2003 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 engine temperature

Contents
Loading.............................................. 139
Loading instructions..................... 139
Partition net* ............................... 141
Cargo area cover blind* ............... 143
Cargo floor plates ........................ 144
Roof rack*.................................... 145
Driving systems ................................. 146
Cruise control .............................. 146
Parktronic system*
(Parking assist) ............................ 149
Useful features .................................. 152
Interior storage spaces ................ 152
Cup holders.................................. 154
Armrest in rear seat bench .......... 155
Ashtrays and cigarette lighter ...... 156
Electrical outlet ............................ 158
Telephone* .................................. 158
Tele Aid* ...................................... 159
Garage door opener ..................... 168
Trip computer*............................. 172Operation......................................... 177
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 178
Driving instructions............................ 179
Drive sensibly – save fuel............. 179Drinking and driving ...................... 179
Pedals ........................................... 179
Power assistance .......................... 179
Brakes........................................... 180
Driving off ..................................... 181
Parking.......................................... 182
Tires .............................................. 182
Hydroplaning................................. 183
Tire traction .................................. 183
Tire speed rating ........................... 184
Winter driving instructions ............ 184
Standing water.............................. 185
Off-road driving ............................. 186
Trailer towing ................................ 192
Passenger compartment ............... 196
Driving abroad .............................. 197
Control and operation of radio
transmitters .................................. 197
Catalytic converter........................ 198
Emission control ........................... 198
Coolant temperature..................... 199
At the gas station ............................... 200
Check regularly and
before a long trip .......................... 201Engine compartment .......................... 202
Hood ............................................. 202
Engine oil ...................................... 203
Transmission fluid level ................ 206
Coolant ......................................... 206
Battery .......................................... 207
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 208
Tires and wheels ................................ 209
Important guidelines ..................... 209
Life of tire ..................................... 210
Direction of rotation ..................... 210
Checking tire inflation pressure .... 211
Rotating wheels ............................ 212
Winter driving ..................................... 213
Winter tires ................................... 213
Block heater (Canada only) ........... 214
Snow chains ................................. 214
Maintenance ...................................... 215
Clearing the service indicator ....... 215
Service term exceeded ................. 215
Calling up the service indicator .... 216
Resetting the service indicator ..... 216
Vehicle care ....................................... 217
Cleaning and care
of the vehicle ................................ 217

49 Getting started
Driving
Problems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.The coolant temperature is over 248°F
(120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.

Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 206).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:

Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount:

Start the engine in the usual manner.

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.

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.

129 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Activating
Press button
O
(page 125).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press button
O
(page 125).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Air conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.
Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the automatic
climate control system. The air in the vehi-
cle will then no longer be cooled or dehu-
midified.
Press button
°
(page 125).
The indicator lamp on the button
°

lights up.
iTo achieve the fastest possible cooling
of the interior, the automatic climate
control automatically switches to air
recirculation. The indicator lamp in the
button
O
is not illuminated when
the system automatically switches to
air recirculation.
iThe air recirculation mode is activated
automatically after

30 minutes if the automatic climate
control is switched on


after five minutes if the air condi-
tioning is switched off


after five minutes if the outside
temperature is above approximate-
ly 45°F (7 °C)
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.

130 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlActivating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.
Press button
°
again.
The indicator lamp on the button
°

goes out.
The air conditioning system uses the refrig-
erant R134A. This refrigerant is free of
CFCs which are harmful to the ozone layer.
Residual heat and ventilation
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior
for up to 30 minutes. This feature makes
use of the residual heat produced by the
engine.
Activating
Turn the key in the steering lock to
position1.

Press button
°
(page 125).
The indicator lamp on button
°

comes on.Deactivating

Press button
°
.
The indicator lamp on button
°

goes out.
!If the
°
button on the automatic cli-
mate control panel starts to blink, this
indicates that the air conditioning sys-
tem is losing refrigerant. The compres-
sor has turned itself off. The air
conditioning cannot be turned on
again.
Have the air conditioning system
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
iHow long the system will provide heat-
ing depends on the coolant tempera-
ture and the temperature set in the
climate control. The blower will run at
lower speed regardless of the air vol-
ume control setting.
iThe residual heat is automatically
turned off:

when the ignition is switched on


after about 30 minutes


if the coolant temperature is too
low


if the battery voltage drops

181 Operation
Driving instructions
Install only brake pads and brake fluid rec-
ommended by Mercedes-Benz.
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
parking, so the air stream will cool down
the brakes faster.
Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow one drive wheel to spin for an ex-
tended period with the ESP switched off.
Doing so may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.
!When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s braking power. This helps
prevent overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear.