Rear seats MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 2003 W163 Owner's Manual

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 12
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada......................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 15
Symbols ............................................... 16
Operating safety .................................. 17
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 17
Problems with your vehicle .................. 18
Reporting safety defects...................... 19
Reporting safety defects ................ 19
At a glance.......................................... 21
Cockpit ................................................. 22
Instrument cluster ................................ 24
Center console ..................................... 27
Upper part ...................................... 27
Lower part ...................................... 28
Overhead control panel ........................ 29Getting started................................... 31
Unlocking ............................................. 32
Remote control with folding key ..... 32
Adjusting .............................................. 34
Seats............................................... 34
Steering wheel ................................ 37
Mirrors ............................................ 38
Driving .................................................. 40
Fastening the seat belts.................. 40
Starting the engine ......................... 44
Switching on headlamps ................. 46
Turn signals..................................... 47
Windshield wipers ........................... 47
Rear window wiper.......................... 48
Problems while driving .................... 49Parking and locking .............................. 50
Parking brake ................................. 50
Switching off headlamps................. 51
Turning off engine ........................... 51
Safety and Security........................... 53
Occupant safety ................................... 54
Airbags ........................................... 55
Seat belts ....................................... 60
Children in the vehicle .................... 63
Blocking of rear door
window operation ........................... 69
Panic alarm .......................................... 70
Activating........................................ 70
Deactivating.................................... 70
Driving and safety systems .................. 71
ABS ................................................. 71
BAS ................................................. 73
4-ETS .............................................. 73
EBP ................................................. 74
ESP ................................................. 75
Anti-theft systems ................................ 78
Immobilizer ..................................... 78
Anti-theft alarm............................... 78

Contents
Tow-away alarm,
glass breakage sensor.................... 79
Controls in detail............................... 83
Locking and unlocking ......................... 84
Remote control with folding key ..... 84
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................... 86
Opening the liftgate........................ 87
Closing the liftgate ......................... 88
Automatic central locking .............. 89
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................... 90
Seats.................................................... 91
Seat heater*................................... 91
Removing and installing
head restraints ............................... 92
Rear seats ...................................... 93
Third row seats* ............................. 96
Memory function*................................ 99
Storing positions in memory ........ 100
Recalling positions from memory . 100
Exterior rear view mirror parking
position (passenger side) ............. 100Lighting.............................................. 102
Combination switch ..................... 102
Fog lamps .................................... 105
Hazard warning flasher ................ 106
Interior lighting............................. 107
Instrument cluster ............................. 110
Instrument cluster illumination .... 110
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 111
Display in the speedometer ......... 111
Resetting trip odometer ............... 112
Tachometer .................................. 112
Outside temperature indicator ..... 112
Setting the clock .......................... 112
Automatic transmission ..................... 113
One-touch gearshifting................. 113
Gear ranges.................................. 114
Gear selector lever position ......... 115
Accelerator position ..................... 117
Towing a trailer ............................ 117
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)........................................... 117
Transmission control –
LOW RANGE mode............................. 118
Switching on LOW RANGE mode .. 118
Switching off LOW RANGE mode . 118Good visibility .................................... 119
Rear view mirror .......................... 119
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 121
Windshield wipers ........................ 122
Rear window wiper....................... 123
Sun visor ...................................... 123
Automatic climate control ................. 124
Automatic mode .......................... 126
Adjusting air volume and air
distribution manually ................... 127
Defrosting .................................... 128
Air recirculation mode.................. 128
Air conditioning ............................ 129
Residual heat and ventilation ....... 130
Rear window defroster ................. 131
Rear passenger compartment
ventilation and rear automatic
climate control ............................. 131
Front and rear air outlets ............. 132
Power windows.................................. 134
Opening and closing the side
windows ....................................... 134
Rear quarter windows* ................ 136
Sliding/pop-up roof* ......................... 137
Opening and closing the
sliding/pop-up roof ...................... 137

34 Getting startedAdjusting
AdjustingSeats
Depending on the vehicle’s equipment,
you can adjust the seats manually or elec-
trically.Warning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back reclined. Sitting in an excessively re-
clined position 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 back and seat belts provide the
best restraint when the wearer is in an up-
right position and belts are properly posi-
tioned on the body. Your seat must be
adjusted so that you can correctly fasten
your seat belt (
page 40).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
key from the steering lock and lock your ve-
hicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger side front
airbag when it is properly installed. Other-
wise they will be struck by the airbag when
it inflates in a crash. If this happens, serious
or fatal injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle's
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er’s instructions.

35 Getting started
Adjusting
Adjusting manual seats
1Seat height
2Seat fore and aft adjustment
3Backrest tilt
4Head restraint heightSeat height

Raise lever 1.

The seat moves downward.

Lean forward to raise the seat.

Release lever1.
Seat fore and aft adjustment

Lift handle2.

Slide seat to desired position.
Adjust a comfortable seating position
that still allows you to reach the accel-
erator/brake pedal safely. The position
should be as far rearward as possible,
consistent with ability to properly oper-
ate controls.

Release handle2.
The seat must be properly engaged.
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.
iIf necessary, hold onto the steering
wheel while adjusting the seat height in
order to take weight off the seat.

40 Getting startedDriving
DrivingFastening the seat beltsWarning!
G
Do not lay any objects in the driver’s foot-
well. Be careful that floor mats or carpets in
the driver’s footwell have sufficient clear-
ance for the pedals.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate.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 airbags can only protect as ex-
pected if the occupants are using their seat
belts (
page 54).
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger front air-
bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in-
flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle's
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er's instructions.

43 Getting started
Driving
Seat belt height adjustment
Seat belt height can be adjusted for the fol-
lowing seats:

Driver’s seat


Passenger seat


Outer rear seats
Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder por-
tion is located as close as possible to the
middle of the shoulder (it should not touch
the neck or pass under the arm).1Release buttonAdjusting seat belt higher

Slide belt outlet upward.
The belt outlet engages in various posi-
tions.
Adjusting seat belt lower

Press and hold release button1.

Slide belt outlet in desired position and
let go of release button1.

61 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the back-
rest reclined. Sitting in an excessively re-
clined position 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 se-
rious or even fatal injuries. The backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in an upright position and the belt
is properly positioned on the body.Warning!
G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re-
strained with a separate seat belt.
Warning!
G
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced
and their anchoring points must also be
checked.
Only use seat belts which have been ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
or to failure.
Have all work carried out only by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Warning!
G
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY

Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this sec-
tion, as that could result in serious inju-
ries in case of an accident.


Each occupant should wear their seat
belt at all times, because seat belts help
reduce the likelihood of and potential
severity of injuries in accidents, includ-
ing rollovers. The integrated restraint
system includes SRS (driver airbag,
front passenger airbag, front and rear
door mounted side impact airbags and
window curtain airbags), ETD (seat belt
emergency tensioning device for the
outboard passenger seats [except in the
optional 3rd row seats]), and front seat
knee bolsters. The system is designed
to enhance the protection offered to
properly belted occupants in certain
frontal (front airbags) and side (side im-
pact airbags and window curtain air-
bags) impacts which exceed preset

62 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Emergency tensioning device, seat belt
force limiter
The front seat belts are equipped with
emergency tensioning devices and belt
force limiters. The outboard passenger
seats belts (except in the third row seats*)
are equipped with emergency tensioning
devices.
The ETD is designed to activate only when
the seat belt is fastened and in the follow-
ing cases:

in frontal or rear-end impacts exceed-
ing a preset severity level


if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly, see 1
indicator lamp (
page 54)
In an impact, emergency tensioning devic-
es remove slack from the belts in such a
way that the seat belts fit more snugly
against the body. Belt force limiters reduce
the force exerted by the seat belts on oc-
cupants during a crash.
deployment thresholds.


Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your shoul-
der. In a crash, your body would move
too far forward. That would increase the
chance of head and neck injuries. The
belt would also apply too much force to
the ribs or abdomen, which could se-
verely injure internal organs such as
your liver or spleen.


Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eyeglasses, pens, keys, etc., as these
might cause injuries.


Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips and not across the abdo-
men. If the belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries
in a crash.


Each seat belt should never be used for
more than one person at a time. Do not
fasten a seat belt around a person and
another person or other objects.


Belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you wouldn’t have the full width
of the belt to manage impact forces. The
twisted belt against your body could
cause injuries.


Pregnant women should also use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible pres-
sure on the abdomen.


Never place your feet on the instrument
panel or on the seat. Always keep both
feet on the floor in front of the seat.

64 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
iInformation on child seats with mount-
ing fittings for tether anchorages
(page 67).
For information on child seat mounts –
“LATCH” type (
page 68).
Warning!
G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.!The use of infant or child restraints is
required by law in all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, the U.S. territo-
ries and all Canadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be
seated in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system properly secured by a
lap-shoulder belt or, if so equipped, a
child restraint lower anchorage system
that complies with U.S. Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and 225
and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 and 210.2. A statement
by the child restraint manufacturer of
compliance with this standard can be
found on the instruction label on the re-
straint and in the instruction manual
provided with the restraint.
When using any infant or child restraint
system, be 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
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a Mer-
cedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM com-
patible child seat, which operates with the
BabySmart
TM System installed in the vehicle
to deactivate the passenger front airbag
when it is properly installed. Otherwise they
will be struck by the airbag when it inflates
in a crash. If this happens, serious or fatal in-
jury can result.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle's
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er's instructions.

68 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety

When using the center second row seat
for a top tether strap, the left third row
seat should only be used for a child re-
straint system, since exiting the vehicle
may not be possible in an emergency
due to the routing of the top tether
strap.


When installing an infant or child re-
straint system with a top tether strap
on the left second row seat, the left
third row seat should not be occupied. Child seat anchors – “LATCH” type
This vehicle is provided with two “LATCH”
(LOWER Anchors and Tethers for CHil-
dren) type anchors (at each of the outer
rear seats and in the optional third row
seats) for installation of a “LATCH” seat
with matching mounting fittings.
1Anchors

Install a “LATCH” type child seat ac-
cording to the manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
!An infant and child restraint system
must not be installed on the right
second row seat while a passenger
rides in a third row seat. An infant and
child restraint system installed on the
right second row seat will prevent the
use of the easy-entry/exit feature
(page 95).
iWith a child seat installed in the left
rear seat, the seat belt for the center
seat occupied by a passenger must op-
erate freely. Guide seat belt between
its seat cushion mount and backrest
mount along outside of right side child
seat mount.
Non-“LATCH” type child seats may also
be used and can be installed using the
vehicle’s seat belt system. Install child
seat according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.