69 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
(2) Always sit nearly upright, properly use
the seat belts and for children 12 years
old and under, use an appropriately
sized infant or toddler restraint or boost-
er seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child.
(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 impact air bags deactivated, then
deactivation can be accomplished upon
your written request to do so at your autho-
rized 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 deploy only in
certain frontal impacts (front air bags),
side impacts (side impact and head
protection window curtain air bags)
which exceed preset thresholds and in
certain rollovers (head protection win-
dow 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 de-
ployed. The driver and passenger will
then be protected to the extent possi-
ble by a properly fastened seat belt. A
properly 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.
It is important to your safety and that of
your passengers that you replace de-
ployed air bags and repair any malfunc-
tioning air bags to make sure that the
vehicle will continue to provide supple-
mental crash protection for occupants.
72 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyThe passenger front air bag will only be
deployed if:
the system, based on OCS weight sen-
sor readings, senses that the front pas-
senger seat is occupied
the 75indicator lamp in the
center console is not lit (
page 84)
the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment threshold
Side impact air bags, window curtain
air bags
1Side impact air bags
2Window curtain air bagThe side impact air bags1 and window
curtain air bags2 are deployed:
on the impacted side of the vehicle
in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold
independently of the front air bags
In addition, the window curtain air bags 2
are deployed:
in certain vehicle rollovers
The side impact air bags1 and window
curtain air bags2 are not deployed in im-
pacts which do not exceed the system’s
deployment threshold.
Seat belts
When the engine is started the seat belt
telltale< illuminates for a maximum of
6 seconds and a warning chime sounds to
remind you and your passengers to fasten
your seat belts.
If after these 6 seconds, the driver’s or the
front passenger’s seat belt (with the front
passenger seat occupied) are not fastened
with all doors closed,
and the vehicle speed does not exceed
15 mph (25 km/h), the seat belt tell-
tale < remains illuminated for as
long as either the driver’s or front pas-
senger’s seat belt is not fastened.
74 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyWarning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position
as this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a nearly upright position and the
belt is properly positioned on the body.Warning!
G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly
restrained with a separate seat belt. Never
use a seat belt for more than one person at
a time.
Warning!
G
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced
and their anchoring points must also be
checked.
Only use seat belts which have been ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
or to failure.
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.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY
Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this sec-
tion, as that could result in serious inju-
ries in case of an accident.
Each occupant should wear their seat
belt at all times, because seat belts help
reduce the likelihood of and potential
severity of injuries in accidents, includ-
ing rollovers. The integrated restraint
system includes SRS (driver air bag,
passenger front air bag, side impact
air bags, head protection window
curtain air bags for side windows), ETD
(seat belt emergency tensioning device),
and front seat knee bolsters.
81 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Occupant Classification System
The Occupant Classification System (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. Furthermore, the occupant weight may ap-
pear to increase or decrease due to
objects hanging on the seat, other passen-
gers pushing on the seat, objects lodged
underneath the seat or stuffed between
seat and middle console or between seat
and door or due to objects applying pres-
sure on the back of the seat. Always make
sure that the seat has clearance in all di-
rections at all times.
Both driver and the front passenger should
always use the 75indicator
lamp as an indication of whether or not the
front passenger is properly positioned.
iThe system does not deactivate the
front passenger side impact air bag,
the window curtain air bag and the
emergency tensioning device.
iIf your seat, including your trim cover
and cushion needs to be serviced in
any way, take the vehicle to your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only seat accessories approved by
Mercedes-Benz may be used.
Warning!
G
If the 75indicator lamp illumi-
nates 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 light
goes out, or check whether objects are
caught under or around the seat.
More information about air bag display mes-
sages (
page 390).
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 re-
straint or if the front passenger seat is
sensed as being empty.
89 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Blocking of rear door window operation
1Override switch
2Indicator lamp
Press override switch1.
Indicator lamp2 comes on. The rear
door windows can no longer be operat-
ed using the switches located in the
rear doors.
For more information on power windows,
see the “Controls in detail” section
(
page 231).
Damaged or impact damaged child seats or
child seat mounting fittings must be re-
placed.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system.
!Operation of the rear door windows
with the switches located on the door
control panel of 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.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment can cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
105 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Good visibility
Dual-zone automatic climate control (USA only)
4-zone automatic climate control*
Power windows
Power tilt/sliding sunroof*
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features
107 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. It is possible
for children to open a looked door from the
inside, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the SmartKey to high levels of
electromagnetic radiation.
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of
the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
(2) this device must accept any
interference received, including
interference that may cause
undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause
interference, and
(2) this device must accept any
interference received, including
interference that may cause
undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.iThe electrohydraulic brake system is
activated (
page 96).
iYou can also open and close the power
windows and tilt/sliding sunroof* us-
ing the SmartKey (
page 234).
113 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Important notes on using KEYLESS-GO
You can also use the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO like a normal SmartKey
(page 106).
You can combine KEYLESS-GO func-
tions with normal SmartKey functions
(e.g. unlocking with KEYLESS-GO and
locking with button ‹).
Always carry the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO with you.
Never store the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO together with:
Electronic items such as a cellular
phone or another SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO
Metallic objects such as coins or
metal foil
Doing so could impair the function of
the KEYLESS-GO system.
To lock or unlock the vehicle, the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located outside the vehicle within ap-
proximately 3 ft (1 m) of a door or the
tailgate.
In order to start the engine with the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO:
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
must be located in the vehicle.
All the doors must be closed.
The brake pedal must be firmly de-
pressed. Do not depress the accel-
erator.
If you have started the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
(page 38), you can only turn it off
again with this button, even if you have
put the SmartKey in the starter switch
in the meantime.
This does not apply if, after starting, the
selector lever is still in positionP and
then the SmartKey is inserted in the
starter switch. The SmartKey will then
have priority over the KEYLESS-GO
function and the vehicle’s electrical
system will operate according to the
position of the SmartKey in the starter
switch, even stopping the engine.
If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
positioned farther away from the vehi-
cle, the system may no longer recog-
nize the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO.
The vehicle cannot be locked or the en-
gine started via the KEYLESS-GO sys-
tem.
iYou can also open and close the power
windows and tilt/sliding sunroof* us-
ing the SmartKey (
page 234).
iWhen you unlock the vehicle, the elec-
trohydraulic brake system is activated
(page 96).