oil level MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 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

25 At a glance
Instrument cluster
Item
Page
1
Gauge for
Coolant tempera-
ture
118
Outside tempera-
ture
119
Fuel reserve
warning lamp
259
2
Knob for
Activating instru-
ment cluster
117
Adjusting intensity
of instrument lamps
117
Main odometer
118
Trip odometer
readout / reset
119
Activating
Maintenance
System indicator
237
Item
Page
3
Left indicator lamps
with:¿Brake Assist
System
(BAS) / Electronic
Stability Program
(ESP) malfunction
warning lamp
252
{Electronic Traction
System (4-ETS) mal-
function indicator
lamp
259
-Antilock Brake Sys-
tem (ABS) malfunc-
tion indicator lamp
248
2Brake pad wear in-
dicator lamp
261
:Low engine oil level
warning lamp
260
/Low engine coolant
level warning lamp
256
Item
Page
êLow range indicator
lamp
259
?Engine malfunction
indicator lamp,
USA only
254
±Engine malfunction
indicator lamp,
Canada only
254
4
Speedometer with:v4-ETS (Electronic
Traction
System)/Electronic
Stability Program
(ESP) warning lamp
258
Trip / main
odometer
118
Display for Mainte-
nance System
237
Engine oil level indi-
cator
224

205 Operation
Driving instructions
Special driving features for off-road
driving
The following driving features are available
for specific kind of operation:

LOW RANGE mode (
page 127)


LOW RANGE – ABS (
page 77)


LOW RANGE – 4-ETS (
page 80)


LOW RANGE – ESP (
page 81)
Off-road driving rules
Engage the LOW RANGE mode before driv-
ing under off-road conditions
(
page 127).
Fasten items being carried as securely as
possible (
page 160).Checklist before off-road driving
Engine oil level


Check the engine oil level
(page 224). The display
OIL i.O

must appear via display in the speed-
ometer.
Only then can the vehicle obtain a trou-
ble-free oil supply, even on steep gradi-
ents.
iWe recommend keeping doors, liftgate,
windows, and tilt / sliding sunroof*
closed whenever driving in off-road
mode.
!Observe the following during off-road
driving:

Adjust vehicle speed to condition of
terrain. The more uneven, rutty and
steeper the terrain, the lower the
speed should be.


Watch out for obstacles, such as
rocks, holes, tree stumps and ruts.


Be especially careful when driving
in unknown territory. It may be nec-
essary to get out of the vehicle and
scout the path you intend to take.


Before driving through water, deter-
mine is depth.


Do not stop vehicle while immersed
in water, and do not shut off the
engine.


In sandy soil, please drive at a
steady speed as allowed by condi-
tions. This helps overcome the vehi-
cle rolling resistance and reduces
the likelihood of the vehicle sinking
into the ground.


Do not initiate jumps with the vehi-
cle. It interrupts the forward mo-
mentum of the vehicle.


Always drive onto slopes with the
the engine running and the vehicle
in gear.

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.

226 OperationEngine compartment
If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil see (
page 226).
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” section (
page 312) and
(
page 314).
See the “Practical hints” section
(page 260) if the low engine oil level
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes.Adding engine oil
Only use approved engine oils and oil fil-
ters required for vehicles with Mainte-
nance System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS
(Canada vehicles). For a listing of approved
engine oils and oil filters, refer to the Fac-
tory Approved Service Products pamphlet
in your vehicle literature portfolio, 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.1Oil dipstick
2Filler cap

Unscrew filler cap2 from filler neck.

Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.
iThe filling quantity between the upper
and lower marks on the oil dipstick is
approximately 2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).

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.