towing MERCEDES-BENZ R350 2008 W251 Owner's Manual

Contents
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 489
Front wiper blades ....................... 489
Rear wiper blade .......................... 490
Flat tire .............................................. 492
Preparing the vehicle.................... 492
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 493
Bleeding the fuel system
(diesel engine only) ............................ 502
Battery ............................................... 503
Disconnecting, removing,
reinstalling and reconnecting
the battery.................................... 505
Charging the battery .................... 510
Jump starting ..................................... 511
Towing the vehicle ............................. 513
Installing towing eye bolt.............. 515
Stranded vehicle .......................... 517
Fuses ................................................. 518
Fuse box in engine compartment . 519
Fuse box in cargo compartment ... 519
Fuse box in passenger
compartment................................ 520
Emergency engine shut-down ...... 520
Technical data................................. 521
Parts service ...................................... 522
Warranty coverage............................. 523
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ..................... 523
Identification labels ........................... 524
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 526
R 320 CDI 4MATIC ....................... 526
R 350, R 350 4MATIC,
R 550 4MATIC .............................. 526
Engine................................................ 527
Rims and tires.................................... 529
Same size tires ............................. 530
Spare wheel ................................. 532
Electrical system ............................... 533
Main Dimensions ............................... 534
Weights.............................................. 535Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. ......... 536
Capacities .................................... 536
Engine oils ................................... 538
Engine oil additives ...................... 538
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 538
Brake fluid.................................... 539
Premium unleaded gasoline
(gasoline engine).......................... 539
Fuel requirements ........................ 540
Gasoline additives
(gasoline engine).......................... 540
Coolants ...................................... 541
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*......... 544
Index................................................. 545

23 At a glance
Exterior view
ItemPage
1Tailgate119
Power tailgate*119
Cargo compartment

Loading instructions

Cargo tie-down rings

Hooks

Expanding

Cover blind

Cargo net*
289
290
291
292
299
301
Vehicle tool kit467
Spare wheel471
2Rear window defroster207
3Rear lamps481
4Fuel filler flap352
Refueling352
Fuel353,
540
ItemPage
5Exterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting48
Auto-dimming rear view
mirrors*203
Power folding*204
6Towing eye bolt467
Installing towing eye bolt515
7Tires and wheels363,
529
Checking tire inflation
pressure373
General information363
Flat tire492
Spare wheel471
8Hood
Opening356
Engine oil358
Coolant360
ItemPage
9Windshield wipers59
Wiper blades, replacing489
Wiper blades, cleaning409
aWindshield
Cleaning with wiper fluid61
Cleaning409
bPower tilt/sliding sunroof*248
Panorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel*252
cDoors
Locking and unlocking110
Opening and closing118
Locking/unlocking in an
emergency474
dFront lamps480
eHeadlamp cleaning system*203

126 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Automatic central locking
The doors and the tailgate lock automati-
cally when the ignition is switched on and
the wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
For information on towing the vehicle, see
“Towing the vehicle” (
page 513).
You can deactivate the automatic locking
mode using the control system
(
page 183).
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the doors and the
tailgate from inside using the central lock-
ing or unlocking switch. This can be useful,
for example, if you want to lock the vehicle
before starting to drive.
The fuel filler flap cannot be locked or un-
locked with the central locking or unlock-
ing switch.Even with the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle, the tailgate
closing switch can be operated. Therefore,
do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
A child’s unsupervised access to a vehicle
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
iTo prevent a possible inadvertent lockout,
the tailgate will open automatically if a SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* is recognized inside the
vehicle.
iYou can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact exceeds a pre-
set threshold.
The vehicle automatically locks when the
ignition is switched on and the wheels are
turning at vehicle speeds of approximately
9 mph (15 km/h) or more. You could therefore
lock yourself out when the vehicle

is pushed or towed

is on a test stand
Warning!G
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
access to a vehicle could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.


196 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
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.
!Observe instructions

when taking the vehicle through an
automatic conveyor type car wash
(
page 405)

when towing the vehicle (page 513)
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other
reason in neutral positionN can result in trans-
mission damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Effect
êDrive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.
Warning!G
Getting out of your vehicle without shifting
into park positionP is dangerous. Also, park
positionP alone is not intended to or capa-
ble of preventing your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to park positionP (
page 65).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.

278 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Basic settings
There are two settings from which to
choose:

Raised level, for driving on rough roads

Highway level, for driving on paved
roads in fair or better conditionThe vehicle’s ride height changes by the
approximate values given in table below
according to the set level:
The vehicle lowers to highspeed level
automatically when

the vehicles speed exceeds
70 mph (112 km/h)

the vehicles speed is between
60 mph (96 km/h) and
70 mph (112 km/h) for longer
than 20 seconds
Warning!G
Make sure that no one is near the wheel
housing or under the vehicle when you lower
the vehicle while it is standing still. Limbs
could become wedged into or under the
vehicle.
For safety reasons, the vehicle can only be
lowered with all doors and the tailgate
closed. Lowering is interrupted if a door or
the tailgate is opened and will continue after
the door is closed again.
Warning!G
Adapt your speed and driving to possible
changed driving behavior of the vehicle after
changing the vehicle level. The ESP
® cannot
prevent accidents, including those resulting
from excessive speed. The ESP
® cannot
prevent the natural laws of physics from
acting on the vehicle.
!Keep in mind that in rough or uneven roads,
adjusting the vehicle to a lower level may cause
the vehicle underbody to come in contact with
the road and result in damage to the vehicle un-
derbody. Always make sure the vehicle has suffi-
cient ground clearance before adjusting it to a
lower level.
!Before jacking up the vehicle with equip-
ment that lifts one or more of the wheels com-
pletely off the ground, remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
!Please also note the information in the
section on towing (
page 513).
iThe activation threshold is defined by the set
suspension tuning (
page 276).
iThe third available level is the highspeed
level that is set automatically.
LevelRide height
Raised+ 1.97 in (+ 50 mm)
Highway+/- 0
Highspeed- 0.78 in (- 20 mm)
iObey local speed limits. Use prudent driving
speeds appropriate to prevailing conditions.

326 Controls in detail
Useful features
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center. For
services such as labor and/or towing,
charges may apply. Refer to the Roadside
Assistance Manual for more information.
The following is only available in the USA:

Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.Information button¡
The Information button¡ is located
below the center armrest cover.
1Information button¡
Open the telephone* tray
(
page 306).
Press and hold button1 (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to the Customer Assistance
Center will be initiated. The button will
flash while the call is in progress. The
message
Connecting Call will appear
in the multifunction display.
iThe indicator lamp on the Roadside
Assistance button• remains illuminated in
red for approximately 10 seconds during the
system self-check after switching on the ignition
(together with the SOS button and the
Information button¡).
See system self-check (
page 323) if the indi-
cator lamp does not come on in red or stays on
longer than approximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp on the Roadside Assistance
button• is flashing continuously and there
was no voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could not
initiate a Roadside Assistance call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network was not available).
The message
Call Failed appears in the
multifunction display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be terminated
using thet button on the multifunction
steering wheel or the END button on the
COMAND system headunit.

368 Operation
Tires and wheels
1Seating capacity information on the
Tire and Loading Information placard
Steps for determining correct load limit
The following steps have been developed
as required of all manufacturers under Title
49, Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part
575 pursuant to the “National Traffic and
Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966”.
Step 1
Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on
your vehicle’s Tire and Loading
Information placard.Step 2
Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
Step 3
Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
XXX kilograms or XXX lbs.
Step 4
The resulting figure equals the avail-
able amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1 400 lbs and there will
be five 150 lbs passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs
(1 400 - 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
Step 5
Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in step 4.Step 6 (if applicable)
If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle (
page 370).
The following table shows examples on
how to calculate total and cargo load
capacities with varying seating configura-
tions and number and size of occupants.
The following examples use a load limit
of 1 500 lbs. This is for illustration
purposes only. Make sure you are using
the actual load limit for your vehicle stated
on the vehicle’s Tire and Loading
Information placard (
page 367).

413 Practical hints
What to do if …
Where will I find ...?
Unlocking / locking in an
emergency
Resetting activated head restraints
Replacing SmartKey batteries
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Bleeding the fuel system
(diesel engine only)
Battery
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses

467 Practical hints
Where will I find ...?
Where will I find ...?
First aid kit
The first aid kit is stored under the cargo
compartment floor, see “Vehicle tool kit”
(
page 467).
Vehicle tool kit
The vehicle tool kit is stored under the
cargo compartment floor.
The vehicle tool kit includes:

Towing eye bolt

Wheel wrench

Alignment bolt

Vehicle jack

Fuse chart

Collapsible wheel chock

Wheel bolts for spare wheel
(if applicable, see “Mounting the spare
wheel” (
page 498))1Cargo compartment floor, lowered
2Handle cover
Open the tailgate (page 119).
Push in handle cover2 as indicated
by arrow and pull handle.
Lift cargo compartment floor 1.
iCheck expiration dates and contents for
completeness at least once a year and replace
missing / expired items.


469 Practical hints
Where will I find ...?
Vehicle tool kit storage well casing
Example illustration1
(vehicles with scissors-type jack)
1Wheel wrench
2Electric air pump
3Mounting direction indicator
4Fuse chart
5Hook and loop fastener
6Alignment bolt
7Collapsible wheel chock
8Towing eye bolt
9Spare wheel (collapsible tire)
aSpare wheel bolts
bVehicle tool kit storage well casing
cReversible ratchet
(comes with scissors-type jack only)
dJack
To remove jackd, loosen hook and
loop fastener 5.
To remove the vehicle tool kit storage
well casing, proceed as described
on (
page 472).Vehicle jack
The vehicle jack is located underneath the
storage compartment floor.Remove vehicle jack from its storage
compartment (
page 467).
1Appearance and alignment of the items may vary.
Warning!G
Only use the jack supplied with your vehicle
to lift the vehicle briefly for wheel changes.
If you use the jack for any other purpose,
you or others could be inju re d, as the j ac k is
designed only for the purpose of changing a
wheel.
When using the jack, observe the safety
notes in the “Mounting the spare wheel”
section (
page 493) and the notes on the
jack.