2003 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 cluster

65 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
BabySmart
TM
airbag deactivation
system
Special BabySmart
TM compatible child
seats, designed for use with the
Mercedes-Benz system and available at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center, are
required for use with the BabySmart
TM air-
bag deactivation system. With the special
seat properly installed, the passenger front
airbag will not deploy.
The
7
indicator lamp located in the in-
strument cluster will be illuminated, ex-
cept with the key removed or in the
steering lock position0.
Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
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.
Warning!
G
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 for children from 41 lbs. to
the point where a lap / shoulder belt fits
properly without one.
When the child restraint is not in use, re-
m o v e i t f r o m t h e v e h i c l e o r s e c u r e i t w i t h t h e
seat belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an ac-
cident.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil-
dren in a child restraint system may use ve-
hicle equipment and may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iThe system does not deactivate the
door mounted side impact airbag, the
window curtain airbags and the emer-
gency tensioning device.

66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetySelf-test BabySmart
TM
without special
child seat installed
After turning key in steering lock to
position 1 or 2, the
7
indicator lamp lo-
cated in the instrument cluster comes on
for approximately 6 seconds, extinguishes,
then blinks once.
If the indicator lamp should not come on or
is continuously lit, the system is not func-
tioning. You must see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center before
seating any child on the front passenger
seat.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (page 232).
BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.
Warning!
G
The BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation sys-
tem will ONLY work with a special child seat
designed to operate with it. It will not work
with child seats which are not BabySmart
TM
compatible.
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the deactivation sys-
tem. The bottom of the child seat must
make full contact with the passenger seat
cushion. An incorrectly mounted child seat
could cause injuries to the child in case of an
accident, instead of protecting the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of special child seats.
When using a BabySmart
TM compatible
child seat on the front passenger seat, the
front passenger airbag will not deploy only if
the
7
indicator lamp remains illuminat-
ed.
Please be sure to check the indicator every
time you use the special system child seat.
Should the light go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation. If the
light remains out, do not use the
BabySmart
TM restraint to transport children
on the passenger seat until the system has
been repaired.
Warning!
G
Do not place powered-on laptops, cell
phones and like electronic devices on the
passenger seat. Signals from such devices
may interfere with the BabySmart
TM system.
Such signal interference may cause the
7
indicator lamp not to come on during
self-test or be continuously lit, indicating
that the system is not functioning.

71 Safety and Security
Driving and safety systems
Driving and safety systems
In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (Antilock Brake System)


BAS (Brake Assist System)


4-ETS (Electronic Traction System)


EBP (Electronic Brake Proportioning)


ESP (Electronic Stability Program)
ABS
The ABS regulates the brake pressure so
that the wheels do not lock during braking.
This allows you to maintain the ability to
steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even with light brake pressure.
The
-
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster (page 25) lights up when you
turn the key to position2. It goes out when
the engine is running.
iIn winter operation, the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS, ESP, EBP and
4-ETS is only achieved with winter tires
(M + S tires), or snow chains as re-
quired.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
ABS, BAS, ESP and 4-ETS cannot reduce this
risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
ABS and significantly reduces braking effec-
tiveness.

73 Safety and Security
Driving and safety systems
BAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing braking distance. Apply con-
tinuous full braking pressure until the
emergency braking situation is over. The
ABS will prevent the wheels from locking.
When you release the brake pedal the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
The
¿
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster (page 25) lights up when you
turn the key to position2. It goes out when
the engine is running.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 225).
4-ETS
The 4-Electronic Traction System (4-ETS)
improves vehicle’s ability to utilize avail-
able traction, especially under slippery
road conditions. The brakes are applied to
the spinning wheel and power is trans-
ferred to the wheel(s) with traction.
The traction control engages at vehicle
speeds up to approximately 24 mph
(40 km / h), and switches off at 50 mph
(80 km / h).
The
{
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster (page 25) lights up when you
turn the key to position2. It goes out when
the engine is running.
The 4-ETS/ESP warning lamp
v
, locat-
ed in the speedometer dial, starts to flash
at any vehicle speed, as soon as the tires
lose traction and the wheels begin to spin.
Warning!
G
The BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires or the traction afforded. The BAS
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or aqua-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents. The capabili-
ties of a BAS equipped vehicle must never
be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s
safety or the safety of others.

75 Safety and Security
Driving and safety systems
ESP
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
monitors the vehicle's traction (force of
adhesive friction between the tires and the
road surface) and handling.
The ESP recognizes when a wheel is spin-
ning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By ap-
plying brakes to the appropriate wheel and
by limiting engine output, the ESP works to
stabilize the vehicle.
The 4-ETS/ESP warning lamp
v
in the
speedometer dial flashes when the ESP is
engaged.
The
¿
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster (page 25) and the 4-ETS/ESP
warning lamp
v
in the speedometer
light up when you turn the key to
position2. They go out when the engine is
running.
Warning!
G
Never switch off the ESP when you see the
4-ETS/ESP-warning lamp
v
flashing in
the speedometer dial. In this case proceed
as follows:


While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.


While driving ease up on the accelera-
tor.


Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP cannot prevent accidents resulting
from excessive speed.
Warning!
G
The ESP cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or aqua-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents. The capabili-
ties of a ESP equipped vehicle must never be
exploited in a reckless or dangerous manner
which could jeopardize the user’s safety or
the safety of others.

83 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function*
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Automatic transmission
Transmission control – LOW RANGE mode
Good visibility
Automatic climate control
Power windows
Sliding/pop-up roof*
Loading
Driving systems
Useful features

89 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Automatic central locking
The doors and the liftgate automatically
lock when the ignition is switched on and
the left front wheel turns at vehicle speeds
of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more.
If one of the front doors is then opened
from the inside, the vehicle is unlocked
centrally unless only the driver's door was
previously unlocked. The central locking button is located on
the lower center console.
Central locking button1Locking
2UnlockingActivating

Check that the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
light up.

Press and hold upper part1 of the cen-
tral locking button for approximately
six seconds.
The automatic central locking is acti-
vated.
Deactivating

Check that the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
light up.

Press and hold lower part2 of the cen-
tral locking button for approximately
six seconds.
The automatic central locking is deacti-
vated.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset threshold.
To prevent the vehicle door locks from
locking, deactivate the automatic cen-
tral locking when the vehicle

is pushed or


is on a test stand

102 Controls in detailLighting
LightingFor notes on how to switch on the head-
lamps (
page 46) and use the turn signals
(
page 47), see the “Getting started” sec-
tion.
Combination switch
The combination switch is on the left of the
steering column.
1High beam
2High beam flasherM
Off
U
Automatic headlamp mode
C
Parking lamps, license plate lamps
and instrument panel lamps
Canada only: With the engine run-
ning, the low beam headlamps
additionally switched on.
õ
Low beam or high beam headlamps
ƒ
Left or right standing lamps (sym-
bol on underside of switch)Switching on high beams

Turn the switch to
õ
.

Push the exterior lamp switch forward.
The high beam symbol
A
in the
instrument cluster lights up.
High beam flasher

Pull the combination switch briefly in
direction2.
iIf you remove the key and open the
driver’s door while the parking lamps or
low beam headlamps are switched on,
then a warning sounds.