2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 front seat

91 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Infants and small children should be
seated in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system properly secured in
accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions for the child restraint, that
complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards 213 and 225 and
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2.
A statement by the child restraint manu-
facturer of compliance with these
standards can be found on the instruction
label on the restraint and in the instruction
manual provided with the restraint.
When using any infant or child restraint
system, make sure to carefully read and
follow all manufacturer’s instructions for
installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels
affixed to the inside of the vehicle and to
infant or child restraints.
Warning!G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant or child restraint
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, the seat
belt and top tether strap, or lower anchors
and top tether strap, fully in accordance
with the child seat manufacturer’s
instructions.
Always sit as upright as possible, properly
use the seat belts and use an appropriately
sized infant restraint, toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following im-
portant information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:

Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to turn off the front
passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the OCS senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard
appropriate child restraint on the front
passenger seat.


92 Safety and Security
Occupant safety

A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat will be serious-
ly injured or even killed if the front
passenger front air bag inflates in a
collision which could occur under some
circumstances, even with the air bag
technology installed in your vehicle. The
only means to completely eliminate this
risk is to never place a child in a rear-fac-
ing child restraint in the front seat. We
therefore strongly recommend that you
always place a child in a rear-facing child
restraint in the back seat.
If you must install a rear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat be-
cause circumstances require you to do
so, make sure that the
59indicator lamp is illumi-
nated, indicating that the front passen-
ger front air bag is deactivated. Should
the 59indicator lamp not
illuminate or go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation.
Periodically check the
59indicator lamp while
driving to make sure the lamp is illumi-
nated. If the 59indicator
lamp goes out or remains out, do not
transport a child on the front passenger
seat until the system has been repaired.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat will be serious-
ly injured or even killed if the front pas-
senger front air bag inflates.
If you have to place a child in a
forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat, move the seat as
far back as possible, use the proper
child restraint recommended for the
age, size and weight of the child, and se-
cure child restraint with the vehicle’s
seat belt according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. For
children larger than the typical
12-month-old child, the front passenger
front air bag may or may not be
activated (
page 80).
Warning!G
Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint.


116 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking

If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
removed from the vehicle (e.g. if a
passenger exits the vehicle with the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO)

when pressing the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button or trying to lock
the vehicle with the look button on
an outside door handle the mes-
sage
Key Not Detected appears in
the multifunction display

with the engine running, the mes-
sage
Key Not Detected appears in
the multifunction display while
driving off.
Find the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO or
change its present location immediate-
ly (e.g. place it on the front passenger
seat or insert it in shirt pocket).

Remember that the engine can be
started by anyone with a SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO that is left inside the
vehicle.
Possibility 1 (One SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO in the vehicle, one
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO outside
the vehicle):
If you leave the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO behind when exiting and
locking the vehicle, no message
appears in the multifunction display.
Possibility 2 (One SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO in the vehicle, no
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO outside
the vehicle):
When exiting and trying to lock the
vehicle, the message
Key Detected In
Vehicle
will appear in the multifunction
display. The vehicle will not be locked.Factory setting
Global unlocking
Grasp an outside door handle.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.
The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
The vehicle will lock again automatically
and rearm the anti-theft alarm system
within approximately 40 seconds of
unlocking if

neither a door nor the tailgate is
opened

the central locking switch is not
activated
iThe vehicle could be inadvertently unlocked
if the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is within 3 ft
(1 m) of the vehicle and

an outside door handle is splashed with
water
or

you attempt to clean an outside door handle

127 Controls in detail
Seats
Seats
For information on seat adjustment, see
the “Getting started” section (
page 43).
For more information on seats, see “Load-
ing” (
page 266).
Front seat active head restraintsYou cannot remove the active head
restraints on the driver’s and front
passenger’s seat.
For removal of the active head restraints
we recommend that you contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
For information on head restraint adjust-
ment, see “Seats” (
page 43).
For information on active head restraints,
see “Active head restraint” (
page 88).
Rear seat head restraints
Warning!G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint so that it is close
to the head as possible and the center of the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of
an accident or similar situation.
Warning!G
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints installed when the rear seats
are occupied. Head restraints are intended
to help reduce injuries during an accident.
With a rear seat occupied, make sure to
move the respective head restraint up from
the lowest non-use position and have the oc-
cupant adjust the head restraint properly.
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way that
it is as close to the head as possible and the
center of the head restraint supports the
back of the head at eye level. This will re-
duce the potential for injury to the head and
neck in the event of an accident or similar
situation.

129 Controls in detail
Seats
Installing
Insert head restraint1 into openings
on the seat backrest.
Push head restraint1 down until it au-
dibly engages.
Press release button2 and adjust
head restraint1 to the desired posi-
tion (
page 128).
For more information on seats, see the
“Getting started” section (
page 43).
Lumbar support
The curvature of the driver’s seat can be
adjusted to help enhance lower back sup-
port and seating comfort.
The lever for lumbar support adjustment is
located on the right hand side of the
driver’s seat backrest.
1Adjustment lever
Move adjustment lever1 in direction
of arrows until you have reached a
comfortable seating position.
Multicontour seat*
The multicontour seat has an extendable
seat cushion and inflatable air chambers
built into the backrest to provide additional
lumbar and side support.
The seat cushion depth, seat backrest
cushion-height and curvature can be con-
tinuously varied with switches on the in-
side of each front seat base after the
ignition is switched on (
page 39).
1Seat cushion depth
2Backrest side bolsters
3Backrest center
4Backrest bottom

130 Controls in detail
Seats
Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Seat cushion depth
Adjust the seat cushion depth to the
length of your upper leg with
switch1.
Backrest contour
Adjust the contour of the seat backrest
to the desired position with
switchæ orç.
Move the backrest support to the bot-
tom with button4 or to the center
with button3.
Backrest side bolsters
Adjust the side bolsters so that they
provide good lateral support using
switch2.
Seat heating*
The switches for front-seat heating are lo-
cated in the center console.
1Seat heating switch, front seats
2Indicator lampsThe switches for rear seat heating are
located in the rear center console.
1Seat heating switch, rear seats
2Indicator lamps

131 Controls in detail
Seats
The red indicator lamps in the switch come
on to show which heating level you have
selected.Switch on the ignition (page 40).
Switching on
Press switch1.
Three red indicator lamps2 in the
switch come on.
Continue pressing switch1 until
desired seat heating level is reached.
Switching off
Press switch1 repeatedly until all
indicator lamps2 go out.
Seat ventilation*
The switches for the seat ventilation are
located in the center console.
1Seat ventilation switch, front seats
2Indicator lamps
Level
3Three indicator lamps on
(highest level)
The seat heating automatically
switches to level 2 after approx-
imately 5 minutes.
2Two indicator lamps on
The seat heating automatically
switches to level 1 after approx-
imately 10 minutes.
1One indicator lamp on
(lowest level)
The seat heating automatically
switches off after approximately
20 minutes.
offNo indicator lamp on
iIf one or more of the indicator lamps2 on
seat heating switch1 (
page 130) are flash-
ing, there is insufficient voltage available since
too many electrical consumers are switched on.
The seat heating switches off automatically.
The seat heating will switch back on again
automatically as soon as sufficient voltage is
available.

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.