Mercedes-Benz TrucksOwner’s Manual Supplement Vehicle Modifications and Fitment of Additional Equipment

Owner’s Manual SupplementVehicle Modifications and Fitment of Additional Equipment• What you need to know about Mercedes-Benz Trucks• Resources• Trained Technicians and Genuine Parts• Warnings on Common Issues

What you need to know about Mercedes-Benz TrucksMercedes-Benz Truck products are state-of-the-art, and are highly engineered, developed and tested to ensure efficiency, reliability, and comfort for the driver.

It is therefore extremely important that modifications and additional equipment fitment do not adversely affect these three things, nor create any negative consequences on safety, performance, quality, or create legal or regulatory issues.

To ensure this, all work must be carried out according to Mercedes-Benz recommendations, and Mercedes-Benz genuine parts and accessories used wherever possible.

Not adhering to Mercedes-Benz recommendations and/or using non-genuine parts could result in part or all of any potential manufacturing warranty claim in relation to affected parts being denied.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks are designed and equipped to make working with them as simple as possible, such as:

• Pre-installations for fitment of common equipment and accessories• Provisions for fitting additional consumers such as electrical supply, compressed air

supply, and vehicle signals/outputs• Programmable control unit (Paramaterizable Special Module) for programming

vehicle, body, or equipment functions• Extensive range of genuine parts and accessories available

ResourcesSignificant information resources are available to help the engineer and technician.

Bodybuilder Portalwww.bb-portal.mercedes-benz.comThe Bodybuilder Portal is a fantastic online website containing an enormous amount of important information relevant to the body builder.

Contents include:

• Body/Equipment Mounting Directives

• Chassis drawings

• Operating instructions

• Technical data sheets

• PTO information

• Engine charts

A user account is not necessary to access important information such as the Body/Equipment Mounting Directives. If access to additional information is needed, the user may apply for a user account. Access will be granted if certain criteria are met.

Body/Equipment Mounting DirectivesBody/Equipment Mounting Directives provide body manufacturers, equipment fitters and technicians with important technical information which must be observed when planning and manufacturing bodies, and fitting additional equipment.

It shall be the sole duty and responsibility of the body builder or equipment fitter to ensure the compatibility of its attachments, bodies, equipment and modifications with the basic vehicle and to guarantee the operating and road safety of the vehicle. All national laws, directives and registration requirements must be complied with.

Adhering to the Body/Equipment Mounting Directives guarantees the optimum level of performance, reliability, safety, comfort, and durability of the completed vehicle, and ensures the best possible customer experience.

Trained Technicians and Genuine PartsThe best way to ensure work is carried out correctly on Mercedes-Benz Trucks is to have genuine parts installed by trained Mercedes-Benz technicians.

Genuine Mercedes-Benz parts have been developed to be an integral part of the vehicle, and therefore should be the first choice.

Mercedes-Benz technicians understand Mercedes-Benz Truck systems and hardware, and have access to the required tools, parts and information systems.

The following link will direct you to the Mercedes-Benz Truck dealer directory to help you find a convenient provider of parts and service.

www3.mercedes-benz.co.nz/trucks

Warnings on Common IssuesVehicle EarthThe ground return for auxiliary consumers is not via the vehicle frame (potential-free frame), but through wiring specific ground points.

Routing the ground return via the vehicle frame can cause damage to the engine and transmission components and to the ground line.

Electrical Power ConsumersElectrical power consumers must only be fitted at designated connection points. Consumers over 10A must only be tapped at the power distributor. Refer to the relevant Body/Equipment Mounting Directives for the vehicle type in question.

Tapping of Lines to Control UnitsIt is prohibited to modify or make additional connections at the lines to control units. The control unit could malfunction. Required information, such as a vehicle speed signal, can be retrieved using the Parameterizable Special Module or dedicated bodybuilder connection points, (such as X187 on 956 Econic).

Under no circumstances can additional connections be made at the vehicle CAN!

Additional Inductive Resistors (e.g. solenoid valves)If additional inductive resistors are retrofitted to tractor and trailer vehicles (e.g. solenoid valves), the freewheeling current when switching off must be conducted along a defined route, otherwise voltage spikes in excess of -150V can cause damage to the vehicle’s electronics. Relays with freewheeling diodes or freewheeling resistors must be used.

When using inductive resistors with a diode as the freewheeling path, it must be ensured that polarity reversal of the operating voltage (e.g. reversed polarity when jump-starting) does not cause irreparable damage to the freewheeling path or to other components.

Compressed Air Supply ConsumersAdditional consumers may only be fitted at the compressed air distributor. Fitting directly to air tanks or valves is not permitted. Refer to Body/Equipment Mounting Directives for further information.

Mercedes-Benz Flange Head BoltsUsing Mercedes-Benz flange head bolts ensure the vehicle remains in the same maintenance cycles set out by the manufacturer. As flange bolts and nuts are considered maintenance free, once torqued correctly.

This brochure sets out general advice only and not specific for individual circumstances. For detailed information regarding your vehicles, please contact your local authorised Mercedes-Benz Truck dealership.

Part Number: WMBHCV0717OMS

Please contact your nearest authorised Mercedes-Benz Truck dealer if you require further information. The information contained herein is correct at the time of printing, September 2017.

and Mercedes-Benz are registered trademarks of Daimler AG.

www.mercedes-benz.co.nz/trucks

Mercedes-Benz New Zealand Ltd. 9 Pacific Rise, Mt Wellington, Auckland, 1060, New Zealand.