ESP MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV 2008 Workshop Manual

Driving sys
tems 168 You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your
immediate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring. This applies to the areas
behind, in front of and next to the vehicle.
You could otherwise endanger yourself and
others. G
Risk of accident
Under the following circumstances, the
reversing camera will not function, or func-
tion in a limited manner:
R if the tailgate is open.
R in heavy rain, snow or fog. R
at night or in very dark places.
R if the camera is exposed to very bright
white light.
R if the area is lit by fluorescent light (the
display may flicker).
R if there is a sudden change in tempera-
ture, e.g. when driving into a heated
garage in winter.
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged.
Have the camera position and setting
checked at a qualified specialist work- shop in this case. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre for this purpose.
Do not use the reversing camera in these
types of situation. You could otherwise
injure others or damage objects and your
vehicle while you are parking.
Activating the reversing camera X
Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock.
X Engage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND APS display. Controls
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Sliding sunroof
187The auxiliary ventilation
is switched on. The num-
ber in the display shows
the remaining time (in
minutes) for the auxiliary
ventilation.
The auxiliary heating is
switched on. The number
in the display shows the
remaining time (in
minutes) for the auxiliary
heating. Sliding sunroof
Sliding/tilting sunroof*
G
Risk of injury
Children could injure themselves if they
operate the sliding/tilting sunroof.
Never leave children 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. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trap-
ped when you are opening and closing the
sliding/tilting sunroof. If there is a risk of
entrapment, release the switch and push it
briefly in any direction to stop the sliding/
tilting sunroof. G
Risk of injury
The glass in the sliding/tilting sunroof
could break in an accident. If you are not
wearing a seat belt, there is a risk that you
could be thrown through the opening in the
event of the vehicle overturning. Therefore,
always wear a seat belt to reduce the risk
of injuries. !
Only open the sliding/tilting sunroof if it
is free of snow and ice. Otherwise, mal-
functions may occur.
Do not allow anything to protrude from the
sliding/tilting sunroof. The seals could oth-
erwise be damaged.
i Resonance noises can occur in addition
to the usual airflow noises when the slid-
ing/tilting sunroof is open. They are caused
by minor pressure fluctuations in the vehi-
cle interior.
Change the position of the sliding/tilting
sunroof or open a side window slightly to
reduce or eliminate these noises.
i It is also possible to open and close the
sliding/tilting sunroof from the outside
using the "Summer opening" (Y page 101)
and "Convenience closing" (Y page 102)
features respectively.
When PRE-SAFE ®
* has been activated, the
sliding/tilting sunroof closes automatically in
the event of danger, leaving a small gap open. Controls
* optional
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Loading and stowing
194
Securing hooks There are two securing hooks on each side of
the luggage compartment. 1
Securing hooks
Only secure lightweight luggage items (max-
imum 4 kg) on the mounting hooks. Enlarging the luggage compartment
The left-hand and right-hand rear seats can
be folded down to increase the luggage com-
partment capacity. G
Risk of injury
Do not carry heavy or hard objects inside
the vehicle or in the luggage compartment
unless they are secured.
Otherwise, you and other vehicle occu-
pants could be injured by objects being
thrown around the vehicle in the event of
sharp braking, a sudden change in direction
or an accident.
When using the luggage compartment
enlargement feature, you must always fully
fold down the respective backrests and
attach the safety net. G
Risk of poisoning
Always drive with the tailgate closed.
Exhaust fumes could otherwise enter the
vehicle interior.
Folding the rear bench seat forwards G
Risk of accident and injury
Do not fold the backrest onto the folded-
down seat cushions. If the seat cushions are folded down, luggage can be thrown
over the backrest into the passenger com-
partment during, for instance, heavy brak-
ing, sudden changes of direction or in the
event of an accident. You could cause an
accident or cause injury to yourself and
others.
1
Seat cushion release loop
2 Seat cushion
! When the rear bench seat is folded for-
wards, the front seats cannot be moved to
their rearmost position, as otherwise, the
seats and the rear seat bench could be
damaged.
i If the driver's or front-passenger seat has
been adjusted for a tall person, it may be Controls
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Loading and stowing
195
necessary to move the seats forwards
slightly to fold the backrests forwards.
X Pull release loop 1of seat cushion 2.
Seat cushion 2is released.
X Fold seat cushion 2upwards.
X Move the head restraints to the lowest
position (Y page 80). 1
Backrest
2 Backrest release lever
X Pull release lever 2on left or right back-
rest 1in the direction of the arrow.
Corresponding backrest 1is unlocked.
! The backrest is heavy. Therefore, exercise
care when folding it down. Make sure that
the head restraints are pushed all the way in so that the backrests and seat cushions
are not damaged.
X Fold backrest 1forwards until it engages
in the luggage compartment position. 1
Clip
2 Seat belt
X Guide seat belts 2under respective clips
1. Folding the rear bench seat back 1
Seat cushion
2 Backrest
X Fold backrest 2backwards until it
engages, making sure not to trap the seat
belts while doing so.
The red safety flag on the backrest release
drops completely into the release catch.
X Fold seat cushion 1backwards and push
until you hear it engage.
X Pull up and adjust the head restraints if
necessary (Y page 80). G
Risk of injury
Make sure that the rear seat backrest and
the seat cushions are fully locked in place. Controls
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Loading and stowing
1981
Bracket behind the B-pillar
2 Bracket behind the C-pillar
R The brackets behind the B-pillar 1are
required for the luggage compartment
enlargement (Y page 194).
The corresponding lashing eyelets to
tighten the net are located in the footwell
of the rear bench seat (Y page 193).
R The brackets behind the C-pillar 1are
required for the luggage compartment
behind the rear bench seat.
The corresponding lashing eyelets to ten-
sion the net are located in the luggage
compartment (Y page 193). Preparing the safety net
X
Open the two Velcro fasteners on the
safety net holder.
X Unroll and unfold the safety net.
The upper and lower guide rods must
engage audibly.
Attaching the safety net Guide rod inserted behind the C-pillar
1
Retainer
2 Guide rod
X Insert guide rod 2into retainer 1in the
direction of the arrow.
X Slide guide rod 2forwards into retainer
1 in the direction of the arrow. Tightening the safety net
Seat belt reel holder behind the front seats
1
Belt hook
2 Lashing eyelet
3 Strap
X Insert belt hook 1into lashing eyelet 2
in the direction of the arrow.
X Pull tensioning strap 3by the loose end in
the direction of the arrow until the safety
net is tight.
X After driving a short distance, check the
tension of the safety net and retighten it if
necessary. Controls
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Features
214 Do not place floormats on top of one
another. 1
Press-studs
2 Retainers
X Slide seat backwards.
X To fit: place the floormat in position.
X Press stud 1onto retainer 2.
X To remove: pull floormat off retainers 2.
X Remove the floormat. Infrared reflecting windscreen*
The infrared reflecting glass prevents the
vehicle interior from becoming too hot. It also
blocks radio waves up into the gigahertz
range. 1
Areas transparent to radio waves
In order to operate radio-controlled equip-
ment (e.g. toll recording systems), areas 1
on the windscreen are transparent to radio
waves. You can install radio-controlled sys-
tems here. These areas can best be seen from
outside the vehicle by observing the light
reflected off the windscreen. Retrofitted anti-glare film
Anti-glare film retrofitted to the insides of the
windows could interfere with radio or mobile
phone reception, especially if it is conductive
or metal-coated film. Information about anti-
glare film can be obtained from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Cont
rols
* optional
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Tyres and wheels
224 G
Risk of fire
Windscreen washer concentrate is highly
flammable. Fire, naked flames and smoking
are prohibited when windscreen washer
concentrate is being handled.
Use
R a windscreen washer fluid additive
such as MB Summerwash to prevent
smearing (for temperatures above freez-
ing).
R a windscreen washer fluid additive with
antifreeze properties such as MB Winter-
wash (if there is a risk of frost).
X Mix the windscreen washer fluid in a con-
tainer beforehand. Adapt the mixing ratio
to the outside temperatures.
! Only use windscreen washer fluid which
is suitable for plastic lamp lenses. Unsuit-
able windscreen washer fluid could dam-
age the plastic lamp lenses of the head-
lamps.
X To open: pull cap1upwards by the tab.
X To close: press cap 1onto the filler neck
until it clicks into place. Tyres and wheels
Points to remember
! For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz rec-
ommends that you only use tyres and
wheels which have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz specifically for your vehi-
cle. These tyres have been specially adap-
ted for use with the control systems, such
as ABS or ESP ®
, and are marked as follows:
R MO = Mercedes-Benz Original
R MOE = Mercedes-Benz Original Extended
(with run-flat characteristics)*
*Mercedes-Benz Original Extended tyres
should only be used on wheels that have
been specifically approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
If you use other tyres and wheels,
Mercedes-Benz cannot accept any respon-
sibility for damage that may result from
this. Further information about tyres,
wheels and approved combinations can be
obtained from any Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
If you use tyres other than those tested and
recommended for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles, characteristics such as handling, vehi-
cle noise emissions and fuel consumption may be adversely affected. In addition, the
wheels may come into contact with the
body or axle components when heavily loa-
ded or when driving with snow chains. This
could result in damage to the tyres or the
vehicle.
! Retreaded tyres are neither tested nor
recommended by Mercedes-Benz, since
previous damage cannot always be detec-
ted on retreaded tyres. As a result,
Mercedes-Benz cannot guarantee vehicle
safety if retreaded tyres are fitted. Do not
fit used tyres if you have no information
about their previous usage. G
Risk of accident
If wheels or tyres other than those which
have been tested are fitted:
R the brakes or chassis components could
be damaged
R wheel and tyre clearances can no longer
be guaranteed
This could cause an accident.
Modification work on the brake system and
wheels is not permitted, nor is the use of
spacer plates or brake dust shields. This inva- Operation
* optional
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Tyres and wheels
227G
Risk of accident
Should the tyre pressure drop repeatedly:
R Check the tyre for foreign bodies.
R Check whether the wheel is losing air or
the valve is leaking.
Tyre pressure that is too low has a negative
effect on the vehicle’s active safety, which
could lead to your causing an accident.
Tyre pressure changes by approximately
0.1 bar for every 10 °C change in ambient
temperature.
If you measure the tyre pressure in enclosed
spaces where the temperature differs from
the outside temperature, you will have to cor-
rect the measured value accordingly.
When the vehicle is driven, the tyre tempera-
ture, and with it the tyre pressure, will
increase depending on the road speed and
the load on the tyres.
Therefore, you should only correct tyre pres-
sures when the tyres are cold.
The pressure of warm tyres should only be
corrected if it is too low for the current oper-
ating conditions.
Driving with tyre pressure that is too high or
too low can: R
shorten the service life of the tyres
R increase the likelihood of tyre damage
R have a negative effect on handling charac-
teristics (e.g. by causing aquaplaning)
i The tyre pressure values given for low
loads are minimum values which offer you
good ride comfort characteristics.
You can, however, also use the values given
for higher loads. These are permissible and
will not adversely affect the running of the
vehicle. H
Environmental note
Check the tyre pressure regularly, at least
every 14 days. Tyre pressure loss warning system
G
Risk of accident
The tyre pressure loss warning system does
not warn you of an incorrectly set tyre pres-
sure. The table on the inside of the fuel filler
flap will help you decide whether the tyre
pressures should be corrected.
The tyre pressure loss warning system does
not replace the need to regularly check
your vehicle's tyre pressures, since an even loss of pressure on several tyres at the
same time cannot be detected by the tyre
pressure loss warning system.
The tyre pressure loss warning system is
not able to warn you of a sudden loss of
pressure, e.g. if the tyre is penetrated by a
foreign object.
In the event of a sudden loss of pressure,
bring the vehicle to a halt by braking care-
fully. Do not make any sudden steering
movements when doing so.
While the vehicle is in motion, the tyre pres-
sure loss warning system monitors the set
tyre pressure using the rotational speed of
the wheels. This enables the system to detect
significant pressure loss in a tyre. If the speed
of rotation of a wheel changes as a result of
a loss of pressure, a corresponding warning
message will appear in the multi-function dis-
play.
The function of the tyre pressure loss warning
system is limited or delayed if:
R snow chains are fitted to your vehicle's
tyres
R road conditions are wintry
R you are driving on sand or gravel Operation
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Winter driving
231Winter driving
Points to remember
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. at a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre, at the onset of winter. Winter tyres
In temperatures below +7 °C, always use all-
weather tyres or winter tyres and always use
winter tyres in wintry road conditions.
Only winter tyres displaying the snowflake
symbol in addition to the M+S marking pro-
vide optimum grip in wintry road conditions.
Only these tyres will allow the ABS and ESP
driving systems to function optimally in win-
ter, as these tyres have been designed spe-
cifically for driving on snow.
Use winter tyres of the same make and tread
on all wheels to maintain safe handling char-
acteristics. G
Risk of accident
Winter tyres with a tread depth of less than
4 mm must be replaced immediately. They
are no longer suitable for winter use, can
no longer provide sufficient grip. This could cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and cause an accident.
Always observe the maximum permitted
speed specified for the winter tyres you have
fitted. If you fit winter tyres which have a
lower maximum permitted speed than that of
the vehicle, affix an appropriate warning sign
in the driver's field of vision. This can be
obtained at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. from a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Under these circumstances, you should also
restrict the maximum speed of the vehicle
using permanent Speedtronic 25
to the maxi-
mum permissible speed for the winter tyres
(Y page 156).
Once you have fitted the winter tyres:
X Check the tyre pressures (Y page 226).
X Restart the tyre pressure moni-
tor* (Y page 228). G
Risk of accident
If you fit the spare wheel* when driving with
winter tyres, bear in mind that driving sta-
bility will be impaired owing to unstable
cornering characteristics caused by the dif-
ferent tyres. You should therefore adapt
your driving style and drive carefully. Have the spare wheel* replaced at the
nearest qualified specialist workshop
which has the necessary specialist knowl-
edge and tools to carry out the work
required. Mercedes-Benz recommends
that you use a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related sys-
tems must be carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop. Snow chains
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains which
have been specially approved for your vehicle
by Mercedes-Benz, or are of a corresponding
standard of quality.
! Information about the use of snow chain-
compatible AMG winter tyres is applicable
for AMG tyres. Use of snow chains is only
permissible with these tyres.
! Vehicles with the Off-Road Pro engineer-
ing package*, AIRMATIC package* or
ML 63 AMG: do not drive in ADS SPORT
mode when driving with snow chains fitted.
25 Only available for certain countries. Operation
* optional
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Driving
tips 232
If you intend to fit snow chains, please bear
the following points in mind:
R Snow chains cannot be fitted to all wheel/
tyre combinations.
R Snow chains must not be fitted to emer-
gency spare wheels, e.g. the "Minispare" or
collapsible emergency spare wheel.
R Fit snow chains only in pairs and only to the
rear wheels. Comply with the manufactur-
er's installation instructions.
On vehicles with the AIRMATIC package*, you
may only drive at raised vehicle level if snow
chains have been fitted (Y page 156).
Do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 50 km/h.
i You may wish to deactivate ESP ®
when
pulling away with snow chains fitted
(Y page 58). This way you can allow the
wheels to spin in a controlled manner, ach-
ieving an increased driving force (cutting
action). Winter driving
G
Risk of accident
Do not shift 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.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the selector lever to N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering. Driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off
G
Risk of accident
Do not switch off the engine while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
There is no power assistance for the steer-
ing or the service brake when the engine is
not running.
Steering and braking require significantly
more effort and you could lose control of
the vehicle and cause an accident as a
result. Braking
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. G
Risk of accident
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking. Operation
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