2007 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320CDI tow

126 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingIf 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.Automatic central locking
The doors and the tailgate lock automati-
cally 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.For information on towing the vehicle, see
“Towing the vehicle” (
page 518).
You can deactivate the automatic locking
mode using the control system
(
page 176).
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.
i
To prevent a possible inadvertent lockout,
the tailgate will open automatically if a SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* is recognized inside the
vehicle.
i
The doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact exceeds 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
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.


190 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission!
If you want the gear position to remain in
neutral positionN (for example when the vehicle
is pulled through a car wash)


do not remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or, when using KEYLESS-GO*


do not turn off the engine using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* and open
the driver’s door
Otherwise, the transmission will shift to park
positionP and lock the wheels, preventing the
vehicle from being pulled through a car wash.
Effect
í
Reverse gear
Shift into reverse gearR only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Effect
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, avoid shifting into
neutral positionN while driving,
except:
If the ESP
® is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Shift into neutral positionN only
when the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.
!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other
reason in neutral positionN can result in trans-
mission damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle without shifting
into park positionP is dangerous. Also, park
positionP alone is not intended to or capa-
ble of preventing your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 65).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
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.

192 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionRocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle by shifting between
drive positionD and reverse gearR can
help free a vehicle stuck in mud or snow.
The engine control system of this vehicle
electronically limits shifting between drive
positionD and reverse gearR to very low
speeds, i.e. approx. 5 mph (9 km/h). To
shift between drive positionD and reverse
gearR, move the gear selector lever past
the resistance point up or down.
Working on the vehicleHill start assist system
On uphill grades with a gradient angle of
more than 5°, the hill start assist system
maintains the pressure in the brake sys-
tem for approximately 1 second after you
have released the brake pedal. Therefore,
you can start off smoothly without the
vehicle moving immediately after releasing
the brake pedal.The hill start assist system is inactive


when starting off on a level road or
downhill grades


with the transmission in neutral
positionN


with the parking brake set


if the ESP
® has switched off due to a
malfunction
Towing a trailer
If you tow a trailer, note the following
points:


Manually shift to a lower gear range
(page 193) if the transmission hunts
between gears on inclines.
A lower gear range and reduction of
speed reduces the chance to overload
or overheat the engine.
For more information on trailer towing, see
the “Operation” section (
page 342).
Warning!
G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and shift to park positionP.
Otherwise the vehicle could roll away.
Warning!
G
The hill start assist system is not designed
to function as a parking brake and does not
prevent the vehicle from moving when
parked on an incline.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to park positionP.

200 Controls in detailGood visibilityFor information on the windshield wipers,
see “Windshield wipers” (
page 60).
Headlamp cleaning system*
The button is located on the left side of the
dashboard.
1Headlamp washer button

Switch on the ignition (
page 40).

Press button1.
The headlamps are cleaned with a
high-pressure water jet.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield/rear window
washer system and headlamp cleaning
system*” (
page 363).
Rear view mirrors
For more information on setting the rear
view mirrors, see “Mirrors” (
page 49).
Interior rear view mirror, antiglare
position
1Lever

Tilt the mirror to the antiglare position
by moving lever1 towards the wind-
shield.
The interior rear view mirror is dimmed.
i
The headlamps will automatically be
cleaned when you have


switched on the headlamps
and


operated the windshield wipers with wind-
shield washer fluid fifteen times
When you switch off the ignition, the counter
resets.

268 Controls in detailDriving systemsOff-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 (
page 338)


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 lampSwitching Off-road driving program on

Press switch1 (
page 268).
Indicator lamp2 comes on. The
symboly appears in the lower
multifunction display.
Switching Off-road driving program off

Press switch1 again.
Indicator lamp2 goes out. The
symboly disappears.
i
In the ML 63 AMG, the off-road driving
program is switched on and off via the control
system (
page 159).

271 Controls in detail
Driving systems
For information on off-road driving, see
“Off-road driving” (
page 333).Setting the vehicle level
The switch is located on the lower part of
the center console.
1Vehicle level switch
2Indicator lamp
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.
Adapt your speed and driving to possible
changed driving behavior of the vehicle after
changing the vehicle level. The ESP
® cannot
prevent accidents, including those resulting
from excessive speed. The ESP
® cannot pre-
vent the natural laws of physics from acting
on the vehicle.
!
Keep in mind that in rough or uneven ter-
rain, adjusting the vehicle to a lower level may
cause the vehicle underbody to come in contact
with the ground and result in damage to the vehi-
cle underbody. Always make sure the vehicle has
sufficient ground clearance before adjusting it to
a lower level.
!
Before jacking up the vehicle with equip-
ment that lifts one or more of the wheels com-
pletely off of the ground, remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
!
Please also note the information in the
section on towing (
page 518).

272 Controls in detailDriving systemsBasic settings (all models, except
ML 63 AMG)
The following vehicle chassis ride heights
can be selected using the vehicle level
switch in the center console:The following is the approximate change in
ride height for each of the level settings:Basic settings (ML 63 AMG only)
The following vehicle chassis ride heights
can be selected using the vehicle level
switch in the center console:
How much the vehicle is lowered or raised
depends on the ADS setting selected. At
the raised level, the vehicle is 2.9 in
(73 mm) higher than at the Highway level
with ADS AUTO.Level
Driving situation
Raised
For off-road driving or driv-
ing in rough terrain. The in-
dicator lamp is on.
Highway
For driving on paved roads
in fair or better condition.
The indicator lamp is off.
i
The third available level is the high-speed
level that is set automatically.
Level
Ride height
Raised
+ 3.1 in (80 mm)
Highway
+/- 0 in (0 mm)
High-speed
- 0.6 in (-15 mm)
i
Depending on the ADS setting
(
page 269), the vehicle will be lowered to the
high-speed level when traveling at higher
speeds. At speeds below 40 mph (64 km/h) at
the latest, it will be returned to the highway level.
i
The high-speed level is not available if tow-
ing a trailer. For more information on towing a
trailer, see “Trailer towing” (
page 342).
Level
Driving situation
Raised
For off-road driving or driv-
ing in rough terrain. The in-
dicator lamp is on.
Highway
For driving on paved roads
in fair or better condition.
The indicator lamp is off.
i
The third available level is the high-speed
level that is set automatically.

278 Controls in detailDriving systemsSwitching off
Press Parktronic switch1.
Indicator lamp2 comes on.
Switching on

Press Parktronic switch1 once more.
Indicator lamp2 goes out.Parktronic system* malfunction
If only the red distance segments illumi-
nate and an acoustic warning sounds,
there is a malfunction in the Parktronic
system. The Parktronic system will auto-
matically switch off after 20 seconds and
the indicator lamp in the Parktronic switch
comes on.

Have the Parktronic system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center as soon as possible.
If only the red distance segments illumi-
nate and no acoustic warning sounds, the
Parktronic system sensors are dirty (e.g.
slush, snow or ice) or there is an interfer-
ence from other radio or ultrasonic signals
(e.g. working jackhammers, car wash or
the air brakes of trucks). The Parktronic
system will automatically switch off after
20 seconds and the indicator lamp in the
Parktronic switch comes on.

Switch off the ignition (
page 40).

Clean the Parktronic system sensors
(page 408).

Switch on the ignition (
page 40).
or

Check the Parktronic system operation
at another location to rule out interfer-
ence from outside radio or ultrasonic
signals.
i
The Parktronic system switches on
automatically when you switch on the ignition
(
page 40).
Vehicles with original equipment Mercedes-Benz
Trailer Hitch Kit:
The rear Parktronic sensor will automatically
disengage when towing a trailer.