2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV brake light

Flat tyre
330 safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use wheel bolts which
have been approved for Mercedes-Benz
vehicles. Other bolts could work loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts completely
while the vehicle is still jacked up. The vehi-
cle could topple off the jack. 1
Wheel bolts for 18", 19" and 20" wheels
2 Wheel bolts for 17" wheels or the
"Minispare" emergency spare wheel*
! Always use wheel bolts 2to fit 17"
wheels or the "Minispare" emergency spare
wheel*. Using other wheel bolts when fit-
ting 17" wheels or the "Minispare" emer-
gency spare wheel* could damage the
brake system. i
Wheel bolts 2can be found together
with the "Minispare" emergency spare
wheel* (not with 17" tyres).
X Clean the wheel and wheel hub contact
surfaces. X
Slide the emergency spare wheel* or the
spare wheel onto the centring pin and push
it on. X
Tighten the wheel bolts until they are fin-
ger-tight.
X Unscrew the centring pin.
X Tighten the last wheel bolt until it is finger-
tight.
Inflating the "Minispare" emergency
spare wheel* (ML 63 AMG only) G
Risk of accident
Pump up the collapsible emergency spare
wheel before lowering the vehicle, as you
could otherwise damage the wheel rim.
X Take the electric air pump out of the stow-
age well under the luggage compartment
floor (Y page 258). Practical advice
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Battery
335step out of the vehicle first and touch the
bodywork.
R Do not wipe the battery using a cloth. The
battery may explode as a result of elec-
trostatic charge or due to flying sparks.
! Switch off the engine and remove the
key/KEYLESS GO * button before loosen-
ing or removing the battery terminal
clamps. You may otherwise destroy elec-
tronic components such as the alternator.
i Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
have all work involving the battery, e.g.
removing, charging and replacing, carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g.
a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
The battery is located under the front seat on
the right-hand side when viewed in the direc-
tion of travel. Disconnecting the battery
G
Risk of accident
If the battery is disconnected:
R the brake boosting effect will not be avail-
able. Greater braking force will then be
required and the brake pedal travel will
be longer. If necessary, depress the
brake pedal with maximum force.
R you can no longer turn the key in the igni-
tion and, on vehicles with KEYLESS
GO*, pressing the KEYLESS GO button*
will have no effect
R the selector lever is locked in position P
! Always disconnect the battery in
the order described below. Never swap the
terminal clamps. You may otherwise dam-
age the vehicle electronics.
X Firmly depress the parking brake and shift
the selector lever to position Pon vehicles
with automatic transmission.
X Position the front seat as far forwards as
possible.
X Switch off all electrical consumers. 1
Battery cover
X Get into the rear compartment.
X Remove battery cover 1from under the
right-hand front seat. 2
Carpet Practical advice
* optional
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Jump-starting
339Jump-starting
If your vehicle's battery is discharged, the
engine can be jump-started from another
vehicle or from an external battery using jump
leads.
Observe the following points:
R Jump-starting may only be performed when
the engine and catalytic converter are cold.
R Do not start the engine if the battery is fro-
zen. Let the battery thaw first.
R Jump-starting may only be performed from
batteries with a nominal voltage of 12 V.
R Only use jump leads which are protected
against polarity reversal and which have a
sufficient cross-section and insulated ter-
minal clamps.
i Jump leads which are protected against
polarity reversal and further information
about jump-starting can be obtained from
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
! Avoid repeated and lengthy starting
attempts.
Never start the vehicle using a rapid battery
charger. G
Risk of injury
There is a risk of acid burns when jump-
starting a vehicle due to the gases which
escape from the battery. Do not lean over
the battery while the engine is being jump-
started. G
Risk of explosion
Gases escaping from the battery during
jump-starting may cause minor explosions.
Avoid creating sparks. Keep naked flames
away from the battery, and do not smoke.
Comply with safety precautions and take
protective measures when handling batter-
ies. You will find these under "Battery" in
the index.
X Make sure that the two vehicles do not
touch.
X Depress the parking brake firmly.
X Move the selector lever to P.
X Switch off all electrical consumers. 1
Positive terminal on your vehicle
2 Earth point on your vehicle
3 Positive terminal of donor battery
4 Negative terminal of donor battery
X Connect positive terminal 1on your vehi-
cle to positive terminal 3of the donor
battery using the jump lead, beginning with
your own battery.
X Start the engine of the donor vehicle and
run it at idling speed.
X Connect negative terminal 4of the donor
battery to the earth point 2of your vehicle
using the jump lead, connecting the jump
lead to the donor battery first.
X Start the engine. Practical advice
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Towing and tow-starting
340
X
Electrical consumers can be switched on
again. Do not switch the lights on, however,
as this will overload the battery.
X First, remove the jump lead from earth
point 2and negative terminal 4, then
from positive terminal 1and positive ter-
minal 3, each time disconnecting from the
battery on your own vehicle first.
i The message Battery protection:
some convenience functions cur-
rently not available may appear in the
multi-function display. It disappears as
soon as the battery is sufficiently charged.
X Have the battery checked at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. Towing and tow-starting
Points to remember
G
Risk of accident
If you tow the vehicle, you must use a rigid
towing bar if:
R the engine is not running
R there is a brake system malfunction
R the voltage supply or the vehicle's elec-
trical system is damaged
The electric power steering and the brake
force booster do not work when the engine
is not running. Greater braking force will
then be required and the brake pedal travel
will be longer. If necessary, depress the
brake pedal with maximum force.
Do not tow the vehicle if the key cannot be
turned in the ignition lock. If this is the case,
the steering is locked and the vehicle can-
not be steered.
If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missible gross vehicle weight of your vehi-
cle.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed. When towing, observe the legal requirements
in all countries concerned.
!
When towing, pull away slowly and with-
out jerking. If the tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
as this will damage the vehicle. If in doubt
recover the vehicle with a crane.
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum
of 50 km. A towing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.
With towing distances over 50 km, the
entire vehicle needs to be lifted up and
transported.
! On vehicles with KEYLESS GO*: use the
key instead of the KEYLESS GO * button.
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock and set the automatic transmission to
N. Then turn the key back to 0and leave it
in the ignition lock.
! Only secure the tow cable or towing bar
to the towing eyes. You may otherwise
damage the vehicle. Practical advice
* optional
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Trailer coupling*
365Trailer coupling*
Mounting dimensions
G
Risk of accident
Only have a trailer coupling retrofitted at a
qualified specialist workshop which has the
necessary specialist knowledge and tools
to carry out the work required. Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety
or on safety-related systems must be car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
! If you have a trailer tow hitch retrofitted,
changes to the cooling system may be nec-
essary, depending on the vehicle type.
If you have a trailer tow hitch retrofitted,
observe the anchorage points on the chas-
sis frame. Anchorage points for the trailer coupling
1 Anchorage points
2 Overhang dimension
For trailer tow hitches fitted at the factory, the
overhang dimension is 1,065 mm. Trailer loads
All models
Permissible trailer load,
unbraked 750 kg
Permissible trailer load,
braked
59 3,500 kg
Maximum drawbar nose-
weight
60 140 kg
59
At a minimum gradient-climbing capability of 12% from a standstill
60 The drawbar noseweight is not included in the trailer load. Technical data
* optional
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Service products and capacities
366 Service products and capacities
Notes on service products and capaci-
ties
Service products are:
R fuels (e.g. petrol, diesel)
R lubricants (e.g. engine oil, transmission oil)
R coolant
R brake fluid
R windscreen washer fluid
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use those products which have been tested
and specially approved by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle and are listed in the Mercedes-
Benz Owner's Manual in the relevant chapter
since:
R parts and service products are matched
R damage caused by the use of non-approved
service products is not covered by the war-
ranty
You can recognise service products approved
by Mercedes-Benz by the following inscrip-
tion on the containers:
R MB-Freigabe (e.g. MB-Freigabe 229.51)
R MB Approval (e.g. MB Approval 229.51) Other designations or recommendations that
relate to a level of quality or a specification in
accordance with an MB Approval have not
necessarily been approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
You can obtain further information from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
When handling, storing and disposing of
any service products, please observe the
relevant regulations, as you could other-
wise endanger yourself and others.
Keep service products away from children.
To protect your health, do not allow service
products to come into contact with your
eyes or open wounds. See a doctor imme-
diately if any service product is swallowed. H
Environmental note
Dispose of service products in an environ-
mentally-responsible manner. Fuels
G
Risk of explosion
Fuel is highly flammable. Fire, naked flames
and smoking are therefore prohibited when
handling fuels.
Switch off the engine and the auxiliary heat-
ing* before refuelling. G
Risk of injury
Do not allow fuel to come into contact with
skin or clothing.
Allowing fuels to come into direct contact
with your skin or inhaling fuel vapours is
damaging to your health.
Tank capacity Total capacity 95 l
Of which reserve
fuel Approximately 13 l
Of which reserve
fuel
ML 63 AMG Approximately 15 l
!
Do not use petrol to refuel vehicles with a
diesel engine. Do not use diesel to refuel Technical data
* optional
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Service products and capacities
372 Brake fluid
Over a period of time, the brake fluid absorbs
moisture from the air; this lowers its boiling
point. G
Risk of accident
If the boiling point of the brake fluid is too
low, vapour pockets may form in the brake
system when the brakes are applied hard
(e.g. when driving downhill). This would
impair braking efficiency.
Have the brake fluid renewed every two
years with a brake fluid that has been
approved by Mercedes-Benz and have this
confirmed in the Service Booklet. i
There is usually a notice in the engine
compartment to remind you when the next
brake fluid change is due. Windscreen washer system
The washer fluid reservoir holds approxi-
mately 7.2 litres.
The headlamp cleaning system* and the
windscreen washer system are both supplied
from the washer fluid reservoir.
X At temperatures above freezing point:
Top up the washer fluid reservoir with a
mixture of water and windscreen washer
concentrate (Y page 223).
X At temperatures below freezing point:
Top up the washer fluid reservoir with a
mixture of water, antifreeze and wind-
screen washer concentrate (Y page 223).
Adapt the mixing ratio to the outside tem-
peratures. G
Risk of fire
Windscreen washer concentrate is highly
flammable. Fire, naked flames and smoking
are prohibited when windscreen washer
concentrate is being handled. Technical data
* optional
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