2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 DO NOT SHIFT GEARS

49 Getting started
Driving
Starting the engine Automatic transmission
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
For more information on how to operate
the gear selector lever, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 182).
Warning!
G
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash, they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Warning!
G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon-
sciousness and lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while driving,
have the cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive only with at least one win-
dow fully open.

182 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionFor more information on driving with an
automatic transmission, see “Automatic
transmission” section (
page 49).
Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear
shifting process to your individual driving
style by continually adjusting the shift
points up or down. These shift point adjust-
ments are performed based on current
operating and driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the
automatic transmission reacts by
adjusting its shift program.
Gear selector lever
The gear selector lever is located on the
right of the steering column.Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive positionShifting from P to N
Moving the gear selector lever up or down
shifts the automatic transmission out of
park positionP:

Depress the brake pedal and keep it
pressed.

Move gear selector lever up or down to
resistance point to select neutral
positionN.
iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperature.
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the transmission out
of park positionP or neutral positionN if the
engine speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal,
the vehicle could accelerate quickly forward
or reverse. You could lose control of the
vehicle and hit someone or something. Only
shift into gear when the engine is idling
normally and when your right foot is firmly
on the brake pedal.

184 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionShifting from D, R, or N to P
If you want to select park positionP with
the transmission being in drive positionD,
reverse positionR or neutral positionN:
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
pressed.

Step firmly on parking brake pedal
(page 52).

Press button at the end of the gear
selector lever in direction of arrow
(page 182) to select park positionP.

Release the brake.
Shifting procedure
The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual drive gears automatically, depend-
ing on:

drive positionD with gear ranges
(page 187)


the position of the accelerator pedal
(page 190)


the vehicle speed
The current transmission gear selection
appears in the multifunction display.
With gear positionD selected, you can use
the steering wheel gearshift control but-
tons (
page 189) to influence transmis-
sion shifting by:


limiting the gear range


changing gears manually
!Shift the automatic transmission
directly from positionD toR, fromR
toD or dire c tly to pos itionP only when
the vehicle is stopped. Otherwise the
automatic transmission could be
damaged.
When trying to free a vehicle stuck in
mud or snow, see “Rocking the vehicle”
(page 191).
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or park
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

186 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Effect
í
Reverse gear
Shift into reverse gearR only
when the vehicle is stopped.
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never shift into
positionN while driving.
If the ESP
® is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Shift into positionN only if the
vehicle is in danger of skidding,
e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason in positionN can result in
transmission damage that is not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle without shifting
into positionP is dangerous. Also,
positionP alone is not intended to or capa-
ble of preventing your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 52).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.

187 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear ranges
With the automatic transmission in drive
positionD, you can limit the transmis-
sion’s gear range by pressing the inside of
one of the steering wheel gearshift but-
tons, and reverse the gear range limit by
pressing the outside of one of the steering
wheel gearshift buttons. The steering
wheel gearshift buttons are located on the
back of the steering wheel (
page 189).
The selected gear range appears in the
multifunction display.
If you press on the accelerator when the
engine has reached its rpm limit, the trans-
mission will upshift beyond any gear range
limit selected.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could shift the
transmission out of positionP, which could
result in an accident and/or serious person-
al injury.
Effect
ê
The transmission shifts through
all seven forward gears.
ï
The transmission shifts through
sixth gear only.
î
The transmission shifts through
fifth gear only.
é
The transmission shifts through
fourth gear only.
è
The transmission shifts through
third gear only.
With this selection you can use
the braking effect of the engine.

188 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Steering wheel gearshift control
With drive positionD selected, you can use
the steering wheel gearshift control but-
tons to manually shift the gears. When
doing so, you are also limiting or extending
the gear range.
Effect
ç
The transmission shifts through
second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving:

on steep downgrades


in mountainous regions


under extreme operating
conditions
æ
The transmission operates in
first gear only.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
downshifting with steering wheel
gearshift buttons, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or park
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

189 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
The steering wheel gearshift buttons are
located to the left and right of the steering
wheel.
1Button, inside: downshift
2Button, outside: upshiftDownshifting

Briefly press the inside of one of the
buttons1 on the steering wheel.
The transmission will shift to the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously limits
the gear range of the transmission
(
page 187).Upshifting

Briefly press the outside of one of the
buttons2 on the steering wheel.
The transmission will shift to the next
higher gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the transmission
(
page 187).
iYou cannot shift with the steering
wheel gearshift buttons when the
transmission is in positionP,N orR.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.

191 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle by shifting betweenD
andR can help free a vehicle stuck in mud
or snow. The engine control system of this
vehicle electronically limits shifting
betweenD andR to very low speeds
(i.e. approx. 2 mph). To shift betweenD
andR, move the gear selector lever past
the resistance point up or down.
Hill start assist system
On uphill grades, the hill start assist
system maintains the pressure in the
brake system for approximately
one second after you have released the
brake pedal. Therefore, you can start off
smoothly without the vehicle moving im-
mediately after releasing the brake pedal.
The hill start assist system is inactive

on driving downhill


in positionN


with the parking brake setWorking on the vehicle
Towing a trailer
If you tow a trailer, note the following
points:

Manually shift to a lower gear range
(page 187) if the transmission hunts
between gears on inclines.
A lower gear range and reduction of
speed reduces the chance to overload
or overheat the engine.
For more information on trailer towing, see
the “Operation” section (
page 314).
Warning!
G
The hill start assist system is not designed
to function as a parking brake and does not
prevent the vehicle from moving when
parked on an incline.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to park position
P.
iIf the ESP
® has switched off due to a
malfunction, the hill start assist system
is also unavailable.
Warning!
G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and shift to park positionP.
Otherwise the vehicle could roll away.