2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 cooling

220 Controls in detail3-zone automatic climate control*Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the A/C mode is deactivated
(page 218).Deactivating the climate control
system
Deactivating
Press button´ (
page 218).
Reactivating

Press buttonU(
page 218).
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air pollu-
tion) may require replacement of the fil-
ter before its scheduled interval. A
clogged filter will reduce the air volume
to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
iWhen the air conditioning is switched
off, the outside air supply and circula-
tion are also switched off. Only choose
this settings for a short time. Otherwise
the windows could fog up.iYou can also press button´ on the
climate control panel.
If you press button0 to reactivate
the climate control system, the defrost-
ing mode is activated.

223 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
Maximum cooling MAX COOL
If the air distribution control as well as the
airflow volume control are set toU and
there is a high need for cooling, the display
“MAX COOL” appears in the front and rear
display.
This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when windows and
tilt/sliding sunroof* are closed).Defrosting
If the air volume is switched off or the air
recirculation mode is switched on, the
interior is not any longer ventilated and the
windows can get fogged on the inside.Activating

Press button0 (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on button0
comes on.
The climate control switches automatically
to the following functions:


maximum blower and heating power


air flows onto the windshield and the
front side windows (side air vents must
be open)


The climatic compressor is switched on
at outside temperatures above approx-
imately 41°F (5°C) for air-drying
Deactivating

Press button0.
The yellow indicator lamp on the button
goes out. Defrosting is turned off.
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside (e.g. before a tunnel trav-
el). This setting cuts off the intake of out-
side air and recirculates the air in the
passenger compartment.
iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.
When the defrost setting has been se-
lected, only the rear window defroster
can be switched on. No other settings
are possible.
iTo switch off you can press also the
button´ orU.
Warning!
G
Fogged windows impair visibility,
endangering you and others. If the windows
begin to fog on the inside, switching off the
air recirculation mode immediately should
clear interior window fogging. If interior win-
dow fogging persists, make sure the air
conditioning (
page 225) is activated, or
press button0.

224 Controls in detail3-zone automatic climate control*Activating
Press button: (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on the button:
comes on.
iPress and hold button: for approx.
two seconds. The side windows and
tilt/sliding sunroof* will close. You can
release button: once the closing
procedure has begun. The windows
and tilt/sliding sunroof* continue clos-
ing until they are fully closed.
Warning!
G
Never operate the side windows and
tilt/sliding sunroof* if there is the possibility
of anyone being harmed by the opening or
closing procedure.
In the event that the closing procedure
causes potential danger, the closing of the
side windows can be immediately halted by
pressing or pulling the respective window
switch. The closing of the tilt/sliding
sunroof* can be immediately halted by
moving the tilt/sliding sunroof* switch in
the overhead control panel in any direction.
The closing of the side windows and the
tilt/sliding sunroof* can be reversed by
again pressing and holding the :button.
iThe air recirculation mode is activated
automatically at high outside tempera-
tures.
If you have turned off the air condition-
ing (
page 225) or the outside
temperature is below 41°F (5°C), the
air recirculation mode will not switch
on automatically.
iTo achieve the fastest possible cooling
of the interior, the automatic climate
control automatically switches to air
recirculation. The indicator lamp in the
button: is not illuminated when
the system automatically switches to
air recirculation.

225 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
Deactivating
Press button: (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on button:
goes out.
At outside temperatures above 79°F
(26°C) the system will not automatically
switch back to outside air. A quantity of
outside air is added after approximately
30 minutes.
Air conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.
In addition the air conditioning dehumidi-
fies the interior air at outside temperatures
above than 41°F (5° C) and helps prevent
window fogging.
iPress and hold button: for approx.
two seconds. You can release
button: once the opening proce-
dure has begun. The windows and
tilt/sliding sunroof* continue opening
until they have reached their previous
position.
A window or tilt/sliding sunroof* will
only return to its previous position if it
has not been moved to another posi-
tion using the respective window
switch or tilt/sliding sunroof* switch
after it was closed with button:. A
window or tilt/sliding sunroof* that
was moved will remain in its current po-
sition if button: is used to re-open
the remaining windows or tilt/sliding
sunroof*.
iThe air recirculation mode is
deactivated automatically

after five minutes if the outside
temperature is below
approximately 41°F (5°C)


after five minutes if the air condi-
tioning and air-drying is turned off


after 30 minutes if the outside
temperature is above
approximately 41°F (5°C)
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.Warning!
G
If you turn off the cooling function, the inte-
rior air is not dried. The windows can fog up
more quickly. Window fogging may impair
visibility and endanger you and others.

226 Controls in detail3-zone automatic climate control*Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the automatic
climate control system. The air in the vehi-
cle will then no longer be cooled or dehu-
midified.
Press button2 (
page 218).
The indicator lamp on button2
goes out.
The cooling function switches off after
a short delay.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.

Press button2 again.
The indicator lamp on button2
comes on.
The air conditioning system uses the refrig-
erant R-134a. This refrigerant is free of
CFCs which are harmful to the ozone layer.
Residual heat and ventilation
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior
for up to 30 minutes. This feature makes
use of the residual heat produced by the
engine.
!If the air conditioning cannot be turned
on again, this indicates that the air
conditioning is losing refrigerant. The
compressor has turned itself off.
Have the air conditioning checked at
the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
iHow long the system will provide heat-
ing depends on the coolant tempera-
ture and the battery voltage.
Regardless of the temperature and air
volume set on the climate control panel
an interior temperature is aimed at by
72°F (22°C) and the blower runs for
the protection of the battery on low
stage.

228 Controls in detail3-zone automatic climate control*Deactivating rear air conditioning
For an improved cooling or heating output
in the front passenger compartment, the
rear passenger compartment can be
switched off.
For information on switching on and off the
rear air conditioning from the climate con-
trol panel in the front, see “Rear air condi-
tioning” (
page 218).

Press button´.
The indicator lamp on button´
goes out.
The cooling function switches off after
a short delay.Adjusting air distribution
Use the air distribution controls5 or6
to adjust the air distribution for the rear
passenger compartment.
The following symbols are found on the
controls:
Adjusting manually

Press the desired air distribution con-
trol.
The indicator lamp in the Ubutton
goes out.Adjusting automatically

Press buttonU4.
The indicator lamp in the Ubutton
illuminates. The air distribution is ad-
justed automatically.
Setting the temperature
Use temperature control3 to separately
adjust the air temperature of the rear
passenger compartment. You should raise
or lower the temperature setting in small
increments, preferably starting at 72°F
(22°C).
Symbol
Function
Z
Directs air to the center air
vents
Y
Directs air to the footwells and
the side air vents
iThe rear air conditioning will not cool
the air when A/C mode has been
selected on the front control panel.

332 OperationEngine compartment
Unscrew filler cap1 from filler neck.

Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.

Screw filler cap1 back on filler neck.
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” (
page 481).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center check the automatic trans-
mission.Coolant level
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze. To check
the coolant level, the vehicle must be
parked on level ground and the engine
must be cool.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid any possibly serious burns:

Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates that the coolant is overheated.


Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if coolant temperature is
above 158°F (70°C). Allow engine to
cool down before removing cap. The
coolant reservoir contains hot fluid and
is under pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately
1/2 turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.

410 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
?
(USA only)
±
(Canada only)
Visit workshop
There may be a malfunction in
the:

Fuel injection system


Ignition system


Exhaust system


Fuel system

Have the measuring system checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
B
Coolant
Check level
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 332).

If you have to add coolant frequently,
have the cooling system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
Warning!
G
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts. You can be seriously burned.
!Do not ignore the low engine coolant
level warning. Extended driving with
the message and symbol displayed
may cause serious engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Do not drive without sufficient amount
of coolant in the cooling system. The
engine will overheat causing major en-
gine damage.