2003 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 battery

261 Practical hints
Battery
Battery
The battery is located in the engine com-
partment on the right-hand side.
Disconnecting the battery
Turn off all electrical consumers.

Open the hood (
page 202).

Disconnect the battery negative lead.

Remove the cover from the positive ter-
minal.

Disconnect the battery positive lead.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting,
you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking etc.
!Never loosen or detach battery termi-
nal clamps while the engine is running
or the key is in the steering lock. Other-
wise the alternator and other electronic
components could be severely dam-
aged.
Have the battery checked regularly by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Refer to Service Booklet for mainte-
nance intervals or contact your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center for further information.Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof battery only to avoid the risk
of acid burns in the event of an accident.
Warning!
G
With a disconnected battery

y o u w i l l n o l o n g e r b e a b l e t o t u r n t h e k e y
in the steering lock


the selector lever will remain locked in
positionP

262 Practical hintsBatteryRemoving the batteries
Remove the screw securing the bat-
tery.

Remove the battery support and brack-
et. Take out the battery.
Charging and reinstalling batteries
Charge battery in accordance with the
instructions of the battery charger
manufacturer.

Reinstall the charged battery. Follow
the previously described steps in re-
verse order.
Reconnecting the batteries
Turn off all electrical consumers.

Connect the positive lead and fasten its
cover.

Connect the negative lead.
Warning!
G
Never charge a battery while still installed in
the vehicle. Gases may escape during charg-
ing and cause explosions that may result in
paint damage, corrosion or personal injury.
!Never invert the terminal connections!!The battery, its filler caps and the vent
tube must always be securely installed
when the vehicle is in operation.
iThe following procedures must be car-
ried out following any interruption of
battery power (e.g. due to reconnec-
tion):

Set the clock (
page 112).


Set the date in trip computer
(page 172).


Calibrate the compass
(page 174).


Resynchronize the ESP
(page 225).


Resynchronize side windows
(page 136).


Resynchronize sliding/pop-up
roof*(
page 138).

263 Practical hints
Battery
Batteries contain materials that can harm
the environment if disposed of improperly.
Large 12-volt storage batteries contain
lead. Recycling of batteries is the preferred
method of disposal. Many states require
sellers of batteries to accept old batteries
for recycling.

264 Practical hintsJump starting
Jump starting
If the battery is discharged, the engine can
be started with jumper cables and the bat-
tery of another vehicle. Observe the follow-
ing:

Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic convert-
er are cold.


Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.


Only jump start from batteries with the
same voltage rating (12V). Jump start-
ing with a more powerful battery could
damage the vehicle's electrical system,
which will not be covered by the Mer-
cedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


Use only jumper cables with sufficient-
cross-section, insulated terminal
clamps and polarity reversal protec-
tion.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking etc.
Attempting to jump start a frozen battery
can result in it exploding, causing personal
injury.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
iJumper cables with polarity reversal
protection are available at any autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.

265 Practical hints
Jump starting
The battery is located in the engine com-
partment.
Make sure that the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift selector lever to positionP.1Positive terminal
2Cable clamps
3Negative terminal
4Cover

Remove cover4 from positive terminal
on both vehicles.

Connect positive terminals1 on the
batteries with the jumper cables. Start
with the charged battery.
!Jump starting may only be performed
on the battery installed in the engine
compartment.
Avoid repeated and lengthy starting at-
tempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine us-
ing a battery quick charge unit.
If engine does not run after several un-
successful starting attempts, have it
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by
repeated failed starting attempts may
damage the catalytic converter.
Make sure the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not
touch any other metal part while the
other end is still attached to a battery.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 261).

266 Practical hintsJump starting
Let the engine of the assisting vehicle
run at idle speed.

Connect the negative terminals3 of
the batteries with the jumper cables.
Start with the charged battery.

Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.Now you can again turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
the negative terminals3 of the batter-
ies and then from the positive
terminals1.

Have the battery checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.iThe vehicle cannot be started via
tow-start.

269 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Front towing eye
The front towing eye is located on the pas-
senger side below the bumper.
1Towing eyeRear towing eye The rear towing eye is located behind the
right side cover in the bumper panel.
ML 320, ML 350, ML 5001Cover
2Towing eye
To remove cover:
Pry out the cover1 using a flat blade
screwdriver (
page 237).
To reinstall cover:

Engage cover at bottom and press in
top securely.
iThe selector lever will remain locked in
positionP and the key will not turn in
the steering lock if the battery is dis-
connected or discharged. See notes on
the battery (
page 261) or on jump
starting (
page 264).
Manual unlocking of transmission se-
lector lever (page 245)
Warning!
G
In order to avoid possible serious burns or
injury, use extreme caution when removing
the cover, because the rear exhaust pipe is
extremely hot.

281 Technical data
Electrical system
Electrical system
Model
ML 320, ML 350
ML 500
ML 55 AMG
Generator (alternator)
14 V/120 A
14 V/150 A
14 V/150 A
Starter motor
12 V/1.7 kW
12 V/1.7 kW
12 V/1.7 kW
Battery
12 V/100 Ah
12 V/100 Ah
12 V/100 Ah
Spark plugs
Bosch F 8 DPP332
Bosch F 8 DPER
Bosch F 8 DPP332
Bosch F 8 DPER
NGK PFR 5-11
Electrode gap
0.039 in (1.0 mm)
0.039 in (1.0 mm)
0.039 in (1.0 mm)
Tightening torque
15 – 22 ft.lb (20 – 30 Nm)
15 – 22 ft.lb (20 – 30 Nm)
15 – 22 ft.lb (20 – 30 Nm)