seats MERCEDES-BENZ R350 2008 W251 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.... 13
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada......................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle .................. 17
Reporting safety defects...................... 18
Reporting safety defects ................ 18
Vehicle data recording ......................... 19
Information regarding electronic
recording devices ........................... 19At a glance.......................................... 21
Exterior view ......................................... 22
Cockpit ................................................. 24
Instrument cluster ................................ 26
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 30
Center console ..................................... 31
Upper part ...................................... 31
Lower part ...................................... 32
Overhead control panel ........................ 33
Storage compartments ......................... 34
Door control panel................................ 36Getting started................................... 37
Unlocking ............................................. 38
Unlocking with the SmartKey ......... 38
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO*......... 39
Starter switch positions .................. 39
Adjusting .............................................. 43
Seats .............................................. 43
Steering wheel ................................ 46
Mirrors ............................................ 48
Driving .................................................. 50
Fastening the seat belts ................. 50
Starting the engine ......................... 53
Parking brake ................................. 56
Driving off ....................................... 56
Switching on headlamps ................. 58
Turn signals .................................... 59
Windshield wipers ........................... 59
Rear window wiper/washer ............ 61
Problems while driving.................... 62
Parking and locking .............................. 64
Parking brake ................................. 65
Switching off headlamps................. 65
Turning off the engine..................... 66
Releasing seat belts........................ 67
Locking ........................................... 67

Contents
Safety and Security.......................... 69
Occupant safety................................... 70
Air bags .......................................... 72
Occupant Classification System ..... 77
Seat belts ....................................... 82
Active head restraints .................... 86
Rear head restraints ....................... 87
Children in the vehicle .................... 87
Blocking of rear door window
operation ........................................ 97
Panic alarm .......................................... 98
Activating ....................................... 98
Deactivating ................................... 98
Driving safety systems ......................... 99
ABS ................................................ 99
BAS .............................................. 101
ESP
®............................................. 101
EBP............................................... 105
Anti-theft systems.............................. 106
Immobilizer................................... 106
Anti-theft alarm system ................ 106
Controls in detail............................. 109
Locking and unlocking ....................... 110
SmartKey ..................................... 110
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 113
Checking the batteries in the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* .............................. 118
Loss of the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 118
Opening the doors from the inside 118
Tailgate/Power tailgate*.............. 119
Automatic central locking ............ 126
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 126
Seats ................................................. 128
Easy-entry/exit feature ................ 128
Lumbar support............................ 132
Multicontour seat* ....................... 132
Front seat active head restraints . 133
Rear seats .................................... 133
Seat heating* ............................... 139
Seat ventilation* (Canada only) ... 140Memory function* ............................. 141
Storing positions into memory ..... 142
Recalling positions from memory. 142
Lighting ............................................. 143
Exterior lamp switch .................... 143
Combination switch ..................... 147
Corner-illuminating front
fog lamps* ................................... 148
Hazard warning flasher ................ 150
Interior lighting ............................ 150
Door entry lamps ......................... 153
Cargo compartment lamp ............ 153
Instrument cluster ............................. 154
Adjusting instrument cluster
illumination .................................. 154
Resetting trip odometer ............... 155
Tachometer.................................. 155
Outside temperature indicator ..... 155

43 Getting started
Adjusting
Adjusting
Seats
Warning!G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as
fastening 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 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 position that is as upright as
possible and belts are properly positioned
on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt (
page 50).
Observe the following points:

Adjust the seat backrest until your arms
are slightly angled when holding the
steering wheel.

Adjust the seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely.
The position should be as far to the rear
as possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.

Adjust head restraint so 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.

Never place hands under the seat or
near any moving parts while a seat is
being adjusted.
Failure to do so could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
Warning!G
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 the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the power seats 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.

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.

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.


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.

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.


76 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The air bags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protec-
ted by the fastened seat belts.
The front passenger front air bag will only
be deployed if:

the system, based on OCS sensor read-
ings, senses that the front passenger
seat is occupied

the 59indicator lamp in
the center console is not lit
(
page 81)

the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment thresholdSide impact air bags, window curtain
air bags
1Front side impact air bag
2Window curtain air bag
3Rear side impact air bag
(second-row seats, USA only)
The side impact air bags and window
curtain air bags are deployed:

on the impacted side of the vehicle

in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold

independently of the front air bags
Warning!G
The pressure sensors for side impact air bag
control are located in the doors. Do not
modify any components of the doors or door
trim panels including, for example, the addi-
tion of door speakers.
Improper repair work on the doors or the
modification or addition of components to
the doors creates a risk of rendering the
side impact air bags inoperative or causing
unintended air bag deployment. Work on the
doors must therefore only be performed by
qualified technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

79 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
If the 59indicator lamp is illu-
minated, the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the 59indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front passenger front air
bag is activated and will be deployed:

in the event of certain frontal impacts

if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold

independently of the side impact air
bags.
If the front passenger front air bag is de-
ployed, the rate of inflation will be influ-
enced by

the rate of relevant vehicle deceleration
as assessed by the air bag control unit

the front passenger’s weight category
as identified by the Occupant Classifica-
tion System (OCS)
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.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following im-
portant information when circumstances re-
quire 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 system 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.


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.