2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 Smart key

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.


125 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Automatic central locking
The doors and the tailgate automatically
lock when the ignition is switched on and
the wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
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 KEYLESS-GO locking/closing
switch
1


press the tailgate closing switch


press the Šbutton on the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO*


press or pull the remote tailgate switch
(on the driver’s door)
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.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset threshold.
The vehicle automatically locks when
the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more. You could therefore lock yourself
out when the vehicle

is pushed or towed


is on a test stand


during a wheel change

126 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingFor information on towing the vehicle, see
“Towing the vehicle” (
page 472).
You can deactivate the automatic locking
mode using the control system
(
page 172).
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the doors and the
tailgate from inside using the central lock-
ing or unlocking switch. This can be useful,
for example, if you want to lock the vehicle
before starting to drive.
The fuel filler flap cannot be locked or un-
locked with the central locking or unlock-
ing switch, respectively.The switches are located on each front
door control panel.
1Central unlocking switch
2Central locking switch
Locking

Press central locking switch2.
If all doors and the tailgate are closed,
the vehicle locks.
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. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iWith the passenger-side door opened,
you cannot lock the vehicle with the
central locking switch.

127 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Unlocking
Press central unlocking switch1.
The vehicle unlocks.
iYou can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.
If the vehicle was previously centrally
locked with the SmartKey or the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*, it will
not unlock using the central unlocking
switch2.
If the vehicle was previously locked
with the central locking switch1:

While in the selective remote con-
trol mode, only the front door
opened from the inside is unlocked.


While in the global remote control
mode, the vehicle is unlocked com-
pletely when a front door is opened
from the inside.

128 Controls in detailSeatsFor information on seat adjustment, see
the “Getting started” section (
page 38).
For more information on seats, see “Load-
ing” (
page 259).
Easy-entry/exit feature (Vehicles with
memory function*)
This feature allows for easier entry into and
exit from the vehicle.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be
activated or deactivated in the Convenience
submenu of the control sys-
tem (
page 173).When exiting the vehicle, with the
easy-entry/exit feature activated and
depending on your selection, the steering
wheel tilts upwards and/or the driver’s
seat moves a few inches to the rear when
you:


remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch,
or


open the driver’s door with the
SmartKey in starter switch position 0
or 1 or the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 36) in position1.
Warning!
G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel and driver’s seat when the
easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
To stop seat/steering wheel movement, do
one of the following:

Press seat adjustment switch
(page 39).


Move steering column stalk*
(page 42).


Press one of the memory position but-
tons or the memory button
M*
(
page 136).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
!Do not activate the easy-entry/exit fea-
ture if the seat backrest is in an exces-
sively reclined position. Doing so could
cause damage the front or rear seats.
First move seat backrest to an upright
position.

129 Controls in detailSeats
When entering the vehicle, with the
easy-entry/exit feature activated, the
steering wheel or, depending on your se-
lection, the steering wheel and driver’s
seat will return to their last set memory po-
sition or a factory-set maximum forward
position when you:

close the driver’s door with the ignition
switched on


insert the SmartKey into the starter
switch or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (
page 36) once
with the driver’s door closed.
iIf the current position for the steering
wheel is in the uppermost tilt position,
the steering wheel will no longer be
able to move upward when the
easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
If the current seat position falls into a
factory-set position range and the sys-
tem recognizes the current seat posi-
tion to be rearward enough for easy
entry and exit, the driver’s seat will not
move to the rear when the
easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
iFor safety reasons, the driver’s seat will
not return to its last set position with
the easy-entry/exit feature activated if
the system recognizes the last set posi-
tion as an extreme forward position. In-
stead, the driver’s seat will remain at or
move to a factory-set maximum for-
ward position. To again fully return the
driver’s seat to your last set position or
to memory position, adjust the seat to
the desired position or press and hold
the respective memory position button
(page 136).

135 Controls in detail
Memory function*
Memory function*
You can store up to three different settings
for each SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.
The following settings are saved for each
stored position on the entry side of the
driver seat:

Driver’s seat, head restraint height and
backrest position


Steering wheel position


Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
position


Passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror position
The following are saved for each stored po-
sition on the entry side of the front passen-
ger seat:


Front passenger seat, head restraint
height and backrest position
!Prior to operating the vehicle, the
driver should check and adjust the seat
height, seat position fore and aft, and
seat backrest angle if necessary, to
ensure adequate control, reach and
comfort. The head restraint should also
be adjusted for proper height. See also
the section on air bags (
page 67) for
proper seat positioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, opera-
tion and comfort. Both the interior and
exterior rear view mirrors should be
adjusted for adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small
children should be seated in a properly
secured restraint system that complies
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 and 225 and Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213
and 210.2.
Warning!
G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.

137 Controls in detail
Memory function*
Storing exterior rear view mirror parking position
For easier parking, you can adjust the
passenger-side exterior rear view mirror so
that you can see the right rear wheel as
soon as you engage reverse gearR.
For information on activating the parking
position feature, see “Activating exterior
rear view mirror parking position*”
(page 196).1Adjustment button
2Passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror button

Stop the vehicle.

Switch on the ignition (
page 34).

Press button2.
The passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror is selected.

Adjust the exterior rear view mirror
with button1 so that you see the rear
wheel and the road curb.

Press memory buttonM (
page 136).

Within three seconds, press bottom of
adjustment button1.
The parking position is stored if the
mirror does not move.
iYou can store a parking position for the
passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror for each SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO*.
iIf the mirror does move, repeat the
above steps. After the setting is stored,
you can move the mirror again.