
Occupant safet
y 47In particular, work relevant to safety or on
safety-related systems must be carried out
at a qualified specialist workshop. If this
work is not carried out correctly, the oper-
ating safety of your vehicle may be affec -
ted. There is a risk of an accident and injury .SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
The SRS reduces the risk of occupants com-
ing into contact with the vehicle's interior in
the event of an accident.
The SRS consists of:
R The SRS warning lamp =
R Belt tensioners
R Belt force limiters
R Airbag s
The SRS warning lamp ==The SRS functions are checked regularly
when you turn on the ignition and when the
engine is running. Malfunctions can therefore
be detected in good time.
The = warning lamp in the instrumen t
cluster lights up when you switch on the igni -tion and goes out a few seconds after the
engine is started
. G
Risk of injury
If SRS is malfunctioning, individual systems
may be activated unintentionally or not be
triggered in the event of an accident with
heavy braking.
A malfunction has occurred if the =
warning lamp:
R does not light up when you switch on the
ignition
R does not go out after the engine has been
running for a few seconds
R lights up again once the engine is running
In this case, have SRS checked immedi-
ately at a qualified specialist workshop.
Triggering of belt tensioners, belt force
limiters and airbags In the event of a collision, the sensor in the
airbag control unit evaluates important phys-
ical data such as duration, direction and force
of the vehicle deceleration or acceleration.
Based on the evaluation of this data and
depending on the vehicle's rate of longitudi-
nal deceleration in a collision, in the firs
tstage the airbag control unit pre-emptively
triggers the belt tensioners.
The front airbags are only deployed if there is
an even higher rate of vehicle deceleration in
a longitudinal direction.
If your vehicle is fitted with adaptive dual-
stage front airbags, the front airbag is filled
with enough gas to reduce the risk of injuries
at the first deployment threshold. The front
airbag is only fully inflated if a second thresh-
old is reached within a few milliseconds due
to the control unit having detected further
deceleration.
i
The front belt tensioners can only be trig-
gered if the belt tongue is correctly
engaged in the seat belt buckle.
Criteria for triggering belt tensioners and
airbags
In the first stages of a collision, the sensor in
the airbag control unit evaluates physical
data such as duration, direction and rate of
vehicle deceleration or acceleration in order
to determine whether it is necessary to trig-
ger the belt tensioners and/or airbags.
The belt tensioner and airbag triggerin g
thresholds are variable and are adapted to the
rate of deceleration of the vehicle. This proc-
ess is pre-emptive in nature as the airba g Safety
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Occupant safet
y48
must be deployed during – and not at the end
of – the collision
.
i Airbags are not deployed in all types of
accident. They are controlled by comple x
sensor technology and evaluation logic.
This process is pre-emptive in nature as
airbag deployment must take place during
the impact and must be adapted to provide
calculated, additional protection for the
vehicle occupants. Not all airbags are
deployed in an accident.
The different airbag systems work inde-
pendently of each other. However, the
deployment of each individual system will
depend on the type of accident determined
by the control system in the first stages of
the collision (head-on collision, side impact
and overturn) and the extent of the acci-
dent (in particular, the vehicle's rate of
deceleration or acceleration).
The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the direction of the force are basi-
cally determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the colli -
sion
R the collision angle R
the deformation characteristics of the vehi-
cle
R the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided, e.g. the other vehi-
cle
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after the collision has taken place do not play
a decisive role in the deployment of an airbag,
nor do they provide an indication of it.
The vehicle may be considerably deformed
without an airbag being deployed if, for exam-
ple, only relatively easily deformable parts
such as the bonnet or wings have been hit and
the required rate of deceleration has not been
reached. It is also possible that airbags ma y
be deployed even though the vehicle is only
slightly deformed if, for example, very rigid
vehicle parts such as the longitudinal mem-
bers are hit in an accident and the rate of
deceleration is sufficient .
Belt tensioners, belt force limiters The front seat belts and the outer seat belts
in the rear are equipped with belt tensioners.
! Do not engage the seat belt tongue in the
buckle on the front-passenger seat if the
seat is not occupied. Otherwise the belt tensioner could be activated in an emer-
gency.
If the seat belt is also equipped with a belt
force limiter, the force exerted by the sea t
belt on the seat occupant is reduced.
Belt tensioners tighten the seat belts in an
accident, pulling them close against the body.
i Belt tensioners do not correct incorrect
seat positions or incorrectly fastened sea t
belts.
Belt tensioners do not pull occupants back
towards the backrest.
The front belt force limiters are synchronised
with the front airbags, which spread the
forces exerted by the belt force limiters on
the occupant over a greater area.
When the ignition is switched on, the belt ten -
sioner is triggered:
R only if the restraint systems are operational
(the = warning lamp lights up after th e
ignition is switched on and goes out onc e
the engine is running)( Ypage 47)
R for each three-point seat belt in the front of
the vehicle when the belt tongue is
engaged in the buckle
R in the event of a head-on or rear-end colli-
sion if the vehicle decelerates or acceler- Safety
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Occupant safet
y 49
ates rapidly in a longitudinal direction
during the initial stages of the collision
When the belt tensioners are triggered, you
will hear a bang, which will not cause any
harm to your hearing, and a small amount of
powder may also be released. The =warn-
ing lamp lights up. G
Risk of injury
If the seat belt tensioners have been trig -
gered, they provide no additional protec -
tion in the event of another accident.
Therefore, have belt tensioners which have
been triggered replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop .
Comply with safety regulations when dis-
posing of belt tensioners. Any Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre can provide details of
these regulations.
Airbag s Airbag deployment slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant.
When the airbags are triggered, you will hear
a bang, which will not cause any harm to your
hearing, and a small amount of powder ma y
also be released. The =warning lamp
lights up. The SRS/AIRBAG symbol indicates the loca-
tion of the airbags
. G
Risk of injury
Airbags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for the sea t
belts.
Observe the following notes to reduce the
risk of serious or even fatal injury if an air-
bag is deployed:
R Vehicle occupants — in particular preg-
nant woman — must wear their seat belt
correctly at all times and lean back
against their backrest, which should be
positioned as close to the vertical as pos-
sible. The head restraint must support
the back of the seat occupant's head at
about eye level.
R Always secure children less tha n
1.50 mtall or under 12 years of age in
suitable child restraint systems.
R All vehicle occupants must select a sea t
position that is as far away from the air-
bag as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven
safely. The driver's chest should be as far
away from the middle of the driver's fron t
airbag cover as possible. R
Move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible, in particular, if a child
is secured in a child restraint system on
the seat.
R Vehicle occupants – in particular, chil-
dren – must not lean their head into the
area of the window in which the sidebag/
windowbag is deployed.
R Rearward-facing child restraint systems
must not be fitted to the front-passenger
seat unless the front-passenger front air-
bag has been disabled. On the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger
front airbag is only deactivated if a child
restraint system with automatic child
seat recognition is fitted to the front-
passenger seat *.The 5 PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF warning lamp must be li t
constantly .
If either the rearward-facing child
restraint system or the front-passenger
seat* of your vehicle does not have auto-
matic child seat recognition, childre n
must be secured in a child restraint sys-
tem on a suitable seat in the rear. If you
secure a forward-facing child restraint
system to the front-passenger seat, you Safety
* optiona l
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Occupant safet
y561
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning lamp
5
The front-passenger seat sensor system for
child restraint systems automatically detect s
whether a special Mercedes-Benz child seat
with automatic child seat recognition has
been fitted. If this is the case, the 5
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning lamp on
the centre console lights up. The front-
passenger front airbag has been disabled. G
Risk of injury
If the 5PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warn-
ing lamp does not light up when the child
restraint system is fitted, the front-
passenger front airbag has not been disa-
bled. If the front-passenger front airbag is inflated, the child could be seriously or even
fatally injured.
Proceed as follows:
R
Do not use a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenge r
seat.
R Fit a rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem on a suitable rear seat.
or
R Only use a forward-facing child seat on
the front-passenger seat and move the
front-passenger seat to its rearmost
position.
R Have the automatic child seat recogni-
tion checked at a qualified specialist
workshop .
To ensure that the automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat func-
tions correctly, never place objects, e.g. a
cushion, under the child restraint system.
The entire base of the child restraint system
must always be resting on the seat cushion.
An incorrectly fitted child restraint system
cannot perform its intended protective function in the event of an accident, and
could even lead to injuries.
i The windowbag, the sidebag and the belt
tensioner on the front-passenger side are
still active even if the front-passenger front
airbag is disabled. G
Risk of injury
Do not place items of electronic equipment
on the front-passenger seat, e.g.:
R laptops, if switched on
R mobile phones
R cards with transponders, e.g. ski passe s
or access passes
as signals from electronic equipment can
cause interference in the automatic child
seat recognition sensor system. This can
cause the system to malfunction. It could
cause the 5PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
warning lamp to light up even when no child
seat with automatic child seat recognition
has been fitted. The front-passenger front
airbag would not be triggered in an acci-
dent. It may also be that th e
5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp does not light up briefly when you turn
the key to position 2in the ignition lock .Safety
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Driving safety sys
tems68 G
Risk of accident
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. This limits the steerability of the
vehicle when braking and the braking dis-
tance may increase.
If ABS is deactivated due to a malfunction,
then BAS and ESP are also deactivated. BAS (Brake Assist)
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force ,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. G
Risk of accident
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking sys-
tem remains available with full brake boost-
ing effect. However, braking force is not
automatically increased in emergency
braking situations and the stopping dis-
tance may increase. Adaptive brake lamps
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from a speed of mor e
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS,
the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way,
traffic travelling behind you is warned in an
even more noticeable manner .
If you brake from a speed of more than
70 km/h and bring the vehicle to a halt, the
hazard warning lamps switch on automati-
cally once the vehicle is stationary and the
brake lamps light up constantly if you depres s
the brake pedal again. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h again. ES
P®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ES P®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviatin g
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified, if
necessary, to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within the laws of physics. ESP assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the vwarning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrumen t
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any cir -
cumstances .
R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R Adapt your driving style to suit the pre -
vailing road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid. Safety
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Anti-theft syste
ms70
i
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or mor e
wheels start to spin, the vwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster flashes. ES P®
then does not stabilise the vehicle. 1
To deactivate/activate ESP ®
X To deactivate :press button 1.
The v warning lamp in the instrumen t
cluster lights up . G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrumen t
cluster is permanently lit when the engine
is running, ESP ®
is deactivated or not avail-
able due to a malfunction. The risk of your
vehicle skidding is then increased in certain
situations. You should therefore always adapt your
driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions.
X To activate :press button 1.
The v warning lamp in the instrumen t
cluster goes out. EBV (electronic brake-power distribu-
tion)
EBV monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability under braking. G
Risk of accident
If EBV is malfunctioning, the brake system
is still available with full brake boosting
effect. However, the rear wheels can stil l
lock, e.g. under full braking. This could
cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and cause an accident. You should there-
fore adapt your driving style to the differen t
handling characteristics. Anti-theft systems
Immobiliser
The immobiliser prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct key.
Activating the immobiliser X
With the key: remove the key from the
ignition lock.
X With KEYLESS GO*: press the KEYLESS
GO button on the dashboard.
The engine switches off.
Deactivating the immobiliser X
With the key: turn the key to position 2in
the ignition lock .
X With KEYLESS GO*: press the KEYLESS
GO button on the dashboard twice without
depressing the brake.
i The immobiliser is always deactivated
when you start the engine. Safety
* optional
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Seat belts
100
X
Click belt tongue 2into buckle3 .
X If necessary, adjust the belt to the appro-
priate height (Y page 100).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the belt to tighten the belt across
your body.
Routing the belt X
Press release button 4and guide belt
tongue 2back towards belt sash guide
1 . Belt warning for driver and fron
t
passenge r
The < seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster reminds you that all occupants
should fasten their seat belts. The
or it may flash. Additionally there may be a
warning tone.
The < seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tone ceases when the driver and
the front passenger have fastened their seat
belt.
For certain countries only: independent of
whether the driver or the front passenger are already secured, the
has been started. The
front passenger have fastened their seat belt.
i Further information about the
You can adjust the seat belt height on the
driver's seat and front-passenger seat.
Adjust the belt to a height that allows it to be
routed across the middle of your shoulder. 1
Release catch X
To raise: slide the belt sash guide upwards .
The belt sash guide engages in various posi-
tions.
X To lower: press and hold release button
1 .
X Slide the belt sash guide downwards .
X Let go of release button 1and make sure
that the belt sash guide has engaged . Rear seat belt status indicator
i The status indicator for the rear seat belts
is only available for certain countries.
The status indicator for the rear seat belts
tells you how many of the belt tongues are
inserted into the seat belt buckles. This ena-
bles you to see whether the occupants have
fastened their seat belts.
You can see the following messages in the
multi-function display :
Vehicles with multi-function steering wheel (4
buttons)
R < No rr.st.belt engaged
R < 1 rr.st.belt engaged Controls
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Light
s 105
Headlamp flasher
X
To switch on: briefly pull the combinatio n
switch in the direction of arrow 2. Hazard warning lamps
1
Hazard warning lamp button
The hazard warning lamps still operate if the
ignition is switched off. They switch on auto-
matically if an airbag is deployed or if yo u
brake sharply and bring the vehicle to a halt
from a speed of more than 70 km/h.
X To activate :press hazard warning lamp
button 1.
All turn signals flash. If you now activate a
turn signal, only those turn signal lamps on the corresponding side of the vehicle will
flash.
X To deactivate :press hazard warning lamp
button 1.
i The hazard warning lamps switch off auto-
matically when you drive faster than
10 km/h. Adjusting the headlamp range (vehi-
cles with halogen headlamps)
The headlamp range control allows you to
adjust the cone of light from the headlamps
according to how your vehicle is laden.
You can only adjust the headlamp range while
the engine is running. 1
Thmubwheel for headlamp range Position Load
0 Front seats occupied
1 Front and rear seats occupied
2 Front and rear seats occu
-
pied, boot laden 3 Front seats occupied and
maximum rear axle load ha s
been reached, for example,
when towing a trailer. X
Turn thumbwheel for headlamp range 1to
the position which corresponds to the load
in your vehicle. Controls
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B
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