MERCEDES-BENZ ML55AMG 2003 W163 Owner's Manual

251 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs

Align headlamp cover and click into
place.
Fog lamp bulbs
1Fog lamp

Switch off the lights.

Use a suitable object (e.g. screwdriver)
to press on the release lever behind the
front panel.
Front fog lamp1 releases.

Remove fog lamp out of bumper.2Bulb socket
3Tabs

Twist bulb socket2 counterclockwise
to its end stop and pull out.

Pull bulb out of the bulb socket.

Insert new bulb in socket.

Reinstall bulb socket2.

Twist bulb socket2 clockwise to its
end stop.

Reinstall fog lamp into the bumper.
Make sure that tabs3 firmly seat into
the slots of holder.
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps
Tail lamp assemblies
Switch off the lights.

Open liftgate.
1Screws
2Tail, parking and standing lamp
Fog lamp, driver’s side
3Side marker lamp
4Turn signal lamp
5Backup lamp
6Brake lamp

Remove screws1.

Remove tail lamp.


252 Practical hintsReplacing bulbs7Tabs
Squeeze tabs7 together and remove
bulb holder.

Gently push bulb into socket, turn
counterclockwise and remove.

Insert new bulb in socket, push in and
turn clockwise.

Reinstall bulb holder. You should hear
it engage.

Insert the tail lamp in the body, lower
edge first. Make sure that it engages.

Retighten screws with washers on
them.License plate lamp
1License plate lamp
2Screws

Switch off the lights.

Loosen both screws1 and remove
lamp.

Replace the tubular lamp and reinstall
lamp.

Retighten the screws.High mounted brake lamp
1Cover
2Tab

Switch off the lights.

Squeeze both sides of cover1, fold it
forward and remove.

Press tab2 on reflector and remove re-
flector.

Gently push bulb into socket, turn
counterclockwise and remove.

Insert new bulb in socket, push in and
turn clockwise.


253 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs

Insert reflector from the left so that it
engages on the right.

Position tabs of cover in slots and rein-
stall cover until properly seated.
Adjusting headlamp aim
VVertical centerline
HHeadlamp mounting high, measured
from the center Correct headlamp adjustment is extremely
important. To check and readjust a head-
lamp, follow the steps described:

Park the vehicle on a level surface
25 feet (7.6 m) from a vertical test
screen or wall.

Switch the headlamps on
(page 102).
If the beam does not show a beam pattern
as indicated in the figure left, then follow
the steps below:

Open hood (
page 202).
2Headlamp vertical adjustment screw
3Headlamp vertical adjustment screw

Always turn adjustment screws2
and3 simultaneously for vertical ad-
justment until the headlamp is adjust-
ed as shown1. Turn clockwise for
upward movement and counterclock-
wise for downward movement.
Graduations:
screw2:0.50° pitch
screw3:0.67° pitch
The left and right headlamps must be ad-
justed individually.
iHigh beam adjustments simultaneous-
ly aim the low beam.
Vehicle should have a normal trunk
load.
iIf it is not possible to obtain a proper
headlamp adjustment, have the system
checked at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

254 Practical hintsReplacing wiper blades
Replacing wiper blades
Removal
Fold the wiper arm forward.

Turn wiper blade at a right angle to wip-
er arm.
1Wiper blade
2Safety tab

Press safety tab down2.

Push wiper blade downward1 and re-
move.
Installation
Slide wiper blade into end of wiper arm
until it locks in place.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, remove key from steer-
ing lock before replacing a wiper blade, oth-
erwise the motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.
!Never open the hood when the wiper
arm is folded forward.
Do not allow the wiper arms to contact
the windshield glass without a wiper
blade inserted.
Make certain that the wiper blades are
properly installed. Improperly installed
wiper blades may cause windshield
damage.
For your convenience, we recommend
that you have this work carried out by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.

255 Practical hints
Flat tire
Flat tire
Mounting the spare wheel Preparing the vehicle

Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard surface.

Turn on the hazard warning flashers.

Engage the steering wheel lock in the
straight ahead position and set the
parking brake.

Move the selector lever toP.

Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.

Take the spare wheel out of its carrier
(page 239).
ML 55 AMG: (
page 240).Lifting the vehicle

Prevent the vehicle from rolling away
by blocking wheels with wheel chocks
(not included) or other sizable objects.
When changing wheel on a level surface:

Place one chock in front of and one be-
hind the wheel that is diagonally oppo-
site to the wheel being changed.
When changing wheel on a hill:

Place chocks on the downhill side
blocking both wheels of the other axle.

Take the two-piece wheel wrench and
the jack out of the rear compartment
area (
page 237). Assemble wheel
wrench.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the spare wheel are dif-
ferent from those of the road wheels. As a
result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a mounted spare
wheel. Adapt your driving style accordingly.
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with spare wheel mounted, en-
sure proper tire pressure and do not exceed
vehicle speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center as soon as possible to have the
spare wheel replaced with a regular road
wheel.
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.

256 Practical hintsFlat tire

On wheel to be changed, loosen but do
not yet remove the wheel bolts (ap-
proximately one full turn with wrench).
The jack take-up brackets are located di-
rectly behind the front wheel housings and
in front of the rear wheel housings.1Take-up bracket
2Jack

Place jack on firm ground.

Position jack2 under the take-up
bracket1 so that it is always vertical
(plumb-line) as seen from the side,
even if the vehicle is parked on an in-
cline.

Jack up the vehicle until the wheel is a
maximum of 1.2 in (3 cm) from the
ground. Never start engine while vehi-
cle is raised.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack take-up brackets
built into both sides of the vehicle. To help
avoid personal injury, use the jack only to lift
the vehicle during a wheel change. Never
get beneath the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack. Keep hands and feet away from
the area under the lifted vehicle. Always
firmly set parking brake and block wheels
before raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
always vertical (plumb line) when in use, es-
pecially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. Make sure that the jack
arm is fully seated in the jack take-up brack-
et. Always lower the vehicle onto sufficient
capacity jackstands before working under
the vehicle.
!Do not position the jack on the body of
the vehicle, as this may cause damage
to the vehicle.

257 Practical hints
Flat tire
Removing the wheel
Unscrew and remove all wheel bolts.

Remove the remaining bolts.

Grip the wheel from the sides and re-
move it.
Mounting the new wheel

Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.

Install spare wheel on wheel hub.

Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.

ML 55 AMG:
Inflate the spare wheel with collapsible
tire using the electric air pump
(page 259).
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolt
and wheel hub threads.
Warning!
G
ML 55 AMG:
Inflate the spare wheel with collapsible tire
only after the wheel is properly mounted.
Inflate the spare wheel tire using the electric
air pump (
page 259) before lowering the
vehicle.
!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while in-
stalling first wheel bolt.
Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be re-
paired immediately. Do not continue to drive
under these circumstances! Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center
or call Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect mounting bolts or improperly
tightened mounting bolts can cause the
wheel to come off. This could cause an acci-
dent. Be sure to use the correct mounting
bolts.

258 Practical hintsFlat tireLowering the vehicle
Lower vehicle by turning crank coun-
terclockwise until vehicle is resting ful-
ly on its own weight.

Remove the jack.1-5 Wheel bolts

Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly, fol-
lowing the diagonal sequence illustrat-
ed (1 to 5), until all bolts are tight.
Observe a tightening torque of
110 ft lb (150 Nm).

Store jack and tool kit.
Warning!
G
Use only genuine equipment
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts. They are identi-
fied by the Mercedes star. Other wheel bolts
may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the ve-
hicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle could
tip over.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque of
110 ft lb (150 Nm).iThe removed road wheel cannot be
stored in the spare wheel carrier or in-
side the storage compartment in the
rear cargo area (ML 55 AMG), but
should be transported in the rear cargo
compartment wrapped in a protective
cover supplied with the vehicle.
The protective cover is located in the
rear cargo compartment behind the
cover in the right side trim panel.

259 Practical hints
Flat tire
Inflating the spare wheel with
collapsible tire
Take the electric air pump out of the
rear cargo compartment (
page 238).
1Union nut
2Electrical plug
3Air hose with pressure gauge
4Vent screw

Open flap on air pump.

Pull out electrical plug2 and air hose
with the pressure gauge3.

Close the vent screw4.

Remove the valve cap from the spare
wheel tire valve.

Screw the union nut1 with air hose3
on to the tire valve.

Insert electrical plug 2 into the electri-
cal outlet in the front passenger foot-
well or rear cargo compartment
(page 158).

Start the engine.

Switch on the air pump.

Operate air pump until the pressure
gauge displays 61 psi (4.2 bar)
This takes about eight minutes for the
collapsible tire. The air hose 3 and the
union nut 1 can become hot during in-
flation. Please exercise appropriate
caution.

Switch off the air pump.

Turn off the engine.

If the tire pressure is above 61 psi
(4.2 bar), release excess tire pressure
using the vent screw4.
Warning!
G
Observe instructions on air pump label.
!Do not operate the electric air pump
longer than eight minutes without in-
terruption. Otherwise it may overheat.
You may operate the air pump again af-
ter it has cooled off.

260 Practical hintsFlat tire

Detach the electric air pump.

Reinstall tire valve cap.

Store the electrical plug and the air
hose behind the flap and place the air
pump back in the rear cargo compart-
ment.
Warning!
G
Follow recommended inflation pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can result in sudden deflation (blowout) be-
cause they are more likely to become punc-
tured or damaged by road debris, potholes
etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified vehicle capacity weight (as indicat-
ed by the label on the driver’s door latch
post). Overloading the tires can overheat
them, possibly causing a blowout.