2005 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 warning

289 Practical hints
Battery
Disconnecting the battery
Depress parking brake firmly or move
gear selector lever to positionP.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Remove key from the steering lock.

Open the hood (
page 222).

Disconnect the battery negative lead.

Remove the cover from the positive ter-
minal.

Disconnect the battery positive lead.
Removing the battery
Remove the screw securing the
battery.

Remove the battery support and
bracket.

Take out the battery.
Charging and reinstalling the battery
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 battery
Turn off all electrical consumers.

Connect the positive lead and fasten its
cover.

Connect the negative lead.
Warning!
G
With a disconnected battery

you will no longer be able to turn the key
in the steering lock


the gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP
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.

291 Practical hints
Jump starting
Jump starting
If the battery is discharged, the engine can
be started with jumper cables and the
battery of another vehicle. Observe the
following:

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 (12 V). Jump start-
ing with a more powerful battery could
damage the vehicle’s electrical system,
which will not be covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


Only use jumper cables with sufficient
cross-section and insulated terminal
clamps.


Always make sure the jumper cables
are not on or near pulleys, fans, or oth-
er parts that move when the engine is
started or running.
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.
!Avoid repeated and lengthy starting at-
tempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine
using a battery quick charge unit.
If engine does not run after several
unsuccessful starting attempts, have it
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by
repeated failed starting attempts may
damage the catalytic converter and
may present a fire risk.
Make sure the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not
touch any other metal part while the
other end is still attached to a battery.

292 Practical hintsJump startingThe battery is located on the passenger
side of the engine compartment.
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift gear selector lever to positionP.

Open the hood.1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Negative terminal of charged battery
3Negative terminal of discharged
battery
4Positive terminal of discharged battery

Connect positive terminals1 and4
of the batteries with the jumper cable.
Clamp cable to positive terminal1 of
charged battery first.

Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect negative terminals2 and3
of the batteries with the jumper cable.
Clamp cable to negative terminal2 of
charged battery first.

Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.
Now you can turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
the negative terminals3 and2 and
then from positive terminals4
and1.
You can now turn on the lights.

Have the battery checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 228).
!Never invert the terminal connections!
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.

294 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleWarning!
G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:

the engine will not run


there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make sure the key is in steering
lock position2.
If the key is left in steering lock position0
for an extended period of time, it can no
longer be turned in the switch. In this case,
the steering is locked. To unlock, remove
key from steering lock and reinsert.
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.iTo signal turns while being towed with
hazard warning flasher in use, turn key
in steering lock to position2 and acti-
vate combination switch for left or right
turn signal in usual manner – only the
selected turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the
hazard warning flasher will operate
again.
iThe vehicle cannot be started via
tow-start.iIf the battery is disconnected or dis-
charged, the gear selector lever will re-
main locked in positionP and the key
will not turn in the steering lock. For
more information, see “Battery”
(page 272) and “Jump starting”
(page 291).
For information on manual unlocking
transmission gear selector lever, see
(page 270).

295 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Front towing eye
The front towing eye is located on the
passenger side below the bumper.
1Towing eyeRear towing eyeThe rear towing eye is located behind the
right side cover in the bumper panel.
1Cover
2Towing eye
To remove cover:

Pry out the cover1 using a flat blade
screwdriver (
page 264).
To reinstall cover:

Engage cover at bottom and press in
top securely.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, note the following:
With the automatic central locking
activated and the key in steering lock
position2, the vehicle doors lock if the
left front wheel is turning at vehicle
speeds of approx. 9 mph (15 km / h) or
more.
To prevent the vehicle doors from
locking, deactivate the automatic
central locking (
page 93).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the towing eye. Never
attach tow cable, tow rope or tow rod
to vehicle chassis, frame or suspension
parts.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid possible serious burns or
injury, use extreme caution when removing
the cover, because the rear exhaust pipe is
extremely hot.

297 Practical hintsFuses
Fuses
The electrical fuses in your vehicle serve to
stop the supply of electricity to a device
that is malfunctioning. This helps to
prevent damage to the other vehicle
electronics.
The following aids are available to help you
change fuses (
page 298):


Fuse chart


Spare fuses


Fuse extractorThe electrical fuses are located in different
fuse boxes:


Main fuse box in engine compartment
(page 298)


Fuse box in front passenger footwell
(page 299)
Warning!
G
Only use fuses approved for Mercedes-Benz
with the specified amperage for the system
in question. Otherwise, a short circuit could
result and cause a fire.!Only install fuses that have been tested
and approved by Mercedes-Benz and
that have the specified amperage
rating.
Otherwise, electrical parts or systems
could be damaged.
Never attempt to repair or bridge a
blown fuse. Have the cause determined
and remedied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

319 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Windshield washer and headlamp cleaning* system
Both the windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning* system 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 “S” and water (or
concentrate and commercially avail-
able premixed windshield washer
solvent / antifreeze, depending on am-
bient temperatures).Windshield and headlamp washer fluid
mixing ratio
For temperatures above freezing point, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and water:

1part “S” to 100parts water
(1.34floz [40ml] “S” to 1gallon [4.0l]
water)
For temperatures below freezing point, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and commercially available premixed
windshield washer solvent / antifreeze:


1part “S” to 100parts solvent
(1.34floz [40ml]“S” to 1 gallon [4.0l]
solvent)
Warning!
G
Washer solvent / antifreeze is highly flam-
mable. Do not spill washer
solvent / antifreeze on hot engine parts,
because it may ignite and burn. You could be
seriously burned.

320 Technical dataConsumer informationThe following text is published as required
of all manufacturers of passenger cars un-
der Title 49, Code of U.S. Federal Regula-
tions, Part 575 pursuant to the “National
Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of
1966”.Uniform tire quality grading
Quality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and one-half (1
1/2) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to varia-
tions in driving habits, service practices
and differences in road characteristics and
climate.Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades repre-
sent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.
Treadwear
Traction
Temperature
200
AA
A
Warning!
G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.