2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 steering

65 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.Parking brake
1Parking brake pedal
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and the
steering system. In this case, it is important
to keep in mind that a considerably higher
degree of effort is necessary to brake and
steer the vehicle.
Warning!G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury, or dam-
age to the vehicle drivetrain, as a result of
vehicle movement, before turning off the en-
gine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.

Firmly depress parking brake pedal.

Shift the automatic transmission to
positionP.

Slowly release brake pedal.

When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch, or press the
start/stop button (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*).

Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* and lock vehicle when
leaving.
Warning!G
Engaging the parking brake while the vehicle
is in motion can cause the rear wheels to
lock up. You could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident. In addition, the vehi-
cle’s brake lights do not light up when the
parking brake is engaged.

66 Getting started
Parking and locking
Step firmly on parking brake pedal1.
When the engine is running, the
warning lamp; (USA only) or3
(Canada only) in the instrument cluster
comes on.
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM
(
page 59).
For more information, see “Lighting”
(
page 135).
Turning off the engine
Shift the automatic transmission to
positionP (
page 185).
Apply the parking brake (page 65).
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 release the
parking brake and/or shift the automatic
transmission out of positionP, either of
which could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.
Warning!G
Getting out of your vehicle with the
automatic transmission not fully engaged in
positionP is dangerous. Also, when parked
on an incline, positionP alone may not
prevent your vehicle from moving, possibly
hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 185).
When parked on an incline, also turn front
wheel towards the road curb.
iIf the engine cannot be turned off as
described, see “Emergency engine shut-down”
(
page 506).
Warning!G
Do not turn off the engine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop. With the en-
gine not running, there is no power assis-
tance for the brake and steering systems. In
this case, it is important to keep in mind that
a considerably higher degree of effort is nec-
essary to brake and steer the vehicle.
iAlways set the parking brake in addition to
shifting the automatic transmission to positionP
(
page 185).
When parked on an incline, also turn front wheel
towards the road curb.

74 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Air bags
Warning!G
Air bags are designed to reduce the poten-
tial of injury and fatality in certain frontal
impacts (front air bags), side impacts (side
impact air bags and window curtain air bags)
or rollovers (window curtain air bags).
However, no system available today can
completely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
The deployment of the air bags temporarily
releases a small amount of dust from the air
bags. This dust, however, is neither injurious
to your health, nor does it indicate a fire in
the vehicle. The dust might cause some tem-
porary breathing difficulty for people with
asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid
this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle
as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any
breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
Warning!G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear their
respective seat belt.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the seat backrest.
Fasten your seat belt and make sure it is
properly positioned on your body
(
page 51).
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating and hands
on steering wheel position will help to keep
you at a safe distance from the air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the air bag can be seriously
injured or killed by an air bag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:

Sit properly belted in a position that is as
upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest.

Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possi-
ble rearward, still permitting proper op-
eration of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the air bag cover
on the steering wheel must be at least
10 inches (25 cm) or more. You should
be able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any
problems, please see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

Do not lean your head or chest close to
the steering wheel or dashboard.

Keep hands on the outside of steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in-
side the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when driver’s front air bag inflates.

Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.

76 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
air bag
Warning!G

Damaged seat belts or belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use belts in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) are designed
to function on a one-time-only basis. An
air bag or ETD that is deployed must be
replaced.

Do not pass belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.

Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the belts.

Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this
may severely weaken them. In a crash
they may not be able to provide ade-
quate protection.

No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or
removing any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, front passenger front air bag
cover, outboard sides of the seat back-
rests, door trim panels, or door frame
trims, and installation of additional
electrical/electronic equipment on or
near SRS components and wiring. Keep
area between air bags and occupants
free from objects (e.g. packages, purs-
es, umbrellas, etc.).

Do not hang items such as coat hangers
from the coat hooks or handles over the
door. These items may turn into projec-
tiles and cause head and other injuries
when the window curtain air bag is
deployed.

Air bag system components will be hot
after an air bag has inflated. Do not
touch.

Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.

In addition, improper repair work on the
SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS
inoperative or causing unintended air
bag deployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

For your protection and the protection
of others, when scrapping the air bag
unit or emergency tensioning device,
our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These instructions are available
from any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.

Given the considerable deployment
speed, required inflation volume, and
the textile structure of the air bags,
there is the possibility of abrasions or
other potentially more serious injuries
resulting from air bag deployment.

99 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode.
Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal while experiencing the pul-
sation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and ability to steer
the vehicle.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an
indication of hazardous road conditions
and functions as a reminder to take extra
care while driving.Emergency brake maneuver
Keep continuous full pressure on the
brake pedal.
Off-road – ABS
With the off-road driving program switched
on (
page 253), the ABS designed for
off-road use is automatically activated.
When applying the brakes at speeds below
approximately 18 mph (30 km/h), the
front wheels are locked cyclically to short-
en the braking distance (dig-in effect). This
affects steering the vehicle.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 399).
Warning!G
When the ABS is malfunctioning, the BAS,
the ESP®, and the 4-ETS are also switched
off. The basic driving and braking functions
are still available.
When the ABS is malfunctioning, the wheels
may lock during hard braking, reducing
steering capability and extending the brak-
ing distance.
Warning!G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency be-
yond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction
afforded. The ABS cannot prevent acci-
dents, including those resulting from
excessive speed in turns, following another
vehicle too closely, or hydroplaning. Only a
safe, attentive, and skillful driver can pre-
vent accidents. The capabilities of an ABS
equipped vehicle must never be exploited in
a reckless or dangerous manner which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or the
safety of others.

100 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
BAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing braking distance.
Apply continuous full braking pressure
until the emergency braking situation is
over.
The ABS will prevent the wheels from
locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
ESP®
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) is
operational as soon as the engine is run-
ning. It monitors the vehicle’s traction
(force of adhesive friction between the
tires and the road surface) and handling.
The ESP
® recognizes when a wheel is
spinning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By
applying brakes to the appropriate wheel
and by limiting engine output, the ESP
®
works to stabilize the vehicle. The ESP® is
especially useful while driving off and on
wet or slippery road surfaces. The ESP
®
also helps stabilize the vehicle during
braking and steering maneuvers.
The ESP
® warning lampv in the instru-
ment cluster (
page 26) flashes when the
ESP® is engaged.
The ESP
® warning lampv in the instru-
ment cluster comes on when you switch on
the ignition. It goes out when the engine is
running.
Warning!G
If the BAS is malfunctioning, the brake sys-
tem is still functioning, but without the addi-
tional brake boost available that BAS would
normally provide in an emergency braking
maneuver. Therefore, the braking distance
may increase.
Warning!G
The BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking efficiency beyond that
afforded by the condition of the vehicle
brakes and tires or the traction afforded.
The BAS cannot prevent accidents, includ-
ing those resulting from excessive speed in
turns, following another vehicle too closely,
or hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The
capabilities of a BAS equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the
user’s safety or the safety of others.

103 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Switching on the ESP®
Press ESP® switch1.
The ESP
® warning lampv in the
instrument cluster goes out.
You are now again in normal driving
mode.For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 399).
Off-road – ESP
®
With the off-road driving program switched
on (
page 253), the ESP® designed for
off-road use is automatically activated. At
speeds below 27 mph (45 km/h), the
ESP
® assists in over-/understeering, thus
improving vehicle traction.
ESP
® Trailer Stabilization
If the trailer you are towing should begin to
sway, the rig can only be stabilized by
immediately applying the brakes hard.
Steering during this maneuver will not help
to stabilize the rig.
ESP
® will assist you in such situations.
ESP® recognizes when the trailer starts
swaying and will apply the brakes to re-
duce the vehicle speed to a non-critical
speed that allows the vehicle-trailer combi-
nation to stabilize.The ESP
® Trailer Stabilization is functional
at vehicle speeds above approximately
40 mph (65 km/h) when the ESP
® is
switched on.
Warning!G
When the ESP® warning lampv is
illuminated continuously, the ESP® is
switched off or is not operational due to a
malfunction.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP
®.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an ex-
tended period of time with the ESP® switched
off. This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
WarningG
The system will not be able to assist when
the trailer jackknifes

on wet or icy roads

on roads with slippery surface

in sand or gravel
Trailers with a high center of gravity may tip
over before the system recognizes swaying
of the trailer.
iIf the ESP® has switched off due to a mal-
function, ESP® cannot stabilize the rig.

133 Controls in detail
Memory function*
Memory function*
Prior to operating the vehicle, the driver
should check and adjust the seat height,
seat position fore and aft, and seat back-
rest angle if necessary, to ensure adequate
control, reach and comfort. The head
restraint should also be adjusted for
proper height. See also the section on
air bags (
page 74) for proper seat posi-
tioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, operation
and comfort. Both the interior and exterior
rear view mirrors should be adjusted for
adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small chil-
dren should be seated in a properly se-
cured restraint system that complies with
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dards 213 and 225 and Canadian Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and 210.2.With the memory function you can store up
to three different configurations.
Each stored position on the driver’s side
includes the following settings:

Seat position

Multicontour seat*: previously saved
setting

Steering wheel position

Exterior rear view mirrors’ position
Each stored position on the passenger side
includes the following settings:

Seat position

Multicontour seat*: previously saved
settingThe memory button and stored position
buttons are located on the entry side of
each front seat base.
MMemory button
1, 2, 3Stored position buttons
Warning!G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.