2001 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 Rear seats

66 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical 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 t hey will be stru ck by t he airbag wh en 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
shou lder belt across ch est and shou lder, not fac e or
neck. A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper belt positioning.

68 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Supplemental restraint system (SRS)
Airbags are intended as a supplement to seat belts.
Airbags alone cannot protect as well as airbags plus
seat belts in impacts for which the airbags were
designed to operate, and do not afford any protection
whatsoever in crashes for which the airbags are not
designed to deploy.
The SRS uses two crash severity levels (thresholds) to
activate either the Emergency Tensioning Retractor
(ETR) or front airbag or both. Activation depends on the
direction and severity of the impact exceeding the
preset thresholds and whether the seat belt is fastened.Seat belt fastened
•first threshold exceeded:
ETR activates
•second threshold exceeded:
airbag also activates
Seat belt not fastened
Front seats:
•first threshold exceeded:
airbag activates, but not ETR
Rear outer seats:
•first threshold exceeded:
ETR activates
Driver, front passenger and rear outer seat systems
operate independently of each other.

69 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Emergency tensioning retractor (ETR)
The seat belts for the front and outer rear seats are
equipped with emergency tensioning retractors. These
tensioning retractors are located in each belt’s inertia
reel and become operationally ready with the electronic
key in steering lock position 1 or 2.
The emergency tensioning retractors are designed to
activate only when the seat belts are fastened during
frontal impacts exceeding the first threshold of the SRS
and in rear impacts exceeding a preset severity level.
They remove slack from the belts in such a way that the
s e a t b e lt s f i t m or e s nu g ly a g a i n st t h e b od y r e st r ic ti n g i t s
forward movement as much as possible.In cases of other frontal impacts, angled impacts, roll-
overs, certain side impacts, or other accidents without
sufficient frontal or rear forces, the emergency
tensioning retractors will not be activated. The driver
and passengers will then be protected by the fastened
seat belts and inertia reel in the usual manner.
For seat belt and emergency tensioning retractor safety
guidelines, see page 76.

79 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
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
front airbag when it is properly installed.
Otherwise t hey will be stru ck by t he airbag wh en it
inflates in a crash. If this happens, serious or fatal
injury can 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.
Infants and small children should never share a
seat belt with another occupant. During an
accident, they could be crushed between the
occupant and seat belt.Children too big for child restraint systems must
ride in back seats using regular seat belts. Position
shou lder belt across ch est and shou lder, not fac e or
neck. A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper belt positioning for children from 41 lbs. to
the point where a lap / shoulder belt fits properly
without one.When the child restraint is not in use, remove it
from the vehicle or secure it with the seat belt to
prevent the child restraint from becoming a
projectile in the event of an accident.

191 Steering lock
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Important!
If the el ectronic key is lef t in th e steering lock position 0
for an extended period of time, it can no longer be
turned in the lock. In this case, remove electronic key
from steering lock and reinsert.
Caution!
To prevent accelerated battery discharge and a possible
dead battery, always remove the electronic key from the
steering lock. Do not leave th e ele ctronic key in steering
lock position 0.Notes:
A warning sounds when the driver’s door is opened
while the electronic key is in steering lock position 1
or 0.
With the engine at idle speed, the charging rate of the
alternator (output) is limited.
It is therefore recommended that you turn off
unnecessary electrical consumers while driving in
stop-and-go traffic. This precaution helps to avoid
draining of the battery.
Unnecessary strain on the battery and charging system
may be minimized by turning off the following power
consumers, for example:
Heated seats, rear window defroster. In addition, the
automatic climate air volume control should be set to
the lowest position.
The steering lock can only be unlocked with the vehicle
battery properly charged and connected.

330 Index
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car careIndex
Parking lamps ..................................................288, 289
Replacing bulbs .........................................................285
Side marker lamp, front ...........................................290
Standing lamps ................................................. 288, 289
Taillamp assemblies .................................................289
Turn signal lamps ............................................ 288, 289
FFirst aid kit .....................................................................254
Flexible service system (FSS) .......................................114
Four wheel electronic traction system
(4MATIC) with Electronic Stability
Program (ESP) ........................................................... 219
Fuel ..................................................................................229
Gasoline Additives ....................................................322
Premium unleaded gasoline ..................229, 319, 321
Fuel cap placement warning ........................................236
Fuel Requirements ........................................................ 321
Fuel reserve warning ....................................................236
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. - capacities ............... 318
Fuses, electrical .............................................................255
GGarage door opener ....................................................... 171
Gasoline
Additives .................................................................... 322
Fuel Requirements ...................................................321
Premium unleaded .................................................. 229
General notes on the
central locking system ............................................... 28
Glove box ......................................................................... 163HHazard warning flasher switch ................................... 125
Head restraints
Front seat .....................................................................52
Rear seat ....................................................................... 53
Synchronizing ............................................................. 48
Headlamp cleaning system ........................................... 121
Headlights ....................................................................... 122
Heated seats ......................................................................55
Hood ................................................................................ 257

333 Index
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car careIndex
NNavigation system - Multifunction display ................ 105
Night security illumination ......................................... 120OOn-board diagnostic system .........................................234
Operator’s manual ............................................................. 8
Outside temperature indicator ...................................... 90
Overhead control panel ................................................... 21PPanic button ...................................................................... 34
Parcel net in front passenger footwell ....................... 169
Parking ............................................................................205
Parking assist (Parktronic) ..........................................224
Malfunction ...............................................................228
Parktronic switch ......................................................228
Sensors .......................................................................225
Warning indicators ...................................................226
Parking brake ............................. 202, 204, 205, 221, 235
PA R K I N G BR A K E -
malfunction and warning messages ......................244Power assistance ........................................................... 204
Power seats front ..............................................................46
Power windows ............................................................... 154
Blocking of rear door window operation ............... 155
Opening and closing ...................................................33
Synchronizing power windows ............................... 156
Problems with your vehicle ............................................ 14
Product information .......................................................... 7
RRadio transmitters ......................................................... 176
Rain sensor ..................................................................... 123
Rear seat cushion .......................................................... 294
Rear view mirrors ............................................................82
Antiglare night position .............................................82
Exterior ......................................................................... 83
Inside ............................................................................82
Parking position ..........................................................85
Storing mirror positions in memory ........................84
Rear window defroster .................................................. 130
Rear window sunshade ................................................. 160
Remote control .................................................................29
Battery replacement .................................................291

334 Index
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car careIndex
REMOVE KEY -
malfunction and warning messages ......................248
Replacing bulbs ..............................................................285
Replacing wiper blade insert .......................................296
Reporting Safety Defects ................................................ 15
Reserve key ....................................................................... 26
Residual engine heat utilization (REST) .................... 132
Roadside assistance ......................................................... 10
Roadside assistance call
See Tele Aid ............................................................... 178
Roof rack .........................................................................298
SSafety guidelines for the seat belt, emergency
tensioning retractor and airbag ................................ 76
Seat belts ........................................................................... 60
Fastening ...................................................................... 62
Seat belt nonusage warning system ........................ 61
Unfastening .................................................................. 64
Warning lamp ............................................................238
Seat belts and integrated restraint system .................. 60
Seat heater ........................................................................ 55
Vehicles with seat ventilation ................................... 57
Vehicles without seat ventilation ............................. 56Seat ventilation ................................................................58
Seats ...................................................................................46
Memory function .........................................................49
Multicontour seat ........................................................ 54
Service indicator
See Flexible service system (FSS) .......................... 114
Setting the audio volume .............................................. 113
Shelf below rear window ..............................................170
Side marker lamp .......................................................... 290
Sliding/pop-up roof ........................................................ 156
Emergency operation .............................................. 295
Express opening ........................................................ 158
Opening and closing ...................................................33
Synchronizing ........................................................... 158
Snow chains ................................................................... 208
SOS-call
See Tele Aid ...............................................................178
Spare parts service ....................................................... 308
Spare wheel ................................................................... 264
Special settings (Automatic climate control) ............ 129
SRS (Supplemental restraint system) ...........................68
Indicator lamp .......................................................... 236
SRS malfunction ..........................................................70
Start lock-out .....................................................................27
Starting and turning off the engine ............................ 192