instrument panel MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 2008 W164 Owner's Manual

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 13
Operating your vehicle
outside the USA or Canada ............ 13
Where to find it .................................... 15
Symbols ............................................... 16
Operating safety .................................. 17
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 17
Problems with your vehicle .................. 18
Reporting safety defects...................... 19
Reporting safety defects ................ 19
Vehicle data recording ......................... 20
Information regarding electronic
recording devices ........................... 20At a glance.......................................... 21
Exterior view ......................................... 22
Cockpit ................................................. 24
Instrument cluster ................................ 26
Instrument cluster ................................ 28
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 30
Center console ..................................... 31
Upper part ...................................... 31
Lower part ...................................... 32
Overhead control panel ........................ 33
Storage compartments ......................... 34
Door control panel................................ 36Getting started................................... 37
Unlocking ............................................. 38
Unlocking with the SmartKey ......... 38
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO*......... 39
Starter switch positions .................. 39
Adjusting .............................................. 43
Seats .............................................. 43
Steering wheel ................................ 46
Mirrors ............................................ 49
Driving .................................................. 51
Fastening the seat belts ................. 51
Starting the engine ......................... 54
Parking brake ................................. 57
Driving off ....................................... 58
Switching on headlamps ................. 59
Turn signals .................................... 60
Windshield wipers ........................... 60
Rear window wiper/washer ............ 62
Problems while driving.................... 63
Parking and locking .............................. 65
Parking brake ................................. 65
Switching off headlamps................. 66
Turning off the engine..................... 66
Releasing seat belts........................ 68
Locking ........................................... 68

21 At a glance
Exterior view
Cockpit
Instrument cluster
Multifunction steering wheel
Center console
Overhead control panel
Storage compartments
Door control panel

25 At a glance
Cockpit
ItemPage
1Cruise control lever245
2Instrument cluster26
3Multifunction steering
wheel30
4Horn
5Steering wheel gearshift
buttons193
6Gear selector lever for
automatic transmission54
7Front Parktronic* warning
indicators262
8Overhead control panel33
9Glove box release
Glove box lock279
280
ItemPage
aGlove box279
CD changer*279
AUX-socket1279
bPower outlet288
cCenter console31
dStarter switch40
eSteering wheel adjustment,
manual47
fHood lock release341
gParking brake release57
hParking brake pedal65
jPower tailgate switch*121
1Depending on vehicle configuration.
ItemPage
kDoor control panel36
lExterior lamp switch59,
135
mSteering wheel adjustment,
electrical*
Heated steering wheel*48
290
nCombination switch

High beam

Turn signals

Windshield wipers

Rear window wiper
139
59
60
60
62

76 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
air bag
Warning!G

Damaged seat belts or belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use belts in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) are designed
to function on a one-time-only basis. An
air bag or ETD that is deployed 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.

Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this
may severely weaken them. In a crash
they may not be able to provide ade-
quate protection.

No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or
removing any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, front passenger front air bag
cover, outboard sides of the seat back-
rests, door trim panels, or door frame
trims, and installation of additional
electrical/electronic equipment on or
near SRS components and wiring. Keep
area between air bags and occupants
free from objects (e.g. packages, purs-
es, umbrellas, etc.).

Do not hang items such as coat hangers
from the coat hooks or handles over the
door. These items may turn into projec-
tiles and cause head and other injuries
when the window curtain air bag is
deployed.

Air bag system components will be hot
after an air bag has inflated. Do not
touch.

Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.

In addition, improper repair work on the
SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS
inoperative or causing unintended air
bag deployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

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

Given the considerable deployment
speed, required inflation volume, and
the textile structure of the air bags,
there is the possibility of abrasions or
other potentially more serious injuries
resulting from air bag deployment.

86 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!G
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY

Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this sec-
tion, as that could result in serious inju-
ries in case of an accident.

Each occupant should wear their seat
belt at all times, because seat belts help
reduce the likelihood of and potential
severity of injuries in accidents, includ-
ing rollovers. The integrated restraint
system includes SRS (driver air bag, pas-
senger front air bag, side impact air
bags, window curtain air bags for side
windows), ETD (seat belt emergency
tensioning device), and front seat knee
bolsters. The system is designed to en-
hance the protection offered to properly
belted occupants in certain frontal (front
air bags and ETD) and side (side impact,
window curtain air bags and ETD) im-
pacts which exceed preset deployment
thresholds and in certain rollovers (win-
dow curtain air bags and ETD).

Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your shoul-
der. In a frontal crash, your body would
move too far forward. That would in-
crease the chance of head and neck in-
juries. The belt would also apply too
much force to the ribs or abdomen,
which could severely injure internal or-
gans such as your liver or spleen.

Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eyeglasses, pens, SmartKeys, etc., as
these might cause injuries.

Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips and not across the abdo-
men. If the belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries
in a crash.

Never use a seat belt for more than one
p e r s o n a t t i m e . D o n o t f a s t e n a s e a t b e l t
around a person and another person or
other objects.

Belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you would not have the full width
of the belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted belt against your body could
cause injuries.

Pregnant women should also always use
a lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible pres-
sure on the abdomen.

Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.

When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in
booster seats, always follow the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.

135 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
For information on how to switch on the
headlamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 59)
and “Turn signals” (
page 60).
Exterior lamp switch
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles drive
on the other side of the road than the country in
which the vehicle is registered, you must have
the headlamps modified for symmetrical low
beams. Relevant information can be obtained at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
iVehicles equipped with active Bi-Xenon*
headlamps:
The active Bi-Xenon* headlamps monitor the
vehicles steering angle and vehicle speed, then
automatically shift their beams to either side to
better follow the curvature of the road ahead,
increasing usable illumination over conventional
headlamps.1‚Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
2ˆStanding lamps, right (turn left
one stop)
3MOff
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 137)
4UAutomatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 137)
5CParking lamps (also side marker
lamps, tail lamps, license plate
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
6BLow beam headlamps or high
beam headlamps
7‡Front fog lamps
8†Rear fog lamp
iThe exterior lamps switch off automatically
when you remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch or open the driver’s door with the ignition
switched off.
When the parking lamps or the rear fog lamp are
switched on and you remove the SmartKey from
the starter switch or open the driver’s door, an
acoustic signal sounds.
In addition the message
Switch Off Lights
appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the parking lamps or the rear fog lamp
manually.
!Failure to switch off the parking lamps when
leaving the vehicle may result in a discharged
battery.

295 Controls in detail
Useful features
To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• or
the Information button¡, depend-
ing on the type of response required.System self-check
Initially, after switching on the ignition,
malfunctions are detected and indicated
(the indicator lamps in the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• and the
Information button¡ stay on longer
than 10 seconds or do not come on).
The message
Tele Aid – Inoperative
appears in the multifunction display.
iThe SOS button is located in the overhead
control panel (
page 33).
The Roadside Assistance button•
(
page 298) and the Information button¡
(
page 299) are located below the center arm-
rest cover.
!The Tele Aid system utilizes the cellular
network for communication and the GPS (G
lobal
P
ositioning System) satellites for vehicle loca-
tion. If either of these signals are unavailable, the
Tele Aid system may not function and if this
occurs, assistance must be summoned by other
means.
iWhen a Tele Aid call has been initiated, the
COMAND system audio is muted and the select-
ed mode (radio, CD etc.) pauses. The optional
cellular phone (if installed) inserted in cradle
switches off. If you must use this phone, we rec-
ommend that you use it only with the vehicle at a
standstill in a safe location. Remove the phone
from the cradle and place the call. The naviga-
tion* system (if engaged) will continue to run.
The display in the instrument cluster is available
for use, and spoken commands are only avail-
able by pressing the RPT button on the COMAND
system. A pop-up window will appear in the
COMAND system display to indicate that a Tele
Aid call is in progress. After the Tele Aid call has
ended, the optional cellular phone inserted in the
cradle switches on again. A PIN entry might be
necessary.

532 Index
Automatic climate control (3-zone)* 218
Air conditioning, Cooling 229
Air distribution, Front 224
Air distribution, Rear 233
Air recirculation mode 227
Air vents, Front 224
Air volume 225
Control panel, Front 220
Control panel, Rear 231
Deactivating system 222
Defogging 225
Defrosting 225
Maximum cooling, MAXCOOL 226
Rear passenger compartment 231
Rear window defroster 203
Residual engine heat (REST) 230
Using driver-side settings for
all temperature zones 229
Automatic headlamp mode 136
Automatic lighting control, Interior
lighting 142
Automatic locking when driving 125
Automatic shift program
(ML 63 AMG only) 195Automatic transmission 54
Accelerator position 190
Automatic shift program
(ML 63 AMG only) 195
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) 197
Gear ranges 192
Gear selector lever 54, 183
Gear shifting malfunctions 197
Hill start assist system 191
Kickdown 190
Kickdown, manual shift program
(ML 63 AMG only) 196
Manual shift progam
(ML 63 AMG only) 195
Program mode selector switch
(ML 63 AMG only) 194
Shift program (ML 63 AMG only) 194
Shifting procedure 186
Starting the engine 54
Steering wheel gearshift control 193
Towing a trailer 191
Transmission fluid level 345
Transmission positions 187
Automatic Transmission Fluid see ATFB
Backrest
Seat 44
Seat, Lumbar support 129
Seat, Multicontour* 129
Backup lamps
Messages in the multifunction
display 438
Replacing bulbs 471
Bar 380
BAS 100
Lamps in instrument cluster 400
Messages in the multifunction
display 415
Basic carrier bars* 266
Batteries, SmartKey
Check lamp 110, 113
Messages in the multifunction
display 427
Replacing 461
Battery, Vehicle 489
Charging 496
Disconnecting and connecting 491
Jump starting 497
Removing and installing 491

534 Index
Climate control 204
Air conditioning, Cooling 214, 215
Air distribution, Front 209
Air distribution, Rear 217
Air recirculation mode 212
Air vents, Front 210
Air volume 210
Control panel*, Rear 216
Control panel, Front 206
Deactivating system 208
Defogging 212
Defrosting 210
Rear window defroster 203
Residual engine heat (REST) 215
Clock 27, 169
Cloth upholstery,
Cleaning and care of 397
Cockpit 24
Cockpit Management and Data System
see COMAND system
Cold tire inflation pressure 380
Collapsible tire 518
Collapsible tire (ML 63 AMG only) 453
Collapsible wheel chock 452COMAND system see separate operating
instructions
Combination switch 59, 60, 62, 139
Compass 307
Adjustment 173
Calibration 174
Calling up the compass 307
Control and operation of radio
transmitters 334
Control system 147
Multifunction display 147
Multifunction steering wheel 148
Resetting to factory default 164
Control system menus 147
AIRMATIC*/Compass 162
AMG menu 156
AUDIO 160
NAV* 161
Settings 163
Standard display 154
TEL* 180
Trip computer 178
Vehicle configuration 177
Vehicle status message memory 162Control system submenus 151, 153, 166
Comfort* 176
Instrument cluster 167, 168
Lighting 170
Time/Date 169
Vehicle 173
Coolant 345, 528
Anticorrosion/antifreeze
mixing ratio and quantity 529
Capacities 522
Checking coolant level 339, 345
Messages in the multifunction
display 431, 433
Temperature 336
Temperature display 154
Corner-illuminating front fog lamps* 140
Messages in the multifunction
display 439
Replacing bulbs 469
Crossing obstacles 325
Cruise control 244
Activating 246
Messages in the multifunction
display 416

540 Index
High beam flasher 59, 140
High beam headlamps
Indicator lamp 29
Messages in the multifunction
display 439
Replacing bulbs 464, 466, 467
Switching on 59, 139
High mounted brake lamp 464
Hood 341
Messages in the multifunction
display 435
Opening 341
Hooks
Loading 269
Horn 25
HVAC see Climate control or
automatic climate control (3-zone)*
Hydroplaning 316I
Identification labels see Labels
Ignition 40, 42, 55
Immobilizer 106
Infant and child restraint systems see
Children in the vehicle
Inflation pressure see Tires,
Inflation pressures
Information button see Tele Aid
Infrared reflecting windshield* 308
Inside door handle 118
Instrument cluster 26, 28, 145
Illumination brightness 145
Lamps 400
Messages in display see Multifunction
display messages
Multifunction display 147
Outside temperature indicator 146
Selecting language 167
Instrument lighting see Instrument cluster,
Illumination brightness 145
Instrument panel see Instrument cluster
Instruments and controls see CockpitInterior lighting 142
Delayed shut-off 172
Interior rear view mirror 49
Antiglare positions 199
Auto-dimming mirrors* 199
Interior storage spaces see
Storage compartments
Intermittent wiping
Windshield wipers 61
J
Jack 450, 451
Lifting the vehicle 479
Jump starting 497
K
Key, Mechanical 455
Key, SmartKey 110
Batteries 461
Battery check lamp 110
Closing the power windows
(Convenience closing feature) 238
Closing the tilt/sliding sunroof
(Convenience closing feature) 238
Closing, Power tailgate* 123
Factory setting 112