Page 66 of 394

66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyChildren in the vehicle
If an infant or child is traveling with you in
the vehicle:
Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint appropriate to the age and
size of the child and recommended for
use by Mercedes-Benz.
Ensure that the infant or child is prop-
erly secured by a belt at all times while
the vehicle is in motion.
Infant and child restraint seats and infor-
mation on choosing an appropriate re-
straint system can be obtained from any
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Infant and child restraint systems
Only use a BabySmart
TM compatible child
restraint for the front passenger seat in
this vehicle.
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.All lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s
seat belt have special seat belt retractors
for secure fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow child re-
straint instructions for mounting. Then pull
the shoulder belt out completely and let it
retract. During seat belt retraction, a ratch-
eting sound can be heard to indicate that
the special seat belt retractor is activated.
The belt is now locked. Push down on child
restraint to take up any slack.
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely. The seat
belt can again be used in the usual man-
ner.
BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.
iInformation on child seats with anchor
fittings for tether anchorages
(page 70).
For information on LATCH-type child
seat anchors (
page 71).
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 Dis-
trict of Columbia, the U.S.territories,
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
Standards 213 and 210.2.
Page 70 of 394

70 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyInstallation of infant and child restraint
systems
1Anchorage ring
2Hook
Anchorage rings1 are located on the rear
side of outer rear backrests.Prior to installing a tether strap, note the
following steps:
Open the trunk and release the back-
rest.
Fold backrest forward.
Guide top tether strap between head
restraint and top of seat back.
Head restraint must be installed and
positioned such that the top tether
strap can pass freely between the head
restraint and the top of seat back.
Make sure that the tether strap is not
twisted.
Fold backrest back until it locks in
place.
Fold up anchorage ring1.
Securely fasten hook2, which is part of
the tether strap, to anchorage ring1.Warning!
G
Always lock backrest in its upright position
when rear seat bench is occupied by pas-
sengers, or the extended cargo area is not in
use. Check for secure locking by pushing
and pulling on the backrest.iFor safety, please make sure that the
hook has attached to the ring beyond
the safety catch.
Page 71 of 394

71 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Child seat anchors – “LATCH” type
This vehicle is equipped with two “LATCH”
(Lower A
nchors and T
ethers for CH
ildren)
type anchors (at each of the outer rear
seats) for the installation of a “LATCH”
child seat with matching anchor fittings.
If child seats are not installed, the
“LATCH” anchors can be folded back be-
tween the seat cushion and the seat back-
rest.
Grip inner side of anchors1 and fold
forward until they lock in place.
Install child seat according to the man-
ufacturer’s instructions.To fold anchors back
Press down button2 on each anchor
and return the anchor to its catch.
iThe child seat must be firmly attached
in the right and left side anchors.
iNon-“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.Warning!
G
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 for children over 41 lbs. un-
til they reach a height where a lap/shoulder
belt fits properly without a booster.
Page 72 of 394

72 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Blocking of rear side window operation
1Override switch
Slide override switch 1 to the right.
The rear side windows can no longer be
operated using the switches located in
the rear trim panel.
Before installing the child seat, make sure
anchors1 are folded out and locked in
place.
Install child seat according to manufactur-
er’s instructions.
T h e c h i l d s e a t m u s t b e f i r m l y a t t a c h e d i n t h e
right and left side anchor1.
An incorrectly mounted child seat may come
loose during an accident which could result
in serious injury or death to your child.
Damaged or impact damaged child seats or
child seat anchor fittings must be replaced.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system.
!Operation of the rear side windows
with the switches located in the driver’s
door is still possible.Warning!
G
Activate the override switch when children
are riding in the back seats of the vehicle.
The children may otherwise injure them-
selves, e.g. by becoming trapped in the win-
dow opening.
Page 85 of 394

85 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Factory setting
Global unlocking
Press button
Œ
.
All turn signal lamps blink once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.
The vehicle will lock again automatically
within approximately 40 seconds of un-
locking if neither door nor trunk is opened,
if the SmartKey is not inserted in the start-
er switch, or if the central locking switch is
not activated.
Global locking
Press button
‹
.
All turn signal lamps blink three times.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down.Selective setting
If you frequently travel alone, you may wish
to reprogram the key so that
pressing
Œ
only unlocks the driver’s
door and the fuel filler flap.
Press and hold buttons
Œ
and
‹
simultaneously for about five seconds
until battery check lamp5 blinks twice.
The key will then function as follows:
Unlocking driver’s door and fuel filler
flap
Press button
Œ
once.
Global unlocking
Press button
Œ
twice.
Global locking
Press button
‹
.Restoring to factory setting
Press and hold buttons
Œ
and
‹
simultaneously for about six seconds
until battery check lamp5 blinks twice.
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the key to high levels of elec-
tromagnetic radiation.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
key from the starter switch, take the Smart-
Key with KEYLESS-GO* (if so equipped) with
you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave chil-
dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac-
cess to an unlocked vehicle. It is possible for
children to open a locked door from the in-
side, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
Page 94 of 394

94 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingClosing the trunk lid
1Handle
Lower trunk lid by pulling firmly on
handle1.
Separately locking the trunk
1Locked
2Unlocked
Close the trunk lid (
page 94)
Pull the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey (
page 310).
Insert the mechanical key into the
trunk lid lock.
Turn the key completely to the right to
position 1.
The trunk remains locked even when the
vehicle is centrally unlocked.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the trunk
lid opening when closing the trunk. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Warning!
G
Only drive with the trunk closed as, among
other dangers such as visibility blockage,
exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle interi-
or.iTo prevent an inadvertent lockout, do
not place the key in the trunk.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO:
To prevent a possible inadvertent lock-
out, the trunk lid will open automatical-
ly if a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is
recognized in the area of the rear shelf
or inside the trunk.
Page 134 of 394

134 Controls in detailControl system
After entering the vehicle, the steering
wheel and seat will move into the position
stored in memory when
the driver’s door is closed
you put the key in the starter switch
press the appropriate stored position
button on the memory switch
(page 102).
Move the selection marker with
the
æ
or
ç
button to
the
Convenience
submenu.
Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Function Easy-entry feature
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press
æ
or
ç
to change the
easy-entry/exit setting.
Warning!
G
You must make sure that no one can be-
come trapped or injured by the moving
steering wheel and the driver’s seat when
the easy-entry/exit feature is in operation
and the driver’s door is being opened or the
key is removed from the starter switch. Do
not leave children unattended in the vehicle,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iTo cancel seat/steering wheel move-
ment, do one of the following:
Press seat adjustment switch
(page 35)
Move the steering column stalk
(page 37)
Press the memory switch
(page 102)
Page 145 of 394

145 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Program mode selector switch
1Program mode selector switch
S Standard For regular driving
W Winter For winter driving
Press the program mode selector
switch repeatedly until the letter of the
desired shift program appears in the
speedometer display field
(page 114).
Select
Wfor winter driving:
The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.
Traction and driving stability are im-
proved on icy roads.
Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
The power transmission ratio for se-
lector lever positionR changes de-
pending on the program mode
selected (
W or
S).
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, take the Smart-
Key with KEYLESS-GO* (if so equipped) with
you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave chil-
dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac-
cess to an unlocked vehicle. Children could
move the selector lever from positionP,
which could result in an accident and/or se-
rious personal injury.
!Never change the program mode when
the selector lever is out of positionP. It
could result in a change of driving char-
acteristics for which you may not be
prepared.