51 Getting started
Driving
Place the shoulder portion of the seat
belt across the top of your shoulder
and the lap portion across your hips.
Push latch plate2 into buckle3 until
it clicks.
If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.
Belt outlet height adjustment
1Release button
Press release button1 and move the
seat belt height adjuster upward or
downward.Proper use of seat belts
Do not twist the seat belt when fasten-
ing.
Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck). Never pass the
shoulder portion of the seat belt under
your arm.
Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.
Place the seat backrest in a nearly
upright position.
Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.
Do not fasten a seat belt around a
person and another object at the same
time. When using a seat belt to secure
infant restraint or toddler restraint or
children in booster seats, always follow
the child seat manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
Check your seat belt periodically
during travel to make sure that it is
properly positioned.
Make sure that the seat belt is always
fitted snugly. Take special care of this
when wearing loose clothing. Warning!
G
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
Do not allow the seat belt to get caught in
the door or in the seat adjustment mecha-
nism. This could damage the seat belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the seat belts.
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.
Damaged seat belts or seat belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be re-
placed. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
70 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyAir bagsWarning!
G
Air bags are designed to reduce the poten-
tial of injury and fatality in certain frontal im-
pacts (front air bags), side impacts (side
impact air bags and window curtain air bags)
or rollovers (window curtain air bags). How-
ever, no system available today can totally
eliminate injuries and fatalities.
The activation of the air bags temporarily re-
leases a small amount of dust from the
air bags. This dust, however, is neither inju-
rious to your health, nor does it indicate a
fire in the vehicle. The dust might cause
some temporary breathing difficulty for peo-
ple with asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, you may wish to get out of the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have any breathing difficulty but cannot get
out of the vehicle after the air bag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
door.
Warning!
G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear their
respective seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the backrest. Fasten
your seat belt and make sure that it is prop-
erly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating and hands
on steering wheel position will help to keep
you at a safe distance from the air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the air bag can be seriously
injured or killed by an air bag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:
Sit properly belted in a nearly upright
position with your back against the seat
backrest.
Adjust the driver seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper opera-
tion of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the air bag cover
on the steering wheel must be at least
10 in (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any prob-
lems, please contact your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Do not lean your head or chest close to
the steering wheel or dashboard.
Keep hands on the outside of steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms
inside the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when driver front air bag inflates.
Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.
129 Controls in detailSeats
Seats
For more information on seat adjustment,
see “Adjusting” (
page 41).
For more information on folding the seats,
see “Loading” (
page 273).
Front seat active head restraints
You cannot remove the active head re-
straint on the driver’s and front passen-
ger’s seats.For removal of the active head restraints
we recommend that you contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
For information on head restraint adjust-
ment, see “Seat adjustment” (
page 43).
For information on active head restraints,
see “Active head restraints” (
page 87).
Rear seat head restraints
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint so that the center
of the head restraint supports the back of
the head at eye level. This will reduce the po-
tential for injury to the head and neck in the
event of an accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.
i
Adjust the head restraint in such a way that
it is as close to the head as possible.Warning!
G
For safety reasons, always drive with the
rear head restraints in the upright position
when the rear seats are occupied.
Keep the area around head restraints clear
of articles (e.g. clothing) to not obstruct the
folding operation of the head restraints.
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that the head re-
straint supports the back of the head at eye
level. This will reduce the potential for injury
to the head and neck in the event of an ac-
cident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.
Do not interchange head restraints from
front and rear seat.i
The rear seat head restraints cannot be ad-
justed.
131 Controls in detailSeats
Installing rear seat head restraintsLumbar support
The curvature of the front seats can be ad-
justed to help enhance lower back support
and seating comfort.
1Adjustment lever
Move adjustment lever1 in direction
of the arrows until you have reached a
comfortable seating position.
Multicontour seat*
The multicontour seat has a movable seat
cushion and inflatable air cushions built
into the backrest to provide additional lum-
bar and side support.
The seat cushion movement, backrest
cushion height and curvature can be con-
tinuously varied with switches on the right
side of the seat on the driver side, or the
left side of the seat on the passenger side.1Backrest side bolster
2Backrest center
3Backrest bottom
4Seat cushion depth
Switch on the ignition (
page 37).
Seat cushion depth
Adjust the seat cushion depth to the
length of your upper leg using
switch4.
Backrest contour
Adjust the contour of the backrest to
the desired position using æ or
ç.
i
When installing the head restraints, make
sure that:
you place the correct head restraint on the
middle seat. It is marked with the letter “M”
on the outside of the metal bars.
the head restraints engage fully.
508 IndexHead restraints 129
Comfort head restraint, Adjusting 44
Folding back 130
Front seat, Adjusting 43
Rear seat, Removing and
installing 130
Headlamp cleaning system* 198
Headlamp shut-off delay see Delayed
shut-off, Exterior lamps
Headlamps
Active Bi-Xenon headlamps* 137
Automatic headlamp mode 138
Bi-Xenon* 137
Cleaning lenses 372
Cleaning system* 198
Halogen 446
High beam see High beam flasher
High beam see High beam headlamps
Low beam see Low beam headlamps
Manual headlamp mode 138
Replacing bulbs 446
Switch 56
Headliner and shelf below rear window,
Cleaning and care of 376
Heated seats* 132Heated steering wheel
(Canada only) 289
Height adjustment
Vehicle level control 266
High beam flasher 57, 142
High beam headlamps 57, 137, 444
Indicator lamp 27, 142
Replacing bulbs 444
Switching on 142
High mounted brake lamp 445
High-performance brake system
(E 63 AMG only) 312
Hood 325
Message in display 430
Horn 25
HVAC see Climate control system
Hydroplaning 314
I
Identification labels 476
Identification Number, Vehicle (VIN) 477
Ignition 38
Immobilizer 106
Indicator lamps see Lamps, indicator and
warning
Infant and child restraint systems see Chil-
dren in the vehicleInflation pressure see Tires, Inflation pres-
sure
Inside door handle 119
Instrument cluster 26, 148
Illumination brightness 148
Lamps 380
Multifunction display 151
Instrument lighting see Instrument cluster,
Illumination brightness
Instrument panel see Instrument cluster
Instruments and controls see Cockpit
Interior lighting
Delayed shut-off 176
Interior rear view mirror 47
Auto-dimming mirrors 198
Interior storage spaces see Storage com-
partments
J
Jack 432
Jump starting 464
K
Key, Mechanical 436
Loss of 119
Valet locking 126
514 IndexRestraint system see Children in the vehi-
cle
Retaining hooks 281
Reverse gear position, Automatic
transmission 184, 186
Rims 361, 481
Roadside Assistance 12
Roller sunblind* 202
RON 322
Roof rack* 273
Rubber parts, cleaning 375
Run Flat Indicator 343
S
Safety
Driving safety systems 97
Occupant 68
Reporting defects 18
Safety belts see Seat belts 49
Satellite radio* 161
Seat belt force limiter 85Seat belts 82
Children in the vehicle 88
Cleaning 376
Fastening 49
Height adjustment 51
Proper use of 51, 84
Safety guidelines 72
Telltale 27, 388
Warning lamp 388
Seating capacity 337
Seats 41, 129
Easy-entry/exit feature 46
Heater* 132
Memory function 134
Multicontour seat* 131
Ventilation* 133
Seats, Rear bench seat* 276
Securing cargo
Cargo tie-down rings 280
Selective setting see SmartKey
Selector lever
Message in the display 407
Selector lever see Gear selector leverSelf-test
BabySmart
TM air bag deactivation
system 81
OCS 80
Tele Aid 295
Service and warranty information 10
Service intervals see Maintenance, Service
indicator
Service life, Tires 334
Service see Maintenance
Service system see FSS (Canada vehicles)
or Maintenance System (US vehicles)
Service, Parts 474
Settings 116
Control system menus and
submenus 153
Date 172, 173
Individual, Vehicle 166
Memory function 135
Resetting all, Control system 166
Selective, SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* 117
Time 172
Shelf below rear window, cleaning 376
Shift program mode, Automatic
transmission 190