SmartKey can only be
removed from the starter switch
with the gear selector lever in
positionP. With the SmartKey
removed, the gear selector lever
is locked in positionP.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the gear
selector lever could remain
locked in positionP
(page 412).
í
Reverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
positionR only when vehicle is
stopped.
Effect
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never engageN while
driving.
If the ESP is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever toN
only if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.

180 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the letter of
the desired shift program appears in
the multifunction display.
SelectCfor comfort driving:

The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.


Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.

Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.
Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:

Leave the transmission in gear.

Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop longer with the engine
idling or on an uphill gradient:

Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.

Set the parking brake.
Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:

Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.

Accelerate gently.

Never abruptly step on the accelerator.
!Never change the program mode when
the gear selector lever is out of
positionP. This could result in a
change of driving characteristics for
which you may not be prepared.iThe last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.

231 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The following driving systems are ex-
plained on the following pages:

Cruise control and Distronic*, with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed


Airmatic* adjusts the vehicle suspen-
sion characteristics automatically and
controls the vehicle level


Parktronic system*, which assists the
driver during parking maneuvers
The BAS, ABS, ESP and SBC are described
in the “Safety and Security” section
(
page 85).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed above 25 mph
(40 km /h).
E 320 4MATIC, E 500 4MATIC:
You can set or resume cruise control at any
speed above 20 mph (30 km /h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever found on the left-hand side of the
steering column (
page 22).
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.