2007 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320CDI Comand Manual

64 Getting startedDrivingIn case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking fuel:
Do not start the engine under any
circumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount:

Start the engine in the usual manner.

65 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
1Parking brake pedal
2Release handle
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and the
steering system. In this case, it is important
to keep in mind that a considerably higher
degree of effort is necessary to brake and
steer the vehicle.Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury, or
damage to the vehicle drivetrain, as a result
of vehicle movement, before turning off the
engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Shift the automatic transmission to
positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch, or press the
start/stop button (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*).


Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* and lock vehicle when
leaving.
Warning!
G
Engaging the parking brake while the vehicle
is in motion can cause the rear wheels to
lock up. You could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident. In addition, the vehi-
cle’s brake lights do not light up when the
parking brake is engaged. Make sure not to
endanger any other road users when you en-
gage the parking brake.

66 Getting startedParking and locking
Step firmly on parking brake pedal1.
When the engine is running, the
warning lamp; (USA only) or3
(Canada only) in the instrument cluster
comes on.
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM
(page 59).
For more information, see “Lighting”
(
page 136).
Turning off the engine
Shift the automatic transmission to
positionP (
page 187).

Apply the parking brake (
page 65).
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. Children could release the
parking brake and/or shift the automatic
transmission out of positionP, either of
which could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the
automatic transmission not fully engaged in
positionP is dangerous. Also, when parked
on an incline, positionP alone may not
prevent your vehicle from moving, possibly
hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 187).
When parked on an incline, also turn front
wheel towards the road curb.
i
If the engine cannot be turned off as de-
scribed, see “Emergency engine shut-down”
(
page 525).Warning!
G
Do not turn off the engine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop. With the en-
gine not running, there is no power assis-
tance for the brake and steering systems. In
this case, it is important to keep in mind that
a considerably higher degree of effort is nec-
essary to brake and steer the vehicle.i
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting the automatic transmission to positionP
(
page 187).
When parked on an incline, also turn front wheel
towards the road curb.

67 Getting started
Parking and locking
Turning off with the SmartKey
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 (
page 39).

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
The immobilizer is activated.Turning off with KEYLESS-GO*

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button (
page 41) to turn off the
engine.
With the driver’s door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(
page 39).
Releasing seat belts
Press the seat belt release button
(page 52).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
i
If you turn off the engine using the SmartKey
and remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch with the transmission in a position other
thanP, the transmission will automatically shift
toP.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine with the
SmartKey alone will not automatically shift the
transmission toP. Only when the SmartKey is
removed from the starter switch will the
transmission automatically shift toP.
i
You can turn off the engine while driving by
pressing and holding the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button for approximately 3 seconds.
i
If you turn off the engine using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button and open the
driver’s door with the transmission in a position
other thanP, the transmission will automatically
shift toP.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button alone will not
automatically shift the transmission toP. Only
when the driver’s door is opened will the
transmission automatically shift toP.
!
Make sure the seat belt retracts fully so that
the seat belt and/or latch plate cannot get
caught or pinched in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This can damage the seat belt and
impair the effectiveness of the seat belt, and/or
cause damage to the door and/or door trim
panel. Such damage is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Damaged seat belts must be replaced. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.

68 Getting startedParking and lockingLocking

Exit the vehicle and close all doors and
the tailgate.
Locking with the SmartKey

Press lock button‹ on the
SmartKey (
page 38).
With the tailgate and all doors closed,
the turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs on the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 108).Locking with KEYLESS-GO*
1Lock button on the outside door handle

Press lock button1 on an outside
door handle.
With the tailgate and all doors closed,
the turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs on the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 108).
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure there is no
possibility of someone getting caught in a
door during closing.Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* with you, and
lock your vehicle. Do not leave children un-
attended 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 you hear a warning signal you have
forgotten to switch off the headlamps before
opening the driver’s door.
In addition the message
Switch off lights

appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the headlamps.

69 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Panic alarm
Driving safety systems
Anti-theft systems

70 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are

Seat belts (
page 77)


Child restraints (
page 92)


Lower A
nchors and T
ethers for
CH
ildren (LATCH) (
page 91)
Additional protection potential provide


Supplemental R
estraint S
ystem (SRS)
with


Air bags (
page 71)


Air bag control unit (with crash
sensors)


Emergency T
ensioning D
evice
(ETD) for seat belts (
page 80)


Active head restraints (
page 80)Air bag system components with


Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp (
page 89)


Front passenger seat with O
ccupant
C
lassification S
ystem (OCS)
(
page 85)
Although independent systems, their pro-
tective functions work in conjunction with
each other.
The SRS system conducts a self-test when
the ignition is switched on and in regular
intervals while the engine is running. This
facilitates early detection of malfunctions.
The 1
indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster (page 26) comes on when the
ignition is switched on and goes out no
later than a few seconds after the engine
was started.The SRS components are in operational
readiness if the
1
indicator lamp is not
lit when the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been
detected if the
1
indicator lamp:


fails to go out not later than approxi-
mately 4 seconds after the engine was
started


does not come on at all


comes on after the engine was started
or while driving
i
For information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and restraint
systems for infants and children, see “Children
in the vehicle” (
page 82).
Warning!
G
Modifications to or work improperly con-
ducted on restraint systems (such as seat
belts and anchors, emergency tensioning
devices, seat belt force limiters or air bags)
or their wiring, as well as tampering with in-
terconnected electronic systems, can lead
to the restraint systems no longer function-
ing as intended.

71 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Air bags
Air bags or emergency tensioning devices,
for example, could deploy inadvertently or
fail to deploy in accidents although the de-
celeration threshold for air bag deployment
is exceeded. Therefore, never modify the re-
straint systems. Do not tamper with elec-
tronic components or their software.Warning!
G
In the event that the 1indicator lamp
comes on during driving or does not come
on at all, the SRS self-check has detected a
malfunction. For your safety, we strongly
recommend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center immedi-
ately to have the system checked; otherwise
the SRS may not deploy when needed in an
accident, which could result in serious or fa-
tal injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly
and unnecessarily which could also result in
injury.
In addition, improper work on the SRS
creates a risk of rendering the SRS inopera-
tive or causing unintended air bag deploy-
ment. Work on the SRS must therefore only
be performed by qualified technicians.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system
to accommodate a person with disabilities,
contact a local authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center or call our Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details.
Warning!
G
Air bags are designed to reduce the poten-
tial of injury and fatality in certain frontal im-
pacts (front air bags), side impacts (side
impact air bags* and head protection win-
dow curtain air bags) or rollovers (head pro-
tection window curtain air bags). However,
no system available today can totally elimi-
nate injuries and fatalities.
The deployment of the air bags temporarily
releases a small amount of dust from the air
bags. This dust, however, is neither injurious
to your health, nor does it indicate a fire in
the vehicle. The dust might cause some tem-
porary breathing difficulty for people with
asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid
this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle
as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any
breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.