1997 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 tow

123 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
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.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with gear selector lever
inN can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in positionP
is dangerous. Also, positionP alone is not
intended to or capable of preventing your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people
or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 53).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the steering lock, take it with you
and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. Children could move
the gear selector lever from positionP,
which could result in an accident and / or
serious personal injury.

124 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionTowing a trailer
If you tow a trailer, note the following
points:

Manually shift to a lower gear range
(4,3, 2, 1), if the transmission hunts
between gears on inclines
(page 121).
A lower gear range and reduction of
speed reduces the change to overload
or overheat the engine.


At very steep inclines switch transfer
case to LOW RANGE mode
(page 125).
For more information on trailer towing, see
the “Operation” section (
page 206).Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear
can be activated.
Stop the vehicle.

Move gear selector lever to positionP.

Turn off the engine.

Wait at least ten seconds before
restarting.

Restart the engine.

Move selector lever to positionD
(for second gear) orR.

Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.

125 Controls in detail
Transmission control – LOW RANGE mode
Transmission control – LOW RANGE mode
In the following situations you should
switch to LOW RANGE mode:

during off-road driving


when crossing water


when towing up or down on steep
gradients
Switching on LOW RANGE modeLOW RANGE mode switch
Stop the vehicle.

Move the gear selector lever to
positionN.

Press on the upper part of the switch.
During the changeover the indicator
lamp (
page 25) flashes three times.
Once the changeover is complete, the
indicator lamp comes on continuously.
Switching off LOW RANGE mode
Stop the vehicle.

Move the gear selector lever to
positionN.

Press on the upper part of the switch.
During the changeover the indicator
lamp (
page 25) flashes three times.
Once the changeover is complete, the
indicator lamp goes out.
For information on driving safety systems
during LOW RANGE mode see the “Safety
and Security” section (
page 76).
!Only switch the LOW RANGE mode on
or off, when the vehicle is

at a complete standstill


the engine speed is less than
1500 rpm
Failure to do so may result in transmis-
sion or engine damage which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!You should only operate the vehicle on
a single axle dynamometer for briefly
testing the brakes.
The key must be in steering lock
position1 (
page 33).

126 Controls in detailGood visibility
Good visibilityInformation on the windshield wipers
(page 49) and for setting the rear view
mirrors (
page 40) is found in the
“Getting started” section.
Rear view mirror
Interior rear view mirror, antiglare
position
1Lever
Tilt the mirror to the antiglare night po-
sition by moving lever1 towards the
windshield.
The interior rear view mirror is dimmed.Automatic antiglare rear view mirror*
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the interior rear view mirror will respond
automatically to glare when:


the automatic antiglare function is acti-
vated (
page 127)


the ignition is switched on


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view
mirror
The rear view mirror will not react if


reverse gear is engaged


the interior light is turned on
Warning!
G
The automatic antiglare function does not
react if incoming light is not aimed directly
at sensors in the inside rear view mirror.
The interior rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, if the cargo area is fully
loaded.
Glare can endanger you and others.Warning!
G
In the case of an accident, liquid electrolyte
may escape the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or the respiratory sys-
tem. In case it does, immediately flush af-
fected area with water, and seek medical
help if necessary.

156 Controls in detailDriving systemsSwitching Parktronic system on / off
You can switch Parktronic system off
manually.
The switch is located on the lower part of
the center console.
1Parktronic off
2Indicator lamp
3Parktronic onSwitching Parktronic off

Press switch on the upper part1.
Indicator lamp2 comes on.
Switching Parktronic on

Press switch on the upper part3.
The indicator lamp2 goes out.!If the Parktronic system is malfunction-
ing, all red segments of the warning in-
dicators light up and an additional
warning sounds.
Contact your Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center as soon as possible.
iIf you switch the ignition on, the
Parktronic system will be automatically
switched on.
The rear Parktronic sensors will not au-
tomatically disengage when towing a
trailer. Therefore switch the Parktronic
system off.

157 Controls in detail
Loading
Loading
Loading instructions
The gross vehicle weight which is the
weight of the vehicle including fuel, tools,
spare wheel, installed accessories, pas-
sengers and luggage / cargo must never
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR) for your vehicle. In addition, the
load must be distributed in such a way so
that the weight on each axle never exceeds
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
the front and rear axle. The GVWR and
GAWR for your vehicle are indicated on the
certification label which can be found on
the left door pillar.The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Please pay attention to and comply with
the following instructions when loading the
vehicle and transporting cargo:


Always place items being carried
against front or rear seat backrests,
and fasten them as securely as possi-
ble.


The heaviest portion of the cargo
should always be kept as low as possi-
ble against front or rear seat backrests.
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible using cargo tie-down rings and
fastening materials appropriate for the
weight and size of the load.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, always use parti-
tion net when transporting cargo.
Never drive vehicle with the liftgate open.
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in uncon-
sciousness and death.

164 Controls in detailUseful features
Useful featuresInterior storage spaces Glove box
1Glove box lid release
2Glove box lid
Opening the glove box

Grab in recess and pull lid release1.
The glove box lid2 opens downward.
Closing the glove box

Push glove box lid up to close.Storage compartment under front
passenger seat*
The storage compartment is lockable with
its separate key.
1Lock cylinder
2Handle
Locking and unlocking the storage com-
partment

Turn the key clockwise.
The storage compartment is locked.

Turn the key counterclockwise.
The storage compartment is unlocked.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when stowing objects in the vehicle. Put lug-
gage or cargo in the cargo compartment if
possible. Do not pile luggage or cargo higher
than the seat backs.
Always use partition net when transporting
cargo. Partition net cannot secure hard or
heavy objects.
Parcel nets cannot secure hard or heavy ob-
jects.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
an accident.
iThe opened glove box is illuminated
with the key in steering lock position1
(page 33).

173 Controls in detail
Useful features
Emergency calls
An emergency call is initiated automatical-
ly:

following an accident in which the
emergency tensioning detractors
(ETDs) or airbags deploy,


if the anti-theft alarm or the tow-away
alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds. See anti-theft alarm sys-
tem (
page 83) and tow-away alarm
(
page 84).
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
inside rear view mirror labeled SOS, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See below for instructions on
initiating an emergency call manually.
Warning!
G
The Tele Aid control unit is located under
the front passenger seat. If there is accumu-
lation of water or other liquid in this area,
the Tele Aid control unit could suffer an
electrical short circuit making the system in-
operative. In this case the indicator lamp in
the SOS button will not illuminate during or
will remain illuminated after the system
self-check. Have the system checked at the
nearest Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center
as soon as possible.
If the indicator lamps in the SOS button, in
the Roadside Assistance button and / or in
the Information button do not come on dur-
ing the system self-check or if any of these
indicators remain illuminated constantly in
red and / or the message
TELE AID -
VISIT WORKSHOP
is displayed in the MCS
display after the system self-check, a mal-
function in the system has been detected.
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined
above, the system may not operate as ex-
pected. Have the system checked at the
nearest Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center
as soon as possible.