2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 technical data

496 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel.

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
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.
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious inju-
ry. Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid
inhaling fumes and skin contact, extinguish
all smoking materials. Never allow sparks,
flame or smoking materials near gasoline!
!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.

497 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, 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 lossIn areas where carbon deposits may be
encountered due to lack of availability of
gasolines which contain these additives,
Mercedes-Benz recommends the use of
additives approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Refer to Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet for a
listing of approved product(s). Follow
directions on product label.
Do not blend other fuel additives with fuel.
This only results in unnecessary costs and
may be harmful to the engine operation.
Damage or malfunction resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending addition-
al fuel additives other than those tested
and approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles listed in the
Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which
provides:

Corrosion protection


Freeze protection


Boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -35°F (-37°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).
The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase boil-over protec-
tion. Refer to Maintenance Booklet for
replacement interval.

498 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Coolant system design and coolant used
determine the replacement interval. The
replacement interval published in the
Maintenance booklet is only applicable if
MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze solu-
tion or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see
Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet) are used to renew the coolant
concentration or bring it back up to the
proper level.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze (equivalent to freeze
protection to approx. - 22°F [-30°C]). If
you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze (freeze protec-
tion to approx. - 49°F [-45°C]), the engine
temperature will increase due to the lower
heat transfer capability of the solution.
Therefore, do not use more than this
amount of anticorrosion/antifreeze.If the coolant level is low, water and
MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze should
be used to bring it up to the proper level
(have cooling system checked for signs of
leakage). Please make sure the mixture is
in accordance with label instructions.
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality, con-
sult an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.

499 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of
aluminum parts. The use of aluminum
components in motor vehicle engines ne-
cessitates that anticorrosion/antifreeze
coolant used in such engines be
specifically formulated to protect the aluminum parts. (Failure to use such anti-
corrosion/antifreeze coolant will result in
a significantly shortened service life.)
Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz 325.0 anticorrosion/anti-
freeze agent.Before the start of the winter season (or
once a year in hot southern regions), you
should have the anticorrosion/antifreeze
concentration checked. The coolant is also
regularly checked each time you bring your
vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center for service.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze quantityModel
Approx. freeze protection– 35°F (– 37°C)
– 49°F (– 45°C)
ML 350
5.1USqt (4.75l)
5.6USqt (5.23l)
ML 500
5.4 US qt (5.0 l)
5.9 US qt (5.5 l)

500 Technical dataFuels, 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.
8.1 US qt (7.7 l).

Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate “S” and water (or
concentrate and commercially avail-
able premixed windshield washer sol-
vent/antifreeze, depending on ambient
temperatures).Windshield and headlamp washer fluid
mixing ratio
For temperatures above freezing point, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and water:

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


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

501 Technical terms
ABS
(A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
Accessory weight
(
page 365)
ADS*
(Adaptive D
amping S
ystem*)
Automatically adapts the optimum sus-
pension damping to prevailing driving
conditions.
Air suspension*
Automatically selects the optimum sus-
pension tuning and ride height for your
vehicle. Air suspension consists of two
components:


Adaptive Damping System


Vehicle level control
Air pressure
(
page 365)Alignment bolt
Metal pin with thread. The centering
pin is an aid used when changing a tire
to align the wheel with the wheel hub.
Aspect ratio
(
page 365)
Bar
(page 365)
BAS
(Brake A
ssist S
ystem)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking situa-
tions. The system is activated when it
senses an emergency based on how
fast the brake is applied.
Bead
(
page 365)
Bi-Xenon headlamps*
Headlamps which use an electric arc as
the light source and produce a more
intense light than filament headlamps.
Bi-Xenon headlamps produce low
beam and high beam.CAC
(C
ustomer A
ssistance C
enter)
Mercedes-Benz customer service
center, which can help you with any
questions about your vehicle and
provide assistance in the event of a
breakdown.
CAN system
(C
ontroller A
rea N
etwork)
Data bus network serving to control
vehicle functions such as door locking
or windshield wiping.
Cockpit
All instruments, switches, buttons and
indicator/warning lamps in the
passenger compartment needed for
vehicle operation and monitoring.
Cold tire inflation pressure
(
page 365)

514 IndexDoors
Message in display 413
Opening from inside vehicle 117
Opening from outside 108
DOT 365
Downhill driving
Cruise control 240
Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) 243
Switching off 245
Switching on 245
Drink holder see Cup holder
Drinking and driving 299
Drive sensibly-save fuel 299
Driving 46, 52
Abroad 319
In winter 304
Problems 58
Safety systems 93
Through standing water 305Driving abroad 319
Driving instructions
Towing a trailer 317
Driving off 301
Driving safety systems
4-ETS 98
ABS 93
BAS 95
ESP
®
95
Driving systems 238
Cruise control 238
Driving safety systems 93
EBP 98
Parktronic* 254
Driving through water 310
Driving tips 190
Accelerator position 190
Kickdown 190E
Easy-entry/exit feature
Vehicles with memory function* 128
Easy-entry/exit feature*
Activating 173
EBP 98
Electrical connections
Trailer 314
Electrical fuses 477
Electrical system
Technical data 490
Electronic Brake Proportioning see EBP
Electronic Stability Program
® see ESP
®
Electronic Traction System see 4-ETS
Emergency
Unlocking and opening
the tailgate in an 437
Emergency calls
Initiating an emergency call 284
With Tele Aid* 282
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) 192

515 Index
Emergency operations
Closing tilt/sliding sunroof* 439
Locking the vehicle 436
Opening tilt/sliding sunroof* 439
Remote door unlock 288
Unlocking the vehicle 435
Emergency tensioning device see ETD
Emission control 321
Ending
A call (telephone*) 180
Engine
Message in the display 410
Starting 49
Starting with KEYLESS-GO* 50
Technical data 486
Turning off 62
Engine cleaning 376
Engine compartment
Hood 326
Main fuse box 478
Engine malfunction
indicator lamp 385, 410
Engine malfunction indicator
lamp (Canada only) 25
Engine malfunction indicator
lamp (USA only) 25Engine number 502
Engine oil 327, 495
Adding 331
Additives 495
Checking level 327
Checking with the
control system (ML 500 only) 328
Checking with the
oil dipstick (ML 350 only) 330
Consumption 327
Display messages 414–415
Messages in display 329, 414–415
Viscosity 502
ESP
®
25, 95, 502
Off-road-ESP
®
98
Switching off 97
Switching on 98
Warning lamp 387
ETD 502
Safety guidelines 70
ETD (Emergency tensioning device) 76
Exterior mirrors
Folding 197
Exterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting 44
Parking position* for 174F
Fastening the seat belts 46
First aid kit 430
Flat tire 456
Lowering the vehicle 460
Preparing the vehicle 457
Spare wheel 433
Flexible Service System PLUS
(FSS PLUS) 502
Floormats* 279
Fluid level
Automatic transmission 332
Fog lamp, rear
Switching on 142
Fog lamps
Replacing bulbs 443
Fog lamps, front
Messages in display 418
Replacing bulbs 445
Switching on 142
Folding
Exterior mirrors 197
Folding the backrest forward 261
4-ETS 98
Off-road - 4-ETS 99