buttons MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 2006 W163 Owner's Guide

190 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionShifting into optimal gear range
Press and hold the inside of one of the
buttons1 on the steering wheel
(page 189).
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears.
Canceling gear range limit
Press and hold the outside of one of the
buttons2 on the steering wheel
(page 189) until
D reappears in the
multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.

Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:

Leave the transmission in gear.

Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop longer with the engine
idling and/or on a hill:

Set the parking brake.

Shift into park positionP.
Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:

Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.

Accelerate gently.

Never abruptly step on the accelerator.

196 Controls in detailGood visibilityActivating exterior rear view mirror
parking position*
Follow these steps to activate the mirror
parking position so that the
passenger-side exterior rear view mirror
will be turned downward to the stored
position.
The buttons are located on the door
control panel.
1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Adjustment button
3Passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror button

Make sure you have stored a parking
position for the passenger-side exterior
rear view mirror (
page 137).

Make sure the
Mirror adjustment
parking assist function in the
Conve-
nience
submenu of the control system
is switched to
On (page 174).

Switch on the ignition (
page 34).

Place the gear selector lever in reverse
gearR.
The indicator lamp on the driver’s side
or passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror button comes on, dependent
from the last setting.When the driver’s side exterior rear view
mirror button comes on:

Press button3 for the passenger-side
exterior rear view mirror.
The passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror will be turned downward to the stored
position.
When the passenger-side exterior rear
view mirror button comes on:
The passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror will be turned downward to the stored
position.iThe exterior rear view mirror parking
position is key-dependent. For more in-
formation on storing exterior rear view
mirror parking position, see “Storing
exterior rear view mirror parking posi-
tion” (
page 137).

280 Controls in detailUseful features
You can take and place telephone calls us-
ing thes andt buttons on the
steering wheel. To carry out other tele-
phone functions, use the control system
(page 178).
See separate instruction manual for infor-
mation on how to operate the telephone.
Tele Aid*
Shortly after the completion of your Tele
Aid acquaintance call, you will receive a
user ID and password. By visiting
www.mbusa.com and selecting “Tele Aid”
(USA only), you will have access to account
information, remote door unlock and
more.
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his /her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather and traffic conditions permit. Some
jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a
cellular telephone while driving a vehicle.
Only operate the Modular COMAND
System
1 if road, weather and traffic condi-
tions permit.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid
system may only be performed by
completing the subscriber agreement
and placing an acquaintance call using
the ¡button. Failure to complete
either of these steps will result in a
system that is not activated.
If you have any questions regarding
activation, please call the Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).

287 Controls in detail
Useful features
Call priority
If other service calls such as a Roadside
Assistance call or Information call are
active, an Emergency call is still possible.
In this case, the Emergency call will take
priority and override all other active calls.
iThe indicator lamp in the Information
button¡ remains illuminated in red
for approximately ten seconds during
the system self-check after switching
on the ignition (together with the
SOS button and the Roadside
Assistance button•).
See system self-check (
page 282) if
the indicator lamp does not come on in
red or stays on longer than
approximately ten seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Information
button¡ is flashing continuously
and there was no voice connection to
the Response Center established, then
the Tele Aid system could not initiate
an Information call (e.g. the relevant
cellular phone network is not avail-
able). The message
Call failed
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.
Information calls can be terminated
using thet button on the multi-
function steering wheel or the END But-
ton on the Modular COMAND System.!If the indicator lamps do not start flash-
ing after pressing one of the buttons or
remain illuminated (in red) at any time,
the Tele Aid system has detected a
malfunction or the service is not
currently active, and may not initiate a
call. Visit your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center and
have the system checked or contact
the Response Center at
1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada) as soon
as possible.
iThe indicator lamp in the respective
button flashes until the call is conclud-
ed. Emergency calls can only be termi-
nated by a Response Center or
Customer Assistance Center represen-
tative, whereas Roadside Assistance
and Information calls can also be termi-
nated by pressing buttont on the
multifunction steering wheel or using
the END button on the Modular
COMAND System.

289 Controls in detail
Useful features
Stolen Vehicle Recovery services
In the event your vehicle was stolen:
Report the incident to the police.
The police will issue a numbered
incident report.

Pass this number on to the
Mercedes-Benz Response Center along
with your password issued to you when
you subscribed to the service.
The Response Center will then attempt
to covertly contact the vehicle’s
Tele Aid system. Once the vehicle is
located, the Response Center will
contact the local law enforcement and
you. The vehicle’s location will only be
provided to law enforcement.
Garage door opener
The built-in remote control is capable of
operating up to three separately controlled
devices, for example garage door openers,
gate openers, or other devices compatible
with HomeLink
® or some other systems.
You can program the signal transmitter
buttons.
iWhen the anti-theft alarm or the
tow-away alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call is initiated automat-
ically to the Response Center. See
anti-theft alarm system (
page 100)
and tow-away alarm (
page 102).

291 Controls in detail
Useful features
Programming or reprogramming the
integrated remote control
Step 1:
Switch on the ignition (
page 34).
Step 2:

If you have previously programmed an
integrated signal transmitter button
and wish to retain its programming,
proceed to step 3. Otherwise, press
and hold the two outer signal transmit-
ter buttons1 and3 and release
them only when the indicator lamp4
begins to flash after approximately
20 seconds (do not hold the button for
longer than 30 seconds). This proce-
dure erases any previous settings for
all three channels and initializes the
memory. If you later wish to program a
second and/or third hand-held trans-
mitter to the remaining two signal
transmitter buttons, do not repeat this
step and begin directly with step 3.
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of
the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
(2) this device must accept any
interference received, including
interference that may cause
undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause
interference, and
(2) this device must accept any
interference received, including
interference that may cause
undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.


292 Controls in detailUseful featuresStep 3:
Hold the end of the hand-held remote
control transmitter6 of the device
you wish to train approximately 2 to
5 in (5 to12 cm) away from the surface
of the integrated remote control
located on the left side of the interior
rear view mirror, keeping the indicator
lamp4 in view.
Step 4:

Using both hands, simultaneously
press the hand-held transmitter
button5 and the desired integrated
signal transmitter button (1, 2
or3). Do not release the buttons until
completing step 5.
The indicator lamp4 on the
integrated remote control will flash,
first slowly and then rapidly.Step 5:

When the indicator lamp4 flashes
rapidly, release both buttons.
Step 6:

Press and hold the just-trained
integrated signal transmitter button
and observe the indicator lamp4.
If the indicator lamp4 stays on
constantly, programming is complete
and your device should activate when
the integrated signal transmitter
button is pressed and released.Step 7:

To program the remaining two buttons,
repeat the steps above starting with
step 3.
iThe indicator lamp4 flashes the first
time the signal transmitter button is
programmed. If this button has already
been programmed, the indicator lamp
will only start flashing after
20 seconds.
iIf the indicator lamp4 flashes rapidly
for about two seconds and then turns
to a constant light, continue with
programming steps 8 through 12 as
your garage door opener may be
equipped with the “rolling code”
feature.


293 Controls in detail
Useful features
Rolling code programming
To train a garage door opener (or other
rolling code devices) with the rolling code
feature, follow these instructions after
completing the “Programming” portion
(steps 1 through 6) of this text. (A second
person may make the following training
procedures quicker and easier.)
Step 8:
Locate “training” button on the garage
door opener motor head unit.
Exact location and color of the button
may vary by garage door opener brand.
Depending on manufacturer, the
“training” button may also be referred
to as “learn” or “smart” button. If there
is difficulty locating the transmitting
button, refer to the garage door opener
operator’s manual.Step 9:

Press “training” button on the garage
door opener motor head unit.
The “training light” is activated.
You have 30 seconds to initiate the
following step.
Step 10:

Firmly press, hold for two seconds and
release the programmed integrated
signal transmitter button (1, 2
or3).
Step 11:

Press, hold for two seconds and
release same button a second time to
complete the training process.
Some garage door openers (or other rolling
code equipped devices) may require you to
perform this procedure a third time to
complete the training.Step 12:

Confirm the garage door operation by
pressing the programmed integrated
signal transmitter button (1, 2
or3).
Step 13:

To program the remaining two buttons,
repeat the steps above starting with
step 3.
Gate operator/Canadian programming
Canadian radio-frequency laws require
transmitter signals to “time-out” (or quit)
after several seconds of transmission
which may not be long enough for the
integrated signal transmitter to pick up the
signal during programming. Similar to this
Canadian law, some U.S. gate operators
are designed to “time-out” in the same
manner.

294 Controls in detailUseful featuresIf you live in Canada or if you are having
difficulties programming a gate operator
(regardless of where you live) by using the
programming procedures, replace step 4
with the following:
Step 4:
Continue to press and hold the
integrated signal transmitter button
(1, 2 or3) while you press and
re-press (“cycle”) your hand-held
remote control transmitter6 every
two seconds until the frequency signal
has been learned. Upon successful
training, the indicator lamp4 will
flash slowly and then rapidly after
several seconds.

Proceed with programming step 5 and
step 6 to complete.Operation of remote control

Switch on the ignition (
page 34).

Select and press the appropriate
integrated signal transmitter button
(1, 2or3) to activate the remote
controlled device.
The integrated remote control trans-
mitter continues to send the signal as
long as the button is pressed – up to
20 seconds.Erasing the integrated remote control
memory

Switch on the ignition (
page 34).

Simultaneously hold down the signal
transmitter buttons1 and3, for
approximately 20 seconds, until the
indicator lamp4 flashes rapidly. Do
not hold for longer than 30 seconds.
The codes of all three channels are
erased.iIf you sell your vehicle, erase the codes
of all three channels.

501 Technical terms
ABS
(A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
Accessory weight
(
page 365)
ADS*
(Adaptive D
amping S
ystem*)
Automatically adapts the optimum sus-
pension damping to prevailing driving
conditions.
Air suspension*
Automatically selects the optimum sus-
pension tuning and ride height for your
vehicle. Air suspension consists of two
components:


Adaptive Damping System


Vehicle level control
Air pressure
(
page 365)Alignment bolt
Metal pin with thread. The centering
pin is an aid used when changing a tire
to align the wheel with the wheel hub.
Aspect ratio
(
page 365)
Bar
(page 365)
BAS
(Brake A
ssist S
ystem)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking situa-
tions. The system is activated when it
senses an emergency based on how
fast the brake is applied.
Bead
(
page 365)
Bi-Xenon headlamps*
Headlamps which use an electric arc as
the light source and produce a more
intense light than filament headlamps.
Bi-Xenon headlamps produce low
beam and high beam.CAC
(C
ustomer A
ssistance C
enter)
Mercedes-Benz customer service
center, which can help you with any
questions about your vehicle and
provide assistance in the event of a
breakdown.
CAN system
(C
ontroller A
rea N
etwork)
Data bus network serving to control
vehicle functions such as door locking
or windshield wiping.
Cockpit
All instruments, switches, buttons and
indicator/warning lamps in the
passenger compartment needed for
vehicle operation and monitoring.
Cold tire inflation pressure
(
page 365)