2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 fuel

179 Controls in detail
Control system
Fuel consumption statistics since start
Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until the message
From Start appears
in the multifunction display.
1Distance driven since start
2Time elapsed since start
3Average speed since start
4Average fuel consumption since startFuel consumption statistics since last
resetPress buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until the message
From Start appears
in the multifunction display.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
From Reset appears
in the multifunction display.
1Distance driven since last reset
2Time elapsed since last reset
3Average speed since last reset
4Average fuel consumption since last
resetResetting fuel consumption statistics
Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until the message
From Start appears
in the multifunction display.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the fuel consumption statistics
which you want to reset appear in the
multifunction display.
Press and hold the reset button in the
instrument cluster (
page 145) until
the respective values are reset to
0.
iAll statistics stored since the last engine
start will be reset approximately 4 hours after
the SmartKey in the starter switch is turned to
position0 or removed from the starter switch.
Resetting will not occur if you turn the SmartKey
back to position1 or2 within this time period.
iThe fuel consumption statistics reset auto-
matically to 0 when either of the following values
is exceeded:

distance covered: 100 000 miles

time elapsed: 10 000 hours

180 Controls in detail
Control system
Distance to empty
Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until the message
From Start appears
in the multifunction display.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Range: appears in
the multifunction display.
The calculated remaining driving range
based on the current fuel tank level
appears in the multifunction display.
TEL* menu
You can use the functions in the
TEL menu
to operate your telephone, provided it is
connected to a hands-free system and
switched on.
Switch on the telephone and COMAND
system.
Press buttonÿ orè on the
multifunction steering wheel repeated-
ly until the message
TEL appears in the
multifunction display.
iIf only very little fuel is left in the tank, a
vehicle at the fuel pump is shown instead of the
range.
Warning!G
A driver’s attention to the road must always
be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call. If you choose to use the tele-
phone while driving, please use the
hands-free device and only use the tele-
phone when weather, road and traffic condi-
tions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.

196 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Upshifting
Briefly press right shift button2
(
page 193).
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.
If you have selected the AMG menu in the
control system and you are driving in the
manual program modeM, upshift
indicator2 in the multifunction display
advises you to upshift before the engine
reaches the overspeed range. Thus you
can drive at the maximum engine speed for
each gear without overrevving the engine.1Gear indicator
2Upshift indicator
Shift to the next higher gear.
The fuel supply will otherwise be inter-
rupted to prevent the engine from over-
revving.
Downshifting
Briefly press left shift button1
(
page 193).
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.
Kickdown
Using the kickdown when driving in the
manual program modeM is not possible.
Deactivating manual shift program
Press the program mode selector
switch (
page 194) repeatedly until
CorS appears in the multifunction
display.
or
Restart the engine.
The transmission will go to the
automatic program mode (C orS).
The manual program modeM is not
stored.
!In the manual program modeM, the trans-
mission will not upshift, even if the engine has
reached its overrewing range. Shift up to the
next gear before the engine has reached its over-
rewing range. Make absolutely certain that the
engine speed does not reach the red marking on
the tachometer (
page 28). Otherwise the en-
gine could be damaged which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
iWhen you brake or stop, the transmission
shifts down to a gear from which you can easily
accelerate or drive off.

255 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Adaptive Damping System (ADS)*
The fine tuning of the damping and suspen-
sion is dependent on:

your driving style

road surface conditions

your personal ADS settings

your personal vehicle level settings
The ADS switch is located on the upper
part of the center console.
1ADS switch
2Indicator lamp for SPORT setting
3Indicator lamp for COMF settingThe following settings are available:

AUTO (for normal driving situations)
Indicator lamps2 and3 are off.

SPORT (for sporty driving)
Indicator lamp2 comes on.
With the ADS SPORT setting, the vehi-
cle is lowered approximately 0.6 in
(15 mm).
ML 63 AMG:
The vehicle is lowered approximately
0.3 in (8 mm).

COMF (for comfort driving)
Indicator lamp3 comes on.
ML 63 AMG:
The vehicle is raised approximately
0.28 in (7 mm).
Start the engine (page 39).
Press ADS switch1 repeatedly until
the desired suspension tuning is
reached.
Vehicle level control*
The vehicle level control automatically
regulates the ride height to

reduce fuel consumption

improve driving stability by lowering
the center of gravity
The vehicle automatically regulates its ride
height based on the set vehicle height and
the current speed:

As your driving speed increases, the ve-
hicle is lowered by increments until it
reaches high-speed level.
Vehicles with ADS*:

If you are driving with the ADS set-
ting COMF or AUTO, the vehicle is
raised back to highway level as your
driving speed decreases.

You can select the high-speed level
via the ADS setting SPORT. In ADS
Sport, the vehicle is lowered direct-
ly to high-speed level as your driv-
ing speed increases.
iThe setting is stored when you turn off the
engine.

258 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Basic settings (ML 63 AMG only)
The following vehicle chassis ride heights
can be selected using the vehicle level
switch in the center console:
How much the vehicle is lowered or raised
depends on the ADS setting selected. At
the raised level, the vehicle is 2.9 in
(73 mm) higher than at the Highway level
with ADS AUTO.Raised level
Only select the raised level if appropriate
for the driving situation encountered.
Otherwise:

Fuel consumption may increase.

Handling characteristics of the vehicle
may be unfavorable.
Start the engine (page 40).
If indicator lamp2 (
page 257) is off.
Press switch1 (page 257).
Indicator lamp2 flashes. The vehicle
adjusts to the raised level.The following message appears in the mul-
tifunction display while the level is being
set:
When the raised level is reached, indicator
lamp2 (
page 257) comes on continu-
ously and the following message appears
in the multifunction display for 5 seconds:
LevelDriving situation
RaisedFor off-road driving or driv-
ing in rough terrain. The in-
dicator lamp is on.
HighwayFor driving on paved roads
in fair or better condition.
The indicator lamp is off.
iThe third available level is the high-speed
level that is set automatically.
iYou can select the raised level at speeds up
to 40 mph (64 km/h). At higher speeds, the
messagen
Level Selection Not
Permitted
appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
iThe message can be cleared by pressing
theèÿk or buttonj on the
multifunction steering wheel.

267 Controls in detail
Loading
Load distribution
The gross vehicle weight which is the
weight of the vehicle including fuel, tools,
spare wheel, installed accessories, pas-
sengers and luggage/cargo must never
exceed the load limit and Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) for your vehicle as
specified on the placard located on the
driver’s door B-pillar (
page 510). In addi-
tion, the load must be distributed in such a
way so that the weight on each axle never
exceeds the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for the front and rear axle. The
GVWR and GAWR for your vehicle are indi-cated on the certification label which can
be found on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 510).
For more information, see “Tire and Load-
ing Information” (
page 352).
The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Please pay attention to and comply with
the following instructions when loading the
vehicle and transporting cargo:

Always place items being carried
against front or rear seat backrests,
and fasten them as securely as possi-
ble.

The heaviest portion of the cargo
should always be kept as low as possi-
ble against front or rear seat backrests.For additional safety when transporting
cargo while the rear seats are unoccupied,
fasten the outer seat belts crosswise into
the opposite side buckles.
iThe cargo compartment is the preferred
place to carry objects. The expanded cargo com-
partment (
page 269) should only be used for
items which do not fit in the cargo compartment
alone.

299 Controls in detail
Useful features
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center. For
services such as labor and/or towing,
charges may apply. Refer to the Roadside
Assistance Manual for more information.
The following is only available in the USA:

Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.Information button¡
The Information button¡ is located
below the center armrest cover.
1Information button¡
Open the storage compartment
(
page 282).
Press and hold button1 (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to the Customer Assistance
Center will be initiated. The button will
flash while the call is in progress. The
message
Connecting Call will appear
in the multifunction display.
iThe indicator lamp on the Roadside
Assistance button• remains illuminated in
red for approximately 10 seconds during the
system self-check after switching on the ignition
(together with the SOS button and the Informa-
tion button¡).
See system self-check (
page 295) if the indi-
cator lamp does not come on in red or stays on
longer than approximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp on the Roadside Assistance
button• is flashing continuously and there
was no voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could not
initiate a Roadside Assistance call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network was not available).
The message
Call Failed appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be terminated us-
ing thet button on the multifunction steer-
ing wheel or the END Button on the COMAND
system.

311 Operation
Driving instructions
Driving instructions
Drive sensibly – save fuel
Fuel consumption, to a great extent,
depends on driving habits and operating
conditions.
To save fuel you should:

Keep tires at the recommended infla-
tion pressures.

Remove unnecessary loads.

Remove carriers* when not in use.

Allow engine to warm up under low
load use.

Avoid frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.

Have all maintenance work performed
at the intervals specified in the
Maintenance Booklet and as required
by the Maintenance System. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Fuel consumption is also increased by driv-
ing in cold weather, in stop-and-go traffic,
on short trips and in hilly areas.
Drinking and drivingPedals
Warning!G
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs
and driving are a very dangerous combina-
tion. Even a small amount of alcohol or
drugs can affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal
accident are greatly increased when you
drink or take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or
taking drugs.
Warning!G
Make sure that absolutely no objects are ob-
structing the pedal’s range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all obsta-
cles. If there are any floormats or carpets in
the footwell, make sure that the pedals still
have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneu-
vers, the objects could get caught between
the pedals. You could then no longer brake
or accelerate. This could lead to accidents
and injury.