engine compartment MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 2002 W163 Owner's Manual

2 Contents
Headlamp mode ............................... 99
Night security illumination ......... 101
Locator lighting .......................... 102
Fog lamp switch ............................ 103
Hazard warning flasher
switch .......................................... 104
Headlamp cleaning system .......... 104
Windshield wiper/washer
switch .......................................... 105
Rear window wiper/washer ......... 106
Automatic climate control ............ 108
Dust filter ..................................... 111
Basic setting –
automatic mode .......................... 112
Programming the basic
temperature setting ....................113
Special settings ...........................114
Air volume, manual ....................114
Air distribution, manual ............114
Defroster/Windows fogged up on
the inside ......................................115
Air recirculation ..........................116
Economy mode ............................117Residual engine
heat utilization ............................ 117
Switching the
automatic climate control
on and off ..................................... 118
Switching off the
rear passenger compartment
ventilation and the
rear control panel ....................... 118
Rear passenger compartment
climate control .......................... 119
Manual setting of air volume
and air distribution in the rear
passenger compartment ............ 119
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air outlets ............... 120
Rear window defroster ..................121
Power windows .............................. 122
Rear quarter windows .................. 125
Sliding/pop-up roof ....................... 126
Interior lighting ............................. 128
Sun visors ........................................ 131
Illuminated vanity mirrors ........... 131
Interior .............................................132Storage compartments,
armrest and cup holder ........... 132
Glove box ..................................... 133
Armrest in rear bench seat .......... 136
Ashtrays .......................................... 137
Lighter ............................................. 138
Split rear seat bench ..................... 139
Easy entry/exit feature ............. 142
Rear seat head restraints .......... 143
Third row seats .............................. 144
Removable cargo floor plates ....... 147
Enlarged cargo area ....................... 149
Cargo tie-down rings ..................... 150
Hooks ............................................... 151
Partition net .................................... 151
Loading instructions ..................... 154
Cargo area cover blind .................. 155
Telephone, general ........................ 157
Cellular telephone ......................... 157
Garage door opener ....................... 158

3 Contents
DrivingControl and operation of
radio transmitters ..................... 164
The first 1 000 miles
(1 500 km) ................................. 165
Maintenance ................................... 165
Tele Aid ........................................... 166
Catalytic converter ........................ 178
Emission control ............................ 179
Steering lock ................................... 180
Starting and turning off
the engine .................................. 182
Automatic transmission ............... 183
Parking brake ................................. 191Driving instructions .......................192
Drive sensibly – save fuel .........192
Drinking and driving .................192
Pedals ...........................................192
Power assistance .........................193
Brakes ...........................................193
Driving off ....................................194
Parking .........................................195
Tires ..............................................195
Snow chains ................................199
Winter driving instructions ......199
Deep water .................................. 201
Passenger compartment ........... 201
Traveling abroad ........................ 201
Off-Road driving ............................ 202
Trailer towing ................................ 209
Cruise control .................................214Brake assi st system
(BAS) ........................................... 217
Antilock brake system
(ABS) ........................................... 219
Four-wheel electronic
traction system (4-ETS+) .......... 221
Electronic brake proportioning
(EBP) ...........................................222
Electronic stability program
(ESP) ...........................................223
Transmission control –
LOW RANGE mode ...................227
Parking assist
(Parktronic) ..............................230
What you should know
at the gas station .......................235
Check regularly and
before a long trip ......................238

23 Contents - Operation
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Basic setting –
automatic mode .......................... 112
Programming the basic
temperature setting ....................113
Special settings ...........................114
Air volume, manual ....................114
Air distribution, manual ............114
Defroster/Windows fogged up on
the inside ......................................115
Air recirculation ..........................116
Economy mode ............................117
Residual engine
heat utilization ............................117
Switching the
automatic climate control
on and off .....................................118
Switching off the
rear passenger compartment
ventilation and the
rear control panel .......................118
Rear passenger compartment
climate control ..........................119
Manual setting of air volume
and air distribution in the rear
passenger compartment ............119Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air outlets ............... 120
Rear window defroster ..................121
Power windows .............................. 122
Rear quarter windows .................. 125
Sliding/pop-up roof ....................... 126
Interior lighting ............................. 128
Sun visors ........................................ 131
Illuminated vanity mirrors ........... 131
Interior .............................................132
Storage compartments,
armrest and cup holder ............132
Glove box ......................................133
Armrest in rear bench seat ...........136
Ashtrays ...........................................137
Lighter ..............................................138
Split rear seat bench ......................139
Easy entry/exit feature ............. 142
Rear seat head restraints ......... 143
Third row seats .............................. 144
Removable cargo floor plates ...... 147
Enlarged cargo area ...................... 149
Cargo tie-down rings .....................150
Hooks ............................................... 151Partition net .................................... 151
Loading instructions ..................... 154
Cargo area cover blind .................. 155
Telephone, general ........................ 157
Cellular telephone ......................... 157
Garage door opener ....................... 158

87 Instrument cluster
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Clock (13)
Adjusting clock (instrument cluster activated):
Minute: Pull out knob (2) and turn it to the right.
Hour: Pull out knob (2) and turn it to the left.
Coolant temperature gauge (1)
During severe operating conditions and stop-and-go city
traffic, the coolant temperature may rise close to the red
marking.
The engine should not be operated with the coolant
temperature in the red zone. Doing so may cause
serious engine damage which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Wa r n i n g !
• Driving when your engine is badly 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 and can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine 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 it cools down.

110 Automatic climate control
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Front display and controls
1Air volume control wheel
2Temperature control
3Air distribution control wheel4Defrosting, see page 115
5Air recirculation, see page 116
6Automatic mode AUTO
Automatic control of temperature, air distribution
and air volume
7AC
OFF
, economy mode see page 117
Residual engine heat utilization, see page 117
8Rear window defroster, see page 121
9Rear passenger compartment ventilation switched
off, see page 118
10Interior temperature sensor
Important!
This vehicle is equipped with an air conditioner system
that uses R–134a (HFC: hydrofluorocarbon) as a
refrigerant. Repairs should always be performed by a
qualified technician, and refrigerant should be collected
in a recovery system for recycling.
1
2
3
45
6
10
89
P83.30-3550-26
7

111 Automatic climate control
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Automatic climate control
The automatic climate control only operates with the
engine running.
The system is always at operational readiness, except
when manually switched off.
In the automatic mode the automatic climate control
cools or heats the interior depending on outside
temperature and the selected interior temperature.
Make the temperature settings in small increments.
If the vehicle interior has been heated by direct sunlight
and is very hot, ventilate the interior (open door or
windows for a short period) before driving off
Keep the air intake grill in front of the windshield free
of debris and snow.
The air conditioning mode removes considerable
moisture from the air during operation in the cooling
mode. It is normal for water to drip on the ground
through ducts in the underbody.
If the economy mode AC
OFF
is selected, the air
conditioning compressor will not engage and it is not
possible to air condition in this setting. See page 117.Notes:
The interior temperature sensor (10) should not be
touched to maintain a precise temperature.
If the vehicle travels from shade into direct sunlight, a
sensor automatically increases the air volume
temporarily to maintain the interior temperature.
The automatic climate control will not remove moisture
from the air at low outside ambient temperatures.
The air conditioner switches itself off for its own
protection if refrigerant is lost. No cooling will then take
place. Economy mode AC
OFF
cannot be switched off.
Have the air conditioner checked by a Mercedes-Benz
Center should this happen.
Dustfilter
Nearly all dust particles and pollen are filtered out
before outside air enters the passenger compartment
through the air distribution system.
Severe conditions (e.g. strong air pollution) may require
replacement of the filter before its scheduled interval.
A clogged filter will reduce the air volume to the
interior.

137 Interior equipment
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Ashtrays
Center console
By touching the top of the cover lightly, the ashtray
opens automatically.
To remove ashtray: Pull up and remove ashtray insert.Rear passenger compartment
To u ch c ove r to o p e n .
To o p e n a s h t r ay :
Touch ashtray (1), it opens automatically.
To remove ashtray:
Open ashtray (1) and pull out the ashtray insert.
Close the ashtray before folding the rear seat bench.
Wa r n i n g !
Remove front ashtray only with vehicle standing
still. Turn off the engine and set the parking brake.
Otherwise the vehicle might move as a result of
unintended contact with the gear selector lever.
P68.20-2336-26
P68.00-2597-26
1

163 Contents - Driving
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
DrivingControl and operation of
radio transmitters ..................... 164
The first 1 000 miles
(1 500 km) ................................. 165
Maintenance ................................... 165
Tele Aid ........................................... 166
Catalytic converter ........................ 178
Emission control ............................ 179
Steering lock ................................... 180
Starting and turning off
the engine .................................. 182
Automatic transmission ............... 183
Parking brake ................................. 191Driving instructions .......................192
Drive sensibly – save fuel .........192
Drinking and driving .................192
Pedals ...........................................192
Power assistance .........................193
Brakes ...........................................193
Driving off ....................................194
Parking .........................................195
Tires ..............................................195
Snow chains ................................199
Winter driving instructions ......199
Deep water .................................. 201
Passenger compartment ........... 201
Traveling abroad ........................ 201
Off-Road driving ............................ 202
Trailer towing ................................ 209
Cruise control .................................214Brake assi st system
(BAS) ........................................... 217
Antilock brake system
(ABS) ........................................... 219
Four-wheel electronic
traction system (4-ETS+) .......... 221
Electronic brake proportioning
(EBP) ...........................................222
Electronic stability program
(ESP) ...........................................223
Transmission control –
LOW RANGE mode ...................227
Parking assist
(Parktronic) ..............................230
What you should know
at the gas station .......................235
Check regularly and
before a long trip ......................238

201 Driving instructions
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Deep water
Caution!
Do not drive through flooded areas or water of unknown
depth. Before driving through water, determine its
depth. It should not be deeper than approximately
20 inches (50 cm).
If you must drive through deep water, drive slowly to
prevent water from entering the engine compartment or
passenger compartment, being ingested by the air
intake, possibly causing damage to electrical
components or wiring, to engine or transmission that is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Block heater (Canada only)
The engine is equipped with a block heater.
The electrical cable may be installed at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.Passenger compartment
Traveling abroad
Abroad, there is a widely-spread Mercedes-Benz service
network at your disposal. If you plan to travel into areas
which are not listed in the index of your Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center directory, you should request
pertinent information from your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Wa r n i n g !
Always fasten items being carried as securely as
possible.In an accident, during hard braking or sudden
maneuvers, loose items will be thrown around
inside the vehicle, and cause injury to vehicle
occupants unless the items are securely fastened in
the vehicle.The trunk is the preferred place to carry objects.

240 Malfunction and indicator lamps
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Malfunction and indicator lamps
in the instrument cluster
General information:
If a bulb in the instrument cluster fails to light up
during the bulb self-check when turning the key in
steering lock to position 2, have it checked and replaced
if necessary.
On-board diagnostic system
Check engine malfunction indicator lamp
Engine malfunction indicator lamp. If the
“CHECK ENGINE” malfunction indicator
lamp comes on when the engine is running,
it indicates a malfunction of the fuel management
system, emission control system, systems which impact
emissions, or the fuel cap is not closed tight (check the
fuel cap). If the “CHECK ENGINE” lamp is illuminated
continuously and the vehicle is driving normally, you
may still drive the vehicle, however, in all cases, we
recommend that you have the system checked at your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center as soon
as possible.
If the “CHECK ENGINE” lamp comes on continuously
and / or the vehicle is not driving normally (e.g.
malfunction of the fuel management system or running out of fuel), serious damage can occur to the emission
system. Please contact your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center immediately.
The Sequential Multiport Fuel Injection (SFI) control
module monitors emission control components that
either provide input signals to or receive output signals
from the control module. Malfunctions resulting from
interruptions or failure of any of these components are
indicated by the “CHECK ENGINE” malfunction
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster and are
simultaneously stored in the SFI control module.
If the “CHECK ENGINE” malfunction indicator lamp
comes on, have the system checked at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center as soon as possible.
With some exceptions, the control module switches off
the “CHECK ENGINE” malfunction indicator lamp if the
condition, causing the lamp to come on, no longer exists
during three consecutive cycles. See also page 242 for
fuel cap placement warning.
An on-board diagnostic connector is located in the
passenger compartment near to the parking brake
pedal, allowing the accurate identification of system
malfunctions through the readout of diagnostic trouble
codes.
CHECK
ENGINE