2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV Owners Manual

Loading and stowing
190 Loading and stowing
Cup holder
G
Risk of injury
Keep the cup holder closed while the vehi-
cle is in motion. Otherwise, vehicle occu-
pants could be injured by objects being
thrown around if you:
R brake sharply
R change direction suddenly
R are involved in an accident
Only use the cup holders for containers of
a suitable size and which have lids. Other-
wise, the drinks could spill.
Cup holders should not be used for hot
drinks. Otherwise, you may scald yourself. Cup holder in the centre console 1
Cup holder
2 Brace with card holder
i You can remove the cup holder to clean
it. Clean the cup holder with clean, luke-
warm water only.
X To remove: place your fingers into the cen-
tral recesses of the cup holder 1and pull
up sharply.
X To fit: place the cup holder into the guides
and insert. Cup holder in the rear seat armrest 1
Cup holder
X Fold down the rear seat armrest. Roof rack system*
G
Risk of accident and injury
An incorrectly secured roof rack, ski rack
or load could become detached from the
vehicle. These objects may be thrown
around and can injure you or others or
cause an accident. Follow the roof rack/ski
rack manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions and special instructions for use.
The roof load raises the vehicle's centre of
gravity, thereby affecting vehicle handling.
You must always observe the maximum Controls
* optional
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Loading and stowing
191roof load of 100 kg. Always adapt your driv-
ing style to the prevailing road, traffic and
weather conditions and drive with particu-
lar care if the roof is laden.
! Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
only use roof rack systems which have
been tested and approved for Mercedes-
Benz vehicles. This helps to prevent dam-
age to the vehicle.
Position the load on the roof rack in such a
way that the vehicle will not sustain dam-
age even when it is in motion.
Depending on the vehicle's equipment,
make sure that you can:
R raise the sliding/tilting sunroof* fully
R open the tailgate fully 1
Roof rails
X Secure the roof rack to the roof rails.
Observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions. Luggage net
G
Risk of injury
Only place lightweight objects in the lug-
gage net. Do not use it to transport heavy,
sharp-edged or fragile objects. The luggage
net cannot secure the objects sufficiently
in the event of an accident. Luggage net in the front-passenger
footwell
1
Luggage net
Luggage net behind the front seats 1
Luggage net Controls
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Loading and stowing
192 Loading guidelines
G
Risk of injury
Secure and position the load as described
in the loading guidelines.
Otherwise, vehicle occupants could
be injured by the load being thrown around
in the event of sharp braking, a sudden
change in direction or an accident. This also
applies to seats which have been removed.
You will find further information in the
"Securing a load" section.
Even if you follow all the loading guidelines,
the load will increase the risk of injury in the
event of an accident. G
Risk of poisoning
Keep the tailgate closed when the engine is
running. Otherwise, you could be poisoned
by exhaust fumes entering the vehicle.
The handling characteristics of a laden vehi-
cle depend on the distribution of the load
within the vehicle. You should therefore load
your vehicle as shown in the illustrations. Load distribution
Observe the following notes when transport-
ing a load:
R
When transporting a load, never exceed the
maximum permissible gross vehicle weight
or the permissible axle loads for the vehicle
(including occupants).
R Position heavy loads as far forwards and as
low down in the luggage compartment as
possible.
R The load must not protrude above the
upper edge of the backrests.
R Always place the load against the front or
rear seat backrests. Make sure that the backrests and the seats are securely
locked into place.
R Secure the load with sufficiently strong and
wear-resistant load restraints. Pad sharp
edges for protection.
i Load restraints are available at any quali-
fied specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre. R
If the rear seats are not occupied, insert the
belt tongue on the outer seat belts into the
buckle of the opposite seat belt. This
increases the restraining effect of the rear
seat backrests. Controls
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Loading and stowing
193Securing a load
Lashing eyelets* G
Risk of injury
Distribute the load on the lashing eyelets
evenly.
Otherwise, vehicle occupants could be
injured by objects being thrown around if
you:
R brake sharply
R change direction suddenly
R are involved in an accident
Please observe the loading guidelines.
Observe the following points or guidelines
when securing loads:
R Secure the load using the lashing eyelets.
R Do not use elastic straps or nets to secure
a load, as these are only intended as an
anti-slip protection for light loads.
R Do not route lashing materials across sharp
edges or corners.
R Pad sharp edges for protection. 2nd row of seats*
There is one lashing eyelet in the footwell
behind the driver's seat and one in the foot-
well behind the front-passenger seat.
1
Lashing eyelets in the rear-compartment
footwell Luggage compartment
There are four lashing eyelets in the luggage
compartment. 1
Lashing eyelets Controls
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Loading and stowing
194
Securing hooks There are two securing hooks on each side of
the luggage compartment. 1
Securing hooks
Only secure lightweight luggage items (max-
imum 4 kg) on the mounting hooks. Enlarging the luggage compartment
The left-hand and right-hand rear seats can
be folded down to increase the luggage com-
partment capacity. G
Risk of injury
Do not carry heavy or hard objects inside
the vehicle or in the luggage compartment
unless they are secured.
Otherwise, you and other vehicle occu-
pants could be injured by objects being
thrown around the vehicle in the event of
sharp braking, a sudden change in direction
or an accident.
When using the luggage compartment
enlargement feature, you must always fully
fold down the respective backrests and
attach the safety net. G
Risk of poisoning
Always drive with the tailgate closed.
Exhaust fumes could otherwise enter the
vehicle interior.
Folding the rear bench seat forwards G
Risk of accident and injury
Do not fold the backrest onto the folded-
down seat cushions. If the seat cushions are folded down, luggage can be thrown
over the backrest into the passenger com-
partment during, for instance, heavy brak-
ing, sudden changes of direction or in the
event of an accident. You could cause an
accident or cause injury to yourself and
others.
1
Seat cushion release loop
2 Seat cushion
! When the rear bench seat is folded for-
wards, the front seats cannot be moved to
their rearmost position, as otherwise, the
seats and the rear seat bench could be
damaged.
i If the driver's or front-passenger seat has
been adjusted for a tall person, it may be Controls
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Loading and stowing
195
necessary to move the seats forwards
slightly to fold the backrests forwards.
X Pull release loop 1of seat cushion 2.
Seat cushion 2is released.
X Fold seat cushion 2upwards.
X Move the head restraints to the lowest
position (Y page 80). 1
Backrest
2 Backrest release lever
X Pull release lever 2on left or right back-
rest 1in the direction of the arrow.
Corresponding backrest 1is unlocked.
! The backrest is heavy. Therefore, exercise
care when folding it down. Make sure that
the head restraints are pushed all the way in so that the backrests and seat cushions
are not damaged.
X Fold backrest 1forwards until it engages
in the luggage compartment position. 1
Clip
2 Seat belt
X Guide seat belts 2under respective clips
1. Folding the rear bench seat back 1
Seat cushion
2 Backrest
X Fold backrest 2backwards until it
engages, making sure not to trap the seat
belts while doing so.
The red safety flag on the backrest release
drops completely into the release catch.
X Fold seat cushion 1backwards and push
until you hear it engage.
X Pull up and adjust the head restraints if
necessary (Y page 80). G
Risk of injury
Make sure that the rear seat backrest and
the seat cushions are fully locked in place. Controls
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Loading and stowing
196
Removing the seat cushions* You can achieve a larger loading area by
removing the rear bench seat cushions.
X Make sure that the seat cushions are folded
forward (Y page 194). 1
Release catch
2 Connector for seat heating
! On vehicles with rear seat heating*, the
electrical contact on the bottom of the
cushion must be disconnected before
removing the seat cushion.
X Press the connection together on the upper
part of the lengthways side and pull out
seat heating connector 2from the seat
cushion. i
When refitting the seat cushion, join the
connections for the seat heating, making
sure the connector engages.
X Pull seat cushion release catch 1and
remove the seat cushion upwards.
! Leave the seat cushion hinge in this posi-
tion. If you fold it back, you could damage
the upholstery. X
Fold backrest forward (Y page 195). Luggage compartment cover and
safety net*
Luggage compartment cover* G
Risk of accident and injury
The luggage compartment cover is not a
restraint system. Secure the load under the
luggage compartment cover by suitable
means. Make sure that the luggage com-
partment cover is engaged securely. If lug-
gage is not sufficiently secured, it can be
thrown over the backrest into the
passenger compartment during, for
instance, heavy braking, sudden changes of
direction or in the event of an accident. You
could cause an accident or cause injury to
yourself and others.
The luggage compartment cover is located
behind the rear bench seat backrest.
! When loading the vehicle, make sure that
you do not stack the load in the luggage
compartment higher than the lower edge of
the side windows. Do not place heavy
objects on top of the luggage compartment
cover. Controls
* optional
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Loading and stowing
197
Rolling up the luggage compartment
cover
1
Luggage compartment cover
X Unhook luggage compartment cover 1
from its connections on the left and right.
X Guide luggage compartment cover 1
slowly backwards as far as it will go. Fitting/removing the luggage compart-
ment cover 1
Button
2 Luggage compartment cover
X To remove: roll up luggage compartment
cover 2.
X Push the right-hand side section to the left
until it engages.
X Remove luggage compartment cover 2.
X To fit: with the handle of the luggage com-
partment enlargement pointing to the rear
and button 1facing upwards on the left-
hand side, insert luggage compartment
cover 2into the recess of the side trim. X
Guide luggage compartment cover 2in
front of the recess on the right.
X Press button 1and insert the right-hand
side section into the recess of the side trim.
Safety net G
Risk of injury
You must make sure that the safety net is
correctly secured at the top and bottom.
Do not use a damaged safety net.
The safety net cannot restrain heavy loads.
For this reason, you should always secure
the load.
Otherwise, objects that have not been
secured sufficiently might be thrown
around if you brake suddenly, change direc-
tion suddenly or are involved in an accident,
and could cause you an injury.
You can use the safety net in two different
positions: Controls
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