2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV key

Driving and pa
rking 103Driving and parking
Starting the engine
G
Risk of accident
Do not keep any objects in the driver's foot-
well. If you use a floormat or carpet in the
driver's footwell, make sure that they are
correctly secured and that there is suffi-
cient clearance for the pedals.
Objects could otherwise get between the
pedals in the event of sudden braking or
acceleration. You may then no longer be
able to brake, change gear or accelerate as
intended. This may result in an accident and
injury. G
Risk of poisoning
Never leave the engine running in enclosed
spaces. The exhaust gases contain carbon
monoxide. Inhaling exhaust fumes consti-
tutes a health hazard and could lead to loss
of consciousness or even death.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine. i
If you depress the brake when starting the
engine, pedal travel will be unusually long
and there will be less pedal resistance.
Automatic transmission P
Park position with parking lock
N To select neutral
R To select reverse gear
D To select drive
X Before starting, make sure Pis selected.
i The engine can also be started when the
DIRECT SELECT selector lever is in position
N.
Further information about the automatic
transmission (Y page 107). Starting the engine with the key X
To start a petrol engine: turn the key to
position 3in the ignition lock (Y page 75)
and release it.
The engine starts automatically.
X To start a diesel engine: turn the key to
position 2in the ignition lock (Y page 75).
The q preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X When the qpreglow indicator lamp
goes out, turn the key to position
3 (Y page 75) and release it.
The engine starts automatically.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm.
Starting the engine with KEYLESS GO* G
Risk of injury
Your vehicle can be started using a valid
KEYLESS GO key*. For this reason, children
should never be left unsupervised in the
vehicle. Always take the KEYLESS GO
key* with you when leaving the vehicle,
even if you are only leaving it for a short
time. Cont
rols
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 103 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving and pa
rking 104
The KEYLESS GO button can be used to start
the vehicle without inserting the key in the
ignition lock. 1
KEYLESS GO button
X Depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
X Petrol engine: press KEYLESS GO button
1 once.
The engine starts automatically.
X Diesel engine: press KEYLESS GO button
1 once.
Preglow is activated and the engine starts
automatically.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm: X
Press and hold KEYLESS GO button
1 until the engine is running. Pulling away
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only shift into reverse gear when the vehi-
cle is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train.
! AMG vehicles: at low engine tempera-
tures (below +20 °C), the maximum engine
speed is limited in order to protect the
engine. Avoid driving at full throttle when
the engine is cold in order to protect the
engine and maintain smooth engine oper-
ation.
i The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time. You can also deactivate the automatic lock-
ing feature (Y page 132).
i It is only possible to move the selector
lever to the desired position if you depress
the brake pedal. Only then is the selector
lever lock released.
X Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
X Pull the parking brake release handle to
release the parking brake.
X Move the selector lever to position Dor R.
i Wait until the shift process is completed
before pulling away.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly. Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 104 Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving and pa
rking 105Hill start assist
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
on uphill gradients of more than 5°. G
Risk of accident
Hill start assist is not a parking brake. It
does not prevent the vehicle from rolling
away.
When parking, always depress the parking
brake and set the automatic transmission
to P.
X To pull away on an uphill slope, release the
brake and depress the accelerator pedal.
The hill start assist continues to hold the
braking pressure for up to one second. This
allows you to pull away evenly without the
vehicle rolling back.
i The brake pedal remains in the depressed
position until the hill start assist releases
the braking pressure.
Hill start assist will not function if:
R you are pulling away on a downhill gradient
R the automatic transmission is in neutral N
R the parking brake is applied
R ESP ®
is deactivated due to a malfunction Parking
G
Risk of accident
Only remove the key from the ignition lock
when the vehicle is stationary as you can-
not steer the vehicle with the key removed.
Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. They could release the parking
brake. This could lead to a serious or fatal
accident. G
Risk of fire
Make sure that the exhaust system does
not under any circumstances come into
contact with easily ignitable material such
as dry grass or petrol. The material could
otherwise ignite and set the vehicle on fire. Parking brake 1
Release handle
2 Parking brake
X To apply: depress parking brake 2firmly.
The 3 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
i On steep slopes, turn the front wheels
towards the kerb.
X To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
The selector lever lock is released.
X Pull release handle 1.
The 3 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 105 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Transmission
106 Switching off the engine
G
Risk of accident
If the engine is not running, there is no
power assistance for the steering and
brakes. Steering and braking then takes
much more effort.
As a result, you might lose control of the
vehicle, cause an accident and injure your-
self and others.
Do not switch off the engine while driving.
X Move the selector lever to P.
Using the key
X Turn the key to position 0(Y page 75) in
the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
i If you switch off the engine using the key
and then remove the key or open one of the
front doors, the automatic transmission will
shift to park position P. Using KEYLESS GO*
X
Press and hold the KEYLESS GO button
(Y page 75).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out
(Y page 26).
i If you use the KEYLESS GO button to
switch off the engine, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to N. If you then open the
driver's or front-passenger door, the auto-
matic transmission shifts to P. Transmission
Notes on the transmission
G
Risk of accident
The movement of the pedals must not be
impaired in any way. Do not keep any
objects in the driver's footwell. Make sure
that floormats or carpets are correctly
secured and that there is sufficient clear-
ance for the pedals. 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. This could
cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and cause an accident. Controls
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 106 Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Transmission
108
In transmission position
D(Y page 109), you
can influence the gearshifts made by the
automatic transmission by using the DIRECT
SELECT steering wheel gearshift buttons to:
R restrict the shift range
R change gear yourself on vehicles with the
manual gearshift program (S/M)*
R change gear yourself on the ML 63 AMG
with the manual gearshift program
(S/C/M)*
Transmission display The current transmission position and drive
program appear in the display. !
If the transmission display is not working,
you should pull away carefully to check
whether the desired gear is selected. Ide-
ally, you should select transmission posi-
tion Dand drive program S*. On AMG vehicles, select gearshift program
C. Do
not restrict the shift range.
Transmission positions ì Park position
Prevents the vehicle from rolling
away when stopped. Only select
P
when your vehicle is stationary.
If you switch off the engine using
the key and then remove the key or
open one of the front doors, the
automatic transmission will auto-
matically shift to park position P.
If you switch off the engine using
the KEYLESS GO button* and open
the driver's door, the automatic
transmission will automatically
shift to park position P. í Reverse gear
Only shift the automatic transmis-
sion to
Rwhen the vehicle is sta-
tionary. ë Neutral
Do not shift the automatic trans-
mission to
Nwhile you are driving.
The automatic transmission could
otherwise be damaged.
If you switch off the engine using
the key or the KEYLESS GO but-
ton*, the automatic transmission
will automatically shift to neutral
N.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty,
only shift the automatic transmis-
sion to Nif the vehicle is in danger
of skidding, e.g. on icy roads. ê Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Shift ranges
In transmission position
D, you can use the
DIRECT SELECT steering wheel gearshift but-
tons (Y page 109) to restrict or derestrict the
shift range for the automatic transmission.
i If the maximum engine speed for the shift
range is reached and you continue to accel-
erate, the automatic transmission shifts up Controls
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 108 Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

On-board computer
115Outside temperature display
G
Risk of accident
The road surface may be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges, even if tem-
peratures are just above freezing point. The
vehicle could skid if you fail to adapt your
driving style. You should therefore always
adapt your driving style and speed to suit
the weather conditions.
There is a short delay before a change in out-
side temperature is displayed. On-board computer
Points to remember
The on-board computer is activated as soon
as you turn the key to position 1in the ignition
lock. You can use the on-board computer to
call up information relating to your vehicle
and to make and adjust settings.
You can call up the next service due date,
select the display language for the instrument
cluster and set other functions. G
Risk of accident
Only use the on-board computer when road
and traffic conditions permit. You would
otherwise be distracted and unable to con-
centrate properly on driving, and could
cause an accident.
The on-board computer shows information in
the multi-function display. Multi-function steering wheel
You can control the multi-function display and
the settings in the on-board computer with
the buttons on the multi-function steering
wheel. Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 115 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

On-board computer
1221
Gear indicator
2 RACETIMER
3 Lap
You can start the RACETIMER when the
engine is running or if the key is in position
2 in the ignition lock.
X To start: press the æbutton to start the
RACETIMER.
X To display the intermediate time: press
the ç button to show the intermediate
time.
The intermediate time is displayed for five
seconds.
X To stop: press the æbutton to stop the
RACETIMER.
The RACETIMER interrupts timing when you
stop the vehicle and turn the key to position
1 in the ignition lock. When you turn the key
to position 2or 3and then press the æ
button, timing is continued. Storing the lap time and starting a new lap
It is possible to store a maximum of nine laps.
X
Press the çbutton to show the inter-
mediate time during timing.
The intermediate time is displayed for five
seconds.
X Press the çbutton again within 5 sec-
onds.
The displayed intermediate time is stored
as a lap time.
Timing starts for a new lap. The new lap is
timed from when the intermediate time is
called up. 1
Gear indicator
2 RACETIMER
3 Fastest lap time (best lap)
4 Lap Resetting the current lap
X
Press the æbutton to stop the RACE-
TIMER.
X Press the çbutton to reset the lap time
to "0".
Deleting all laps
If you have switched off the engine, the RACE-
TIMER is reset to "0" after 30 seconds. All laps
are deleted.
It is not possible to delete a single stored lap
on its own.
X Press the æbutton to stop the RACE-
TIMER.
X Press the reset button on the instrument
cluster twice (Y page 114).
X Press the æbutton to start the RACE-
TIMER.
All laps are deleted.
Overall evaluation This function is only available if you have
stored at least one lap and have stopped the
RACETIMER.Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 122Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

On-board computer
130
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
Time/Date submenu.
Setting the time
X Press the jbutton to select Clock Set
hour (orClock Set minute).
X Press the æorç button to set a
value.
Setting the date
X Press the jbutton to select Set date
Day (orSet date Month orSet date
Year).
X Press the æorç button to set the
values.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
Setting constant headlamp mode If you have set constant headlamp mode and
the light switch is in position MorU,
the side lamps, dipped-beam headlamps and
licence plate lighting are switched on auto- matically when the engine is running. Turning
the light switch to a different position
switches on the corresponding lights. Make
sure the light switch is set to
BorU if
you switch off the constant headlamp mode
while driving at night.
In countries in which constant headlamp
mode is a legal requirement, Constantis the
factory setting.
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 Headlamp
mode.
X Press the æorç button to set the
switch-on mode for the headlamps to Man-
ual orConstant (constant headlamp
mode).
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display. Switching the surround lighting on or
off If the surround lighting is switched on, the
following lights will be switched on automat-
ically in the dark after you have unlocked the
vehicle using the key:
R
the side lamps
R the tail lamps
R the licence plate lighting
R the front foglamps
The surround lighting switches off automati-
cally if you open the driver's door or after 40
seconds.
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 the Sur-
round lighting function. Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 130Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight