2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 front seat

382 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire ply composition and material used
This indicates the number of plies or the
number of layers of rubber-coated fabric in
the tire tread and sidewall. Tire manufac-
turers also must indicate the ply materials
in the tire and sidewall, which include
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
Tire speed rating
Part of tire designation; indicates the
speed range for which a tire is approved.
Total load limit
Rated cargo and luggage load plus
68 kilograms (150 lbs) times the vehicle’s
designated seating capacity.
Traction
Force exerted by the vehicle on the road
via the tires. The amount of grip provided.Tread
The portion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.
Treadwear indicators
Narrow bands, sometimes called
“wear bars” that show across the tread of
a tire when only
1/16in (1.6 mm) of tread
remains.
TWR (T
ongue Weight Rating)
Maximum permissible weight on trailer
tongue.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
A tire information system that provides
consumers with ratings for a tire’s traction,
temperature and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers using
government testing procedures. The
ratings are molded into the sidewall of the
tire.Vehicle maximum load on the tire
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle its
share of the maximum loaded vehicle
weight and dividing it by two.
Rotating tires
Tire rotation can be performed on vehicles
with tires of the same dimension all
around. If your vehicle is equipped with
tires of the same dimension all around,
tires can be rotated, observing a
front-to-rear rotation pattern that will
maintain the intended rotation (spinning)
direction of the tire (
page 351).
Warning!G
Rotate front and rear wheels only if they are
of the same dimension.
If your vehicle is equipped with mixed-size
tires (different tire dimensions front vs.
rear), tire rotation is not possible.

397 Operation
Vehicle care
Steering wheel
Wipe with a damp cloth and dry thor-
oughly or clean with Mercedes-Benz
approved Leather Care.
Carpets
Use Mercedes-Benz approved Carpet
and Fabric Care for cleaning the car-
pets.
Headliner
Use a soft bristle brush or a
dry-shampoo cleaner in case of
excessive dirt.Seat belts
Only use clear, lukewarm water and
soap.Upholstery
Using aftermarket seat covers or wearing
clothing that have the tendency to give off
coloring (e.g. when wet, etc.) may cause
the upholstery to become permanently dis-
colored. By lining the seats with a proper
intermediate cover, contact-discoloration
will be prevented.
!The seat belts must not be treated with
chemical cleaning agents. Do not dry the seat
belts at temperatures above 176°F (80°C) or in
direct sunlight.
Warning!G
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Warning!G
Only use seat or head restraint covers which
have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model.
Using other seat or head restraint covers
may interfere with or prevent

deployment of the front side impact air
bags

deployment of the rear side impact air
bags*

activation of the active head restraints
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center for availability.

406 Practical hints
What to do if …
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
on for a maximum of 6 seconds
after starting the engine.The seat belt telltale reminds you and your
passengers to fasten your seat belts before
driving off.Fasten your seat belts.
Regardless of whether the seat belts
are fastened or not, the seat belt tell-
tale always comes on and remains lit
for 6 seconds after starting the
engine.
maximum of 6 seconds after
starting the engine.You have forgotten to fasten your seat belt.Fasten your seat belt.
The warning chime stops sounding.
on while the vehicle is standing
still and the engine is running or
during driving.You and/or your front passenger have
forgotten to fasten your seat belts.Fasten your seat belts.
The seat belt telltale goes out.
There are items placed on the front passen-
ger seat and therefore the system senses the
front passenger seat as being occupied.Remove the items from the front pas-
senger seat and put them in a safe
place.
The seat belt telltale goes out.

407 Practical hints
What to do if …
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
telltale flashes and you addition-
ally hear an intermittent warning
chime with increasing intensity.The vehicle’s speed once exceeded 15 mph
(25 km/h) and you and/or your front pas-
senger have forgotten to fasten your seat
belts.Fasten your seat belts.
The seat belt telltale goes out and the
warning chime stops sounding.
There are items placed on the front passen-
ger seat and therefore the system senses the
front passenger seat as being occupied.Remove the items from the front pas-
senger seat and put them in a safe
place.
The seat belt telltale goes out and the
warning chime stops sounding.
iAfter 60 seconds with an unfastened seat
belt on one of the front seats, the warning chime
stops sounding and the seat belt telltale
illuminates continuously. The seat belt telltale
will only go out if both, the driver and front
passenger’s seat belt are fastened, or the vehi-
cle is standing still and a front door is opened.

411 Practical hints
What to do if …
Lamp in center console
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
59The front passenger
front air bag off indica-
tor lamp illuminates
and remains illuminat-
ed with the weight of a
typical adult or some-
one larger than a small
individual on the front
passenger seat.The system is malfunctioning.Have the system checked as soon as
possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Also read and observe any messages
in the multifunction display and follow
corrective steps (
page 421).
Warning!G
If the59indicator lamp
illuminates and remains illuminated with the
weight of a typical adult or someone larger
than a small individual on the front passen-
ger seat, do not have any passenger use the
front passenger seat until the system has
been repaired.

412 Practical hints
What to do if …
ProblemPossible
cause/consequenceSuggested solution
59The front passenger
front air bag off indica-
tor lamp does not illu-
minate and/or does
not remain illuminated
with the weight of a
typical 12-month-old
child in a standard
child restraint or less
on the front passenger
seat.The system is malfunction-
ing.Make sure there is nothing between seat cushion and
child seat and check installation of the child seat.
Make sure no objects applying supplemental weight
onto the seat are present.
Make sure no objects which apply forces to the seat
are present (e.g. objects such as books, briefcases
etc. lodged behind or around the seat, head restraints
pushing against roof etc.). The system may recognize
such forces as supplemental weight.
If the front passenger front air bag off indicator lamp
remains out, have the system checked as soon as pos-
sible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center. Do not transport a child on the front passen-
ger seat until the system has been repaired.
Also note any messages in the multifunction display
and follow corrective steps (
page 421).
Warning!G
If the59indicator lamp does
not illuminate or remains out with the
weight of a typical 12-month-old child in a
standard child restraint or less on the front
passenger seat, do not transport a child onthe front passenger seat until the system
has been repaired.

421 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display messagePossible
cause/consequencePossible solution
Front Passenger Airbag
Enabled
See Operator’s ManualFront passenger front air bag
is activated while driving even
though a child, small
individual, or object below the
system’s weight threshold is
on the front passenger seat,
or the front passenger seat is
empty. Objects on the seat or
forces acting on the seat may
make the system sense sup-
plemental weight.Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as possible and check the front
passenger seat for the following:
Apply the parking brake (page 65).
Switch off the ignition (page 40).
Remove child and child restraint from front passenger seat and properly
secure the child in rear seat employing the child restraint if necessary.
Remove any other items from on and around the front passenger seat
and make sure the storage bag on the back of the front passenger seat
is empty.
Make sure that no objects which apply forces to the seat are present
(e.g. objects such as books, briefcases etc. lodged behind or around the
seat, head restraints pushing against roof etc.). The system may recog-
nize such forces as supplemental weight and sense that an occupant on
the front passenger seat is of a greater weight than actually present.
Keep the seat unoccupied, close the front passenger door and switch
on the ignition (
page 40).
(Continued on next page)

422 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display messagePossible
cause/conse-
quencePossible solution
Monitor the 59indicator lamp on the center console (page 83) and
the multifunction display in the instrument cluster (
page 26) for the following:
With the seat unoccupied and the ignition turned on,

the 59indicator lamp on the center console should illuminate and
remain illuminated, indicating that the OCS (
page 79) has deactivated the air
bag.

the message Front Passenger Airbag Enabled See Operator’s Manual or the
message
Front Passenger Airbag Disabled See Operator’s Manual should not
appear in the multifunction display at any time the seat is unoccupied. Wait at
least 60 seconds for the system to complete the necessary check cycles and to
make sure neither message appears in the multifunction display.
If above conditions are met, you can occupy the front passenger seat again.
Depending on the front passenger classification sensed by the OCS (
page 79),
the59indicator lamp will remain illuminated or go out.
If above conditions are not met, the system is not working properly. Have the system
checked as soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Warning!G
If the 59indicator lamp
remains out even after performing the above
corrective steps, do not have any children
12 years old and under and other smallindividuals use the front passenger seat
until the system has been repaired.