2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 light

110 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingLoss of SmartKey or mechanical key
If you lose a SmartKey or mechanical key,
you should do the following:
Have the SmartKey deactivated by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.

Report the loss of the SmartKey or the
mechanical key immediately to your
car insurance company.

If necessary, have the mechanical lock
replaced.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center will be glad to supply you
with a replacement.
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Vehicles equipped with KEYLESS-GO come
with two SmartKeys with KEYLESS-GO,
each with remote control and a removable
mechanical key.
The locking tabs for the mechanical key
portion of the two SmartKeys with
KEYLESS-GO are a different color to help
distinguish each SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO unit.
The KEYLESS-GO function is integrated
into the SmartKey. On these vehicles, the
validity of the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
is checked when you grasp a door handle
for locking or unlocking.
If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is valid,
your vehicle unlocks:

the doors


the tailgate


the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*1‹ Lock button
2Š Unlock button* for tailgate
3Mechanical key
4ΠUnlock button
5Battery check lamp
6Â Panic button (
page 91)

115 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Checking the batteries
Press button‹orŒ.
Battery check lamp5 comes on brief-
ly to indicate that the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO batteries are in order.
Unlocking and opening the tailgate
You can unlock and open the tailgate sep-
arately.
A minimum height clearance of 7 ft
(2.15 m) is required to open the tailgate.The handle is located above the rear
license plate recess.

Pull on the handle
or
Vehicles with tailgate opening/closing
system*:

Press and hold buttonŠ on the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO until the
tailgate unlocks and opens.


Have the vehicle battery and the
battery connections checked
(page 462).


Use the mechanical key to lock the
doors (
page 436).
If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
malfunctioning, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
iIf battery check lamp5 (
page 110)
does not come on briefly during check,
then the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
batteries are discharged.
Replace the batteries (
page 440).
You can obtain the required batteries
at any authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
iIf the batteries are checked within sig-
nal range of the vehicle, pressing the
button‹orŒ will lock or un-
lock the vehicle accordingly.

116 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Locking the vehicle
1Lock button at tailgate
Press the lock button at tailgate1.
or

Press the lock button at the outside
door handle (
page 64).
or

Vehicles with tailgate opening/closing
system*, press the KEYLESS-GO
locking/closing switch in the tailgate
(page 124).
The vehicle locks. The turn signals flash
three times to confirm locking.Loss of the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
If you lose your SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO or mechanical key, you
should do the following:

Have the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
deactivated by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

Report the loss of the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO or the mechanical key im-
mediately to your car insurance com-
pany.

Have the mechanical lock replaced if
necessary.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center will be glad to supply you
with a replacement.
!The tailgate swings open upwards auto-
matically. Always make sure there is
sufficient overhead clearance.
Vehicles with tailgate opening/closing
system*: To stop the opening proce-
dure, press buttonŠ on the
SmartKey. The tailgate stops moving.iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the tailgate will lock automati-
cally when closed (
page 120). The
turn signals will flash three times to
confirm locking.

123 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Closing the tailgate from the outside
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*)
In vehicles with tailgate opening/closing
system* you can close the tailgate sepa-
rately from the outside using the tailgate
closing switch or the Šbutton on the
SmartKey.
1Tailgate closing switch
Make sure you have the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you.

Press tailgate closing switch 1 briefly.
The tailgate closes.If the tailgate comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high), the closing procedure
is stopped and the tailgate reopens slight-
ly.
iYou can also close the tailgate by hand.iTo prevent a possible inadvertent lock-
out, the tailgate will open automatically
if a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is
recognized inside the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
make sure no one is in danger of being in-
jured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from
the cargo compartment opening when clos-
ing the tailgate. Be especially careful when
small children are around. To stop the clos-
ing procedure, do one of the following:

press the tailgate closing switch1


press KEYLESS-GO locking/closing
switch


press the Šbutton on the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO


press or pull the remote tailgate switch
(on the driver’s door)


124 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Closing the tailgate and locking the
vehicle from the outside (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*)
In vehicles with tailgate opening/closing
system and KEYLESS-GO*, you can close
the tailgate and lock the vehicle simulta-
neously from the outside using the
KEYLESS-GO* locking/closing switch.
1KEYLESS-GO* locking/closing switch
Make sure you have the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you.

Press switch1 briefly.The vehicle is locked and the tailgate
closes automatically. The turn signals
flash three times to confirm locking.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
If the tailgate comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high), the closing procedure
is stopped and the tailgate reopens
slightly.
Even with the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle, the tailgate
closing switch can be operated. Therefore,
do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.Warning!
G
Only drive with the tailgate closed as,
among other dangers such as blocked
visibility, exhaust fumes may enter the vehi-
cle interior.iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the tailgate will lock automati-
cally after closing it. The turn signals
will flash three times to confirm lock-
ing.
iYou can also close the tailgate by hand.iTo prevent a possible inadvertent lock-
out, the tailgate will open automatically
if a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is
recognized inside the vehicle.


138 Controls in detailLightingFor information on how to switch on the
headlamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 54)
and “Turn signals” (
page 54).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.MOff
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 140)
UAutomatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(page 139)
CParking lamps (also tail lamps,
license plate lamps, side marker
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
BLow beam headlamps (or high
beam headlamps when the
combination switch is pushed
forward) and parking lamps
ˆStanding lamps, right (turn left one
stop)
‚Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
‡Indicator lamp for front fog lamps
†Indicator lamp for rear fog lamp
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles
drive on the other side of the road than
the country in which the vehicle is reg-
istered, you must have the headlamps
modified for symmetrical low beams.
Relevant information can be obtained
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.iVehicles equipped with active
Bi-Xenon* headlamps:
The active Bi-Xenon headlamps
monitor your steering angle and driving
speed, then automatically shift their
beams to either side to better follow
the curvature of the road ahead,
increasing usable illumination over
conventional headlamps.

139 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and the parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch.
Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off au-
tomatically depending on the brightness of
the ambient light:

Low beam headlamps


Tail and parking lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps
iWith the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch and the driver’s door
open, a warning sounds if the parking
lamps or low beam headlamps are
switched on.
The message
Switch off lights

appears in the multifunction display.
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated and the engine running, the
low beam headlamps cannot be
switched off manually.
To activate the daytime running lamp
mode, see “Setting daytime running
lamp mode (USA only)” (
page 140).
Warning!
G
If the exterior lamp switch is set toU,

the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright
ambient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.


the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others,
activate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch toB when driving or when traffic
and/or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from positionU toB with the
vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching fromUtoB will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions
may result in an accident.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle’s lights at all
times.

140 Controls in detailLighting
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionU.
With the SmartKey in starter switch
position1, only the parking lamps will
switch on and off automatically.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps, the tail and parking
lamps, the license plate lamps, and the
side marker lamps will switch on and
off automatically.Daytime running lamp mode

Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionM orU.
When the engine is running, the low beam
headlamps are switched on.
In low ambient light conditions, the
following lamps will switch on additionally:


Tail and parking lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps
For nighttime driving you should turn the
exterior lamp switch to positionB to
permit activation of the high beam head-
lamps.Canada only
The daytime running lamp mode is manda-
tory and therefore in a constant mode.
When the engine is running, and you shift
from a driving position to positionN orP,
the low beam headlamps will switch off
with a three-minute delay.
When the engine is running, and you


turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionC, the parking lamps
switch on additionally.


turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB, the manual headlamp
mode has priority over the daytime
running lamp mode.
The corresponding exterior lamps
switch on (
page 54).