2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R320 weight

80 Safety and Security
Occupant safety

If you must install a rear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat
because circumstances require you to
do so, make sure that the
59 indicator lamp is illumi-
nated, indicating that the front passen-
ger front air bag is deactivated. Should
the 59 indicator lamp not
illuminate or go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation. Peri-
odically check the 59 indi-
cator lamp while driving to make sure
the 59 indicator lamp is il-
luminated. If the 59 indica-
tor 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 seri-
ously injured or even killed if the front
passenger 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 activat-
ed (
page 77).
iDeployment of the driver front air bag does
not mean that the front passenger front air bag
also should have deployed.
The Occupant Classification System (
page 77)
may have determined:

that the seat was empty or occupied by the
weight up to or less than that of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint – both instances where the
system suppresses deployment of the front
passenger front air bag even though the im-
pact met the criteria and was of sufficient
severity to deploy the driver front air bag

that the seat was occupied by a small individ-
ual (such as a young teenager or a small
adult) or a child weighing more than the
weight of a typical 12-month-old child in a
standard child restraint – instances where
the system may suppress deployment of the
front passenger front air bag even though
the impact met the criteria and was of suffi-
cient severity to deploy the driver front air
bag


81 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The 59indicator lamp is lo-
cated in the center console.
159 indicator lamp
The 59indicator lamp1 will
be illuminated, except with the SmartKey
removed from the starter switch or with
the starter switch in position0
(
page 39).
Warning!G
If the 1indicator lamp and the
59indicator lamp are lit at the
same time, there is a malfunction in the
Occupant Classification System. The front
passenger front air bag will be deactivated
in this case. Have the system checked as
soon as possible by qualified technicians.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Only have the seat repaired or replaced by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
In order to ensure proper operation of the
air bag system and OCS:

Do not place more than 4.4 lbs (2 kg)
into the parcel net on the back of the
front passenger seat. Otherwise, the
OCS may not be able to properly approx-
imate the occupant weight category.

Do not place objects under and/or
around the front passenger seat.

Do not hang anything from or attach any
items to the seats.

Do not stuff objects such as books be-
tween the middle console and the front
passenger seat.

Do not move the front passenger seat
backwards against stiff objects.

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

While seated, an occupant should not
position him/herself in such a way as to
cause the occupant’s weight to be lifted
from the seat bottom as this may result
in the OCS to be unable to correctly
approximate the occupant’s weight
category.

Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.

89 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 stan-
dards can be found on the instruction label
on the restraint and in the instruction man-
ual 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 inside of 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 recom-
mended 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 instruc-
tions.
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
important 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 appropri-
ate child restraint on the front passen-
ger seat.

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 in a collision
which could occur under some circum-
stances, even with the air bag tech-
nology installed in your vehicle. The only
means to completely eliminate this risk
is to never place a child in a rear-facing
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.


90 Safety and Security
Occupant safety

If you must install a rear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat
because 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 59 indicator lamp not
illuminate or go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation. Peri-
odically check the 59 indi-
cator lamp while driving to make sure
the lamp is illuminated. 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 seriously injured
or even killed if the front passenger 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
secure 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 77).
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.
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts.
Position shoulder belt across chest and
shoulder, not face or neck. A booster seat
may be necessary to achieve proper belt
positioning for children over 41 lbs until
they reach a height where a lap/shoulder
belt fits properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use,
remove it from the vehicle or secure it with
the seat belt to prevent the child restraint
from becoming a projectile in the event of
an accident.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if the children are secured in
a child restraint system.
A child’s unsupervised access to a vehicle
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

133 Controls in detail
Seats
Front seat active head restraints
You cannot remove the active head
restraints on the driver’s and front passen-
ger’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 restraints” (
page 86).
Rear seats Rear seat adjustment
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
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. Re-
gardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriate infant or
toddler restraint, or booster seat recom-
mended for the size and weight of the child.
For additional information, see “Children in
the vehicle” (
page 87).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
Warning!G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position
as this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck. That could cause serious
or fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a nearly upright position and
belts are properly positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt (
page 50).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being
adjusted.


289 Controls in detail
Loading
Loading instructions
Load distribution
The gross vehicle weight which is the
weight of the vehicle including fuel, tools,
spare wheel, installed accessories, pas-
sengers, and luggage/cargo must never
exceed the load limit and the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) for your vehicle as
specified on the placard located on the
driver’s door B-pillar (
page 524). In addi-
tion, the load must be distributed in such a
way so that the weight on each axle never
exceeds the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for the front and rear axle. The
GVWR and GAWR for your vehicle are indi-
cated on the certification label which can
be found on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 524).
For more information, see “Tire and Load-
ing Information” (
page 367).
The handling characteristics of a fully
loaded vehicle depend greatly on the load
distribution. It is therefore recommended
to load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Warning!G
Always fasten items being carried as
securely as possible using cargo tie-down
rings and fastening materials appropriate
for the weight and size of the load.
In an accident, during hard braking or
sudden maneuvers, loose items will be
thrown around inside the vehicle, and can
cause injury to vehicle occupants unless the
items are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a
collision or sudden maneuver, always use
tie-down rings and, if so equipped, always
use the cargo net* when transporting cargo.
Never drive vehicle with the tailgate open.
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in uncon-
sciousness and death.

291 Controls in detail
Loading
Second seat-row
Two cargo tie-down rings are located in the
footwell behind the driver’s and passenger
seat.
1Cargo tie-down ringThird seat-row
Two cargo tie-down rings are located in the
footwell behind the second-row seats.
1Cargo tie-down ringHooks
Two hooks are located on the rear com-
partment trim panels, one on each side.
1Hook
Use the hooks to secure light weight items
only. The maximum permissible weight per
hook is 9 lbs (4 kg).

307 Controls in detail
Useful features
Rear storage compartment
A storage compartment is located in front
of the second-row seats.Third-row storage compartment
Storage compartments are located on the
side trims of the third-row seats.
1Storage compartmentParcel nets
iDepending on vehicle equipment, the upper
storage compartment may be replaced by a
control panel, for example in vehicles with rear
climate control* (
page 220) or rear automatic
climate control* (
page 236).
iIf your vehicle is equipped with a
3-zone automatic climate control*, the storage
compartment is replaced by an adjustable air
vent (
page 240).
Warning!G
Do not place objects with a combined
weight of more than 4.4 lbs (2 kg) into the
parcel net on the back of the front passen-
ger seat. Otherwise, the Occupant
Classification System OCS (
page 77) may
not be able to properly approximate the
occupant weight category.
Parcel nets are intended for storing
light-weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges, or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
parcel nets. In an accident, during hard
braking, or sudden maneuvers, they could
be thrown around inside the vehicle and
cause injury to vehicle occupants.
Parcel nets cannot protect transported
goods in the event of an accident.