1997 MERCEDES-BENZ ML430 seats

41 Seats
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Only minor personal adjustments, as described below,
should then be required.
For exterior rear view mirrors, see page 73;
inside rear view mirror, see page 71;
steering wheel adjustment, see page 70.
Note:
See page 42 for instructions on storing and recalling the
seat position.Head restraint
Raising:
Pull up on head restraint.
Lowering:
Push button, located at top of seat back, and push down
on head restraint, see also page 43.
Adjust head restraint to support the back of the head
approximately at ear level. The head restraint angle can
also be adjusted manually.
See page 43 for removing head restraints.
Wa r n i n g !
When leaving the vehicle always remove the key
from the steering lock, and lock your vehicle.The power seats can also be operated with the
driver’s or passenger door open. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle or with access
to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle
equipment may cause serious personal injury.

42 Seats
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Memory storing and recalling
(optional on model ML 320 and ML 430)
5Memory button
6Position buttonsStoring
Three sets of seat positions may be programmed into
memory. After the seat is positioned, push memory
button (5), release, and within 3 seconds push position
button “1”. A second and third set of positions for the
same seat can be programmed into memory by pushing
first memory button (5) and then position button “2”,
respectively “3”.
Recalling
To recall a seat position, push and hold one of the
position buttons “1”, “2” or “3” until seat movement has
stopped. The seat movement stops when the respective
position button is released.
Caution!
Do not operate the power seats using the memory
button if the seat backrest is in an excessively reclined
position. Doing so could cause damage to front or rear
seats.
First move the backrest to an upright position.

43 Seats
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Head restraint removal
Removal:
Pull head restraint to its highest position. Push lock
button (arrow) and pull out head restraint completely
with both hands.
Installation:
Insert the head restraint and push it down to the stop.
Push lock button (arrow) and adjust head restraint down
to the desired position.Ensure proper head restraint positioning, see above.
Wa r n i n g !
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.Adjust head restraint to support the back of the
head approximately at ear level.Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head
restraints. Head restraints are intended to help
reduce injuries during an accident.

44 Seats
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Heated seats (front, optional on ML 320)
The front seat heater switches are located on the center
console.
The front seat heaters can be switched on with the
engine running.Press switch to turn on seat heater:
1Normal seat heating mode. One indicator lamp in
the switch lights up.
2Rapid seat heating mode. Both indicator lamps in
the switch light up.
After approximately 5 minutes in the rapid seat
heating mode, the seat heater automatically
switches to normal operation and only one indicator
lamp will stay on.
Turning off seat heater:
If one indicator lamp is on, press upper half of switch.
If both indicator lamps are on, press lower half of
switch.
If left on, the seat heater automatically turns off after
approximately 20 minutes of operation.
P54.25-2036-26
12

45 Seats
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Notes:
When in operation, the seat heater consumes a large
amount of electrical power. It is not advisable to use the
seat heater longer than necessary.
The seat heaters may automatically switch off if too
many power consumers are switched on at the same
time, or if the battery charge is low. When this occurs,
the indicator lamps in the switch will blink for
approximately 30 seconds.
Within this time the seat heaters will switch on again
automatically as soon as sufficient voltage is available.
After approximately 30 seconds without sufficient
voltage the seat heaters switch off (indicator lamps go
out).

46 Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Seat belts and integrated restraint system
Your vehicle is equipped with seat belts for all seats,
emergency tensioning retractors for front and second
row outboard seat belts, dual front airbags and door
mounted side impact airbags. Their protective functions
are designed to complement one another.
Seat belts
Important!
Laws in most states and all Canadian provinces require
seat belt use.
All states and provinces require use of child restraints
that comply with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213.
All child restraint systems are designed to be secured in
vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-
shoulder belt.
For your safety and that of your passengers we strongly
recommend their use.
Wa r n i n g !
Children 12 years old and under must never ride in
the front seat, except in a Mercedes-Benz
authorized BabySmart
TM compatible child seat,
which operates with the BabySmart
TM system
installed in the vehicle to deactivate the passenger
side front airbag when it is properly installed.
Otherwise they will be struck by the airbag when it
inflates in a crash. If this happens, serious or fatal
injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children are safer
when properly restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating positions.
Infants and small children must ride in back seats
and be seated in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system, which is properly secured with
the vehicle’s seat belt, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints are
not properly secured in the vehicle and the child is
not properly secured in the child restraint.

50 Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Operation
The inertia reel stops the belt from unwinding during
sudden vehicle stops or when quickly pulling on the
belt. The locking function of the reel may be checked by
quickly pulling out the belt.
Unfastening of seat belts
Push the release button (3) in the belt buckle (2).
Allow the retractor to completely rewind the seat belt by
guiding the latch plate (1).
Wa r n i n g !
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY.• Seat belts can only work when used properly.
Never wear seat belts in any other way than as
described in this section, as that could result
in serious injuries in case of an accident.• Each occupant should wear their seat belt at all
times, because seat belts help reduce the
likelihood of and potential severity of injuries
in accidents, including rollovers. The
integrated restraint system includes “SRS”
(driver airbag, front passenger airbag, front
and rear door mounted side impact airbags),
“ETR” (seat belt emergency tensioning
retractors for the outboard passenger seats
[except in the optional 3rd row seats]), and
front seat knee bolsters. The system is
designed to enhance the protection offered to
properly belted occupants in certain frontal
(front airbags) and side (side impact airbags)
impacts which exceed preset deployment
thresholds.

52 Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Wa r n i n g !
USE CHILD RESTRAINTS PROPERLY.Children 12 years old and under must never ride in
the front seat, except in a Mercedes-Benz
authorized BabySmart
TM compatible child seat,
which operates with the BabySmart
TM system
installed in the vehicle to deactivate the passenger
front airbag when it is properly installed.
Otherwise they will be struck by the airbag when it
inflates in a crash. If this happens, serious or fatal
injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children are safer
when properly restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating positions.
Infants and small children must ride in back seats
and be seated in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system, which is properly secured with
the vehicle’s seat belt, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints are
not properly secured in the vehicle and the child is
not properly secured in the child restraint.Children too big for child restraint systems must
ride in back seats using regular seat belts. Position
shoulder belt across chest and shoulder, not face or
neck. A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper belt positioning.