2003 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 warning

111 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Coolant temperature gauge
Under normal driving conditions, the cool-
ant temperature may rise to 248°F
(120°C). The coolant temperature may
climb to the red marking:

at high outside temperatures


during stop-and-go city traffic


when driving on hilly terrain
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature in the red zone.
Doing so may cause serious engine dam-
age which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Display in the speedometer
Changing display
Press the left knob1 in the instrument
cluster (
page 110).
The display changes between main
odometer and trip odometer.

Press the left knob1 twice.
The next scheduled service is displayed
(page 215).
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly overheat-
ed can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns and can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until it
cools down.

112 Controls in detailInstrument clusterResetting trip odometer
Press the left knob1 (
page 110) re-
peatedly until you see the trip odome-
ter display.

Press and hold the left knob1 until the
trip odometer is reset.
Tachometer
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
above its specified limit.
Outside temperature indicator
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
Setting the clock
Hour
Pull out the right knob2 in the instru-
ment cluster (
page 110) and turn it
counterclockwise.
Minutes

Pull out the right knob2 in the instru-
ment cluster (
page 110) and turn it
clockwise.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
iTo set the clock by a single hour or a
few minutes, turn knob2 just a few de-
grees in the direction indicated for
hours or minutes.

113 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
Information for driving with an automatic
transmission is found in the “Getting start-
ed” section (
page 44).
Your transmission adapts its gear shifting
process to your individual driving style by
continually adjusting the shift points up or
down. These shift point adjustments are
performed based on current operating and
driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the au-
tomatic transmission reacts by adjusting
its gear shift program.
The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, dependent
upon


the selector lever positionD with gear
ranges4, 3, 2, 1


the position of the accelerator pedal
(page 117)


the vehicle speedWhen the selector lever is in positionD,
you can influence transmission shifting by


limiting the gear range


changing gears yourself
One-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission you
can change the gears yourself when the
selector lever is in positionD.
Downshifting
Briefly press the selector lever to the
left in the D–direction.
The transmission will shift from the cur-
rent gear to the next lower gear. This
action simultaneously limits the gear
range of the transmission
(page 114).
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out
ofP orN if the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the
brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the en-
gine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.

116 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Effect
N
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the en-
gine to the drive axle. When the
brakes are released, the vehicle can
be moved freely (pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the transmission,
never engageN while driving.
If the ESP is deactivated or malfunc-
tioning:
Only move selector lever toN if the
vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g.
on icy roads).
D
The transmission shifts automatical-
ly. All five forward gears are avail-
able.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with 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 selector
lever not fully engaged in positionP is dan-
gerous. Also, positionP alone is not intend-
ed to or capable of preventing your vehicle
from moving, possibly hitting people or ob-
jects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 50).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
key from the steering lock and lock the vehi-
cle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehi-
cle. Children could move the selector lever
from positionP, which could result in an ac-
cident and/or serious personal injury.

119 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Good visibility
Information on the windshield wipers
(page 47) and for adjusting the rear view
mirrors (
page 38) is found in the “Get-
ting started” section.
Rear view mirror
Manually dimming inside rear view mir-
ror
1Lever
Press lever1 backward.
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 inside rear view mirror will respond au-
tomatically to glare when:


the automatic antiglare function is acti-
vated (
page 120)


the ignition is switched on


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the inside rear view mir-
ror
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 inside 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
Exercise care when using the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.

120 Controls in detailGood visibility
Activating
1Button
2Indicator lamp
Press button1.
The indicator lamp2 comes on.
Deactivating

Press button1 again.
The indicator lamp2 goes out.Folding exterior mirrors in and out*
The exterior rear view mirrors can vibrate if
they are not completely folded out.
The buttons are located on the upper cen-
ter console.
1Folds the exterior mirrors in
2Folds the exterior mirrors out

Check that the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
light up.
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.!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can only be
completely removed while in their liq-
uid state and by applying plenty of wa-
ter.


123 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear window wiper
The rear window wiper will also automati-
cally engage if the windshield wiper is en-
gaged and the gear selector lever is placed
in reverse.
Rear window wiper with rain sensor*
Rear window wiper intervals are controlled
automatically according to the amount of
water on the windshield and the speed of
the vehicle, if:

rear window wiper is switched on


front windshield wipers are switched to
intermittent wiping
The interval for the rear window wiper re-
mains constant when the windshield wiper
interval is ten seconds or more.
Sun 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.

126 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlThe automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing on the selected interior temperature
and the current outside temperature.
Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
Automatic mode
Switching on
Briefly press button
U

(
page 125).
The indicator lamp lights up. The tem-
perature, air volume and distribution
are controlled automatically.

Adjust the temperature with the tem-
perature control4 (
page 125).
Temperature control is switched off in
the extreme position (blue or red dot).
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air pollu-
tion) may require replacement of the fil-
ter before its scheduled interval. A
clogged filter will reduce the air volume
to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
Do not touch the interior temperature
sensor to maintain a precise tempera-
ture.
The set value is indicated by a lighted
segment on the control wheels.