1997 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 ESP

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.

147 Controls in detail
Power windows
Closing the windows
Press and hold the lower part of
switches1 or2.
The corresponding window will move
upwards until you release the switch.

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.

153 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Parktronic system* (Parking assist)
The Parktronic system assists the driver
during parking maneuvers. It visually and
audibly indicates the distance between the
vehicle and an obstacle.
With the ignition on, the Parktronic system
engages automatically at speeds up to ap-
proximately 10 mph (15 km / h) and deac-
tivates during higher speeds.Parktronic system monitors your vehicle’s
environment by means of six sensors in
the front bumper and four sensors in the
rear bumper.
1Sensors located in front bumperWarning!
G
Parktronic is a supplemental system. It is
not intended to nor does it replace the need
for extreme care. The responsibility during
parking and other critical maneuvers rests
always with the driver.
Make sure that no persons or animals are lo-
cated in the area in which your are maneu-
vering. They could otherwise be injured.
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or
street curbs). Such objects may not be de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.
The operational function of the Parktronic
system can be affected by dirty sensors, es-
pecially at times of snow and ice. For notes
on cleaning the Parktronic system sensors
(page 237).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers or the air
brakes of trucks) can cause the system to
send erratic indications, and should be tak-
en into consideration.

166 Controls in detailUseful featuresOpening the storage compartment in
front of armrest
Slide the cover3 rearward.
The storage compartment below con-
tains a cup holder (
page 167).
Cup holders Cup holder in instrument panel
A cup holder is located on both the right
and left side of the instrument panel.
Opening the cup holder

Briefly touch top of cover.
The cup holder opens automatically.
Closing the cup holder

Fold the cup holder upwards and press
on it until it engages.
Warning!
G
When not in use, keep the cup holder
closed. Place only containers that fit into the
cup holder to prevent spills. Use lids on
open containers and do not fill containers to
a height where the contents, especially hot
liquids, could spill during vehicle maneu-
vers.

171 Controls in detail
Useful features
You can take and place telephone calls
using the MCS unit.
See separate instruction manual for infor-
mation on how to operate the telephone.
Tele Aid*
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 MCS (Modular Control Sys-
tem)
1 if road, weather and traffic conditions
permit.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of approx. 44 feet (ap-
proximately 13.5 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements
Warning!
G
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle. Whether or not prohibited by law, for
safety reasons, the driver should not use the
cellular telephone while the vehicle is in mo-
tion.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location before an-
swering or placing a call.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid sys-
tem may only be performed by com-
pleting the subscriber agreement and
placing an acquaintance call using the
SOS button. Failure to complete either
of these steps will result in a system
that is not activated. If the system is
not activated, the indicator lamp in the
SOS button stays on after turning key
in steering lock to position2
(page 33) and the message
TELE
AID – NOT ACTIVATED
will be shown in
the MCS display for approximately
10 seconds.
If you have any questions regarding ac-
tivation, please call the Response Cen-
ter at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).

172 Controls in detailUseful featuresThe Tele Aid system
(Telematic Alarm Identification on
Demand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:

automatic and manual emergency


roadside assistance and


information.
The Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and cel-
lular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted using the volume control on
the MCS unit.

To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• or
the Information button¡, depend-
ing on the type of response required.Shortly after the completion of your ac-
quaintance call, you will receive a user ID
and password via first call mail. By visiting
www.mbusa.com and selecting “Tele Aid”
(USA only), you will have access to account
information, remote door unlock, profile
and more.System self-check
Initially, after turning the key in the steer-
ing lock to position2, malfunctions are de-
tected and indicated (the indicator lamps
in the SOS button, the Roadside Assis-
tance button• and the Information
button¡ stay on longer than
10 seconds or do not come on). The mes-
sage
TELE AID - VISIT WORKSHOP
ap-
pears for approx. 10 seconds in the MCS
display.
iThe SOS button, the Roadside Assis-
tance button• and the Information
button¡ are located in the over-
head control panel.!The Tele Aid system utilizes the cellular
network for communication and the
GPS (G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem) satel-
lites for vehicle location. If either of
these signals are unavailable, the Tele
Aid system may not function and if this
occurs, assistance must be summoned
by other means.

174 Controls in detailUseful featuresOnce the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp in the SOS button will begin
to flash. The message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CONNECTING CALL
appears in the MCS dis-
play. When the connection is established,
the message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CALL CONNECTED
appears in the MCS dis-
play. All information relevant to the emer-
gency, such as the location of the vehicle
(determined by the GPS satellite location
system), vehicle model, identification num-
ber and color are generated.
A voice connection between the Response
Center and the occupants of the vehicle
will be established automatically soon af-
ter the emergency call has been initiated.
When a voice connection is established the
audio system mutes and the message
TELE AID – EMERGENCY CALL ACTIVE
ap-
pears in the MCS display. The Response
Center will attempt to determine more pre-
cisely the nature of the accident provided
they can speak to an occupant of the vehi-
cle.The Tele Aid system is available if:


it has been activated and is operation-
al. Activation requires a subscription
for monitoring services, connection
and cellular air time


the relevant cellular phone network
and GPS signals are available and pass
the information on to the response cen-
ter.iLocation of the vehicle on a map is only
possible if the vehicle is able to receive
signals from the GPS satellite network
and pass the information on to the re-
sponse center.
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamp in the SOS button is il-
luminated continuously and there was no
voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could
not initiate an emergency call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network is not available).
The message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CALL FAILED appears in the MCS display
for approx. ten seconds.
Should this occur, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.