2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV spare wheel

Winter driving
231Winter driving
Points to remember
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. at a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre, at the onset of winter. Winter tyres
In temperatures below +7 °C, always use all-
weather tyres or winter tyres and always use
winter tyres in wintry road conditions.
Only winter tyres displaying the snowflake
symbol in addition to the M+S marking pro-
vide optimum grip in wintry road conditions.
Only these tyres will allow the ABS and ESP
driving systems to function optimally in win-
ter, as these tyres have been designed spe-
cifically for driving on snow.
Use winter tyres of the same make and tread
on all wheels to maintain safe handling char-
acteristics. G
Risk of accident
Winter tyres with a tread depth of less than
4 mm must be replaced immediately. They
are no longer suitable for winter use, can
no longer provide sufficient grip. This could cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and cause an accident.
Always observe the maximum permitted
speed specified for the winter tyres you have
fitted. If you fit winter tyres which have a
lower maximum permitted speed than that of
the vehicle, affix an appropriate warning sign
in the driver's field of vision. This can be
obtained at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. from a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Under these circumstances, you should also
restrict the maximum speed of the vehicle
using permanent Speedtronic 25
to the maxi-
mum permissible speed for the winter tyres
(Y page 156).
Once you have fitted the winter tyres:
X Check the tyre pressures (Y page 226).
X Restart the tyre pressure moni-
tor* (Y page 228). G
Risk of accident
If you fit the spare wheel* when driving with
winter tyres, bear in mind that driving sta-
bility will be impaired owing to unstable
cornering characteristics caused by the dif-
ferent tyres. You should therefore adapt
your driving style and drive carefully. Have the spare wheel* replaced at the
nearest qualified specialist workshop
which has the necessary specialist knowl-
edge and tools to carry out the work
required. Mercedes-Benz recommends
that you use a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related sys-
tems must be carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop. Snow chains
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains which
have been specially approved for your vehicle
by Mercedes-Benz, or are of a corresponding
standard of quality.
! Information about the use of snow chain-
compatible AMG winter tyres is applicable
for AMG tyres. Use of snow chains is only
permissible with these tyres.
! Vehicles with the Off-Road Pro engineer-
ing package*, AIRMATIC package* or
ML 63 AMG: do not drive in ADS SPORT
mode when driving with snow chains fitted.
25 Only available for certain countries. Operation
* optional
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Driving
tips 232
If you intend to fit snow chains, please bear
the following points in mind:
R Snow chains cannot be fitted to all wheel/
tyre combinations.
R Snow chains must not be fitted to emer-
gency spare wheels, e.g. the "Minispare" or
collapsible emergency spare wheel.
R Fit snow chains only in pairs and only to the
rear wheels. Comply with the manufactur-
er's installation instructions.
On vehicles with the AIRMATIC package*, you
may only drive at raised vehicle level if snow
chains have been fitted (Y page 156).
Do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 50 km/h.
i You may wish to deactivate ESP ®
when
pulling away with snow chains fitted
(Y page 58). This way you can allow the
wheels to spin in a controlled manner, ach-
ieving an increased driving force (cutting
action). Winter driving
G
Risk of accident
Do not shift 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.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the selector lever to N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering. Driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off
G
Risk of accident
Do not switch off the engine while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
There is no power assistance for the steer-
ing or the service brake when the engine is
not running.
Steering and braking require significantly
more effort and you could lose control of
the vehicle and cause an accident as a
result. Braking
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
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking. Operation
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Care
248 H
Environmental note
Dispose of empty packaging, cleaning
cloths and polishing wads in an environ-
mentally responsible manner.
! Do not affix:
R stickers
R films
R magnetic plates or similar items
to painted surfaces, otherwise you could
damage the paintwork. Vehicle care
! Do not park the vehicle for a long period
of time directly after cleaning, especially if
the wheels have just been cleaned with a
wheel cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
rapid corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. After cleaning, park
the vehicle when it is at normal operating
temperature.
Automatic car wash You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start. !
Vehicles with an exterior spare wheel
bracket* must not be washed in an auto-
matic car wash.
! Do not use a touch-free automatic car
wash that uses chemical agents to wash
the vehicle.
Preferably use one without brushes.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
! Make sure that the automatic car wash is
suitable for the size of the vehicle. Fold in
the exterior mirrors before the vehicle is
washed. There is otherwise a risk of dam-
age to the exterior mirrors.
! Make sure that the automatic transmis-
sion is not in position Pwhen washing your
vehicle in an automatic car wash.
R Vehicles with a key:
Do not remove the key from the ignition
lock. Do not open the driver's or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off, as this automatically shifts
the automatic transmission to park posi-
tion Pand locks the wheels, unless you have shifted the automatic transmission
to
N.
R Vehicles with KEYLESS GO*:
Do not open the driver's or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off, as this shifts the automatic
transmission to park position Pand locks
the wheels.
! Make sure the side windows are com-
pletely closed, the ventilation/heater
blower is fully turned off and the wind-
screen wiper switch is set to 0. The rain
sensor may otherwise be activated, for
instance, leading to inadvertent wiper
sweeps being triggered. This could cause
damage to the vehicle.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax from the windscreen and the wiper
blades. This will prevent smears and reduce
wiping noises caused by residue on the wind-
screen.
High-pressure cleaners G
Risk of accident
Do not use high-pressure cleaners with cir-
cular-jet nozzles (dirt grinders) to clean Operation
* optional
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Where will I find...?
255First-aid kit
i Check the expiry date of the first-aid kit
annually, and replace the contents when
necessary.
The first-aid kit is located behind the side trim
in the luggage compartment. 1
First-aid kit
X Open the side trim (Y page 318).
X Remove first-aid kit 1. Fire extinguisher*
i Have the fire extinguisher refilled after
each use and checked every one or two
years. Otherwise, it may fail in an emer-
gency.
Observe the legal requirements in all coun-
tries concerned.
The fire extinguisher is located underneath
the front of the driver's seat. 1
Tab
2 Fire extinguisher
X Pull tab 1upwards.
X Remove fire extinguisher 2. Vehicle tool kit, TIREFIT, jack, spare
wheel* and emergency spare wheel*
The vehicle tool kit, TIREFIT kit, jack and
emergency spare wheel* are in a stowage
space under the luggage compartment floor.
X Open the luggage compartment floor
(Y page 254).
The vehicle tool kit contains:
R a towing eye
R a wheel wrench
R a folding wheel chock
R a pair of gloves
The spare wheel* is in the exterior spare
wheel bracket* (Y page 256). G
Risk of injury
The jack is designed only to raise and hold
the vehicle for a short time while a wheel
is being changed.
If you are carrying out work on the vehicle,
you must use stands.
Make sure that the jack is placed on a firm,
non-slip and level surface. Do not use
wooden blocks or similar objects as a jack
underlay. Otherwise, the jack will not be Practical advice
* optional
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Where will I find...?
256 able to achieve its load-bearing capacity
due to the restricted height.
Do not start the engine at any time while a
wheel is being changed.
i When using the jack, you should also
observe the safety notes in the "Flat tyre"
section (Y page 323).
Vehicles with a TIREFIT kit/exterior
spare wheel bracket* 1
TIREFIT kit 27
2 Electric air pump 28
3 Centring pin
4 Jack, ratchet ring spanner 28
5 Wheel wrench 6
Folding wheel chock
7 Towing eye
8 Trailer ball coupling*
9 Fuse allocation chart
Exterior spare wheel bracket* G
Risk of injury
The spare wheel is heavy. Make sure that
nobody is injured as you remove the spare
wheel.
The spare wheel is on the outer side of the
tailgate. 1
Securing bolts X
Unscrew and remove retaining screws 1
with the wheel wrench.
X Take the spare wheel from the bracket.
i If the vehicle is fitted with mixed tyres, the
spare wheel is the same type as on the front
wheels.
Vehicles with a "Minispare" emergency
spare wheel* (except ML 63 AMG) There may be an additional cover over the
stowage well, depending on the vehicle
equipment.
27 Not for vehicles with an exterior spare wheel bracket.
28 Depending on the date of production of the vehicle, the appearance and stowage location of the jack and the other tools may differ from the illustrations. Practical advice
* optional
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Where will I find...?
257
Vehicles with an EASY-PACK load-secur-
ing kit*
1
"Minispare" emergency spare wheel*
2 Emergency spare wheel cover
3 EASY-PACK load-securing kit* bag
X Remove emergency spare wheel cover 2
with EASY-PACK load-securing kit* bag
3. 1
"Minispare" emergency spare wheel*
2 Stowage well
3 Trailer ball coupling*
4 Centring pin
5 Towing eye
6 Wheel wrench
Underneath "Minispare" emergency spare
wheel* 1:
R Folding wheel chock
R Jack
R Wheel bolts for "Minispare" emergency
spare wheel*
R Fuse allocation chart Removing the "Minispare" emergency
spare wheel*
1
Emergency spare wheel retainer
2 Stowage well
X Turn emergency spare wheel retainer 1
anti-clockwise and remove.
X Remove stowage well 2.
X Remove "Minispare" emergency spare
wheel*. Practical advice
* optional
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Where will I find...?
258
Vehicles with a collapsible emergency
spare wheel* (only ML 63 AMG) 1
Electric air pump
2 Collapsible emergency spare wheel*
3 Stowage well
4 Trailer ball coupling*
5 Centring pin
6 Towing eye
7 Wheel wrench
Underneath collapsible emergency spare
wheel* 2:
R Folding wheel chock
R Jack
R Fuse allocation chart Taking out the collapsible emergency
spare wheel*
1
Emergency spare wheel retainer
2 Stowage well
X Remove stowage well 2.
X Turn emergency spare wheel retainer 1
anti-clockwise and remove.
X Take out the collapsible emergency spare
wheel*.
Setting up the foldable wheel chock The folding wheel chock serves as an addi-
tional measure for securing the vehicleagainst rolling away, e.g. when a wheel is
being changed.
1
To fold the plates upwards
2 To fold out the lower plate
3 To insert the plate
X Fold both plates 1upwards.
X Fold out lower plate 2.
X Guide the lugs on the lower plate fully into
the openings in base plate 3.Practical advice
* optional
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Display
messages 266 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
Tyre pressure
monitor Wheel sensor miss-
ing
The tyre pressure monitor* is not receiv-
ing signals from one or more wheels
because:
R
a wheel without a suitable wheel sensor
is fitted (e.g. an emergency spare
wheel*).
R the battery on one of the wheel elec-
tronics unit is discharged.
R a wheel electronics unit has malfunc-
tioned.
A line is displayed in the multi-function
display for the tyre concerned instead of
the tyre pressure value. X
Have the tyre pressure monitor* and wheels
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Once wheels with suitable wheel sensors have
been fitted again, the tyre pressures are dis-
played in the multi-function display after driv-
ing for a few minutes. Tyre pressure
monitor currently unavail-
able
The tyre pressure monitor* is temporarily
deactivated. The voltage of the vehicle's
electrical system is too low or radio inter-
ference prevents the reception of sensor
signals. X
Drive on.
Once the causes have been eliminated, the tyre
pressure monitor* automatically reactivates
after a few minutes of driving. Practical advi
ce
* optional
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