2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 start

456 Practical hintsFlat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard surface.

Turn on the hazard warning flashers.

Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead po-
sition.

Set the parking brake.

Shift automatic transmission to park
positionP.
Vehicles with Air suspension package*:

Do not open or close a door or tailgate
while mounting the spare wheel.
Vehicles with SmartKey:

Turn off the engine (
page 34).

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:

Turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* button once
(page 63).

Open the driver’s door (this puts the
starter switch in position0, same as
with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch). The driver’s door then
can be closed again.

Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the Minispare wheel are
different from those of the road wheels. As
a result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a mounted
Minispare wheel. Adapt your driving style
accordingly.
The Minispare wheel is for temporary use
only. When driving with a Minispare wheel
mounted, ensure proper tire pressure and
do not exceed a vehicle speed of
50 mph (80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center as soon as possible to have the
Minispare wheel replaced with a regular
road wheel.
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a
Minispare wheel is mounted.
iOpen doors only when conditions are
safe to do so.

458 Practical hintsFlat tire
On wheel to be changed, loosen but do
not yet remove the wheel bolts
(approximately one full turn with
wrench).
The jack take-up brackets are located di-
rectly behind the front wheel housings and
in front of the rear wheel housings.1Take-up bracket
2Jack

Place jack2 on firm ground.

Position jack2 under the take-up
bracket1 so that it is always vertical
(plumb-line) as seen from the side,
even if the vehicle is parked on an in-
cline.

Jack up the vehicle until the wheel is a
maximum of 1.2 in (3 cm) from the
ground. Never start engine while vehi-
cle is raised.
!Do not position the jack on the body of
the vehicle, as this may cause damage
to the vehicle.
!Vehicles with factory-mounted
running-boards*:
Your vehicle is equipped with a scis-
sors-type jack (located under the cargo
compartment floor) designed for use
with factory-mounted running boards.
Only use this jack when jacking up ve-
hicles with factory-mounted running
boards as otherwise the vehicle’s
underbody can be damaged. See sepa-
rate instructions for scissors-type jack.

459 Practical hints
Flat tire
Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and
remove it.

Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied with the tool kit
(page 430).

Remove the remaining bolts.

Remove the wheel.Mounting the new wheel
1Wheel bolt for 18" and 19" light alloy
rims*
2Wheel bolt for 17" light alloy rims or
Minispare wheel (located in vehicle tool
kit (
page 431))
Warning!
G
The jack is intended only for lifting the
vehicle briefly for wheel changes. It is not
suited for performing maintenance work
under the vehicle.

Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised.


Never lie down under the raised vehicle.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolts
and wheel hub threads.
!Wheel bolts2 must be used when
mounting 17" light alloy rims or the
Minispare wheel. The use of any wheel
bolts other than wheel bolts2 for
17" light alloy rims or the Minispare
wheel will physically damage the vehi-
cle’s brakes.


463 Practical hints
Battery
!
The battery is a valve-regulated lead
acid (VRLA) battery, also referred to as
“fleece” battery. Such batteries do not
require topping-up of the electrolyte
level. VRLA batteries therefore do not
have cell caps and the battery cover is
non-removable. Do not attempt to
open the battery as otherwise the bat-
tery will be damaged.
Even though VRLA batteries do not
require topping-up of the electrolyte
level and cannot be opened to check
the electrolyte level, the battery condi-
tion must be checked periodically by
performing a battery conductance test.
Refer to Maintenance Booklet for bat-
tery condition testing intervals.
As with any other battery, the battery
may discharge if the vehicle is not
operated for an extended period of
time. You can connect a battery
maintenance charge unit tested and
approved for use on your vehicle model
or disconnect the battery to prevent
battery discharge. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center for more information.
!The factory-equipped VRLA battery is
leak-proofed. Only use a battery as re-
placement that has the same security
features and is of identical size,
voltage, and capacity as the
factory-equipped battery.
The battery, the battery ventilation
tube (
page 468) and the vent plug
(
page 468) must always be securely
installed when the vehicle is in opera-
tion.
Warning!
G
Jump starting must only be done using the
jump-start contacts located in the engine
compartment (
page 470).

464 Practical hintsBattery
Disconnecting, removing, reinstalling and reconnecting the battery
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 462).
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 SmartKey is in the starter switch.
Otherwise the alternator and other
electronic components could be se-
verely damaged.
Have the battery checked regularly by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Refer to Maintenance Booklet for main-
tenance intervals or contact your au-
thorized 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
Disconnecting, removing, reinstalling and
reconnecting the battery is a complicated
and technically demanding procedure that
also requires safety precautions to avoid the
r i s k o f i n j u r y . W e s t r o n g l y r e c o m m e n d t h a t i t
be performed by a qualified technician only.
Please read the instructions fully before
beginning operation and only undertake it if
you feel fully capable of performing all of the
tasks involved as described in these instruc-
tions. Observe all safety instructions and
precautions when handling automotive bat-
teries (
page 462). Performing the tasks
involved incorrectly can cause damage to
the vehicle and impair the operating safety
o f t h e v e h i c l e , a n d / o r c a u s e s e v e r e i n j u r y t o
you or others.

465 Practical hints
Battery
Step 1 (Disconnecting)

Turn off the engine and leave the igni-
tion switched on (
page 34).

Depress parking brake firmly and set
automatic transmission to positionP.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Read and observe safety instructions
and precautions (
page 462).

Move the front passenger seat to the
most forward position (
page 39).
Step 2 (Disconnecting)
1Battery cover

Enter the rear passenger compartment
and remove main battery cover1.Step 3 (Disconnecting)
2Perforated floor carpet

Cut the floor carpet2 along the
dotted white line (see illustration) until
you reach the perforated part. Start
cutting at the point indicated by the
arrows. Cut carpet using a sharp object
(knife etc.).

Enter the front passenger compart-
ment.

Move the front passenger seat to the
most rearward position (
page 39).
iWith a disconnected battery you will no
longer be able to turn the SmartKey in
the starter switch and pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button will
have no effect.iIf your battery is discharged, the vehi-
cle must be jump started (
page 470)
using the jump start contacts in the
engine compartment, or an accessory
battery charge unit* approved by
Mercedes-Benz must be connected
using the jump start contacts in the
engine compartment (see separate
instructions for the accessory battery
charge unit*) before any of the follow-
ing steps can be performed. If the
battery cannot be jumped or charged,
please contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.


466 Practical hintsBattery2Perforated floor carpet, unfolded
Fold the floor carpet piece2 in
direction of the arrow.

Move the front passenger seat to the
most forward and upward position
again (
page 39).

Switch off the ignition (
page 34).

Remove SmartKey from starter switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Make sure the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have status0 (Turn off
the engine or all electrical systems
using the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button. Open the driver’s door. With
the driver’s door open, the vehicle’s
on-board electronics have status0,
same as with the SmartKey
removed from the starter switch).

Enter the rear passenger compartment
again.Step 4 (Disconnecting)
3Air channel
4Clip

Remove clip4.

Remove air channel3 by pulling it out
in direction of arrow.


468 Practical hintsBatteryStep 8 (Removing)
cBattery
Tilt the batteryc with the negative
terminal side upwards.

Take out the battery maintaining its
tilted position in the direction of the
arrow.Step 9 (Reinstalling)

Carry out step 8 in reverse order
(page 468).
Battery, shown removed for illustration9Battery ventilation tube
dVent plug

Carry out step 10 to reconnect the
battery (
page 468).

Follow steps 5 to 1 in reverse order to
completely reinstall the battery
(page 467) to (
page 465).
Step 10 (Reconnecting)

If the battery has been removed, first
carry out step 8 in reverse order
(page 468).

Open the driver’s door.

Make sure all electrical consumers are
turned off.

Make sure the SmartKey has been re-
moved from the starter switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Make sure the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have status0 (Open the
driver’s door. With the driver’s door
open, the vehicle’s on-board elec-
tronics have status0, same as with
the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch).
!The battery, the battery ventilation
tube9 and the vent plugd must
always be securely installed when the
vehicle is in operation.