2003 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 Defroster

Contents
Tow-away alarm,
glass breakage sensor.................... 79
Controls in detail............................... 83
Locking and unlocking ......................... 84
Remote control with folding key ..... 84
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................... 86
Opening the liftgate........................ 87
Closing the liftgate ......................... 88
Automatic central locking .............. 89
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................... 90
Seats.................................................... 91
Seat heater*................................... 91
Removing and installing
head restraints ............................... 92
Rear seats ...................................... 93
Third row seats* ............................. 96
Memory function*................................ 99
Storing positions in memory ........ 100
Recalling positions from memory . 100
Exterior rear view mirror parking
position (passenger side) ............. 100Lighting.............................................. 102
Combination switch ..................... 102
Fog lamps .................................... 105
Hazard warning flasher ................ 106
Interior lighting............................. 107
Instrument cluster ............................. 110
Instrument cluster illumination .... 110
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 111
Display in the speedometer ......... 111
Resetting trip odometer ............... 112
Tachometer .................................. 112
Outside temperature indicator ..... 112
Setting the clock .......................... 112
Automatic transmission ..................... 113
One-touch gearshifting................. 113
Gear ranges.................................. 114
Gear selector lever position ......... 115
Accelerator position ..................... 117
Towing a trailer ............................ 117
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)........................................... 117
Transmission control –
LOW RANGE mode............................. 118
Switching on LOW RANGE mode .. 118
Switching off LOW RANGE mode . 118Good visibility .................................... 119
Rear view mirror .......................... 119
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 121
Windshield wipers ........................ 122
Rear window wiper....................... 123
Sun visor ...................................... 123
Automatic climate control ................. 124
Automatic mode .......................... 126
Adjusting air volume and air
distribution manually ................... 127
Defrosting .................................... 128
Air recirculation mode.................. 128
Air conditioning ............................ 129
Residual heat and ventilation ....... 130
Rear window defroster ................. 131
Rear passenger compartment
ventilation and rear automatic
climate control ............................. 131
Front and rear air outlets ............. 132
Power windows.................................. 134
Opening and closing the side
windows ....................................... 134
Rear quarter windows* ................ 136
Sliding/pop-up roof* ......................... 137
Opening and closing the
sliding/pop-up roof ...................... 137

27 At a glance
Center console
Center console
Upper part
Item
Page
1
Air outlets, automatic
climate control
132
2
MCS, see separate
operating instructions
3
Automatic climate control
124
Rear window defroster
switch
131
4
Seat heater switch*,
passenger side
91
5
Rear quarter window
switch*, right
136
6
ESP control switch
75
Item
Page
7
Rear window wiper/wash-
er switch
123
8
Rear quarter window
switch*, left
136
9
Seat heater switch*,
driver’s side
91
10
Front and rear fog lamp
switch
105
11
Indicator lamp for antitheft
alarm system
78
12
Transmission control
switch, LOW RANGE mode
118

125 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Automatic climate control panel in the front
Item
1
Thumbwheel center air outlet
2
Center air outlet, adjustable
3
Defroster air outlet windshield
4
Thumbwheels side air outlet
5
Side air outlet, adjustable
6
Footwell air outlet
7
Automatic climate control
Item
1
Air volume control
2
Defrosting
3
Air recirculation
4
Temperature control
5
Automatic control (temperature, air
distribution, air volume)
6
AC
OFF
(AC cooling on/off), econo-
my mode
Residual heat/ventilation
7
Interior temperature sensor
8
Air distribution control
9
Rear window defroster
10
Rear passenger compartment venti-
lation on/off

128 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlAdjusting air distribution
Turn air distribution control8
(page 125) to one the following sym-
bols:
Windshield fogged on the outside

Switch the windshield wipers on.

Turn air distribution control8 to
h

or
k
.
Defrosting
Activating
Press button
P
(page 125).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press button
P
again.
or

Press button
U
(page 125).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
The indicator lamp on the button lights up.
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.
Symbol
Function
h
Directs air to the center
and side air outlets
j
Directs air to the wind-
shield and side air outlets
V
Directs air into the entire
vehicle interior
k
Directs air to the foot-
wells and side air outlets
iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.
When the defrost setting has been se-
lected, only the rear window defroster
can be switched on. No other settings
are possible.
Warning!
G
When the outside temperature is below
41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation
mode for short periods to prevent window
fogging.

131 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery
drain to a minimum, switch off the defrost-
er as soon as the rear window is clear. The
defroster is automatically deactivated af-
ter approximately 6 to 17 minutes of oper-
ation depending on the outside
temperature.
Activating
Switch ignition on.

Press button
F
(page 125).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press button
F
again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.Rear passenger compartment ventila-
tion and rear automatic climate control
Deactivating
For an improved cooling or heating output
in the front passenger compartment, you
can switch off the rear passenger compart-
ment ventilation.
Press button
§
(page 125).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
The operation of the rear automatic cli-
mate control and the fresh air supply to
the rear compartment is shut off.
Activating

Press button
§
again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The rear automatic climate control
switches to automatic mode and fresh
air enters the rear compartment.
Warning!
G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before driv-
ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.!If the rear window defroster switches
off too soon and the indicator lamp
starts blinking, this means that too
many electrical consumers are operat-
ing simultaneously and there is insuffi-
cient voltage in the battery. The system
responds automatically by deactivating
the rear window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the rear window defroster au-
tomatically turns itself back on.

174 Controls in detailUseful featuresSetting the compass zone
Determine the geographical point of
the vehicle with the aid of the zone
maps.

Switch on the ignition.

Press MODE2 (
page 172) repeated-
ly until the compass display appears in
the trip computer display3.

Press RESET1 (
page 172) to select
the compass zone mode.
The zone selected last is shown in the
display.

Press RESET1 repeatedly until the cor-
rect compass zone, as determined
from the zone map, is shown in the dis-
play.

Press MODE2 twice.
The new compass zone is activated and
the compass display will be shown.Calibrating the compass
If the vehicle was exposed to a significant
magnetic zone, such as high voltage power
lines, the compass may have to be calibrat-
ed.
To calibrate the compass correctly, ob-
serve the following:


Calibrate the compass in an area free
of steel superstructures and power
lines.


Switch off all electrical consumers (e.g.
exterior lamps, climate control, rear
window defroster etc.).


Do not open or close the slid-
ing/pop-up roof.


Close doors and liftgate.

Start and run the engine.

Press MODE2 (
page 172) repeated-
ly until the compass display appears in
the trip computer display3.

Press RESET1 and afterwards press
MODE2.
In the display appears
CAL–
.

Press and hold RESET1 for approxi-
mately two seconds.
The calibration mode is activated and
the display shows
CAL
.

Drive without interruption two full cir-
cles at a speed between 3 mph
(5 km / h) and 7 mph (10 km / h).
The message
CAL
goes out after a short
time. The calibration is now complete.
iAn open liftgate triggers the
display
---
.

299 Index
A
ABS 25, 71, 293
ABS control 71
LOW RANGE mode 72
Malfunction indicator lamp 225
Warning lamp 225
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 117
Accident
In case of 49
Activating
Air circulation mode 130
Air recirculation mode 129
Anti-theft alarm system 78
Automatic climate control 125
ESP 77
Exterior headlamps 46
Hazard warning flasher 106
Headlamps 46
High beams 102
Ignition 33
Immobilizer 51, 78
Rear passenger compartment
ventilation and climate control 131
Rear window defroster 131
Rear window wiper 48Residual heat 130
Seat heater 91
Tow-away alarm 80
Warning indicators (Parktronic*) 151
Windshield wipers 48
Activating automatic central locking 89
Adding
Coolant 206
Engine oil 204, 205
Additional turn signals 247
Adjustable steering column
Indicator lamp 229
Adjusting 34
Backrest tilt 36, 37
Exterior rear view mirror 38
Head restraint height 36, 37
Head restraint tilt 36, 37
Headlamp aim 253
Instrument cluster illumination 110
Manual seat 35
Mirrors 38
Power seats 37
Seat cushion tilt 37
Seat fore and aft 35
Seat fore and aft adjustment 37
Seat height 35, 36Seats 34
Steering wheel 37
Adjusting air distribution
Automatic climate control 127
Adjusting air volume
Automatic climate control 127
Air conditioner (cooling)
Turning on 129
Air conditioning
Cooling 129
Air conditioning refrigerant 286
Air outlets
Automatic climate control 132
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure 211
Air pump 238
Air recirculation mode 128
Activating 129
Deactivating 129
AIRBAG OFF
Warning lamp 232
Airbags 55
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation
system 293
BabySmartTM deactivation system 65
Children 56
Front 59

300 Index
Passenger 59
Safety guidelines 57
Side impact 59
Window curtain 59
Alarm
Audible 70, 79
Canceling 79
Visual 78
Alarm system
Anti-theft 78
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 288
Antiglare
Automatic 119
Antilock brake system (ABS) 293
Anti-theft alarm system
Arming 78
Canceling alarm 79
Disarming 79
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft alarm system 78
Immobilizer 78
Tow-away alarm, glass breakage
sensor 79
Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning 183Armrest
Storage compartment in front of 153
Storage spaces 153
Armrest in rear seat bench 155
Ashtray
Front center console 156
Rear center console 157
At the gas station 200
ATF (automatic transmission fluid) 206
Attaching a trailer 194
Automatic antiglare for rear
view mirror 119
Automatic central locking
Activating 89
Deactivating 89
Automatic climate control 124
Adjusting air distribution 127
Adjusting air volume 127
Air conditioning 129
Air outlets 132
Air recirculation mode 128
Basic setting 127
Changing basic setting 127
Defrosting 128Economy mode 125
Rear passenger compartment 131
Rear window defroster 131
Residual heat utilization 130
Residual ventilation 130
Switching off 127
Switching on 126
Automatic headlamp mode 103
Automatic interior lighting control
Activating 107
Deactivating 107
Automatic locking when driving 89
Automatic transmission 113
Accelerator position 117
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode) 117
Gear ranges 114
Gear selector lever position 115
Gear shifting malfunctions 117
Kickdown 117
Manual shifting 113
One-touch gearshifting 113
Selector lever position 113
Towing a trailer 117
Transmission fluid 206