2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 child lock

122 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
The switch is located in the driver’s door.
1Remote tailgate switch
Pull remote tailgate switch1 until
tailgate begins to open.
The tailgate opens. While the tailgate is
opening, an acoustic signal sounds.Limiting opening height of tailgate*
In vehicles with power tailgate*, the tail-
gate opening height can be limited when
transporting goods on a roof rack* (e.g.
presence of an MB roof cargo container*).
When activated, the tailgate opens to
approximately 6.6 ft (2.00 m).
Activate the limiting opening height of
tailgate using the control system
(
page 176).
Closing the tailgate from the inside
You can close the tailgate from the inside
using the remote tailgate switch.
If the tailgate comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high) the closing procedure
is stopped and the tailgate reopens.
Warning!G
Maintain sight of the area around the rear of
the vehicle while operating the tailgate with
the door-mounted switch. Monitor the
closing procedure carefully to make sure no
one is in danger of being injured.
To interrupt the closing procedure, press or
pull the door-mounted remote tailgate
switch or press the Šbutton on the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*.
Even with the SmartKey or the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the remote tailgate switch can be operated.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. A child’s unsupervised access to a
vehicle could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.

124 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Closing the tailgate and locking the
vehicle from the outside (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*)
In vehicles with power tailgate and
KEYLESS-GO*, you can close the tailgate
and lock the vehicle simultaneously from
the outside using the KEYLESS-GO*
locking/closing switch.
If the tailgate comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high), the closing procedure
is stopped and the tailgate reopens.
Make sure you have the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you.1KEYLESS-GO* locking/closing switch
Press KEYLESS-GO* locking/closing
switch1 briefly.
The tailgate closes automatically. Once
the tailgate is closed, the vehicle locks
if doors are closed. The turn signals
flash three times to confirm locking.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
always keep hands and fingers away from
the cargo compartment opening when clos-
ing the tailgate. Be especially careful when
small children are around. To stop the clos-
ing procedure, do one of the following:

Press tailgate closing switch1
(
page 123).

Press KEYLESS-GO* locking/closing
switch*1 (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*) (
page 124).

Press the Šbutton on the SmartKey
(
page 110) or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* (
page 113).

Press or pull the remote tailgate switch
on the driver’s door (
page 122).
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the tailgate closing switch can be operated.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. A child’s unsupervised access to a
vehicle could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.
iDo not place the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* in the open cargo compartment.
You may lock yourself out.
iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the tailgate will lock automatically after
closing it. The turn signals will flash three times
to confirm locking.


125 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Automatic central locking
The doors and the tailgate lock automati-
cally when the ignition is switched on and
the wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
For information on towing the vehicle, see
“Towing the vehicle” (
page 499).
You can deactivate the automatic central
locking mode using the control system
(
page 175).
Warning!G
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
make sure no one is in danger of being in-
jured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from
the cargo compartment opening when clos-
ing the tailgate. Be especially careful when
small children are around. To stop the clos-
ing procedure, do one of the following:

Press tailgate closing switch1
(
page 123).

Press KEYLESS-GO* locking/closing
switch*1 (
page 124).

Press the Šbutton on the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* (
page 113).

Press or pull the remote tailgate switch
on the driver’s door (
page 122).
Even with the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle, the tailgate
closing switch can be operated. Therefore,
do not leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle. A
child’s unsupervised access to a vehicle
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
iTo prevent a possible inadvertent lockout,
the tailgate will open automatically if a SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* is recognized inside the
vehicle.
iYou can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact exceeds a
preset threshold.
The vehicle automatically locks when the ignition
is switched on and the wheels are turning at
vehicle speeds of approximately 9 mph
(15 km/h) or more. You could therefore lock
yourself out when the vehicle

is pushed or towed

is on a test stand

126 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the doors and the
tailgate from inside using the central lock-
ing or unlocking switch. This can be useful,
for example, if you want to lock the vehicle
before starting to drive.
The fuel filler flap cannot be locked or un-
locked with the central locking or unlock-
ing switch.The switches are located in the drivers
door.
1Central unlocking switch
2Central locking switch
Locking
Press central locking switch2.
If all doors and the tailgate are closed,
the vehicle locks.Unlocking
Press central unlocking switch1.
The vehicle unlocks.
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. A child’s unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
iYou can open a locked door from inside at
any time. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
If the vehicle was previously centrally locked
with the SmartKey or with KEYLESS-GO*, it will
not unlock using the central unlocking switch.
If the vehicle was previously locked with the
central locking switch:

and the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is set to factory settings, the
complete vehicle is unlocked when a front
door is opened from the inside

and the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is set to selective settings,
only the front door opened from the inside is
unlocked
iWith the passenger-side door opened, you
cannot lock the vehicle with the central locking
switch.

176 Controls in detail
Control system
Limiting opening height of tailgate*
Use this function to activate or deactivate
the limiting opening height of the tailgate.
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Vehicle
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Opening Limiter
Tailgate
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to switch
the limiting opening height of the
tailgate
On or Off.Comfort submenu*
Access the
Comfort submenu via the
Settings menu. Use the Comfort submenu
to change the settings for a number of con-
venience features.
The following functions are available:Activating easy-entry/exit feature*
Use this function to activate and
deactivate the easy-entry/exit feature
(
page 46).
FunctionPage
Activating easy-entry/exit
feature*176
Setting fold-in function* for
exterior rear view mirrors177
Warning!G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel movement, do one of
the following:

Move steering wheel adjustment stalk*
(
page 48).

Press one of the stored position
buttons* or the memory buttonM*
(
page 133).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

190 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
transmission shifts into a lower gear.
Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:
Leave the transmission in gear.
Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop for a longer period of time
with the engine idling and/or on a hill:
Set the parking brake.
Shift into park positionP.
Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:
Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.
Accelerate gently.
Never abruptly step on the accelerator.
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 shift the
automatic transmission out of park
positionP, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

235 Controls in detail
Power windows
Power windows
The door windows are opened and closed
electrically. The switches for all door win-
dows are located on the driver’s door con-
trol panel. The switches for the respective
door windows are located on the front
passenger door and the rear doors.
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
Warning!G
When closing the windows, make sure that
there is no danger of anyone being harmed
by the closing procedure.
Activate the override switch (
page 96)
when children are riding in the back seats of
the vehicle. The children could otherwise in-
jure themselves, e.g. by becoming trapped
in the window opening.
The closing of a door window can be imme-
diately halted by releasing the switch or, if
switch was pulled past the resistance point
and released, by either pressing or pulling
the respective switch.
If a door window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you pulled the switch past the resistance
point and released it to close the door win-
dow, the automatic reversal function will
stop the window and open it slightly.
If a door window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you are closing a door window by pulling and
holding the switch, or by pressing and hold-
ing button‹on the SmartKey, by press-
ing and holding the lock button (vehicles
with KEYLESS-GO*) on a door handle, the
automatic reversal function will not operate.
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. A child’s unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.iYou can also open or close the windows
using the SmartKey, see “Summer opening fea-
ture” (
page 237) and see “Convenience clos-
ing feature” (
page 238).
Depending on the current position, the power
windows may also open or close when the air
recirculation button: on the control panel of
the climate control (
page 206) or automatic
climate control* (
page 220) is pressed and
held.
iAfter switching off the ignition (page 39)
or removing the SmartKey from the starter
switch, the windows can be operated

until you open the driver’s or front passenger
door

for at least 5 minutes if nor door was opened

240 Controls in detail
Power tilt/sliding sunroof
Opening and closing
Warning!G
When closing the tilt/sliding sunroof, make
sure that there is no danger of anyone being
harmed by the closing procedure.
If the tilt/sliding sunroof encounters an ob-
struction that blocks its path in a circum-
stance where you are closing the tilt/sliding
sunroof by moving the tilt/sliding sunroof
switch past the resistance point, or by
pressing and holding button‹ on the
SmartKey, by pressing and holding the lock
button (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*) on the
door handle, the automatic reversal function
will not operate.
The opening/closing procedure of the
tilt/sliding sunroof can be immediately halt-
ed by releasing the switch or, if the switch
was moved past the resistance point and re-
leased, by moving the switch in any direc-
tion.
The tilt/sliding sunroof is made out of glass.
In the event of an accident, the glass may
shatter. This may result in an opening in the
roof.
In a vehicle rollover, occupants not wearing
their seat belts or not wearing them properly
may be thrown out of the opening. Such an
opening also presents a potential for injury
for occupants wearing their seat belts prop-
erly as entire body parts or portions of them
may protrude from the passenger compart-
ment.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock your vehicle. Do not leave children un-
attended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.!To avoid damaging the seals, do not trans-
port any objects with sharp edges which can
stick out of the tilt/sliding sunroof.
Do not open the tilt/sliding sunroof if there is
snow or ice on the roof, as this could result in
malfunctions.
!Please keep in mind that weather conditions
can sometimes change rapidly. Make sure to
close the tilt/sliding sunroof when leaving the
vehicle. If water enters the vehicle interior,
vehicle electronics could be damaged which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
iWhen the tilt/sliding sunroof is open, reso-
nance noises may result in addition to the usual
wind noises. They are caused by minimal pres-
sure changes in the passenger compartment. To
reduce or eliminate these noises, change the po-
sition of the tilt/sliding sunroof or open a side
window slightly.
iYou can also open or close the tilt/sliding
sunroof using the SmartKey or the
KEYLESS-GO* function, see “Summer opening
feature” (
page 237) and see “Convenience
closing feature” (
page 238).