47 Getting started
Driving
1Release button
2Buckle
3Latch plate
With a smooth motion, pull the belt
from the seat belt outlet.
Place the shoulder portion of the belt
across the top of your shoulder and the
lap portion across your hips.
Push latch plate3 into buckle2 until
it clicks.
If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.Proper use of seat belts
Do not twist the belt when fastening.
Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck). Never pass the
shoulder portion of the belt under your
arm.
Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.
Place the seat backrest in a nearly up-
right position.
Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.
Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-
son and another object at the same
time.
When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in
booster seats, always follow the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Check your seat belt during travel to
make sure it is properly positioned.
Make sure the seat belt is always fitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.Warning!
G
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash, they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
59 Getting started
Parking and locking
Turning off with the SmartKey
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
(page 34) to position0 and remove
it.
The immobilizer is activated.Turning off the engine with
KEYLESS-GO*
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton (
page 35) to shut off the engine.
With the driver’s door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(
page 34).
Releasing seat belts
Press the seat belt release button
(page 47).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
iThe SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in positionP.iWith the SmartKey removed and the
driver’s door open, a warning sounds if
the vehicle’s exterior lamps are not
switched off.
iIf you hear a warning signal, you have
either
forgotten to turn off the lights be-
fore opening the driver’s door
or
tried to turn off the engine while the
gear selector lever is not inP.
Turn off the lights or place the gear
selector lever inP.
!Make sure the seat belt retracts fully so
that the seat belt and/or latch plate
cannot get caught or pinched in the
door or in the seat mechanism. This
can damage the seat belt and impair
the effectiveness of the seat belt,
and/or cause damage to the door
and/or door trim panel. Such damage
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Damaged seat belts must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
62 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are:
Seat belts
Emergency tensioning device
Air bags
Child seats
Child seat recognition
Lower anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH)
As independent systems, their protective
effects work in conjunction with each
other.The 1 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on
for about 4 seconds when you turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch to
position1 or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (
page 35) once. It
then goes out briefly, comes on again
and remains lit until you start the en-
gine.
for about 4 seconds when you start the
engine by turning the SmartKey or
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button.The restraint systems are fully operational
if the 1 indicator lamp is not lit when
the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been de-
tected if the 1 indicator lamp:
fails to extinguish after approximately
4 seconds
does not come on at all
comes on after the engine was started
comes on while driving
For safety reasons, we strongly recom-
mend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to
have the system checked.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 335).
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 72).
iThe 1 indicator lamp remains lit if
the SmartKey is turned to position2
and left there or the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button is pressed twice. The
indicator lamp will go out when you
start the engine.
63 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Air bags
Warning!
G
In the event that the 1 indicator lamp
comes on during driving or does not come
on at all, the SRS self-check has detected a
malfunction. For your safety, we strongly
recommend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have
the system checked; otherwise the SRS may
not be activated when needed in an acci-
dent, which could result in serious or fatal
injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could also result in
injury.
In addition, improper repair work on the SRS
creates a risk of rendering the SRS inopera-
tive or causing unintended air bag deploy-
ment. Work on the SRS must therefore only
be performed by qualified technicians. Con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Air bags are designed to reduce the poten-
tial of injury and fatality in certain frontal im-
pacts (front air bags), side impacts (side
impact air bags and head protection window
curtain air bags) or rollovers (head protec-
tion window curtain airbags). However, no
system available today can totally eliminate
injuries and fatalities.
The activation of the air bags temporarily re-
leases a small amount of dust from the
air bags. This dust, however, is neither inju-
rious to your health, nor does it indicate a
fire in the vehicle. The dust might cause
some temporary breathing difficulty for peo-
ple with asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, you may wish to get out of the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have any breathing difficulty but cannot get
out of the vehicle after the air bag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
door.
Warning!
G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear your
seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the seat backrest.
Fasten your seat belt and make sure it is
properly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating and hands
on steering wheel position will help to keep
you at a safe distance from the air bag. Oc-
cupants who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the air bag can be seriously in-
jured or killed by an air bag as it inflates with
great force in the blink of an eye:
Sit properly belted in a nearly upright
position with your back against the seat
backrest.
64 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possi-
ble rearward, still permitting proper op-
eration of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the air bag cover
on the steering wheel must be at least
10 in (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any prob-
lems, please see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Do not lean with your head or chest
close to the steering wheel or dash-
board.
Keep hands on the outside of steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in-
side the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when driver front air bag inflates.
Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.
Occupants, especially children, should
never lean their heads in the area of the
door where the side air bag inflates.
This could result in serious injuries or
death should the air bag be triggered.
Always sit nearly upright, properly use
the seat belts and appropriate size in-
fant or child restraint system.
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 deacti-
vate the passenger front air bag when it
is properly installed. Otherwise they will
be struck by the air bag when it inflates
in a crash. If this happens, serious or fa-
tal injury will result.
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injuries to you or other occu-
pants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety in-
formation. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.
Warning!
G
Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in an automobile is in the
rear seat. Should you choose to place a child
12 years old or under in the front passenger
seat of your vehicle, you must properly use
a BabySmart
TM child restraint which will turn
off the passenger front air bag.
BabySmart
TM will not, however, turn off any
side impact air bag.
It should be noted that with respect to both
front and rear side impact air bags there is a
possibility for a side air bag related injury if
occupants, especially children, are not prop-
erly seated or restrained when next to a side
air bag which needs to deploy rapidly in a
side impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
side air bag inflates. This could result in
65 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
serious injuries or death should the side
air bag be activated.
(2) Always sit nearly upright, properly use
the seat belts and use an appropriately
sized infant or child restraint system for
all children 12 years old or under.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of
these guidelines, it would be safer for your
rear seat occupants to have the rear mount-
ed side air bags deactivated, then deactiva-
tion can be accomplished upon your written
request to do so at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center at an additional cost.
Please contact your local authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details.
iAir bags are designed to activate only
in certain frontal (front air bags) im-
pacts, side impacts (side impact and
head protection window curtain
air bags) which exceed preset thresh-
olds and in certain rollovers (head pro-
tection window curtain air bags). Only
during these events will they provide
their supplemental protection.
The driver and passengers should al-
ways wear their seat belts. Otherwise it
is not possible for air bags to provide
their supplemental protection.
In case of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, air bags will not be activat-
ed. The driver and passenger will then
be protected to the extent possible by
a properly fastened seat belt. A proper-
ly fastened seat belt is also needed to
provide the best possible protection in
a rollover.
We caution you not to rely on the pres-
ence of the air bags in order to avoid
wearing your seat belt.
Your vehicle was originally equipped
with air bags that are designed to acti-
vate in certain impacts exceeding a
preset threshold to reduce the poten-
tial and severity of injury. It is important
for your safety and that of your passen-
gers that you replace deployed air bags
and repair any malfunctioning air bags
to make sure the vehicle will continue
to provide supplemental crash protec-
tion for occupants.
66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetySafety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
air bagWarning!
G
Damaged seat belts or belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Use only belts in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Air bags and emergency tensioning de-
vices (ETDs) are designed to function on
a one-time-only basis. An air bag or ETD
that was activated must be replaced.
No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or re-
moving any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger front air bag
cover, outboard sides of the front seat
backrests, door trim panels, or door
frame trims, and installation of addition-
al electrical/electronic equipment on or
near SRS components and wiring. Keep
area between air bags and occupants
free from objects (e.g. packages, purs-
es, umbrellas, etc.).
Do not pass belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this
may severely weaken them. In a crash
they may not be able to provide ade-
quate protection.
Do not hang items such as coat hangers
from the coat hooks or handles over the
door. These items may turn into projec-
tiles and cause head and other injuries
when curtain air bag is deployed.
Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
Air bag system components will be hot
after the air bag has inflated. Do not
touch.
In addition, improper repair work on the
SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS
inoperative or causing unintended
air bag deployment. Work on the SRS
must therefore only be performed by
qualified technicians. Contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
For your protection and the protection
of others, when scrapping the air bag
unit or emergency tensioning device,
our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These instructions are available
from your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Given the considerable deployment
speed and the textile structure of the
air bags, there is the possibility of abra-
sions or other injuries resulting from
air bag deployment.
67 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When you sell your vehicle, we strongly
urge you to give notice to the subsequent
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by
alerting them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.
Front air bags
1Driver’s front air bag
2Passenger front air bagDriver’s and passenger front air bags are
deployed:
in the event of certain frontal impacts
if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
independently of the side impact
air bags
The air bags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protect-
ed by the fastened seat belts.
The passenger front air bag will only be de-
ployed if:
the front passenger seat is occupied
the 58 indicator lamp in the
lower part of the front center console is
not lit (
page 74)
the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment threshold Side impact air bags
1Side impact air bags
!Do not place objects heavier than
20 lbs (9 kg) on the front passenger
seat. This could cause the front or side
impact air bag on the front passenger
side to deploy in a crash which exceeds
the system’s deployment threshold.