stop start MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 2004 W163 Owner's Manual

39 Getting started
Adjusting
Head restraint tilt
Manually adjust the angle of the head
restraint.
Push or pull on the upper edge of the
head restraint cushion.
More informations on seats can be found
in the “Controls in detail” section
(
page 95).
Steering wheel Steering wheel adjustment
1Lever

To unlock the steering column, move
lever1 to its stop down.

Move steering wheel to the desired po-
sition.

To lock the steering column, move
lever1 to its stop up.
The steering wheel is once again
locked into position.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing, or driving without the adjustment
locked could cause the driver to lose control
of the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the steering lock and lock your ve-
hicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and / or serious personal
injury.

48 Getting startedDrivingAfter a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts at a higher engine revolution.
This allows the catalytic converter to reach
its operating temperature earlier.
More information can be found in the “Op-
eration” section (
page 191).
For information on off-road driving, see
“Driving instructions” (
page 200).
Switching on headlamps
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1 Off
2Low beam headlamps on
3High beam lamps on
Turn the switch toõ.
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 gear 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 engine 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.!Place the gear selector lever in
positionR only when the vehicle is
stopped in order to avoid damaging the
transmission.!Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high
engine speeds may shorten the service
life of the engine.

52 Getting startedDrivingThe 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 222).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
Light Truck Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount:

Start the engine in the usual manner.

53 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You 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 lampÉ 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 brake and steering
system. 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.
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 gear 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 position0
and remove.


Take the key and lock vehicle when leav-
ing.

96 Controls in detailSeatsInstalling head restraint
Insert head restraint and push it down
to the stop.

Push button1 and adjust head
restraint to the desired position
(page 36).
Rear seat head restraints
Head restraint heightRaising:

Manually adjust the height of the head
restraint by pulling it upward.
Lowering:

To lower the head restraint, push
button1 and press down on the head
restraint.Head restraint tilt
Manually adjust the angle of the head
restraint.

Push or pull on the upper edge of the
head restraint cushion.
More informations on seats can be found
in the “Getting started” section
(
page 34).
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that the head re-
straint supports the back of the head at eye
level. This will reduce the potential for injury
to the head and neck in the event of an ac-
cident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.

124 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionTowing a trailer
If you tow a trailer, note the following
points:

Manually shift to a lower gear range
(4,3, 2, 1), if the transmission hunts
between gears on inclines
(page 121).
A lower gear range and reduction of
speed reduces the change to overload
or overheat the engine.


At very steep inclines switch transfer
case to LOW RANGE mode
(page 125).
For more information on trailer towing, see
the “Operation” section (
page 206).Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear
can be activated.
Stop the vehicle.

Move gear selector lever to positionP.

Turn off the engine.

Wait at least ten seconds before
restarting.

Restart the engine.

Move selector lever to positionD
(for second gear) orR.

Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.

178 Controls in detailUseful featuresFor more details concerning the Tele Aid
system, please visit www.mbusa.com and
use your ID and password (sent to you sep-
arately) to learn more (USA only).Upgrade signals
The Tele Aid system processes calls using
the following priority.


Automatic emergency – First priority


Manual emergency – Second priority


Roadside assistance – Third priority


Information – Fourth priority
Should a higher priority call be initiated
while you are connected, an upgrade (al-
ternating) tone will be heard and the ap-
propriate indicator lamp will flash. If
certain information such as vehicle identi-
fication number or customer information is
not available, the operator may need to re-
transmit.
During this time you will hear a beep and
voice contact will be interrupted. Voice
contact will resume once the retransmis-
sion is completed. Once a call is conclud-
ed, a beep will be heard and the respective
indicator lamp will stop flashing. The MCS
system operation will resume.
iThe indicator lamp in the Information
button¡ remains illuminated in red
for approx. 10 seconds during the sys-
tem self-check after turning key in the
steering lock to position2 (together
with the SOS button and the Roadside
Assistance button•).
See system self-check (
page 172)
when the indicator lamp does not light
up in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately ten seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Information
button¡ is illuminated continuous-
ly and there was no voice connection to
the Response Center established, then
the Tele Aid system could not initiate
an Information call (e.g. the relevant
cellular phone network is not avail-
able).
The message
INFO CALL FAILED
ap-
pears in the MCS display.
Information calls can be terminated us-
ing the END button on the MCS.
!If the indicator lamps do not start flash-
ing after pressing one of the buttons or
remains illuminated (in red) at any
time, the Tele Aid system has detected
a fault or the service is not currently ac-
tive, and may not initiate a call. Visit
your Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Cen-
ter and have the system checked or
contact the Response Center at
1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada) as soon
as possible.

189 Controls in detail
Useful features
Stop watch
Press MODE2 (
page 186) repeat-
edly until the stop watch display ap-
pears in the trip computer display3.
Counting

Press RESET1 (
page 186) to start
counting.Stopping

Press RESET1 again to stop counting.
Resetting

Press and hold RESET1 until the dis-
play shows “0:00”.
Average fuel consumption

Press MODE2 (
page 186) repeat-
edly until the average fuel consumption
display appears in the trip computer
display3.Distance remaining with fuel presently
in tank

Press MODE2 (
page 186) repeat-
edly until the distance remaining dis-
play appears in the trip computer
display3.
iIf CAL
remains in the display, calibration
was not successfully completed. You
have to recalibrate:


Remove the key from the steering
lock.


Start the vehicle and start the cali-
bration procedure described previ-
ously.
We recommend that you have the com-
pass calibrated at a Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
iWhen the fuel supply drops to reserve
level the display flashes distance re-
maining.

USA only:
The display alternates between FUEL
and distance remaining until
supply is consistently below the re-
serve level. When the fuel supply is
very low [approximately 1.5 gal
(5.5 l)]
FUEL
is displayed
continuously.

209 Operation
Driving instructions
Towing a trailer
There are many different laws, including
speed limit restrictions, having to do with
trailer towing. Make sure your rig will be le-
gal, not only for where you reside, but also
for where you will be driving. A good
source for this information can be the po-
lice or local authorities.
Note the following points, when driving
with the trailer:

In order to gain skill and an under-
standing of the vehicle’s behavior, you
should practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area which is free from
traffic.


Before you start driving check the

trailer hitch


break-away switch


safety chains


electrical connections


lighting and tiresAdjust the mirrors to permit unobstructed
view beyond rear of trailer.


If the trailer has electric brakes, start
your vehicle and trailer moving slowly,
and then apply only the trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure the
brakes are working properly.


Always secure items in the trailer to
prevent load shifts while driving.


When towing a trailer, check occasion-
ally to be sure that the load is secure,
and that lighting and trailer brakes (if
so equipped) are functioning properly.


Take into consideration that when tow-
ing a trailer, the handling characteris-
tics are different and less stable from
those when operating the vehicle with-
out a trailer.
It is important to avoid sudden maneu-
vers.
!Do not connect a trailer brake system
(if trailer is so equipped) directly to the
vehicle’s hydraulic brake system, as
your vehicle is equipped with antilock
brakes. If you do, neither the vehicle’s
brakes nor the trailer’s brakes will func-
tion properly.iThe provided vehicle electrical wiring
harness for trailer towing has a brake
signal wire (color orange) for hook-up
to a brake controller.
You should consider using a trailer
sway control system. For further infor-
mation see your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

217 Operation
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
Hood
Opening
1Release lever

Pull release lever1 downwards.
The hood is unlocked. Handle2 pro-
trudes slightly from the radiator-grille.
If not, lift the hood slightly.
2Handle for opening the hood

Pull handle2 to its stop out of the
radiator-grille.

Pull up on the hood and then release it.
The hood will be automatically held
open at shoulder height by gas-filled
struts.
Warning!
G
Do not pull the release lever while the vehi-
cle is in motion. Otherwise the hood could
be forced open by passing air flow.
!To avoid damage to the windshield wip-
ers or hood, never open the hood if the
wiper arms are folded forward away
from the windshield.
Warning!
G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running. Make sure the hood is
properly closed before driving. When closing
the hood, use extreme caution not to catch
hands or fingers.
The radiator fan may continue to run for ap-
proximately 30 seconds or even restart af-
ter the engine has been turned off. Stay
clear of fan blades.