2003 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 engine

276 Technical dataIdentification labels
Identification labels1Certification label and Paintwork num-
ber2Engine number (engraved on engine)
3VIN, visible (lower edge of windshield)
4Emission control label
Vacuum line routing for emission con-
trol system
5Information label, California version
iWhen ordering spare parts, please
specify vehicle identification and en-
gine numbers.

278 Technical dataEngine
EngineModel
ML 320 (163.154
1)
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and special equipment.
ML 350 (163.157
1)
ML 500 (163.175
1)
ML 55 AMG (163.174
1)
Engine
112
112
113
113
Mode of operation
4-stroke engine, gaso-
line injection
4-stroke engine, gaso-
line injection
4-stroke engine, gaso-
line injection
4-stroke engine, gasoline
injection
No. of cylinders
6
6
8
8
Bore
3.54 in (89.90 mm)
3.81 in (97.00 mm)
3.81 in (97.00 mm)
3.81 in (97.00 mm)
Stroke
3.31 in (84.00 mm)
3.31 in (84.00 mm)
3.31 in (84.00 mm)
3.62 in (92.00 mm)
Total piston displacement
195cu.in. (3199cm
3)
227cu.in. (3724cm
3)
303cu.in. (4966cm
3)
332cu.in. (5439cm
3)
Compression ratio
10:1
10:1
10:1
10.5:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349
215 hp / 5600 rpm
(160 kW / 5600 rpm)
241 hp / 5600 rpm
(180 kW / 5600 rpm)
288 hp / 5600 rpm
(215 kW / 5600 rpm)
342 hp / 5500 rpm
(255 kW / 5500 rpm)
Maximum torque acc. to
SAE J 1349
233 ft.lb/ 3000 rpm
(315 Nm /3000 rpm)
259ft.lb/3000rpm
(350 Nm /3000 rpm)
325 ft.lb / 2700 rpm
(440 Nm / 2700 rpm)
376 ft.lb / 2800 rpm
(510 Nm / 2800 rpm)
Maximum engine speed
6000 rpm
6000 rpm
6000 rpm
6000 rpm
Firing order
1-4-3-6-2-5
1-4-3-6-2-5
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
Poly-V-belt
7ft 10in (2390mm)
7ft 10in (2390mm)
7 ft 10 in (2390 mm)
7ft 10in (2390mm)

284 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match.Therefore use only brand tested and rec-
ommended by us.Please refer to the Factory Approved Ser-
vice Products pamphlet, or inquire at your
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine with oil filter
ML 320, ML 350,
ML 500
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
Recommended engine oils
ML 55 AMG
8.0 US qt (7.5 l)
Recommended engine oils
Automatic transmis-
sion
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Oil
1
1MB part no. 001 989 21 03 10Transfer case
1.6 US qt (1.5 l)
(Dexron 3 or Dexron 2E)
Rear axle
1.3 US qt (1.25 l)
(Hypoid gear oil SAE 90, 85 W 90)
Front axle
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
(Hypoid gear oil SAE 90)
Power steering
approx. 0.65 US qt (0.6 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid
Front wheel hubs
approx. 1.5 oz (43 g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease
Brake system
0.75 US qt (0.7 l)
MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)

286 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines. Therefore, use
only engine oils recommended by
Mercedes-Benz. Information on recom-
mended brands is available in the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet, or at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may be harmful to the engine opera-
tion.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil is used in the air condition-
ing system.Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil, otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere. Under extremely strenu-
ous operating conditions, this moisture
content can lead to the formation of bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the sys-
tem’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be re-
placed every two years, preferably in the
spring.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.
Premium unleaded gasoline
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
l i n e m u s t b e u s e d . I f p r e m i u m u n l e a d e d
is not available and low octane fuel is
used, follow these precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible.


Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration.


Do not exceed an engine speed of
3000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two per-
sons and no luggage.


Do not exceed 2/3 of maximum ac-
celerator pedal position if the vehi-
cle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain.

287 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Fuel requirements
Use only premium unleaded meeting
ASTM standard D 439:

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M) / 2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE not to exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains 10%
ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, can be
used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to en-
gine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking/pinging


Misfire


Power loss
Do not blend other specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
costs and may be harmful to the engine op-
eration.Damage or malfunctions resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending specific
fuel additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion / antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

Corrosion protection


Freeze protection


Boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -35°F (-37°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).

288 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase in boil-over pro-
tection. You should have it replaced every
3years.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze (equivalent to freeze
protection to approx. - 22°F [-30°C]). If
you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze (freeze protec-
tion to approx. - 49°F [-45°C]), the engine
temperature will increase due to the lower
heat transfer capability of the solution.
Therefore, do not use more than this
amount of anticorrosion/antifreeze.If the coolant level is low, water and MB
anticorrosion /antifreeze should be used
to bring it up to the proper level (have cool-
ing system checked for signs of leakage).
Please make sure that the mixture is in ac-
cordance with label instructions.
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality, con-
sult your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of alumi-
num parts. The use of aluminum compo-
nents in motor vehicle engines
necessitates that anticorrosion/antifreeze
coolant used in such engines be specifical-
ly formulated to protect the aluminum
parts. (Failure to use such anticorro-
sion/antifreeze coolant will result in a sig-
nificantly shortened service life.)
Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
agent.
Before the start of the winter season (or
once a year in hot southern regions), you
should have the anticorrosion/antifreeze
concentration checked. The coolant is also
regularly checked each time you bring your
vehicle to your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center for service.

290 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Windshield and headlamp washer system
Both the windshield and headlamp washer
systems are supplied from the windshield
washer fluid reservoir.
The windshield and headlamp washer fluid
reservoir has a capacity of approx.
8.0 US qt. (7.6 l).
Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate and water (or con-
centrate and commercially available
premixed windshield washer
solvent / antifreeze, depending on am-
bient temperatures).Windshield and headlamp washer fluid
mixing ratio
For temperatures above freezing use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and water:

1 part “S” to 100 parts water
(40 ml “S” to 4 l water)
For temperatures below freezing, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and commercially available premixed
windshield washer solvent / antifreeze:


1 part “S” to 100 parts solvent
(40 ml “S” to 4 l solvent).
Warning!
G
Washer solvent/antifreeze is highly flamma-
ble. Do not spill washer solvent/antifreeze
on hot engine parts, because it may burn.
You can be seriously burned.

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.