2010 MERCEDES-BENZ ML550 ESP

Cargo tie down rings, second-row footwell
Hooks
Four hooks are located on the rear
compartment trim panels, two on each side.
Use the hooks to secure light-weight items
only. The maximum permissible weight per
hook is 9 lbs (4 kg).
Expanding cargo volume
You can separately fold the left and right rear
seat backrests to expand the cargo volume.
GWarning!
When expanding the cargo volume, always
fully fold the corresponding seats and, if so
equipped, always use the cargo net when
transporting cargo.
Unless you are transporting cargo, the seat
backrests must remain properly locked in the
upright position.
In an accident, during hard braking or sudden
maneuvers, loose items will be thrown around
inside the vehicle. This can cause injury to
vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
Always use the cargo tie-down rings.
GWarning!
Never drive a vehicle with the tailgate open.
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in
unconsciousness and death.
Folding rear seat backrest forward
! Always release the seat cushion and fold
it up before folding the seat backrest
forward. The seat backrest may otherwise
be damaged.
When the seat backrest is folded forward,
the front seats may not be moved to the
rearmost position. Otherwise you could
damage the front and second-row seats.
XPull release loop :.XFold seat cushion ; forward.Loading and storing189Controls in detail164_AKB; 7; 31, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-09-11T12:07:36+02:00 - Seite 189Z

E (Y page 202) are located in the
storage compartment.
XOpening storage compartment: Pull
button : and lift up armrest.
Coin holders = are located in front of storage
compartment ;.
Rear storage compartments
Depending on vehicle equipment, your
vehicle may not be equipped with three
storage compartments in the front of the rear
seats.
:Storage compartment;Storage compartment cover=Release button?Storage compartmentXBriefly press release button = on storage
compartment cover ;.
The storage compartment opens
automatically.
Useful features
Cup holders
GWarning!
In order to help prevent spilling liquids on
vehicle occupants and/or vehicle equipment,
only use containers that fit into the cup
holder. Use lids on open containers and do
not fill containers to a height where the
contents, especially hot liquids, could spill
during braking, vehicle maneuvers, or in an
accident. Liquids spilled on vehicle occupants
may cause serious personal injury. Liquids
spilled on vehicle equipment may cause
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
When not in use, keep the cup holder closed.
An open cup holder may cause injury to you
or others when contacted during braking,
vehicle maneuvers, or in an accident.
Keep in mind that objects placed in the cup
holder may come loose during braking,
vehicle maneuvers, or in an accident and be
thrown around in the vehicle interior. Objects
thrown around in the vehicle interior may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Cup holder in front center console
A cup holder and a removable card/ticket
holder are located in the front center console.
The cup holder can be removed for cleaning
purposes.
194Useful featuresControls in detail
164_AKB; 7; 31, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-09-11T12:07:36+02:00 - Seite 194

XStart the engine.
RThe temperature of the DC/AC inverter is
temporarily too high.
XPull the plug of the small device out of
115V AC socket : and plug it in again
after waiting a few minutes.
R Some small devices have a continuous
power rating of less than 150 W but a very
high switch-on current. Such devices will
not operate. When connecting such a
device, 115V AC socket : will not provide
power.
If LED ; still does not come on, contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Tele Aid
! In order to activate the Tele Aid system, a
subscriber agreement must be completed.
To ensure your system is activated and
operational, please press Information
button E to perform the acquaintance
call. Failure to complete either of these
steps may result in a system that is not
activated.
If you have any questions regarding
activation, please call the Customer
Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372)
(USA only) or 1-888-923-8367 (Canada
only).
Shortly after the completion of your Tele Aid
acquaintance call, you will receive a user ID
and password in the mail. You may use this
password to access the Tele Aid section in
“Owner’s Online” at www.mbusa.com (USA
only). The “My Tele Aid” section will give you
access to account information, remote door
unlock and more.
The Tele Aid system is available if
R it has been activated and is operational.
Activation requires a subscription for
monitoring services, connection and
cellular air time
R vehicle battery power is available
R the relevant cellular phone network and
GPS signals are available and pass the
information on to the Customer Assistance
Center
i Location of the vehicle on a map is only
possible if the vehicle is able to receive
signals from the GPS satellite network and
pass the information on to the Customer
Assistance Center.
The Tele Aid system
(Telematic Alarm Identification on Demand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three types
of response:
R Automatic and manual emergency
R Roadside Assistance
R Information
To adjust the speaker volume during a Tele
Aid call do the following:
XPress button W or X on the
multifunction steering wheel.
or
XUse the adjustment button on your
COMAND system.
Be sure to check “Owner’s Online” at
www.mbusa.com (USA only) for more
information and a description of all available
features.
System self-test
The system performs a self-test after you
have switched on the ignition.
GWarning!
A malfunction in the system has been
detected if any or all of the following
conditions occur:
Useful features199Controls in detail164_AKB; 7; 31, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-09-11T12:07:36+02:00 - Seite 199Z

RThe indicator lamp in the SOS button does
not come on during the system self-test.
R The indicator lamp in Roadside Assistance
button º does not come on during the
system self-test.
R The indicator lamp in Information button
E does not come on during the system
self-test.
R The indicator lamp in the SOS button,
Roadside Assistance button º, or
Information button E remains
illuminated constantly in red after the
system self-test.
R The message Tele Aid Inoperative or
Tele Aid Not Activated appears in the
multifunction display after the system self-
test
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined above,
the system may not operate as expected. In
case of an emergency, help will have to be
summoned by other means.
Have the system checked at the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Center or contact the
Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372)
(USA only) or 1-888-923-8367 (Canada only)
as soon as possible.
Emergency calls
! In order to activate the Tele Aid system, a
subscriber agreement must be completed.
To ensure your system is activated and
operational, please press Information
button E to perform the acquaintance
call. Failure to complete either of these
steps may result in a system that is not
activated.
If you have any questions regarding
activation, please call the Customer
Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372)
(USA only) or 1-888-923-8367 (Canada
only).
An emergency call is initiated automatically
following an accident in which the Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) or air bags have
deployed.
i An automatically initiated Tele Aid
emergency call cannot be canceled.
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually ( Y page 201).
Once the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp in the SOS button will begin to
flash. The message Connecting Call
appears in the multifunction display and the
COMAND system is muted. When the
connection is established, the message
Call Connected appears in the
multifunction display.
All information relevant to the emergency,
such as the location of the vehicle
(determined by the GPS satellite location
system), vehicle model, identification number
and color are generated.
A voice connection between the Customer
Assistance Center and the occupants of the
vehicle will be established automatically soon
after the emergency call has been initiated.
The Customer Assistance Center will attempt
to determine the nature of the emergency
more precisely, provided they can speak to
an occupant of the vehicle.
i If no vehicle occupant responds, an
ambulance will be sent to the vehicle
immediately.GWarning!
If the indicator lamp in the SOS button is
flashing continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Customer Assistance
Center established, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate an emergency call (e.g. the
relevant cellular phone network is not
available).
The message Call Failed appears in the
multifunction display for approximately
10 seconds.
200Useful featuresControls in detail
164_AKB; 7; 31, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-09-11T12:07:36+02:00 - Seite 200

Should this occur, assistance must be
summoned by other means.
iThe “911” emergency call system is a
public service. Using it without due cause
is a criminal offense.
Initiating an emergency call manually
XBriefly press on cover : to open.XPress SOS button ; briefly.
The indicator lamp in SOS button ; will
flash until the emergency call is concluded.
XWait for a voice connection to the
Customer Assistance Center.
XClose cover : after the emergency call is
concluded.
GWarning!
If you feel at any way in jeopardy when in the
vehicle (e.g. smoke or fire in the vehicle,
vehicle in a dangerous road location), please
do not wait for voice contact after you have
pressed the emergency button. Carefully
leave the vehicle and move to a safe location.
The Customer Assistance Center will
automatically contact local emergency
officials with the vehicle’s approximate
location if they receive an automatic SOS
signal and cannot make voice contact with the
vehicle occupants.
XTerminating calls: Press button ~ on
the multifunction steering wheel.
or
XPress the respective button for ending a
telephone call on the COMAND system.
Roadside Assistance button
XOpen the front armrest storage
compartment (Y page 193).
XPress and hold Roadside Assistance
button : for longer than 2 seconds.
A call to a Mercedes-Benz Roadside
Assistance dispatcher will be initiated. The
indicator lamp in Roadside Assistance
button : will flash while the call is in
progress. The message Connecting
Call will appear in the multifunction
display and the COMAND system is muted.
When the connection is established, the
message Call Connected appears in the
multifunction display. The Tele Aid system will
transmit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and
location (subject to availability of cellular and
GPS signals).
i The COMAND system display indicates
that a Tele Aid call is in progress. While the
call is connected you can change to the
navigation menu by pressing the NAVI
button on the COMAND system. Spoken
commands are not available.
Useful features201Controls in detail164_AKB; 7; 31, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-09-11T12:07:36+02:00 - Seite 201Z

A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants of
the vehicle will be established.
XDescribe the nature of the need for
assistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to tow
your vehicle to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such as
labor and/or towing, charges may apply.
Refer to the Roadside Assistance manual for
more information.
Sign and Drive services (USA only):
Services such as a jump start, a few gallons
of fuel or the replacement of a flat tire with
the vehicle spare wheel are obtainable at no
charge.
iIf the indicator lamp in Roadside
Assistance button : is flashing
continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Customer Assistance
Center established, then the Tele Aid
system could not initiate a Roadside
Assistance call (e.g. the relevant cellular
phone network is not available). The
message Call Failed appears in the
multifunction display.
XTerminating calls: Press button ~ on
the multifunction steering wheel.
or
XPress the respective button for ending a
telephone call on the COMAND system.
Information button
XOpen the front armrest storage
compartment (Y page 193).
XPress and hold Information button : for
longer than 2 seconds.
A call to the Customer Assistance Center
will be initiated. The indicator lamp in
Information button : will flash while the
call is in progress. The message
Connecting Call will appear in the
multifunction display and the COMAND
system is muted.
When the connection is established, the
message Call Connected appears in the
multifunction display. The Tele Aid system will
transmit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and
location (subject to availability of cellular and
GPS signals).
i The COMAND system display indicates
that a Tele Aid call is in progress. While the
call is connected you can change to the
navigation menu by pressing the NAVI
button on the COMAND system. Spoken
commands are not available.
A voice connection between the Customer
Assistance Center representative and the
occupants of the vehicle will be established.
Information regarding the operation of your
vehicle, the nearest authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center or Mercedes-Benz USA products
and services is available to you.
For more details concerning the Tele Aid
system, please visit www.mbusa.com (USA
only), log in to “Owner’s Online” and visit the
“My Tele Aid” section to learn more.
202Useful featuresControls in detail
164_AKB; 7; 31, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-09-11T12:07:36+02:00 - Seite 202

iIf the indicator lamp in Information
button : is flashing continuously and
there was no voice connection to the
Customer Assistance Center established,
then the Tele Aid system could not initiate
an Information call (e.g. the relevant
cellular phone network is not available).
The message Call Failed appears in the
multifunction display.XTerminating calls: Press button ~ on
the multifunction steering wheel.
or
XPress the respective button for ending a
telephone call on the COMAND system.
Call priority
If other service calls such as a Roadside
Assistance call or Information call are active,
an emergency call is still possible. In this
case, the emergency call will take priority and
override all other active calls.
The indicator lamp in the respective button
flashes until the call is concluded. Automatic
initiated emergency calls can only be
terminated by a Customer Assistance Center
representative. All other calls can be
terminated by pressing button ~ on the
multifunction steering wheel or the
respective button for ending a telephone call
on the COMAND system.
i When a Tele Aid call has been initiated,
the COMAND system audio is muted. The
mobile phone is no longer connected to the
COMAND system. If you must use this
phone, we recommend that you use it only
with the vehicle at a standstill in a safe
location.
Destination Download to the COMAND
system
i The components and operating principles
of the COMAND system can be found in the
separate COMAND system operating
instructions.
Destination Download allows you access to a
database of over 10 million points of interest
(POIs) that can be downloaded to your
vehicle’s navigation system. If you know the
destination, the address can be downloaded,
or can be provided with points of interests
near your location.
Route guidance
You will be prompted to confirm that route
guidance to the entered address is to be
started.XSelect Yes using button = or ; on
the COMAND system.XPress button 9 on the COMAND system
to confirm.
The system calculates the route and
subsequently starts the route guidance to the
defined address.
i If you select No, you can save the address
to your address book.
i The Destination Download feature is
available if the relevant mobile phone
network is available and data connection is
possible.
Search & Send
“Search & Send” is a navigation destination
address entry service. For more information
on “Search & Send”, refer to separate
COMAND system operating instructions.
Remote door unlock
In case you have locked your vehicle
unintentionally (e.g. SmartKey inside vehicle),
and the reserve SmartKey is not available:
XContact the Customer Assistance Center
at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) (USA only) or
1-888-923-8367 (Canada only).
You will be asked to provide your password.XThen return to your vehicle at the time
arranged and pull the tailgate recessed
handle ( Y page 75) for a minimum ofUseful features203Controls in detail164_AKB; 7; 31, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-09-11T12:07:36+02:00 - Seite 203Z

Hand-held remote control A is not part of the
vehicle equipment.
Programming the integrated remote
controlXStep 1: Switch on the ignition.XStep 2: If you have previously programmed
a signal transmitter button and wish to
retain its programming, proceed to step 3.
or
XIf you are programming the integrated
remote control for the first time, press and
hold the two outer signal transmitter
buttons ; and ? and release them when
indicator lamp : begins to flash after
approximately 20 seconds.
Do not hold the buttons for longer than
30 seconds.
This procedure erases any previous
settings for all three channels and
initializes the memory. If you later wish to
program a second and/or third hand-held
transmitter to the remaining two signal
transmitter buttons, do not repeat this step
and begin directly with step 3.XStep 3: Hold the end of hand-held remote
control A of the device you wish to train
approximately 2 to 12 in (5 to 30 cm) away
from the signal transmitter button ( ;, =
or ? ) to be programmed, while keeping
indicator lamp : in view.XStep 4: Using both hands, simultaneously
press hand-held remote control button B
and the desired signal transmitter button
( ; , = or ?). Do not release the buttons
until step 5 is completed.
Indicator lamp : will flash, first slowly and
then rapidly.
i Indicator lamp : flashes immediately
the first time the signal transmitter button
is programmed. If this button has already
been programmed, the indicator lamp will
start flashing after 20 seconds.
XStep 5: After indicator lamp : changes
from a slow to a rapidly flashing light,
release the hand-held remote control
button and the signal transmitter button.XStep 6: Press and hold the just-trained
signal transmitter button ( ;, = or ?) and
observe indicator lamp :.
If indicator lamp : stays on constantly,
programming is complete and your device
should activate when the respective signal
transmitter button ( ;, = or ?) is pressed
and released.
i If indicator lamp : flashes rapidly for
approximately 2 seconds and then turns to
a constant light, continue with
programming steps 8 through 12 as your
garage door opener may be equipped with
the “rolling code” feature.
XStep 7: To program the remaining two
signal transmitter buttons, repeat the steps
above starting with step 3.
Rolling code programming
To train a garage door opener (or other rolling
code devices) with the rolling code feature,
follow these instructions after completing the
“Programming” portion (steps 1 through 6) of
this text. For your convenience and to
complete the procedure faster, you might
want to have someone assist you.
XStep 8: Locate the “training” button on the
garage door opener motor head unit.
i Exact location and color of the button may
vary by garage door opener brand.
Depending on manufacturer, the “training”
button may also be referred to as “learn” or
“smart” button. If there is difficulty locating
the transmitting button, refer to the garage
door opener Operator’s Manual.
XStep 9: Press the “training” button on the
garage door opener motor head unit.
The “training light” is activated.
You have 30 seconds to initiate the
following two steps.Useful features205Controls in detail164_AKB; 7; 31, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-09-11T12:07:36+02:00 - Seite 205Z