reset MERCEDES-BENZ R500 2006 W251 Owner's Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: MERCEDES-BENZ, Model Year: 2006, Model line: R500, Model: MERCEDES-BENZ R500 2006 W251Pages: 561
Page 8 of 561
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
Page 26 of 561
25 At a glance
Instrument cluster
Item
Page
1
LLeft turn signal
indicator lamp
2
To dim instrument cluster
illumination
158
3
Reset button
158
4
To brighten instrument clus-
ter illumination
158
5
KRight turn signal
indicator lamp
6
Clock
Item
Page
7
Speedometer with:-Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
indicator lamp
404
;Brake warning lamp,
USA only
405
3Brake warning lamp,
Canada only
405
vElectronic Stability
Program (ESP
®)
warning lamp
409
Item
Page
’Variable speed limiter
indicator lamp
1
lDistance warning
lamp
1
HCombination low tire
pressure/TPMS mal-
function telltale*
412
1Warning lamp without function. It illuminates when
the ignition is on. It should go out when the engine
is running.
Page 60 of 561
59 Getting started
Driving
The combination switch resets automati-
cally after major steering wheel move-
ment.
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Single wipe
Wiping with windshield washer fluid
2Switching on windshield wipers
Switch on the ignition (
page 38).Switching on windshield wipers
Turn the combination switch to the de-
sired position depending on the inten-
sity of the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speed
iTo signal minor directional changes,
move combination switch to point of
resistance and release. The corre-
sponding turn signal flashes three
times.
!Do not operate the windshield wipers
when the windshield is dry. Dust that
accumulates on a windshield might
scratch the glass and/or damage the
wiper blades when wiping occurs on a
dry windshield. If it is necessary to op-
erate the windshield wipers in dry
weather conditions, always operate the
windshield wipers with windshield
washer fluid (
page 60).
Page 74 of 561
73 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 side impact air bags or the rear side
impact air bags*, there is a possibility for a
side impact air bag related injury if occu-
pants, especially children, are not properly
seated or restrained when next to a side im-
pact air bag which needs to deploy 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 activated.
(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
booster 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 seat
mounted side impact air bags deactivated,
then deactivation can be accomplished
upon your written request to do so at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center at an additional cost.
Please contact your local authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center or call
our Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372)
for details.
iAir bags are designed to activate 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 protec-
tion window curtain air bags). Only dur-
ing these events will they provide their
supplemental protection.
The driver and passengers should
always wear their seat belts. Otherwise
it is not possible for air bags to provide
their supplemental protection.
In case of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, air bags will not deploy. The
driver and passenger will then be pro-
tected to the extent possible by a prop-
erly fastened seat belt. A properly
fastened seat belt is also needed to
provide the best possible protection in
a rollover.
Page 76 of 561
75 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When you sell your vehicle we strongly
urge you to give notice to the subsequent
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by
alerting them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.Front air bags
1Driver air bag
2Passenger air bag
Driver and front passenger air bags are
deployed:
in the event of certain frontal impacts
if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
independently of the side impact air
bags
Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
In addition, improper repair work on the
SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS
inoperative or causing unintended air
bag deployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
For your protection and the protection
of others, when scrapping the air bag
unit or emergency tensioning device,
our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These instructions are available
from your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
Given the considerable deployment
speed, required inflation volume, and
the textile structure of the air bags,
there is the possibility of abrasions or
other more significant injuries resulting
from air bag deployment.
Warning!
G
Only use seat covers which have been test-
ed and approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle model. Using other seat covers may
interfere with or prevent the deployment of
the front side impact air bags or the rear
side impact air bags*. Contact your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for
availability.
Page 77 of 561
76 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
The air bags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protec-
ted by the fastened seat belts.
The passenger front air bag will only be
deployed if:
the system, based on OCS weight sen-
sor readings, senses that the front
passenger seat is occupied
the 59indicator lamp in
the center console is not lit
(page 89)
the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment thresholdSide impact air bags, window curtain
air bags
1Front side impact air bag
2Window curtain air bag
3Rear side impact air bag*
The side impact air bags and window
curtain air bags are deployed:
on the impacted side of the vehicle
in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold
independently of the front air bags
iThe front air bags in this vehicle have
been designed to inflate in two stages.
This allows the air bag to have different
rates of inflation that are based on the
rate of relevant vehicle deceleration as
assessed by the air bag control unit.
On the front passenger-side, the front
air bag deployment is additionally influ-
enced by the passenger’s weight cate-
gory as identified by the Occupant
Classification System (OCS)
(page 85).
The lighter the front passenger side oc-
cupant, the higher the vehicle deceler-
ation rate required for the second
stage inflation of the air bag.
Page 80 of 561
79 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!
G
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced
and their anchoring points must also be
checked.
Only use seat belts which have been ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
of the ETDs or to failure.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Warning!
G
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY
Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this sec-
tion, as that could result in serious inju-
ries in case of an accident.
Each occupant should wear their seat
belt at all times, because seat belts help
reduce the likelihood of and potential
severity of injuries in accidents, includ-
ing rollovers. The integrated restraint
system includes SRS (driver air bag, pas-
senger front air bag, side impact air
bags, head protection window curtain
air bags for side windows) and ETD (seat
belt emergency tensioning device). The
system is designed to enhance the pro-
tection offered to properly belted occu-
pants in certain frontal (front air bags
and ETD) and side (side impact, window
curtain air bags and ETD) impacts which
exceed preset deployment thresholds
and in certain rollovers (window curtain
air bags and ETD).
Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your shoul-
der. In a frontal crash, your body would
move too far forward. That would in-
crease the chance of head and neck in-
juries. The belt would also apply too
much force to the ribs or abdomen,
which could severely injure internal or-
gans such as your liver or spleen.
Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eyeglasses, pens, SmartKeys, etc., as
these might cause injuries.
Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips and not across the abdo-
men. If the belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries
in a crash.
Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at time. Do not fasten a seat belt
around a person and another person or
other objects.
Page 81 of 561
80 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Emergency tensioning device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter
The seat belts for the front and rear seats
are equipped with emergency tensioning
devices and belt force limiters.
The ETD is designed to activate in the
following cases:
in frontal or rear-end impacts exceed-
ing a preset severity level
in certain vehicle rollovers
if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly, see
1indicator lamp (
page 411)In an impact, emergency tensioning
devices remove slack from the belts in
such a way that the seat belts fit more
snugly against the body. Belt force limiters
reduce the force exerted by the seat belts
on occupants during a crash.
Belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you would not have the full width
of the belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted belt against your body could
cause injuries.
Pregnant women should also use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible pres-
sure on the abdomen.
Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in
booster seats, always follow the child
seat manufacturer's instructions.
iThe ETDs for the front seats will only
activate if the respective front seat belt
is fastened (latch plate properly insert-
ed into buckle).
The ETDs for the rear seats will activate
with or without the respective seat belt
fastened.
Warning!
G
A pyrotechnic emergency tensioning device
(ETD) that was activated must be replaced.
When disposing of the pyrotechnic emer-
gency tensioning device, our safety instruc-
tions must be followed. These are available
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
PRE-SAFE
®* has electrically operated
reversible pre-tensioners that do not require
replacement after activation.
Page 88 of 561
87 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
If the 59indicator lamp is illu-
minated, the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the 59indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front passenger front air
bag is activated and will be deployed:
in the event of certain frontal impacts
if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
independently of the side impact air
bags.
If the front passenger front air bag is de-
ployed, the rate of inflation will be influ-
enced by
the rate of relevant vehicle deceleration
as assessed by the air bag control unit
the front passenger’s weight category
as identified by the Occupant Classifica-
tion System (OCS)
Warning!
G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant or child restraint recom-
mended for the size and weight of the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, the seat
belt and top tether strap, or lower anchors
and top tether strap, fully in accordance
with the child seat manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following im-
portant information when circumstances re-
quire you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:
Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to turn off the front
passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the system senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard appropri-
ate child restraint on the front passen-
ger seat.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat will be serious-
ly injured or even killed if the front pas-
senger front air bag inflates in a collision
which could occur under some circum-
stances, even with the air bag technolo-
gy. The only means to completely
eliminate this risk is to never place a
child in a rear-facing child restraint in
the front seat. We therefore strongly
recommend that you always place a
child in a rear-facing child restraint in
the back seat.
Page 131 of 561
130 Controls in detailLocking 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.You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
For information on towing the vehicle, see
“Towing the vehicle” (
page 499).
You can deactivate the automatic locking
mode using the control system
(
page 188).
Warning!
G
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
make sure no one is in danger of being in-
jured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from
the cargo compartment opening when clos-
ing the tailgate. Be especially careful when
small children are around. To stop the clos-
ing procedure, do one of the following:
Press the tailgate closing switch1.
Press the KEYLESS-GO locking/closing
switch*.
Press the Šbutton on the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO*.
Press or pull the remote tailgate switch
(on the driver’s door).
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.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.Warning!
G
Only drive with the tailgate closed as,
among other dangers such as blocked
visibility, exhaust fumes may enter the vehi-
cle interior.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset 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
during a wheel change