254 Practical hintsReplacing wiper blades
Replacing wiper blades
Removal
Fold the wiper arm forward.
Turn wiper blade at a right angle to wip-
er arm.
1Wiper blade
2Safety tab
Press safety tab down2.
Push wiper blade downward1 and re-
move.
Installation
Slide wiper blade into end of wiper arm
until it locks in place.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, remove key from steer-
ing lock before replacing a wiper blade, oth-
erwise the motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.
!Never open the hood when the wiper
arm is folded forward.
Do not allow the wiper arms to contact
the windshield glass without a wiper
blade inserted.
Make certain that the wiper blades are
properly installed. Improperly installed
wiper blades may cause windshield
damage.
For your convenience, we recommend
that you have this work carried out by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
255 Practical hints
Flat tire
Flat tire
Mounting the spare wheel Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard surface.
Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
Engage the steering wheel lock in the
straight ahead position and set the
parking brake.
Move the selector lever toP.
Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Take the spare wheel out of its carrier
(page 239).
ML 55 AMG: (
page 240).Lifting the vehicle
Prevent the vehicle from rolling away
by blocking wheels with wheel chocks
(not included) or other sizable objects.
When changing wheel on a level surface:
Place one chock in front of and one be-
hind the wheel that is diagonally oppo-
site to the wheel being changed.
When changing wheel on a hill:
Place chocks on the downhill side
blocking both wheels of the other axle.
Take the two-piece wheel wrench and
the jack out of the rear compartment
area (
page 237). Assemble wheel
wrench.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the spare wheel are dif-
ferent from those of the road wheels. As a
result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a mounted spare
wheel. Adapt your driving style accordingly.
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with spare wheel mounted, en-
sure proper tire pressure and do not exceed
vehicle speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center as soon as possible to have the
spare wheel replaced with a regular road
wheel.
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
257 Practical hints
Flat tire
Removing the wheel
Unscrew and remove all wheel bolts.
Remove the remaining bolts.
Grip the wheel from the sides and re-
move it.
Mounting the new wheel
Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.
Install spare wheel on wheel hub.
Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.
ML 55 AMG:
Inflate the spare wheel with collapsible
tire using the electric air pump
(page 259).
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolt
and wheel hub threads.
Warning!
G
ML 55 AMG:
Inflate the spare wheel with collapsible tire
only after the wheel is properly mounted.
Inflate the spare wheel tire using the electric
air pump (
page 259) before lowering the
vehicle.
!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while in-
stalling first wheel bolt.
Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be re-
paired immediately. Do not continue to drive
under these circumstances! Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center
or call Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect mounting bolts or improperly
tightened mounting bolts can cause the
wheel to come off. This could cause an acci-
dent. Be sure to use the correct mounting
bolts.
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
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).
293 Technical terms
ABS
(A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
BabySmart
TM
airbag deactivation
system
This system detects if a special system
compatible child restraint seat is in-
stalled on the front passenger seat. The
system will automatically deactivate
the passenger front airbag when such a
seat is properly installed (indicator
lamp
7
in the instrument cluster
lights up). See your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for
availability.
BabySmartTM
compatible child seats
Special restraint system for children.
The sensor system for the passenger
seat prevents deployment of the pas-
senger front airbag if a BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat is installed.BAS
(B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking situa-
tions. The system is activated when it
senses an emergency based on how
fast the brake is applied.
Bi-Xenon headlamps*
Headlamps which use an electric arc as
the light source and produce a more in-
tense light than filament headlamps.
Bi-Xenon headlamps produce low
beam and high beam.
CAC
(C
ustomer A
ssistance C
enter)
Mercedes-Benz customer service cen-
ter, which can help you with any ques-
tions about your vehicle and provide
assistance in the event of a break-
down.CAN system
(C
ontroller A
rea N
etwork)
Data bus network serving to control ve-
hicle functions such as door locking or
windshield wiping.
Cockpit
All instruments, switches, buttons and
indicator/warning lamps in the passen-
ger compartment needed for vehicle
operation and monitoring.
Cruise control
Driving convenience system for auto-
matically maintaining the vehicle speed
set by the driver.
Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.
301 Index
B
BabySmart
TM
Airbag deactivation system 65
Compatible child seats 65, 293
Self-test 66
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation
system 293
Backrest tilt 35
Backup lamps 248, 251
Bulbs 248
BAS 73, 293
Malfunction indicator lamp 225, 226
Warning lamp 225, 226
Batteries, remote control
Changing 243
Batteries, vehicle 207
Battery discharged
Jump starting 264
Battery indicator lamp
Indicator lamp 233
Battery, vehicle 207, 261
Charging 262
Disconnecting 261
Reconnecting 262
Reinstalling 262
Removing 262Bi-Xenon headlamps* 293
Block heater 214
Blocking
Rear door window operation 69
Brake assist system (BAS) 293
Brake fluid 286
Brake lamp bulbs 248
Brake lamp, high mounted 248
Brake pad wear
Indicator lamp 234
Brakes 180
Warning lamp 228
Break-in period 178
Bulbs, replacing 247
Additional turn signals 247
Backup lamps 248
Brake lamps 248
Fog lamps 247
Front fog lamp 251
Front lamps 247
High beam 247
High mounted brake lamp 248, 252
License plate lamps 248, 252
Low beam 247
Parking lamps 247, 248, 250
Rear fog lamp 248Rear fog lamps 251
Rear side marker lamp bulbs 251
Side marker lamps 247, 248, 250
Standing lamps 247, 248
Tail lamp assemblies 248, 251
Turn signal lamps 247, 248, 250
C
CAC (Customer Assistance Center) 293
Calibrating compass 174
California
Important notice 11
Calling up
Service indicator 216
CAN system 293
Capacities
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. 284
Cargo area cover blind* 143
Closing 143
Installing 143
Opening 143
Removing 143
Cargo area see Cargo compartment 85
Cargo compartment
Liftgate 85
Lighting 109
Tie-down rings 140