2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV engine

On-board computer
131
X
Press the æorç button to switch
the Surround lighting function on or
off.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
Activating or deactivating the exterior
lighting delayed switch-off Using the
Headlamp switch-off delay
function, you can set whether the exterior
lighting should remain on for 15 seconds after
the doors are closed when it is dark. If none
of the doors are opened after the engine is
switched off or if an open door is not closed,
the exterior lighting goes out after 60 sec-
onds.
When you have set a delayed switch-off time
and then switch off the engine, the following
remain lit:
R the side lamps
R the tail lamps
R the licence plate lighting
R the front foglamps X
Press èor· to select the Set-
tings menu.
X Press the jbutton to call up the selec-
tion of submenus.
X Press æorç to select the Light-
ing submenu.
X Press the jbutton to select Headlamps
delayed switch-off.
X Press the æorç button to activate
or deactivate the Headlamps delayed
switch-off function.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
To temporarily deactivate the delayed switch-
off:
X Before leaving the vehicle, turn the key to
position 0in the ignition lock.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock and back to position 0.
Delayed switch-off is deactivated.
Delayed switch-off is reactivated as soon as
you restart the engine.
Activating/deactivating the interior
lighting delayed switch-off Using the
Interior lighting delayed
switch-off function, you can set whether the interior lighting should remain on for 10
seconds after the key is removed from the
ignition lock when it is dark.
X Press èor· to select the Set-
tings menu.
X Press the jbutton to call up the selec-
tion of submenus.
X Press the æorç button to select the
Lighting submenu.
X Press the jbutton to select Interior
lighting delayed switch-off.
X Press the æorç button to activate
or deactivate Interior lighting
delayed switch-off.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
Setting the display when the ignition is
switched off The
Display when ignition off function
allows you to set which display you see in the
multi-function display after the key is
removed from the ignition lock.
X Press èor· to select the Set-
tings menu.
X Press the jbutton to call up the selec-
tion of submenus. Controls
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Off-road driving
140
The DSR symbol and a message such as the
following appear in the multi-function display: If the current vehicle speed is too high, the
DSR symbol appears on the multi-function
display with the max. speed 30 km/h mes-
sage.
Deactivating
X Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2goes out.
The DSR symbol appears in the multi-func-
tion display with the Offmessage
DSR switches off automatically if you drive
faster than 35 km/h. The DSR symbol
appears in the multi-function display with the
Off message. You also hear a warning tone.
Changing the set speed while the vehi-
cle is in motion When DSR is activated, you can change the
set speed to a value between 4 km/h and
18 km/h while the vehicle is in motion. 1
To increase set speed
2 To reduce set speed
X To increase or reduce the set speed by
1 km/h increments: briefly press the
cruise control lever to the pressure point
up 1 for a higher set speed or down 2for
a lower set speed.
The set value appears in the multi-function
display.
X To increase or reduce the set speed in
10 km/h increments: briefly press cruise
control beyond the pressure point up 1for
a higher set speed or down 2for a lower
set speed.
The set value appears in the multi-function
display. Off-road drive program
Only vehicles without the Off-Road Pro engi-
neering package* feature the off-road drive
program.
The off-road drive program assists you in driv-
ing off-road and when fording. The engine's
performance characteristics and the gear-
shifting characteristics of the automatic
transmission are adapted for this purpose.
ABS, ESP ®
and 4 ETS programs especially
adapted to off-road driving are also activated.
Do not use the off-road drive program on
roads that are snowy or icy or if you have fit-
ted your vehicle with snow chains.
ML 63 AMG You can activate and deactivate the off-road
drive program using the on-board computer
(Y
page 126). Controls
* optional
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Off-road driving
141
All models except ML 63 AMG
1
Off-road button
2 Indicator lamp 3
Off-road display
X To activate: press off-road button 1.
Indicator lamp 2lights up. Off-road indi-
cator 3appears in the multi-function dis-
play. X
To activate: press off-road button 1.
Indicator lamp 2and off-road indicator
3 go out. LOW RANGE* off-road gear
Only vehicles equipped with the Off-Road Pro
engineering package* feature the LOW
RANGE off-road gear.
The LOW RANGE off-road gear assists you in
driving off-road and when fording. When LOW
RANGE is engaged, the engine's performance
characteristics and the gearshifting charac-
teristics of the automatic transmission are
adapted for this purpose. ABS, ESP ®
and
4 ETS programs especially adapted to off-
road driving are also activated. You will find
information about driving off-road in the
"Operation" section (Y page 235). You will
find information about driving safety systems
in conjunction with LOW RANGE in the
"Safety" section (Y page 57). Shift ranges HIGH RANGE Road position for all nor-
mal driving situations
LOW RANGE Off-road position for driv-
ing off-road and fording
The gear ratio between the
engine and wheels is only
approximately one third of
that in the HIGH RANGE
road position. The drive
torque is correspondingly
higher as a result.
Do not use LOW RANGE:
R
on slippery road surfa-
ces, e.g. in the case of
slush
R on snow or ice-covered
roads
R if you have snow chains
on your vehicle G
Risk of accident
Always wait for the gear change process
from HIGH RANGE to LOW RANGE – and
from LOW RANGE to HIGH RANGE – to Controls
* optional
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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 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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