MERCEDES-BENZ ML450 HYBRID 2010 W164 User Guide

for example in case of a vehicle fire,
inflammable gas will escape via a duct. The
inflammable gas escapes to an area
underneath
the vehicles cargo compartment.
This prevents the high-voltage battery from
exploding.
Stay away from this area of the vehicle. Driving safety systems
ABS (Antilock Brake System)
Braking When the ABS engages during braking, the
ABS/ESP
®
warning lamp d in the
instrument cluster

(Y page 13) flashes. The
brake pedal will pulsate only in certain
situations, for example on a slippery road.
i For more information on the ABS, refer to
the Operator's Manual. RBS (Recuperative Brake System)
The RBS controls braking by blending the
vehicles friction brakes with the hybrid
transmissions recuperative energy function.
The RBS system must perform a self-test
when the ignition is switched on.
X Make sure the automatic transmission is in
park position P.
X Switch on the ignition.
X Apply the brake pedal fully and release it.
The self-test of the RBS is completed.
During the self-test of the RBS, less brake
pedal
pressure than usual is required and the
brake pedal travel is longer. When you release
the brake pedal, the brake pedal travel is as
usual again.
For more information on the RBS, see
(Y page 11). G
Warning!
If the RBS malfunctions, the yellow RBS
warning lamp é and/or the red brake warning lamp
$ (USA only) or J
(Canada
only) in the instrument cluster comes
on. Read and observe the messages in the
multifunction display that may appear. Find
the subentry “Malfunction” of the entry “RBS
(Recuperative Brake System)” in the index of
this manual and follow the steps described in
that section. G
Warning!
If the RBS malfunctions, less brake pedal
pressure than usual may be required and the
brake pedal travel may be longer. The brake
system still functions with full effectiveness.
If required, you have to depress the brake
pedal further. Adapt your speed and driving
accordingly. G
Warning!
Have work on the RBS, e.g. brake pad
replacement, carried out by qualified
technicians only.
When working on the RBS, certain
precautions

must be taken, e.g. when putting
the brake system back into service.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Service conducted by qualified
technicians is required particularly for safety-
relevant work and work on safety-relevant
systems such as the RBS.
i For more information on the braking
system and for driving instructions, refer to
the Operator’s Manual. BAS (Brake Assist System)
If you apply the brakes very quickly, the RBS
provides full brake boost as fast as possible.
In doing so, less brake pedal pressure than
usual

is required and the brake pedal travel is
longer.
X Apply continuous full braking pressure until
the emergency braking situation is over.
The ABS will prevent the wheels from
locking. Safety and security
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i
For more information on the BAS, refer to
the Operator’s Manual. Driving systems
Cruise control
When the cruise control brakes the vehicle,
the brake pedal is not depressed.
i For more information on the cruise
control, refer to the Operator’s Manual. 10
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Introduction
The HYBRID technology combines an
economical combustion engine with a
powerful hybrid transmission. The HYBRID
system selects the most efficient operating
mode
for each driving situation automatically.
You can drive the vehicle in the usual manner.
The HYBRID system turns the combustion
engine off as often as possible in order to save
fuel.
Depending on various conditions such as the
charging level of the high-voltage battery or
the operating temperature, the vehicle can
run on electrical energy alone. These
conditions as well as the degree to which the
driver accelerates determine the vehicle
speed and range that can be achieved for all-
electrical driving. G
Warning!
When the READY indicator in the instrument
cluster is on while the combustion engine is
off, the combustion engine has been turned
off automatically. All vehicle systems
continue

to be active as long as the ignition is
switched on. When you open the driver’s door
and unbuckle the seat belt with the READY
indicator on, while the automatic
transmission is in position N or P, the
combustion engine starts automatically.
Therefore, always do the following before
leaving the vehicle:
R Engage the parking brake.
R Shift the automatic transmission into park
position P.
R Switch off the ignition. The READY indicator
goes out. Driving off and accelerating consumes the
most energy. Thus, the hybrid transmission
supports the combustion engine with the
energy

stored in the high-voltage battery. The
energy is also used for electrical driving, for
operation of the electric compressor of the
cooling system and to support the 12-volt on-
board power supply. The hybrid drive thereby
contributes significantly to the fuel economy
of your vehicle.
For information on driving with HYBRID, see
(Y page 16).
The current operating mode of the HYBRID
system can be displayed in the instrument
cluster (Y page 13) and in the COMAND
display ( Y page 13).
The COMAND can also display a chart of the
fuel consumption and the electric power that
has been generated ( Y page 15). RBS (Recuperative Brake System)
With
the RBS activated (Y page 9), the hybrid
transmission functions as a generator when
coasting and braking. HYBRID converts the
energy of movement into electric power and
stores it in the high-voltage battery. The high-
voltage battery does not require additional
charging by other means. Controls in detail
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Overview HYBRID system
Component
:
High-voltage battery
;
12-volt battery
=
Hybrid transmission
?
Voltage transformer
(transforms the voltage of the 12-volt
battery and the high-voltage battery in
both directions for best possible
power management) Component
A
Power electronics
(control the high-voltage system)
B
Electric refrigerant compressor for
the climate control system
C
Combustion engine12
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Instrument cluster
Function Page
:
$ Brake warning lamp,
USA only
29
;
d ABS/ESP
®
warning
lamp 9,
29 =
J Brake warning lamp,
Canada only
29
?
Multifunction display
with:
Charging level high-voltage
battery
14
A
é Recuperative Brake
System (RBS) warning lamp
29
B
+ Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS)
indicator lamp
31
C
; Engine malfunction
indicator lamp, Canada only
21
D
! Engine malfunction
indicator lamp, USA only
21 Function Page
E
Power gauge 14
F
Multifunction display
with:
Automatic transmission
program mode indicator
18
READY indicator for the
HYBRID system
16
Control system and COMAND
i For information on the instrument cluster
control system and COMAND operation,
refer to the Operator’s Manual.
The current operating mode of the HYBRID
system can be displayed in the multifunction
display and in the COMAND.
The COMAND can also display a chart of the
fuel consumption and the electric power that
has been generated ( Y page 15). Controls in detail
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Selecting submenu in the
multifunction display
Use the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel.
X Press button V or U repeatedly until
the standard display appears.
X Press button & or * to select the
HYBRID menu. Selecting submenu in the COMAND
display
X Select System Q Hybrid Q Energy
Flow. COMAND display examples
Example illustration: Operating mode display
1
Combustion engine
2 Hybrid transmission
3 High-voltage battery
4 Charging condition of high-voltage
battery in percent
5 Flow of energy
The HYBRID components that are currently
active are highlighted in the COMAND
display. Multifunction display Power gauge COMAND display
Recuperation – the hybrid transmission functions as a generator, for example when
coasting or braking. The kinetic energy of the vehicle is converted into electric power and
stored in the high-voltage battery.
The multifunction display indicates charging of the high-voltage battery by an arrow pointing
upwards. The pointer of the power gauge moves into the charge section. The COMAND
display indicates the flow of energy by green arrows.14
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Multifunction display Power gauge COMAND display
Boost effect – the hybrid transmission supports the combustion engine when driving off
and when accelerating.
The multifunction display indicates discharging of the high-voltage battery by an arrow
pointing downwards. The pointer of the power gauge moves into the boost section. The
COMAND display indicates the flow of energy by white or red arrows (depending on the
acceleration).
Multifunction display Power gauge COMAND display
Electric driving
– the hybrid transmission powers the vehicle, up to a maximum speed of
30 mph (50 km/h).
The multifunction display indicates discharging of the high-voltage battery by an arrow
pointing downwards. The pointer of the power gauge moves within the range of its economy
section. The COMAND display indicates the flow of energy by green arrows. i
Maximum Hybrid battery life is ensured by
the electronic charge control maintaining a
charge level between 25 % and 80 %. This
is the ideal range for the Hybrid battery and
therefore the charge level displayed in the
instrument cluster or COMAND may not
approach 100 %. This is intentional and
does not indicate a malfunction of the
Hybrid battery or the charging
components. Displaying fuel consumption and
generated electric power
The COMAND display indicates the fuel
consumption and the generated electric
power for the last 15 minutes of driving.
X Select System Q Hybrid Q
Consumption. Controls in detail
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1
Fuel consumption
; Average fuel consumption From Start as
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster in the Trip computer
menu.
= Generated electric power
Each bar in the chart represents the average
value for 1 minute.
Resetting values The values are reset together when resetting
the trip computer in the
From Start
submenu. Refer to the Operator’s Manual. Driving and parking
Safety notes
G
Warning!
When your vehicle is in electric drive mode the
engine produces significantly lower noise
levels. Other motorists or pedestriants,
especially those who are visually or hearing
impaired, may be unable to hear your vehicle
while it is in motion. This is particularly true
when driving at lower speeds and during
parking maneuvers. At all times, it is the
responsibility of the driver to be aware of their
surroundings, especially in these low speed
situtations. Otherwise other road users could
be seriously or fatally injured. G
Warning!
Make sure absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals’ range of movement. Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all
obstacles. If there are any floormats or
carpets in the footwell, make sure the pedals
still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between or
under the pedals. You could then no longer
brake or accelerate. This could lead to
accidents and injury.
Starting the engine
:
READY indicator
X Switch on the ignition.
X Apply the brake pedal fully and release it.
The self-test of the RBS is completed. For
more information on the RBS, see
(Y page 9).
X Observe the notes on “Starting the engine”
in the Operator’s Manual and start the
combustion engine.
Silent-Start mode
The combustion engine may not start each
time you start the vehicle with the SmartKey
or with KEYLESS-GO.
Depending on various conditions such as the
charging level of the high-voltage battery, you
may drive off with electrical energy alone. The
vehicle is then in Silent-Start mode. The
READY indicator : will then indicate that the
HYBRID systems are operational. 16
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G
Warning!
When the READY indicator in the instrument
cluster is on while the combustion engine is
off, the combustion engine has been turned
off automatically. All vehicle systems
continue
to be active as long as the ignition is
switched on. When you open the driver’s door
and unbuckle the seat belt with the READY
indicator on, while the automatic
transmission is in position N or P, the
combustion engine starts automatically.
Therefore, always do the following before
leaving the vehicle:
R Engage the parking brake.
R Shift the automatic transmission into park
position P.
R Switch off the ignition. The READY indicator
goes out.
The combustion engine turns off
automatically when the system determines
that it is not needed. The combustion engine
does not turn off automatically when
R the operation strategy requires that the
combustion engine is running
R the self-diagnosis of the combustion
engine management is still running
R the combustion engine is running below or
above the operating temperature
R the catalytic converter is running below the
operating temperature
R the vehicle is being driven up an extremely
steep incline
R the hybrid components are below or above
their operating temperature
R the accelerator pedal is being depressed to
hard
R the vehicle speed is above 34 mph
(55 km/h)
R the automatic transmission is
malfunctioning R
the hood is open
R the high-voltage battery is not charged
sufficiently Driving off
G
Warning!
When your vehicle is in electric drive mode the
engine produces significantly lower noise
levels. Other motorists or pedestriants,
especially those who are visually or hearing
impaired,

may be unable to hear your vehicle
while it is in motion. This is particularly true
when driving at lower speeds and during
parking maneuvers. At all times, it is the
responsibility of the driver to be aware of their
surroundings, especially in these low speed
situtations. Otherwise other road users could
be seriously or fatally injured.
Depress the brake pedal and shift the
automatic transmission into drive position D
or reverse gear R. If the message Depress
brake to shift out of P. appears in the
multifunction display:
X Depress the brake pedal with somewhat
greater force and select the desired
transmission position.
i Read and observe messages that may
appear in the multifunction display
(Y page 24).
For

more information on driving off, refer to
the Operator’s Manual. Driving
Driving tips R
Think ahead and keep sufficient distance.
R Avoid frequent and rapid acceleration as
well as abrupt braking. Controls in detail
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R
The hybrid transmission supports the
combustion engine when driving off and
when accelerating.
R The hybrid transmission functions as a
generator when coasting the vehicle with
the automatic transmission in drive
position D and during braking.
i For additional general driving
instructions, refer to the Operator’s
Manual. Parking
G
Warning!
When your vehicle is in electric drive mode the
engine produces significantly lower noise
levels. Other motorists or pedestriants,
especially those who are visually or hearing
impaired, may be unable to hear your vehicle
while it is in motion. This is particularly true
when driving at lower speeds and during
parking maneuvers. At all times, it is the
responsibility of the driver to be aware of their
surroundings, especially in these low speed
situtations. Otherwise other road users could
be seriously or fatally injured. G
Warning!
When the READY indicator in the instrument
cluster is on while the combustion engine is
off, the combustion engine has been turned
off automatically. All vehicle systems
continue to be active as long as the ignition is
switched on. When you open the driver’s door
and unbuckle the seat belt with the READY
indicator on, while the automatic
transmission is in position N or P, the
combustion engine starts automatically.
Therefore, always do the following before
leaving the vehicle: R
Engage the parking brake.
R Shift the automatic transmission into park
position P.
R Switch off the ignition. The READY indicator
goes out.
X Engage the parking brake.
The parking brake indicator lamp $
(USA only) or ! (Canada only) in the
instrument cluster comes on.
X Shift the automatic transmission into park
position P.
X Switch off the ignition.
The READY indicator goes out.
i For more information on parking and on
turning off the combustion engine, refer to
the Operator’s Manual. Automatic transmission
Automatic shift program
Program mode selector switch
E Economy For fuel-efficient
operation
S Sport For sporty driving18
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