MERCEDES-BENZ R350 2008 W251 Owner's Manual

400 Operation
Maintenance
We strongly recommend that you have
your vehicle serviced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center, in
accordance with the Maintenance Booklet
at the times called for by the maintenance
service indicator.
Maintenance service indicator
message
The maintenance service indicator
message will notify you when the next
maintenance service is due.Starting approximately 1 month before
the next maintenance service is due, one
of the following messages will appear in
the multifunction display while you are
driving or when you switch on the ignition
(example service A):
Service A In XXXX Miles (Km)
Service A In XX Days
Service A In X Day
Service A Due Now
The maintenance services will be indicated
by showing a service type A through type H
in the multifunction display.
Types A through H are classified based on
estimated time needed to perform the
maintenance service, ranging:
from
Service A
(approx. 1 hour)
to
Service H
(approx. 8 hours)Refer to Maintenance Booklet for a listing
of maintenance services and intervals they
need to be performed at.
!Failure to have the vehicle maintained in
accordance with the Maintenance Booklet and
maintenance service indicator at the designated
times/mileage will result in vehicle damage
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
iThe Maintenance System in your vehicle
tracks distance driven and the time elapsed
since the last maintenance service and
calculates other maintenance service work
required.

401 Operation
Maintenance
Clearing the maintenance service
indicator message
The maintenance service indicator mes-
sage is automatically cleared

after approximately 10 seconds when
you switch on the ignition or when
reaching the maintenance service
threshold while driving

after approximately 30 seconds, once
the suggested maintenance service
term has passedYou can also clear it yourself:
1Reset button
Press reset button 1 on the instru-
ment cluster.
The maintenance service indicator
message is cleared and the standard
display appears in the multifunction
display (
page 164).Maintenance service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested main-
tenance service term, you will see the fol-
lowing message in the multifunction
display:
Service A Exceeded By XXXXX Miles (Km)
Service A Exceeded By XXX Days
Service A Exceeded By X Day
In addition, a signal sounds when the
message appears.
Any authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center will reset the maintenance service
indicator following a completed mainte-
nance service.

402 Operation
Maintenance
Calling up the maintenance service
indicator display
You can call up the maintenance service
indicator display at any time to check
when the next maintenance service is due.
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
Press button èorÿon the
multifunction steering wheel
repeatedly until the standard display
appears in the multifunction display
(
page 164).
Press button k or j on the
multifunction steering wheel until the
maintenance service indicator display
with the service symbol 9 and the
service deadline appears in the multi-
function display.Resetting the maintenance service
indicator
In the event that the maintenance service
on your vehicle is not carried out by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center, you can have the maintenance
service indicator reset. The automotive
maintenance facility carrying out the
maintenance service will find the informa-
tion for resetting the maintenance service
indicator in the maintenance-relevant
literature for your vehicle. Such literature
is available either from either an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center or directly from Mercedes-Benz.
iThe menu overview can be found on
(
page 160).
iIf the battery is disconnected, the days of
disconnection will not be included in the count
shown by the maintenance service indicator. To
arrive at the true maintenance service deadline,
you will need to subtract these days from the
days shown in the maintenance service indicator
message or maintenance service indicator
display.
!If the maintenance service indicator was
inadvertently reset, have an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center correct it.
Only reset if the proper maintenance service has
been performed. Resetting the system without
performing the proper service as called for by
the maintenance service indicator will result in
engine damage and/or other vehicle damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

403 Operation
Vehicle care
Vehicle care
Cleaning and care of the vehicle
Regular and proper care will help to main-
tain the value of your vehicle. The best way
to protect your vehicle from harmful envi-
ronmental influences is to wash it and use
protective treatments regularly.While in operation, even while parked, your
vehicle is subjected to varying external in-
fluences which, if gone unchecked, can at-
tack the paintwork as well as the vehicle
underbody and cause lasting damage.
Such damage is caused not only by
extreme and varying climatic conditions,
but also by:

Air pollution

Road salt

Tar

Gravel and stone chipping
To avoid paint damage, you should imme-
diately remove:

Grease and oil

Fuel

Coolant

Brake fluid

Bird droppings

Insects

Tree resins, etc.Frequent washing reduces and/or elimi-
nates the aggressiveness and potency of
the above adverse influences.
More frequent washings are necessary to
deal with unfavorable conditions:

near the ocean

in industrial areas (smoke, exhaust
emissions)

during winter operation
You should check your vehicle from time to
time for stone chipping or other damage.
Any damage should be repaired as soon as
possible to prevent corrosion.
In doing so, do not neglect the underbody
of the vehicle. A prerequisite for a thor-
ough check is a washing of the underbody
followed by a thorough inspection. Dam-
aged areas need to be re-undercoated.
Your vehicle has been treated at the fac-
tory with a wax-base rustproofing in the
body cavities which will last for the lifetime
of the vehicle. Post-production treatment
is neither necessary nor recommended by
Warning!G
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the partic-
ular container. Always open your vehicle’s
doors or windows when cleaning the inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not de-
signed for cleaning your vehicle.
Always lock away cleaning products and
keep them out of reach of children.

404 Operation
Vehicle care
Mercedes-Benz because of the possibility
of incompatibility between materials used
in the production process and others
applied later.
We have selected car-care products and
compiled recommendations which are
specially matched to our vehicles and
which always reflect the latest technology.
You can obtain Mercedes-Benz approved
car-care products at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, corrosion or
damage due to negligent or incorrect care
cannot always be removed or repaired with
the car-care products recommended here.
In such cases it is best to seek aid at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
The following topics deal with the cleaning
and care of your vehicle and give important
“how-to” information as well as references
to Mercedes-Benz approved car-care
products.Power washer
Tar stains
Quickly remove tar stains before they dry
and become more difficult to remove. A tar
remover is recommended.Paintwork, painted body components
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Care
should be applied when water drops on the
paint surface do not “bead up”. This should
normally be done every 3 to 5 months, de-
pending on the climate and washing deter-
gent used.
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Cleaner
should be applied if the paint surface
shows signs of dirt embedding (i.e. loss of
gloss).
Do not apply any of these products or wax
if your vehicle is parked in the sun or if the
hood is still hot.
Use the appropriate MB-Touch-Up
Stick for quick and provisional repairs
of minor paint damage (i.e. chips from
stones, vehicle doors, etc.).
!Follow the instructions provided by the
power washer manufacturer on maintaining a
distance between the vehicle and the nozzle of
the power washer.
Never use a round nozzle to power-wash tires.
The intense jet of water can result in damage to
the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.
Always keep the jet of water moving across the
surface. Do not aim directly at electrical parts,
electrical connectors, seals, or other rubber
parts.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of water, and
a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is in close
proximity, i.e. within approximately
3 ft (approximately 1 m), the vehicle could be
inadvertently locked or unlocked.
!Affixing stickers, adhesive tape or similar
materials to painted body components may dam-
age the paintwork.

405 Operation
Vehicle care
Engine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from the intrusion of
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as
MB Anticorrosion Wax, should be applied
to the engine compartment after every
engine cleaning. Before applying, all con-
trol linkage bushings and joints should be
lubricated. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys
should be protected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the vehicle underbody, do
not forget to clean the inner sides of the
wheels.Hand-wash
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight.
Only use a mild car wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water.
Direct only a very weak spray towards
the ventilation intake.
Use plenty of water and rinse the
sponge and chamois frequently.
Rinse with clean water and thoroughly
dry with a chamois.
Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on
the finish.Automatic car wash
You can have your car washed in an auto-
matic car wash from the start. Automatic
car washes without brushes are prefera-
ble.
To protect the filter system, switch the
climate control system (
page 208) or
the automatic climate control system*
(
page 222) to air recirculation mode.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it
before running it through the automatic
car wash.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of water, and
a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is in close
proximity, i.e. within approximately
3 ft (approximately 1 m), the vehicle could be
inadvertently locked or unlocked.
!Do not use scouring agents on these parts.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the vehicle.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the paint.
!Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic
touchless car wash which uses caustic spray.
Otherwise the caustic spray will damage the
paint or ornamental moldings.
!Make sure that the windshield wiper switch
is set to0 (
page 60). Otherwise, the rain
sensor could activate and cause the wipers to
move unintentionally. This may lead to vehicle
damage.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in exterior
rear view mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent
damage to the mirrors.

406 Operation
Vehicle care
When taking the vehicle through an auto-
matic conveyor type car wash, observe the
following instructions.Vehicles with SmartKey:
With the vehicle at a standstill and the
ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to neutral
positionN.
If engaged, release the parking brake
(
page 56).
Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
With the vehicle at a standstill, depress
the brake pedal and keep it pressed.
With the ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to park
positionP.
Release the brake pedal.
Remove the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button from the starter switch
(
page 41).
Insert the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* into the starter switch.
Switch on the ignition.
Depress the brake pedal.
Shift the automatic transmission to
neutral positionN.
Release the brake pedal.
If engaged, release the parking brake
(
page 56).
Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* in the
starter switch.
Warning!G
When leaving the SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* in the starter switch, do
not leave children unattended in the vehicle.
It is possible for children to switch on the
ignition which could result in unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment.
A child’s unsupervised access to a vehicle
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
iAfter running the vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash, wipe any wax off of the wind-
shield (
page 409). This will prevent smears
and reduce wiping noise which can be caused by
residual wax on the windshield.
When leaving the car wash, make sure that the
mirrors are folded out. Otherwise they may
vibrate.

407 Operation
Vehicle care
Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of ornamen-
tal moldings, use a use damp cloth.Headlamps, brake lamps, tail lamps,
side markers, turn signal lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such
as Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water.Cleaning the Distronic* system sensor
cover
1Distronic system sensor cover
Switch off the ignition (page 39).
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water and a
non-scratching cloth to clean sensor
cover1.
!Do not use chrome cleaner on ornamental
moldings. Although ornamental moldings may
have chrome appearance, they could be made of
anodized aluminum that will be damaged when
cleaned with chrome cleaner. Instead, use damp
cloth to clean those ornamental moldings.
Very dirty ornamental moldings of which you are
sure are chrome-plated, use a chrome cleaner.
If in doubt whether an ornamental molding is
chrome-plated, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
!Only use window cleaning solutions that are
suitable for plastic lamp lenses. Window clean-
ing solutions which are not suitable may damage
the plastic lamp lenses of the headlamps. There-
fore, do not use abrasives, solvents or cleaners
that contain solvents.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the lenses.
Do not attempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the lens
surface.

408 Operation
Vehicle care
Restart the engine after cleaning sen-
sor cover1.
Cleaning the Parktronic* system
sensors
1Parktronic system sensors in front
bumper
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water and a
soft, non-scratching cloth to clean
sensors1 on the bumpers.Cleaning the Rear View Camera lens*
1Camera lens
Only use clean water and a soft,
non-scratching cloth to clean camera
lens1.
Be careful not to apply wax to camera
lens1 when waxing the vehicle. If neces-
sary, remove the wax using the
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Shampoo
with plenty of water.
!To prevent scratches or damage, never
apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the sensor
cover1. Do not attempt to wipe dirty sensors
with a dry cloth or sponge.
!Do not apply strong pressure to the sensor
covers. Applying strong pressure may damage
the sensor covers.
Follow the instructions provided by the power
washer manufacturer on maintaining a distance
between the vehicle and the nozzle of the power
washer.
!To prevent scratches, never apply strong
force and only use a soft, non-scratching cloth
when cleaning the sensors. Do not attempt to
wipe dirty sensors with a dry cloth or sponge.

409 Operation
Vehicle care
Cleaning the windows and the wiper
blades
Fold wiper arms forward until they snap
into place.
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.
Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild
window cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is recom-
mended.!Do not clean the camera and the area
around the camera:

with a high-pressure cleaner

with a dry cloth and high pressure

with aggressive cleaning agents
You could otherwise damage the camera.
Warning!G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status0) before cleaning the windshield
and/or the wiper blades. Otherwise, the
wiper motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.
!Do not pull on the wiper blade inserts. They
could tear.
!Fold the windshield wiper arms back onto
the windshield before turning the SmartKey in
the starter switch or pressing the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*).
Hold on to the wiper when folding the wiper arm
back. If released, the force of the impact from
the tensioning spring could crack the windshield.
!To clean the window interior, do not use a
dry cloth, abrasives, solvents or cleaners con-
taining solvents. Do not touch the inside of the
front, rear or side windows with hard objects
such as an ice scraper or ring. Doing so may
damage the windows.