ignition MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV 2008 Owner's Guide

Windscreen wipers
98 Windscreen wipers
Switching the windscreen wipers on/
off Combination switch
1
To switch on the windscreen wipers
2 Single wipe/to wipe the windscreen using
washer fluid
Settings: M
Windscreen wipers off
U
Intermittent wipe, low
(rain sensor set to low sensitivity)
V
Intermittent wipe, high
(rain sensor set to high sensitivity) u
Continuous wipe, slow
t
Continuous wipe, fast
!
If the windscreen becomes dirty in dry
weather conditions, the windscreen wipers
may be activated inadvertently. This could
then damage the windscreen wiper blades
or scratch the windscreen.
For this reason, you should always switch
off the windscreen wipers in dry weather.
X Make sure that the key is in position 1or
2 in the ignition lock.
The various wiper settings can be selected
as follows:
Single wipe X
Briefly press the combination switch to the
pressure point in the direction of arrow
2.
To wipe with washer fluid X
Press the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of arrow
2. Intermittent wipe/rain sensor X
Depending on the intensity of the rain, turn
the combination switch in the direction of
arrow 1to position UorV.
The rain sensor is activated. The appropri-
ate wiping frequency is set automatically
according to the intensity of the rain.
Continuous wipe X
Depending on the intensity of the rain, turn
the combination switch in the direction of
arrow 1to position uort.
Switching off the windscreen wipers X
Turn the combination switch to position
M. Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 98Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Side windows
99Rear window wiper
Combination switch
1
Switch
% To wipe with washer fluid
& To switch on intermittent wiping
( To switch off intermittent wiping
) To wipe with washer fluid Message in the multi-function display
6 Rear window wiper symbol Intermittent wipe X
Make sure that the key is in position 1in
the ignition lock.
X To switch on: turn switch1to position
&.
Rear window wiper symbol 6appears in
the multi-function display.
X To switch off: turn switch1to position
(.
Rear window wiper symbol 6in the multi-
function display goes out.
Wiping with washer fluid X
Make sure that the key is in position 1in
the ignition lock.
X Turn switch 1to position %or posi-
tion )and hold it there until the rear
window has been cleaned.
The rear window is wiped for a further five
seconds after the switch is released. Side windows
Opening/closing the side windows
G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trap-
ped between the side window and the door
frame as a side window is opened. Do not
touch or lean against the side window dur-
ing the opening procedure. You could
become trapped between the side window
and the door frame as the window moves
down. If there is a risk of becoming trapped,
release the switch immediately or pull the
switch up to close the side window again. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trap-
ped as you close a side window. If there is
a risk of becoming trapped, release the
switch immediately or push the switch
again to reopen the side window. G
Risk of injury
Children may injure themselves if they open
or close the side windows.
Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. Always take the KEYLESS GO
key* with you when leaving the vehicle, Controls
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 99 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Side windows
100 even if you are only leaving it for a short
time. G
Risk of injury
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. The children could:
R be seriously or even fatally injured on
parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or even fatally injured by
prolonged exposure to extremely high or
extremely low temperatures
If children open a door, they could:
R seriously or even fatally injure other peo-
ple
R get out of the vehicle, thereby injuring
themselves or be seriously or even fatally
injured by a passing vehicle
Activate the child-proof locks if children are
travelling in the vehicle. They could other-
wise open doors or windows while the vehi-
cle is in motion and thereby injure them-
selves or others.
i It is also possible to open and close the
side windows from the outside using the
"Summer opening" (Y page 101) and "con- venience closing" (Y
page 102) features
respectively.
i You can disable the controls for the rear
side windows from the driver's seat
(Y page 56).
PRE-SAFE ®
* automatically closes the slid-
ing/tilting sunroof in a dangerous situation,
leaving.
The switches for all side windows are located
on the driver's door. There is also a switch on
each door for the respective side window. 1
Front left
2 Front right
3 Rear right
4 Rear left X
Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock.
i When the key is turned to position 0or
removed from the ignition lock, it is still
possible to operate the windows until the
driver's or front-passenger door is opened,
but for no longer than five minutes.
X To open/close: press the switch down or
pull it up beyond the pressure point and
hold it until the corresponding window is in
the desired position.
X To open/close fully: press the switch
down or pull it up beyond the pressure point
and release it.
X To stop: briefly press the corresponding
switch down or pull it up.
Closing with increased force and without
the anti-entrapment feature G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trap-
ped and possibly be seriously or fatally
injured as you close a side window with
increased force or without the anti-entrap-
ment feature. Controls
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 100 Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Side windows
101
If a side window locks up during closing and
has reopened again slightly:
X
Immediately after the window locks up, pull
the switch upwards until the window is
closed.
The side window is closed with more force.
If a side window locks up again during closing
and has reopened again slightly:
X Immediately after the window locks up, pull
the switch upwards until the window is
closed.
The side window is closed without the anti-
entrapment feature. Resetting the windows
You must reset each side window if:
R the battery has been disconnected or has
become discharged
R the side window no longer opens or closes
fully
R the side windows open again slightly after
being closed fully X
Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock.
X Pull the corresponding switch upwards
until the window is closed.
X Hold the switch for an additional second.
If the side window opens again slightly:
X Pull the corresponding switch up again
immediately and hold it for approximately
one second. Summer opening
You can ventilate the vehicle before a journey.
To do this, you can use the key to simultane-
ously:
R open the side windows
R open the sliding/tilting sunroof*
R switch on the seat ventilation* of the driv-
er's seat
i The "Summer opening" feature can only
be operated via the key. X
Point the tip of the key at the driver's door
handle.
X Unlock the vehicle by pressing the k
button.
X Keep the kbutton pressed until the
side windows and the sliding/tilting sun-
roof* are in the desired position. Controls
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 101 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving and pa
rking 103Driving and parking
Starting the engine
G
Risk of accident
Do not keep any objects in the driver's foot-
well. If you use a floormat or carpet in the
driver's footwell, make sure that they are
correctly secured and that there is suffi-
cient clearance for the pedals.
Objects could otherwise get between the
pedals in the event of sudden braking or
acceleration. You may then no longer be
able to brake, change gear or accelerate as
intended. This may result in an accident and
injury. G
Risk of poisoning
Never leave the engine running in enclosed
spaces. The exhaust gases contain carbon
monoxide. Inhaling exhaust fumes consti-
tutes a health hazard and could lead to loss
of consciousness or even death.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine. i
If you depress the brake when starting the
engine, pedal travel will be unusually long
and there will be less pedal resistance.
Automatic transmission P
Park position with parking lock
N To select neutral
R To select reverse gear
D To select drive
X Before starting, make sure Pis selected.
i The engine can also be started when the
DIRECT SELECT selector lever is in position
N.
Further information about the automatic
transmission (Y page 107). Starting the engine with the key X
To start a petrol engine: turn the key to
position 3in the ignition lock (Y page 75)
and release it.
The engine starts automatically.
X To start a diesel engine: turn the key to
position 2in the ignition lock (Y page 75).
The q preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X When the qpreglow indicator lamp
goes out, turn the key to position
3 (Y page 75) and release it.
The engine starts automatically.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm.
Starting the engine with KEYLESS GO* G
Risk of injury
Your vehicle can be started using a valid
KEYLESS GO key*. For this reason, children
should never be left unsupervised in the
vehicle. Always take the KEYLESS GO
key* with you when leaving the vehicle,
even if you are only leaving it for a short
time. Cont
rols
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 103 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving and pa
rking 104
The KEYLESS GO button can be used to start
the vehicle without inserting the key in the
ignition lock. 1
KEYLESS GO button
X Depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
X Petrol engine: press KEYLESS GO button
1 once.
The engine starts automatically.
X Diesel engine: press KEYLESS GO button
1 once.
Preglow is activated and the engine starts
automatically.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm: X
Press and hold KEYLESS GO button
1 until the engine is running. Pulling away
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only shift into reverse gear when the vehi-
cle is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train.
! AMG vehicles: at low engine tempera-
tures (below +20 °C), the maximum engine
speed is limited in order to protect the
engine. Avoid driving at full throttle when
the engine is cold in order to protect the
engine and maintain smooth engine oper-
ation.
i The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time. You can also deactivate the automatic lock-
ing feature (Y page 132).
i It is only possible to move the selector
lever to the desired position if you depress
the brake pedal. Only then is the selector
lever lock released.
X Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
X Pull the parking brake release handle to
release the parking brake.
X Move the selector lever to position Dor R.
i Wait until the shift process is completed
before pulling away.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly. Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 104 Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving and pa
rking 105Hill start assist
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
on uphill gradients of more than 5°. G
Risk of accident
Hill start assist is not a parking brake. It
does not prevent the vehicle from rolling
away.
When parking, always depress the parking
brake and set the automatic transmission
to P.
X To pull away on an uphill slope, release the
brake and depress the accelerator pedal.
The hill start assist continues to hold the
braking pressure for up to one second. This
allows you to pull away evenly without the
vehicle rolling back.
i The brake pedal remains in the depressed
position until the hill start assist releases
the braking pressure.
Hill start assist will not function if:
R you are pulling away on a downhill gradient
R the automatic transmission is in neutral N
R the parking brake is applied
R ESP ®
is deactivated due to a malfunction Parking
G
Risk of accident
Only remove the key from the ignition lock
when the vehicle is stationary as you can-
not steer the vehicle with the key removed.
Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. They could release the parking
brake. This could lead to a serious or fatal
accident. G
Risk of fire
Make sure that the exhaust system does
not under any circumstances come into
contact with easily ignitable material such
as dry grass or petrol. The material could
otherwise ignite and set the vehicle on fire. Parking brake 1
Release handle
2 Parking brake
X To apply: depress parking brake 2firmly.
The 3 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
i On steep slopes, turn the front wheels
towards the kerb.
X To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
The selector lever lock is released.
X Pull release handle 1.
The 3 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 105 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Transmission
106 Switching off the engine
G
Risk of accident
If the engine is not running, there is no
power assistance for the steering and
brakes. Steering and braking then takes
much more effort.
As a result, you might lose control of the
vehicle, cause an accident and injure your-
self and others.
Do not switch off the engine while driving.
X Move the selector lever to P.
Using the key
X Turn the key to position 0(Y page 75) in
the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
i If you switch off the engine using the key
and then remove the key or open one of the
front doors, the automatic transmission will
shift to park position P. Using KEYLESS GO*
X
Press and hold the KEYLESS GO button
(Y page 75).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out
(Y page 26).
i If you use the KEYLESS GO button to
switch off the engine, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to N. If you then open the
driver's or front-passenger door, the auto-
matic transmission shifts to P. Transmission
Notes on the transmission
G
Risk of accident
The movement of the pedals must not be
impaired in any way. Do not keep any
objects in the driver's footwell. Make sure
that floormats or carpets are correctly
secured and that there is sufficient clear-
ance for the pedals. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid. This could
cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and cause an accident. Controls
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 106 Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Instrument cluster
114 Activating the multi-function display
X Switch on the ignition. 1
To dim the instrument cluster lighting
2 Reset button
3 To brighten the instrument cluster lighting
The multi-function display is also activated
when you:
R switch on the lights
R press reset button 2
R open a front door Adjusting the instrument cluster
lighting
X Brighter: press and hold down button 3.
X Dimmer: press and hold down button 1. Resetting the trip meter
X Select the standard display menu
(Y page 120).
X Press and hold reset button 2until the trip
meter is reset. Clock
On vehicles with Audio 20, you can set the
time using the on-board computer
(Y page 129). Speedometer with segments
The segments in the speedometer indicate
which speed range is available.
Distronic* mode:
One or two segments around the stored
speed light up. Rev counter
The red band in the rev counter indicates the
engine's overrevving range. The fuel supply is
interrupted to protect the engine when the
red band is reached.
! Do not drive in the overrevving range.
Doing so will damage the engine. H
Environmental note
Avoid driving at high engine speeds, as this
increases your vehicle's consumption
unnecessarily and pollutes the environ-
ment through increased emissions. Cont
rols
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 114 Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

On-board computer
115Outside temperature display
G
Risk of accident
The road surface may be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges, even if tem-
peratures are just above freezing point. The
vehicle could skid if you fail to adapt your
driving style. You should therefore always
adapt your driving style and speed to suit
the weather conditions.
There is a short delay before a change in out-
side temperature is displayed. On-board computer
Points to remember
The on-board computer is activated as soon
as you turn the key to position 1in the ignition
lock. You can use the on-board computer to
call up information relating to your vehicle
and to make and adjust settings.
You can call up the next service due date,
select the display language for the instrument
cluster and set other functions. G
Risk of accident
Only use the on-board computer when road
and traffic conditions permit. You would
otherwise be distracted and unable to con-
centrate properly on driving, and could
cause an accident.
The on-board computer shows information in
the multi-function display. Multi-function steering wheel
You can control the multi-function display and
the settings in the on-board computer with
the buttons on the multi-function steering
wheel. Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 115 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight