MERCEDES-BENZ ML430 1997 Complete Repair Manual

87 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function*
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Automatic transmission
Transmission control – LOW RANGE mode
Good visibility
Automatic climate control
Power windows
Sliding / pop-up roof*
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features

88 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
In the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to ope-
rate the equipment installed in your vehi-
cle. If you are already familiar with the ba-
sic functions of your vehicle, this section
will be of particular interest to you.
To quickly familiarize yourself with the ba-
sic functions of the vehicle, refer to the
“Getting started” section of this manual.
The corresponding page numbers are
given at the beginning of each segment.
Locking and unlocking
Remote control with folding key
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
remote controls with folding key.
The remote control provides an extended
operating range. To prevent theft,
however, it is advisable to only unlock the
vehicle when you are in close proximity to
it.
The key centrally locks and unlocks:

the doors


the liftgate


the fuel filler flap1ÂPanic button (
page 75)
2ŒUnlock button
3‹Lock button
4Release button for key
5ŠUnlock button for liftgate
iIf the key is inserted in the steering
lock, the vehicle cannot be locked or
unlocked with the remote control.
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the remote control to high
levels of electromagnetic radiation.

89 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Unlocking
Unlocking the driver’s door and fuel
filler flap
Press buttonΠonce.
All turn signal lamps flash once to indi-
cate that the driver’s door and the fuel
filler flap are unlocked.Global unlocking

Press buttonΠtwice.
All turn signal lamps flash once to indi-
cate that all doors, fuel filler flap and
liftgate are unlocked.
Unlocking the liftgate

Press buttonŠ.
Only the liftgate unlocks.
Locking

Press button‹ once.
All turn signal lamps flash three times
to indicate that all doors, the liftgate
and the fuel filler flap are locked.
iUnlocking the vehicle with the remote
control deactivates the anti-theft
alarm.
The vehicle will lock again automatical-
ly and reactivate the anti-theft system
within approximately 40 seconds of un-
locking if neither door nor liftgate is
opened.
iLocking the vehicle with the remote
control activates the anti-theft alarm.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not flash
three times, one of the following ele-
ments may not be properly closed:

a door


the liftgate


the hood
Close the respective element and lock
the vehicle again.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the steering lock, and lock your ve-
hicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and / or seri-
ous personal injury.

90 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Loss of remote control with folding key
If you lose a remote control or the folding
key, you should do the following:
Have the remote control deactivated
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.

Report the loss of the remote control or
the folding key immediately to your car
insurance company.

If necessary have the mechanical lock
replaced.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center will be glad to supply you
with a replacement.
Opening the doors from the inside
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
1Locking knob
2Inside door handle
Pull on door handle2.
If a door was locked, locking knob1
will move up.
!If you can no longer lock or unlock the
vehicle with the remote control, then
the batteries in the remote control are
discharged, the remote control is mal-
functioning or the vehicle battery is
drained.

Check the batteries in the remote
control and replace them if neces-
sary (
page 262).


Use the folding key to unlock or
lock the doors and the liftgate.


Check the vehicle battery
(page 278).


Synchronize the remote control
(page 263).
If the remote control is malfunctioning,
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.

91 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Opening the liftgate
Opening the liftgate from outside
A minimum height clearance of 7 ft
(2.15 m) is required to open the liftgate.
The handle is located above the rear
license plate recess.
1Grip molding
2Handle
Pull on handle2.

Swing the liftgate upward by using the
grip molding.Opening the liftgate from inside
A minimum height clearance of 7 ft
(2.15 m) is required to open the liftgate.
The release lever is located on the inside of
the liftgate.
1Handle
2Catch
iIf the vehicle has previously been
locked from the outside with the re-
mote control, opening a door from the
inside will trigger the alarm.
To cancel the alarm, do one of the
following:
Switch on the ignition by turning the
key in the steering lock to position2.
or
Press the‹ or Œbutton on the
remote control.
The alarm is cancelled.
!Always make sure that there is suffi-
cient overhead clearance.iThe vehicle must be unlocked.

92 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
To unlock the liftgate, move the
catch2 to the right.

Pull handle1 down and swing liftgate
upward.
Closing the liftgate
1Recessed grip
2Grip molding
Pull down on recessed grip1.

Close liftgate by using grip molding2.
!Always make sure that there is suffi-
cient overhead clearance.iTo lock the liftgate, move the catch2
to the left.Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the steering lock and lock the vehi-
cle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle. Children could open the liftgate
from inside, which could result in an acci-
dent and / or serious personal injury.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the liftga-
te opening when closing the liftgate. Be es-
pecially careful when small children are
around.
Do not close the liftgate from the inside by
pulling on the handle.Warning!
G
Only drive with the liftgate closed as exhaust
fumes may enter the vehicle interior.iTo prevent an inadvertent lockout, do
not place the key in the cargo compart-
ment.

93 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Automatic central locking
The doors and the liftgate automatically
lock when the ignition is switched on and
the left front wheel turns at vehicle speeds
of approximately 9mph (15km/h) or
more.
If one of the front doors is then opened
from the inside, the vehicle is unlocked
centrally unless only the driver's door was
previously unlocked.Information on towing the vehicle can be
found in the “Practical hints” section
(
page 241).
The switch is located on the lower center
console.
Central locking switch1Locking
2UnlockingActivating

Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
light up.

Press and hold upper part1 of the
central locking button for approximate-
ly six seconds.
The automatic central locking is
activated.
Deactivating

Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
light up.

Press and hold lower part2 of the
central locking button for approximate-
ly six seconds.
The automatic central locking is deacti-
vated.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset threshold.
To prevent the vehicle door locks from
locking, deactivate the automatic cen-
tral locking when the vehicle

is pushed or towed


is on a test stand

94 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingLocking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the doors and the
tailgate from inside using the central lock-
ing switch. This can be useful, for example,
if you want to lock the vehicle before start-
ing to drive.Locking

Press upper part1 of central locking
button (
page 93).
If all the doors are closed, the vehicle
locks.
Unlocking

Press lower part2 of central locking
button (
page 93).
The vehicle unlocks.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the steering lock and lock the vehi-
cle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehi-
cle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment
may cause an accident and / or serious per-
sonal injury.
iYou can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.
If the vehicle was previously centrally
locked using the remote control, it will
not unlock using the central locking
switch.

95 Controls in detail
Seats
Seats
Information on seat adjustment can be
found in the “Getting started” section
(page 34).
Removing and installing front seat
head restraints
Information on head restraint adjustment
can be found in the “Getting started” sec-
tion (
page 34).Front seat head restraints
Removing head restraints

Pull head restraint to its highest
position.

Push button1 and pull out head
restraint.
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
accident 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.
Do not interchange head restraints from
front and rear seat.

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.