2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML550 flat tire

483 Practical hints
Flat tire
Screw-type jack (example illustration)
Scissors-type jack (example illustration)
Vehicles with screw-type jack: Turn
crank4 clockwise until jack3 is fully
seated in take-up bracket2 and the
jack base evenly meets the ground.
Vehicles with scissors-type jack:
Turn ratchet4 up and down until
jack3 is fully seated in take-up
bracket2 and the jack base evenly
meets the ground.
Continue to turn crank/ratchet4
until the wheel is a maximum of 1.2 in
(3 cm) from the ground.Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and
remove it.
Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied with the tool kit
(
page 448).
Remove the remaining wheel bolts.
Remove the wheel.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt. This
could result in damage to the bolts and wheel
hub threads.

484 Practical hints
Flat tire
Mounting the new wheel
1Wheel bolt for 18", 19" and 20" light
alloy wheels and collapsible tire (AMG
vehicles)
2Wheel bolt for 17" light alloy wheels or
Minispare wheel (located in vehicle tool
kit (
page 448))
Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.
Guide spare wheel onto the alignment
bolt and push it on the wheel hub.
Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.
Unscrew the alignment bolt, install last
wheel bolt and tighten slightly.
!Wheel bolts2 must be used when mount-
ing 17" light alloy rims or the Minispare wheel.
The use of any wheel bolts other than wheel
bolts2 for 17" light alloy rims or the Minispare
wheel will damage the vehicle’s brakes.
!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while installing first
wheel bolt.
Warning!G
Always replace wheel bolts that are
damaged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be
repaired immediately. Do not continue to
drive under these circumstances! Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center or call Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect wheel bolts or improperly tight-
ened wheel bolts can cause the wheel to
come off. This could cause an accident.
Make sure to use the correct wheel bolts.
Warning!G
Only use genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts. Other wheel bolts may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the
vehicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle
could fall off the jack.

485 Practical hints
Flat tire
Inflating the collapsible tire
(ML 63 AMG only)
Take the electric air pump out of the
cargo compartment (
page 454).
Electric air pump
1Flap
2On/off switch
3Electrical plug
4Air hose with pressure gauge and vent
screw
5Union nut
Open flap1 on electric air pump.
Pull out electrical plug3 and air hose
with pressure gauge4.
Remove the valve cap from the
collapsible tire valve.
Screw union nut5 onto the
collapsible tire valve.
Insert electrical plug3 into a power
outlet (
page 287).
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1.
or
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button once without depressing the
brake pedal.
Press I on electric air pump switch2.
The electric air pump should now
switch on and inflate the collapsible
tire.
Warning!G
Inflate collapsible tire only after the wheel is
properly mounted.
Inflate the collapsible tire using the electric
pump (
page 485) before lowering the
vehicle.
Warning!G
Observe instructions on air pump label.
!Do not lower the vehicle before inflating the
collapsible tire. Otherwise the rim may be dam-
aged.
!The cigarette lighter* (page 285) or the
power outlet in the front center console
(
page 288) is not designed for use with the
electric air pump. Use the power outlet in the
rear center console or in the cargo compartment
(
page 288) for electric air pump operation.


486 Practical hints
Flat tire
Inflate the collapsible tire to the recom-
mended tire inflation pressure given in
the “Technical data” section
(
page 515).
This takes about 5 minutes for the col-
lapsible tire.
Press 0 on electric air pump switch2.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0.
or
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button twice without depressing the
brake pedal.
If the tire inflation pressure is above
the recommended tire inflation pres-
sure given in this Operator’s Manual,
release excess tire inflation pressure
using the vent screw.
Detach the electric air pump.
Store the electrical plug and the air
hose behind the flap and place the
electric air pump back in the cargo
compartment.
Warning!G
Air hose4 and union nut5 can become
hot during inflation. Exercise proper caution
to avoid burning yourself when using the
equipment.
!Do not operate the electric air pump longer
than 8 minutes without interruption. Otherwise it
may overheat.
You may operate the electric air pump again
after it has cooled off.
!Please compare the recommended tire
inflation pressure for your vehicle with the tire
inflation pressure on the yellow label located on
the spare wheel rim.
If the tire inflation pressure on the yellow label
on the spare wheel rim differs from the values
given in this Operator’s Manual, inflate the tire to
the recommended tire inflation pressure given
on the yellow label on the spare wheel rim.Warning!G
Follow recommend inflation pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can result in sudden deflation (blowout) be-
cause they are more likely to become punc-
tured or damaged by road debris, potholes,
etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.


487 Practical hints
Flat tire
Lowering the vehicle
Vehicles with scissors-type jack:
Attach ratchet to vehicle jack in such a
way that the wordDOWN can be seen.
Lower the vehicle until its resting fully
on its own weight.
Vehicles with screw-type jack:
Turn crank counterclockwise.
Vehicles with scissors-type jack:
Turn ratchet in Direction of DOWN.
Remove the jack.1-5Wheel bolts
Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly, fol-
lowing the diagonal sequence illustrat-
ed (1 to 5), until all bolts are tight.
Observe a tightening torque of
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).
Store jack and all other vehicle tool kit
items back into the storage well.
Warning!G
Vehicles with collapsible tire
(ML 63 AMG only):
Inflate collapsible tire only after the wheel is
properly mounted.
Inflate the collapsible tire using the electric
pump (
page 485) before lowering the
vehicle.
Warning!G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque of
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).
iThe removed road wheel cannot be stored in
the spare wheel well under the cargo compart-
ment floor, but should be transported in the car-
go compartment wrapped in a protective cover.
Vehicles with TPMS or Advanced TPMS*:
Do not activate the tire inflation pressure moni-
tor until a full size wheel/tire with functioning
sensor has been placed back into service on the
vehicle.

515 Technical data
Rims and tires
Rims and tires
!Only use tires which have been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. Tires approved by
Mercedes-Benz are developed to provide best
possible performance in conjunction with the
driving safety systems on your vehicle such as
ABS or ESP
®. Tires specially developed for your
vehicle and tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz can be identified by finding the
following on the tire’s sidewall:

MO = Mercedes-Benz Original equipment
tires
AMG vehicles:
Does not apply to all approved tires on AMG
vehicles. For information on tested and
approved tires for AMG vehicles, contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz may result in damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz can have detrimental effects,
such as

poor handling characteristics

increased noise

increased fuel consumption
Moreover, tires and rims not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may, under load, exhibit dimen-
sional variations and different tire deformation
characteristics that could cause them to come
into contact with the vehicle body or axle parts.
Damage to the tires or the vehicle may be the
result.
iFurther information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center. A placard with the recommended
tire inflation pressure is located on the driver’s
door B-pillar (
page 510). Some vehicles may
have supplemental tire inflation pressure infor-
mation for driving at high speeds (
page 358)
or for vehicle loads less than the maximum
loaded vehicle condition (
page 358). If such
information is provided, it can be found on the
placard located on the inside of the fuel filler
flap.The tire inflation pressure should be checked
regularly and should only be adjusted on cold
tires. Follow tire manufacturer’s maintenance
recommendation included with vehicle.
iThe following pages also list the approved
wheel rim and tire sizes for equipping your
vehicles with winter tires. Winter tires are not
available as standard or optional factory equip-
ment, but can be purchased from an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Depending on vehicle model and the standard or
optional factory-equipped wheel rim/tire
configuration on your vehicle (Appearance
Package, Sport Package etc.), equipping your
vehicle with winter tires approved for your
vehicle model may also require the purchase of
two or four wheel rims of the recommended size
for use with these winter tires. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for more
information.

518 Technical data
Rims and tires
Spare wheel
ModelML 320 CDI
ML 350
ML 550ML 63 AMG
Rim4.0B x 18 H25.5 B x 19 H2
Wheel offset1.58 in (40 mm)0.51 in (13 mm)
Minispare tire1
1Must not be used with snow chains.
T 155/90 D18 113M
or
T 155/90 R18 113M –
Collapsible tire1 –185/65-19 104P
Recommended tire inflation pressure61 psi (4.2 bar)51 psi (3.5 bar)
!Please compare the recommended tire in-
flation pressure for your vehicle with the tire in-
flation pressure on the yellow label located on
the spare wheel rim.
If the tire inflation pressure on the yellow label
on the spare wheel rim differs from the values
given in this Operator’s Manual, inflate the col-
lapsible tire to the recommended tire inflation
pressure given on the yellow label on the spare
wheel rim.iPlease note that the tire inflation pressure of
the spare tire differs from the tire inflation pres-
sure of the road tires.

531 Index
A
ABS 98
Indicator lamp 400
Messages in the multifunction
display 415
Off-road - ABS 99
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 190
Accessory weight 379
Accident 64
Active head restraint 88, 127, 458
Adaptive Damping System (ADS)* 255
Air bags 74
Children 75, 89
Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp 31, 83
Front, Driver 77
Front, Passenger 77
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) 79
Safety guidelines 76
Side impact (front and rear*) 78
Window curtain 78Air conditioning refrigerant 525
Air conditioning system see
Climate control or
Automatic climate control (3-zone)*
Air conditioning, Cooling 214, 229
Air distribution, Front 209, 224
Air distribution, Rear 217, 233
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air pump, electric (ML 63 AMG) 485
Air recirculation mode 212, 227
Air suspension program* 254
Adaptive Damping System
(ADS)* 255
Messages in the multifunction
display 447
Vehicle level control* 255
Air vents 217
Air vents, Front 210, 224
Air vents, Rear 234
Air volume 210, 225
Alarm system see Anti-theft systems
Alignment bolt (vehicle tool kit) 450, 483Anticorrosion/antifreeze 529
Antiglare, Interior rear view mirror 199
Antiglare, Rear view mirrors* 199
Antilock Brake System see ABS
Anti-theft systems 107
Anti-theft alarm system 106, 107
Immobilizer 106
Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning
Armrest storage/telephone* compart-
ment
Front 281
Ashtrays (Depending on vehicle
configuration) 285
Aspect ratio 379
ATF 345
Attaching a trailer 330
AUDIO menu 160
Audio menu
CD operation 161
Radio operation 160
Satellite radio* operation 160
Auto-dimming*, Rear view mirrors 199
Automatic central locking, Control
system 175