display MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 2003 W163 Owner's Manual

Contents
Tow-away alarm,
glass breakage sensor.................... 79
Controls in detail............................... 83
Locking and unlocking ......................... 84
Remote control with folding key ..... 84
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................... 86
Opening the liftgate........................ 87
Closing the liftgate ......................... 88
Automatic central locking .............. 89
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................... 90
Seats.................................................... 91
Seat heater*................................... 91
Removing and installing
head restraints ............................... 92
Rear seats ...................................... 93
Third row seats* ............................. 96
Memory function*................................ 99
Storing positions in memory ........ 100
Recalling positions from memory . 100
Exterior rear view mirror parking
position (passenger side) ............. 100Lighting.............................................. 102
Combination switch ..................... 102
Fog lamps .................................... 105
Hazard warning flasher ................ 106
Interior lighting............................. 107
Instrument cluster ............................. 110
Instrument cluster illumination .... 110
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 111
Display in the speedometer ......... 111
Resetting trip odometer ............... 112
Tachometer .................................. 112
Outside temperature indicator ..... 112
Setting the clock .......................... 112
Automatic transmission ..................... 113
One-touch gearshifting................. 113
Gear ranges.................................. 114
Gear selector lever position ......... 115
Accelerator position ..................... 117
Towing a trailer ............................ 117
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)........................................... 117
Transmission control –
LOW RANGE mode............................. 118
Switching on LOW RANGE mode .. 118
Switching off LOW RANGE mode . 118Good visibility .................................... 119
Rear view mirror .......................... 119
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 121
Windshield wipers ........................ 122
Rear window wiper....................... 123
Sun visor ...................................... 123
Automatic climate control ................. 124
Automatic mode .......................... 126
Adjusting air volume and air
distribution manually ................... 127
Defrosting .................................... 128
Air recirculation mode.................. 128
Air conditioning ............................ 129
Residual heat and ventilation ....... 130
Rear window defroster ................. 131
Rear passenger compartment
ventilation and rear automatic
climate control ............................. 131
Front and rear air outlets ............. 132
Power windows.................................. 134
Opening and closing the side
windows ....................................... 134
Rear quarter windows* ................ 136
Sliding/pop-up roof* ......................... 137
Opening and closing the
sliding/pop-up roof ...................... 137

ContentsPractical hints.................................. 223
What to do if … .................................. 224
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 224
Additional indicators in the
speedometer display .................... 235
Where will I find ...?............................ 236
First aid kit ................................... 236
Vehicle tool kit ............................. 237
Electric air pump (ML 55 AMG) .... 238
Spare wheel (space-saver tire) ..... 239
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 242
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 242
Locking the vehicle ...................... 243
Changing batteries ....................... 243
Fuel filler flap ............................... 244
Manually unlocking the
transmission selector lever .......... 245
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 246
Sliding/pop-up roof* .................... 246
Replacing bulbs ................................. 247
Bulbs ............................................ 247
Replacing bulbs for front lamps.... 249
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 251
Adjusting headlamp aim ............... 253Replacing wiper blades ...................... 254
Removal ....................................... 254
Installation ................................... 254
Flat tire .............................................. 255
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 255
Battery ............................................... 261
Disconnecting the battery ............ 261
Removing the batteries ................ 262
Charging and reinstalling
batteries....................................... 262
Reconnecting the batteries .......... 262
Jump starting ..................................... 264
Towing the vehicle ............................. 267
Front towing eye .......................... 269
Rear towing eye ........................... 269
Stranded vehicle .......................... 270
Fuses ................................................. 271
Fuse box in engine
compartment ............................... 271
Auxiliary fuse box in front
passenger footwell ....................... 272
Technical data................................. 273
Spare parts service............................ 274
Warranty coverage ............................ 275
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ..................... 275
Identification labels ........................... 276
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 277
Engine ............................................... 278
Rims and tires ................................... 279
Rims and tires .............................. 279
Rims and winter tires* ................. 280
Spare wheel ................................. 280
Electrical system ............................... 281
Main Dimensions ............................... 282
Weights ............................................. 283
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. .......... 284
Capacities .................................... 284
Engine oils ................................... 286
Engine oil additives ...................... 286
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 286
Brake fluid.................................... 286
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 286
Fuel requirements ........................ 287
Gasoline additives ........................ 287
Coolants ...................................... 287

16 IntroductionSymbols
SymbolsThe following symbols are found in this
Operator’s Manual:
* Optional equipment is identified
with an asterisk. Since standard
equipment varies between models,
the descriptions and illustrations in
this manual may differ slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehi-
cle.

This symbol points to instructions for
you to follow.

A number of these symbols appearing
in succession indicates a multiple-step
procedure.
 Page This symbol tells you where to
look for further information on a
topic.
This continuation symbol marks
an interrupted procedure which
will be continued on the next
page.
-> In the glossary of technical
terms, this symbol is used to
cross-reference term defini-
tions.
Display
Words appearing in the multi-
function display are printed in
the type shown here.
Warning!
G
Warning notices draw your attention to haz-
ards that may endanger your health or life,
or the health or life of others.!Highlights hazards that may result in
damage to your vehicle.iHelpful hints or further information you
may find useful.

26 At a glanceInstrument cluster
Item
Page
5
Photo sensor
(adjusts the brightness of
the digital displays located
in 1, 4 and 8)
6
Right indicator lamps
with:W
Low wind-
shield/headlamp
washer system fluid
level warning lamp
234
7
Front passenger air-
bag switched off
232
‡
Front fog lamp
switched on
105
Item
Page
_
Steering wheel ad-
justment not locked
229
<
Seat belt nonusage
warning lamp
234
1
Supplemental Re-
straint System
(SRS) indicator
227
É
Brake warning lamp
228
229
#
Charge indicator
lamp
233
A
High beam head-
lamp switched on
47
Item
Page
7
Knob for setting clock
112
8
Tachometer with:
Selector lever
position
114
Clock
112
9
K
Turn signal
indicator lamp right
10
L
Turn signal
indicator lamp left

29 At a glance
Overhead control panel
Overhead control panel
Item
Page
1
Front left interior lighting
107
2
Signal transmitter keys for
garage door opener
168
3
Front right interior lighting
107
4
Roadside Assistance
button
163
Information button
165
5
Interior lighting control
107
6
Trip computer* display
172
7
Rear view mirror
119
Item
Page
8
Right reading lamp on/off
108
9
Automatic antiglare func-
tion* on/off
119
10
Left reading lamp on/off
108
11
Glass breakage sensor
79
12
Trip computer* control
172
Tow-away alarm switch
80
13
Tele Aid (emergency call
system) button
163
14
Sliding/pop-up roof*
switch
137

80 Safety and SecurityAnti-theft systemsArming tow-alarm and glass breakage
sensor
When you lock your vehicle, the tow-away
and glass breakage sensor alarm is auto-
matically armed.
Disarming tow-alarm and glass break-
age sensor
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm
feature, switch off the tow-away alarm and
glass breakage sensor before towing the
vehicle, or when parking on a surface sub-
ject to movement, such as a ferry or auto
train.Vehicles with trip computer*
The buttons are located in the overhead
control panel.
1Reset button
2Mode button
3Display
4Glass breakage sensor

Turn key in steering lock to position1
(page 33).

Press button2.

Return key to position0 and remove it
from the steering lock.

Within 30 seconds press button1 or 2.
The display shows
OFF
.

Exit vehicle and lock vehicle with re-
mote control (
page 32).
The tow-away alarm and glass breakage
sensor remain switched off until the key is
inserted in steering lock and turned to
position1.

104 Controls in detailLightingNight security illumination
When you turn off the engine and the last
door has been closed, the following lamps
will remain lit:

Parking lamps


Tail lamps


License plate lamps


Front fog lamps
The combination switch must be set to
position
U
(page 102).Deactivating night security illumination
temporarily

Before leaving the vehicle turn the key
in the steering lock to position0 then
turn it to position2 and back to0.
The night security illumination is deac-
tivated. It will reactivate as soon as you
reinsert the key in the steering lock.
Setting illumination time
1Switch for fog lamps

Stop the vehicle.

Make sure that the ignition is switched
on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
light up.

Turn combination switch to
position
M
.

Press upper part1 of switch until the
clock, located in the instrument clus-
ter, displays the actual illumination
time.

Press upper part1 of switch again.
Each time the switch is pressed, the il-
lumination time increases by
15 seconds. You can set the illumina-
tion time between 0 (off) and
60 seconds.
Approximately five seconds after pressing
the switch, the illumination time is set and
the clock is displayed again.
iYou can reactivate this function within
ten minutes by opening a door or the
liftgate.
If you do not open a door or the liftgate
after turning off the engine, the lamps
will automatically switch off after
60 seconds.

111 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Coolant temperature gauge
Under normal driving conditions, the cool-
ant temperature may rise to 248°F
(120°C). The coolant temperature may
climb to the red marking:

at high outside temperatures


during stop-and-go city traffic


when driving on hilly terrain
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature in the red zone.
Doing so may cause serious engine dam-
age which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Display in the speedometer
Changing display
Press the left knob1 in the instrument
cluster (
page 110).
The display changes between main
odometer and trip odometer.

Press the left knob1 twice.
The next scheduled service is displayed
(page 215).
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly overheat-
ed 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.

112 Controls in detailInstrument clusterResetting trip odometer
Press the left knob1 (
page 110) re-
peatedly until you see the trip odome-
ter display.

Press and hold the left knob1 until the
trip odometer is reset.
Tachometer
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
above its specified limit.
Outside temperature indicator
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
Setting the clock
Hour
Pull out the right knob2 in the instru-
ment cluster (
page 110) and turn it
counterclockwise.
Minutes

Pull out the right knob2 in the instru-
ment cluster (
page 110) and turn it
clockwise.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
iTo set the clock by a single hour or a
few minutes, turn knob2 just a few de-
grees in the direction indicated for
hours or minutes.

114 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionUpshifting
Briefly press the selector lever to the
right in the D+direction.
The transmission will shift from the cur-
r e n t g e a r t o t h e n e x t h i g h e r g e a r a s p e r -
mitted by the shift program. This action
simultaneously extends the gear range
of the transmission.Canceling gear range limit

Press and hold the selector lever in the
D+direction until D reappears in the
tachometer display field.
Shifting into optimal gear range

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in the D– direction.
The transmission will automatically se-
lect the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more
gears.
Gear ranges
With the selector lever in positionD, you
can limit the transmission’s gear range by
pressing the lever to the left (D-), and re-
verse the gear range limit by pressing the
lever to the right (D+).
The selected gear range will appear in the
tachometer display field. If you press on
the accelerator when the engine has
reached its rpm limit, the transmission will
upshift beyond any gear range limit
selected.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the selector lever is moved to the D– di-
rection, the transmission will not shift
to a lower gear if the engine’s max.
speed would be exceeded.