MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 2003 W163 Owner's Manual

181 Operation
Driving instructions
Install only brake pads and brake fluid rec-
ommended by Mercedes-Benz.
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
parking, so the air stream will cool down
the brakes faster.
Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow one drive wheel to spin for an ex-
tended period with the ESP switched off.
Doing so may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.
!When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s braking power. This helps
prevent overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear.

182 OperationDriving instructionsParking
Tires
Tread wear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and be-
come visible at a tread depth of approxi-
mately
1/16
in (1.5 mm), at which point
the tire is considered worn and should be
replaced.
!Set the parking brake whenever park-
ing or leaving the vehicle. In addition,
move selector lever to positionP.
In addition, when parking on hills, turn
front wheel towards the curb.
Warning!
G
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.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before
turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:


Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Move the selector lever to positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.


Turn the key to steering lock position0
and remove.


Take the key and lock vehicle when leav-
ing.
Warning!
G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
tion to an area which is a safe distance from
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle or tires
appear unsafe, have it towed to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center or tire
dealer for repairs.

183 Operation
Driving instructions
The tread wear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
Specified tire pressures must be main-
tained. This applies particularly if the tires
are subjected to high loads (e.g. high
speeds, heavy loads, high ambient temper-
atures).
Hydroplaning
Depending on the depth of the water on
the road, hydroplaning may occur even at
low speeds and with new tires. Reduce ve-
hicle speed, avoid track grooves in the
road and apply brakes cautiously in the
rain.Tire traction
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or
icy road is always lower than on a dry road.You should pay particular attention to the
condition of the road whenever the outside
temperatures are close to the freezing
point.
Mercedes-Benz recommends M+S rated
radial-ply tires for the winter season for all
four wheels to insure normal balanced
handling characteristics. On packed snow,
they can reduce your stopping distance as
compared with summer tires. Stopping
distance, however, is still considerably
greater than when the road is not covered
with snow or ice. Exercise appropriate cau-
tion.
Warning!
G
Do not allow your tires to wear down too far.
As tread depth approaches
1/16in
(1.5 mm), the adhesion properties on a wet
road are sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.
Warning!
G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
may lose control of the vehicle. Continued
driving with a flat tire or driving at high
speed with a flat tire will cause excessive
heat build-up and possibly a fire.
Warning!
G
If ice has formed on the road, tire traction
will be substantially reduced. Under such
weather conditions, drive, steer and brake
with extreme caution.

184 OperationDriving instructionsTire speed rating
Additional information on winter tires can
be found under “Winter tires”
(page 213).
ML 320, ML 350
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“H”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 130 mph (210 km/h).
ML 500
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“V”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 150 mph (240 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding the speed rating.
ML 55 AMG
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“W”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 168 mph (270 km/h).
Despite of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use pru-
dent driving speeds appropriate to prevail-
ing conditions.
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move selector lever to positionN. Try to
keep the vehicle under control by correc-
tive steering action.Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal brake effect.
We therefore recommend depressing the
brake pedal periodically when traveling at
length on salt-strewn roads.Warning!
G
Even when permitted by law, never operate
a vehicle at speeds greater than the maxi-
mum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire fail-
ure, causing loss of vehicle control and pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or serious
injury and possible death, for you and for
others.
iInformation on driving with snow
chains (
page 214).
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of control loss.
Do not use LOW RANGE mode when driving
on ice or packed snow. At speeds below
18 mph (30 km / h) vehicle steering is ad-
versely affected by the LOW RANGE ABS
(page 72).

185 Operation
Driving instructions
This can bring road salt impaired braking
efficiency back to normal. Be very careful
that you carry out these braking maneu-
vers without endangering any other road
users.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible af-
ter driving is resumed while observing the
safety rules in the previous paragraph.
For more information on winter driving
(
page 213).
Standing water
Warning!
G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure that snow is kept clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around the vehicle with the
engine running. Otherwise, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior resulting in unconsciousness and
death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the wind.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
s i g n e d t o s e r v e a s a n i c e - w a r n i n g d e v i c e a n d
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. In-
dicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice.
!Do not drive through flooded areas or
water of unknown depth. Before driving
through water, determine its depth. It
should not be deeper than approxi-
mately 20 inches (50 cm).
If you must drive through standing wa-
ter, drive slowly to prevent water from
entering the passenger compartment
or the engine compartment. Water in
these areas could cause damage to
electrical components or wiring of the
engine or transmission, or could result
in water being ingested by the engine
through the air intake causing severe
internal engine damage. Any such dam-
age is not covered by the Mer-
cedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

186 OperationDriving instructionsOff-road driving
Read this chapter carefully before you be-
gin off-road travel.
Familiarize yourself with the vehicle char-
acteristics and gear changing before you
attempt any difficult terrain off-road driv-
ing. We recommend that you start out with
easy off-road travel.Special driving features for off-road
driving
The following driving features are available
for specific kind of operation:


LOW RANGE mode (
page 118)


LOW RANGE – ABS (
page 72)


LOW RANGE – 4-ETS (
page 74)


LOW RANGE – ESP (
page 76)
Off-road driving rules
Engage the LOW RANGE mode before driv-
ing under off-road conditions
(
page 118).
Fasten items being carried as securely as
possible (
page 139).
Warning!
G
Drive slowly in unknown terrain. This will
make it easier to recognize unexpected ob-
stacles and avoid damage to the vehicle.
To help avoid the vehicle rolling over, never
turn it around on steep inclines. If the vehi-
cle cannot complete the attempted climb,
back it down in reverse gear.
Do not drive along the side of a slope (dan-
ger of vehicle rollover). The vehicle might
otherwise rollover. If in doing so the vehicle
begins to show a tendency to roll, immedi-
ately steer into a line of gravity (straight up
or downhill).
Never let the vehicle roll backwards in idle
or when the clutch is disengaged. You may
lose control of the vehicle if you use only the
service brake.
Warning!
G
Sand, dirt, mud and other material having
friction property can cause exceptional wear
and tear as well as brake failure.
Have the brakes checked for dirt build-up
and cleaned. There is otherwise a risk that
full braking power may not be available in an
emergency.
iWe recommend keeping doors, liftgate,
windows, and sliding/pop-up roof*
closed whenever driving in off-road
mode.

187 Operation
Driving instructions
Checklist before off-road driving
Tires

Check the tread depth and maintain
specified tire pressure (see tire pres-
sure label inside the fuel filler flap).


Check tires for possible damage and
remove foreign objects.


Replace missing valve caps.
Rims


Dented or bent rims can cause tire
pressure loss and damage the tire
beads. For this reason, check and, if
necessary, change rims before driving
off-road.Vehicle tool kit


Check if the vehicle jack is functional.


In all cases take the vehicle tool kit, a
strong tow rope, a shovel and a small
plank (to put under the vehicle jack on
sandy soil) with you.
Driving in steep terrain
Slope angle125° (ML 320, ML 350, ML 500)
21° (ML 55 AMG)
226°(ML 320, ML 350, ML 500)
23° (ML 55 AMG)
!Observe the following during off-road
driving:

Adjust vehicle speed to condition of
terrain. The more uneven, rutty and
steeper the terrain, the lower the
speed should be


Watch out for obstacles, such as
rocks, holes, tree stumps and ruts.


Be especially careful when driving
in unknown territory. It may be nec-
essary to get out of the vehicle and
scout the path you intend to take.


Continuous and speedy driving in
sandy soil overcomes the vehicle
rolling resistance, and helps to pre-
vent the vehicle from sinking into
the ground.


Do not initiate jumps with the vehi-
cle. It interrupts the forward mo-
mentum of the vehicle.


Always drive onto slopes with the
the engine running and the vehicle
in gear.

188 OperationDriving instructions

Switch to LOW RANGE mode before
starting to drive up or down steep in-
clines (
page 118).


Driving on embankments, slopes and
other steep inclines should only be
done straight up or downhill, i.e. in the
line of gravity. Maximum vehicle climb-
ing ability is a 60% grade.


Do not drive along the side of a slope
(danger of vehicle rollover). If in doing
so, the vehicle begins to show a ten-
dency to roll, immediately steer into a
line of gravity (straight up or downhill).


To help avoid the vehicle rolling over,
never turn it around on steep inclines.
If the vehicle cannot complete the at-
tempted climb, back it down in reverse
gear.


Utilize the engine’s braking power
when descending a slope, observe the
engine speed (do not overrev the en-
gine). Apply the service brake as need-
ed.


Check the brakes after a lengthy down-
grade drive.
Traction in steep terrain


Be easy on the accelerator and watch
for continuous wheel traction when
driving in steep terrain.
The 4-ETS helps greatly when starting
out on a steep incline when the front
wheels have then the tendency to slip
due to the weight shifting away the
front axle.
The 4-ETS recognizes the situation and
limits the torque for the front wheels by
braking them. Simultaneously the
torque for the rear wheels is increased.Driving across a hilltop


Decelerate just ahead of a hilltop (do
not select gear rangeN), to prevent the
vehicle from speeding up too much af-
ter climbing a hill.
Use the momentum of the vehicle to
drive across the hilltop.
Driving in this manner prevents the ve-
hicle from jumping across the hilltop
and thus loosing its forward momen-
tum.
iAvoid excessive engine speeds – drive
with moderate engine speeds
(max. 3000 RPM).
Select gear range2 or1 on the auto-
matic transmission (
page 114).

189 Operation
Driving instructions
Driving downhill

Select gear range1 on the automatic
transmission (
page 114).


Drive downhill observing the same
rules as driving uphill (
page 187).


The special LOW RANGE – ABS setting
allows for precise and brief (cyclical)
blocking of the front wheels, permitting
them to dig into loose ground.
Remember that the front wheels when
stopped, slide across a surface, thus
loose their ability to steer the vehicle.Driving through water
120 in (50 cm)


Before driving through water, deter-
mine its depth. It should not be deeper
than approximately 20 inches (50 cm).


Switch to LOW RANGE mode before
driving through water (
page 118).


Switch off the exterior lamps as well as
the climate control.


Enter the water only at a shallow spot.
Never take a running start.


Drive slowly, avoiding a bow wave.


Do not stop vehicle immersed in water,
and do not shut off the engine.


To dry the brakes, apply pressure to the
brake pedal several times after leaving
the water.

190 OperationDriving instructionsCrossing obstacles


Select gear range1 on the automatic
transmission (
page 114).


Check the vehicle clearance before
crossing obstacles.


Cross obstacles (e.g. tree stumps or
big rocks) very slowly by aiming one of
the front wheels at the center of the ob-
stacle, and repeat same with the rear
wheel.


Special attention is needed when you
cross obstacles on a steep incline.
The vehicle could slide sideways as a
result of its possible slanted position.Ruts
A number of off-road tracks or other by-
ways have deep ruts which can cause the
undercarriage to come in contact with the
ground.


Select gear range1 on the automatic
transmission (
page 114).


Drive next to the ruts rather than
through them if at all possible.
!Obstacles can damage the vehicle
undercarriage or suspension compo-
nents. If possible use the assistance of
a second person.
After off-road driving or crossing obsta-
cles, inspect vehicle for any damage,
especially vehicle undercarriage and
suspension components. Failure to do
so can adversely affect the vehicle's fu-
ture performance, including increased
chance of an accident.