checking oil MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 2005 W163 Owner's Manual

ContentsAt the gas station............................... 219
Refueling ...................................... 219
Check regularly and
before a long trip .......................... 221
Engine compartment.......................... 222
Hood ............................................ 222
Engine oil...................................... 223
Transmission fluid level ................ 227
Coolant level ................................ 227
Battery ......................................... 228
Windshield / rear
window washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*......... 230
Tires and wheels ................................ 231
Important guidelines .................... 231
Life of tire ..................................... 232
Direction of rotation ..................... 232
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 232
Rotating wheels............................ 233
Winter driving..................................... 235
Winter tires................................... 235
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 236
Snow chains ................................. 236Maintenance ...................................... 237
Clearing the
maintenance service indicator ..... 237
Maintenance service
term exceeded ............................. 238
Calling up the
maintenance service indicator ..... 238
Resetting the
maintenance service indicator ..... 238
Vehicle care ....................................... 240
Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 240
Practical hints.................................. 247
What to do if … .................................. 248
Lamps in instrument cluster ........ 248
Additional indicators
in the speedometer display .......... 263
Where will I find ...? ........................... 264
First aid kit ................................... 264
Vehicle tool kit ............................. 264
Spare wheel (space-saver tire) ..... 266Unlocking / locking in
an emergency .................................... 268
Unlocking the vehicle................... 268
Locking the vehicle ...................... 269
Fuel filler flap ............................... 269
Manually unlocking the
transmission gear selector lever .. 270
Opening / closing in
an emergency .................................... 271
Power tilt / sliding sunroof* ......... 271
Replacing key batteries ..................... 272
Remote control ............................ 273
Replacing bulbs ................................. 274
Bulbs ............................................ 274
Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 276
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps .... 279
Adjusting headlamp aim .............. 282
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 283
Removing ..................................... 283
Installing ...................................... 283
Flat tire .............................................. 284
Mounting the spare wheel ........... 284

221 Operation
At the gas station
Check regularly and before a long trip
Open the hood (
page 222).
1Engine oil level
2Coolant level
3Brake fluid
4Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*
Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil, see
“Engine oil” (
page 223).Coolant
For normal replenishing, use water (pota-
ble water quality). For more information,
see “Coolant level” (
page 227) and see
“Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.”
(
page 312).
Brake fluidWindshield / rear window washer
system and headlamp cleaning
system*
For more information on refilling the reser-
voir, see “Windshield / rear window washer
system and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 230).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For infor-
mation on replacing light bulbs, see “Re-
placing bulbs” (
page 274).
For more information, see “Combination
switch” (
page 107).
Tire inflation pressure
For more information, see “Checking tire
inflation pressure” (
page 232).
!If you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks immediately. Noti-
fy an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center immediately. Do not add
brake fluid as this will not solve the
problem. For more information, see
“Practical Hints” (
page 251).

224 OperationEngine compartmentChecking engine oil level via display
When checking the oil level the vehicle
must

be parked on level ground


be at normal operating temperature


have been stationary for at least five
minutes with the engine turned off
To check the engine oil level via the display
in the speedometer, do the following:

Turn the key in the steering lock to
position2.
1Button
2Display in speedometer

Wait until the display
------
appears in
the speedometer display2.

Within one second press button1
twice.
One of the following messages will
subsequently appear in the display:

OIL i.OThe oil level is correct. Engine oil
does not to be added.


–1.0L
Add 1.0 liter of engine oil.


–1.5L
Add 1.5 liters of engine oil.


–2.0L
Add 2.0 liters of engine oil.
For adding engine oil see (
page 314).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 312) and
(
page 314).Other display messages
If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at normal operating temperature, the
following message will appear in the
display:
OIL HIThe oil level is too high.
Have excess oil siphoned.!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.

225 Operation
Engine compartment
The display
------
flashes in the
speedometer display, if a proper oil level
check cannot be performed.

If engine is at normal operating
temperature, wait five minutes before
repeating check procedure.

If engine is not yet at normal operating
temperature, wait 30 minutes before
repeating check procedure.
See the “Practical hints” section
(
page 260) if the low engine oil level
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes.Checking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick
When checking the oil level the vehicle
must


be parked on level ground


be at normal operating temperature


have been stationary for at least five
minutes with the engine turned off
To check the engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, do the following:

Open the hood (
page 222).

Pull out oil dipstick1 (
page 226).

Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.

Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the
dipstick guide tube.

Pull out oil dipstick1 again after
approximately three seconds to obtain
accurate reading.
Oil dipstickThe oil level is correct when it is between
the lower (min) and upper (max) mark of
the oil dipstick.
iPerform the engine oil level check with
the dipstick if it cannot be completed
via the speedometer display
(page 225).
In this case we recommend that you
have the system checked at a
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
iThe engine oil level can be checked by
either the oil dipstick or via the
speedometer display in the instrument
cluster (
page 224). The amount of
engine oil needed is shown more
precisely in the speedometer display.

232 OperationTires and wheelsLife of tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:

Driving style


Tire pressure


Distance driven
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advantag-
es, such as better hydroplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
make sure the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the
intended direction of rotation of the tire.
Checking tire inflation pressure
Correct the tire pressure only when tires
are cold.
Regularly check your tire pressure at inter-
vals of no more than 14 days.
If the tires are warm, you should only
correct the tire pressure if it is too low for
current operating conditions.
A table on the fuel filler flap lists the
specified tire inflation pressures for warm
and cold tires as well as for various
operating conditions.
!When the wheels are heavily soiled,
e.g. after driving through mud, clean
the inside of the wheels with a jet of
water.Warning!
G
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after
six years, regardless of the remaining tread.
!Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as
possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease and gasoline.
Warning!
G
If the tire pressure drops repeatedly:

Check the tires for punctures from
foreign objects.


Check to see whether air is leaking from
the valves or from around the rim.

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

336 IndexEngine oil 223, 314
Adding 226
Additives 314
Checking level 223
Consumption 223
Messages in display 224
Oil dipstick 226
Viscosity 324
Enlarged cargo compartment 100
Error
Display messages 263
ESP 25, 80, 324
Indicator lamp 251
LOW RANGE mode 81
Malfunction indicator lamp 251, 252,
253
Switching off 81
Switching on 82
Synchronizing 252
Warning lamp 258
ETD 324
Safety guidelines 62
ETD (Emergency tensioning device) 67Exterior mirrors
Folding 130
Exterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting 41
Folding electrically 130
F
Fastening the seat belts 43
Fine adjustment
Cruise control 155
First aid kit 264
Flat tire 284
Lowering the vehicle 287
Preparing the vehicle 284
Spare wheel 266
Flexible Service System (FSS) 237, 324
Fluid level
Automatic transmission 227
Fog lamps 111
Replacing bulbs 274
Fog lamps, front
Replacing bulbs 276
Switching on 112
Folding
Exterior mirrors 130Folding electrically
Exterior rear view mirrors 130
4-ETS 25, 79
Indicator lamp 259
LOW RANGE mode 80
Malfunction indicator lamp 259
Warning lamp 258
Front airbags 63
Front fog lamps
Indicator lamp 260
Front lamps
Replacing bulbs 274, 276
Front towing eye 295
Front turn signal bulbs
Replacing 278
FSS (Flexible Service System) 237, 324
Fuel 220
Additives 315
Fuel reserve warning lamp 259
Gasoline additives 315
Premium unleaded gasoline 220,
315
Requirements 315
Reserve warning 25