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
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Engine compartment
221
operating temperature (i.e. if you only star-
ted the engine briefly).
Via the on-board computer*
i Only possible on the ML 420 CDI. On all
other models a dipstick is used to check
the engine oil level (Y page 222).
X Make sure that the key is in position
2(Y page 75) in the ignition lock.
X Press the jork button to select the
following message: The measurement takes a few seconds. You
will see one of the following messages in the
display:
R
Engine oil level OK
R Add 1.0 litre to reach maximum oil
level R
Add 1.5 litres to reach maximum oil
level
R Add 2.0 litres to reach maximum oil
level
X Top up the oil if necessary ( Ypage 222).
Other messages in the multi-function dis-
play
If the engine is at normal operating tempera-
ture and there is too much oil, you will see the
following message:
Eng. oil level
Reduce oil level
X Have excess oil siphoned off.
! There is a risk of damage to the engine or
the catalytic converter if there is excess oil
in the engine.
If the Switch ignition on to check
engine oil level message appears:
X Turn the key to position 2(Y page 75) in
the ignition lock.
You will see the following message if you did
not observe the required waiting period:
Observe waiting period X
Repeat the measurement after about five
minutes if the engine is at normal operating
temperature.
X Repeat the measurement after about
30 minutes if the engine is not at normal
operating temperature (if the engine was
only started briefly).
The following message appears if the engine
is running:
Engine oil level Not when engine on
X Switch off the engine and wait for five
minutes if the engine is at normal operating
temperature, or for about 30 minutes if the
engine is not at normal operating temper-
ature (if the engine was only started
briefly), before measuring.
i If you wish to cancel the measurement,
press the korj button on the multi-
function steering wheel. Operation
* optional
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Engine compartment
222
Using the oil dipstick
Example: vehicles with a petrol engine
1
Oil dipstick
2 Maximum mark
3 Minimum mark
X Pull oil dipstick 1out of the oil dipstick
tube.
X Wipe off oil dipstick 1.
X Insert oil dipstick 1into the oil dipstick
tube to the stop, and take it out again.
The oil level is correct if the level is between
minimum mark 3and maximum mark
2.
X Top up the oil if necessary. i
The difference in quantity between mini-
mum mark 3and maximum mark 2is
approximately 2 litres.
Topping up the engine oil Example: 8-cylinder engine vehicles
1
Cap Example: 6-cylinder engine vehicles
1
Cap
X Unscrew cap 1and remove it.
X Top up with the amount of oil required.
! Do not add too much oil. If too much oil
is added and the oil level is above the max-
imum mark on the dipstick, the engine or
catalytic converter could be damaged.
Have excess oil siphoned off.
X Screw cap 1onto the filler neck. H
Environmental note
When topping up the oil, take care not to
spill any. Oil must not be allowed to escape
into the soil or waterways. You would oth-
erwise be damaging the environment. Operation
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Display
messages 280 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
N Engine oil level
Stop car, turn
engine off There is insufficient oil in the engine.
There is a danger of engine damage. X
Stop the vehicle. Pay attention to the traffic
conditions as you do so.
X Switch off the engine.
X Top up the engine oil and check the level
(Y page 220). N Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
You have added too much engine oil.
31
There is a risk of damaging the engine or
catalytic converter. X
Siphon off excess engine oil until it is at the
specified level. Observe the legal require-
ments. N Engine oil level
Consult workshop The engine oil level has dropped to a crit-
ical level or the measuring system is mal-
functioning.
32 X
Check the engine oil level (Y page 220).
If the engine oil level is OK:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
If the engine oil level is not OK:
X Top up the engine oil.
X If the warning message disappears: consult a
qualified specialist workshop.
X If the warning message does not disappear: do
not drive on. Consult the nearest qualified spe-
cialist workshop. N Engine oil level
cannot be measured The measuring system is malfunctioning.
32 X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 31
Only for certain countries.
32 Only for certain vehicles. Practical advi
ce
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Troubleshooting
298 Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
Vehicles with a petrol engine:
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfiring. There is a malfunction in the
engine electronics or a mechani-
cal component of the engine con-
trol unit. X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic converter
and damage it. A coolant temperature of over
120 °C is displayed. You also
hear a warning signal. The coolant level is too low. The
coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled suffi-
ciently. X
Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 223). Observe the warning notes
as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the
radiator fan may be faulty. The
coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled suffi-
ciently. X
If the coolant temperature is less than 120 °C, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving on
mountain roads and stop/start driving. The engine does not switch off. The ignition lock is faulty. X
Open the fuse box in the engine compartment ( Ypage 344).
X Remove fuse 120 using the fuse extractor.
The engine stops.
If you wish to start the engine again:
X Replace the fuse. Practical advice
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Jump-starting
339Jump-starting
If your vehicle's battery is discharged, the
engine can be jump-started from another
vehicle or from an external battery using jump
leads.
Observe the following points:
R Jump-starting may only be performed when
the engine and catalytic converter are cold.
R Do not start the engine if the battery is fro-
zen. Let the battery thaw first.
R Jump-starting may only be performed from
batteries with a nominal voltage of 12 V.
R Only use jump leads which are protected
against polarity reversal and which have a
sufficient cross-section and insulated ter-
minal clamps.
i Jump leads which are protected against
polarity reversal and further information
about jump-starting can be obtained from
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
! Avoid repeated and lengthy starting
attempts.
Never start the vehicle using a rapid battery
charger. G
Risk of injury
There is a risk of acid burns when jump-
starting a vehicle due to the gases which
escape from the battery. Do not lean over
the battery while the engine is being jump-
started. G
Risk of explosion
Gases escaping from the battery during
jump-starting may cause minor explosions.
Avoid creating sparks. Keep naked flames
away from the battery, and do not smoke.
Comply with safety precautions and take
protective measures when handling batter-
ies. You will find these under "Battery" in
the index.
X Make sure that the two vehicles do not
touch.
X Depress the parking brake firmly.
X Move the selector lever to P.
X Switch off all electrical consumers. 1
Positive terminal on your vehicle
2 Earth point on your vehicle
3 Positive terminal of donor battery
4 Negative terminal of donor battery
X Connect positive terminal 1on your vehi-
cle to positive terminal 3of the donor
battery using the jump lead, beginning with
your own battery.
X Start the engine of the donor vehicle and
run it at idling speed.
X Connect negative terminal 4of the donor
battery to the earth point 2of your vehicle
using the jump lead, connecting the jump
lead to the donor battery first.
X Start the engine. Practical advice
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