2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV Owners Manual

Occupant safety
46 The seat covers must have a special tear
seam for sidebags. Otherwise, a head/
thorax airbag cannot deploy correctly and
would fail to provide the intended protec-
tion in the event of an accident. Appropriate
seat covers can be obtained from a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
Sensors to control the airbags are located
in the doors. Therefore, do not make any
modifications to the doors or door trims,
e.g. retrofitting loudspeakers. Damage to
the doors can affect operation of the side-
bags.
The purpose of sidebag deployment is to
enhance the level of protection for the thorax
(but not the head, neck or arms) of the vehicle
occupants on the side of the vehicle on which
the impact occurs. 1
Front sidebag
2 Rear sidebag*
The sidebag inflates next to the backrest side
cushions.
Sidebags 1and 2are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R independently of the seat belt use
R independently of the front airbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
R if the vehicle overturns, but only if the sys-
tem detects high vehicle deceleration in a
lateral direction and determines that side- bag deployment can offer additional pro-
tection to that provided by the seat belt
Windowbags
The purpose of the windowbags is to enhance
the level of protection for the head (but not
chest or arms) of the vehicle occupants on
the side of the vehicle on which the impact
occurs.
The windowbags are integrated into the side
of the roof frame and run from the front door
(A-pillar) to the rear door (C-pillar). 1
Windowbag
Windowbags 1are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
lateral direction
R on the side on which an impact occurs Safety
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 46Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

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
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 47 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Occupant safety
48 Children in the vehicle
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, secure
the child using a child restraint system which
is appropriate to the size and age of the child
and recommended for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles. You should preferably fit the restraint
system to a suitable rear seat. Ensure that the
child is strapped in throughout the trip.
You can obtain information about the correct
child restraint system from any Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products to clean child restraint systems.
Information about this can be obtained
from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. Children could injure
themselves on parts of the vehicle. They
could also be seriously or even fatally
injured by prolonged exposure to extreme
heat or cold.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The metallic parts of the
child restraint system could heat up and the
child could be burned by them. If a child opens a door, the child or other
persons could be injured as a result. The
child could get out and be injured in the
process or be injured by a passing vehicle. G
Risk of injury
An unsecured or incorrectly positioned load
increases the risk of injury to the child in
the event of:
R an accident
R a braking manoeuvre
R a sudden change of direction
Do not carry heavy or hard objects inside
the vehicle unless they are secured. You
will find further information under "Loading
guidelines" in the index.
Child restraint systems Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use the child restraint systems listed on.
(Y
page 53) G
Risk of injury
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of a sudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R children less than 1.50 m tall and under
twelve years of age must always be
secured in special child restraint systems
on a suitable vehicle seat. This is neces-
sary because the seat belts are not
designed for children of this size.
R do not secure children under twelve
years of age on the front-passenger seat.
Exception: the child is secured in a vehi-
cle with automatic child seat recognition
on the front-passenger seat* and is
secured in a child restraint system with
automatic child seat recognition.
R if you secure a forward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat that is not equipped with automatic
child seat recognition, you must move
the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible.
R children must never travel sitting on the
lap of another occupant. Due to the
forces occurring in the event of a sudden
change of direction, heavy braking or an Safety
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 48Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Occupant safety
49accident, it would not be possible to
restrain the child. The child could be
thrown against parts of the vehicle inte-
rior and be seriously or even fatally
injured. G
Risk of injury
The child restraint system cannot perform
its protective function if is not correctly fit-
ted to a suitable vehicle seat. The child
cannot be restrained in the event of a sud-
den change of direction, heavy braking or
an accident. This may lead to serious or
even fatal injuries. For this reason, when
fitting a child restraint system, observe the
manufacturer's installation instructions
and the correct use of the child restraint
system.
Child restraint systems should preferably
be fitted to the rear seats. Children are gen-
erally better protected there.
The entire base of the child restraint system
must always rest on the seat cushion.
Never place objects, e.g. a cushion, under
the child restraint system.
Only use child restraint systems with their
original covers. Only replace damaged cov-
ers with genuine Mercedes-Benz covers. For safety reasons, you should only use
child restraint systems which have been
approved for use in Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles.
Child seat on the front-passenger seat Warning on the front-passenger sun visor Warning symbol for a rearward-facing child
restraint system
G
Risk of injury
If the front-passenger front airbag is not
disabled:
R a child secured in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat could be
seriously and even fatally injured by the
front-passenger front airbag deploying.
This is especially a risk if the child is in
the immediate vicinity of the front-
passenger front airbag when it deploys.
R a child must never be secured on the
front-passenger seat in a rearward-facing
child restraint system. Only secure a Safety
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh, Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 49 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

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
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 50Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Occupant safety
51move the front-passenger seat to its rear-
most position.
R have the automatic child seat recognition
checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
To ensure that the automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat func-
tions correctly, never place objects (such
as a cushion) under the child restraint sys-
tem. The entire base of the child restraint
system must always rest on the seat cush-
ion. An incorrectly fitted child restraint sys-
tem cannot perform its intended protective
function in the event of an accident, and
could lead to injuries. i
The windowbag, the sidebag and the belt
tensioner on the front-passenger side are
still active even when the front-passenger
front airbag is disabled. G
Risk of injury
Do not place items of electronic equipment
on the front-passenger seat, e.g.:
R laptops, when switched on
R mobile phones
R cards with transponders, e.g. ski passes
or access cards
Signals from electronic equipment can
cause interference in the automatic child
seat recognition sensor system. This could lead to a system malfunction. This may
cause the
5PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
warning lamp to light up without there
being a child seat with automatic child seat
recognition fitted. This means that the
front-passenger airbag does not deploy
during an accident. It is also possible that
the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp will not light up briefly if you turn the
key in the ignition lock to position 2.
Suitable positioning of the child restraint system Weight categories and ages Child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat Child restraint system on the
left-hand and right-hand rear
seats Child restraint system on the
centre rear seat
Group 0: up to 10 kg;
up to approx. 9 months Vehicles with automatic child
seat recognition* on the front-
passenger seat: as recommen-
ded
11 Universal Universal
Group 0+: up to 13 kg;
up to approx. 18 months 11
Only use child restraint systems with automatic child seat recognition. Safety
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 51 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Occupant safety
52 Weight categories and ages Child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat Child restraint system on the
left-hand and right-hand rear
seats Child restraint system on the
centre rear seat
Group I: 9 to 18 kg;
between approx. 8 months and 4
years As recommended
12 Universal Universal
Group II/III: 15 to 36 kg;
between approx. 3½ and 12 years Not suitable Universal Universal
"Universal" category child restraint systems
can be recognised by their orange approval
label. Example of an approval label on the child restraint
system
12 If you are using a child restraint system without automatic child seat recognition, move the front-passenger seat to its rearmost position. Safety
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 52Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Occupant safety
53
Recommended child restraint systems Weight categories and
ages Manufacturer Type Approval number Daimler order num-
ber Automatic child seat
recognition
Group 0: up to 10 kg;
up to approx. 9 months Britax-Römer BABY SAFE PLUS E1 03 301146 A 000 970 10 00 Yes
Group 0+: up to 13 kg;
up to approx. 18 months Britax-Römer BABY SAFE PLUS E1 03 301146 A 000 970 10 00 Yes
Group I: 9 to 18 kg;
between approx. 8
months and 4 years Britax-Römer DUO PLUS E1 03 301133 A 000 970 11 00 Yes
A 000 970 16 00
No
13 Group II/III: 15 to 36 kg;
between approx. 3½ and
12 years Britax-Römer KID E1 03 301148 A 000 970 12 00 Yes
A 000 970 17 00
No
13 Child seat lock
All seat belts are equipped with a child seat
lock with the exception of those fitted on the
driver's and front-passenger seats. X
Insert the belt tongue into the buckle.
X Pull the belt out completely and let it be
reeled back in by the inertia reel.
The child seat lock ensures that the belt
does not slacken once the child seat is
secured.
X To release the child seat lock: roll up the
belt completely after removing the child
seat. ISOFIX child seat securing system in the
rear compartment ISOFIX is a standardised securing system for
specially-designed child restraint systems on
the rear seats. Securing rings for two child
restraint systems are fitted on the left and
right of the backrest.
13 For child restraint systems without automatic child seat recognition, move the front-passenger seat to the rearmost position. Safety
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 53 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight