2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV lock

Trailer towing*
241country in which traffic drives on the same
side of the road as in the country in which
your vehicle was registered. You may oth-
erwise dazzle the oncoming traffic and
could cause an accident.
Trailer towing*
Folding out the ball coupling
Before you can tow a trailer with your vehicle,
you must fit the ball coupling.
The telescopic lever is under the boot/lug-
gage compartment mat on the left-hand side. 1
Telescopic lever
2 Indicator lamp G
Risk of accident
Make sure that the ball coupling is fully
engaged both when it is folded in and when
it is folded out. The indicator lamp is not lit.
Do not pull the telescopic lever if a trailer
is attached. The trailer could otherwise
come loose. X
Pull telescopic lever 1out forwards.
X Pull telescopic lever 1upwards.
The ball coupling disengages and folds out
from under the rear bumper.
Indicator lamp 2flashes. The trailer power
socket folds away automatically.
X Guide telescopic lever 1back again. X
Press the ball coupling in the direction of
the arrow by hand until it engages in a ver-
tical position.
Indicator lamp 2goes out.
The Trailer tow hitch Operation
* 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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Trailer towing*
244
!
A maximum speed of 80 km/h should not
be exceeded, even in countries where
higher speeds are permitted for vehicle/
trailer combinations.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
to when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradi-
ent-climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by strong crosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R consumes more fuel
On long and steep downhill gradients you
must select the shift range 1,2or 3in good
time.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, Distronic* or Speedtronic.
This uses the braking effect of the engine and
you will not have to brake to such an extent
to maintain the same speed. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly. If you need additional braking, depress the brake pedal repeatedly rather
than continuously. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu-
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying
constant slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases
the braking distance and can lead to the
brakes failing completely.
Driving tips
R Maintain a greater distance from the vehi-
cle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea
level. When driving in mountainous areas,
note that the power output of the engine,
and consequently the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability, decrease with increas-
ing altitude.
If the trailer swings from side to side: X
Do not accelerate.
X Do not counter-steer.
X Brake if necessary. G
Risk of accident
On no account should you attempt to draw
the vehicle/trailer combination out by
increasing speed. Folding in the ball coupling
i Fold in the ball coupling when you are not
using the trailer tow hitch. 1
Telescopic lever
2 Indicator lamp
X Place the protective cap on the ball cou-
pling. Operation
* optional
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Trailer towing*
245G
Risk of injury
Make sure that no persons or animals are
in the pivoting range of the ball coupling.
Otherwise, they could be injured.
X Pull telescopic lever 1out forwards.
X Pull telescopic lever 1upwards.
The ball coupling disengages and folds
down under the rear bumper. Indicator
lamp 2flashes.
X Guide telescopic lever 1back again. X
Press the ball coupling in the direction of
the arrow by hand until it engages behind
the bumper.
Indicator lamp 2goes out and the mes-
sage in the multi-function display disap-
pears. Trailer power supply
When it leaves the factory, your vehicle's
trailer socket outlet is equipped with a per-
manent power supply and a power supply that
is switched on via the ignition lock.
The permanent power supply is supplied via
trailer socket pin 9.
The power supply that is switched on via the
ignition lock is supplied via trailer socket pin
10.
! You can connect consumers with a power
rating of up to 240 W to the permanent
power supply and up to 180 W to the power
supply that is switched on via the ignition
lock.
You must not charge a trailer battery using
the power supply.
You can obtain further information about
installing the trailer electrics from a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
X To switch the switched power supply on
or off: turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2or 0, respectively. Trailer with 7-pin connector
If your trailer has a 7-pin connector, you can
connect it to the 13-pin socket on the ball
coupling using an adapter or, if necessary, an
adapter cable. Both of these can be obtained
at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. at a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Fitting the adapter 1
Connector with lug
2 Socket with groove Operation
* optional
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Service
246
X
Open the socket cover.
X Insert the connector with lug 1into
groove 2on the socket and turn the con-
nector clockwise to the stop.
X Make the cover engage.
X If you are using an adapter cable, secure
the cable to the trailer with cable ties.
! Make sure that there is sufficient cable
play so that the cable cannot become
detached when cornering. Service
ASSYST PLUS service interval display
ASSYST PLUS, the service interval display,
tells you when the next service is due. When-
ever a service is due, the following message
appears in the multi-function display:
Service A due in .. days
Service A due in .. km
Service A due now The letter indicates how much time the work-
shop will require to carry out the service work.
The letters displayed range from
Afor a short
service duration to Hfor a long service dura-
tion.
The service interval display ASSYST PLUS
does not record any periods of time during
which the battery is disconnected. In order to
maintain the time-dependent service sched-
ule, you should call up the service due date
and make a note of it before disconnecting
the battery. The alternative is to subtract the battery disconnection periods from the
service date shown on the display. Fading out the service message
1
Reset button
X Press the 1reset button beside the instru-
ment cluster.
The service message goes out. Operation
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Care
247Exceeding the service due date
One of the following messages appears in the
multi-function display:
Service A .. days overdue
Service A overdue by .. km
You will also hear a warning tone.
A qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre, will reset the
ASSYST PLUS service interval indicator after
the necessary service work has been carried
out.
i If you fail to have the service performed
by the specified date, you may be violating
applicable laws. Your warranty may be inva-
lidated and goodwill settlements may be
refused. Calling up the service due date
Use the buttons on the multi-function steer-
ing wheel.
X Switch on the ignition.
X Press èorÿ to select the Basic
display menu (Y page 120).
X Press the jork button to select the
service information.
The 9 service symbol and the service
due date are displayed. Care
Notes on care
Regular and proper care maintains the value
of your vehicle.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected
by corrosion and damage caused by inade-
quate care cannot always be completely
repaired. In such cases, visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop immediately, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Repair damage caused by loose chippings
and remove the following substances imme-
diately, whilst avoiding rubbing too hard:
R Soak insect remains with insect remover
and rinse off afterwards.
R Soak bird droppings with water and rinse
off afterwards.
R Remove tree resin, oils, fuels and greases
by rubbing gently with a cloth soaked in
petroleum ether or lighter fluid.
R Use silicone remover to remove wax.
R Use tar remover to remove tar stains. 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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