hood open MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS 2007 User Guide

360 OperationEngine compartment
Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see “Practical hints” (
page 413).
Checking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick (except ML 500)
When checking the oil level


the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


the vehicle must have been stationary
for at least 5 minutes with the engine
turned off1Oil dipstick
2Upper mark
3Lower mark

Open the hood (
page 356).

Pull out oil dipstick1.

Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.

Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the
dipstick guide tube.

Pull out oil dipstick1 again after
approximately 3 seconds to obtain
accurate reading.
The oil level is correct when it is be-
tween lower mark3 (min.) and upper
mark2 (max.) of the oil dipstick.

If necessary, add engine oil
(page 361).
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” section (
page 543) and
(
page 546).
!
Excess oil must be siphoned or drained off.
It could cause damage to the engine and/or
catalytic converter (gasoline engine) or the oxi-
dation catalyst (diesel engine) not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
i
All models (except ML 63 AMG):
The filling quantity between the upper and lower
marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
ML 63 AMG:
The filling quantity between the upper and lower
marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
1.6 US qt. (1.5 l).
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362 OperationEngine compartmentTransmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center check the automatic trans-
mission.Coolant level
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze. To check
the coolant level, the vehicle must be
parked on level ground.
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the driver’s side of the engine compart-
ment.1Cap
2Coolant expansion tank
3Indicator wall
4Coolant level

Using a rag, turn cap1 slowly approx-
imately one half turn counterclockwise
to release any excess pressure.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid potentially serious burns:

Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates that the coolant is overheated.


Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if coolant temperature is
above 158°F (70°C). Allow engine to
cool down before removing cap. The
coolant reservoir contains hot fluid and
is under pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately
1/2 turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.
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451 Practical hints
What to do if …
During severe operation conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Observe the coolant temperature in the
multifunction display (
page 154).
If the temperature raises again:

Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center immediately.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some fluids which may have leaked
into the engine compartment to catch fire.
You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns which can occur just by open-
ing the engine hood. Stay away from the en-
gine if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
!
The engine should not be operated with the
coolant temperature above 248°F (120°C).
Doing so may cause serious damage which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
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452 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
B
Top up Coolant
See Oper. Manual
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 362).

If you have to add coolant frequently,
have the cooling system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
Warning!
G
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts. You could be seriously burned.Warning!
G
In order to avoid potentially serious burns:

Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates that the coolant is overheated.


Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if coolant temperature is
above 158°F (70°C). Allow engine to
cool down before removing cap. The
coolant reservoir contains hot fluid and
is under pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately
1/2 turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.
!
Do not ignore the low engine coolant level
warning. Extended driving with the message and
symbol displayed may cause serious engine
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Do not drive without sufficient amount of coolant
in the cooling system. The engine will overheat
causing major engine damage.
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455 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
c

You are driving with one or more
doors open.

Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as
soon as it is safe to do so.

Close the door(s).
A
Gas cap is open
A loss of pressure has been
detected in the fuel system. The
fuel cap may not be closed
properly or the fuel system may
be leaky.

Check the fuel cap (
page 352).
If it is not closed properly:

Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:

Have the fuel system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
a
You are driving with the hood or
the tailgate open.

Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt as
soon as it is safe to do so in a safe
location.

Close the hood (
page 356) or the
tailgate (
page 121).
You are trying to lock the vehicle
with the KEYLESS-GO* function
with a door or the tailgate open.

Close all doors and/or the tailgate
(page 121).
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485 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Replacing bulbs for front lamps
Before you start to replace a bulb for a
front lamp, do the following first:
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionM (
page 136).

Open the hood (
page 356).1Housing cover for low beam halogen
headlamp
2Housing cover for high beam halogen
bulb (high beam and high beam flasher)
3Bulb socket for parking and standing
lamp bulb
4Bulb socket for turn signal lamp bulb
5Bulb socket for side marker lamp bulbLow beam bulb (halogen headlamp)
1Low beam headlamp cover
2Bulb socket for low beam headlamp
i
ML 500 only:
Before replacing a bulb in the right headlamp,
the fusebox in the engine compartment must be
removed. This should be performed by a quali-
fied specialist workshop, for instance by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
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492 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsLicense plate lamp
1License plate lamp cover
2Screws
Loosen screws2.

Remove license plate lamp cover1.

Replace the tubular bulb.

Reinstall license plate lamp cover1.

Retighten screws2.
Adjusting headlamp aim
VVertical centerline
HHeadlamp mounting high, measured
from the centerCorrect headlamp adjustment is extremely
important. To check and readjust a head-
lamp, follow the steps described:

Park the vehicle on a level surface
25 feet (7.6 m) from a vertical test
screen or wall.

Switch the headlamps on
(page 136).
If the beam does not show a beam pattern
as indicated in the figure left, then follow
the steps below:

Open hood (
page 356).
i
High beam adjustments simultaneously aim
the low beam.
Vehicle should have a normal tailgate load.
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494 Practical hintsReplacing wiper bladesFront wiper blades
Removing

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Make sure the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have status0
(page 42).

Fold the wiper arms forward until they
engage.
1Wiper blade
2Cover
3Attachment
4Tab
5Removing

Press tabs4 together and tilt wiper
blade1 to detach tabs4 on both
recesses of attachment3.
Wiper blade1 is released on one end.

Maintaining its tilted position, slide
wiper blade1 out of attachment3 in
direction of arrow5.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and
remove SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status
0) before replacing a wiper blade.
Otherwise the motor could suddenly turn on
and cause injury.
Warning!
G
Wiper blades are components that are sub-
ject to wear and tear. Change the wiper
blades twice a year, preferably in the spring
and fall. Otherwise the windows will not be
properly wiped. As a result, you may not be
able to observe surrounding traffic condi-
tions and could cause an accident.
!
Never open the hood when the wiper arms
are folded forward.
Hold on to the wiper when folding the wiper arm
back. If released, the force of the impact from
the tensioning spring could crack the windshield.
Do not allow the wiper arms to contact the wind-
shield glass without a wiper blade inserted.
Make sure the wiper blades are properly
installed. Improperly installed wiper blades may
cause windshield damage.
For your convenience, we recommend that you
have this work carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
!
Do not pull on the wiper blade inserts. They
could tear.
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516 Practical hintsJump startingThe jump-start contacts are located in the
engine compartment.1Negative (-) terminal
2Positive (+) terminal

Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Set automatic transmission to
positionP.

Open the hood (
page 356).

Open cover of positive terminal2.1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Positive terminal of discharged battery
3Negative terminal of charged battery
4Negative terminal of discharged
battery
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 507).
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523 Practical hintsFuses
Fuse box in engine compartment
The fuse box is located on the passenger
side of the engine compartment.
Open the hood (
page 356).
Example fuse box ML 350 (ML 320 CDI,
ML 63 AMG similar)1Clamp
2Fuse box cover
Fuse box ML 5001Clamp
2Fuse box cover
Pull clamp1 in direction of arrow.

Lift fuse box cover2 up.

Install fuse box cover in reverse order.

Close the hood after checking or
replacing fuses (
page 358).
Fuse box in cargo compartment
The fuse box is located in the cargo com-
partment behind the passenger side trim
panel.
1Lock
2Cover
!
The fuse box cover must be installed
properly to prevent moisture and/or dirt from
entering the fuse box and possibly impairing fuse
operation.
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