2007 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320CDI brake pads

326 OperationDriving instructionsPower assistance
Brakes
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 ve-
hicle.
Warning!
G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking ef-
fect. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles
in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an acci-
dent.
!
Operational or performance test must only
be conducted on a two-axle dynanometer. If
such tests are necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center. You could
otherwise seriously damage the brake system or
the transfer case which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!
Because the ESP
® operates automatically,
the engine and ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1 or
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button in
position0or1) when testing the brakes on a
brake test dynamometer and such testing should
be no longer than 10 seconds.
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

327 Operation
Driving instructions
To help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only sub-
jected to moderate loads, you should occa-
sionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.
Refer to the description of the Brake Assist
System (BAS) (
page 97).Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the
reservoir.
The brake fluid level in the reservoir may
be too low if the brake warning lamp in the
instrument cluster comes on and an
acoustic warning sounds although the
parking brake is released (
page 415).
Observe additional messages in the multi-
function display that may appear
(
page 449).
Have the brake system inspected
immediately. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Only install brake pads and brake fluid
recommended by Mercedes-Benz.
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
park, so that the air stream will cool down
the brakes faster.
Warning!
G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking
maneuvers.
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.!
When driving down long and steep grades,
relieve the load on the brakes by shifting into a
lower gear to use the engine’s braking power.
This helps prevent overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear.
When using the engine’s braking power, a drive
wheel may not spin for an extended period of
time, e.g. on slippery road surfaces. This may
cause serious damage to the drivetrain which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

328 OperationDriving instructionsHigh-performance brake system
(ML 63 AMG only)
The high-performance brake system is de-
signed to operate under the extremely high
operating demands required to accommo-
date the performance capabilities of the
vehicle. The brakes may produce a squeak-
ing-type noise depending on the

vehicle speed


brake force applied


ambient conditions, e.g. temperature
and humidity
As with any brake system, the wear of indi-
vidual brake system components such as
brake pads or disks strongly depends on
your driving style and the conditions under
which you operate the vehicle. Thus, a driv-
ing style calling for high demand braking
will cause your vehicle’s brakes to wear
more quickly.Parking brake
When driving on wet roads or dirt covered
surfaces, road salt and/or dirt can get into
the parking brake. To prevent corrosion
and a reduction in the braking power of the
parking brake, observe the following:

From time to time, lightly engage the
parking brake before driving off.

Drive a distance of approximately
110 yds (100 m) at a maximum speed
of 12 mph (20 km/h).
Warning!
G
New vehicle brake pads and discs, and
replacement brake pads and discs may take
several hundred miles of driving until they
provide optimum braking efficiency. Until
that time, you may need to use increased
brake pedal pressure while braking. Please
be aware of this and adjust your driving and
braking accordingly during this break-in
period.
Excessive high demand braking will cause
correspondingly high brake wear. Please be
attentive to the brake warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and brake condition mes-
sages in the multifunction display. Especial-
ly for high performance driving, it is
important to maintain and have the brake
system checked regularly.
Warning!
G
While performing this procedure please
assure that the vehicle is stopped before
applying the parking brake. Otherwise the
rear wheels could lock up. You could lose
control of the vehicle and cause an accident.
In addition, the vehicle’s brake lights do not
light up when the parking brake is engaged.
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when you engage the parking brake.

342 OperationDriving instructions

Remove excessive dirt from tires,
wheels, wheel housings, and under-
body.
For instance, after driving in mud, clean
the radiator, chassis, engine, brakes,
and wheels from extreme dirt using a
strong jet of water.


Check tires for possible damage.


Inspect vehicle underbody, oil pan,
brake hoses, etc., as well as vehicle un-
derbody for possible damage.


Check for brush or branches caught in
the underbody.


After continued operation in mud,
sand, water or other dirty conditions
clean the brake discs, wheels, brake
pads and check and clean axle joints.


Conduct a brake test.
Trailer towing Trailer hitch*


Only install a trailer hitch receiver ap-
proved for your vehicle.
For information on availability and in-
stallation, see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.


The bumpers on your vehicle are not
designed for use with clamp-type hitch-
es.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them.


To reduce the possibility of damage, re-
move the hitch ball adaptor from the
receiver when not in use.
!
Brush or branches could increase the possi-
bility of a fire, as well as cut fuel and/or brake
lines, puncture rubber bellows of the axles or
drive shafts.
Warning!
G
Failure to use proper equipment and driving
technique can result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol when towing a trailer.
Improper towing or failure to follow the in-
structions in this manual can result in vehi-
cle damage and/or serious personal injury.
Follow the guidelines below carefully to as-
sure safe trailer operation.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center should you require an explana-
tion of information contained in this manual.

410 OperationVehicle careCleaning the windows and the wiper
blades
Fold the wiper arms forward until they
engage.

Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.

Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild win-
dow cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is recom-
mended.Light alloy wheels
If possible, clean wheels once a week.

Use Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel
Care, a soft bristle brush and a strong
spray of water for cleaning the light al-
loy wheels.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status
0) before cleaning the windshield
and/or the wiper blades. Otherwise, the
wiper motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.
!
Do not pull on the wiper blade inserts. They
could tear.
!
Fold the windshield wiper arms back onto
the windshield before turning the SmartKey in
the starter switch or pressing the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*).
Hold on to the wiper when folding the wiper arm
back. If released, the force of the impact from
the tensioning spring could crack the windshield.
!
To clean the window interior, do not use a
dry cloth, abrasives, solvents or cleaners con-
taining solvents. Do not touch the inside of the
front, rear or side windows and the power
tilt/sliding sunroof* or rear panorama roof with
hard objects such as an ice scraper or ring.
Doing so may damage the windows.
!
Only use acid-free cleaning materials. Acid
may cause corrosion or damage the clear coat.
!
The vehicle should not be parked for an ex-
tended period of time immediately after it has
been cleaned, especially not after the wheel rims
have been cleaned with wheel rim cleaner.
Wheel rim cleaners can lead to increased
corrosion of the brake disks and brake pads.
Non-approved wheel cleaners may also damage
the wheel paint if the car is not driven after
cleaning. Therefore, the vehicle’s brake system
should always be warmed-up before it is parked
after cleaning. To do so, please drive your vehicle
for several minutes to allow the brakes to dry.
When applying Mercedes-Benz approved Tire
Care and Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel Care
products, take care not to spray them on the
brake disks.

447 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
#
Battery/Alternator
Stop vehicle
The battery is defective.

Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as
soon as it is safe to do so.

Apply the parking brake (
page 65).

Do not continue to drive.

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
y
inoperative
Downhill Speed Regulation is
malfunctioning.

Have the Downhill Speed Regulation
checked by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
2
Brake wear
The brake pads have reached
their wear limit.

Have the brake pads replaced as soon as
possible.
!
Brake pad thickness must be visually in-
spected by a qualified technician at the intervals
specified in the Maintenance Booklet.

555 Index
Bead 395
Belt reel 291
Beverage holder see Cup holder
Block heater (Canada only) 400
Bolts, Collapsible tire
(ML 63 AMG only) 474
Bolts, Minispare wheel
(except ML 63 AMG) 473
Brake fluid 546
Checking 354
Messages in the
multifunction display 449
Brake lamp
Cleaning lenses 408
Messages in the
multifunction display 458
Replacing bulbs 490
Brake pads 326
Messages in the
multifunction display 447
Brakes 326
Warning lamp 415
Break-in period 324
Bulbs, replacing see Replacing bulbs
Button for Voice control*
system 30, 148C
California retail buyers and lessees,
Important notice for 11
Camera see Rear view camera*
Can holder see Cup holder
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants 543
Card holder 32, 35, 299
Cargo compartment cover blind 286
Cargo tie-down rings 283
Carpets, Cleaning 411
Catalytic converter
(gasoline engine) 349
CD changer* 161, 294
CD player 161
Center console
Lower part 32
Upper part 31
Central locking
Automatic 126
Locking/unlocking from
the inside 126
Switch 126
Certification label 530CHECK ENGINE malfunction
indicator lamp 417, 418
Checking tire pressure electronically with
the Advanced Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (Advanced TPMS)*,
(Canada only) 381
Checking tire pressure electronically with
the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS), (USA only) 379
Checklist
Off-road driving 336
Returning from off-road driving 341
Children in the vehicle 82
Air bags 73, 82
Blocking rear door window
operation 93
Indicator lamp, Front passenger front
air bag 89
Infant and child restraint systems 77,
82
LATCH-type child seat anchors 91
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) 85
Cigarette lighter* 301

566 IndexMON 353, 548
Multicontour seat* 130
Multifunction display 147
Changing settings see Control
system menus and Control system
submenus
Selecting display 168
Selecting language 167
Multifunction display messages 428
ABS 430
Air suspension package* 467
Brake fluid 449
Brake lamps 458
Brake pads 447
Check engine 449
Coolant 452
Cruise control 431
Distronic* 432
Doors 455
Downhill Speed Regulation 447
EBP 448
Engine coolant 450, 452
Engine oil 453
ESP
®
419Fog lamps, Front 458
Fog lamps, Rear 461
Front passenger front air bag 440,
441, 442, 443
Fuel cap 455
Gear selector lever 438
Headlamps 458, 460, 461, 463
Hood 455
Key, SmartKey 457
Key, SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* 456, 457
Lamps 458, 460, 461, 463
Low tire pressure 444, 465, 466
Parking brake 438, 448
Parking lamps 459
Tele Aid* 464
Telephone* 464
Turn signals 463
Vehicle battery 446
Windshield washer fluid 464
Multifunction steering wheel 30, 148
Button operation 148N
Navigation system* 161
See separate COMAND system
operating instructions
Net, Parcel 297
Net, Partition* 287
Neutral gear position, Automatic
transmission 185, 189
New vehicle, Break-in period 324
Night security illumination 139, 172
Normal occupant weight 396
Number, Vehicle Identification (VIN) 530
O
Occupant distribution 396
Occupant safety 70
Active head restraint 80
Air bags 71
Children and air bags 73, 82, 84
Children in the vehicle 82
Fastening the seat belt 51
Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp 86, 89, 90
Infant and child restraint systems 82