Occupant safet
y 51
R
independently of other airbags in the vehi-
cle
R except when the vehicle overturns, unless
the system detects a high rate of vehicle
deceleration in a longitudinal direction 1
Driver's front airba g
2 Front-passenger front airba g
Driver's front airbag 1deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front airbag
2 deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment .
In vehicles with automatic child seat recog-
nition in the front-passenger seat*, front-
passenger front airbag 2is only deployed if
the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp in the centre console is not lit
( Y page 55). This means that a child restraint system with automatic child seat
recognition* has not been fitted to the front-
passenger seat or has been fitted incorrectly.
Driver's knee airba
g
i The driver's knee airbag is only available
for certain countries.
The driver's knee airbag can help reduce the
risk of injury to the knees and lower legs. 1
Driver's knee airba g
Driver's knee airbag 1is always deployed
along with the driver's front airbag and
inflates underneath the steering column. Sidebags G
Risk of injury
If you wish to use seat covers, Mercedes-
Benz recommends that, for safety reasons ,
you only use seat covers that have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The
seat covers must be equipped with a spe -
cial tear seam for sidebags. Otherwise, a
sidebag may not deploy correctly and could
fail to provide the intended protection in the
event of an accident. These seat covers can
be obtained from a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre. G
Risk of injury
Sensors to control the airbags are locate d
in the doors. Therefore, do not make any
modifications to the doors or door trims,
e.g. retrofitting loudspeakers. Damage to
the doors can affect how the sidebags oper-
ate.
The sidebags are intended to offer additional
protection for the thorax when activated.
However, they do not protect the head, nec k
and arms. Safety
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
mkalafa
, 2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 51 Z
Driving safety sys
tems 67vehicle is in motion, injuring themselves
and others . 1
Indicator lamp
2 Button
X To activate :press button 2.
Indicator lamp 1lights up. The rear side
windows can only be operated using the
switches on the driver's door.
X To deactivate :press button 2.
Indicator lamp 1goes out. You can oper-
ate the rear side windows using the
switches in the rear compartment. Driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock Braking System)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System)
R Adaptive brake lamps
R ESP ®
( Electronic Stability Program)
R EBV (electronic brake-power distribution)
i In wintry road conditions, use winter tyres
(M+S tyres) and snow chains if necessary. . G
Risk of accident
The risk of an accident is significantl y
increased by driving too fast. This is partic-
ularly the case when cornering on wet and
slippery roads and when driving too clos e
to the vehicle in front.
The driving safety systems described in thi s
section cannot reduce this risk or override
the laws of physics.
For this reason, always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions. Maintain sufficient distance
from other road users and objects on the
road. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently. G
Risk of accident
Do not depress the brake pedal severa l
times in quick succession (pumping) .
Depress the brake firmly and evenly. Pump-
ing the brake pedal reduces the braking
effect.
Braking If ABS intervenes when braking, you will fee
l
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
If ABS intervenes:
X Continue to depress the brake pedal wit h
force until the braking situation is over.
For full braking application:
X Depress the brake pedal with maximum
force. Safety
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-G
B
mkalafa , 2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 67
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
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
mkalafa,
2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 68
Driving safety sys
tems 69ESP
®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot overrid e
the laws of physics .
! If the vehicle is to be towed with the front
or rear axle raised, the ignition must be
switched off (key in position 0or 1in the
ignition lock). Application of the brakes by
ESP ®
could otherwise destroy the brake
system on the front or rear axle.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC* may not be towe d
with the front or rear axle raised .
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly .
ESP ®
trailer stabilisin g If your trailer begins to lurch, you can only
stabilise the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly .
In this situation, ESP ®
assists you and detect s
if the trailer begins to snake. ES P®
slows the
vehicle down by braking and limiting the
engine output until the vehicle/trailer com-
bination has stabilised. Trailer stabilising is active from about
65 km/h. G
Risk of accident
If the road and weather conditions are bad,
trailer stabilising will not be able to prevent
the trailer from lurching or reduce the ris k
of accident. Trailers with a high centre of
gravity can tip over before ESP ®
can detect
this .
Trailer stabilising does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or switched off because of a mal-
function .
ETS (Electronic Traction Support) Traction control is part of ES
P®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side.
Traction control remains active when you
deactivate ESP ®
. G
Risk of accident
Traction control cannot reduce the risk of
an accident if you drive too fast. Traction
control cannot override the laws of physics .Deactivating/activating ESP
® ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is running.
It may be best to deactivate ES P®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chain s
R in deep sno w
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the reason for
deactivation is longer present. ES P®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi -
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R The engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels can spin. The spinning of
the wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides better grip.
R Traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake. Safety
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
mkalafa,
2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 69
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
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
mkalafa,
2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 70
75
Opening and closing
...........................76
Key positions ...................................... .85
Seats .................................................... 86
Steering wheel .................................... 92
Mirrors ................................................. 93
Memory functions* .............................96
Seat belts ............................................ .98
Lights ................................................. 102
Windscreen wipers ...........................108
Side windows .................................... 110
Driving and parking ..........................113
Transmission ..................................... 117Instrument cluster
............................123
On-board computer (vehicles with
multi-function steering wheel, 4
buttons) ............................................. 125
On-board computer (vehicles with
the luxury multi-function steering
wheel*, 12 buttons) ..........................129
Driving systems ................................ 145
Air vents ............................................ 156
Thermatic .......................................... 158
Thermotronic* ................................... 165
Rear window heating ........................173
Sliding sunroof .................................. 173
Loading and stowing ........................179
Features ............................................. 195 Controls
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
mkalafa,
2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 75
Opening and closing
79
Restoring the factory settings X
Press the kandj buttons on the
key simultaneously for approximately six
seconds until the battery check lamp
flashes twice.
Locking from the luggage compartment
(Estate with remote boot locking*) On vehicles with KEYLESS GO* and EASY-
PACK tailgate*, you can close the tailgate
automatically and thereby centrally lock your
vehicle (Y page 84). Opening the doors from the inside
You can open a door from the inside at any
time, even if it has been locked. 1
Locking knob
2 Door handl e
X Pull door handle 2.
If the door is locked, locking knob 1pops
up. The door is unlocked and can be
opened. Automatic locking feature
The vehicle will lock automatically once you
have pulled away.
On vehicles with a luxury multi-function steer -
ing wheel you can also activate and deacti-
vate the automatic locking via the on-board
computer (Y page 143).
i The vehicle is locked automatically when
the ignition is switched on and the wheels
begin to turn. There is therefore a risk of
being locked out when the vehicle is being
pushed or tested on a dynamometer.
Switching on/off 1
To switch off
2 To switch on Controls
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
mkalafa,
2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 79
Seats
87G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trap -
ped as you adjust the seat.
Observe the notes concerning the airbag
system .
Secure children as recommended; see the
"Children in the vehicle" section.
! When you move the seats, make sure tha t
there are no objects in the footwell or
behind the seats. Otherwise, you could
damage the seats and the objects .
i It is not possible to remove the head
restraints from the front seats, or, in vehi-
cles without the through-loading feature,
the head restraints on the rear bench seats. Adjusting the seats manually and
electricall
y 1
Backrest angl e
2 Seat height
3 Seat cushion angle
4 Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
Seat fore-and-aft adjustment X
Lift handle 4and slide the seat forwards
or backwards .
X Release handle 4again .
Make sure that you hear the seat click into
position. Backrest angle X
Slide the button forwards or back in the
direction of arrow 1.
Seat height X
Slide the button up or down in the direction
of arrow 2.
Seat cushion angle Adjust the angle so that your thighs are lightly
supported.
X Turn thumbwheel 3in the desired direc -
tion.
Head restraint height G
Risk of injury
Make sure that the central area of the hea d
restraint supports the back of your head at
about eye level. You could seriously injure
your neck if your head is not correctly sup-
ported by the head restraint in the event of
an accident. Never travel without a cor-
rectly adjusted and engaged head restraint . Cont
rols
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
mkalafa,
2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 87