1997 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 steering

130 Controls in detailGood visibilityIntermittent wiping
Windshield wipers without rain sensor*
At speeds of approximately 105 mph
(170 km / h) the wiper switches automati-
cally to continuous wiping. Always obey lo-
cal speed limits.Windshield wipers with rain sensor*
A rain sensor automatically controls the
windshield wipers depending on how wet
the windshield is.

Switch on ignition.

Set the wiper switch to position1
(page 49).
After the initial wipe, pauses between
wipes are automatically controlled by the
rain sensor which monitors the wetness of
windshield.
iIntermittent wiping is interrupted when
the vehicle is at a standstill and a front
door is opened.
iWhen intermittent wiping is on and the
key is turned from position1 to
position2 in the steering lock
(page 33), and kept in that position
for longer than two seconds, the wipe
interval will be set to approximately
five seconds.
!Do not leave windshield wipers in inter-
mittent setting when the vehicle is tak-
en to an automatic car wash or during
windshield cleaning. Wipers will oper-
ate in the presence of water sprayed on
the windshield, and wipers may be
damaged as a result.
The switch should not be left in inter-
mittent setting as the wipers will wipe
the windshield once every time the en-
gine is started. Dust that accumulates
on the windshield might scratch the
glass and / or damage the wiper blades
when wiping occurs on a dry wind-
shield.

132 Controls in detailGood visibilitySun visor
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.
1Mirror cover
2Mounting

Swing sun visors down when you expe-
rience glare.

To use mirror, lift cover1 up.Illuminated vanity mirrors

Turn the key in steering lock to
position1 (
page 33).

Lift cover up.
The lamp switches on.
Warning!
G
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed
while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare
can endanger you and others.
iIf sunlight enters through a side win-
dow, disengage sun visor from
mounting2 and pivot to the side.

140 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control
Residual heat and ventilation
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior
for up to 30 minutes. This feature makes
use of the residual heat produced by the
engine.
Activating
Turn the key in the steering lock to
position0 or1 (
page 33).

Press button° (
page 135).
The indicator lamp on button°
comes on.Deactivating

Press button°.
The indicator lamp on button°
goes out.
!If the °button on the automatic
climate control panel starts to flash,
this indicates that the air conditioning
system is losing refrigerant. The com-
pressor has turned itself off. The air
conditioning cannot be turned on
again.
Have the air conditioning system
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
iHow long the system will provide heat-
ing depends on the coolant tempera-
ture and the temperature set in the
climate control. The blower will run at
lower speed regardless of the air vol-
ume control setting.
iThe residual heat is automatically
turned off:

when the ignition is switched on


after about 30 minutes


if the coolant temperature is too
low


if the battery voltage drops

144 Controls in detailPower windows
Power windowsOpening and closing the side windows
The side windows can be opened and
closed electrically. The switches for all the
side windows are on the driver’s door. The
switches for the respective windows are
on the passenger door and on the rear cen-
ter console.
1Left front window
2Right front window
3Right rear window
4Left rear window
5Rear window override switch
(
page 73).
Additional switches for the rear windows
are located on the rear center console.6Left rear window
7Right rear window

Turn key in the steering lock to
position1 or2.
Warning!
G
When closing the windows, make sure that
there is no danger of anyone being harmed
by the closing procedure.
The closing of the door windows can be im-
mediately halted by releasing the switch or,
if switch was pressed past the resistance
point and released, by pressing the respec-
tive switch.
If the window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you pressed the switch past the resistance
point and released it to close the window,
the automatic reversal function will stop the
window and open it slightly.
If the window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you are closing the window by pressing the
switch and holding it there, the automatic
reversal function will not operate.
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 can cause an accident and / or serious
personal injury.

146 Controls in detailPower windowsSynchronizing power windows
The power window must be resynchroni-
zed each time

after the battery has been discon-
nected.


if the power windows cannot be fully
opened (Express-open) or closed (Ex-
press-close).
Synchronizing the power windows

Switch on ignition.

Press the power window switches at
the symbolj until the side win-
dows are closed.
Hold the switches for approximately
one second.
The power window are synchronized.
Rear quarter windows*
The switches are on the upper part of the
center console.
1Left side
2Right side
Turn key in the steering lock to
position1 or2.Opening the windows

Press and hold the upper part of
switches1 or2.
The corresponding window will move
downwards until you release the
switch.Warning!
G
When closing the windows, make sure that
there is no danger of anyone being harmed
by the closing procedure. The closing of the
windows can be immediately halted by
releasing the switch.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the steering lock, and lock the 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.

148 Controls in detailSliding / pop-up roof*
Sliding / pop-up roof*Opening and closing the sliding / pop-up roof
The sliding / pop-up roof can be opened
and closed electrically. The switch for the
sliding / pop-roof is on the overhead
control panel.
1Push up to raise roof at rear
2Push back to slide roof open
3Push down to lower roof at rear
4Push forward to slide roof closedWith the roof closed or tilted open, a
screen can be slid into the roof opening to
guard against sun rays. When sliding the
roof open, the screen will also retract.
Warning!
G
When closing the sliding / pop-up roof, make
sure that there is no danger of anyone being
harmed by the closing procedure.
The closing procedure can be immediately
reversed by moving the switch in
direction1 or2.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from steering lock and lock your vehicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and / or serious personal
injury.!To avoid damaging the seals, do not
transport any objects with sharp edges
which can stick out of the
sliding / pop-up roof.
Do not open the sliding / pop-up roof if
there is snow or ice on the roof, as this
could result in malfunctions.
The sliding / pop-up roof can be opened
or closed manually should an electrical
malfunction occur (
page 265).

149 Controls in detail
Sliding / pop-up roof*

Turn the key in the steering lock to
position1 or2 (
page 33).
Opening and closing the
sliding / pop-up roof

To open, close, raise or lower the
sliding / pop-up roof, move the switch
in the required direction1to4.
Release the switch when the roof has
reached the desired position.
Raising the roof

Press and hold the switch in
direction1.
The roof is raised at rear.
Lowering the roof

Pull and hold the switch in direction3.
The sliding / pop-up roof is lowered and
closed.Opening the sliding / pop-up roof auto-
matically

Briefly press switch in direction2.
The sliding / pop up roof will not open
completely.

Press switch again to open the
sliding / pop-up roof completely.
Stopping the roof

Briefly press the switch in any direc-
tion.
The movement of the roof will stop.
Synchronizing the sliding / pop-up roof
The power sliding / pop-up roof must be re-
synchronized each time after:

the battery has been disconnected


the sliding / pop-up roof has been
closed manually


the sliding / pop-up roof does not open
smoothly


a malfunction
Synchronizing

Remove the fuse from the fuse box
(page 287).

Replace the fuse in the fuse box.

Switch on ignition.

Press and hold the switch in
direction1 until the sliding / pop-up
roof is fully raised at the rear.
Hold the switch for approximately one
second.
The sliding / pop-up roof is synchro-
nized.

150 Controls in detailDriving systems
Driving systemsThe driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed.


Parktronic*, with which you can assist
your parking maneuvers.
The driving systems BAS, ABS, ESP, EBB
and 4-ETS, are described in the “Safety
and Security” section (
page 76).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed over 20 mph
(30 km / h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever found on the left-hand side of the
steering column (
page 23).
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must remain
responsible for the vehicle speed and for
safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.