2007 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320CDI engine

356 OperationEngine compartmentHood
OpeningWarning!
G
Do not pull the release lever while the vehi-
cle is in motion. Otherwise the hood could
be forced open by passing air flow.
This could cause the hood to come loose
and injure you and/or others.Warning!
G
If you see flames or smoke coming from the
engine compartment, or if the coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is
overheated, do not open the hood. Move
away from vehicle and do not open the hood
until the engine has cooled. If necessary,
call the fire department.
Warning!
G
You could be injured when the hood is open
– even when the engine is turned off.
Parts of the engine can become very hot. To
prevent burns, only touch owner serviceable
components described in the Operator’s
Manual and comply with all relevant safety
precautions.Warning!
G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running.
The radiator fan may continue to run for ap-
proximately 30 seconds or even restart af-
ter the engine has been turned off. Stay
clear of fan blades.
Warning!
G
Vehicles with gasoline engine:
The engine is equipped with a transistorized
ignition system. Because of the high voltage
it is dangerous to touch any components
(ignition coils, spark plug sockets, diagnos-
tic socket) of the ignition system

with the engine running


while starting the engine


if ignition is “on” and the engine is
turned manually

357 Operation
Engine compartment
The hood lock release lever is located in
the driver’s footwell.
1Release lever
Pull release lever1 downwards.
The hood is unlocked. Handle2 pro-
trudes slightly from the radiator grille.
If not, lift the hood slightly.2Handle for opening the hood

Press and hold handle2.
The hood is unlocked.

Pull up on the hood in direction of ar-
row and then release it.
The hood will be automatically held
open at shoulder height by gas-filled
struts.
Warning!
G
Vehicles with diesel engine:
The engine is equipped with a high-voltage
electronic control unit for the injection
system. Because of the high voltage it is
dangerous to touch any components of the
injection system (injectors, electrical wires)

with the engine running


while starting the engine


when the ignition is switched on
!
To avoid damage to the windshield wipers or
hood, never open the hood if the wiper arms are
folded forward away from the windshield.

358 OperationEngine compartmentClosing
Let the hood drop from a height of
approximately 1 ft (30 cm).
The hood will lock audibly.

Check to make sure the hood is fully
closed.
If you can raise the hood at a point
above the headlamps, then it is not
properly closed. Open it again and let it
drop with somewhat greater force.
Engine oil
The amount of oil your engine needs will
depend on a number of factors, including
driving style. Increased oil consumption
can occur when

the vehicle is new


the vehicle is driven frequently at
higher engine speeds
Engine oil consumption checks should only
be made after the vehicle break-in period.Checking engine oil level with the
control system (ML 500 only)
When checking the oil level


the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been
stationary for at least 5 minutes with
the engine turned off


with the engine not at operating tem-
perature yet, the vehicle must have
been stationary for at least 30 minutes
with the engine turned off
To check the engine oil level via the
multifunction display, do the following:

Switch on the ignition (
page 40).
The standard display (
page 154)
should appear in the multifunction
display.
Warning!
G
When closing the hood, use extreme caution
not to catch hands or fingers. Be careful that
you do not close the hood on anyone.
Make sure that the hood is securely en-
gaged before driving off. Do not continue
driving if the hood can no longer engage af-
ter an accident, for example. The hood could
otherwise come loose while the vehicle is in
motion and injure you and/or others.
i
Do not use any special lubricant additives,
as these may damage the drive assemblies.
Using special additives not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may cause damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
More information on this subject is available at
any Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

359 Operation
Engine compartment

Press buttonk orj on the
multifunction steering wheel until the
following message appears in the mul-
tifunction display:
One of the following messages will
subsequently appear in the
multifunction display:

Engine oil level OK


Add 1.0 qt. to reach max. oil
level(Canada:
1.0 liter
)


Add 1.5 qts. to reach max. oil
level(Canada:
1.5 liters
)


Add 2.0 qts. to reach max. oil
level(Canada:
2.0 liters
)

If necessary, add engine oil
(page 361).
For information on adding engine oil, see
(
page 361).
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” section (
page 543) and
(
page 546).
Other display messages
If the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button is not in position2, the
following message will appear:
Switch ignition on
to check engine oil level
Switch on the ignition (
page 40).
If you see the message:
Observe waiting period

If the engine is at operating
temperature, wait 5 minutes before
repeating check procedure.

If the engine is not at operating temper-
ature, wait 30 minutes before repeat-
ing check procedure.
If you see the message:
Engine oil level
Not when engine on
Turn off the engine.

If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture, wait 5 minutes before checking
oil.

If the engine is not at operating temper-
ature yet, you must wait 30 minutes
before checking oil.
If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at operating temperature, the following
message will appear:
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
i
If you want to interrupt the checking proce-
dure, press the
k
or
j
button on the
multifunction steering wheel.

360 OperationEngine compartment
Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see “Practical hints” (
page 413).
Checking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick (except ML 500)
When checking the oil level


the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


the vehicle must have been stationary
for at least 5 minutes with the engine
turned off1Oil dipstick
2Upper mark
3Lower mark

Open the hood (
page 356).

Pull out oil dipstick1.

Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.

Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the
dipstick guide tube.

Pull out oil dipstick1 again after
approximately 3 seconds to obtain
accurate reading.
The oil level is correct when it is be-
tween lower mark3 (min.) and upper
mark2 (max.) of the oil dipstick.

If necessary, add engine oil
(page 361).
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” section (
page 543) and
(
page 546).
!
Excess oil must be siphoned or drained off.
It could cause damage to the engine and/or
catalytic converter (gasoline engine) or the oxi-
dation catalyst (diesel engine) not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
i
All models (except ML 63 AMG):
The filling quantity between the upper and lower
marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
ML 63 AMG:
The filling quantity between the upper and lower
marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
1.6 US qt. (1.5 l).

361 Operation
Engine compartment
Adding engine oil
Example ML 350 (ML 320 CDI similar)1Filler capExample ML 500 (ML 63 AMG similar)1Filler cap

Unscrew filler cap1 from filler neck.

Add engine oil as required. Never over-
fill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.

Screw filler cap1 back on filler neck.
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” section (
page 543) and
(
page 546).
!
Only use approved engine oils and oil filters
required for vehicles with Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles).
For a listing of approved engine oils and oil
filters, refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet in your vehicle literature
portfolio, or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of specification
other than those expressly required for the
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles), or changing of oil
and oil filter at change intervals longer than
those called for by the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles)
will result in engine or emission control system
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
!
Excess oil must be siphoned or drained off.
It could cause damage to the engine and/or
catalytic converter (gasoline engine) or the oxi-
dation catalyst (diesel engine) not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

362 OperationEngine compartmentTransmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center check the automatic trans-
mission.Coolant level
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze. To check
the coolant level, the vehicle must be
parked on level ground.
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the driver’s side of the engine compart-
ment.1Cap
2Coolant expansion tank
3Indicator wall
4Coolant level

Using a rag, turn cap1 slowly approx-
imately one half turn counterclockwise
to release any excess pressure.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid potentially serious burns:

Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates that the coolant is overheated.


Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if coolant temperature is
above 158°F (70°C). Allow engine to
cool down before removing cap. The
coolant reservoir contains hot fluid and
is under pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately
1/2 turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.

363 Operation
Engine compartment

Continue turning cap1 counterclock-
wise and remove it.
Coolant level4 is correct if the level:

for cold coolant: reaches the top of
indicator wall3 visible through the
filling opening


for warm coolant: is approximately
0.6 in (1.5 cm) higher

Add coolant as required.

Replace and tighten cap1.
For more information on coolant, see
“Coolants” (
page 549).Windshield/rear window washer
system and headlamp cleaning
system*
The windshield washer reservoir is located
in the engine compartment.
1Cap for windshield washer fluid
reservoir
Fluid for the windshield washer system and
the headlamp cleaning system* is supplied
from the windshield washer reservoir. It
has a capacity of 8.1 US qt (7.7 l).During all seasons, add MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate “MB SummerFit” to
water. Premix the windshield washer fluid
in a suitable container.

Use the tab to pull cap1 upwards.Warning!
G
Washer solvent/antifreeze is highly flamma-
ble. Do not spill washer solvent/antifreeze
on hot engine parts, because it may ignite
and burn. You could be seriously burned.