wheel bolts MERCEDES-BENZ R350 2006 W251 Owner's Manual

Contents
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 383
Tire ply material ........................... 385
Tire and loading terminology ........ 385
Rotating tires ............................... 388
Winter driving .................................... 390
Winter tires .................................. 390
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 391
Snow chains................................. 391
Maintenance ...................................... 392
Clearing the maintenance service
indicator ....................................... 393
Maintenance service term
exceeded ..................................... 393
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator........................... 393
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator........................... 394
Vehicle care ....................................... 395
Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 395
Practical hints.................................. 403
What to do if … ................................... 404
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 404
Lamp in center console................. 414
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display..................... 416
Where will I find ...? ............................ 454
First aid kit .................................... 454
Vehicle tool kit .............................. 454
Spare wheel .................................. 457
Unlocking / locking in an emergency .. 459
Unlocking the vehicle.................... 459
Locking the vehicle ....................... 460
Fuel filler flap ................................ 461
Opening / closing in an emergency ..... 462
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* ........... 462
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 463
SmartKey ...................................... 463
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ....... 464
Replacing bulbs .................................. 465
Bulbs ............................................. 465
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 468
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 472Replacing wiper blades ...................... 475
Front wiper blades ........................ 475
Rear wiper blade ........................... 476
Flat tire............................................... 478
Preparing the vehicle .................... 478
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 479
Battery ............................................... 487
Disconnecting, removing,
reinstalling and reconnecting
the battery .................................... 489
Charging the battery ..................... 495
Jump starting...................................... 496
Towing the vehicle.............................. 499
Installing towing eye bolts ............ 501
Stranded vehicle ........................... 502
Fuses.................................................. 503
Main fuse box ............................... 504
Fuse box in cargo compartment ... 504
Fuse box in passenger
compartment ................................ 505

353 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tires and wheels
See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center for information on tested and
recommended rims and tires for summer
and winter operation. They can also offer
advice concerning tire service and
purchase.
Retreaded tires are not tested or recom-
mended by Mercedes-Benz, since previous
damage cannot always be recognized on
retreads. The operating safety of the
vehicle cannot be assured when such tires
are used.
Important guidelines

Only use sets of tires and rims of the
same type and make.


Tires must be of the correct size for the
rim.


Break in new tires for approximately
60 miles (100 km) at moderate
speeds.


Regularly check the tires and rims for
damage. Dented or bent rims can
cause tire inflation pressure loss and
damage to the tire beads.


If vehicle is heavily loaded, check tire
inflation pressure and correct as
required.


Do not allow your tires to wear down
too far. Adhesion properties on wet
roads are sharply reduced at tread
depths under
1/8in (3 mm).


When replacing individual tires, you
should mount new tires on the front
wheels first (on vehicles with
same-sized wheels all around).
Warning!
G
Replace rims or tires with the same designa-
tion, manufacturer and type as shown on the
original part. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for fur-
ther information. If incorrectly sized rims
and tires are mounted:

The wheel brakes or suspension
components can be damaged.


The operating clearance of the wheels
and the tires may no longer be correct.
Warning!
G
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
When replacing rims, only use genuine
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts specified for the
particular rim type. Failure to do so can
result in the bolts loosening and possibly an
accident.

389 Operation
Tires and wheels
In some cases, such as when your vehicle
is equipped with mixed-size tires (different
tire dimension front vs. rear), tire rotation
is not possible.
If applicable to your vehicle's tire configu-
ration, tires can be rotated according to
the tire manufacturer’s recommended in-
tervals in the tire manufacturer’s warranty
pamphlet located in your vehicle literature
portfolio. If none is available, tires should
be rotated every 3 000 to 6 000 miles
(5 000 to 10 000 km), or sooner if neces-
sary, according to the degree of tire wear.
The same rotation (spinning) direction
must be maintained (
page 356).
Rotate tires before the characteristic tire
wear pattern becomes visible (shoulder
wear on front tires and tread center wear
on rear tires).
Thoroughly clean the mounting face of
wheels and brake disks, i.e. the inner side
of the wheels/tires, during each rotation.
Check for and ensure proper tire inflation
pressure.For information on wheel change, see “Flat
tire” (
page 478).
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. Wheels could become
loose if not tightened with a torque of
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).
Only use genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts specified for your vehicle’s rims.

454 Practical hintsWhere will I find ...?First aid kit
The first aid kit is stored under the cargo
compartment floor, see “Vehicle tool kit”
(page 454).
Vehicle tool kit
The vehicle tool kit is stored under the car-
go compartment floor.
The vehicle tool kit includes:

Towing eye bolt


Wheel wrench


Alignment bolt


Vehicle jack


Fuse chart


Spare fuses


Fuse extractor


Collapsible wheel chock


Wheel bolts for spare wheel1Cargo compartment floor, lowered
2Handle cover

Open the tailgate (
page 122).

Push in handle cover2 and pull han-
dle in direction of arrow.

Lift cargo compartment floor 1.
iCheck expiration dates and contents
for completeness at least once a year
and replace missing / expired items.

455 Practical hints
Where will I find ...?
3Securing hook
Release securing hook 3 (located be-
low the floor handle) from holder.3Securing hook
4Cargo compartment floor, raised
5Upper cargo compartment lip

Engage securing hook 3 on upper
cargo compartment lip 5.You can now access the vehicle tool kit. To
remove the vehicle tool kit storage well
casing, proceed as described on
(
page 458).
6Wheel bolt wrench
7Electric air pump
8Jack
9Spare fuses, fuse extractor, fuse chart
aSpare wheel (collapsible tire)
bAlignment bolt
cTowing eye bolt
dCollapsible wheel chock
eSpare wheel bolts
fVehicle tool kit storage well casing

To remove jackb, loosen the hook
and loop fastener.
!With the cargo compartment cover
blind* installed behind the third-row
seats (
page 288), disengage cargo
compartment cover blind* and flip it
forward. Otherwise the strap of the
securing hook could damage the cargo
compartment cover blind*.

480 Practical hintsFlat tire1Wheel wrench
On wheel to be changed, loosen but do
not yet remove the wheel bolts
(approximately one full turn with wheel
wrench 1).
The jack take-up brackets are located di-
rectly behind the front wheel housings and
in front of the rear wheel housings.2Take-up bracket
3Jack
4Crank

Place jack 3 on firm ground.

Position jack3 under the take-up
bracket2 so that it is always vertical
(plumb-line) as seen from the side,
even if the vehicle is parked on an in-
cline.

Turn crank4 clockwise until jack 3
is fully seated in take-up bracket2
and the jack base evenly meets the
ground.

Continue to turn crank 4 until the
wheel is a maximum of 1.2 in (3 cm)
from the ground.
!Do not position the jack on the body of
the vehicle, as this may cause damage
to the vehicle.

481 Practical hints
Flat tire
Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and
remove.

Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied in the vehicle tool kit
(page 454).

Remove the remaining wheel bolts.

Remove the wheel.Mounting the spare wheel
1Wheel bolt for 18" and 19" light alloy
wheels
2Wheel bolt for 17" light alloy wheels or
collapsible tire (located in trunk with
spare wheel)
Warning!
G
The jack is intended only for lifting the
vehicle briefly for wheel changes. It is not
suited for performing maintenance work
under the vehicle.

Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised.


Never lie down under the raised vehicle.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolts
and wheel hub threads.
!Wheel bolts2 must be used when
mounting the spare wheel with collaps-
ible tire. The use of any wheel bolts oth-
er than wheel bolts2 for the spare
wheel with collapsible tire will physical-
ly damage the vehicle’s brakes.

482 Practical hintsFlat tire
Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.

Guide spare wheel onto the alignment
bolt and push it on.

Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.

Unscrew the alignment bolt, install last
wheel bolt and tighten slightly.
!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while
installing first wheel bolt.Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are
damaged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be
repaired immediately. Do not continue to
drive under these circumstances! Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center or call Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect wheel bolts or improperly tight-
ened wheel bolts can cause the wheel to
come off. This could cause an accident.
Make sure to use the correct wheel bolts.
Warning!
G
Only use genuine equipment
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts. Other wheel
bolts may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the
vehicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle
could fall off the jack.

485 Practical hints
Flat tire

Detach the electric air pump.

Store the electrical plug and the air
hose behind the flap and place the
electric air pump back in the vehicle
tool kit storage well.Lowering the vehicle

Lower vehicle by turning crank coun-
terclockwise until vehicle is resting ful-
ly on its own weight.

Remove the jack.
1-5Wheel bolts6Wheel wrench

Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly, fol-
lowing the diagonal sequence illustrat-
ed (1 to 5), until all bolts are tight.
Observe a tightening torque of
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).
Warning!
G
Follow recommend tire inflation pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflating tires
can result in sudden deflation (blowout) be-
cause they are more likely to become punc-
tured or damaged by road debris, potholes,
etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.
Warning!
G
Inflate collapsible tire only after the wheel is
properly mounted.
Inflate the collapsible tire using the electric
air pump (
page 483) before
lowering the
vehicle.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque of
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).


501 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolts
The front towing eye is located behind a
cover on the passenger side below the
front bumper.
1Towing eye cover
iThe vehicle cannot be started via
tow-start.iIf the battery is disconnected or dis-
charged, 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 487) and “Jump starting”
(
page 496).
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, note the following:
With the automatic central locking
activated and the ignition in position2
(page 38), 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).
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(
page 107).
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.