2003 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 ESP

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.


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.

146 Controls in detailDriving systems
Driving systemsThe driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed


Parktronic*, with which you can assist
your parking maneuvers.
The driving systems BAS, ABS, ESP, EBB
and 4-ETS, are described in the “Safety
and Security” section (
page 71).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set any speed
over 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever found on the left-hand side of the
steering column (
page 23).
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must remain
responsible for the vehicle speed and for
safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

149 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Parktronic system* (Parking assist)
The Parktronic system assists the driver
during parking maneuvers. It visually and
audibly indicates the distance between the
vehicle and an obstacle.
With the ignition on, Parktronic engages
automatically at speeds up to approxi-
mately 10 mph (15 km / h) and deactivates
during higher speeds.Parktronic monitors your vehicle’s environ-
ment by means of six sensors in the front
bumper and four sensors in the rear
bumper.
1Sensors located in front bumperWarning!
G
Parktronic is a supplemental system. It is
not intended to nor does it replace the need
for extreme care. The responsibility during
parking and other critical maneuvers rests
always with the driver.
Make sure that no persons or animals are lo-
cated in the area in which your are maneu-
vering. They could otherwise be injured.
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or
street curbs). Such objects may not be de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.
The operational function of the Parktronic
can be affected by dirty sensors, especially
at times of snow and ice. For notes on clean-
ing the Parktronic system sensors
(page 220).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers or the air
brakes of trucks) can cause the system to
send erratic indications, and should be tak-
en into consideration.

154 Controls in detailUseful featuresOpening the storage compartment in
front of armrest
Slide the cover3 rearward.
The storage compartment below con-
tains a cup holder (
page 155).
Cup holders Cup holder in instrument panel
A cup holder is located on both the right
and left side of the instrument panel.
Opening the cup holder

Briefly touch top of cover.
The cup holder opens automatically.
Closing the cup holder

Fold the cup holder upwards and press
on it until it engages.
Warning!
G
When not in use, keep the cup holder
closed. Place only containers that fit into the
cup holder to prevent spills. Use lids on
open containers and do not fill containers to
a height where the contents, especially hot
liquids, could spill during vehicle maneu-
vers.

159 Controls in detail
Useful features
You can take and place telephone calls us-
ing the MCS unit.
See separate instruction manual for infor-
mation on how to operate the telephone.
Tele Aid*
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his /her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
o m m e n d t h a t y o u p u l l o v e r t o a s a f e l o c a t i o n
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather and traffic conditions permit. Some
jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a
cellular telephone while driving a vehicle.
Only operate the MCS (Modular Control Sys-
tem)
1 if road, weather and traffic conditions
permit.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of approx. 44 feet (ap-
proximately 13.5 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements
Warning!
G
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle. Whether or not prohibited by law, for
safety reasons, the driver should not use the
cellular telephone while the vehicle is in mo-
tion.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location before an-
swering or placing a call.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid sys-
tem may only be performed by com-
pleting the subscriber agreement and
placing an acquaintance call using the
SOS button. Failure to complete either
of these steps will result in a system
that is not activated. If the system is
not activated, the indicator lamp in the
SOS button stays on after turning key
in steering lock to position2 and the
message
TELE AID – NOT ACTIVATED
will be shown in the MCS display for ap-
proximately 10 seconds.
If you have any questions regarding ac-
tivation, please call the Response Cen-
ter at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).

160 Controls in detailUseful featuresThe Tele Aid system
(Telematic Alarm Identification on
Demand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:

automatic and manual emergency


roadside assistance and


information.
The Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and cel-
lular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted using the volume control on
the MCS unit.

To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button
•
or
the Information button
¡
, depend-
ing on the type of response required.Shortly after the completion of your ac-
quaintance call, you will receive a user ID
and password via first call mail. By visiting
www.mbusa.com and selecting “Tele Aid”
( U S A o n l y ) , y o u w i l l h a v e a c c e s s t o a c c o u n t
information, remote door unlock, profile
and more.System self-check
Initially, after turning the key in the steer-
ing lock to position2, malfunctions are de-
tected and indicated (the indicator lamps
in the SOS button, the Roadside Assis-
tance button
•
and the Information
button
¡
stay on longer than
10 seconds or do not come on). The mes-
sage
Tele Aid
–Visit workshop!
ap-
pears for approx. 10 seconds in the MCS
display.
iThe SOS button, the Roadside Assis-
tance button
•
and the Information
button
¡
are located in the over-
head control panel.
!The Tele Aid system utilizes the cellu-
lar network for communication and
the GPS (Global Positioning System)
satellites for vehicle location. If either
of these signals are unavailable, the
Tele Aid system may not function and
if this occurs, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.