engine oil MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 2005 W163 User Guide

227 Operation
Engine compartment

Screw filler cap2 back on filler neck.
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 312) and
(
page 314).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center check the automatic trans-
mission.Coolant level
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion / antifreeze. To check
the coolant level, the vehicle must be
parked on level ground and the engine
must be cool.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid any possibly serious burns:

Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates that the coolant is overheated.


Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if coolant temperature is
above 158°F (70°C). Allow engine to
cool down before removing cap. The
coolant reservoir contains hot fluid and
is under pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately
1/2 turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.

238 OperationMaintenanceMaintenance service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested
maintenance service term:

the9 or ½symbol appears in
the display2 for 30 seconds and a
signal sounds after switching on the
ignition.


it is preceded by a “–” (minus symbol).
The Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center will
reset the maintenance service indicator
following a completed maintenance
service.Calling up the maintenance service
indicator
Within one second press knob1
twice.
The maintenance service indicator dis-
play will appear for ten seconds.Resetting the maintenance service
indicator
In the event that the maintenance service
on your vehicle is not carried out by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Cen-
ter, you can reset the maintenance service
indicator yourself.
Switch ignition on and immediately
press knob1 twice within
one second.
The present status for days or distance
is displayed.

Within ten seconds turn the key in
steering lock to position0 (
page 33).

Press and hold knob1 while switch-
ing the ignition on.
The present status for days or distance
is displayed once more.
iIf the battery is disconnected, the days
of disconnection will not be included in
the count shown by the service indica-
tor. To arrive at the true maintenance
service deadline, you will need to sub-
tract these days from the days shown
in the maintenance service indicator.
Do not confuse the maintenance ser-
vice indicator with the engine oil level
indicator:.

260 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
:
The yellow warning lamp flashes
after starting the engine or while
driving.
The engine oil level has sunk to the minimum
level. If the engine oil level continues to sink,
the warning lamp will light up.

Add approved oil at the next gas
station (
page 314).

If oil loss is visible on the engine, have
the malfunction corrected as soon as
possible at a Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
_
The red indicator lamp does not
go out after starting the engine.
The adjustable telescoping steering column
is not properly locked.

Lock the adjustable steering column
(page 40).
‡
The green front fog lamp indica-
tor lamp lights up when ignition
is turned on.
The front fog lamps are switched on.

Fog lamps (
page 111).
<
The red seat belt telltale
illuminates for a brief period
after starting the engine.
The telltale reminds you to fasten seat belts.

Fasten your seat belt (
page 64).
The telltale goes out.
W
The yellow low washer system
fluid level lamp comes on after
starting the engine or while driv-
ing.
There is approximately 1.3 US qt. (1.25 l) of
washer fluid remaining in the reservoir.

Add washer fluid (
page 230).
The washer fluid may have frozen.

Move the vehicle to a warmer environ-
ment so that the washer fluid will
thaw.

Correct the concentration level after
the washer fluid in the reservoir
thaws.

312 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match.Therefore only use products tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz.Please refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet, or inquire at
your Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filter
ML 350, ML 500
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
Approved engine oils
Automatic transmis-
sion
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Oil
Transfer case
1.6 US qt (1.5 l)
(Dexron 3 or Dexron 2E)
Rear axle
1.3 US qt (1.25 l)
(Hypoid gear oil SAE 90, 85 W 90)
Front axle
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
(Hypoid gear oil SAE 90)
Power steering
approx. 0.65 US qt (0.6 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid
Front wheel hubs
approx. 1.5oz (43g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease

314 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines and durability for
our service intervals. Therefore, only use
approved engine oils and oil filters re-
quired for vehicles with Maintenance Sys-
tem (U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada
vehicles). For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory Ap-
proved Service Products pamphlet, or con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of specifica-
tion other than those expressly required
for the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehicles), or
changing of oil and oil filter at change inter-
vals longer than those called for by the
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS (Canada vehicles) will result in engine
damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Please follow Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehicles)
recommendations for schedulded oil
changes. Failure to do so could result in
engine damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may damage the engine.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil are used in the air condition-
ing system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil. Otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere. Under extremely strenu-
ous operating conditions, this moisture
content can lead to the formation of bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the
system’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be
replaced every two years, preferably in the
spring.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center will provide you with additional in-
formation.

315 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel.

The octane number (posted at the
p um p) m us t be 91 mi n. It i s an a vera ge
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M) / 2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not
exceed 10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build-up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives carbon deposits
can build up, especially on the intake
valves and in the combustion area, leading
to engine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking / pinging


Misfire


Power loss
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
is not available and low octane fuel is
used, follow these precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible.


Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration.


Do not exceed an engine speed of
3000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two
persons and no luggage.


Do not exceed
2/3 of maximum
accelerator pedal position if the
vehicle is fully loaded or operating
in mountainous terrain.

316 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.In areas where carbon deposits may be
encountered due to lack of availability of
gasolines which contain these additives,
Mercedes-Benz recommends the use of
additives approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Refer to Factory
Approved Service Products Pamphlet for a
listing of approved product(s). Follow
directions on product label.
Do not blend other specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
costs and may be harmful to the engine
operation.
Damage or malfunction resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending addition-
al fuel additives other than those tested
and approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles listed in the Fac-
tory Approved Service Products Pamphlet
are not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion / antifreeze, which
provides:

Corrosion protection


Freeze protection


Boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -35°F (-37°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase boil-over protec-
tion. Refer to Maintenance Booklet for
replacement interval.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45%
anticorrosion / antifreeze (equivalent to
freeze protection to approx. - 22°F
[-30°C]). If you use a solution that is more
than 55% anticorrosion / antifreeze (freeze
protection to approx. - 49°F [-45°C]), the
engine temperature will increase due to
the lower heat transfer capability of the so-
lution. Therefore, do not use more than
this amount of anticorrosion / antifreeze.

324 Technical termsEngine oil viscosity
Measurement for the inner friction (vis-
cosity) of the oil at different tempera-
tures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can tol-
erate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.
ESP
(E
lectronic S
tability Pr
ogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRSFSS (Canada vehicles)
(F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem)
Maintenance service indicator in the
speedometer display that informs the
driver when the next vehicle mainte-
nance service is due. FSS evaluates en-
gine temperature, oil level, vehicle
speed, engine speed, distance driven
and the time elapsed since your last
service, and calls for the next mainte-
nance service accordingly.
GAWR
(G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible
axle weight. The gross vehicle weight
on each axle must never exceed the
GAWR for the front and rear axle indi-
cated on the certification label located
on the driver’s door pillar.GVW
(G
ross V
ehicle W
eight)
The GVW comprises the weight of the
vehicle including fuel, tools, spare
wheel, installed accessories, passen-
gers and cargo. The GVW must never
exceed the GVWR, indicated on the
certification label located on the driv-
er’s door pillar.
GVWR
(G
ross V
ehicle W
eight R
ating)
This is the maximum permissible vehi-
cle weight. It is indicated on certifica-
tion label located on the driver’s door
pillar.
Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the gear selector
lever.

329 Index
A
ABS 25, 76, 323
ABS control 76
LOW RANGE mode 77
Malfunction indicator lamp 248
Warning lamp 248
Accelerator position,
automatic transmission 124
Accident
In case of 53
Activating
Air circulation mode 141
Air recirculation mode 141
Anti-theft alarm system 83
Automatic climate control 137
ESP 82
Exterior headlamps 50
Hazard warning flasher 113
Headlamps 50
Ignition 33
Immobilizer 55, 83Rear passenger compartment
ventilation and climate control 143
Rear window defroster 135
Rear window wiper 52
Residual heat 142
Seat heater* 98
Tow-away alarm 85
Warning indicators (Parktronic*) 158
Windshield wipers 51
Activating automatic central locking 94
Adding
Coolant 228
Engine oil 226
Additional turn signals 274
Adjustable steering column
Indicator lamp 260
Adjusting 35
Backrest tilt 37, 39
Exterior rear view mirror 41
Head restraint height 37, 39
Head restraint tilt 38, 40Headlamp aim 282
Instrument cluster illumination 117
Interior rear view mirror 41
Manual seat 36
Mirrors 41
Seat cushion tilt 39
Seat fore and aft 36
Seat fore and aft adjustment 38
Seat height 37, 39
Seats 35
Steering wheel 40
Adjusting air distribution
Automatic climate control 139
Adjusting air volume
Automatic climate control 139
Air conditioning
Cooling 141
Air conditioning refrigerant 314
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure

332 IndexC
CAC (Customer Assistance Center) 323
Calibrating compass 191
California
Important notice 11
Calling up
Service indicator 238
CAN system 323
Capacities
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. 312
Cargo area see Cargo compartment
Cargo compartment
Liftgate 89
Lighting 116
Tie-down rings 161
Cargo compartment cover blind* 164
Closing 164
Installing 165
Opening 164
Removing 164
Cargo floor plates 165
Installing 166
Removing 165
Storing 165Cargo tie-down rings 161
Catalytic converter 217
CD-changer* 265
Center console 27
Lower part 28
Upper part 27
Central locking
Automatic 93
From inside 94
Switch 94
Unlocking from inside 94
Central locking switch 94
Certification label 304
Charge indicator lamp 261
Charging
Vehicle battery 289
Chart
Fuses 298
CHECK ENGINE malfunction
indicator lamp 254, 255Checking
Coolant level 227
Oil level 223
Tire inflate pressure 221
Vehicle lighting 221
Checking weights
Trailer and vehicle 213
Checklist
Off-road driving 205
Returning from off-road driving 210
Child safety 67
Airbags 60
Infant and child
restraint systems 64, 68
LATCH child seat mounts 73
Child safety switch see Blocking of rear
door window operation
Cigarette lighter
Front center console 171