2005 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 octane

13 Introduction
Operator’s Manual
Change of address or ownership
If you change your address, be sure to
send in the “Change of Address Notice”
found in the Service and Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet, or simply call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes, or Customer Ser-
vice (in Canada) at 1-800-387-0100. It is in
your own interest that we can contact you
should the need arise.
If you sell your Mercedes, please leave all
literature with the vehicle to make it avail-
able to the next operator.
If you bought this vehicle used, be sure to
send in the “Notice of Purchase of Used
Truck” found in the Service and Warranty
Information Booklet, or call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Cen-
ter (in the USA) at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes,
or Customer Service (in Canada) at
1-800-387-0100.Operating your vehicle outside the USA
or Canada
If you plan to operate your vehicle in for-
eign countries, please be aware that:

service facilities or replacement parts
may not be readily available,


unleaded gasoline for vehicles with cat-
alytic converters may not be available;
the use of leaded fuels will damage the
catalysts,


gasoline may have a considerably low-
er octane rating, and improper fuel can
cause engine damage.

220 OperationAt the gas station
Replace the fuel cap by turning it to the
right.
You will hear when the fuel cap is tight-
ened.

Close the fuel filler flap.iOnly use premium unleaded gasoline
with a minimum Posted Octane Rating
of 91 (average of 96 RON / 86 MON).
Information on gasoline quality can
normally be found on the fuel pump.
For more information on gasoline, see
the Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet.
iLeaving the engine running and the fuel
cap open can cause the yellow fuel
tank reserve warning lamp to flash and
the? malfunction indicator lamp
(USA only) or the± malfunction in-
dicator lamp (Canada only) to illumi-
nate.
For more information, see “Practical
hints” (
page 254).


306 Technical dataEngineModel
ML 350 (163.157
1)
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and special
equipment.
ML 500 (163.175)
1
Engine
112
113
Mode of operation
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders
6
8
Bore
3.81 in (97.00 mm)
3.81 in (97.00 mm)
Stroke
3.31 in (84.00 mm)
3.31 in (84.00 mm)
Total piston displacement
227 cu in (3724 cm
3)
303 cu in (4966 cm
3)
Compression ratio
10:1
10:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349
232 hp / 5750 rpm
2
(173 kW / 5750 rpm)
2Premium fuel required. Performance may vary with fuel octane rating.
288 hp / 5600 rpm
2
(215 kW / 5600 rpm)
Maximum torque acc. to SAE J 1349
254 lb-ft / 3000-4500 rpm
(345 Nm / 3000-4500 rpm)
325 lb-ft / 2700 rpm
(440 Nm / 2700 rpm)
Maximum engine speed
6000 rpm
6000 rpm
Firing order
1-4-3-6-2-5
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
Poly-V-belt
2 370 mm
2370 mm

313 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Cooling system
approx. 12.7 US qt (12.0 l)
MB Anticorrosion / Antifreeze
Fuel Tank
including a reserve of
ML 350, ML 500
22.0 US gal (83.0 l)
approx. 3.2 US gal (12.0 l)
Premium unleaded gasoline:
Minimum Posted Octane 91
(Avg.of96RON/86MON)
Air conditioning system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lubricant oil
(never R-12)
Windshield washer and
headlamp cleaning
system*
8.0 US qt (7.6 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available
premixed windshield washer solvent / antifreeze for temperatures below freezing. Follow suggested mixing ratios (page 319).

315 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel.

The octane number (posted at the
p um p) m us t be 91 mi n. It i s an a vera ge
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M) / 2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not
exceed 10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build-up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives carbon deposits
can build up, especially on the intake
valves and in the combustion area, leading
to engine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking / pinging


Misfire


Power loss
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
is not available and low octane fuel is
used, follow these precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible.


Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration.


Do not exceed an engine speed of
3000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two
persons and no luggage.


Do not exceed
2/3 of maximum
accelerator pedal position if the
vehicle is fully loaded or operating
in mountainous terrain.

325 Technical terms
GPS
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs CD or DVD digital
maps for navigation.
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator / warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer,
engine temperature and fuel gauge.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.Line of fall
The direct line that an object moves
downhill when influenced by the force
of gravity alone.
Lock button
Button on the door which indicates
whether the door is locked or un-
locked. Pushing the lock button down
on an individual door from inside will
lock that door.
MCS
(M
odular C
ontrol S
ystem)
Information and operating center for
vehicle sound and communications
systems, including the radio and the ra-
dio and navigation system, as well as
for other optional equipment (CD
changer, telephone, etc.).Memory function*
Used to store three individual seat,
steering wheel and mirror positions.
MON
(M
otor O
ctane N
umber)
The Motor Octane Number for gasoline
as determined by a standardized meth-
od. It is an indication of a gasoline's
ability to resist undesired detonation
(knocking). The average of both the
MON (Motor Octane Number) and
->RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Multifunction display
A display field in the instrument cluster
used to present information provided
by the control system.

326 Technical termsParktronic (Parking assist)*
System which uses visual and acoustic
signals to assist the driver during park-
ing maneuvers.
Poly-V-belt drive
Drives engine-components (alternator,
AC compressor, etc.) from the engine.
Power train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing


engine


clutch / torque converter


transmission


transfer case


drive shaft


differential


axle shafts / axlesRemote Vehicle Diagnostics
Transmission of vehicle data and cur-
rent location to the Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Center for sub-
scribers to Tele Aid service.
REST
(Residual engine heat utilization)
Feature that uses the engine heat
stored in the coolant to heat the vehi-
cle interior for a short time after the en-
gine has been turned off.
Restraint system
Seat belts, belt tensioner, airbags and
child seat restraint systems. As inde-
pendent systems, their protective func-
tions complement one another.RON
(R
esearch O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line's ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the ->MON (Motor Octane Number)
and RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Shift lock
When the vehicle is parked, this lock
prevents the transmission selector le-
ver from being moved out of positionP
without key turned and brake pedal de-
pressed.
SRS
(S
upplemental R
estraint S
ystem)
Seat belts, emergency tensioning de-
vice and airbags. Though independent
systems, they are closely interfaced to
provide effective occupant protection.

341 Index
MCS
Modular Control System 325
Mechanical key 268
Memory function 105, 325
Memory function* 106
Recalling positions from
memory 106
Mirrors
Activating exterior mirror parking
position 129
Adjusting 41
Automatic antiglare for rear view
mirror 128
Exterior rear view mirror 41
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position 106
MON 220
MON (Motor Octane Number) 325
Multifunction display 325
N
Night security illumination 109
Deactivation temporarily 110O
Occupant safety 58
Children and airbags 60
Children in the vehicle 67
Fastening the seat belt 43
Infant and child restraint systems 68
LATCH child seat mounts 73
Seat belts 43, 62
Odometer display 118
Odometer, main 25
Off-road driving
Checklist 205, 210
Crossing obstacles 209
Driving instructions off-road
driving 204
Driving through water 208
Returning 210
Rules 205
Special driving features 205
Steep terrain 206
Oil
Adding 226
Consumption 223
Dipstick 223
Oil dipstick 226
Viscosity 324One-touch gearshifting 121
Canceling gear range limit 121
Downshifting 121
Upshifting 121
Opening
Doors from the inside 90
Fuel filler flap 219
Fuel filler flap manually 269
Glove box 167
Hood 222
Liftgate 89, 91
Liftgate from inside 91
Liftgate from outside 91
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* 271
Rear quarter windows* 148
Side windows 147
Storage compartment in front of
armrest 169
Storage compartment under passenger
seat 168
Tilt/sliding sunroof* 150
Tilt/Sliding sunroof* in an
emergency 271
Windows 147