Mercedes-Benz 2002 ML 500, Operator'S Manual

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301
Operation
Driving instructions
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
park, so that the air stream will cool down
the brakes faster.
Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a drive wheel to spin for an
extended period with the ESP
®
switched
off. Doing so may cause serious damage to
the drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Parking
!
When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s braking power. This helps
prevent overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear.
!
Simultaneously depressing the
accelerator pedal and applying the
brake reduces engine performance and
causes premature brake and drivetrain
wear.
!
Set the parking brake whenever park-
ing or leaving the vehicle. In addition,
move gear selector lever to position
P .
When parking on hills, always turn front
wheels towards the curb.
Warning!
G
To reduce the risk of personal injury, or
damage to the vehicle powertrain, as a
result of vehicle/trailer movement, before
turning off the engine and leaving the vehi-
cle always:
앫
Keep right foot on brake pedal.
앫
Firmly depress parking brake pedal.
앫
Shift the automatic transmission to
position
P .
앫
Slowly release brake pedal and let vehi-
cle and trailer roll into chocks until
stopped.
앫
When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.
앫
Have a second person place wheel
chocks on downhill side of left and right
trailer wheels.
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