2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV warning lights

Occupant safety
43
R
in the event of a head-on or rear-end colli-
sion if the vehicle decelerates or acceler-
ates rapidly in a longitudinal direction
during the initial stages of impact
R in certain situations if the vehicle over-
turns, and the system determines that it
can provide additional protection
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that escapes
does not generally constitute a health hazard.
The 1 warning lamp lights up.
i If the belt buckle tensioners have been
triggered on the front seats, the buckle will
be pulled down and will be almost flush with
the upper edge of the seat. The 1warn-
ing lamp comes on. G
Risk of injury
The belt buckle tensioners on the front
seats only function if the belt buckles can
be pulled down without obstruction. They
must not be restricted in any way. For this
reason, do not hold the belt buckles and do
not place any objects under the belt buck-
les. Otherwise, the tensioning of the belt by
the buckle is restricted or will not function and will not provide any additional protec-
tion. G
Risk of injury
If the seat belt tensioners have been trig-
gered, they provide no additional protec-
tion in the event of another accident.
Therefore, have belt tensioners which have
been triggered replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Comply with safety regulations when dis-
posing of belt tensioners. Any Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre can provide details of
these regulations.
Airbags Airbag deployment slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant.
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that escapes
does not generally constitute a health hazard.
The 1 warning lamp lights up.
The SRS/AIRBAG identification indicates the
location of the airbags. G
Risk of injury
Airbags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for seat
belts.
Observe the following notes to reduce the
risk of serious or even fatal injury if an air-
bag is deployed:
R all vehicle occupants — in particular preg-
nant women — must wear their seat belt
correctly at all times and lean back
against the backrest, which should be
positioned as close to the vertical as pos-
sible. The head restraint must support
the back of the head at about eye level.
R always secure children less than 1.50 m
tall or under 12 years of age in suitable
child restraint systems.
R all vehicle occupants must select a seat
position that is as far away from the air-
bag as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven
safely. The driver's chest should be as far
away from the middle of the driver's front
airbag cover as possible.
R move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible, especially if a child is Safety
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Occupant safety
50 rearward-facing child restraint system on
a suitable rear seat.
R always move the front-passenger seat to
the rearmost position if you secure a
child in a forward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat.
The front-passenger front airbag is not dis-
abled:
R on vehicles without automatic child seat
recognition in the front-passenger
seat*.
R on vehicles without automatic child seat
recognition on the front-passenger
seat*, if no special child restraint system
with automatic child seat recognition has
been fitted to the front-passenger seat.
R on vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat*, if
the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warn-
ing lamp is not lit.
To draw attention to this danger, there is an
appropriate warning sticker on the dash-
board as well as on both sides of the sun
visor on the front-passenger side. Information about recommended child
restraint systems is available at any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Automatic child seat recognition on the
front-passenger seat*
If your vehicle does not have automatic child
seat recognition on the front-passenger seat,
this is indicated by a special sticker. The
sticker is affixed to the side of the dashboard
on the front-passenger side. It is visible when
you open the front-passenger door.
The warning lamp 10
is located on the centre
console. 1
5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp The front-passenger seat sensor system for
child restraint systems detects whether a
special Mercedes-Benz child seat with auto-
matic child seat recognition has been fitted.
In such cases, 5PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp 1lights up. The front-
passenger airbag is deactivated. G
Risk of injury
If the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warn-
ing lamp does not light up when the child
restraint system is fitted, the front-
passenger front airbag has not been disa-
bled. If the front-passenger front airbag is
deployed, the child could be seriously or
even fatally injured.
Proceed as follows:
R do not use a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger
seat.
R fit a rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem on a suitable rear seat.
or
R only use a forward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat and
10 Vehicles without automatic child seat recognition in the front-passenger seat: the warning lamp lights up briefly when you turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock. However, it has no function and does not indicate that there is automatic child seat recognition on the front-passenger seat. Safety
* optional
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Driving safety sys
tems601
To deactivate/activate ESP ®
X To deactivate: press button1.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster is continuously lit when the engine
is running, ESP ®
is deactivated or not avail-
able due to a malfunction. There is an
increased risk of your vehicle skidding in
certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style
to suit prevailing road and weather condi-
tions. X
To activate: press button 1.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Off-road ESP ® An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically if the off-
road drive program is activated
(Y page 140) or if the LOW RANGE* off-road
gear is selected (Y page 141). It intervenes
with a delay if there is oversteering or under-
steering, thus improving traction. EBV (electronic brake-power distribu-
tion)
EBV monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability under braking. G
Risk of accident
If EBV is malfunctioning, the brake system
is still available with full brake boosting
effect. However, the rear wheels can still
lock, e.g. under full braking. This could
cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and cause an accident. You should there- fore adapt your driving style to the different
handling characteristics.
4ETS
4-ETS makes it possible to pull away or accel-
erate on a slippery surface. It brakes the
wheels individually if they start to spin.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up briefly when the engine is
started. This indicates that the warning lamp
is operational.
X Activate the off-road drive program
(Y page 140) or the LOW RANGE* off-road
gear (Y page 141) if appropriate to driving
conditions.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes at any speed if at least one tyre
has exceeded its tyre grip limit. Safety
* optional
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Driving safety sys
tems 61G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R Accelerate less when driving.
R Adapt your driving style to suit prevailing
road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid.
If you drive too fast, 4-ETS cannot reduce
the risk of an accident. 4-ETS cannot over-
ride the laws of physics.
! Only operate the vehicle briefly (for a max-
imum of ten seconds) on a brake dyna-
mometer. Turn the key in the ignition lock
to position 0or 1. You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a twin-axle dyna-
mometer. If you wish to operate the vehicle
on such a dynamometer, please consult a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre in advance.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system. i
If heavy demands are made on the brakes,
4-ETS switches off automatically for a brief
period so that the brakes do not heat up
further. If, for this reason, 4-ETS does not
engage, the vwarning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. The message
ABS, ESP unavailable see Owner's
Manual also appears in the multi-function
display.
! The engine may be switched on when the
vehicle is towed with its axle raised or when
the parking brake is checked on the brake
dynamometer. Application of the brakes
via 4-ETS may otherwise destroy the brake
system.
Off-road 4-ETS A 4-ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically if the off-
road drive program is activated
(Y page 140) or the LOW RANGE* off-road
gear is selected (Y page 141). Distance warning system (only for
vehicles with Distronic*)
This function will issue a warning at speeds of
around 30 km/h or more if:
R for a period of several seconds, the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front is too short for
the speed at which you are travelling. The
distance warning lamp lin the instru-
ment cluster will then light up.
R you are approaching the vehicle in front too
rapidly. An intermittent warning tone will
then sound and the distance warning lamp
l will light up in the instrument cluster.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a
crash, you must apply the brakes yourself. G
Risk of accident
Pay particular attention to the traffic con-
ditions if the distance warning lamp l
in the instrument cluster lights up or an
intermittent warning tone sounds.
If necessary, brake or swerve to avoid an
obstacle. Safety
* optional
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Seat belts
91
lamp lights up for six seconds after the engine
has been started. The
lamp then goes out if both the driver and the
front passenger have fastened their seat belt.
i Further information about the belt warning lamp (Y page 288).Belt height adjustment
You can adjust the seat belt height on the
driver's seat and front-passenger seat.
Adjust the belt to a height that allows it to be
routed across the middle of your shoulder. 1
Release catch X
To raise: slide the belt sash guide upwards.
The belt sash guide engages in various posi-
tions.
X To lower: press and hold release button
1.
X Slide the belt sash guide downwards.
X Let go of release button 1and make sure
that the belt sash guide has engaged. Correct driver's seat position
1
Steering wheel
2 Seat belt
3 Seat G
Risk of accident
Only adjust the driver's seat when the vehi-
cle is stationary. You will otherwise be dis-
tracted from the road and traffic conditions
and you could lose control of the vehicle as Controls
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Lights
95
briefly in the appropriate direction. The cor-
responding turn signal flashes three times.
Main-beam headlamps/headlamp flas-
her Combination switch
1
Main-beam headlamps
2 Headlamp flasher
Main-beam headlamps
X Turn the ignition key to position 2in the
ignition lock or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to BorU 14
.
X To switch on: press the combination
switch in the direction of arrow 1.
The main-beam indicator lamp Ain the
instrument cluster lights up. X
To switch off: move the combination
switch back to its normal position.
The main-beam indicator lamp Ain the
instrument cluster goes out.
Headlamp flasher
X To switch on: briefly pull the combination
switch in the direction of arrow 2. Hazard warning lamps
Centre console
1 Hazard warning lamp button
The hazard warning lamps still operate if the
ignition is switched off. They switch on auto-
matically if an airbag is deployed or if you
brake sharply and bring the vehicle to a halt
from a speed of more than 70 km/h. X
To switch on: press button1.
All turn signals flash. If you now switch on
a turn signal using the combination switch
(Y page 94), only the turn signal lamp on
the corresponding side of the vehicle will
flash.
X To deactivate: press button1. Adjusting the headlamp range (vehi-
cles with halogen headlamps)
The headlamp range control allows you to
adjust the cone of light from the headlamps
according to how your vehicle is laden.
You can only adjust the headlamp range while
the engine is running. 1
Headlamp range control
14 In the Uposition, the main-beam headlamps are only switched on when it is dark. Controls
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Lights
97Interior lighting
Front overhead control panel
1 X To switch the left-hand reading lamp
on/off
2 ¦ To switch the rear interior lighting
on/off
3 ¥ To switch the automatic interior
lighting control on/off
4 ð To switch the front interior lighting
on/off
5 X To switch the right-hand reading
lamp on/off Automatic interior lighting control
X
To switch on/off: press the¥button.
The ¥ button pops up or goes down.
The interior lighting switches on when you:
R unlock the vehicle
R open a door
R remove the key from the ignition lock
The interior lighting switches off after a delay.
You can set the delayed switch-off using the
on-board computer (Y page 131).
i If the door is left open, the interior lighting
goes out after approximately five minutes.
Emergency accident lighting
The interior lighting is activated automatically
if the vehicle is involved in an accident.
X To deactivate: press the hazard warning
lamp button (Y page 95).
or
X Unlock the vehicle using the key.
or
X Press the ¥button (Y page 97). Manual control
Front interior lighting
X
To switch on/off: press theðbutton.
Rear-compartment interior lighting
X To switch on/off: press the¦button.
Reading lamps
X To switch on/off: press theXbutton. Controls
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Driving and pa
rking 105Hill start assist
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
on uphill gradients of more than 5°. G
Risk of accident
Hill start assist is not a parking brake. It
does not prevent the vehicle from rolling
away.
When parking, always depress the parking
brake and set the automatic transmission
to P.
X To pull away on an uphill slope, release the
brake and depress the accelerator pedal.
The hill start assist continues to hold the
braking pressure for up to one second. This
allows you to pull away evenly without the
vehicle rolling back.
i The brake pedal remains in the depressed
position until the hill start assist releases
the braking pressure.
Hill start assist will not function if:
R you are pulling away on a downhill gradient
R the automatic transmission is in neutral N
R the parking brake is applied
R ESP ®
is deactivated due to a malfunction Parking
G
Risk of accident
Only remove the key from the ignition lock
when the vehicle is stationary as you can-
not steer the vehicle with the key removed.
Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. They could release the parking
brake. This could lead to a serious or fatal
accident. G
Risk of fire
Make sure that the exhaust system does
not under any circumstances come into
contact with easily ignitable material such
as dry grass or petrol. The material could
otherwise ignite and set the vehicle on fire. Parking brake 1
Release handle
2 Parking brake
X To apply: depress parking brake 2firmly.
The 3 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
i On steep slopes, turn the front wheels
towards the kerb.
X To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
The selector lever lock is released.
X Pull release handle 1.
The 3 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. Controls
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