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Introduction
This frequently asked question (FAQ) is meant to provide answers to the
mostly asked questions, usually by new members to the list and provided as a
depository for useful information. The answers are contributed by members,
either based on their own experience and in some cases, just rumors. While
we try to provide accurate information and confirm as much answers from
authenticated source as possible, we are not responsible for any consequence
or damage resulting from reading the list. If AMG did not introduce an ML55,
e.g., you can't suit us because we speculate it may. Or if you damage your
radio based on information provided here, you're on your own.
Having said that, we hope the information useful to you and please provide
any feedback, including mistake or incorrect statement in the FAQ.
How long is the waiting list?
Currently there is a 3-9 months waiting period in various part of the United
States. Residents of Southern California seem to have a shorter waiting
period whereas residents from some other part of the country have reported
waiting period as long as 12 months. As MBUSI is increasing production in
model year 1999 from 60,000 units/year to 90,000 units/year, the supply
demand relationship will improve.
Has anyone paid less than MSRP?
While most owners paid at MSRP, there have been reports that members of AAA
could get discount up to $500 off the MSRP. Some owners also reported
successfully negotiating discount on accessories.
How much will I be able to sell my
M-Class (or allocation) for a profit?
First of all, be aware of the fact that MBNA requires its dealer to have
customers sign a waiver that the vehicle will not be exported outside of
North America within a year from purchase or the customer will pay up to
$10,000 fine.
When the M-Class was introduced in September 1997, there are
reports that some were able to profit $4-6k by selling their allocations.
There are also reports that some owners were able to sell a used ML320 for
what they paid for. As supply catching demand, this will unlikely remain the
same.
What are differences of ML430
and. ML320 and which one is a better buy?
Harold Ipolyi has an excellent page summarizing feature differences of the two. The main
differences are the engine, 3.2l V-6 vs. 4.3l V-8, M1 as option vs.
standard, ESP as option (in model year 1999) vs. standard, and exterior
(body colored bumper and side molding). There has been rumor about the
fender flair being standard in ML430 but MB's official photo does not show
the fender flair.
Choosing one model over another is often a subjective
decision made by individual. Obviously if one wants a powerful V-8 and lots
options, the ML430 is a better choice than buying a ML320 and adds all the
options.
What are the differences of 1998
model and 1999 model and which one is a better buy?
Starting July 1998 Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) will ship 1999
model which will have more choice of colors, and available options such as
ESP. There is no announcement from MBNA regarding price change yet. Since it
is so close to the new model year, many prospective owners have changed
their delivery date to 1999 model year. Again, this is an individual choice.
What are other upcoming M-Class models?
Here is a list of upcoming M-Class models according to industry rumor:
ML270CDI with a 2.7l five cylinder diesel engine in 1999
ML400CDI with a 4.0l V-8 diesel making 238 bhp and 405
lb-ft in 2000
ML55 with a 5.5l V-8 found in the E55AMG making 350 bph,
with performance of 0-60mph less than 7 seconds and top speed 145mph.
How does the M-Class compare with
other SUVs?
Again, this is a highly subjective subject and could easily get many into
heated debate. According to owner's survey, many M-Class owners cross-shop
other SUVs prior to buying and the most cited models include Ford Explorer,
Toyota 4Runner, None, Lexus LX450 and RX300. Harold
Ipolyi also has a comprehensive SUV comparision table.
Many owners chosen the M-Class attribute their decision to
overall value of the vehicle, versatility, good on-road handling, and MB's
reputations (longevity and safety).
How well does the factory GPS work?
From peter@smallworld-us.com:
I thought I'd give a bit of feedback on the navigation system, as there
hasn't been much on this forum. Overall I am very impressed with it. Some of
the previous discussion on this forum comparing the Mercedes system (made by
Siemens) with PC based systems misses the crucial point that GPS alone is
not very accurate - there is a deliberate error introduced into the signal
which can make it inaccurate by up to 100 meters or so. To get a really
accurate location you need to combine GPS with distance and direction
sensors in the car, together with road database information. See the link
below for more discussion on this topic. This fact makes the dedicated in
car systems much more accurate than a PC based system which just uses GPS.
I have been very impressed with the locational accuracy of
the system - in most cases it locates a junction to within a few yards. The
database accuracy has been pretty good - I have come across a few cases
where it did not have turn restrictions identified correctly (you can't turn
right here), but in general it has been very accurate on identifying one way
streets, where you can do U-turns, etc. It negotiated the one way streets in
downtown Denver very well yesterday. Metro Denver and the surrounding areas
have detailed map coverage, but this is not available everywhere (see www.navtech.com for coverage information).
The routing algorithm seems to ignore minor streets except
at the very beginning and end of the route. I guess this is understandable,
but it means that the system sometimes comes up with different routes than I
would use for short local trips in areas I know well (such as my trip to
work). However, it still comes up with decent routes which get you where you
need to go. If you turn off the recommended route then the system
immediately recalculates the route.
The user interface is easy to learn and has some nice
touches. For example, you enter names by using arrow keys to move around a
keyboard on the screen. If you are entering a city name, it narrows down the
letters which are selectable by matching what you have entered with its
database. For example, if you enter "D" as the first letters, then
only the letters A,E,I,O,U might be possibilities for the next letter
(depending on the city names in the database). This allows you to enter text
more quickly.
Originally one of the few reservations I had about the
system (apart from its price!) was that the display was stuck on top of the
dashboard rather than integrated into it. However, this position makes it
easier to glance at the display quickly while driving without taking your
eyes off the road. It is also easy to find the buttons on the unit. It
doesn't affect your visibility of the road and it looks better than I
thought it would.
The display has two modes - one displays information on your
next turn, with a large arrow indicating the direction of the turn, the name
of the street, and how far away it is. The other displays a map, with your
location and direction shown by a moving symbol. You can display different
map scales, and have options such as whether the map is oriented with north
up, or your current direction up. The system gives you voice instructions on
when to turn (which can be turned off). This is not hooked into the stereo
system, so if you are playing loud music you may not hear the voice
instructions.
To specify where you are going there are five options -
address, street intersection, points of interest, freeway entrance/exit, and
guidance history (places you have been recently). The points of interest
option can list places ordered by how close you are to them - so you can
list the nearest restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, etc. This is a very nice
feature - and the database is surprisingly detailed. You can subscribe to
get updated CD-ROMs on a regular basis, but I haven't looked into the
details of this yet.
In summary, I have found that the system works well and is
very useful (and fun if you're into gadgets!). It's still rather expensive
at the
moment, but I'm sure that once the price starts coming down, we will see a
lot more of these sort of systems.
How is the Bose upgrade?
What is included in the M1 option package?
The M1 option package includes leather trimmed seats, steering wheel, and
gearshift knob, burl walnut dashboard and console trim, heated 8-way power
front seats (no memory), auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, digital trip
computer in overhead console to provide date, elapsed trip time and mileage,
instantaneous or average mpg, digital outside temperature indicator in the
dashboard, lockable safebox under passenger seat, and rear privacy glass.
This is the most popular package but it also requires the optional sunroof,
adding $4000 over the base price combined.
What is included in the M4 option package
and is it available?
In Mercedes Benz of North America (MBNA) 1998 M-Class catalog, the M4
package includes dual stainless finish side steps, mud flaps, and
rear-mounted stainless steel finish spare carrier and full size spare tire.
However, the M4 option has not been available as this writing and there is
rumor that it will be available in model year 1999 without the full size
spare.
What is included in the M7 option package
and is it available?
The M7 option package is a pair of third row seats that can be folded
sideway on top of the rear wheel wells. However, this option is still not
available as this writing. There is rumor that it will be available in model
year 1999 and when ordered from the factory along with teh vehicle the rear
windows can be tilted.
How does the M-Class handled in
off-road situation?
Harold Pietschmann has
taken his ML320 to various extreme off-road situations that 99% of the SUV
owners would never venture. See his reports regarding how well the M-Class
handles.
There are several hard-core off-road magazines giving the
M-Class relative low score for extreme off-road handling. The most common
complain is the traction control based ETS that requires wheel slipping
first in order to transfer torque to other wheels. It's reported that this
makes climbing boulder with sands rather awkward as one needs control
vehicle movement while inducing wheel spin. The relative long wheel base of
the M-Class could be disadvantage in certain terrain comparing to some of
the hard-core SUVs with shorter wheel base.
Several owners report excellent results during 1997 winter
season in various part of the country.
Is the M-Class easily/hardly to be
rolled over?
The M-Class as other SUVs has higher center of gravity than sedans, thus
easier prone to roll-over in general. However, with the relative wide wheel
track and wider tires, and the availability of the ESP in model year 1999,
the M-Class should be less likely roll-over in similar situation comparing
to other SUVs. In fact a non-ESP equipped ML320 passed the infamous
Moose-Test in flying color. In this test a driver makes a sharp turn at the
speed of 60mph(?) to simulate avoiding a moose. M-B was embarrased last year
when its A-Class failed the moose test and had to spend over $200 million to
modify and equip the A-Class with ESP.
Having said that, any vehicle can be rolled over given
enough stupidity on driver's part so drive carefully.
What is AAV and why the M-Class does not
look like the AAV?
At the 1996 Detroit International Auto Show MBNA unveiled a concept model
called AAV - All Activity Vehicle and it became the star of auto shows in
that year. There have been complaints from some M-Class owners that they
bought their M-Class after seeing the AAV and the M-Class doesn't resemble
the AAV.
While many auto makers use concept vehicle to gauge market
reaction before committing to real productions, the AAV is actually done
after the M-Class design has been frozen, according Mercedes-Benz
M-Class, The Complete Story Behind the All-New Sport-Utility Vehicle by
John Lamm. Early in the design phase three M-B design studios submit designs
based on its own vision and the proposal from Irvine, California based
studio has a muscular shape with strong fender flares and front end. The
design was not chosen as it was thought to be aimed a bit too much at a
younger, off-road oriented audience than was intended for the M-Class.
Later in 1995 when the Vance, Alabama factory is busy
getting ready to final production, MBUSI and MBNA decided to give the public
a sneak peak of what is coming and they commision the Irvine studio to
produce a a show car. Guess what the kids in Irvine did, they built the AAV
with the design that was voted down originally.
With 18-inch wheel/tire package and painted fender flair,
one can convert an M-Class into more agreesive look closer to the AAV.
The upcoming AMG ML55 will resemble the AAV
very closely according to rumor mill.
Where can I buy accessory at
discount?
While many M-B dealers still charging MSRP for M-Class related accossories,
some M-B dealers are willing to discount up to 15%. Several owners have
ordered parts via mail order from Clair
Motors who seems to have the lowest price so far.
How useful is the M-B grill guard
and who else makes grill guard besides M-B?
The M-B grill guard is mostly useful for housing auxiliary lights. It also
comes with a steinless steel skid plate protecting mainly the engine oil
cooler behind the bumper area. Many owners also like the grill guard for
adding muscular image to the vehicle as well. There are two colors for the
grill guard: chrome finish or black.
Third part grill guard or brush guard products are just
start coming out. Following is a list of available or announced products:
Manik distributed by
FieldSport distributed by Overlander
Delta
How useful is the M-B side steps and
wholes makes side steps/tubes besides M-B?
The M-B side steps are tubular shape with rubber step pads. There are
two colors for the side steps: black finish or the stainles steel finish in
the M4 package. The side steps are mostly useful for small
children and short height adult. They are also useful for average height
adult accessing the roof. Some owners complain the side steps making
average height adult egressing slightly difficult.
Can I move the powered seats without
ignition key?
See AAM option 10.
What is AAM?
AAM, All-Acitivity Module, is an electronic module that controls various
convience options and can be programmed by M-B technicians with a handheld
computer. Following is a list of known options, anyone who can fill in the
missing information please send email to mclass@offroad.com:
Option #1. Engine
M112 (3.2l V-6 engine) or M113 (4.3l V-8 engine).
Option #2. Country
USA or Rest of World. Changing this option to Canada will
enable day time running light -- need to confirm.
Option #3. Left Hand or Right Hand Drive
Option #4. Transmission
Manual or Automatic
Option #5. Country
USA or Rest of World (mile or kilometer)
Option #6. Foglights
NEITHER HARNESS ACTIVATED, (as it comes from MB), INTEGRAL
SOCKET HARNESSES ACTIVATED, OR (not AND) LOWER HARNESSES.
This option enables the foglight switch on the dash to control power
delivery to either the integrated fog lights or the 150W max auxiliary light connector located below the driver side
headlight assembly.
Option #7. A/C
Present or Not Present
Option #8. Heater
Present Or Not Present
Option #9. Trip Computer
Present or Not Present
Option #10. Convenience Feature
Enable Or Only with Circuit 15C. This allows the seats AND
windows to be used with the ignition off. THIS FEATURE IS NOT ALLOWED IN
THE US.
Someone suggests following, do it at your own risk:
Remove and store away Relay K14 and put a heavy-duty jumper between
terminals #30 & #87 in the fuse box.
Option #11. ATA (Anti-Theft-Alarm)
Present or Not Present
Option #12. ATA Anti Tow and Interior
Present or Not Present. This is part of the regular ATA
System.
Option #13. ATA Ticking Mode
On or Off. The parking/courtesy lights will flash
once a minute to warn you that the vehicle has auto-armed (how does
auto-armed work?).
Option #14. CL (Central Locking) Confirmation
On or Off
Option #15. Auto CL After 1 Minute
On or Off. Is this the factory default auto lock
after one minute when no door is open?
Option #16. Auto CL When Driving
On or Off. If enable, the doors will be locked when
driving speed exceed 9-10 mph.
Option #17. CL Auto Opening
On or Off. Some reported this option does not work.
Any confirmation?
Option #18. Panic Alarm
On or Off. This enables the Panic Button Feature on
the Remote.
Option #19. Hazard Flash After Crash
On or Off
Option #20. CL Switch
?
How do I turn on the integrated fog
light?
The M-Class comes with a pair of integrated fog light reflectors and sockets
in the headlight assembly. The fog light is in the inner side of the
assembly and the socket is covered by a round rubber cup. The light bulb is
standard H-3 type that can be bought in many auto part store for a few
dollars. M-B dealers also carry either clear or yellow colored H-3 bulbs
that were used in the older E-Class.
The integrated fog lights are not enable by default from the
factory in the AAM option 16 due to some state regulation
prohibits fog lights over certain height. If you live in a state that is
legal to have fog lights at 32", you can request dealer enable the AAM.
MBNA (800-FOR-MERCEDES) maintain a list of states that are legal to have fog
lights at the height of 32". (I will compile a list if you know your
state allows).
There're also reports that some owners from states that
prohibit the lights were able to convince their dealers to enable integrated
fog lights by insisting they will be used in off-road situation.
What kind of auxiliary light can I
install?
With relative large frontal surface, there are several locations available
to auxiliary light installation even without the grill guard. The compact
PIAA 1xxx series can be fitted easily in the lower grill right on top of the
front license plate, or in the squar openings under the bumper. There are
two round holes under the headlights but they could be air ducts for brake
cooling. Some of the new slim fog/driving lights like PIAA 1500XT or FET MSX
can be fitted either over or under the bumper.
With a grill guard, the choices are more. Some of the
popular ones installed by owners include Hella 4000 (see Harold
Pietschmann web page for an example), PIAA 80 Pro XT, FET Landermaster
190 Twin Beam, and Hella 500 and PIAA 1000 from M-B as OEM parts.
What kind of light bulb upgrades are
available?
The M-Class uses 55W H-1 bulbs for high beam, 55W H-7 for low beam, and 55W
H-3 bulbs for the integrated fog beam. There are various third party bulb
upgrades available, including following:
higher wattage, e.g. 85-100W H-1, 85-130W H-3, or 100W
H-7 bulbs. Be careful about these high wattage bulbs as the factory
wiring and relays may not be able to handle the higher current. The next
option is recommended.
high output light Halogen bulb with Xenon gas such as
PIAA's XTRA bulb, FET's HyperBulb, or IPF Super J Beam. These bulbs are
usually advertised as 55=85W or 55=100W, meaning they will consume 55W
but generate light output similar to normal Halogen bulbs at 85/100W.
Several owners report excellent result with these bulbs.
color tint like PIAA's Ion Crystal or FET's Gold Iridium
that convert white light to amber with minimum light loss, or FET's
HperWhite or PIAA's Diamond Blue that produce slight blueish light
similar to the Xenon high intensity discharge light found in some
high-end autos. The fog light is a good candidate for the amber color
bulb as some on-coming drivers may mistake four bright lights (two low
beam plus two clear fog beam) as high beam being turn on and flash
you by mistake.
Most these bulbs are available from Overlander .
How do I enable day time running lights?
You will need to enable AAM option 2 (?) and purchase three relays part #
002-542-11-19, one relay part # 002-542-14-19. They go in locations:
k5, k9, k13, & k22. Remove the jumper (blue) from k22 first.
What kind of tire and wheel upgrades are
available?
How do I lower suspension?
How is the M-Class towing
capability?
How do I install hitch kit?
Is a full size spare tire carrier
available?
The original M4 optional package is supposed to include a full size spare
tire and a carrier mounted at the back. The package is never available and
is introduced in the 1999 model sans the full size tire kit. There is recent
sighting of a full size spare tire carrier. See pictures in Harold
P's web page .
For third-party application, there are hitch mount carrier available from
Mir-Kyn Enterprises and Sports
Rack that have been reported.
How easy is to change a tire using the
spare?
While the question may sound trivil, it's recommended every owner be familar
with the space saver spare tire as it is not exactly trivil to be removed
even when following the owner's manual to the letter.
The owner's manual provides sufficient information up to the
point when the screw securing the carrier is removed and the latch is open.
It is not clear after than, or rather vague. The procedure after the latch
is open is to pull the carrier down and slide it all the way until it almost
touch the ground to expose the spare tire completely. Then turn the handle
that secured a dust cover counter-clock wise to remove the handle and the
cover. The tire can be now easily taken out.
Practice this at least once so you won't be struggling
during the worst time to figure out how to remove the spare.
Can I install a winch kit?
I'd like to use the exterior cell
phone antenna, what is the part number?
What kind of third party radio upgrades
are available?
How do I remove the radio from the
console?
It requires using a pair of special tools (M-B part # 929-589-01-05-00) that
have a flat blade tip pushing in the two small slots at the bottom of the
radio.
-
How do I connect a third party radio
with factory wiring?
An owner reports:
After much investigation, I?ve been able to replace the
radio in my vehicle. Unfortunately either Crutchfield?s research on the
ML320 is out of date or was incorrectly done in the first place so I wound
up throwing out Crutchfield?s adapters and starting from scratch. There
are two major discrepancies between my vehicle and Crutchfield?s data.
First, the adapter harness they provide which is suppose to plug directly
into the factory harness does not fit. The adapter they provided is intended
for VW and Audi. Both it and our vehicle harness uses a single plug made of
two halves of 8 pin each. The 8 pins of each half are arranged the same;
however, the two halves are spaced differently. In order to fit the wiring
harness into the adapter, major modifications must be done to the factory
harness?s plug. Rather than do these modification, I replaced the factory
plug with a standard Molex connector.
The second issue deals with the antenna. The antenna in the
ML320 uses a booster requiring power. Crutchfield said the power to the
booster was provided through the center lead of the antenna wire, and
provided an adapter to support this function. Power is not supplied through
the center lead of the antenna wire; instead, there is a dedicated wire in
the wiring harness from the radio which supplies power to the antenna
booster. I hooked this lead up to the power antenna wire of my new radio.
The following diagrams show the pinouts of the standard
factory radio of the ML320, the view is into the radio or into the tail of
each plug:
----------------
| 1 2 3 4 |o
| 5 6 7 8 |
----------------
Power
1 Brown Ground
2 White Illumination
3 Red Battery
4 Tan Antenna
5 Pink Ignition
6 N/A
7 N/A
8 N/A
1) re: N/A pins: A archived post from Dec. (?) will show
exactly which of the the three pins you have labeled N/A pins is actually
the "audio mute" lead-in, to mute the stereo on incoming cell
call's.
2) re: MB connector: The 8 pin used in the ML is a standard
car-stereo aftermarket item avail to audio installers. Normal aftermarket
installation would replace the plug end on the head unit.
Speakers
1 Orange LR-
2 Green LF-
3 White RF-
4 Gray RR-
5 Pink LR+
6 Blue LF+
7 Tan RL+
8 Red RR+
WARNING: Removal of the factory unit requires a special
tool. Substitution may damage the retaining clips making the radio
impossible to remove without dismantling the dashboard. I think the tool
should be a flat blade tapered at one edge. Insertion of the tool with the
non-tapered edge toward the outside will move the clips in and release the
factory radio.
What kind of speaker upgrades are
available?
How do I install M-B CD Changer?
If you order the factory 6-Disc CD Changer the installation is relatively
easy. The changer comes with the bracket mounted already. The only tricky
part is to find the cable which is located above the rear wheel well in the
passenger side. The best way to access the cable is to open the cover of the
jack and tool kit after the rear wheel well, from there pop open a rectangle
plastic cover right behind the rear seat on the wheel well. You may need a
flat blade screwdriver to assist from outside. The cable is taped a few
inches above the opening which I believe is for the third row seat.
Can I install third party CD Changer?
There is no third party CD compatible to the M-B head unit (Panasonic)
available yet. When it becomes available, a swin out bracket is also
required in order to mount the CD Changer. Some owners have taken the
approach of replacing the factory head unit with a third party head unit and
CD Changer together while still paying less than the M-B CD changer listed
for $799. With help of custom installation the changer could be installed in
other location, such as under the front seat, in the glove box, or under
rear seat to provide better acccess than the trunk mount option.
How do I install liner in the lockbox
The material Sears sells to line its steel tool boxes works well. A bit of
spray photo adhesive will tack it down to fit the curves of the box. The
stuff is thin enough to use as a glovebox liner as well.
What is 4wd chatter?
I heard about a remote key problem,
what should I do?
Some earlier production (VIN #xxxx?) models had defected remote key control
and owners have been notified to replacement. If you suspect yours has
problem, contact local dealer.
The check engine light keeps turning
on, should I worry about it?
Several owners have reported the check engine light keeps turning on and
dealers could not find anything wrong. There seems to be two problems having
the same syndrome. One is overfilling gas tank. The other is a faulty oil
quality checking sensor. Insist your dealer to fix the problem if you're not
overfilling the gas tank.
I have rattle noise coming from
somewhere, how do I fix it?
How do I fix
windshield/dashboard noise problem?
How bad is the sunroof noise?
How do I fix the rear door
squeaking problem?
Is there any secret recall notice?
What is FSS?
When should I change engine oil?
Can I use synthetic oil?
How do I check engine oil level
inside the truck?
Turn the key until all the warning lights light up on the dash. At the
odometer look for the "-----" to appear (7-10sec.) when it does
depress the reset button twice quickly. This will give your oil level via
the sensor. Following is possible reading:
OIL i.o = (OIL in order) Wil level is OK!
OIL -1.0 Q = (OIL 1 Quart LOW)
OIL -1.5 Q = (OIL 1 1/2 Quarts LOW)
OIL -2.0 Q = (OIL 2 Quarts LOW)
How do I change engine oil filter?
The oil filter is located on the top of the engine near the driver side in
the front. It is different than the disposable filter used in other autos.
The outside plastic housing is reuseable and can be open with a special
filter tool, M-B part #103 589 02 09 00 made by Matador, or #103 589 00 09
00 by Stahlwille. There is also CTA Ritefit 76-14 B A251. By the way, these
tools are the same one used for oil filers in all gas engine by M-B since
1984.
Where is cabin air filter?
It is located just above the passenger side footwell, behind the lower facia
panel that contains the 12 volt accessory outlet. The facia panel is held on
with four (?) spring clips. Grasp it firmly andpull straight down and it
comes right off. With the facia panel removed, you will see a vertical black
plastic latch. Lift the latch and the horizontal panel it secures swings
down into the footwell. The pleated element filter slides straight down. You
might consider putting a towel or newspaper on the floor first, when I
pulled mine out I was amazed at the amount of leaves and pine needles that
fell out from the dirty side of the filter.
What should I be aware when towing an
M-Class?
The owner's manual has a section about how to tow an M-Class. Using flatbed
tow truck is the only safe way to tow an M-Class at any speed due to the
4-wheel drive mechanism.
