74 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The 56indicator lamp is located in
the center console.
1Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp
The 56indicator lamp1 will be
illuminated, except with the SmartKey
removed from the starter switch or with
the starter switch in position0.iDeployment of the driver front air bag does
not mean that the front passenger front air bag
also should have deployed.
The Occupant Classification System (
page 71)
may have determined:
that the seat was empty or occupied by the
weight up to or less than that of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint – both instances where the
system suppresses deployment of the front
passenger front air bag even though the im-
pact met the criteria and was of sufficient
severity to deploy the driver front air bag.
that the seat was occupied by a small individ-
ual (such as a young teenager or a small
adult) or a child weighing more than the
weight of a typical 12-month-old child in a
standard child restraint – instances where
the system may suppress deployment of the
front passenger front air bag even though
the impact met the criteria and was of suffi-
cient severity to deploy the driver front air
bag.
Warning!G
If the 1indicator lamp and the
56indicator lamp are lit at the same
time, there is a malfunction in the Occupant
Classification System. The front passenger
front air bag will be deactivated in this case.
In order to ensure proper operation of the
air bag system and OCS:
Have the system checked as soon as
possible by qualified technicians.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Sit properly belted in a nearly upright
position with your back against the seat
backrest.
Do not lean on the armrests or lift your-
self from the seat by using the handle
over the door as this may cause the OCS
to be unable to correctly approximate
the occupant weight category.
75 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Self-test Occupant Classification
System
After turning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position1 or2 or pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button once or
twice, the 56 indicator lamp
located in the center console illuminates. If
an adult occupant is properly sitting on the
front passenger seat and the system
senses the occupant as being an adult,
the56 indicator lamp will
illuminate and go out after
approximately 6 seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the system
senses the front passenger seat as being
empty, the 56 indicator lamp will
illuminate and not go out. More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 376).
Seat belts
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in all
50 states, the District of Columbia, the
U.S. territories and all Canadian provinces.
Even where this is not the case, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts
fastened whenever the vehicle is in
motion.
For more information, see “Fastening the
seat belts” (
page 47).
Only have the seat repaired or replaced
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.
Warning!G
If the 56 indicator lamp should not
illuminate, the system is not functioning.
You must see an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center before seating any child on the front
passenger seat.
Warning!G
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the Occupant Classifi-
cation System. 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 increasing protec-
tion for the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of child seats.
iFor information on infants and children trav-
eling with you in the vehicle and restraint sys-
tems for infants and children, see “Children in
the vehicle” (
page 82).
77 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
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
section, as that could result in serious
injuries 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,
front passenger front air bag, head-tho-
rax air bags and rear side impact air
bags*), ETD (seat belt emergency ten-
sioning device), and front seat knee bol-
sters. The system is designed to
enhance the protection offered to prop-
erly belted occupants in certain frontal
(front air bags and ETD) and side
(head-thorax air bags and rear side im-
pact air bags* and ETD) impacts which
exceed preset deployment thresholds.
Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your shoul-
der. In a frontal crash, your body would
move too far forward. That would
increase the chance of head and neck
injuries. The belt would also apply too
much force to the ribs or abdomen,
which could severely injure internal or-
gans such as your liver or spleen.
Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as these
might cause injuries.
Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips and not across the abdo-
men. If the belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries
in a crash.
Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat
belt around a person and another
person or other objects.
Belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you wouldn’t have the full width
of the belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted belt against your body could
cause injuries.
Pregnant women should also always use
a lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible
pressure on the abdomen.
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.
When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in
booster seats, always follow the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.
86 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Blocking of rear side window operation
You can block the rear side window
operation (for instance when you have
children riding in the rear passenger
compartment).
The override switch is located on the door
control panel of the driver’s door.
1Deactivating override switch
2Activating override switch
3Override switchActivating override switch
Slide override switch3 to the right in
direction2.
The rear side windows can no longer be
operated using the respective switch
located in the rear trim panels.
Deactivating override switch
Slide override switch3 to the left in
direction1.
The rear side windows can be operated
using the respective switch located in
the rear trim panels.
For more information, see “Power win-
dows” (
page 249).
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. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iOperation of the rear side windows with the
switches located on the door control panel of the
driver’s door is still possible.
87 Safety and Security
Panic alarm
Panic alarm
1Â button
Activating
Press and hold button  for at least
1 second.
An audible alarm and flashing exterior
lamps will operate briefly.
Deactivating
Press button  again.
or
Insert the SmartKey or the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* in starter switch.
or
Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 37).
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must
be inside the vehicle.
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 interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, 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 re-
ceived, 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.
91 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see the "Practical
hints" section (
page 372) and
(
page 380).
Warning!G
Never switch off the ESP® when you see the
ESP® warning lamp v flashing in the
instrument cluster. In this case, proceed as
follows:
While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.
While driving, ease upon the accelera-
tor.
Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP
® cannot prevent accidents result-
ing from excessive speed.
Warning!G
The ESP® cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded by the exist-
ing road and tire conditions. The ESP
®
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The
capabilities of an ESP
® equipped vehicle
must never be exploited in a reckless or dan-
gerous manner which could jeopardize the
user’s safety or the safety of others.
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine must be turned off (SmartKey in
starter switch position0 or1 or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button in position0 or1) when
the parking brake is being tested on a brake
test dynamometer
the vehicle is being towed with the front axle
raised
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system.
iThe ESP® will only function properly if
you use wheels of the recommended tire
size (
page 466).
95 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft systems
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
Activating
With the SmartKey
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
With KEYLESS-GO*
Turn off the engine by means of the
start/stop button (
page 37) on the
gear selector lever.
Open the driver’s door.
Deactivating
With the SmartKey
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.With KEYLESS-GO*
Switch on the ignition (page 38).
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens
a door
the trunk
the hood.
The alarm will stay on even if the activating
element (e.g. a door) is immediately
closed.The alarm system will also be triggered
when
the vehicle is opened with the
mechanical key.
someone opens a door from the inside.
someone opens the trunk with the
emergency release button.
iStarting the engine will also deactivate the
immobilizer.
In case the engine cannot be started (yet the ve-
hicle’s battery is charged), the system is not op-
erational. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA), or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response Center is ini-
tiated automatically by the Tele Aid system
(
page 287) provided Tele Aid service was sub-
scribed to and properly activated, and that nec-
essary cellular service and GPS coverage are
available.
96 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Arming the alarm system
The indicator lamp is in the center console.
1Indicator lamp
Lock the vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash three times,
and an acoustic signal sounds three
times, to indicate that the alarm sys-
tem is armed.
Indicator lamp1 begins to flash after
approximately 30 seconds after arming
the alarm system.Disarming the alarm system
Unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash once, and
an acoustic signal sounds once, to
indicate that the alarm system is
disarmed.Canceling the alarm
With the SmartKey
Press the Œ or ‹button on the
SmartKey.
or
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
With KEYLESS-GO*
Pull an outside door handle.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must
be within 3 ft (1 m) of the vehicle.
or
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button (
page 38).
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must
be inside the vehicle.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not flash three
times, and the acoustic signal do not sounds
three times (if equipped and feature activated),
one of the following elements may not be prop-
erly closed:
a door
the trunk
Close the respective element and lock the vehi-
cle again.
iThe alarm system will rearm automatically
after approximately 40 seconds if neither a door
nor the trunk lid was opened.