2004 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 sensor

130 Controls in detailGood visibilityIntermittent wiping
Windshield wipers without rain sensor*
At speeds of approximately 105 mph
(170 km / h) the wiper switches automati-
cally to continuous wiping. Always obey lo-
cal speed limits.Windshield wipers with rain sensor*
A rain sensor automatically controls the
windshield wipers depending on how wet
the windshield is.

Switch on ignition.

Set the wiper switch to position1
(page 49).
After the initial wipe, pauses between
wipes are automatically controlled by the
rain sensor which monitors the wetness of
windshield.
iIntermittent wiping is interrupted when
the vehicle is at a standstill and a front
door is opened.
iWhen intermittent wiping is on and the
key is turned from position1 to
position2 in the steering lock
(page 33), and kept in that position
for longer than two seconds, the wipe
interval will be set to approximately
five seconds.
!Do not leave windshield wipers in inter-
mittent setting when the vehicle is tak-
en to an automatic car wash or during
windshield cleaning. Wipers will oper-
ate in the presence of water sprayed on
the windshield, and wipers may be
damaged as a result.
The switch should not be left in inter-
mittent setting as the wipers will wipe
the windshield once every time the en-
gine is started. Dust that accumulates
on the windshield might scratch the
glass and / or damage the wiper blades
when wiping occurs on a dry wind-
shield.

131 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Headlamp cleaning system*
The button is located on the right side of
the dashboard.Headlamp washer button
Switch on ignition.

Briefly press the upper part of button.
The headlamps will be cleaned with a
high-pressure water jet.Information on filling up the washer reser-
voir can be found in the “Operation” sec-
tion (
page 224).
Rear window wiper
The rear window wiper will also automati-
cally engage if the windshield wiper is en-
gaged and the gear selector lever is placed
in reverse.Rear window wiper with rain sensor*
Rear window wiper intervals are controlled
automatically according to the amount of
water on the windshield and the speed of
the vehicle, if:


rear window wiper is switched on


front windshield wipers are switched to
intermittent wiping
The interval for the rear window wiper re-
mains constant when the windshield wiper
interval is ten seconds or more.

135 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Automatic climate control panel in the front
Item
1
Thumbwheel for center air vent
2
Center air vent, adjustable
3
Defroster air vent windshield
4
Thumbwheels for side air vent
5
Side air vent, adjustable
6
Footwell air vent
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 cooling on / off (AC
OFF
)
Residual heat / ventilation (REST)
7
Interior temperature sensor
8
Air distribution control
9
Rear window defroster
a
Rear passenger compartment venti-
lation on / off

136 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlThe automatic climate control is operatio-
nal whenever the engine is running. You
can operate the climate control system in
either 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.Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents in the
footwell can be very hot or very cold (de-
pending on the set temperature). This may
cause burns or frostbite on unprotected skin
in the immediate area of the air vents.
Always keep sufficient distance between un-
protected parts of the body and the footwell
air vents. If necessary, change the air flow
using the air distribution controls to direct
the air away from the footwell air vents
(page 138).
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.

145 Controls in detail
Power windows
Opening the windows
Press switch1 to4 at the
symbolk to the resistance point.
The corresponding window will move
downwards until you release the
switch.
Closing the windows

Press switch1 to 4 at the
symbolj to the resistance point.
The corresponding window will move
upwards until you release the switch.Fully opening the windows
(Express-open)

Press switch1 to4 at the
symbolk past the resistance point
and release.
The corresponding window opens com-
pletely.
Fully closing the windows
(Express-close)

Press switch1 to4 at symbolj
past the resistance point and release.
The corresponding window closes com-
pletely.
Stopping windows

Press respective switch again.
Warning
G
If you pull and hold the switch up when clos-
ing the window, and upward movement of
the window is blocked by some obstruction
including but not limited to arms, hands, fin-
gers, etc., the automatic reversal will not op-
erate.
!If the upward movement of the window
is blocked during the closing proce-
dure, the window will stop and open
slightly.
Remove the obstruction, press the
switchj again past the resistance
point and release.
If the window still does not close when
there is no obstruction, then hold the
switchj down. The side window
will then close without the obstruction
sensor function.Warning!
G
Driver’s door only:
If within five seconds switch j is again
pressed past the resistance point and
released, the automatic reversal will not
operate.

153 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, the Parktronic system
engages automatically at speeds up to ap-
proximately 10 mph (15 km / h) and deac-
tivates during higher speeds.Parktronic system monitors your vehicle’s
environment 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
system can be affected by dirty sensors, es-
pecially at times of snow and ice. For notes
on cleaning the Parktronic system sensors
(page 237).
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 detailDriving systemsMonitoring reach of sensors
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and
snow or they will be unable to function
properly. Clean the sensors regularly with-
out scratching or damaging them.Front sensors
Rear sensorsMinimum distance
When an obstacle is located in this area, all
warning displays will light up and a warning
tone will sound. If the vehicle moves closer
than the minimum distance to an object,
the distance may no longer be displayed.
Center
approx. 39 in (100 cm)
Corners
approx. 24 in (60 cm)
Center
approx. 47 in (120 cm)
Corners
approx. 32 in (80 cm)
iDuring parking maneuvers, pay special
attention to objects located above or
below the height of the sensors (e.g.
planters or trailer hitches). The Parktro-
nic system will not detect such objects
at close range and damage to your ve-
hicle or the object may result.
Ultrasonic signals from outside sourc-
es (e.g. truck air brakes or jackham-
mers) may impair the operation of the
Parktronic system.
Center
approx. 8 in (20 cm)
Corners
approx. 6 in (15 cm)

155 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Warning indicators
The warning indicators show the distance
between the sensor and the obstacle. The
warning indicators for the front area are lo-
cated above the center air vents in the
dashboard. The warning indicator for the
rear area is located in the rear passenger
compartment lamp.
1Segments, left side of vehicle
2Segments, right side of vehicle
Each warning indicator has six yellow and
two red segments.The gear selector lever position deter-
mines which warning indicator is activat-
ed.
As soon as the sensors detect an obstacle,
one or more segments light up, depending
on the distance. An intermittent acoustic
warning will also sound as the seventh seg-
ment comes on and a constant acoustic
warning lasting a maximum of
three seconds will sound for the eighth
segment.
Selector lever
position
Warning indicator
D, R, N, P
Front area activated
R
Rear area activated
!If all red segments light up in the warn-
ing indicators, a dirty sensor or a ultra-
sonic signal could be the reason.

Clean the sensors (
page 237).
After cleaning the sensors, switch
the ignition on.