2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV engine

Driving sys
tems 159
consumption increases and handling per-
formance is affected.
1
Button
2 Indicator lamp
X Start the engine.
X Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2flashes. The vehicle rises
to the raised level. While the adjustment is taking place, a mes-
sage appears in the multi-function display,
e.g. : If you press the
æorç button on the
multi-function steering wheel, the message
will disappear.
Once the vehicle has reached the raised level,
indicator lamp 2remains lit. You will see a
message in the multi-function display, for
example: If you have not previously selected the off-
road menu (Y
page 126) in the on-board
computer, the message disappears after
about five seconds. If you try to select the raised level at a speed
above 70 km/h, the Level selection not
permitted message appears
Highway/high-speed level
! Make sure there is enough ground clear-
ance when the vehicle is being lowered. It
could otherwise hit the ground, damaging
the underbody. 1
Button
2 Indicator lamp
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 2is lit:
X Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2flashes. The vehicle is
adjusting to highwa y/high-speed level. Controls
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Driving sys
tems 161R
Avoid sudden major steering move-
ments.
R Take account of the altered handling
characteristics.
If you are driving too fast in off-road level 3,
the Bring speed below 20 km/h message
appears in the multi-function display. You
additionally hear a warning tone. The vehicle
is lowered.
i You cannot clear these messages.
Only select an off-road level when this is
appropriate for the road conditions. Other-
wise, fuel consumption increases and han-
dling performance may be affected.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock. 1
To raise the level
2 To lower the level
3 Indicator lamps
X Start the engine.
X Turn selector wheel 1clockwise.
The vehicle is raised.
or
X Turn selector wheel 2anti-clockwise.
The vehicle is lowered. Indicator lamps
3for the desired off-road
level flash:
R Off-road level 1: the lower indicator lamp
flashes
R Off-road level 2: the lower and centre indi-
cator lamps flash
R Off-road level 3: all three indicator lamps
flash
The vehicle is being adjusted to the off-road
level selected. As soon as an off-road level is
reached, the corresponding indicator lamp
stops flashing and lights up constantly.
While the adjustment is taking place, a mes-
sage appears in the multi-function display,
e.g. : The vehicle rises from highway level to off-
road level 1.
If you press the
æorç button on the
multi-function steering wheel, the messages
will disappear. Controls
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Driving sys
tems 163
You can select the following:
R
Off-road level 1 at speeds up to
100 km/h
R Off-road level 2 at speeds up to 70 km/h
R Off-road level 3 at speeds up to 20 km/h
If you are driving above 90 km/h or drive
between 70 km/h and 90 km/h for longer
than 20 seconds, off-road level 2 will be can-
celled. The vehicle is lowered to off-road
level 1.
You will see a message in the multi-function
display, for example: If you are driving above 115 km/h or drive
between 100 km/h and 115 km/h for longer
than 20 seconds, off-road level 1 will be can-
celled. The vehicle is lowered to highway
level. You will see a message in the multi-function
display, for example: At high speeds, the vehicle is lowered to high-
speed level in accordance with the ADS basic
setting (
Ypage 157). The vehicle automati-
cally selects highway level if you are driving
at a speed above 40 km/h or if you drive at
between 40 km/h and 70 km/h for around
20 seconds.
Highway/high-speed level
! Make sure there is enough ground clear-
ance when the vehicle is being lowered. It
could otherwise hit the ground, damaging
the underbody. 1
To raise the level
2 To lower the level
3 Indicator lamps
X Start the engine.
If one or more indicator lamps 3are on:
X Turn the selector wheel anti-clockwise 2
until all indicator lamps 3that are lit start
to flash.
The vehicle is lowered to highway level. As
soon as the next lowest level is reached,
the indicator lamp stops flashing and goes
out. Controls
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Air conditioning
170 General notes
2-zone Thermatic/multi-zone Thermotronic*
controls the temperature and the humidity of
the vehicle interior and filters out undesirable
substances from the air.
2-zone Thermatic/multi-zone Thermotronic*
is only operational when the engine is run-
ning. Optimum operation is only achieved
when you drive with the side windows and
sliding/tilting sunroof* closed. i
Ventilate the vehicle for a brief period
during warm weather, e.g. using the sum-
mer opening feature (Y page 101). This will
speed up the cooling process and the
desired interior temperature will be
reached more quickly.
i The integrated filter filters out most par-
ticles of dust and completely filters out
pollen. A clogged filter reduces the amount
of air supplied to the vehicle interior. For
this reason, you should always observe the interval for replacing the filter, which is
specified in the Service Booklet. As it
depends on environmental conditions, e.g.
heavy air pollution, the interval may be
shorter than stated in the Service Booklet. G
Risk of accident
Observe the settings recommended on the
following pages. The windows could other-
wise mist up. This may obstruct your view
of the traffic situation, thereby causing an
accident. Cont
rols
* optional
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Air conditioning
177
X
To deactivate: press the™button
(Y page 173).
MODE is shown in the display behind
the ) symbol.
X Press the ´button (Y page 173).
OFF is shown in the display behind
the ) symbol.
Activating and deactivating the rear-
compartment air conditioning via the
rear-compartment air-conditioning sys-
tem* X
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Activate multi-zone Thermotronic*.
X To activate: press theUbutton.
The indicator lamp in the Ubutton
comes on.
X To deactivate: press the´button.
The indicator lamp in the ´button
comes on. Switching cooling with air-dehumidi-
fication on/off
The "cooling with dehumidification" function
is only available when the engine is running.
The air inside the vehicle is cooled and dehu-
midified according to the temperature selec-
ted. This prevents the windows from misting
up. G
Risk of accident
If the "cooling with air dehumidification"
function is deactivated, the air inside the
vehicle will not be cooled (during warm
weather) or dehumidified. The windows
could mist up more quickly. This may pre-
vent you from observing the traffic condi-
tions, thereby causing an accident. H
Environmental note
The cooling system uses the refrigerant
R134A. This refrigerant does not damage
the earth's ozone layer.
Condensation may drip from the underside of
the vehicle when Thermatic is in cooling
mode. X
To activate: press the9button.
The indicator lamp in the 9button lights
up.
X To deactivate: press the9button.
The indicator lamp in the 9button goes
out. The cooling with air dehumidification
function has a delayed switch-off feature. Controlling the air conditioning auto-
matically
In automatic mode, the set temperature is
maintained automatically at a constant level.
The system automatically regulates the tem-
perature of the dispensed air, the airflow and
the air distribution.
The automatic air conditioning will achieve
optimal operation if "cooling with air dehu-
midification" is also activated. If necessary,
cooling with air dehumidification can be deac-
tivated. Cont
rols
* optional
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Air conditioning
183
X
To deactivate: press the:button.
The indicator lamp in the :button goes
out.
i Air-recirculation mode switches off auto-
matically:
R after approximately five minutes at out-
side temperatures below approximately
5 †
R after approximately five minutes if cool-
ing with air dehumidification is deactiva-
ted
R after approximately 30 minutes at out-
side temperatures above approximately
5 †
Air-recirculation mode with the conve-
nience opening/closing feature G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trap-
ped between the side window and the door
frame as the side windows are opened and
closed. Do not place objects or lean against
the side window when it is being opened or
closed. You or the objects could be drawn
in or become trapped between the side
window and the door frame as the window moves. If there is a risk of entrapment,
press the :button again. Press the but-
ton for stopping, opening or closing the side
window in the opposite direction as appro-
priate.
Make sure that nobody can become trap-
ped when you are opening or closing the
sliding/tilting sunroof*. If there is a risk of
entrapment, press the :button again.
Press the button for stopping, opening or
closing the sliding/tilting sunroof* in the
opposite direction as appropriate.
X Convenience closing: press and hold
the : button until the side windows and
the sliding/tilting sunroof* have closed.
The indicator lamp in the :button
comes on. Air-recirculation mode is activa-
ted.
X Convenience opening: press and hold
the : button until the side windows and
the sliding/tilting sunroof* have reached
their original position.
The indicator lamp in the :button goes
out. Air-recirculation mode is deactivated.
i If you open the side windows or the slid-
ing/tilting sunroof* manually after closing
using the convenience closing feature, it will remain in this position when opened
using the convenience opening feature. Switching the residual heat on/off
It is possible to make use of the residual heat
of the engine to continue heating the station-
ary vehicle for up to 30 minutes after the
engine has been switched off. The heating
time depends on the set interior temperature.
i The blower will run at a low speed regard-
less of the airflow setting.
i If you activate the "residual heat" function
at high temperatures, only the ventilation
will be activated. The blower runs at
medium speed.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock or remove it.
X To switch on: press the9button.
The indicator lamp in the 9button lights
up.
X To deactivate: press the9button.
The indicator lamp in the 9button goes
out. Cont
rols
* optional
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Air conditioning
184
i
The residual heat automatically switches
off after around 30 minutes or if:
R the ignition is switched on
R the battery voltage drops Auxiliary heating/ventilation*
G
Risk of poisoning
Exhaust fumes are produced when the aux-
iliary heating is in operation. Inhaling these
exhaust fumes can be poisonous. You
should therefore switch off the auxiliary
heating in confined spaces without an
extraction system, e.g. a garage. G
Risk of fire
When operating the auxiliary heating, parts
of the vehicle may become very hot, and
highly inflammable material such as fuels
could be ignited. Operating the auxiliary
heating is thus prohibited at filling stations
or when your vehicle is being refuelled. You
must therefore switch off the auxiliary heat-
ing at filling stations.
The auxiliary heating heats the air in the vehi-
cle interior to the set temperature without
using the heat of the running engine. The aux-
iliary heating is operated using fuel directly from the vehicle's fuel tank. For this reason,
the tank content must be at least at reserve
fuel level to ensure that the auxiliary heating
functions.
The auxiliary heating/ventilation automati-
cally adjusts to changes in temperature and
weather conditions. For this reason, the aux-
iliary heating could switch from ventilation
mode to heating mode or from heating mode
to ventilation mode.
You cannot use the auxiliary ventilation to
cool the vehicle interior to a temperature
lower than the outside temperature.
Before activating
X
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Set the temperature.
The auxiliary heating/ventilation can be acti-
vated even when the air conditioning is being
controlled manually. Optimum comfort can
be attained when the system is set to auto-
matic mode. Set the temperature to 22 †.
The auxiliary heating/ventilation can be acti-
vated or deactivated using the remote control
or the button on the centre console. The on-board computer can be used to spec-
ify up to three departure times, one of which
may be preselected (Y
page 133).
Switching the auxiliary heating/venti-
lation on/off using the centre console
button Centre console
1
X Auxiliary heating/ventilation
The colours of the indicator lights on the but-
ton have the following meanings:
Blu eA uxiliary ventilation activated
Red Auxiliary heating activated
Yello wDeparture time preselected
(Y page 132) 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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