2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV brake light

Protection of the environment
16 Protection of the environment
H
Environmental note
Daimler's declared policy is one of integra-
ted environmental protection.
The objectives are for the natural resources
which form the basis of our existence on
this planet to be used sparingly and in a
manner which takes the requirements of
both nature and humanity into account.
You too can help to protect the environ-
ment by operating your vehicle in an envi-
ronmentally-responsible manner.
Fuel consumption and the rate of engine,
transmission, brake and tyre wear depend
on the following factors:
R Operating conditions of your vehicle
R Your personal driving style
You can influence both factors.
You should bear the following in mind:
Operating conditions
R Avoid short trips as these increase fuel
consumption.
R Make sure that the tyre pressures are
always correct. R
Do not carry any unnecessary weight.
R Keep an eye on the vehicle's fuel con-
sumption.
R Remove roof racks once you no longer
need them.
R A regularly serviced vehicle will contrib-
ute to environmental protection. You
should therefore adhere to the service
intervals.
R Always have maintenance work carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Personal driving style
R Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine.
R Do not warm up the engine with the vehi-
cle stationary.
R Drive carefully and maintain a safe dis-
tance from the vehicle in front.
R Avoid frequent, sudden acceleration.
R Change gear in good time and use each
gear only up to 2
/ 3of its maximum engine
speed.
R Switch off the engine in stationary traffic. Returning used vehicles
Mercedes-Benz will take back your
Mercedes-Benz to dispose of it in an environ-
mentally-responsible manner, in accordance
with the European Union (EU) End of Life
Vehicles Directive.
The End of Life Vehicles Directive applies to
vehicles of up to 3.5 t gross vehicle weight, in
accordance with national regulations. For
several years, Mercedes-Benz has been
meeting all the legal requirements for a
design which allows for recycling and re-use.
There is a network of return points and dis-
assembly plants which can recycle your vehi-
cle in an environmentally-responsible man-
ner. The options for recycling vehicles and
parts are constantly being developed and
improved. This means that your Mercedes-
Benz will also continue to meet even the
increased recycling quotas in the future in
good time. You can obtain further information
from your national Mercedes-Benz homepage
or your national hotline number. Introduction
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Cockpit
23Function Page
1 Combination switch:
• main-beam headlamps 94
• turn signals 94
• windscreen wipers 98
2 Cruise control lever:
• cruise control 145
• Speedtronic 154
• Distronic* 148
3 Instrument cluster
26
4 Multi-function steering
wheel
30
5 Horn Function Page
6 DIRECT SELECT selector
lever
107
7
Parktronic* warning dis-
play
165
8 Overhead control panel
34
9 Locks/unlocks the glove
compartment 201
a Glove compartment
201
b Centre console
31
c Ignition lock/KEYLESS GO
button*
75 Function Page
d Adjusts the steering wheel
manually
83
e Opens the bonnet
219
f Releases the parking brake
105
g Parking brake
105
h Door control panel
35
j Light switch
92
k Adjusts the headlamp
range
95
l Adjusts the steering wheel
electrically*
83
Steering wheel heating* 84At a glance
* optional
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Cockpit
25Function Page
1 Combination switch:
• main-beam headlamps 94
• turn signals 94
• windscreen wipers 98
2 Cruise control lever:
• cruise control 145
• Speedtronic 154
• Distronic* 148
3 Instrument cluster
26
4 Multi-function steering
wheel
30
5 Horn Function Page
6 DIRECT SELECT selector
lever
107
7 Adjusts the headlamp
range
95
8 Light switch
92
9 Door control panel
35
a Releases the parking brake
105
b Opens the bonnet
219
c Ignition lock/KEYLESS GO
button*
75
d Adjusts the steering wheel
manually
83 Function Page
e Parking brake
105
f Adjusts the steering wheel
electrically*
83
Steering wheel heating* 84
g Centre console
31
h Opens and locks the glove
compartment
201
j
Glove compartment* 201
k
Parktronic* warning dis-
play
165
l Overhead control panel
34At a glance
* optional
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Instrument cluster
27Function Page
1 ABS warning lamp
288
2 LIM indicator lamp
154
3
ESP
®
warning lamp 289
4 Display unit for the speed-
ometer
5
Distance warning lamp*
1 61
6 Brake system warning lamp
290
7 Tyre pressure warning
lamp*
2 291
8 Turn signal indicator lamp,
left
94
9 Adjusts the instrument
cluster lighting: dimmer
a Reset button
114
b Adjusts the instrument
cluster lighting: brighter Function Page
c Turn signal indicator lamp,
right
94
d Seat belt warning lamp
291
e Diesel engine: preglow indi-
cator lamp
103
f SRS warning lamp 41,
290 g Engine diagnostics warning
lamp
291
h Main-beam indicator lamp
95
j Rev counter
114
k Fuel gauge
l Fuel filler cap location: cap
is on the right at the rear Function Page
m Reserve tank warning lamp
293
n Total distance recorder
120
o Trip meter
114
p Multi-function display
114
q Gearshift program display
111
r Transmission position dis-
play
108
s Depending on the setting in
the on-board computer:
120
• outside temperature
3
• digital speedometer t Speedometer (the unit can
be changed to miles in the
on-board computer)
128
u Clock
129
1
On vehicles without Distronic* the symbol lights up briefly but has no function.
2 Only on vehicles with tyre pressure monitor*.
3 Vehicles for the United Kingdom: the outside temperature is always displayed in the digital speedometer. At a glance
* optional
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Instrument cluster
29Function Page
1 ABS warning lamp
288
2 LIM indicator lamp
154
3
ESP
®
warning lamp 289
4 Display unit for the speed-
ometer
5
Distance warning lamp*
4 61
6 Brake system warning lamp
290
7 Tyre pressure warning
lamp*
5 291
8 Turn signal indicator lamp,
left
94
9 Adjusts the instrument
cluster lighting: dimmer
a Reset button
114
b Adjusts the instrument
cluster lighting: brighter
c Turn signal indicator lamp,
right
94 Function Page
d Seat belt warning lamp
291
e Diesel engine: preglow indi-
cator lamp
103
f SRS warning lamp 41,
290 g Engine diagnostics warning
lamp
291
h Main-beam indicator lamp
95
j Rev counter
114
k Fuel gauge
l Fuel filler cap location: cap
is on the right at the rear
m Reserve tank warning lamp
293
n Total distance recorder
120
o Trip meter
114
p Multi-function display
114
q Gearshift program display
111 Function Page
r Transmission position dis-
play
108
s Depending on the setting in
the on-board computer:
120
• outside temperature
6
• digital speedometer t Speedometer
128
u Clock
129
4
On vehicles without Distronic* the symbol lights up briefly but has no function.
5 Only on vehicles with tyre pressure monitor*.
6 Vehicles for the United Kingdom: the outside temperature is always displayed in the digital speedometer. At a glance
* optional
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Occupant safety
47
R
independently of the front airbags
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied PRE-SAFE
®
system
PRE-SAFE ®
system takes pre-emptive meas-
ures to protect you in certain hazardous sit-
uations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes in the event of:
R emergency braking situations, e.g. if BAS
Brake Assist intervenes
R critical situations involving driving dynam-
ics, e.g. if the vehicle oversteers or under-
steers significantly due to physical limits
being exceeded
If you are driving faster than approximately
35 km/h, PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following
measures in the aforementioned situations:
R It tensions the front seat belts.
R Vehicle with memory functions*: it adjusts
the front-passenger seat if this is in an
unfavourable position.
R If the vehicle skids, it closes the sliding/
tilting sunroof* and side windows so that
only a small gap remains. If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE
®
releases
the belt pretensioning. You can then reverse
all settings made by PRE-SAFE ®
again.
If the seat belts are not released:
X Move the backrest or the seat back slightly
until the belt tension is reduced.
The locking mechanism releases. G
Risk of injury
Make sure when adjusting the seat that
nobody can become trapped.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when adjusting
the seats. You could otherwise damage the
seats and the objects. NECK-PRO head restraint
NECK-PRO head restraints are designed to
increase protection to the driver's and front-
passenger's head and neck. To this end, the
head restraints on the driver's and front-
passenger seats are moved forwards and
upwards in the event of a rear-end collision
when viewed in the direction of travel. This
provides better head support. G
Risk of injury
Head restraint covers prevent the NECK-
PRO head restraints from triggering cor-
rectly. Consequently, the NECK-PRO head
restraints cannot provide the intended level
of protection. Do not use head restraint
covers.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints are triggered
in an accident, you must reset the head
restraints on the driver's and front-passenger
seats (Y page 310). Head restraints that have
been triggered are tilted forwards. Safety
* optional
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Driving safety sys
tems 57Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock Braking System)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System)
R Adaptive brake lamps
R ESP ®
( Electronic Stability Program)
R EBV (electronic brake-power distribution)
R 4-ETS ( Electronic Traction Support)
R Distance warning function* (vehicles with
Distronic*)
i In wintry road conditions, always use win-
ter tyres (M+S tyres) and, where necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv-
ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible. G
Risk of accident
The risk of an accident is significantly
increased by driving too fast. This is partic-
ularly the case when cornering on wet and
slippery roads and when driving too close
to the vehicle in front. The driving safety systems described in this
section cannot reduce this risk nor override
the laws of physics.
For this reason, always adapt your driving
style to suit prevailing road and weather
conditions. Maintain sufficient distance
from other road users and objects on the
road. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently. G
Risk of accident
Do not depress the brake pedal several
times in quick succession (pumping).
Depress the brake firmly and evenly. Pump-
ing the brake pedal reduces the braking
effect. Braking If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force. G
Risk of accident
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. This limits the steerability of the
vehicle when braking and the braking dis-
tance may increase.
If ABS is deactivated due to a malfunction,
then BAS and ESP are also deactivated.
There is an increased risk of your vehicle
skidding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style
to suit the prevailing road and weather con-
ditions.
Off-road ABS An ABS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically if the off-
road drive program (Y
page 140) is activated Safety
* optional
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Driving safety sys
tems58
or if the LOW RANGE* (Y
page 141) off-road
gear is selected.
At speeds below 30 km/h, the front wheels
lock cyclically during braking. The digging-in
effect achieved in the process reduces the
stopping distance on off-road terrain. This
limits steering capability. BAS (Brake Assist)
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. G
Risk of accident
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking sys-
tem remains available with full brake boost-
ing effect. However, braking force is not
automatically increased in emergency
braking situations and the stopping dis-
tance may increase. Adaptive brake lamps
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 25 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS,
the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way,
traffic travelling behind you is warned in an
even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you drive
faster than 10 km/h again. You can also
switch off the hazard warning lamps using the
hazard warning switch button (Y page 95). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between tyres and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified, if
necessary, to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within physical limits. ESP ®
assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the vwarning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R do not deactivate ESP ®
under any cir-
cumstances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R adapt your driving style to suit prevailing
road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid. Safety
* optional
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