2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV Owners Manual

Off-road driving
142 complete. Do not turn off the engine while
changing gear and do not switch the auto-
matic transmission to another gear.
If you do not wait for the gear change proc-
ess to complete, it may not be correctly
implemented. The transfer case may then
be in neutral and the connection between
the engine and the drive axles may be dis-
engaged. The vehicle could then move
freely, even if a gear is engaged, and could
inadvertently start moving, particularly if it
is on a slope.
Observe the messages in the multi-function
display. 1
LOW RANGE button
2 Indicator lamp 3
LOW RANGE display
From HIGH RANGE to LOW RANGE
! Only carry out the gear change process if:
R the engine is running
R the automatic transmission is in N
R you are not driving above 40 km/h
X Press LOW RANGE button 1.
Indicator lamp 2flashes. LOW RANGE
indicator 3appears in the multi-function
display.
When the gear change is complete, indica-
tor lamp 2lights up.
While indicator lamp 2is flashing, you can
cancel the gear change by pressing LOW
RANGE button 1again. From LOW RANGE to HIGH RANGE
!
Only carry out the gear change process if:
R the engine is running
R the automatic transmission is in N
R you are not driving above 70 km/h
X Press LOW RANGE button 1.
Indicator lamp 2flashes.
If the gear change process has taken place,
indicator lamp 2and LOW RANGE indica-
tor 3in the multi-function display go out.
While indicator lamp 2is flashing, you can
cancel the gear change by pressing LOW
RANGE button 1again.
Messages in the multi-function display
If a gear change process has not been suc-
cessful, the following messages may be dis-
played in the multi-function display:
R Max. speed 40 km/h
You have been driving faster than
40 km/h. Indicator lamp 2also flashes.
X Drive more slowly to carry out the gear
change process.
R Engage N briefly
The automatic transmission is in Dand you
are now driving below 40 km/h. Controls
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Off-road driving
143
X
Move the DIRECT SELECT selector
lever to Nto carry out the gear change
process.
R Shifting process cancelled Reacti-
vate
The gear change process was not carried
out.
XMaintain all gear change conditions
and carry out the gear change process
again.
R Stop vehicle. Apply parking brake
An acoustic warning will also sound. The
gear change process has not been comple-
ted. LOW RANGE is in the neutral position.
There is no connection between the engine
and the drive wheels.
! Do not drive any further, otherwise you
could damage the vehicle's drive train. X
Stop the vehicle. Take into account the
road and traffic conditions when doing
this.
X Depress the parking brake.
X Carry out the gear change process
again.
If the gear change process has been
carried out, the Stop vehicle. Apply
parking brake message disappears. Differential locks
Differential locks improve the vehicle’s trac-
tion.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Off-Road
Pro engineering package*, it is fitted with:
R A differential lock for the transfer box: this
controls the balance between the front and
rear axles.
R A differential lock for the rear axle: this
controls the balance between the wheels
and the rear axle.
4ETS (Y page 60) controls the compensation
between the wheels and the front axle. Engaging the differential locks
1
Selector wheel
2 AUTO mode
3 To engage the differential lock for the
transfer case
4 To engage the differential lock for the
transfer case and rear axle
AUTO mode
Use AUTO mode 2for all driving situations,
including driving off-road or when fording.
In AUTO mode, the differential locks are
engaged and disengaged according to driving
requirements. This guarantees sufficient trac-
tion for most driving situations with unrestric-
ted vehicle steerability. Controls
* optional
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Off-road driving
144
X
Start the engine.
The differential locks are in AUTO mode.
The indicator lamp in selector wheel 1
lights up above symbol for AUTO mode
2.
Engaging manually G
Risk of accident
When driving on a firm road surface, only
drive in AUTO mode, never with manually
engaged differential locks. If differential
locks have been engaged manually, the
vehicle's steerability is greatly impaired
and the risk of accident thereby increased.
Do not manually engage or disengage the
differential locks while cornering. The vehi-
cle motion could otherwise be jerky. You
could lose control of the vehicle as a result
and cause an accident.
Only engage the differential locks manually if
traction in AUTO mode is insufficient.
At speeds of up to 30 km/ h,you can engage
the differential locks in this order: 3, then
4. X
Start the engine.
X Turn selector wheel 1to desired position
3 or4.
The indicator lamp in selector wheel 1
lights up at the corresponding symbol.
The engaged differential appears in the multi-
function display: 5
The differential lock for the transfer case
is locked.
The differential locks are not controlled auto-
matically. The steerability of the vehicle is
restricted considerably. Drive carefully and
accelerate gently for optimum traction.
You can switch back to AUTO mode at any
time. For safety reasons, the differential locks
disengage automatically at speeds above
50 km/h. If you stop the vehicle and switch
off the ignition for longer than ten seconds,
the differential locks switch back to AUTO
mode. Message in the multi-function display
Diff. lock system overheated.
Wait briefly
The differential lock system has overheated
and briefly disengaged.
X
Continue driving.
The differential locks cool off and are soon
available once again. Cont
rols
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Driving sys
tems 145Driving systems
Overview of driving systems
The vehicle's driving systems are described
on the following pages:
R Cruise control, Distronic* and Speedtronic,
which are used to control the speed of the
vehicle
R AIRMATIC package*, consisting of level
control* for individual adjustment of
ground clearance and ADS* (Adaptive
Damping System), for individual adjust-
ment of suspension tuning
R Parktronic*, which assists you in parking
and manoeuvring
R Reversing camera*, which assists you
when parking and manoeuvring
The ABS, BAS, ESP ®
, EBV and 4-ETS vehicle
safety systems and the distance warning sys-
tem* are described in the "Safety" section
(Y page 57). Cruise control
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1,2or 3in good time. By
doing so you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine, which relieves the load
on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h. G
Risk of accident
Cruise control cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time.
G
Risk of accident
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do
not allow you to maintain a constant
speed (e.g. heavy traffic or winding
roads). You could otherwise cause an
accident.
R on slippery roads. Braking or accelerat-
ing could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to
fog, heavy rain or snow
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
Speedtronic with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R
LIM indicator lamp off:
Cruise control is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 1461
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
2 LIM indicator lamp
3 Storing the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
4 To store the current speed or a lower
speed
5 To switch between cruise control and var-
iable Speedtronic
6 To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display.
Selecting cruise control X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp 2is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected. If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow
5.
LIM indicator lamp 2in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected. G
Risk of accident
The brake pedal is retracted when cruise
control brakes. Do not restrict the freedom
of movement of the pedal in any way.
R Do not put any objects in the footwell.
R Ensure that floor mats and carpets are
fixed securely.
R Do not place your foot under the brake
pedal as it could become trapped.
You could otherwise cause an accident and
injure yourself and others.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h and ESP
®
is acti-
vated (Y page 58). X
Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 or down 4to the pressure point.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for
the current situation. Otherwise, sudden
acceleration or braking could endanger you
or others. Controls
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Driving sys
tems 147
X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 3.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up 1for a higher speed or
down 4for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking. Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h
increments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up 1for a higher speed or
down 4for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up 1for a
higher speed or down 4for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 6.
or
X Brake.
or X
Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow 5.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp 2in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if,
for example:
R you depress the parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
is intervening or you deactivate
ESP ®
.
R you shift the automatic transmission to N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruise con-
trol Off message in the multi-function dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Controls
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Driving sys
tems 148 Distronic*
i Distronic is only available for certain
countries.
Distronic regulates the speed and automati-
cally maintains the distance to the vehicle in
front. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. On long and steep
downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is
laden or towing a trailer, you must select shift
range 1,2or 3in good time. By doing so you
will make use of the braking effect of the
engine, which relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. G
Risk of accident
The brake pedal is retracted when Distronic
brakes. Do not restrict the movement of the
pedal in any way.
R Do not put any objects in the footwell.
R Ensure that floor mats and carpets are
fixed securely.
R Do not place your foot under the brake
pedal as it could become trapped.
You could otherwise cause an accident and
injure yourself and others. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid. G
Risk of accident
Distronic is only an aid designed to assist
driving. The driver remains fully responsible
for the vehicle's distance to other vehicles,
the vehicle's speed and braking in good
time.
Distronic does not react to:
R pedestrians
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. sta-
tionary or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
Distronic may not detect narrow vehicles
driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehi-
cles driving on a different line. Therefore,
always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when Distronic is activated. Other-
wise, you may fail to recognise danger in
time, could cause an accident and injure
yourself and others.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
Distronic causes your vehicle to brake and maintain the preset distance to the vehicle in
front that you have set. G
Risk of accident
Distronic cannot take account of road and
traffic conditions. Deactivate, or do not
activate, Distronic if it does not detect the
vehicle in front, or if it no longer detects it.
This is especially the case:
R before corners
R on filter lanes
R when changing to a lane with faster mov-
ing traffic
R in complex driving situations or where
the lanes are diverted, e.g. at motorway/
roadway construction sites
Otherwise, Distronic maintains the current
speed or accelerates to the set speed.
Distronic cannot take account of weather
conditions. Deactivate, or do not activate,
Distronic:
R if the roads are slippery, snow-covered or
icy. The wheels could lose their grip Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 149under braking or acceleration. The vehi-
cle could start to skid.
R if the sensors are dirty or there is poor
visibility, e.g. due to snow, rain or fog.
Distance control may be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when Distronic is activated. Other-
wise, you may fail to recognise danger in
time, could cause an accident and injure
yourself and others.
If there is no vehicle in front, Distronic oper-
ates in the same way as cruise control. Dis-
tronic functions in the 30 km/h to
180 km/h range. G
Risk of accident
Distronic brakes your vehicle at a maximum
of 2 m/s 2
, depending on its speed. This
corresponds to approximately 20% of your
vehicle's maximum braking power. You
must also apply the brakes yourself if this
braking power is not sufficient.
If Distronic detects a risk of collision with a
vehicle in front, an intermittent warning
tone sounds. In addition, the ldistance
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up. Brake to avoid a collision. Cruise control lever You can operate Distronic and variable
Speedtronic with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off:
Distronic is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. 1
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
2 To adjust the set distance
3 LIM indicator lamp
4 To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed 5
To store the current speed or a lower
speed
6 To switch between Distronic and variable
Speedtronic
7 To deactivate Distronic
Selecting Distronic X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp 3is off.
If it is off, Distronic is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow 6.
LIM indicator lamp 3in the cruise control
lever goes off. Distronic is selected.
Switching on Distronic, storing and
maintaining the current speed If Distronic is not activated after the cruise
control lever is pressed, you will see the mes-
sage
DISTRONIC - - - km/h in the multi-
function display.
You cannot activate Distronic in the following
circumstances:
R for two minutes after the engine is started
R if you are driving slower than 30 km/h or
faster than 180 km/h
R when braking Controls
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