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Te ch n ica l 
data 
Instruments  
and controls  Operation 
Driving Instrument  
cluster display  Practical hints Car care Index 
Seat belts and integrated restraint system 
Your vehicle is equipped with seat belts for all seats,  
emergency tensioning retractors for front and second 
row outboard seat belts, dual front airbags and door  
mounted side impact airbags. Their protective functions  
are designed to complement one another. 
Seat belts 
Important! 
Laws in most states and all Canadian provinces require  
seat belt use. 
All states and provinces require use of child restraints  
that comply with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety  
Standard 213 and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety  
Standard 213. 
All child restraint systems are designed to be secured in  
vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-
shoulder belt. 
For your safety and that of your passengers we strongly  
recommend their use.
Wa r n i n 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 vehicle to deactivate the passenger 
side 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 
injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children are safer 
when properly restrained in the rear seating 
positions than in the front seating 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, fully in accordance with the  
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.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. 
     
        
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Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l 
data 
Instruments  
and controls  Operation 
Driving Instrument  
cluster display  Practical hints Car care Index 
Note: 
For cleaning and care of the seat belts, see page 282. 
Seat belt nonusage warning system 
After starting the engine, a warning sounds and the seat  
belt warning lamp  < remains illuminated for a short  
time if the driver’s seat belt is not fastened.
Wa r n i n g ! 
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the backrest  
reclined. Sitting in an excessively reclined 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 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.
Wa r n i n g ! 
Failure to wear and properly fasten and position  
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 for injury or  
death is lessened if you are wearing your seat belt.Wa r n i n g ! 
Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there  
are seat belts available. Be sure everyone riding in 
the vehicle is correctly restrained with a separate  
seat belt. 
     
        
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Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l 
data 
Instruments  
and controls  Operation 
Driving Instrument  
cluster display  Practical hints Car care Index 
Fastening of seat belts 
1  Latch plate 
2  Buckle 
3  Release button  Push latch plate (1) into buckle (2) until it clicks. Do not  
twist the belt. A twisted seat belt may cause injury. 
To help avoid severe or fatal injuries, the lap belt must  
be positioned as low as possible on your hips and not  
across the abdomen.
Wa r n i n g ! 
Always fasten your seat belt before driving off.  
Always make sure your passengers are properly  
restrained – even those sitting in the rear. 
     
        
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Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l 
data 
Instruments  
and controls  Operation 
Driving Instrument  
cluster display  Practical hints Car care Index 
Tighten the lap portion to a snug fit by pulling shoulder  
portion up. 
The shoulder portion of the seat belt must be pulled  
snug and checked for snugness immediately after 
engaging it. 
Adjust seat belt so that shoulder portion is located as  
close as possible to the middle of your shoulder (it  
should not touch the neck). For this purpose, you can 
adjust the height of the belt outlet. Three positions are 
available.  4 
Button for belt outlet height adjustment 
To raise, slide belt height adjustment upward. 
To lower, press button (4) and slide belt outlet  
downward. 
Caution! 
For safety reasons, avoid adjusting the seat or backrest  
into positions which could affect the correct seat belt 
positioning. 
     
        
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Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l 
data 
Instruments  
and controls  Operation 
Driving Instrument  
cluster display  Practical hints Car care Index 
Operation 
The inertia reel stops the belt from unwinding during  
sudden vehicle stops or when quickly pulling on the  
belt. The locking function of the reel may be checked by 
quickly pulling out the belt. 
Unfastening of seat belts 
Push the release button (3) in the belt buckle (2).  
Allow the retractor to completely rewind the seat belt by  
guiding the latch plate (1).
Wa r n i n 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 section, as that could result  
in serious injuries 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, including rollovers. The  
integrated restraint system includes “SRS”  
(driver airbag, front passenger airbag, front 
and rear door mounted side impact airbags), 
“ETR” (seat belt emergency tensioning 
retractors 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 impact airbags) 
impacts which exceed preset deployment 
thresholds.  
     
        
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Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l 
data 
Instruments  
and controls  Operation 
Driving Instrument  
cluster display  Practical hints Car care Index
• Never wear the shoulder belt under your arm,  
against your neck or off your shoulder. 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 severely 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 abdomen. 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 pressure 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. 
     
        
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Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l 
data 
Instruments  
and controls  Operation 
Driving Instrument  
cluster display  Practical hints Car care Index
Wa r n i n g ! 
USE CHILD RESTRAINTS PROPERLY.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 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  
injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children are safer  
when properly restrained in the rear seating  
positions than in the front seating 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, fully in accordance with the 
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
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.Children too big for child restraint systems must 
ride in back 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. 
     
        
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Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l 
data 
Instruments  
and controls  Operation 
Driving Instrument  
cluster display  Practical hints Car care Index 
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation system 
Special BabySmart
TM compatible child seats, designed  
for use with the Mercedes-Benz system and available at 
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center are required for  
use with the BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation system. 
With the special child seat properly installed, the  
passenger front airbag will not deploy. The   7  
indicator lamp located in the instrument cluster will be 
illuminated, except with key removed or in steering lock  
position 0. The system does not deactivate the door  
mounted side impact airbag. 
Self-test BabySmart
TM  
without special child seat installed 
After turning key in steering lock to position 1 or 2, the  
7   indicator lamp located in the instrument cluster  
comes on for approximately 6 seconds, extinguishes, 
then blinks once. 
If the indicator lamp should not come on or is  
continuously lit, the system is not functioning. You must 
see an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center before seating 
any child on the front passenger seat.
BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens Automotive Corp.
Wa r n i n g ! 
The BabySmart
TM Airbag Deactivation System will  
ONLY work with a special child seat designed to  
operate with it. It will not work with child seats  
which are not BabySmart
TM compatible.
Never place anything between seat cushion and  
child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces the  
effectiveness of the deactivation system.Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for  
installation of special child seats.
The passenger side front airbag will not deploy 
only if the   7 indicator lamp remains  
illuminated.Please be sure to check the indicator every time  
you use the special system child seat.Should the light go out while the restraint is  
installed, please check installation. If the light  
remains out, do not use the BabySmart
TM restraint  
to transport children on the front passenger seat 
until the system has been repaired.