72 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Children 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.
Make sure the infant or child is proper-
ly secured 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 Light Truck Center.Infant and child restraint systems
Use only a BabySmart
TM1 compatible child
restraint for the front passenger seat in
this vehicle.
We recommend that all infants and
children be properly restrained at all times
while the vehicle is in motion. All lap-shoul-
der belts except the driver’s seat belt and
the rear center seat belt have special seat
belt retractors for secure fastening of child
restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow manufac-
turer’s instructions for mounting child re-
straints. Then pull shoulder belt out
completely and let it retract. During the
seat belt retraction a ratcheting 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
manner.
1BabySmartTM is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.
i
For more information on child seats
with mounting fittings for tether an-
chorages, see “Installation of infant
and child restraint system”
(
page 76).
For information on LATCH-type child
seat anchors, see (
page 77).
Warning!G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.
74 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
BabySmartTM airbag deactivation
system
7
indicator lamp
Special BabySmartTM1 compatible child
seats, designed for use with the
Mercedes-Benz system and available at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center are required for use with the
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation system.
With the special child seat properly in-
stalled, the passenger front airbag will not
deploy.
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
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.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 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, re-
move 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 ac-
cident.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil-
dren in a child restraint system may use ve-
hicle equipment and may cause serious
personal injury.
1BabySmartTM is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.
75 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The 7indicator lamp located in the
center console will be illuminated, except
with the SmartKey removed or in the start-
er switch position0.
Self-test BabySmart
TM without special
child seat installed
After turning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position1 or2, the
7indicator lamp located in the center
console comes on for approximately
six seconds and then goes out.
If the indicator lamp should not come on or
is continuously lit, the system is not func-
tioning. You must see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center before
seating any child on the front passenger
seat.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
section (
page 297).
i
The system does not deactivate the
emergency tensioning device.
Warning!G
The BabySmartTM airbag deactivation sys-
tem will ONLY work with a special child seat
designed to operate with it. It will not work
with child seats which are not BabySmart
TM
compatible.
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the deactivation sys-
tem. 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 protecting the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of special child seats.
When using a BabySmart
TM compatible
child seat on the front passenger seat, the
passenger front airbag will not deploy only
if the 7 indicator lamp remains
illuminated.
Warning!G
Make sure to check the indicator every time
you use the special system child seat.
Should the light go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation. If the
light remains out, do not use the
BabySmart
TM restraint to transport children
on the front passenger seat until the system
has been repaired.
Warning!G
Do not place powered-on laptops, cell
phones, electronic tags such as those used
in ski passes and like electronic devices on
the front passenger seat. Signals from such
devices may interfere with the BabySmart
TM
system. Such signal interference, for exam-
ple, may cause the 7 indicator lamp not
to come on during self-test or be continu-
ously lit, indicating that the system is not
functioning.
80 Safety and Security
Driving and safety systems
In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:
ABS (Antilock Brake System)
BAS (Brake Assist System)
4-ETS (Electronic Traction System)
EBB (Electronic Brake Booster)
ESP (Electronic Stability Program)
ABS
The ABS regulates the brake pressure so
t h a t t h e w h e e l s d o n o t l o c k d u r i n g b r a k i n g .
This allows you to maintain the ability to
steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions (as long as the
differential locks are not engaged).
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode. Keep firm and steady
pressure on the brake pedal while experi-
encing the pulsation.
i
In winter operation, the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS, ESP, EBB, and
4-ETS is only achieved with winter tires
or snow chains as required.
Warning!G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:
Excessive speed, especially in turns
Wet and slippery road surfaces
Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, ESP, and 4-ETS cannot
reduce this risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
ABS and significantly reduces braking effec-
tiveness.
111 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and the parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch.
Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off au-
tomatically depending on the brightness of
the ambient light:
Low beam headlamps
Tail and parking lamps
License plate lamps
Side marker lamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionU.
With the SmartKey in starter switch
position1 only the parking lamps will
switch on and off automatically.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps, the tail and parking
lamps, the license plate lamps, and the
side marker lamps will switch on and
off automatically.
i
With the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch and the driver’s door
open, a warning sounds if the parking
lamps or low beam headlamps are
switched on.
The message
TURN OFF LIGHTS! ap-
pears in the multifunction display.
Warning!G
If the exterior lamp switch is set toU,
the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright am-
bient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.
the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others,
activate headlamps by turning exterior
lamp switch to B when driving or
when traffic and / or ambient lighting
conditions require you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from position U to B with
the vehicle at a standstill in a safe loca-
tion. Switching from U to B will
briefly switch off the headlamps. Doing
so while driving in low ambient lighting
conditions may result in an accident.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle’s lights at all
times.
113 Controls in detail
Lighting
Locator lighting and night security illu-
mination
The locator lighting and the night security
illumination are described in the “Control
system section”, see (
page 139) and
(
page 140).
Exterior rear view mirror lamps
If the vehicle is centrally unlocked in the
darkness, the lamps in the exterior rear
view mirrors come on.
If a door is opened, the lamp on this side
goes out. If no doors are opened, the
lamps will switch off:
after a maximum of 40 seconds
immediately, when you switch on the
ignition (
page 35)Fog lamps
Front fog lamps
Switch on the low beam headlamps
(
page 110).
Pull out the exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The front fog lamps switch on.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
exterior lamp switch comes on
(
page 110).
Push in the exterior lamp switch.
The front fog lamps switch off.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
exterior lamp switch goes out.
Warning!G
In low ambient lighting or foggy conditions,
only switch from position UtoBwith
the vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching from UtoB will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions
may result in an accident.
i
Fog lamps will operate with the parking
lamps and/or low beam headlamps on.
Fog lamps should only be used in con-
junction with low beam headlamps.
Consult your State or Province Motor
Vehicle Regulations regarding allow-
able lamp operation.
i
Fog lamps cannot be switched on with
the exterior lamp switch in
positionU. For switching on the fog
lamps, turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB first.
115 Controls in detail
Lighting
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be
switched on at all times, even with the
SmartKey removed from the starter
switch.
The hazard warning flasher switches on au-
tomatically when an airbag deploys.
The hazard warning flasher switch is locat-
ed on the center console.
1Hazard warning flasher switchSwitching on hazard warning flasher
Press hazard warning flasher
switch1.
All the turn signal lamps are flashing.Switching off hazard warning flasherPress hazard warning flasher switch1
again.
i
With the hazard warning flasher acti-
vated and the combination switch set
for either left or right turn, only the re-
spective turn signals will operate when
the SmartKey is in starter switch
position1or2.
i
If the hazard warning flasher has been
activated automatically, press hazard
warning flasher switch1 once to
switch it off.
119 Controls in detail
Lighting
Switching off
Open the tailgate.
Press door lock1 down until it
engages (arrow).Switching on
Press lock cylinder2 to activate the
cargo compartment lamps again.
The cargo compartment lamps will
switch on.
!
Do not close the tailgate if the lock is
engaged in down position. The lock
could otherwise be damaged.
When locking the tailgate, it is impor-
tant that the door lock be in the same
original position as shown in the illus-
tration.
To return the door lock1 to its origi-
nal position, press lock cylinder2.
Warning!G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the tail-
gate opening when closing the tailgate. Be
especially careful when small children are
around.
Only drive with the tailgate closed as other-
wise exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle
interior.