2007 MERCEDES-BENZ ML63AMG center console

232 Controls in detail3-zone automatic climate control*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

Switch off the ignition (
page 39).

Press button9 (
page 222).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating

Press button9.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Rear automatic climate control
The control panel is located at the rear of
the front center console.
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How long the system will provide heating
depends on


the coolant temperature


the battery voltage
Regardless of the temperature and air volume
set on the automatic climate control panel, an
interior temperature is aimed at by 72°F (22°C)
and the blower runs on low speed to protect the
vehicle battery.
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The residual heat is automatically turned off:


when the ignition is switched on


after about 30 minutes


if the coolant temperature is too low


if the battery voltage drops

265 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Switching the Downhill Speed
Regulation on/off
The switch is located in the lower part of
the center console.
1DSR on/off
2Indicator lampSwitching Downhill Speed Regulation on

Press DSR switch1 (
page 265).
The indicator lamp2 comes on.
The message
DSR
and the set speed ap-
pear in the multifunction display.
For information on how to program the set
speed while driving, see “Adjusting Down-
hill Speed Regulation speed with DSR
switched on” (
page 266).
Warning!
G
If the accelerator pedal is depressed while
the Downhill Speed Regulation is activated,
the vehicle can drive faster than the pro-
grammed set speed. You should therefore
drive downhill with particular caution as it
could otherwise lead to an accident and/or
serious injury to you or others. Keep in mind
that as soon as you remove the foot from
the accelerator pedal with the DSR switched
on, the DSR will start regulating the vehicle’s
speed including use of brakes if required.
Depending on the programmed set speed,
actual vehicle speed and gradient, the DSR
can cause the vehicle to slow down rapidly.
Sudden and unexpected deceleration can
result in loss of vehicle control, causing an
accident and/or serious personal injury to
you and others.
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The DSR can only be switched on if the vehi-
cle speed is below 18 mph (Canada: 30 km/h).
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If the DSR is switched on at a speed above
18 mph (Canada: 30 km/h), the message
DSR
Max. speed 18 mph
(Canada:
30 km/h
) ap-
pears in the multifunction display.

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.
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In the ML 63 AMG, the off-road driving
program is switched on and off via the control
system (
page 159).

269 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Air suspension package*
The system consists of two components.
The vehicle level control* regulates the
ride height of the vehicle. The Adaptive
Damping System (ADS)* optimizes your
vehicle’s suspension tuning.

Suspension tuning: Adaptive Damping
System (ADS)* (
page 269)


Vehicle level control* (
page 270)
ML 63 AMG
Adaptive Damping System (ADS)*
The fine tuning of the damping and suspen-
sion is dependent on:

your driving style


road surface conditions


your personal ADS settings


your personal vehicle level settings
The ADS switch is located on the upper
part of the center console.
1ADS switch
2Indicator lamp for SPORT setting
3Indicator lamp for COMF setting
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The Air suspension package is part of the
standard equipment range. Due to the vehicle’s
sportier suspension tuning, in comparison with
standard vehicles, the level positions in the ADS
settings as well as the speed thresholds for rais-
ing and lowering the vehicle have been modified.
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From the Highway/High-speed level, the
vehicle is lowered to the ADS Sport level approx.
20 seconds after it is locked.
From the raised level, the vehicle is not lowered
after it is locked.
When the engine is started, the previously se-
lected setting, e.g. ADS COMF, is selected again.
!
Be sure to observe this vehicle’s differing
values for ground clearance and vehicle height in
comparison to standard vehicles. You could oth-
erwise damage the vehicle. The values for


opening the tailgate (
page 119)


driving off-road (
page 333)


the vehicle’s main dimensions can be found
in the “Technical data” section (
page 541)

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.
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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)
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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.
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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.
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The third available level is the high-speed
level that is set automatically.

277 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Each warning indicator is divided into five
yellow and two red distance segments for
either side of the vehicle. The Parktronic
system is operational when the readiness
indicators3 are illuminated.
The current transmission position deter-
mines which warning indicator will be acti-
vated.As your vehicle approaches an object, one
or more distance segments will illuminate,
depending on the distance. When the red
distance segment illuminates, you have
reached the minimum distance.


Front area: An intermittent acoustic
warning lasting a maximum of
2 seconds will sound as the first red
distance segment illuminates and a
constant acoustic warning lasting a
maximum of 2 seconds will sound for
the second red distance segment. The
signal is canceled when the automatic
transmission is set to positionP, or the
parking brake is set.


Rear area: An intermittent acoustic
warning lasting a maximum of
2 seconds will sound as the first red
distance segment illuminates and a
constant acoustic warning lasting a
maximum of 2 seconds will sound for
the second red distance segment. The
signal is canceled when the automatic
transmission is set to positionD, P, or
the parking brake is set.Switching the Parktronic system*
on/off
You can switch off the Parktronic system
manually.
The Parktronic switch is located in the
upper part of the center console.
1Parktronic switch
2Indicator lamp
Transmission
position
Warning indicator
D
Front area activated
R or N
Front and rear area
activated
P
Neither activated

296 Controls in detailUseful featuresStorage compartment in front center
console
Vehicles without ashtray*
Briefly press the front of the cover.
The cover opens automatically.Storage compartment* (depending on
vehicle configuration)

Briefly press the front of the cover.
The cover opens automatically.Front armrest storage compartments
A flat storage tray with a deeper storage
compartment underneath is located below
the armrest. Both can be opened
separately.
1Button to open storage tray/tele-
phone* compartment
2Button to open storage compartment
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The Roadside Assistance button•
(
page 312) and the information button¡
(page 313) are located in the storage tray.