2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 engine

212 Controls in detailClimate controlActivating
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 uses the refrigerant
R134a. 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.Activating

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0or1, or remove it from
the starter switch.

Press buttonT (
page 204).
The indicator lamp on buttonT
comes on.
Deactivating

Press buttonT (
page 204).
The indicator lamp on buttonT
goes out.
!If the air conditioning cannot be turned
on again, this indicates that the air con-
ditioning is losing refrigerant. The com-
pressor 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.

219 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
The climate control is a 3-zone intelligent
climate control system. Your vehicle interi-
or is divided into 3 zones.With the help of a sun sensor, the climate
control determines the relation of the sun
to the vehicle and automatically adjusts
the inside temperature for every individual
zone.
The climate control is operational whenev-
er the engine is running. It cools the vehi-
cle’s interior according to the angle and
intensity of the sun’s rays, the outside tem-
perature and the selected temperature.
You can operate the automatic climate
control in either the automatic or manual
mode.
Warning!
G
When operating the climate control, the air
that enters the passenger compartment
through the air vents in the footwell can be
very hot or very cold (depending on the set
temperature). This may cause burns or frost-
bite on unprotected skin in the immediate
area of the air vents.
Always keep sufficient distance between un-
protected parts of the body and the footwell
air vents. If necessary, change the air flow
using the air distribution controls
(page 218) to direct the air away from the
footwell air vents.

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.

240 Controls in detailDriving systems
Canceling cruise control
There are several ways to cancel the cruise
control:
Step on the brake pedal.
The cruise control is canceled. The last
speed set is stored for later use.
or

Briefly push the cruise control lever in
direction of arrow3 (
page 239).
The cruise control is canceled. The last
speed set is stored for later use.
iOn uphill grades, the cruise control
may not be able to maintain the set
speed. Once the grade eases, the set
speed will be resumed.
On downhill grades, the cruise control
maintains the set speed with braking
from the vehicle’s braking system. In
addition, on longer downhill grades the
automatic transmission will automati-
cally downshift.
iThe last stored speed is canceled when
you turn off the engine.
iThe cruise control switches off auto-
matically when

you step on the brake pedal


you depress the parking brake
pedal
The cruise control also switches off au-
tomatically when


the vehicle speed is below 20 mph
(30 km/h)


the ESP
® is in operation or
switched off with the ESP
® switch
(
page 97)


you set the automatic transmission
toN while driving
An acoustic warning sounds and the
message
Cruise control OFF
appears
in the multifunction display.

248 Controls in detailDriving systems
Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.
Each time the set speed is changed, DSR
will appear in the multifunction dis-
play and the newly set speed is shown.
Off-road driving program
The off-road driving program is designed to
assist the driver when driving off-road in
terrain and crossing water. The off-road
driving program adjusts the engine power
and shifting of the automatic transmission
to be more suitable for the off-road use of
the vehicle. In addition, the ABS, ESP
®,
and 4-ETS designed for off-road use are
automatically activated.
In the following situations you should
switch to the Off-road driving program:


during off-road driving


when crossing water


when towing up or down on steep
gradientsThe switch is located on the lower part of
the center console.
1Switch for Off-road driving program
2Indicator lamp
iThe new speed is set and the vehicle
will accelerate or decelerate. Keep in
mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has reached the new
set speed.iThe set speed is canceled when DSR is
switched off. If DSR is switched on
again, DSR will use the programmed
default speed (
page 176).


250 Controls in detailDriving systems
Start the engine (
page 34).

Press ADS switch1 repeatedly until
the desired suspension tuning is
reached.
Vehicle level control*
The vehicle level control automatically
regulates the ride height to

reduce fuel consumption


improve driving stability by lowering
the center of gravity
The vehicle automatically regulates its ride
height based on the set vehicle height and
the current speed:


The ride height of the vehicle is re-
duced with increasing vehicle speed.


The ride height of the vehicle changes
from the high-speed level back to the
normal highway level as the vehicle
speed is decreased.
The parked vehicle begins adjusting to the
set vehicle level as soon the doors and tail-
gate are


unlocked
or


opened.
In order to operate the vehicle level control
switch (
page 252), however, the engine
must be running.
For safety reasons, the vehicle lowers only
when all doors are closed. The lowering
procedure is interrupted as soon as a door
is opened. The lowering will resume as
soon as all doors are closed.
iThe setting is stored when you turn off
the engine.
Warning!
G
Please be aware that by raising the vehicle
level, the center of gravity also rises. There-
fore, always ensure that the vehicle level is
as low as possible. With higher ride height
the ESP
® may activate earlier in certain
situations.
Warning!
G
Make sure that no one is near the wheel
housing or under the vehicle when you lower
the vehicle while it is standing still. Limbs
could become wedged into or under the ve-
hicle.
For safety reasons, the vehicle can only be
lowered with the doors closed. Lowering is
interrupted if a door is opened and will con-
tinue after the door is closed again.

253 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Setting the raised level
Only select the raised level if appropriate
for the driving situation encountered.
Otherwise:

fuel consumption may increase


handling characteristics of the vehicle
may be unfavorable

Start the engine (
page 34).
If the indicator lamp2 is off:

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 flashes. The vehicle
adjusts to the raised level.
The following message appears in the mul-
tifunction display while the level is being
set:When the raised level is reached, the
following message appears in the multi-
function display for five seconds:
Indicator lamp2 (
page 252) comes on
continuously.
You can select the raised level at speeds
up to 40 mph (64 km/h). At higher speeds,
the message
Level selection not
permitted appears in the multifunction
display.Setting the highway/high-speed level

Start the engine (
page 34).
If the indicator lamp2 (page 252) is
on:

Press switch1 (
page 252).
Indicator lamp2 flashes. The vehicle
adjusts to the highway/high-speed
level.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display while the level is
being set:
iThe message can be cleared by press-
ing theèÿk or
buttonj on the multifunction
steering wheel.
iThe message can be cleared by press-
ing theèÿk or
buttonj on the multifunction
steering wheel.