warning lights MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 2003 W163 Owner's Manual

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.

36 Getting startedAdjustingBackrest tilt
Turn handwheel3 until your hands are
slightly angled when holding the steer-
ing wheel.
Head restraint height

Pull up or push down on head restraint
until it is in desired position.Head restraint tilt

Manually adjust the angle of the head
restraint. Push or pull on the lower
edge of the head restraint cushion.
Adjusting power seats*
The seat adjustment switch is located on
the entry side of each front seat base.

Switch on the ignition by turning the
key in the steering lock to position2
(page 33).
All the lights in the instrument cluster
light up.1Seat height
2Seat fore and aft adjustment
3Seat cushion tilt
4Backrest tilt
Seat height

Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow1.
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint to support the back of
the head approximately at ear level.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.
Warning!
G
The power seats can also be operated with
the appropriate door open. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.

54 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Occupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are

Seat belts


Emergency tensioning device


Airbags


Child seats


Child seat recognition


Lower anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH)
As independent systems their protective
effects work in conjunction with each oth-
er.The warning lamp
1
in the instrument
cluster (
page 26) lights up for about
4 seconds when the key is turned to
position2. It goes out when you start the
engine. This shows that the restraint sys-
tems are operational.
If the lamp does not come on at all or if it
fails to extinguish after approximately
4 seconds or if it comes on thereafter, a
malfunction in the system has been de-
tected.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 227).
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 63).
Warning!
G
In the event that the SRS malfunction indica-
tor lamp lights up during driving or does not
come at all, the SRS may not be operational.
For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center immediately to have the
system checked; otherwise the SRS may not
be activated when needed in an accident,
which could result in serious or fatal injury,
or it might deploy unexpectedly and unnec-
essarily which could also result in injury.
Improper work on the restraint systems can
lead to unintentional deployment or opera-
tional failure.
All work on these systems should therefore
only be carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

58 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
When you sell your vehicle, we strongly
urge you to give notice to the subsequent
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by
alerting them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.


Airbags and ETDs are designed to func-
tion on a one-time-only basis. An airbag
or emergency tensioning device (ETD)
that was activated must be replaced.


Do not pass belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.


Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the belts.


D o no t h a ng i te ms su ch a s c o at ha n ger s
from the coat hooks or handles over the
door. These items may turn into projec-
tiles and cause head and other injuries
when curtain airbag is deployed.


An airbag system component within the
steering wheel gets hot after the airbag
has inflated. Do not touch.


Improper work on the system, including
incorrect installation and removal, can
lead to possible injury through an unin-
tended activation of the SRS.


In addition, through improper work
there is a risk of rendering the SRS inop-
erative or causing unintended airbag de-
ployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.


For your protection and the protection
of others, when scrapping the airbag
unit or emergency tensioning device,
our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These instructions are available
from your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.


Given the considerable deployment
speed and the textile structure of the
airbags, there is the possibility of abra-
sions or other injuries resulting from air-
bag deployment.
Warning!
G
In the event that the SRS malfunction indica-
tor lamp lights up while driving, the SRS may
not be operational. For your safety, we
strongly recommend that you visit an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center im-
mediately to have the system checked;
otherwise the SRS may not be activated
when needed in an accident, which could re-
sult in serious or fatal injury, or it might de-
ploy unexpectedly and unnecessarily which
could also result in injury.

71 Safety and Security
Driving and safety systems
Driving and safety systems
In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (Antilock Brake System)


BAS (Brake Assist System)


4-ETS (Electronic Traction System)


EBP (Electronic Brake Proportioning)


ESP (Electronic Stability Program)
ABS
The ABS regulates the brake pressure so
that the wheels do not lock during braking.
This allows you to maintain the ability to
steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even with light brake pressure.
The
-
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster (page 25) lights up when you
turn the key to position2. It goes out when
the engine is running.
iIn winter operation, the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS, ESP, EBP and
4-ETS is only achieved with winter tires
(M + S tires), or snow chains as re-
quired.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
ABS, BAS, ESP and 4-ETS cannot reduce this
risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
ABS and significantly reduces braking effec-
tiveness.

73 Safety and Security
Driving and safety systems
BAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing braking distance. Apply con-
tinuous full braking pressure until the
emergency braking situation is over. The
ABS will prevent the wheels from locking.
When you release the brake pedal the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
The
¿
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster (page 25) lights up when you
turn the key to position2. It goes out when
the engine is running.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 225).
4-ETS
The 4-Electronic Traction System (4-ETS)
improves vehicle’s ability to utilize avail-
able traction, especially under slippery
road conditions. The brakes are applied to
the spinning wheel and power is trans-
ferred to the wheel(s) with traction.
The traction control engages at vehicle
speeds up to approximately 24 mph
(40 km / h), and switches off at 50 mph
(80 km / h).
The
{
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster (page 25) lights up when you
turn the key to position2. It goes out when
the engine is running.
The 4-ETS/ESP warning lamp
v
, locat-
ed in the speedometer dial, starts to flash
at any vehicle speed, as soon as the tires
lose traction and the wheels begin to spin.
Warning!
G
The BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires or the traction afforded. The BAS
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or aqua-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents. The capabili-
ties of a BAS equipped vehicle must never
be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s
safety or the safety of others.

102 Controls in detailLighting
LightingFor notes on how to switch on the head-
lamps (
page 46) and use the turn signals
(
page 47), see the “Getting started” sec-
tion.
Combination switch
The combination switch is on the left of the
steering column.
1High beam
2High beam flasherM
Off
U
Automatic headlamp mode
C
Parking lamps, license plate lamps
and instrument panel lamps
Canada only: With the engine run-
ning, the low beam headlamps
additionally switched on.
õ
Low beam or high beam headlamps
ƒ
Left or right standing lamps (sym-
bol on underside of switch)Switching on high beams

Turn the switch to
õ
.

Push the exterior lamp switch forward.
The high beam symbol
A
in the
instrument cluster lights up.
High beam flasher

Pull the combination switch briefly in
direction2.
iIf you remove the key and open the
driver’s door while the parking lamps or
low beam headlamps are switched on,
then a warning sounds.

103 Controls in detail
Lighting
Automatic headlamp mode
The parking lamps, low beam headlamps
and license plate lamps switch on and off
automatically depending on the brightness
of the ambient light.
Turn the combination switch to
U
.Daytime running lamp mode
Canada only:

Turn combination switch to
position
M
or
U
.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps are automatically
switched on. In low ambient light con-
ditions the parking lamps will also
switch on.
When you shift from a driving position to
positionN orP, the low beam switches off
(3 minutes delay).
For nighttime driving you should turn the
combination switch to position
õ
to
permit activation of the high beam head-
lamps.
Warning!
G
In automatic headlamp mode, the head-
lamps will not be automatically switched on
under foggy conditions. To minimize risk to
you and to others, activate headlamps by
turning combination switch to
õ
.
The driver is responsible for the operation of
the vehicle’s lights at all times. The automat-
ic headlamp feature is only an aid to the driv-
er. Switch on the vehicle lights manually
when driving or when traffic conditions re-
quire you to do so.
iIf the automatic headlamp mode is ac-
tivated, the fog lamps can also be
switched on (
page 105). The low
beam headlamp and parking lamps are
activated simultaneously.
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles
drive on the other side of the road than
the country where the vehicle is regis-
tered, you must have the headlamps
modified for symmetrical low beams.
Relevant information can be obtained
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
iThe high beam flasher is always avail-
able.

126 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlThe automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing on the selected interior temperature
and the current outside temperature.
Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
Automatic mode
Switching on
Briefly press button
U

(
page 125).
The indicator lamp lights up. The tem-
perature, air volume and distribution
are controlled automatically.

Adjust the temperature with the tem-
perature control4 (
page 125).
Temperature control is switched off in
the extreme position (blue or red dot).
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air pollu-
tion) may require replacement of the fil-
ter before its scheduled interval. A
clogged filter will reduce the air volume
to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
Do not touch the interior temperature
sensor to maintain a precise tempera-
ture.
The set value is indicated by a lighted
segment on the control wheels.

128 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlAdjusting air distribution
Turn air distribution control8
(page 125) to one the following sym-
bols:
Windshield fogged on the outside

Switch the windshield wipers on.

Turn air distribution control8 to
h

or
k
.
Defrosting
Activating
Press button
P
(page 125).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press button
P
again.
or

Press button
U
(page 125).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
The indicator lamp on the button lights up.
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.
Symbol
Function
h
Directs air to the center
and side air outlets
j
Directs air to the wind-
shield and side air outlets
V
Directs air into the entire
vehicle interior
k
Directs air to the foot-
wells and side air outlets
iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.
When the defrost setting has been se-
lected, only the rear window defroster
can be switched on. No other settings
are possible.
Warning!
G
When the outside temperature is below
41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation
mode for short periods to prevent window
fogging.