MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV 2008 Repair Manual

Driving safety sys
tems58
or if the LOW RANGE* (Y
page 141) off-road
gear is selected.
At speeds below 30 km/h, the front wheels
lock cyclically during braking. The digging-in
effect achieved in the process reduces the
stopping distance on off-road terrain. This
limits steering capability. BAS (Brake Assist)
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. G
Risk of accident
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking sys-
tem remains available with full brake boost-
ing effect. However, braking force is not
automatically increased in emergency
braking situations and the stopping dis-
tance may increase. Adaptive brake lamps
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 25 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS,
the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way,
traffic travelling behind you is warned in an
even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you drive
faster than 10 km/h again. You can also
switch off the hazard warning lamps using the
hazard warning switch button (Y page 95). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between tyres and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified, if
necessary, to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within physical limits. ESP ®
assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the vwarning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R do not deactivate ESP ®
under any cir-
cumstances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R adapt your driving style to suit prevailing
road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid. Safety
* optional
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Driving safety sys
tems 59ESP
®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override
the laws of physics.
! Only operate the vehicle briefly (for a max-
imum of ten seconds) on a brake dyna-
mometer. Turn the key in the ignition lock
to position 0or 1. You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a twin-axle dyna-
mometer. If you wish to operate the vehicle
on such a dynamometer, please consult a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre in advance.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation If your trailer begins to lurch, you can only
stabilise the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
In this situation, ESP
®
assists you and detects
if the trailer begins to lurch. ESP ®
slows the
vehicle down by braking and limiting the engine output so the vehicle/trailer combi-
nation can stabilise.
Trailer stabilisation is active from about
65 km/h. G
Risk of accident
If road and weather conditions are bad,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to pre-
vent the trailer from swerving and thereby
reduce the risk of accident. Trailers with a
high centre of gravity can tip over before
ESP ®
can detect this.
Trailer stabilising does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function.
Activating/deactivating ESP ® ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is running.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels can spin. Spinning of the
wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides better grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
i If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more
wheels start to spin, the vwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehi-
cle. Safety
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Driving safety sys
tems601
To deactivate/activate ESP ®
X To deactivate: press button1.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster is continuously lit when the engine
is running, ESP ®
is deactivated or not avail-
able due to a malfunction. There is an
increased risk of your vehicle skidding in
certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style
to suit prevailing road and weather condi-
tions. X
To activate: press button 1.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Off-road ESP ® An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically if the off-
road drive program is activated
(Y page 140) or if the LOW RANGE* off-road
gear is selected (Y page 141). It intervenes
with a delay if there is oversteering or under-
steering, thus improving traction. EBV (electronic brake-power distribu-
tion)
EBV monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability under braking. G
Risk of accident
If EBV is malfunctioning, the brake system
is still available with full brake boosting
effect. However, the rear wheels can still
lock, e.g. under full braking. This could
cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and cause an accident. You should there- fore adapt your driving style to the different
handling characteristics.
4ETS
4-ETS makes it possible to pull away or accel-
erate on a slippery surface. It brakes the
wheels individually if they start to spin.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up briefly when the engine is
started. This indicates that the warning lamp
is operational.
X Activate the off-road drive program
(Y page 140) or the LOW RANGE* off-road
gear (Y page 141) if appropriate to driving
conditions.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes at any speed if at least one tyre
has exceeded its tyre grip limit. Safety
* optional
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Driving safety sys
tems 61G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R Accelerate less when driving.
R Adapt your driving style to suit prevailing
road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid.
If you drive too fast, 4-ETS cannot reduce
the risk of an accident. 4-ETS cannot over-
ride the laws of physics.
! Only operate the vehicle briefly (for a max-
imum of ten seconds) on a brake dyna-
mometer. Turn the key in the ignition lock
to position 0or 1. You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a twin-axle dyna-
mometer. If you wish to operate the vehicle
on such a dynamometer, please consult a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre in advance.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system. i
If heavy demands are made on the brakes,
4-ETS switches off automatically for a brief
period so that the brakes do not heat up
further. If, for this reason, 4-ETS does not
engage, the vwarning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. The message
ABS, ESP unavailable see Owner's
Manual also appears in the multi-function
display.
! The engine may be switched on when the
vehicle is towed with its axle raised or when
the parking brake is checked on the brake
dynamometer. Application of the brakes
via 4-ETS may otherwise destroy the brake
system.
Off-road 4-ETS A 4-ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically if the off-
road drive program is activated
(Y page 140) or the LOW RANGE* off-road
gear is selected (Y page 141). Distance warning system (only for
vehicles with Distronic*)
This function will issue a warning at speeds of
around 30 km/h or more if:
R for a period of several seconds, the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front is too short for
the speed at which you are travelling. The
distance warning lamp lin the instru-
ment cluster will then light up.
R you are approaching the vehicle in front too
rapidly. An intermittent warning tone will
then sound and the distance warning lamp
l will light up in the instrument cluster.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a
crash, you must apply the brakes yourself. G
Risk of accident
Pay particular attention to the traffic con-
ditions if the distance warning lamp l
in the instrument cluster lights up or an
intermittent warning tone sounds.
If necessary, brake or swerve to avoid an
obstacle. Safety
* optional
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Anti-theft syste
ms62
X
To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate the distance warning system in the
on-board computer (Y page 134).
After activation, the :symbol is dis-
played in the lower multi-function display.
For more information on the distance warning
system, see the Distronic* section
(Y page 148). Anti-theft systems
Immobiliser
The immobiliser prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct key.
Activating the immobiliser X
With the key: remove the key from the
ignition lock.
X With KEYLESS GO*: press the KEYLESS
GO button on the dashboard.
The engine switches off.
Deactivating the immobiliser X
With the key: turn the key to position 2in
the ignition lock.
X With KEYLESS GO*: press the KEYLESS
GO button on the dashboard twice without
depressing the brake.
i The immobiliser is always deactivated
when you start the engine. ATA* (anti-theft alarm system)
A visual and audible alarm is triggered when
the alarm system is primed and you open:
R a door
R a door using the emergency key element
R the tailgate
R the bonnet
The alarm is not switched off even if you close
an open door again. 1
Indicator lamp Safety
* optional
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Anti-theft syste
ms 63
X
To prime: lock the vehicle using the key.
On vehicles with KEYLESS GO*, the locking
button on the door handle can also be used.
Indicator lamp 1flashes. The alarm sys-
tem is primed after approximately 10 sec-
onds.
X To deactivate: unlock the vehicle using the
key. On vehicles with KEYLESS GO *, you
can also unlock the vehicle by grasping the
door handle.
Switching off the alarm X
With the key: insert the key into the igni-
tion lock.
The alarm is switched off.
or
X Press the Œor‹ button on the key.
The alarm is switched off.
X With KEYLESS GO*: grasp the door han-
dle. The key must be outside the vehicle.
The alarm is switched off.
or
X Press the KEYLESS GO * button on the
dashboard. The key must be inside the
vehicle.
The alarm is switched off. Tow-away protection*
An audible and visual alarm is triggered if the
vehicle's angle of inclination is altered while
tow-away protection is primed. This occurs if
the vehicle is jacked up on one side, for exam-
ple.
Priming tow-away protection X
Make sure that all the doors and the tail-
gate are closed.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or, on vehicles
with KEYLESS GO*, also using the locking
button on the door handle.
Tow-away protection is primed after
approx. 30 seconds.
Deactivating tow-away protection Deactivate tow-away protection manually to
prevent a false alarm if your vehicle:
R
it is being transported
R it is being loaded, e.g. onto a ferry or car
transporter
R is being parked on a movable surface, e.g.
split-level garages
It is possible to switch off tow-away protec-
tion on the on-board computer for the next time the vehicle is locked (Y
page 134). Tow-
away protection remains deactivated until
you unlock and lock the vehicle again.
If you select Tow-away protection in the
"Display with ignition switched off" function
contained in the Vehiclesubmenu,
(Y page 131) the following message appears
in the multi-function display after switching
off the ignition: X
Press -.
The Tow-away protection off message
appears in the multi-function display.
i If you press +, tow-away protection
will remain primed.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or, on vehicles
with KEYLESS GO*, with the locking button
on the door handle.
Tow-away protection remains deactivated
until: Safety
* optional
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Anti-theft syste
ms64R
the vehicle is unlocked again
R a door is opened and closed again
R the vehicle is locked again Interior motion sensor*
If the interior motion sensor is primed, a vis-
ual and audible alarm is deployed if move-
ment is detected in the vehicle interior while
the vehicle is locked. This occurs, for exam-
ple, if someone breaks the side windows of
your vehicle or reaches into the vehicle's inte-
rior.
Priming the interior motion sensor X
Make sure that: R
the side windows are closed
R the sliding/tilting sunroof* is closed
R there are no objects, e.g. mascots, hang-
ing on the rear-view mirror or on the
grasp handles on the roof trim.
This will prevent false alarms.
X Make sure that all the doors and the tail-
gate are closed.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or, on vehicles
with KEYLESS GO*, with the locking button
on the door handle.
The interior motion sensor is primed after
approximately 40 seconds.
Deactivating the interior motion sensor To prevent a false alarm, deactivate the inte-
rior motion sensor if you lock your vehicle and
R
people or animals remain in the vehicle
R a window remains open
R the sliding/tilting sunroof* remains open
It is possible to deactivate the interior motion
sensor using the on-board computer for the
next time the vehicle is locked
(Y page 134). The interior motion sensor
remains deactivated until you unlock and lock
the vehicle again. If you select
Interior motion sensor in
the "Display with ignition switched off" func-
tion contained in the Vehiclesubmenu,
(Y page 131) the following message appears
in the multi-function display after switching
off the ignition: X
Press -.
The Interior motion sensor off mes-
sage appears in the multi-function display.
i If you press +, the interior motion sen-
sor will remain activated.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or, on vehicles
with KEYLESS GO*, with the locking button
on the door handle.
The interior motion sensor remains deacti-
vated until:
R
the vehicle is unlocked again
R a door is opened and closed again
R the vehicle is locked again Safety
* optional
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65
Opening and closing
...........................66
Key positions ....................................... 75
Seats .................................................... 76
Steering wheel .................................... 83
Mirrors ................................................. 85
Memory functions* .............................87
Seat belts ............................................. 89
Lights ................................................... 92
Windscreen wipers .............................98
Side windows ...................................... 99Driving and parking
..........................103
Transmission ..................................... 106
Instrument cluster ............................113
On-board computer ..........................115
Off-road driving ................................. 138
Driving systems ................................ 145
Air conditioning ................................. 169
Sliding sunroof .................................. 187
Loading and stowing ........................190
Features ............................................. 203 Controls
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Opening and closing
66 Opening and closing
Key
The vehicle's equipment includes two keys
with remote control. Each key contains an
emergency key element.
The key is configured at the factory to cen-
trally lock and unlock the following:
R the doors
R the tailgate
R the fuel filler flap G
Risk of accident
If children are left unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could:
R open a door from the inside at any time,
even if it has been locked
R start the vehicle using a key which has
been left in the vehicle
R release the parking brake
They could endanger themselves and oth-
ers. Never leave children unsupervised in
the vehicle. Always take the key with you
when leaving the vehicle, even if you are
only leaving it for a short time. 1
j To lock the vehicle
2 i To unlock, open* or close* the tail-
gate
3 k To unlock the vehicle
4 Battery check lamp
i The key can also be used to open/close
the sliding/tilting sunroof* and the side
windows. You can open them using the
summer opening feature (Y page 101). You
can close them using the convenience clos-
ing feature (Y page 102). Factory settings X
To unlock centrally: press thekbut-
ton.
The turn signals flash once. The locking
knobs in the doors pop up. The anti-theft
alarm system* is deactivated.
When it is dark, the surround lighting also
comes on if it is activated in the on-board
computer.
i If you do not open either a door or the
tailgate after you have unlocked the vehi-
cle, it will automatically relock after approx-
imately 40 seconds.
X To lock centrally: press thejbutton.
The turn signals flash three times if the
doors and tailgate are closed. The locking
knobs in the doors drop down. The anti-
theft alarm system* and the immobiliser
are primed.
Individual settings You can change the setting of the locking
system in such a way that pressing the
k
button only unlocks the driver's door
and the fuel filler flap. This could be useful if
you frequently travel on your own. Controls
* optional
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Opening and closing
67
X
To change the setting: press thek
and j buttons simultaneously for
approximately six seconds until the battery
check lamp flashes twice.
The key now functions as follows:
X To unlock the driver's door: press the
k button once.
X To unlock centrally: press thekbut-
ton twice.
X To lock centrally: press thejbutton.
Restoring the factory settings X
Press the kandj buttons simulta-
neously for approximately six seconds until
the battery check lamp flashes twice. KEYLESS GO*
The optional equipment supplied with your
vehicle includes two KEYLESS GO keys. You
can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using the
KEYLESS GO key. To do this, you need only
carry the KEYLESS GO key on your person.
When you touch the surface of the sensors on
the vehicle's door handles, KEYLESS GO
establishes a radio connection between the
vehicle and the key. The distance between
the KEYLESS GO key and the vehicle's door
handle from which you wish to lock or unlock
the vehicle, must not be greater than 1 m.
When you pull the door handle, the following
unlock centrally if the factory settings have
not been changed:
R the doors
R the tailgate
R the fuel filler flap
If you pull on the handle of the tailgate, only
the tailgate of your vehicle is unlocked.
When starting the engine and whilst driving,
KEYLESS GO also checks whether a valid
KEYLESS GO key is in the vehicle by periodi-
cally establishing radio contact. G
Risk of accident
If children are left unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could open a door from the inside,
even if it has been locked. Or they could
start the vehicle if a valid KEYLESS GO key
is in the vehicle and they press the KEY-
LESS GO button on the ignition lock. They
could endanger themselves and others.
Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. Switch off the engine and take the
KEYLESS GO key with you, even if you are
only leaving the vehicle for a short time. 1
j To lock the vehicle
2 i To unlock, open* or close* the tail-
gate
3 k To unlock the vehicle
4 Battery check lamp Controls
* optional
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