2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 FLASHING

87 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Enhanced seat belt reminder system
When the engine is started, the seat belt
telltale< will always illuminate
for 6 seconds to remind you and your
passengers to fasten your seat belts.
If the driver’s seat belt is not fastened
when the engine is started, an additional
warning chime will also sound for a maxi-
mum of 6 seconds or until the driver’s
seat belt is fastened.
If after these 6 seconds the driver’s or the
front passenger’s seat belt (with the front
passenger seat occupied) is not fastened
with front doors closed,

the seat belt telltale< remains illu-
minated for as long as either the driv-
er’s or front passenger’s seat belt is not
fastened

and if the vehicle speed once exceeds
15 mph (25 km/h), the seat belt
telltale< starts flashing and a
warning chime sounds with increasing
intensity for a maximum of 60 seconds
or until the driver’s and the front
passenger’s seat belt are fastened
If the driver’s or the front passenger’s
seat belt remains unfastened after
60 seconds, the warning chime stops
sounding, the seat belt telltale<
stops flashing but continues to be illu-
minated.
The seat belt telltale< will only go out
if both the driver’s and the front passen-
ger’s seat belt (with the front passenger
seat occupied) are fastened, or the vehicle
is standing still and a front door is opened.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 406).Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter
The seat belts for the front seats and rear
outer seats are equipped with emergency
tensioning devices and seat belt force
limiters.
The ETD is designed to activate in the
following cases:

in frontal or rear-end impacts
exceeding the system deployment
threshold

in certain vehicle rollovers

if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly, see
1indicator lamp (
page 410)
iThe ETDs for the front seats will only acti-
vate if the respective front seat belt is fastened
(latch plate properly inserted into buckle).
The ETDs for the rear outer seats will activate
with or without the respective seat belt fastened.

97 Safety and Security
Panic alarm
Panic alarm
1Âbutton
Activating
Press and hold button1 for at least
1 second.
An audible alarm and flashing exterior
lamps will operate briefly.
Deactivating
Press button1 again.
or
Insert the SmartKey or the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* in the starter
switch.
or
Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 41).
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must
be in the vehicle.
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.

101 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 405) and
(
page 418).
Warning!G
Never switch off the ESP® when you see the
ESP® warning lampv flashing in the in-
strument cluster. In this case, proceed as
follows:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.

While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.

Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP
® cannot prevent accidents result-
ing from excessive speed.
Warning!G
The ESP® cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
®
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or hydro-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents. The capabili-
t i e s o f a n E S P
® equipped vehicle must never
be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s
safety or the safety of others.
!Operational or performance test must only
be conducted on a two-axle dynamometer. If
such tests are necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center. You could
otherwise seriously damage the brake system or
the transfer case which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine and ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1 or
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button in
position0or1) when testing the parking brake
on a brake test dynamometer and such testing
should be no longer than 10 seconds.
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
iThe ESP® will only function properly if you
use wheels of the recommended tire size
(
page 515).

104 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
EBP
The EBP enhances braking effectiveness
by allowing the rear brakes to supply a
greater proportion of the braking effort
without a loss of vehicle stability.
For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 402) and
(
page 429).
4-ETS
The 4-Electronic Traction System (4-ETS)
improves the vehicle’s ability to utilize
available traction, especially under
slippery road conditions. The brakes are
applied to the spinning wheel and power is
transferred to the wheel(s) with traction.
The ESP
® warning lampv in the instru-
ment cluster, starts to flash at any vehicle
speed, as soon as a tire loses traction and
the wheel begins to spin.
Warning!G
If the EBP is malfunctioning, the brake sys-
tem is still functioning. However, the rear
wheels may lock during hard braking, caus-
ing you to lose control over the vehicle and
possibly causing an accident. Adjust your
driving style to the non-operating status of
the EBP.
iIf conditions require, switch on off-road
driving program (
page 253).
Warning!G
When you see ESP® warning lampv
flashing in the instrument cluster, then pro-
ceed as follows:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.

While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.

Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The 4-ETS cannot prevent accidents resul-
ting from excessive speed.

142 Controls in detail
Lighting
Switching on hazard warning flasher
Press hazard warning flasher
switch1.
All turn signals are flashing.
Switching off hazard warning flasher
Press hazard warning flasher switch1
again.
Interior lighting
The controls for interior lighting are locat-
ed in the overhead control panel.1Front left reading lamp switch
2Rear interior lighting switch
3Automatic control switch
4Front interior lighting switch
5Front right reading lamp switch
6Front right interior lamp
7Front right reading lamp
8Front left reading lamp
9Front left interior lampAutomatic control
Deactivating
Press switch3.
The switch engages in the recessed
position.
The interior lighting and the locator
lighting (
page 171) remain switched
off even when you

unlock the vehicle

open a door

open the tailgate

remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch
iWith the hazard warning flasher activated
and the combination switch set for either left or
right turn, only the respective turn signals will
operate when the ignition is switched on.
iIf the hazard warning flasher has been
activated automatically, press hazard warning
flasher switch1 once to switch it off.
!An interior lamp switched on manually does
not go out automatically.
Leaving an interior lamp switch in the ON
position for extended periods of time with the
engine turned off could result in a discharged
battery.
iThe interior lighting is factory-set to
automatic mode.

159 Controls in detail
Control system
Lap analysis
Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until the AMG menu appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
Press buttonj repeatedly until the
lap analysis appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
1Lap number
2Lap time
3Maximum speed
4Lap length
5Average speed during lap
Press buttonj ork to see
other lap analyses.
Off-road Mode menu
Use this function to switch the off-road
driving program (
page 253) On or Off.
Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until the Off-road mode menu appears
in the multifunction display.
Off-road mode
Press buttonæ orç to switch
the off-road driving program
On or Off.The symboly appears in the lower
multifunction display.
iThese functions are only available if you
have saved at least two laps and have stopped
the RACETIMER.
iEach lap is shown in its own submenu. The
fastest lap is indicated by flashing symbol1.
iThis function is only available in AMG
vehicles.
iThe setting is stored when you turn off the
engine.

203 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Adjust sun visor1 by pushing or pull-
ing in the direction of arrows.
Swing down additional sun visor2
when you experience additional glare
through the windshield.
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep battery drain to
a minimum, switch off the defroster as
soon as the rear window is clear. The de-
froster is automatically deactivated after
approximately 6 to 17 minutes of
operation depending on the outside tem-
perature.
Switch on the ignition (page 40).Activating
Press button1 on the climate con-
trol panel (
page 206) or the automat-
ic climate control* panel (
page 220).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating
Press button1 once more.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
!To avoid damage to vanity mirror cover4
(
page 202), make sure it is closed before
pivoting sun visor1 to the side.
Warning!G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before driv-
ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.!If the rear window defroster switches off too
soon and the indicator lamp starts flashing, too
many electrical consumers are operating simul-
taneously and there is insufficient voltage in the
battery. The system responds automatically by
switching the rear window defroster off.
As soon as the battery has sufficient voltage, the
rear window defroster switches back on auto-
matically.

297 Controls in detail
Useful features
The Tele Aid system is available if

it has been activated and is operation-
al. Activation requires a subscription
for monitoring services, connection
and cellular air time

vehicle battery power is available

the relevant cellular phone network
and GPS signals are available and pass
the information on to the Response
CenterInitiating an emergency call manually
1Cover
2SOS button
Briefly press on cover1.
The cover opens.
Press SOS button2 briefly.
The indicator lamp in SOS button2
will flash until the emergency call is
concluded.
Wait for a voice connection to the
Response Center.
Close cover1 after the emergency
call is concluded.
iLocation of the vehicle on a map is only pos-
sible if the vehicle is able to receive signals from
the GPS satellite network and pass the informa-
tion on to the Response Center.
Warning!G
If the indicator lamp in the SOS button is
flashing continuously and there was no
voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could
not initiate an emergency call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network is not available).
The message
Call Failed appears in the
multifunction display for approximately
10 seconds.
Should this occur, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.