2005 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK320 COUPE warning

71 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
iInformation on child seats with anchor
fittings for tether anchorages
(page 79).
For information on LATCH-type child
seat anchors (
page 80).
!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
top tether anchorage point and a child
restraint lower anchorage system that
complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehi-
cle Safety Standards 213 and 225 and
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dards 213 and 210.2.
Warning!
G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.!A statement by the child restraint man-
ufacturer of compliance with this stan-
dard can be found on the instruction
label on the restraint and in the instruc-
tion manual provided with the restraint.
When using any infant or child restraint
system, be sure to carefully read and
follow all manufacturer’s instructions
for installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels
affixed to the inside of the vehicle and
to infant or child restraints.
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
recommended 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.


73 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Occupant Classification System
The O
ccupant C
lassification S
ystem (OCS)
automatically turns the front passenger
front air bag on or off based on the classi-
fied occupant weight category determined
by weight sensor readings from the front
passenger seat.
Occupants must sit properly belted in a
nearly upright position with their back
against the seat backrest and feet on the
floor to be correctly classified. If the occu-
pant's weight is transferred to another
object in the vehicle (e.g. by leaning on
armrests), the OCS may not be able to
properly approximate the occupant’s
weight category.
Warning!
G
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.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint.
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Posi-
tion shoulder belt across chest and shoul-
der, not face or neck. A booster seat may be
necessary to achieve proper belt positioning
for children from 41 lbs until they reach a
height where a lap/shoulder belt fits
properly without a booster.
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.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil-
dren in a child restraint system may use
vehicle equipment and may cause an acci-
dent and/or serious personal injury.
iThe system does not deactivate the
front passenger side impact air bag,
the window curtain air bag and the
emergency tensioning device.

74 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyBoth driver and the front passenger should
always use the 56 indicator lamp
as an indication of whether or not the front
passenger is properly positioned.
iIf your seat, including your trim cover
and cushion needs to be serviced in
any way, take the vehicle to an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only seat accessories approved by
Mercedes-Benz may be used.
Warning!
G
If the 56 indicator lamp illuminates
when an adult or someone larger than a
small individual is in the front passenger
seat, have the front passenger re-position
himself or herself in the seat until the
56 indicator lamp goes out.
More information about air bag display mes-
sages (
page 368).
In the event of a collision, the air bag control
unit will not allow front passenger front air
bag deployment when the OCS classified
the front passenger seat occupant as being
up to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child
restraint or if the front passenger seat is
sensed as being empty.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat occupant is classified as being up
to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child
restraint, the 56 indicator lamp will
illuminate when the engine is started and
remain illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat is classified as being empty, the
56 indicator lamp will illuminate
when the engine is started and remain illu-
minated, indicating that the front passenger
front air bag is deactivated.

75 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat occupant is classified as being
heavier than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint or as being a small individual
(such as a young teenager or a small adult),
the 56 indicator lamp will illuminate
for approximately six seconds when the en-
gine is started and then, depending on
occupant weight sensor readings from the
seat, remain illuminated or go out. With the
56 indicator lamp illuminated, the
front passenger front air bag is deactivated.
With the 56 indicator lamp out, the
front passenger front air bag is activated.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
g e r s e a t o c c u p a n t i s c l a s s i f i e d a s a n a d u l t o r
someone larger than a small individual, the
56 indicator lamp will illuminate for
approximately six seconds when the engine
is started and then go out, indicating that
the front passenger front air bag is
activated.
If the 56 indicator lamp is illuminat-
ed, the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the 56 indicator lamp is not illumi-
nated, 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


front passenger’s weight category as
identified by the Occupant Classification
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
recommended 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.


78 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Self-test Occupant Classification
System
After turning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position1 or2 or pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button once or
twice, the 56 indicator lamp1 lo-
cated in the center console illuminates. If
an adult occupant is properly sitting on the
front passenger seat and the system sens-
es the occupant as being an adult, the
56 indicator lamp will illuminate
and go out after approximately six
seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the system
senses the front passenger seat as being
empty, the 56 indicator lamp will
illuminate and not go out.
Warning!
G
If the 1indicator lamp and the
56indicator 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.
In order to ensure proper operation of the
air bag system and OCS:

Have the system checked as soon as
possible by qualified technicians. Con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.


Sit properly belted in a nearly upright
position with your back against the seat
backrest.


Do not lean on the armrests or lift your-
self from the seat by using the handle
over the door as this may cause the OCS
to be unable to correctly approximate
the occupant weight category.


Only have the seat repaired or replaced
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.


Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.

79 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 360).Installation of infant and child restraint
systems
This vehicle is equipped with tether an-
chorages for a top tether strap at each of
the rear seating positions.
1Anchorage ring
2Hook

Open the trunk and release the rear
seat backrest (
page 268).

Fold rear seat backrest slightly for-
ward.

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 the tether strap is not twist-
ed.
1Anchorage ring
2Hook

Fold up anchorage ring1.

Securely fasten hook2, which is part
of the tether strap, to anchorage
ring1.
Warning!
G
If the 56 indicator lamp should not
illuminate, the system is not functioning.
You must see an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center before seating any child on the front
passenger seat.Warning!
G
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the Occupant Classifi-
cation System. The bottom of the child seat
must make full contact with the passenger
seat cushion. An incorrectly mounted child
seat could cause injuries to the child in case
of an accident, instead of increasing protec-
tion for the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of child seats.


80 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Swing rear seat backrest to the rear un-
til it engages.

Check the rear seat backrest to be
locked in its upright position
(page 269).Once the top tether anchorage hook is
attached, the child restraint itself can be
secured. Tighten the top tether strap ac-
cording to the child restraint manufactur-
er’s instructions. Child seat anchors – LATCH type
This vehicle is equipped with two LATCH
(L
ower A
nchors and T
ethers for CH
ildren)
type anchors (at each of the rear seats) for
the installation of a LATCH child seat with
matching mounting fittings.
If child seats are not installed, the LATCH
anchors can be folded back between the
seat cushion and the seat backrest.
iFor safety, make sure the hook2 has
attached to the anchorage ring1 be-
yond the safety catch, as illustrated.
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.


81 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
To fold anchors out
1Anchors
2Release button
Grip inner side of anchors1 and fold
forward until they audibly lock in place.

Install child seat according to the man-
ufacturer’s instructions.To fold anchors back

Press down button2 on each
anchor1 and return the anchor1 to
its catch.
iThe child seat must be firmly attached
in the right and left side anchors1.
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 a toddler restraint must
ride in 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 from
41 lbs until they reach a height where a
lap/shoulder belt fits properly without a
booster.
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 the 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.