2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R320 light

102 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
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.
!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 the vehicle is being towed
with one axle raised.
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty
!Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with one axle raised.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC:
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.

106 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
Activating
With the SmartKey
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
With KEYLESS-GO*
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button (
page 41) once.
The engine is turned off.
Open the driver’s door.Deactivating
With the SmartKey
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position2 (
page 39).
With KEYLESS-GO*
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens

a door

the tailgate

the hood
The alarm will stay on, even if the activat-
ing element (a door, for example) is imme-
diately closed.
The alarm system will also be triggered
when

the vehicle is opened with the mechan-
ical key, see “Unlocking the vehicle”
(
page 474)

a door is opened from the inside, see
“Opening the doors from the inside”
(
page 118)
iStarting the engine will also deactivate the
immobilizer.
In case the engine cannot be started (yet the
vehicle’s battery is charged), the system is not
operational. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA), or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).

109 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function*
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Good visibility
Climate control
3-zone automatic climate control*
Power windows
Power tilt/sliding sunroof*
Panorama roof with power tilt/slid-
ing panel*
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features

111 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. It is possible
for children to open a locked door from the
inside, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid ex-
posing the SmartKey to high levels of electro-
magnetic radiation.
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
interference, 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.
iYou can also open and close

the door windows

the hinged quarter windows*

the tilt/sliding sunroof*

the tilt/sliding panel*
using the SmartKey, see “Summer opening
feature” (
page 244) and “Convenience clos-
ing feature” (
page 245).
!If you cannot lock or unlock the vehicle with
the SmartKey, the batteries in the SmartKey are
discharged, the SmartKey is malfunctioning, or
the vehicle battery is drained.

Check the batteries in the SmartKey and
replace them if necessary (
page 479).

Use the mechanical key to unlock the
driver’s door (
page 474).

Lock the vehicle as described in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 475).

Have the vehicle battery and the vehicle
battery connections checked (
page 503).
If the SmartKey is malfunctioning, contact
Roadside Assistance or an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

114 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended 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.
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO to high
levels of electromagnetic radiation.
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.
iYou can also open and close

the door windows

the hinged quarter windows*

the tilt/sliding sunroof*

the tilt/sliding panel*
using the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO, see
“Summer opening feature” (
page 244) and
“Convenience closing feature” (
page 245).
!If you cannot lock or unlock the vehicle with
the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO, the batteries in
the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO are discharged,
the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is malfunction-
ing, or the vehicle battery is drained.

Check the batteries in the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO (
page 118) and replace
them if necessary (
page 479).

Use the mechanical key to unlock the
drivers’ door (
page 474).

Lock the vehicle as described in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 475).

Have the vehicle battery and the vehicle bat-
tery connections checked (
page 503).
If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is malfunc-
tioning, contact Roadside Assistance or an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

118 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Checking the batteries in the SmartKey
or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Press button‹orŒ.
The battery check lamp (
page 110)
or (
page 113) comes on briefly to in-
dicate that the SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO batteries are in
order.Loss of the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*
If you lose your SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO or mechanical key, you
should do the following:
Have the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO deactivated by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Report the loss of the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO or the
mechanical key to your car insurance
company immediately.
Have the mechanical lock replaced if
necessary.
Any authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center will be glad to supply you with a
replacement.
Opening the doors from the inside
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
1Locking knob
2Inside door handle
iIf the battery check lamp does not come on
briefly during check, the SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO batteries are discharged.
Replace the batteries (
page 479).
You can obtain the required batteries at any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
iIf the batteries are checked within signal
range of the vehicle, pressing the‹orŒ
button will lock or unlock the vehicle
accordingly.

120 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Tailgate
Opening the tailgate from the outside
The handle is located above the rear
license plate recess.
Pull on the handle.
The tailgate opens slightly.
Pull tailgate upwards to open.Opening the tailgate from the inside
You can unlock the tailgate from the
third-row seats and then open it manually.
The handle is located on the right-hand
side of the tailgate’s window trim.
1Handle
2Push
3Lift
Push handle 1 in direction of arrow2
and hold it there.
From this position, lift handle 1 in
direction of arrow3 and hold it there.
The tailgate is released and can be
opened manually.
iVehicles without KEYLESS-GO*:
The vehicle must be unlocked (
page 38).iIf you do not open the tailgate within a few
seconds, the tailgate lock will automatically en-
gage again. Additionally, the tailgate will relock
automatically, if the vehicle was locked when the
tailgate was released from the inside.
If the tailgate lock does not engage automatically
and, if applicable, the tailgate does not relock
after a few seconds, you have to close the
tailgate manually (
page 121).

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.