2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 tow

471 Practical hints
Jump starting
The jump-start contacts are located in the
engine compartment.
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift gear selector lever to positionP.1Negative (-) terminal
2Cover of Positive (+) terminal

Open cover2 of the positive terminal
of both vehicles.

Connect positive terminal2 and the
positive terminal of the charged battery
with the jumper cable. Clamp cable to
charged battery first.

Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect negative terminals1 and the
negative terminal of the charged
battery with the jumper cable. Clamp
cable to charged battery first.

Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.
Now you can again turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
the negative terminals on each battery
and then from the positive terminals on
each battery.
Now you can turn on the lights.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 462).!Never invert the terminal connections!
iThe message
Undervoltage - Switch
off consumers may appear in the
instrument cluster. It will disappear as
soon as the battery is sufficiently
charged.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.

472 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleMercedes-Benz recommends that the
vehicle be transported with all wheels off
the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment. This method is
preferable to other types of towing.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the
vehicle may be towed with all wheels on
the ground only so far as necessary to have
the vehicle moved to a safe location where
the recommended towing methods can be
employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment, with SmartKey in starter switch
turned to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts. Use the towing eyes.
Switch off the ESP
® (page 97),
tow-away alarm (
page 102) and the
automatic central locking
(
page 125).
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!Do not tow with one axle raised. Doing
so could damage the transfer case,
which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
All wheels must be on or off the ground.
Observe instructions for towing the ve-
hicle with all wheels on the ground.!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the gear selector lever
must be in positionN and the
SmartKey must be in starter switch
position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the vehicle may be
towed only for distances up to 30 miles
(50 km) and at a speed not to exceed
30 mph (50 km/h).
If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised (observe instructions re-
garding flexible drive shaft), the engine
must be shut off (SmartKey in starter
switch position1). Otherwise, the
4-ETS may become engaged which may
cause loss of towing control.
Keep in mind that it is important for the
SmartKey to be in the respective start-
er switch positions as described above.
As soon as the SmartKey is removed
from the starter switch, the automatic
transmission will shift to park
positionP.

473 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
!
To be certain to avoid additional dam-
age to the vehicle powertrain, however
you should observe the following:

With damage to the front axle

raise front axle


remove flexible drive shaft be-
tween rear axle and transfer
case


With damage to the rear axle

raise rear axle


tow vehicle with wheel lift or
dolly placed under front wheels


With damage to the transfer case

remove flexible drive shaft to
the drive axles
Warning!
G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:

the engine will not run


there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
as that will be necessary to adequately con-
trol the towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make sure the SmartKey is in
starter switch position2.
If the SmartKey is left in starter switch
position0 for an extended period of time, it
can no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock, re-
move SmartKey from starter switch and re-
insert.
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.iTo signal turns while being towed with
hazard warning flasher in use, turn
SmartKey in starter switch to
position2 and activate combination
switch for left or right turn signal in usu-
al manner – only the selected turn sig-
nal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the
hazard warning flasher will operate
again.

474 Practical hintsTowing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolt
1Cover on passenger side of front
bumper
1Cover on passenger side of rear
bumper (ML 350)
iThe vehicle cannot be started via
tow-start.iIf the battery is disconnected or dis-
charged, the automatic transmission
will remain locked in positionP and the
SmartKey will not turn in the starter
switch. For more information, see “Bat-
tery” (
page 462) and “Jump starting”
(
page 470).
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, note the following:
With the automatic central locking
activated and the SmartKey in starter
switch position2, or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (
page 36) in
position2, the vehicle doors lock if the
left front wheel is turning at vehicle
speeds of approximately 9 mph
(15 km/h) or more.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(
page 102).
To prevent the vehicle doors from
locking, deactivate the automatic
central locking (
page 125).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the properly installed tow-
ing eye bolt. Never attach tow cable,
tow rope or tow rod to vehicle chassis,
frame or suspension parts.

475 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
1Cover on passenger side of rear
bumper (ML 500)Removing cover
ML 350

Press mark on cover1 (
page 474)
in direction of arrow.

Lift cover off to reveal the threaded
hole for towing eye bolt.
ML 500

Pry cover1 (
page 475) with a
screwdriver or similar tool.

Lift cover off to reveal the threaded
hole for towing eye bolt.
Installing towing eye bolt

Take towing eye bolt and wheel bolt
wrench out of cargo compartment
(page 430).

Screw towing eye bolt clockwise into
its stop and tighten with wheel wrench.Removing towing eye bolt

Loosen towing eye bolt counterclock-
wise with wheel wrench.

Unscrew towing eye bolt.

Store towing eye bolt and wheel bolt
wrench in cargo compartment
(page 430).
Installing cover

Fit cover and snap into place.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid possible serious burns or
injury, use extreme caution when removing
the rear cover, because the rear exhaust
pipe is extremely hot.

476 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleStranded vehicle
Freeing a stranded vehicle, on which the
wheels are dug into sand or mud, should
be done with the greatest of care, especial-
ly if the vehicle is heavily loaded.
Avoid pulling the vehicle jerkily or diago-
nally, since it could result in damage to the
chassis alignment.
Never try to free a vehicle that is still cou-
pled to a trailer.
If possible, a vehicle should be pulled back-
ward in its own previously made tracks.

507 Index
A
ABS 93, 501
ABS control 93
Malfunction indicator lamp 382
Messages in display 397
Off-road - ABS 94
Warning lamp 382
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 190
Accessory weight 365
Accident
In case of 59
Activating
Air circulation mode 226
Air conditioning (cooling) 211
Air recirculation mode 209, 224
Anti-theft alarm system 101
Central locking (control system) 172
Defrosting 208
Easy-entry/exit feature* 173
ESP
®
98Exterior headlamps 54
Hazard warning flasher 145
Headlamps 54
High beams 142
Ignition 34
Immobilizer 62, 100
Rear window defroster 201
Rear window wiper 58
Residual heat 212, 227
Seat heating* 134
Tow-away alarm 102
Warning indicators (Parktronic*) 256
Windshield wipers 55
Adaptive Damping
System (ADS)* 249, 501
Adding
Coolant 333
Engine oil 331
Additional turn signals 443Adjusting 38
Air distribution 207, 222
Air volume 207, 208, 222
Backrest tilt 40
Compass zone 171
Exterior rear view mirror 44
Head restraint height 40
Head restraint tilt 41
Headlamp aim 451
Instrument cluster illumination 148
Interior rear view mirror 44
Mirrors 43
Multicontour seat* 132
Seat cushion depth 132
Seat cushion tilt 40
Seat fore and aft adjustment 39
Seat height 39
Seats 38
Steering column height 43
Steering wheel 41
Adjusting steering column 43
ADS* 501

508 IndexAir bags 67
Children 68
Front 71
Passenger 71
Safety guidelines 70
Side impact 72
Window curtain 72
Air conditioning
Turning off 211
Turning on 211
Air conditioning refrigerant 495
Air distribution
Adjusting 207, 222
Air pressure 365, 501
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air recirculation mode 209, 223
Activating 209, 224
Deactivating 210, 225
Air suspension package* 249
Air suspension* 501Air volume
Adjusting 207, 208, 222
Alarm
Audible 91, 102
Canceling 102
Visual 100
Alarm system
Anti-theft 100
Alignment bolt (vehicle tool kit) 501
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 499
Antilock brake system (ABS) 501
Anti-theft alarm system
Arming 101
Canceling alarm 102
Disarming 101
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft alarm system 100
Immobilizer 100
Tow-away alarm 102
Aquaplaning see HydroplaningArmrest
Storage compartment in front of 272
Storage compartments 272
Armrest in rear seat bench 275
Ashtray*
Front center console 275
Aspect ratio 365
ATF (automatic transmission fluid) 332
Attaching a trailer 316
AUDIO menu 157
Selecting radio station 157
Selecting satellite radio*
station (USA only) 157
Audio system
CD mode 158
Auto-dimming rear view mirror* 195
Auto-dimming*
Rear view mirror 195
Automatic central locking
Activating/deactivating
(control system) 172