2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML550 light

525 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines and durability for
our service intervals. Therefore, only use
approved engine oils and oil filters
required for vehicles with Maintenance
System. For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet
(USA only), or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.Engine oil additives
Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil are used in the air condition-
ing system.
Brake fluid
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center will provide you with additional
information.
!Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification other than those expressly
required for the Maintenance System, or chang-
ing of oil and oil filter at change intervals longer
than those called for by the Maintenance System
will result in engine or emission control system
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Please follow Maintenance System recommen-
dations for scheduled oil changes. Failure to do
so will result in engine or emission control
system damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may damage the engine.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from blending
oil additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based
lubricating oil. Otherwise damage to the system
will occur.
Warning!G
During vehicle operation, the boiling point of
the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from the
atmosphere. Under extremely strenuous
operating conditions, this moisture content
can lead to the formation of bubbles in the
system, thus reducing the system’s
efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be replaced
regularly. Refer to your vehicle’s
Maintenance Booklet for replacement inter-
val.

526 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants
Premium unleaded gasoline
(gasoline engine)
Fuel requirements
Gasoline engine
Only use premium unleaded fuel:

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
of both the Research Octane Number
(RON) and the Motor Octane Number
(MON): (RON+MON) /2. This is also
known as the ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not
exceed 10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.
Warning!G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
personal injury.
Never allow sparks, flame or smoking mate-
rials near gasoline!
Turn off the engine before refueling.
Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid in-
haling fumes and skin or clothing contact,
extinguish all smoking materials.
Direct skin contact with fuels and the inha-
lation of fuel vapors are damaging to your
health.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and per-
formance, premium unleaded gasoline must be
used. If premium unleaded gasoline is not avail-
able and low octane fuel is used, follow these
precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially filled with
unleaded regular gasoline and fill up with
premium unleaded gasoline as soon as
possible.

Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt acceler-
ation.

Do not exceed an engine speed of 3000 rpm
if the vehicle is loaded with a light load such
as two persons and no luggage.

Do not exceed 2/3 of maximum accelerator
pedal position if the vehicle is fully loaded or
operating in mountainous terrain.

527 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Diesel engine
Only use commercially available vehicular
ULTRA-LOW SULFUR HIGHWAY DIESEL
FUEL (15 ppm SULFUR MAXIMUM).
To prevent malfunctions, diesel fuel with
improved cold flow characteristics is of-
fered in the winter months. Check with
your fuel retailer.Gasoline additives (gasoline engine)
A major concern among engine
manufacturers is carbon build-up caused
by gasoline. Mercedes-Benz recommends
only the use of quality gasoline containing
additives that prevent the build-up of
carbon deposits.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives carbon deposits
can build up, especially on the intake
valves and in the combustion area, leading
to engine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation

Unstable idle

Knocking/pinging

Misfire

Power lossIn areas where carbon deposits may be
encountered due to lack of availability of
gasolines which contain these additives,
Mercedes-Benz recommends the use of
additives approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Refer to the
Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet (USA only) or contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center for a listing of approved product(s).
Follow directions on product label.
Do not blend other fuel additives with fuel.
This only results in unnecessary costs and
may be harmful to the engine operation.
!Do not fill the tank with gasoline. Do not
blend diesel fuel with gasoline or kerosine. The
fuel system and engine will otherwise be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Damage or malfunction resulting from poor
fuel quality or from blending additional fuel
additives other than those tested and approved
by us for use on Mercedes-Benz vehicles are not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

528 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which
provides:

Corrosion protection

Freeze protection

Boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -35°F (-37°C) and corro-
sion protection.If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-35°F (-37°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).
The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase boil-over protec-
tion. Refer to Maintenance Booklet for
replacement interval.
Coolant system design and coolant used
determine the replacement interval. The
replacement interval published in the
Maintenance booklet is only applicable if
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze solu-
tion or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification are used to
renew the coolant concentration or bring it
back up to the proper level.
For information on other Mercedes-Benz
approved products of equal specification,
refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet (USA only) or contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 50% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze (equivalent to freeze
protection to approximately -35°F
[-37°C]). If you use a solution that is more
than 55% anticorrosion/antifreeze (freeze
protection to approximately -49°F
[-45°C]), the engine temperature will
increase due to the lower heat transfer
capability of the solution. Therefore, do not
use more than this amount of anticorro-
sion/antifreeze.
If the coolant level is low, water and
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
should be used to bring it up to the proper
level (have cooling system checked for
signs of leakage). Please make sure the
mixture is in accordance with label instruc-
tions.
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality, con-
sult an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
!Add premixed coolant solution only. Adding
water and MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
separately from each other, could cause engine
damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

529 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants
Anticorrosion/antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of
aluminum parts. The use of aluminum
components in motor vehicle engines
necessitates that anticorrosion/antifreeze
coolant used in such engines be
specifically formulated to protect the aluminum parts. Failure to use such
anticorrosion/antifreeze coolant will result
in a significantly shortened service life.
Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze agent.Before the start of the winter season (or
once a year in hot southern regions), you
should have the anticorrosion/antifreeze
concentration checked. The coolant is also
regularly checked each time you bring your
vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center for service.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze quantity
Approximate freeze protection
Model-35°F (-37°C)-49°F (-45°C)
ML 320 CDI
ML 3505.0 US qt (4.75 l)5.5 US qt (5.2 l)
ML 5501
1Data preliminary.
5.6 US qt (5.25 l)6.1 US qt (5.8 l)
ML 63 AMG6.1 US qt (5.8 l)6.8 US qt (6.4 l)

532 Index
Automatic climate control (3-zone)* 218
Air conditioning, Cooling 229
Air distribution, Front 224
Air distribution, Rear 233
Air recirculation mode 227
Air vents, Front 224
Air volume 225
Control panel, Front 220
Control panel, Rear 231
Deactivating system 222
Defogging 225
Defrosting 225
Maximum cooling, MAXCOOL 226
Rear passenger compartment 231
Rear window defroster 203
Residual engine heat (REST) 230
Using driver-side settings for
all temperature zones 229
Automatic headlamp mode 136
Automatic lighting control, Interior
lighting 142
Automatic locking when driving 125
Automatic shift program
(ML 63 AMG only) 195Automatic transmission 54
Accelerator position 190
Automatic shift program
(ML 63 AMG only) 195
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) 197
Gear ranges 192
Gear selector lever 54, 183
Gear shifting malfunctions 197
Hill start assist system 191
Kickdown 190
Kickdown, manual shift program
(ML 63 AMG only) 196
Manual shift progam
(ML 63 AMG only) 195
Program mode selector switch
(ML 63 AMG only) 194
Shift program (ML 63 AMG only) 194
Shifting procedure 186
Starting the engine 54
Steering wheel gearshift control 193
Towing a trailer 191
Transmission fluid level 345
Transmission positions 187
Automatic Transmission Fluid see ATFB
Backrest
Seat 44
Seat, Lumbar support 129
Seat, Multicontour* 129
Backup lamps
Messages in the multifunction
display 438
Replacing bulbs 471
Bar 380
BAS 100
Lamps in instrument cluster 400
Messages in the multifunction
display 415
Basic carrier bars* 266
Batteries, SmartKey
Check lamp 110, 113
Messages in the multifunction
display 427
Replacing 461
Battery, Vehicle 489
Charging 496
Disconnecting and connecting 491
Jump starting 497
Removing and installing 491

533 Index
Bead 380
Belt reel 276
Beverage holder see Cup holder
Block heater (Canada only) 385
Bolts, Collapsible tire
(ML 63 AMG only) 453
Bolts, Minispare wheel
(except ML 63 AMG) 452
Brake fluid 525
Checking 339
Messages in the multifunction
display 430
Brake lamp
Cleaning lenses 393
Messages in the multifunction
display 438
Replacing bulbs 471
Brake pads 312
Messages in the multifunction
display 428
Brakes 312
Warning lamp 401
Break-in period 310
Bulbs, replacing see Replacing bulbs
Button for Voice control* system 30,
148C
California retail buyers and lessees,
Important notice for 11
Camera see Rear view camera*
Can holder see Cup holder
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants 522
Card holder 32, 35, 284
Cargo compartment cover blind 271
Cargo net* 272
Cargo tie-down rings 268
Carpets, Cleaning 397
Catalytic converter
(gasoline engine) 335
CD changer* 161, 279
CD player 161
Center console
Lower part 32
Upper part 31
Central locking
Automatic 125
Locking/unlocking from the
inside 126
Switch 126Certification label 510
CHECK ENGINE malfunction
indicator lamp 403, 404
Checking tire pressure electronically with
the Advanced Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (Advanced TPMS)*,
(Canada only) 365
Checking tire pressure electronically with
the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS), (USA only) 362
Checklist
Off-road driving 322
Returning from off-road driving 327
Children in the vehicle 89
Air bags 75, 89
Blocking rear door window
operation 96
Indicator lamp, Front passenger front
air bag 83
Infant and child restraint systems 84,
90
LATCH-type child seat anchors 93
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) 79
Cigarette lighter (Depending on vehicle
configuration) 286

534 Index
Climate control 204
Air conditioning, Cooling 214, 215
Air distribution, Front 209
Air distribution, Rear 217
Air recirculation mode 212
Air vents, Front 210
Air volume 210
Control panel*, Rear 216
Control panel, Front 206
Deactivating system 208
Defogging 212
Defrosting 210
Rear window defroster 203
Residual engine heat (REST) 215
Clock 27, 169
Cloth upholstery,
Cleaning and care of 397
Cockpit 24
Cockpit Management and Data System
see COMAND system
Cold tire inflation pressure 380
Collapsible tire 518
Collapsible tire (ML 63 AMG only) 453
Collapsible wheel chock 452COMAND system see separate operating
instructions
Combination switch 59, 60, 62, 139
Compass 307
Adjustment 173
Calibration 174
Calling up the compass 307
Control and operation of radio
transmitters 334
Control system 147
Multifunction display 147
Multifunction steering wheel 148
Resetting to factory default 164
Control system menus 147
AIRMATIC*/Compass 162
AMG menu 156
AUDIO 160
NAV* 161
Settings 163
Standard display 154
TEL* 180
Trip computer 178
Vehicle configuration 177
Vehicle status message memory 162Control system submenus 151, 153, 166
Comfort* 176
Instrument cluster 167, 168
Lighting 170
Time/Date 169
Vehicle 173
Coolant 345, 528
Anticorrosion/antifreeze
mixing ratio and quantity 529
Capacities 522
Checking coolant level 339, 345
Messages in the multifunction
display 431, 433
Temperature 336
Temperature display 154
Corner-illuminating front fog lamps* 140
Messages in the multifunction
display 439
Replacing bulbs 469
Crossing obstacles 325
Cruise control 244
Activating 246
Messages in the multifunction
display 416