engine MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 1997 Complete Repair Manual

254 Jump starting
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hintsCar care Index
Proceed as follows:
1. Position the vehicle with the charged battery so that
the jumper cables will reach, but never let the
vehicles touch. Make sure the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation.
2. On both vehicles:
•Turn off engine and all lights and accessories,
except hazard warning flashers or work lights.
•Apply parking brake and shift selector lever to
position “P”.
Important!
3. Clamp one end of the first jumper cable to the
positive (+) under hood terminal of the discharged
battery and the other end to the positive (+) terminal
of the charged battery. Make sure the cable clamps
do not touch any other metal parts.
4. Clamp one end of the second jumper cable to the
grounded negative (–) terminal of the charged
battery and the final connection to the negative (–)
terminal of the discharged battery.Important!
5. Start engine of the vehicle with the charged battery
and run at high idle. Make sure the cables are not
on or near pulleys, fans, or other parts that move
when the engine is started. Allow the discharged
battery to charge for a few minutes. Start engine of
the disabled vehicle in the usual manner.
6. After the engine has started, remove jumper cables
by exactly reversing the above installation
sequence, starting with the last connection made
first. When removing each clamp, make sure that it
does not touch any other metal while the other end
is still attached.
Notes:
If engine does not run after several unsuccessful
starting attempts, have it checked at the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Excessive unburned fuel may damage the catalytic
converter.

255 Towing
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hintsCar care Index Tow in g t h e ve hic l e
Important!
When towing the vehicle, please, note the following:
With the automatic central locking activated and the
engine running, the vehicle doors lock if the left front
wheel is turning at vehicle speeds of approximately
9 mph (15 km / h) or more.
To prevent the vehicle door locks from locking,
deactivate the automatic central locking, see page 32.The front towing eye is located on the passenger side
below the bumper.
1To w i n g eye , f r o n t
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground, make certain that the key is in steering
lock position 2.
P88.20-2160-26

258 Towing
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hintsCar care Index
To be certain to avoid additional damage to the vehicle
powertrain, however you should d o the following:
•With damage to front axle, raise front axle. Remove
flexible drive shaft between rear axle and transfer
case
•With damage to rear axle, raise rear axle and tow
vehicle with wheel lift or dolly placed under front
wheels.
•With damage to transfer case, remove flexible drive
shafts to the drive axles.
Note:
Always install new self-locking nuts when reinstalling
the flexible drive shaft.Caution!
If the vehicle is towed with the front axle raised, the
engine must be shut off (key in steering lock position 1).
Otherwise, the 4-ETS+ may become engaged which may
cause loss of towing control. Switch off the tow-away
alarm (see page 36) as well as the ESP (see page 207).
Note:
To signal turns while being towed with hazard warning
flasher in use, turn key in steering lock to position 2
and activate combination switch for left or right turn
signal in usual manner. Now deactivate the hazard
warning flasher, only the selected turn signal will
operate. Upon canceling the turn signal, the hazard
warning flasher must be activated again.
Wa r n i n g !
With the engine not running, there is no power
assistance for the braking and steering systems. In
this case, it is important to keep in mind that a
considerably higher degree of effort is necessary to
brake and steer the vehicle.

275 Replacing wiper blades
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hintsCar care Index Replacing wiper blades
For safety reasons, remove key from steering lock before
replacing the wiper blade, otherwise the motor can
suddenly turn on and cause injury.
Notes:
Do not open engine hood with wiper arm folded forward.
Do not allow the wiper arm to contact the windshield
glass without a wiper blade inserted. The glass may be
scratched or broken.
Make certain that the wiper blade is properly installed.
An improperly installed wiper blade may cause
windshield damage.
The wiper with air spoiler should be mounted on the
driver’s side.Replacing windshield/rear window wiper blade
Removal:
Fold wiper arm (1) forward (windshield) / rearward (rear
window) and turn wiper blade (2) at a right angle to the
arm. Push safety tab (3) of attachment link (4) and slide
the wiper blade from the end of the wiper arm. Remove
the wiper blade.
Installation:
Slide wiper blade into end of wiper arm until it locks in
place.
P82.30-0338-26
1
2
3
4

277 Contents - Vehicle care
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hintsCar careIndex
Vehicle careCleaning and care
of the vehicle .............................278
Power washer ..............................279
Tar stains .....................................279
Paintwork, painted body
components .................................279
Engine cleaning ..........................280
Vehicle washing .........................280
Ornamental moldings ................280
Headlamps, taillamps,
turn signal lenses ......................280Window cleaning ....................... 281
Wiper blades .............................. 281
Light alloy wheels ..................... 281
Instrument cluster ..................... 281
Steering wheel and
gear selector lever ..................... 281
Cup holder .................................. 282
Seat belts ..................................... 282
Headliner .................................... 282
Upholstery .................................. 282
Hard plastic trim items ............. 282
Plastic and rubber parts ........... 282

280 Cleaning and care of the vehicle
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hintsCar careIndex
Engine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment make sure to
protect electrical components and connectors from the
intrusion of water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as MB Anticorrosion Wax
should be applied to the engine compartment after
every engine cleaning. Before applying, all control
linkage bushings and joints should be lubricated. The
poly-V-belt and all pulleys should be protected from any
wax.
Ve h i c l e w a s h i n g
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle in direct
sunlight. Use only a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a diffused jet of
water. Direct only a very weak spray towards the
ventilation intake. Use plenty of water and rinse the
sponge and chamois frequently.
Rinse with clear water and thoroughly wipe dry with a
chamois. Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on the
finish.Due to the width of the vehicle, prior to running the
vehicle through an automatic car wash, fold back the
outside mirrors to prevent them from getting damaged.
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces of road salt
as soon as possible.
When washing the underbody, do not forget to clean the
inner sides of the wheels.
Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of very dirty chrome-
plated parts, use a chrome cleaner.
Headlamps, taillamps, turn signal lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as Mercedes-Benz
approved Car Shampoo, with plenty of water.
To prevent scratches, never apply strong force and use
only a soft, non-scratchy cloth when cleaning the lenses.
Do not attempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry cloth or
sponge.

283 Contents - Technical data
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Technical dataSpare parts service ........................284
Warranty coverage .........................284
Identification labels .......................285
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ............286
Technical data ................................287
Fuels, coolants, lubricants
etc. – capacities .........................292Engine oils ...................................... 294
Engine oil additives ...................... 294
Air conditioner refrigerant .......... 294
Brake fluid ...................................... 294
Premium unleaded gasoline ........ 295
Fuel requirements ........................ 295
Gasoline additives ......................... 296
Coolants .......................................... 296
Consumer information ................. 298

285 Technical data
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Identification labels
1Certification label and Paintwork Number2Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
3Engine number
4Information label, California version
5Emission control label
Vacuum line routing for emission control system
Note:
When ordering spare parts, please specify vehicle
identification and engine numbers.

287 Technical data
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Technical data
Model ML 320 (163 154)
1
ML 430 (163 172)
1
ML 55 AMG (163 174)
1
Engine112 113 113
Mode of operation 4-stroke engine,
gasoline injection4-stroke engine,
gasoline injection4-stroke engine,
gasoline injection
No. of cylinders688
Bore 3.54 in (89.90 mm) 3.54 in (89.90 mm) 3.82 in (97.00 mm)
Stroke 3.31 in (84.00 mm) 3.31 in (84.00 mm) 3.62 in (92.00 mm)
Total piston displacement 195.2 cu.in. (3199 cm
3) 260.6 cu.in. (4266 cm
3) 332.0 cu.in. (5439 cm
3)
Compression ratio 10:1 10:1 10.5:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349 215 hp / 5600 rpm
(160 kW / 5600 rpm)268 hp / 5750 rpm
(200 kW / 5750 rpm)342 hp / 5500 rpm
(255 kW / 5500 rpm)
Maximum torque acc. to
SAE J 1349233 ft.lb / 3000 rpm
(315 Nm / 3000 rpm)288 ft.lb / 3000 rpm
(390 Nm / 3000 rpm)376 ft.lb / 2800 rpm
( 510 N m / 2 80 0 r p m )
Maximum engine speed 6000 rpm 6000 rpm 6000 rpm
Firing order 1-4-3-6-2-5 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
Poly-V-belt 2390 mm 2390 mm 2390 mm
1 The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for the corresponding data of all
special bodies and special equipment.

292 Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. - capacities
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. – capacities
Vehicle components and their respective lubricants must match. Therefore use only brands tested and recommended
by us. Please refer to the Factory Approved Service Products pamphlet, or inquire at your Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. Model Capacity
Engine with oil filter
(recommended engine oils)ML 320 / ML 430
ML 55 AMG8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
8.0 US qt (7.5 l)
Automatic transmission
(automatic transmission fluid)9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
Transfer case
(Dexron 3 or Dexron 2E)1. 6 U S q t (1. 5 l )
Rear axle
(Hypoid gear oil SAE 90, 85 W 90)1.3 US qt (1.25 l)
Front axle
(Hypoid gear oil SAE 90)1. 2 U S q t (1. 1 l )
Power steering
(MB Power steering fluid)approx. 0.65 US qt (0.6 l)
Front wheel hubs
(high temperature roller bearing grease)approx. 1.5 oz (43 g) each