2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV tailgate

Driving sys
tems 168 You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your
immediate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring. This applies to the areas
behind, in front of and next to the vehicle.
You could otherwise endanger yourself and
others. G
Risk of accident
Under the following circumstances, the
reversing camera will not function, or func-
tion in a limited manner:
R if the tailgate is open.
R in heavy rain, snow or fog. R
at night or in very dark places.
R if the camera is exposed to very bright
white light.
R if the area is lit by fluorescent light (the
display may flicker).
R if there is a sudden change in tempera-
ture, e.g. when driving into a heated
garage in winter.
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged.
Have the camera position and setting
checked at a qualified specialist work- shop in this case. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre for this purpose.
Do not use the reversing camera in these
types of situation. You could otherwise
injure others or damage objects and your
vehicle while you are parking.
Activating the reversing camera X
Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock.
X Engage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND APS display. Controls
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Loading and stowing
191roof load of 100 kg. Always adapt your driv-
ing style to the prevailing road, traffic and
weather conditions and drive with particu-
lar care if the roof is laden.
! Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
only use roof rack systems which have
been tested and approved for Mercedes-
Benz vehicles. This helps to prevent dam-
age to the vehicle.
Position the load on the roof rack in such a
way that the vehicle will not sustain dam-
age even when it is in motion.
Depending on the vehicle's equipment,
make sure that you can:
R raise the sliding/tilting sunroof* fully
R open the tailgate fully 1
Roof rails
X Secure the roof rack to the roof rails.
Observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions. Luggage net
G
Risk of injury
Only place lightweight objects in the lug-
gage net. Do not use it to transport heavy,
sharp-edged or fragile objects. The luggage
net cannot secure the objects sufficiently
in the event of an accident. Luggage net in the front-passenger
footwell
1
Luggage net
Luggage net behind the front seats 1
Luggage net Controls
* optional
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Loading and stowing
192 Loading guidelines
G
Risk of injury
Secure and position the load as described
in the loading guidelines.
Otherwise, vehicle occupants could
be injured by the load being thrown around
in the event of sharp braking, a sudden
change in direction or an accident. This also
applies to seats which have been removed.
You will find further information in the
"Securing a load" section.
Even if you follow all the loading guidelines,
the load will increase the risk of injury in the
event of an accident. G
Risk of poisoning
Keep the tailgate closed when the engine is
running. Otherwise, you could be poisoned
by exhaust fumes entering the vehicle.
The handling characteristics of a laden vehi-
cle depend on the distribution of the load
within the vehicle. You should therefore load
your vehicle as shown in the illustrations. Load distribution
Observe the following notes when transport-
ing a load:
R
When transporting a load, never exceed the
maximum permissible gross vehicle weight
or the permissible axle loads for the vehicle
(including occupants).
R Position heavy loads as far forwards and as
low down in the luggage compartment as
possible.
R The load must not protrude above the
upper edge of the backrests.
R Always place the load against the front or
rear seat backrests. Make sure that the backrests and the seats are securely
locked into place.
R Secure the load with sufficiently strong and
wear-resistant load restraints. Pad sharp
edges for protection.
i Load restraints are available at any quali-
fied specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre. R
If the rear seats are not occupied, insert the
belt tongue on the outer seat belts into the
buckle of the opposite seat belt. This
increases the restraining effect of the rear
seat backrests. Controls
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Loading and stowing
194
Securing hooks There are two securing hooks on each side of
the luggage compartment. 1
Securing hooks
Only secure lightweight luggage items (max-
imum 4 kg) on the mounting hooks. Enlarging the luggage compartment
The left-hand and right-hand rear seats can
be folded down to increase the luggage com-
partment capacity. G
Risk of injury
Do not carry heavy or hard objects inside
the vehicle or in the luggage compartment
unless they are secured.
Otherwise, you and other vehicle occu-
pants could be injured by objects being
thrown around the vehicle in the event of
sharp braking, a sudden change in direction
or an accident.
When using the luggage compartment
enlargement feature, you must always fully
fold down the respective backrests and
attach the safety net. G
Risk of poisoning
Always drive with the tailgate closed.
Exhaust fumes could otherwise enter the
vehicle interior.
Folding the rear bench seat forwards G
Risk of accident and injury
Do not fold the backrest onto the folded-
down seat cushions. If the seat cushions are folded down, luggage can be thrown
over the backrest into the passenger com-
partment during, for instance, heavy brak-
ing, sudden changes of direction or in the
event of an accident. You could cause an
accident or cause injury to yourself and
others.
1
Seat cushion release loop
2 Seat cushion
! When the rear bench seat is folded for-
wards, the front seats cannot be moved to
their rearmost position, as otherwise, the
seats and the rear seat bench could be
damaged.
i If the driver's or front-passenger seat has
been adjusted for a tall person, it may be Controls
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Features
213
X
Use æ orç on the multi-function
steering wheel to select the Vehiclesub-
menu.
X Keep pressing jork until the Com-
pass setting Zone message appears.
The selection marker highlights the current
setting. X
Use æ orç to set the geographical
location.
Calibrating the compass You will only see this function if Audio 20 is
installed in your vehicle.
In order to calibrate the compass correctly,
observe the following points:
R find a suitable place where you can drive
the vehicle a full circle.
R calibrate the compass in the open and not
in the vicinity of steel constructions or high-
voltage transmission lines. R
switch off electric consumers, e.g.
Thermati c/multi-zone Thermotronic*,
windscreen wipers or rear window heating.
R close all doors and the tailgate.
X Start the engine.
X Use æ orç on the multi-function
steering wheel to select the Vehiclesub-
menu.
X Keep pressing jork until the Com-
pass calibration message appears.
The selection marker highlights switched
off . X
Use æ orç to select Start.
In the multi-function display, you will see
the Compass calibration active
Please drive a full circle message.
X Drive the vehicle a full circle at approxi-
mately 5 – 10 km/h.
When calibration is completed, you will see
the following message in the multi-function display:
Compass calibration Comple-
ted successfully
If you do not see the Compass calibration
Completed successfully message in the
multi-function display, drive another full cir-
cle. If calibration is not successful within
three minutes of it starting, the Compass
calibration message will appear in the
multi-function display again. This means that
compass calibration is impossible because of
external interference. Repeat calibration at
another location. Floormat* on the driver's side
G
Risk of accident
Make sure that there is sufficient clearance
around the pedals when floormats are
used, and that the floormats are properly
secured.
The floormats must be secured at all times
using retainers and studs.
Before you drive off, make sure that the
floormats are secure and rectify if neces-
sary. A floormat which is not properly
secured can slip and thereby interfere with
the movement of the pedals. Controls
* optional
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Trailer towing*
242Check locking mech.
message is shown
in the multi-function display until the ball
coupling is engaged.
X Remove the protective cap from the ball
coupling. Coupling up and uncoupling a trailer
Coupling up a trailer Steel-spring vehicles
X
Make sure the selector lever is set to P.
X Depress the parking brake.
X Position the trailer level behind the vehicle.
X Couple up the trailer.
X Establish the electrical connection
between the vehicle and the trailer.
Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package* G
Risk of injury
Never lock, unlock, open or close a vehicle
door or tailgate when coupling up or decou-
pling a trailer. The vehicle level could
change and you could endanger yourself or
others. Never press the ADS button* or operate the
level control* while you are coupling up or
decoupling a trailer.
X Make sure the DIRECT SELECT selector
lever is set to P.
X Depress the parking brake.
X Start the engine.
X Set the vehicle to highway level
(Y page 159).
X Set the adaptive damping system (ADS)
setting to AUTOorCOMF (Ypage 157).
X Switch off the engine.
X Close the doors and tailgate.
X Position the trailer level behind the vehicle.
X Couple up the trailer.
X Establish the electrical connection
between the vehicle and the trailer.
i If you have coupled a trailer, the vehicle
will remain at highway level.
The vehicle automatically lowers to high-
way level if you drive faster than 8 km/h
with a trailer. The vehicle is not lowered to
the high-speed level even if you are travel-
ling at higher speeds. This also applies when using accessories
that are plugged into the socket of the
trailer coupling (e.g. a bicycle rack).
Decoupling a trailer G
Risk of injury
Do not connect a trailer with an engaged
overrun brake. Otherwise, your hand could
become trapped between the bumper and
drawbar.
! Do not uncouple a trailer with overrun
brake between the bumper and drawbar,
otherwise your vehicle could be damaged
by the spring action of the overrun brake.
Steel-spring vehicles
X Make sure the selector lever is set to P.
X Depress the parking brake.
X Secure the trailer against rolling away.
X Remove the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer.
Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package*
X Make sure the DIRECT SELECT selector
lever is set to P.
X Depress the parking brake.
X Start the engine. Operation
* optional
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Trailer towing*
243
X
Close the doors and tailgate.
X Secure the trailer against rolling away. G
Risk of injury
The vehicle is lowered as soon as you dis-
connect the trailer cable. Make sure that
nobody is in the vicinity of the wheel arch
or the underbody. You could otherwise trap
yourself or others.
As soon as you decouple the trailer, the
unladen vehicle rises slightly. Make sure
that you or others are not injured in the
process.
X Remove the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer.
X Switch off the engine. Notes on towing a trailer
G
Risk of accident
When reversing the vehicle towards the
trailer, make sure there is nobody between
the trailer and the vehicle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If
you do not couple the trailer to the towing
vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached.
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R The permitted trailer drawbar nose-
weight
R The permitted trailer load
R The permitted rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
R The maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
You will find the applicable permissible val-
ues which must not be exceeded in the
vehicle documents.
You will find the values approved by the
manufacturer on the vehicle identification
plates and those for the towing vehicle in
the "Technical data" section. You will find installation dimensions and loads
in the "Technical data" section
(Y page 365).
The maximum permissible trailer drawbar
noseweight on the ball coupling is 140 kg.
However, the actual noseweight must not
exceed the value given on the trailer coupling
and trailer identification plates. The lowest
weight applies.
! Use a noseweight as close as possible to
the maximum permissible noseweight. Do
not use a noseweight of less than 50 kg,
otherwise the trailer may come loose.
Bear in mind that the payload and the rear
axle load are reduced by the actual nose-
weight.
i On vehicles without level control, the
height of the ball coupling will alter accord-
ing to the load placed on the vehicle. In this
case, you should use a trailer with a height-
adjustable drawbar.
Driving tips i
Observe the notes on ESP ®
trailer stabi-
lisation (Y page 59).
In Germany, the maximum permitted speed
for vehicle/trailer combinations is 80 km/h. Operation
* 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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