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.
329 Operation
Driving instructions
Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
Parking
Tires
!
When driving off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a drive wheel to spin for an extended
period with the ESP
® switched off. Doing so may
cause serious damage to the drivetrain which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!
Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brake reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
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, or
damage to the vehicle drivetrain, as a result
of vehicle movement, before turning off the
engine and leaving the vehicle always:
Keep right foot on brake pedal.
Firmly depress parking brake pedal.
Set 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
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*).
Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you and lock vehicle
when leaving.
Warning!
G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
tion to an area which is a safe distance from
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle or tires
appear unsafe, have the vehicle towed to
the nearest Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center or tire dealer for repairs.
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.
345 Operation
Driving instructions
Make sure the automatic transmission
is set toP (
page 187).
Set the parking brake for the vehicle
(page 65).
Start the engine (
page 54).
Vehicles with air suspension package*:
Set the vehicle level to Highway
(page 270).
Vehicles with air suspension package*:
Set the ADS* to AUTO or COMFORT
(page 269).
Turn off the engine (
page 66).
Close all doors and the tailgate.
Attach the trailer.
Plug in all electrical connectors.Towing a trailer
There are many different laws, including
speed limit restrictions, having to do with
trailer towing. Make sure your rig will be le-
gal, not only for where you reside, but also
for where you will be driving. A good
source for this information can be the po-
lice or local authorities.
Note the following points, when driving
with the trailer:
In order to gain skill and an under-
standing of the vehicle’s behavior, you
should practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area which is free from
traffic.
Before you start driving check the
trailer hitch
break-away switch
safety chains
electrical connections
lighting and tires
!
Do not connect a trailer brake system (if
trailer is so equipped) directly to the vehicle’s
hydraulic brake system, as your vehicle is
equipped with antilock brakes. If you do, neither
the vehicle’s brakes nor the trailer’s brakes will
function properly.
i
The provided vehicle electrical wiring
harness for trailer towing has a brake signal wire
for hook-up to a brake controller.
You should consider using a trailer sway control
system. For further information, see an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
i
Vehicles with air suspension package*:
When you are towing a trailer, the vehicle level
always remains in the Highway setting.
The following applies additionally when towing a
trailer:
The vehicle is lowered to the highway level
when it reaches a speed of 5 mph (8 km/h)
if not set to highway level.
The high-speed level is not available.
The restrictions that apply to towing also apply
when using accessories that are connected to
the trailer power socket, such as a bicycle rack.
346 OperationDriving instructions
Adjust the mirrors (
page 49) to
permit unobstructed view beyond rear
of trailer.
If the trailer has electric brakes, start
your vehicle and trailer moving slowly,
and then apply only the trailer brake
controller by hand to make sure the
brakes are working properly.
Always secure items in the trailer to
prevent load shifts while driving.
When towing a trailer, check occasion-
ally to make sure the load is secure,
and that lighting and trailer brakes (if
so equipped) are functioning properly.
Take into consideration that when tow-
ing a trailer, the handling characteris-
tics are different and less stable from
those when operating the vehicle with-
out a trailer.
It is important to avoid sudden maneu-
vers.
The vehicle and trailer combination is
heavier, and therefore is limited in ac-
celeration and climbing ability, and re-
quires longer stopping distances.
It is more prone to reacting to cross
wind gusts, and requires more sensi-
tive steering input.
If possible, do not brake abruptly, but
rather engage the brake slightly at first
to permit the trailer to activate its
brake. Then increase the braking force.
If the transmission repeatedly shifts
between gears on inclines, manually
shift to a lower gear (select 4, 3, 2 or 1)
(page 193).
A lower gear and reduction of speed re-
duces the chance of engine overload-
ing and/or overheating.
On very steep inclines, not manageable
with automatic transmission in1,
switch on off-road driving program
(page 268).
When going down a long hill, shift into
a lower gear and use the engine’s brak-
ing effect.
Avoid riding the brakes, thus overheat-
ing the vehicle and trailer brakes.
If the engine coolant rises to an ex-
tremely high temperature (coolant tem-
perature needle approaching the red
zone) when the air conditioning is on,
turn off the air conditioning system.
Engine coolant heat can be additionally
vented by opening the windows,
switching the climate control fan speed
to high and setting the temperature
control to the maximum hot position.
!
If the trailer should begin to sway, reduce
the vehicle’s speed immediately.
In no case attempt to straighten out the tow
vehicle and trailer by increasing the speed.
354 OperationAt the gas stationLow outside temperatures
(diesel engine)
To prevent malfunctions, diesel fuel with
improved cold flow characteristics is of-
fered in the winter months. Check with
your fuel retailer.
Check regularly and before a long trip
Open the hood (
page 356).
Example ML 5001Brake fluid
2Coolant level
3Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*
Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil, see
“Engine oil” (
page 358).Brake fluid
Coolant
For normal replenishing, use water (pota-
ble water quality).
For more information, see “Coolant level”
(
page 362) and see “Fuels, coolants, lu-
bricants” (
page 543).
!
Do not fill the tank with gasoline. Do not
blend diesel fuel with gasoline or kerosine. The
fuel system and engine will otherwise be dam-
aged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!
If you find that the brake fluid in the brake
fluid reservoir has fallen to the minimum mark or
below, have the brake system checked for brake
pad thickness and leaks immediately. Notify an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center
immediately. Do not add brake fluid as this will
not solve the problem. For more information, see
“Brake fluid” (
page 546).