2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500 child lock

ContentsSafety and Security........................... 65
Occupant safety................................... 66
Air bags .......................................... 67
Seat belts ....................................... 73
Preventive occupant safety*
(PRE-SAFE)
®................................... 77
Children in the vehicle .................... 78
Blocking of rear door
window operation ........................... 89
Panic alarm .......................................... 91
Activating ....................................... 92
Deactivating ................................... 92
Driving safety systems ......................... 93
ABS ................................................ 93
BAS ................................................ 95
ESP
®.............................................. 95
EBP................................................. 98
4-ETS .............................................. 98
Anti-theft systems.............................. 100
Immobilizer................................... 100
Anti-theft alarm system ................ 100
Tow-away alarm ........................... 102
Controls in detail............................. 105
Locking and unlocking ....................... 106
SmartKey ..................................... 106
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 110
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................. 117
Opening the tailgate ..................... 118
Closing the tailgate ...................... 120
Automatic central locking ............ 125
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................. 126
Seats ................................................. 128
Easy-entry/exit feature
(Vehicles with
memory function*) ....................... 128
Lumbar support............................ 130
Rear seat head restraints ............. 130
Multicontour seat* ....................... 132
Seat heating* ............................... 133Memory function* ............................. 135
Storing positions in memory ........ 136
Recalling positions
from memory ............................... 136
Storing exterior rear
view mirror parking position ........ 137
Lighting ............................................. 138
Exterior lamp switch .................... 138
Combination switch ..................... 142
Corner-illuminating
front fog lamps*........................... 143
Hazard warning flasher ................ 144
Interior lighting ............................ 145
Door entry lamps ......................... 147
Instrument cluster ............................. 148
Instrument cluster illumination .... 148
Trip odometer .............................. 149
Tachometer .................................. 149
Outside temperature indicator ..... 149

32 Getting startedThe “Getting started” section provides an
overview of the vehicle’s most basic func-
tions. First-time Mercedes-Benz owners
should pay special attention to the infor-
mation given here.
If you are already familiar with the basic
functions described here, the “Controls in
detail” section will provide you with further
information. The corresponding page
references are located at the end of each
segment.Unlocking
Unlocking with the SmartKeySmartKey1‹Lock button
2ŠUnlock button* for tailgate
3ŒUnlock button
4ÂPanic button (
page 91)

Press unlock buttonΠon the
SmartKey.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
vehicle unlocks. The locking knobs in
the doors move up. The anti-theft alarm
system is disarmed.

Get in the vehicle and insert the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 106).
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.

33 Getting started
Unlocking
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO*
With the KEYLESS-GO function, you can
lock or unlock the vehicle without using
the remote control buttons on the
SmartKey and start the engine without in-
serting the SmartKey in the starter switch.SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*1‹Lock button
2ŠUnlock button* for tailgate
3ŒUnlock button
4ÂPanic button (
page 91)

Grasp an outside door handle.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The ve-
hicle unlocks.The locking knobs in the
doors move up. The anti-theft alarm
system is disarmed.

Get in the vehicle.
For more information, see “SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 110).
iTo unlock the vehicle, the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO must be outside the
vehicle, no further than approximately
3 feet (1 meter) away from the respec-
tive door.Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
i If the vehicle has been parked for more
than 72 hours, you must pull an outside
door handle in order to activate the
KEYLESS-GO function.

34 Getting startedUnlockingStarter switch positions SmartKey
Starter switch0For removing SmartKey
1Power supply for some electrical con-
sumers, such as seat adjustment
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary. If
a lamp in the instrument cluster re-mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, refer to “Lamps
in instrument cluster” (
page 382).
3Starting position
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iWhen you switch on the ignition, the in-
dicator and warning lamps (except high
beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps unless acti-
vated) in the instrument cluster come
on. The indicator and warning lamps
(except high beam headlamp indicator
lamp and turn signal indicator lamps if
activated) will go out when the engine
is running. This indicates that the
respective systems are operational.iWhen the SmartKey is removed from
the starter switch and the automatic
transmission is in a position other
thanP, the transmission automatically
shifts toP.

35 Getting started
Unlocking
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Vehicles equipped with the KEYLESS-GO
feature are supplied with a SmartKey with
integrated KEYLESS-GO function and a
removable KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button.With the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
inserted and the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO present in the vehicle, press-
ing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button


without the brake pedal depressed cor-
responds to the various starter switch
positions (
page 36)


with the brake pedal firmly depressed
will start the engine (
page 49)
If you wish or should there be a need to
insert the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO in
the starter switch, the start/stop button
can be easily removed by pulling it out of
the starter switch.
!If the SmartKey cannot be turned in the
starter switch, the battery may not be
sufficiently charged.

Check the battery and charge it if
necessary (
page 440).


Get a jump start (
page 470).
To prevent accelerated battery dis-
charge or a completely discharged bat-
tery, always remove the SmartKey from
the starter switch when the engine is
not in operation.
iIf you firmly depress the brake pedal
while pressing the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button, the engine starts
automatically.
iThe KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
does not need to be removed from the
starter switch when you leave the vehi-
cle. However, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO with you
when you leave the vehicle. As long as
the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is in
your vehicle, the vehicle’s electrical
systems can be switched on or the
engine can be started using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button.Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

38 Getting startedAdjustingSeatsWarning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide un-
der the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a nearly upright position and
belts are properly positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt (
page 39).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being
adjusted.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey or the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the power seats can be operated when the
respective door is open.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Warning!
G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant, or toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child. For additional
information, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 78).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint.

42 Getting startedAdjustingThe adjustment handle for manual steering
wheel adjustment is located under the
steering column.
To unlock the steering column, pull
handle out to its stop limit.

Move steering wheel to the desired
position.
Make sure your legs can move freely
and that all the displays (including
malfunction and indicator lamps) on
the instrument cluster are clearly
visible.

Push handle back to its original posi-
tion to relock the steering column.
The steering column is once again
locked into position.

Make sure the steering column is se-
curely locked by trying to move the
steering wheel up and down, in and out
before driving off.Steering wheel adjustment, electrical*!Do not drive the vehicle until you have
properly locked the steering column.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing could cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the starter
switch or the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle, the steering
wheel adjustment feature can be operated
when the driver’s door is open. Therefore,
do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.

50 Getting startedDrivingStarting with the SmartKey
Make sure the automatic transmission
is set toP.
The transmission gear positionP
appears in the multifunction display.

Do not depress accelerator.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 (
page 34) and hold until
the engine starts.
For information on turning off the engine
with the SmartKey, see “Turning off en-
gine” (
page 62).Starting with KEYLESS-GO*
You can start your vehicle without the
SmartKey in the starter switch using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button in the
starter switch.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located in the vehicle.
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button1USA only
2Canada only
Make sure the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button1 is inserted in the starter
switch (
page 35).

Make sure the automatic transmission
is set toP.

Depress the brake pedal during the
starting procedure. Do not depress ac-
celerator.
iYou can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the SmartKey to
position3 and release it again immedi-
ately. The engine then starts automati-
cally.
Warning!
G
As long as the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
is in your vehicle, the vehicle can be started.
Therefore, never leave children unattended
in the vehicle, as they could otherwise acci-
dentally start the engine.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle.