Page 60 of 360

60 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetySeat belts
The seat belt nonusage warning lamp
<
in the instrument cluster lights up and a
warning sounds for a short time when you
turn the key in the starter switch to
position2 and the driver’s seat belt is not
fastened.
After starting the engine, the seat belt non-
usage warning lamp blinks for a brief peri-
od to remind the driver and passengers to
fasten their seat belts.
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in all
50 states, the District of Columbia and all
Canadian provinces. Even where this is not
the case, all vehicle occupants should have
their seat belts fastened whenever the ve-
hicle is in motion.
Information on fastening seat belts is
found in the “Getting started” section
(
page 40).
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 63)
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 properly wearing
your seat belt. Airbags can only protect as
they are designed if the occupants are prop-
erly wearing their seat belts.
Page 156 of 360
156 Controls in detailClimate controlResidual engine heat utilization
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior
for a short while, depending on the temper-
ature setting of the climate control. Air vol-
ume and distribution are controlled
automatically.
Activating
Turn the SmartKey in starter switch to
position1 or0 or remove it altogether.
Press button
°
.
The indicator lamp in the button lights
up.
Set the left and right temperature to
your personal requirements.Deactivating
Press button
°
again to switch off.
The indicator lamp in the button goes
out.
The residual heat is automatically turned
off:
when the SmartKey in starter switch is
turned to position2
after about 30 minutes
if the battery voltage dropsDeactivating the climate control
system
Deactivating
Set the air volume control switch to
position0.
Reactivating
Set the air volume control switch to any
speed.
Page 157 of 360

157 Controls in detail
Climate control
Air conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.
Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the climate
control system. The air in the vehicle will
then no longer be cooled or dehumidified.
Press button
°
(page 151).
The indicator lamp on the button
°
lights up.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air conditioner.
Press button
°
again (
page 151).
The indicator lamp on the button
°
goes out.
The air conditioner uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.Rear passenger compartment adjust-
able air vents
1Air volume control for center air vents
2Left center air vent, adjustable
3Right center air vent, adjustable
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.
!If the
°
button on the climate con-
trol panel starts to blink, this indicates
that the air conditioner is losing refrig-
erant. The compressor has turned itself
off. The air conditioner cannot be
turned on again.
Have the air conditioner checked at
the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.