2003 MERCEDES-BENZ ML55AMG Owner's Manual

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.

258 Practical hintsFlat tireLowering the vehicle
Lower vehicle by turning crank coun-
terclockwise until vehicle is resting ful-
ly on its own weight.

Remove the jack.1-5 Wheel bolts

Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly, fol-
lowing the diagonal sequence illustrat-
ed (1 to 5), until all bolts are tight.
Observe a tightening torque of
110 ft lb (150 Nm).

Store jack and tool kit.
Warning!
G
Use only genuine equipment
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts. They are identi-
fied by the Mercedes star. Other wheel bolts
may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the ve-
hicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle could
tip over.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque of
110 ft lb (150 Nm).iThe removed road wheel cannot be
stored in the spare wheel carrier or in-
side the storage compartment in the
rear cargo area (ML 55 AMG), but
should be transported in the rear cargo
compartment wrapped in a protective
cover supplied with the vehicle.
The protective cover is located in the
rear cargo compartment behind the
cover in the right side trim panel.

259 Practical hints
Flat tire
Inflating the spare wheel with
collapsible tire
Take the electric air pump out of the
rear cargo compartment (
page 238).
1Union nut
2Electrical plug
3Air hose with pressure gauge
4Vent screw

Open flap on air pump.

Pull out electrical plug2 and air hose
with the pressure gauge3.

Close the vent screw4.

Remove the valve cap from the spare
wheel tire valve.

Screw the union nut1 with air hose3
on to the tire valve.

Insert electrical plug 2 into the electri-
cal outlet in the front passenger foot-
well or rear cargo compartment
(page 158).

Start the engine.

Switch on the air pump.

Operate air pump until the pressure
gauge displays 61 psi (4.2 bar)
This takes about eight minutes for the
collapsible tire. The air hose 3 and the
union nut 1 can become hot during in-
flation. Please exercise appropriate
caution.

Switch off the air pump.

Turn off the engine.

If the tire pressure is above 61 psi
(4.2 bar), release excess tire pressure
using the vent screw4.
Warning!
G
Observe instructions on air pump label.
!Do not operate the electric air pump
longer than eight minutes without in-
terruption. Otherwise it may overheat.
You may operate the air pump again af-
ter it has cooled off.

260 Practical hintsFlat tire

Detach the electric air pump.

Reinstall tire valve cap.

Store the electrical plug and the air
hose behind the flap and place the air
pump back in the rear cargo compart-
ment.
Warning!
G
Follow recommended inflation pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can result in sudden deflation (blowout) be-
cause they are more likely to become punc-
tured or damaged by road debris, potholes
etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified vehicle capacity weight (as indicat-
ed by the label on the driver’s door latch
post). Overloading the tires can overheat
them, possibly causing a blowout.

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

262 Practical hintsBatteryRemoving the batteries
Remove the screw securing the bat-
tery.

Remove the battery support and brack-
et. Take out the battery.
Charging and reinstalling batteries
Charge battery in accordance with the
instructions of the battery charger
manufacturer.

Reinstall the charged battery. Follow
the previously described steps in re-
verse order.
Reconnecting the batteries
Turn off all electrical consumers.

Connect the positive lead and fasten its
cover.

Connect the negative lead.
Warning!
G
Never charge a battery while still installed in
the vehicle. Gases may escape during charg-
ing and cause explosions that may result in
paint damage, corrosion or personal injury.
!Never invert the terminal connections!!The battery, its filler caps and the vent
tube must always be securely installed
when the vehicle is in operation.
iThe following procedures must be car-
ried out following any interruption of
battery power (e.g. due to reconnec-
tion):

Set the clock (
page 112).


Set the date in trip computer
(page 172).


Calibrate the compass
(page 174).


Resynchronize the ESP
(page 225).


Resynchronize side windows
(page 136).


Resynchronize sliding/pop-up
roof*(
page 138).

263 Practical hints
Battery
Batteries contain materials that can harm
the environment if disposed of improperly.
Large 12-volt storage batteries contain
lead. Recycling of batteries is the preferred
method of disposal. Many states require
sellers of batteries to accept old batteries
for recycling.

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.