2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R320 warning

44 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switch is located on
the entry side of each front seat base.
1 Head restraint height (vehicles with
memory function)*
2Seat cushion tilt
3Seat height
4Seat backrest tilt
5 Seat fore and aft adjustment
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 toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child. For additional informa-
tion, 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.
!When moving the seats, make sure there are
no items in the footwell or behind the seats;
otherwise you could damage the seats.
!When the second-row seats are folded
forward, e.g. for cargo compartment expansion
(
page 292), the front seats may not be moved
to the rearmost position. Otherwise you could
damage the front and second-row seats.
!When adjusting the seat backrest tilt and
head restraint height, make sure the sun visor is
folded up (
page 205). If the head restraint is in
the uppermost position, it could hit and damage
the sun visor.
iVehicles without memory function*:
The seats can be adjusted within 5 minutes after
either front door has been opened. The counter
resets each time

you open or close a front door

you insert the SmartKey into the starter
switch

you remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch

you switch the ignition on or off
iThe memory function* (page 141) lets
you store the settings for the seat position
together with the settings for the steering wheel
and the exterior rear view mirrors.

45 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat fore and aft adjustment
Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow5.
Seat height
Press the switch up or down in
direction of arrow3.
Seat cushion tilt
Press the switch up or down in
direction of arrow2 until your upper
legs are lightly supported.
Seat backrest tilt
Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow4.Head restraint height
Vehicles with memory function*:
Press switch (page 44) up or down in
direction of arrow1.
Vehicles without memory function:
1Head restraint
2Release button
Warning!G
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are
intended to help reduce injuries during an
accident.
With a third-row seat occupied, make sure
to move the respective head restraint up
from the lowest non-use position and have
the occupant adjust the head restraint
properly.
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned and engaged 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
reduce the potential for injury to the head
and neck in the event of an accident or
similar situation.
!Do not attempt to remove front seat head
restraints. They can only be removed by qualified
technicians. We recommend that you have this
work carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.


46 Getting started
Adjusting
Raising:
Manually adjust the height of head
restraint 1 by pulling it upward.
If head restraint 1 is fully retracted,
push release button 2 in direction of
arrow and pull head restraint 1
upward.
Lowering:
To lower head restraint 1, press
release button 2 in direction of arrow
and push down on head restraint 1.Head restraint fore and aft adjustment
Manually adjust the angle of the head
restraint.
While seated, reach behind you with
both hands and find lower edge of the
head restraint.
Adjust the head restraint to the desired
position by pushing or pulling on the
lower edge of the head restraint
cushion.
For more information, see “Seats”
(
page 128).
Steering wheel
Steering wheel adjustment, manual
Warning!G
Only adjust the steering wheel with the
vehicle at a standstill and make sure the
steering wheel is securely locked in place
before driving off.
Driving without the steering wheel adjust-
ment locked may cause an unexpected
steering wheel movement which could
cause the driver to lose control of the
vehicle. Make sure the steering wheel is
securely locked by trying to move it up and
down, and in and out before driving off.


47 Getting started
Adjusting
Make sure that

you can reach the steering wheel with
your arms slightly bent at the elbows

you can move your legs freely

all displays (including malfunction and
indicator lamps) on the instrument
cluster are clearly visible
The steering wheel adjustment release
handle is located on the lower left of the
steering column.
1Release handle
To unlock the steering wheel, pull
release handle 1 out to its stop limit.
Move steering wheel to the desired
position.
Push release handle 1 back to its
original position to relock the steering
wheel.
The steering wheel is locked into posi-
tion again.
Make sure the steering wheel is
securely locked by trying to move it up
and down as well as in and out before
driving off.Steering wheel adjustment, electrical*
Warning!G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
driving. Adjusting the steering wheel while
driving could cause the driver to lose control
of the vehicle.
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.
Even with the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the starter
switch or the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle, the steering
wheel adjustment feature can be operated.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. A child’s unsupervised access to a
vehicle could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.

48 Getting started
Adjusting
Make sure that

you can reach the steering wheel with
your arms slightly bent at the elbows

you can move your legs freely

all displays (including malfunction and
indicator lamps) on the instrument
cluster are clearly visible
The steering wheel adjustment stalk is
located on the lower left of the steering
column.1Adjusting steering wheel, in or out
2Adjusting steering wheel, up or down
Adjusting steering wheel in or out
Move stalk forward or back in direction
of arrow1.
Adjusting steering wheel up or down
Move stalk up or down in direction of
arrow2.
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have
a good view of the road and traffic
conditions.
Interior rear view mirror
Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
For more information, see “Rear view
mirrors” (
page 203).
Exterior rear view mirrors
iThe memory function* (page 141) lets
you store the settings for the steering wheel
together with the settings for seat positions and
the exterior rear view mirrors.
Warning!G
Exercise care when using the
passenger-side exterior rear view mirror.
The mirror surface is convex (outwardly
curved surface for a wider field of view).
Objects in mirror are closer than they ap-
pear. Check your interior rear view mirror or
glance over your shoulder before changing
lanes.

50 Getting started
Driving
Fastening the seat belts
Warning!G
Make sure that absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedal’s range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all obsta-
cles. If there are any floormats or carpets in
the footwell, make sure the pedals still have
sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneu-
vers, the objects could get caught between
the pedals. You could then no longer brake
or accelerate. This could lead to accidents
and injury.
Warning!G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even those sitting in the
rear and pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passengers should
always wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are wearing your
seat belt. The air bags can only provide the
protection they were designed to afford if
the occupants are using their seat belts
(
page 82).
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.
Regardless 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.

51 Getting started
Driving
1Seat belt outlet
2Latch plate
3Buckle
4Release button
With a smooth motion, pull the seat
belt out of seat belt outlet1.
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 even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a position that is as upright as
possible and the seat belt is properly posi-
tioned on the body.
Warning!G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Make
sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
correctly restrained with a separate seat
belt. Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.
Warning!G
Read and observe the additional warning no-
tices printed in the “Safety and Security”
section (
page 74) and (page 82).


52 Getting started
Driving
Place the shoulder portion of the seat
belt across the top of your shoulder
and the lap portion across your hips.
Push latch plate2 into buckle3
(
page 51) until it clicks.
If necessary, tighten the lap portion of
the seat belt to a snug fit by pulling
shoulder portion up.
Seat belt height adjustment
1Release button
Press release button1 and move the
seat belt height adjuster upward or
downward.Proper use of seat belts

Do not twist the seat belt when fasten-
ing.

Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck). Never pass the
shoulder portion of the seat belt under
your arm. For this purpose, you can
adjust the height of the seat belt outlet
(
page 52).

Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.

Place the seat backrest in a position
that is as upright as possible.

Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.

Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-
son and another object at the same
time. When using a seat belt to secure
infant or toddler restraints or children
in booster seats, always follow the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.

Check your seat belt periodically
during travel to make sure that it is
properly positioned.

Make sure the seat belt is always fitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
Warning!G
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
Do not allow the seat belt to get caught in
the door or in the seat adjustment mecha-
nism. This could damage the seat belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness 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 adequate protection.
Damaged seat belts or seat belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.