2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 brakes

335 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tires and wheels
See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center for information on tested and
recommended rims and tires for summer
and winter operation. They can also offer
advice concerning tire service and
purchase.
Retreaded tires are not tested or recom-
mended by Mercedes-Benz, since previous
damage cannot always be recognized on
retreads. The operating safety of the
vehicle cannot be assured when such tires
are used.
Important guidelines

Only use sets of tires and rims of the
same type and make.


Tires must be of the correct size for the
rim.


Break in new tires for approximately
60 miles (100 km) at moderate
speeds.


Regularly check the tires and rims for
damage. Dented or bent rims can
cause tire inflation pressure loss or
damage to the tire beads.


If vehicle is heavily loaded, check tire
inflation pressure and correct as
required.


Do not allow your tires to wear down
too far. Adhesion properties on wet
roads are sharply reduced at tread
depths under
1/8in (3 mm).


When replacing individual tires, you
should mount new tires on the front
wheels first (on vehicles with
same-sized wheels all around).
Warning!
G
Replace rims or tires with the same designa-
tion, manufacturer and type as shown on the
original part. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for fur-
ther information. If incorrectly sized rims
and tires are mounted:

The wheel brakes or suspension
components can be damaged.


The operating clearance of the wheels
and the tires may no longer be correct.
Warning!
G
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
When replacing rims, only use genuine
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts specified for the
particular rim type. Failure to do so can
result in the bolts loosening and possibly an
accident.

349 Operation
Tires and wheels
iThe recommended tire inflation pres-
sures for your vehicle can be found on
the tire placard located on the driver’s
door B-pillar (
page 339). The tire in-
flation pressures are not listed in the
owner’s manual.
Warning!
G
The Run Flat Indicator does not indicate a
warning for wrongly selected tire inflation
pressures. Always adjust tire inflation pres-
sure according to the placard on the driver’s
door B-pillar or fuel filler flap.
The Run Flat Indicator does not replace reg-
ular checks of the tire inflation pressures
since a gradual pressure loss in all four tires
cannot be detected by the Run Flat
Indicator.
The Run Flat Indicator is not able to issue a
warning due to a sudden dramatic loss of
tire inflation pressure (e.g. tire blowout
caused by a foreign object). In this case
bring the vehicle to a halt by carefully apply-
ing the brakes and avoiding abrupt steering
maneuvers.
Warning!
G
Follow recommend tire inflation pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being over-
heated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stopping
distance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road
debris, potholes etc.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit or vehicle capacity
weight as indicated on the placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading the tires
can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout.

352 OperationTires and wheelsWarning!
G
The TPMS does not indicate a warning for
wrongly selected inflation pressures. Always
adjust tire inflation pressure according to
the placard on the driver’s door B-pillar or, if
available, the supplemental tire pressure in-
formation on the inside of the fuel filler flap.
The TPMS is not able to issue a warning due
to a sudden dramatic loss of pressure (e.g.
tire blowout caused by a foreign object). In
this case bring the vehicle to a halt by care-
fully applying the brakes and avoiding
abrupt steering maneuvers.
Warning!
G
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or the tire inflation pressure
label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or the tire inflation pressure label,
you should consult the appropriate section
of this owner’s manual to determine the
proper tire inflation pressure). When the low
tire pressure telltale is illuminated, one or
more of your tires is significantly under-in-
flated. You should stop and check your tires
as soon as possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a significantly
under-inflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure. Under-infla-
tion also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s han-
dling and stopping ability.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction telltale to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. When
the malfunction telltale is illuminated, the
system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS mal-
functions may occur for a variety of reasons,
including the installation of incompatible
replacement tires on the vehicle. Always
check the TPMS malfunction telltale after
replacing one or more tires on your vehicle
to ensure that the replacement tires are
compatible with the TPMS.

365 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of those
standard items which may be replaced) of
automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power
seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as
factory-installed equipment (whether
installed or not).
Air pressure
The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire.
Air pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or
bars.
Aspect ratio
Dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width
expressed in percentage.Bar
Another metric unit for air pressure. There
are 14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi)
to 1 bar; there are 100 kilopascals (kPa)
to 1 bar.
Bead
The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped
by steel cords that hold the tire onto the
rim.
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire inflation pressure when your vehicle
has been sitting for at least three hours or
driven no more than one mile (1.6 km).
Curb weight
The weight of a motor vehicle with stan-
dard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, and, if so
equipped, air conditioning and additional
optional equipment, but without passen-
gers and cargo.DOT (D
epartment o
f T
ransportation)
A tire branding symbol which denotes the
tire meets requirements of the
U.S. Department of Transportation.
GAWR (G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible
axle weight. The gross vehicle weight on
each axle must never exceed the GAWR for
the front and rear axle indicated on the
certification label located on the driver’s
door B-pillar.
GTW (G
ross T
railer W
eight)
The GTW is the weight of the trailer plus
the weight of all cargo, equipment, luggage
etc. loaded on the trailer.

366 OperationTires and wheelsGVW (G
ross V
ehicle W
eight)
The GVW comprises the weight of the
vehicle including fuel, tools, spare wheel,
installed accessories, passengers and
cargo and, if applicable, trailer tongue
load. The GWV must never exceed the
GWVR indicated on the certification label
located on the driver’s door B-pillar.
GVWR (G
ross V
ehicle W
eight R
ating)
This is the maximum permissible vehicle
weight of the fully loaded vehicle (weight of
the vehicle including all options, passen-
gers, fuel, and cargo and, if applicable,
trailer tongue load). It is indicated on
certification label located on the driver’s
door B-pillar.
Kilopascal (kPa)
The metric unit for air pressure. There are
6.9 kPa to 1 psi; another metric unit for air
pressure is bars. There are 100 kilopascals
(kPa) to 1 bar.Maximum load rating
The maximum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by the tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
The sum of curb weight, accessory weight,
vehicle capacity weight and production
options weight.
Maximum tire inflation pressure
This number is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
under normal driving conditions.
Normal occupant weight
The number of occupants the vehicle is
designed to seat, multiplied by
68 kilograms (150 lbs).
Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupants in a vehicle
at their designated seating positions.Production options weight
The combined weight of those installed
regular production options weighing over
5 lbs (2.3 kilograms) in excess of those
standard items which they replace, not
previously considered in curb weight or
accessory weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty
battery, and special trim.
PSI (P
ounds per s
quare i
nch)
A standard unit of measure for air pressure
-> bar, kilopascal (kPa).
Recommended tire inflation pressure
Recommended tire inflation pressure
listed on placard located on driver’s door
B-pillar for normal driving conditions.
Provides best handling, tread life and
riding comfort.

399 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
ESP
unavailable
See Operator’s Manual
In addition, the yellow ESP
® warning
lampv comes on.
The ESP
® is deactivated because of
a malfunction or interrupted power
supply.

Continue driving with added caution.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases
the risk of accident.
If the yellow ESP
® warning
lampv flashes while driving and
this message appears, the electron-
ic traction system has switched off
to prevent overheating of the drive
wheel brakes.
As soon as the brakes have cooled off, the
electronic traction system switches on again.
The message in the multifunction display disap-
pears and the ESP
® warning lampv go out.
The self-diagnosis has not yet been
completed.
The display will clear after driving a short dis-
tance at a vehicle speed of above 12 mph
(20 km/h).
Malfunction
Visit workshop
In addition, the yellow ESP
® warning
lampv comes on.
The ESP
® has detected a malfunc-
tion and switched off.
The ABS may still be operational.

Continue driving with added caution.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center as soon
as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases
the risk of an accident.

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.


510 IndexBrake pads
Message in display 408
Brakes 300
Warning lamp 383
Break-in period 298
Bulbs, replacing 443
Additional turn signals 443
Backup lamps 444
Brake lamps 444
Fog lamps 443
Front fog lamp 449
Front lamps 443
High beam 443
License plate lamps 444, 451
Low beam 443
Parking, standing lamp 443
Rear fog lamps 450
Rear side marker lamp bulbs 450
Side marker lamp 443
Side marker lamps 444
Turn signal lamps 443, 444C
CAC (Customer Assistance Center) 501
Calibrating
Compass 171
California
Important notice 11
Call priority
Tele Aid* 287
Calling up
Range (distance to empty) 178
Service indicator 372
CAN system 501
Capacities
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. 493
Cargo compartment
Fuse box in 479
Interior lighting 145
Lamp 147
Tie-down rings 260
Cargo compartment cover* 265
Closing 265
Installing 265
Opening 265
Removing 265
Cargo tie-down rings 260Carpet
Cleaning 379
Catalytic converter 320
CD player
Operating 158
Center console 27
Lower part 28
PASS AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp 393
Upper part 27
Central locking
Automatic 125
Switch 126
Switching on/off
(control system) 172
Unlocking from inside 126
Central locking switch 126
Certification label 484
Changing
SmartKey setting 173
Charging
Vehicle battery 469
CHECK ENGINE malfunction
indicator lamp 385, 386