2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 Owner's Manual

56 Getting startedDriving
Intermittent wiping
Set the wiper switch to positionI.
Single wipe

Press switch briefly in the direction of
arrow1.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.Wiping with windshield washer fluid

Push switch in the direction of
arrow1 past the resistance point.
The windshield wipers operate with
washer fluid.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield/rear window
washer system and headlamp cleaning
system*” (
page 333).
!Vehicles with rain sensor*:
Do not leave windshield wipers in inter-
mittent setting when the vehicle is tak-
en to an automatic car wash or during
windshield cleaning. Wipers will oper-
ate in the presence of water sprayed on
the windshield, and wipers may be
damaged as a result.
Do not operate the wipers when the
windshield is dry. Dust that accumu-
lates on a windshield might scratch the
glass and/or damage the wiper blades
when wiping occurs on a dry wind-
shield. If it is necessary to operate the
wipers in dry weather conditions, al-
ways operate the wipers with wind-
shield washer fluid (
page 56).
iIntermittent wiping is interrupted when
the vehicle is at a standstill and a front
door is opened.

57 Getting started
Driving
Rear window wiper/washer
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Rear window wiper switch
2Wiping rear window with washer fluid
3Intermittent wiping
4Rear window wiper off
5Wiping rear window with washer fluid
!If anything blocks the windshield wip-
ers (leaves, snow, etc.), switch them off
immediately.
For safety reasons, stop the vehicle in
a safe location and


turn off the engine by turning
the SmartKey to position0 and
withdraw SmartKey from starter
switch
or


turn off the engine by pressing
the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button and open the driver’s
door (with the driver’s door
open, starter switch is in
position0, same as with
SmartKey removed from starter
switch)
before attempting to remove any
blockage.


Remove blockage.


Turn the windshield wipers on
again.
If windshield wipers fail to function at
all in switch positionI,


set the combination switch to the
next highest wiper speed


have the windshield wipers
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center


58 Getting startedDriving6Symbol in multifunction display indicat-
ing that rear window wiper is activated
Switch on the ignition (
page 34).
Activating intermittent wiping

Turn switch1 to position3.
Deactivating intermittent wiping

Turn switch1 to position4.Wiping with windshield washer fluid

Turn switch1 to position2 or5.
The rear window wiper operates with
washer fluid.
Hold switch1 in position2 or5
until the rear window is clean.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield/rear window
washer system and headlamp cleaning
system*” (
page 333).
Problems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be
operating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.
iThe rear window wiper engages auto-
matically if the automatic transmission
is shifted to positionR with the wind-
shield wipers switched on.


59 Getting started
Driving
The coolant temperature is above
248°F (120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.
Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 332).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking fuel:

Do not start the engine under any
circumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount:

Start the engine in the usual manner.

60 Getting startedParking and lockingYou have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and the
steering system. 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.
Warning!
G
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.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Shift the automatic transmission to
positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press
start/stop button (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*).


Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* and lock vehicle when
leaving.

61 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking brake
1Parking brake pedal
2Release handle
Step firmly on parking brake pedal1.
When the engine is running, the indica-
tor lamp; (USA only) or!
(Canada only) in the instrument cluster
comes on.
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 release the
parking brake and/or shift the automatic
transmission out of positionP, either of
which could result in an accident and/or se-
rious personal injury.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the
automatic transmission not fully engaged in
positionP is dangerous. Also, when parked
on an incline, positionP alone may not pre-
vent your vehicle from moving, possibly hit-
ting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 185).
When parked on an incline, also turn front
wheel towards the road curb.

62 Getting startedParking and lockingSwitching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM.
For more information, see “Lighting”
(
page 138).
Turning off engine
Shift automatic transmission to
positionP.
Turning off with the SmartKey

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 (
page 34) and remove
it.
The immobilizer is activated.

Press the seat belt release button
(page 47).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
iAlways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to shifting to positionP.
On slopes, turn the front wheels
towards the road curb.
iIf you turn off the engine using the
SmartKey and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch with the trans-
mission in a position other thanP, the
transmission will automatically shift
toP.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine
with the SmartKey alone will not auto-
matically shift the transmission toP.
Only when the SmartKey is removed
from the starter switch will the trans-
mission automatically shift toP.
iWith the SmartKey removed and the
driver’s door open, a warning sounds
and the message
Switch off lights

appears in the multifunction display if
the vehicle’s exterior lamps are not
switched off.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure there is no
possibility of someone getting caught in a
door during closing.

63 Getting started
Parking and locking

After exiting the vehicle, press the lock
button‹ on the SmartKey
(page 32).
The turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs on the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 106).Turning off with KEYLESS-GO*

Shift automatic transmission to
positionP.

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button to shut off the engine.
With the driver’s door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(page 34).

Press the seat belt release button.
Allow the retractor to completely
rewind the seat belt by guiding the
latch plate.
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.
iIf you turn off the engine using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button and
open the driver’s door with the trans-
mission in a position other thanP, the
transmission will automatically shift
toP.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine
with the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button alone will not automatically shift
the transmission toP. Only when the
driver’s door is opened will the trans-
mission automatically shift toP.