MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 2003 W163 Service Manual

41 Getting started
Driving
1Latch plate
2Buckle
3Release button
4Seat belt housing
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.Warning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the back-
rest reclined. Sitting in an excessively re-
clined position can be dangerous. You could
slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you
slide under it, the belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause se-
rious or even fatal injuries. The backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in an upright position and the belt
is properly positioned on the body.
Warning!
G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re-
strained with a separate seat belt.Warning!
G
Read and observe the additional warning no-
tices printed in the “Safety and Security”
section (
page 57) and (
page 60).

42 Getting startedDriving
With a smooth motion, pull the belt
from seat belt housing4.

Place the belt over your shoulder.

Push latch plate1 into buckle2 until it
clicks.

If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.

I f ne ce ss ar y, a djus t the s ea t be lt to the
correct height (
page 43).
Proper use of seat belts:


Do not twist the belt when fastening.


Adjust the seat belt so that the shoul-
der portion is located as close as possi-
ble to the middle of the shoulder (it
should not touch the neck or pass un-
der the arm).


Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.


Place the seat backrest in a nearly up-
right position.


Each seat belt should never be used for
more than one person at a time.


Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-
son and another object at the same
time.


Check your seat belt during travel to
ensure that it is properly positioned.


Ensure that the seat belt is always fit-
ted snugly. You should avoid wearing
bulky clothing, such as winter coats,
when traveling in the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the belts.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.

43 Getting started
Driving
Seat belt height adjustment
Seat belt height can be adjusted for the fol-
lowing seats:

Driver’s seat


Passenger seat


Outer rear seats
Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder por-
tion is located as close as possible to the
middle of the shoulder (it should not touch
the neck or pass under the arm).1Release buttonAdjusting seat belt higher

Slide belt outlet upward.
The belt outlet engages in various posi-
tions.
Adjusting seat belt lower

Press and hold release button1.

Slide belt outlet in desired position and
let go of release button1.

44 Getting startedDrivingStarting the engine
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with selector lever lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
For more information on “Automatic trans-
mission” (
page 113).

Make sure that the gear selector lever
is set to P.

Turn the key in the steering lock to
position3 and hold until the engine
starts (
page 33).

Depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
For information on turning off the engine
with the key, see “Turning off engine”
(
page 51).
Warning!
G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon-
sciousness and lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while driving,
have the cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive only with at least one win-
dow fully open.
!Do not depress the accelerator.

45 Getting started
Driving
Starting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:
Turn key in starter to position0 and re-
peat starting procedure.
Remember that extended starting at-
tempts can drain the battery.

Get a jump start (
page 264).
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal-
function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.Parking brake
1Parking brake pedal
2Release handle

Release the parking brake by pulling on
handle2.
The indicator lamp
É
in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Driving

Place the gear selector lever in
positionD orR.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.
!Ensure that the brake pedal is de-
pressed when starting the engine.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
key from the steering lock and lock the vehi-
cle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehi-
cle. Children could release the parking
brake, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iWait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.

46 Getting startedDrivingAfter a cold start the transmission engages
at a higher revolution. This allows the cata-
lytic converter to reach its operating tem-
perature earlier.More information can be found in the “Op-
eration” section (
page 177).
For information on off-road driving, see
Driving instructions (page 186).
Switching on headlamps
The combination switch is on the left of the
steering column.
Combination switch1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
3High beam lamps on
Turn the switch to
õ
.
Low beam headlamps on.
!If you hear a warning signal when driv-
ing off, you have forgotten to release
the parking brake.
Release the parking brake.Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out
ofP orN if the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the
brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or in reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the en-
gine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.

47 Getting started
Driving
High beam
Push the exterior lamp switch forward.
The high beam symbol
A
in the
instrument cluster lights up.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 102)
Turn signals
The combination switch is on the left of the
steering column.Combination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left

Press the combination switch up1 or
down2.
The switch is automatically cancelled
when the steering wheel is turned to a
large enough degree.
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is on the right of
the steering column.Wiper switch0Windshield wipers off
1Intermittent wiping
2Normal wiper speed
3Fast wiper speed
4Wiping with windshield wiper fluid
iTo signal minor directional changes,
move combination switch to point of
resistance only and release. The turn
signal blinks three times.

48 Getting startedDrivingSwitching on windshield wipers
Make sure that the ignition is switched
on.

Turn the wiper switch to the desired po-
sition 1, 2 or 3, depending on the inten-
sity of the rain.
Single wipe

Press switch briefly in the direction of
arrow2.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.
Wiping with windshield washer fluid

Pull and hold wiper switch in direction
of arrow4.
The windshield wiper operates with
washer fluid.
More information on windshield wipers can
be found in the “Controls in detail” section
(
page 122).
Rear window wiper
The button is on the upper part on the cen-
ter console.
1Intermittent wiping
2Indicator lamp
3Wiping with washer fluidSwitching on intermittent wiping
Make sure that the ignition is switched on.

Press upper half1 of the button.
Switching off intermittent wiping

Press upper half1 of the button again.
Wiping with washer fluid

Press and hold lower half3 of the but-
ton.
After releasing the button the wiper op-
erates for additional five seconds.

49 Getting started
Driving
Problems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.The coolant temperature is over 248°F
(120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.

Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 206).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:

Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount:

Start the engine in the usual manner.

50 Getting startedParking and locking
Parking and lockingYou have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
1Parking brake
2Release handle
Step firmly on parking brake1.
When the engine is running, the indica-
tor lamp
É
in the instrument cluster
will be illuminated.
Warning!
G
Wait until the vehicle is stationary before re-
moving the key from the steering lock. The
vehicle cannot be steered when the key is
removed.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the steering system. In
this case, it is important to keep in mind that
a considerably higher degree of effort is nec-
essary to steer the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Move the selector lever to positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.


Turn the key to starter switch position 0
and remove.


Take the key and lock vehicle when leav-
ing.