2007 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 BLUETEC child restraint

91 Safety and Security
Occupant safety


A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat will be serious-
ly injured or even killed if the front pas-
senger front air bag inflates in a collision
which could occur under some circum-
stances, even with the air bag technolo-
gy installed in your vehicle. The only
means to completely eliminate this risk
is to never place a child in a rear-facing
child restraint in the front seat. We
therefore strongly recommend that you
always place a child in a rear-facing
child restraint in the back seat.


If you must install a rear-facing child re-
straint on the front passenger seat be-
cause circumstances require you to do
so, make sure that the
75indicator lamp is illumi-
nated, indicating that the front passen-
ger front air bag is deactivated. Should
the indicator lamp not illuminate or go
out while the restraint is installed,
please check installation. Periodically
check the indicator lamp while driving to
make sure the lamp is illuminated. If the
75indicator lamp goes out
or remains out, do not transport a child
on the front passenger seat until the
system has been repaired. A child in a
rear-facing child restraint on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured
or even killed if the front passenger front
air bag inflates.


If you have to place a child in a
forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat, move the seat as
far back as possible, use the proper
child restraint recommended for the
age, size and weight of the child, and se-
cure child restraint with the vehicle’s
seat belt according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. For
children larger than the typical
12-month-old child, the front passenger
front air bag may or may not be activat-
ed (
page 77).

92 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Installation of infant and child restraint
systems
This vehicle is equipped with tether an-
chorages for a top tether strap at each of
the rear seating positions.Not foldable rear seat backrest
1Cover

Remove cover1 from anchorage
ring3 (
page 93).

Store cover1 in a convenient place
(e.g. glove box).

Guide tether strap between head re-
straint and top of the seat back.
Head restraint must be installed (if re-
movable) and positioned such that the
top tether strap can pass freely be-
tween the head restraint and the top of
the seat back.
Warning!
G
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.
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Posi-
tion shoulder belt across chest and shoul-
der, not face or neck. A booster seat may be
necessary to achieve proper seat belt posi-
tioning for children over 41 lb 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 an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

93 Safety and Security
Occupant safety

Make sure the tether strap is not twist-
ed.
2Hook
3Anchorage ring

Securely fasten the hook2, which is
part of the tether strap, to the anchor-
age ring3.
Once the top tether anchorage hook is at-
tached, the child restraint itself can be se-
cured.

Install the child restraint system and
tighten the top tether strap according
to the child restraint manufacturer’s in-
structions.
Foldable rear seat backrest*

Fold rear seat backrest slightly forward
(page 277).

Remove cover from anchorage ring3.

Guide tether strap between head re-
straint and top of the seat back.
Head restraint must be positioned such
that the top tether strap can pass freely
between the head restraint and the top
of the seat back.

Make sure the tether strap is not twist-
ed.2Hook
3Anchorage ring

Securely fasten the hook2, which is
part of the tether strap, to the anchor-
age ring3.
i
For safety, make sure the hook2 has at-
tached to the anchorage ring3 beyond the
safety catch, as illustrated.
i
For safety, make sure the hook2 has at-
tached to the anchorage ring3 beyond the
safety catch, as illustrated.


94 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety2Hook
3Anchorage ring
S w i n g r e a r s e a t b a c k r e s t t o t h e r e a r u n -
til it engages.

Check the rear seat backrest to be
locked in its upright position
(page 412).
Once the top tether anchorage hook is
attached, the child restraint itself can be
secured.

Install the child restraint system and
tighten the top tether strap according
to the child restraint manufacturer’s in-
structions.Child seat anchors - LATCH type
This vehicle is equipped with two LATCH
(L
ower A
nchors and T
ethers for CH
ildren)
type anchors (at each of the outer rear
seats) for the installation of a “LATCH”
child seat with the matching mounting fit-
tings.
The anchors are located behind an uphol-
stery blend.
1Indicates the position of the anchors
2Anchors

Lift up upholstery blend to access the
anchors2.

Install child seat according to the
manufacturer’s instructions.
!
Make sure the seat belt for the center seat
can operate freely with a child seat installed.
i
Non-LATCH type child seats may also be
used and can be installed using the vehicle’s
seat belt system (
page 88). Install child seat
according to the manufacturer’s instructions.


95 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Blocking of rear door window operation
1Override switch
2Indicator lamp
Press override switch1.
Indicator lamp2 comes on. The rear
door windows can no longer be operat-
ed using the switches located in the
rear doors.For more information on power windows,
see the “Controls in detail” section
(
page 237).
Warning!
G
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Posi-
tion shoulder belt across chest and shoul-
der, not face or neck. A booster seat may be
necessary to achieve proper seat belt posi-
tioning for children over 41 lb until they
reach a height where a lap/shoulder belt fits
properly without a booster.
Install child seat according to manufactur-
er’s instructions.
T h e c h i l d s e a t m u s t b e f i r m l y a t t a c h e d t o t h e
right and left side anchors2 (
page 94).
An incorrectly mounted child seat may come
loose during an accident which could result
in serious injury or death to the child.
Damaged or impact damaged child seats or
child seat mounting fittings must be re-
placed.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system.
!
Operation of the rear door windows with the
switches located on the door control panel of the
driver’s door is still possible.
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.

394 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
(USA only)75The indicator lamp does not illuminate
and/or does not remain illuminated
with the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child
restraint or less on the front passenger
seat.
The system is malfunctioning.

Make sure that there is nothing between seat cush-
ion and child seat and check installation of the child
seat.

Make sure that no objects applying supplemental
weight onto the seat are present.

Make sure that no objects which apply forces to the
seat are present (e.g. objects such as books, brief-
cases etc. lodged behind or around the seat, head
restraints pushing against roof etc.). The system
may recognize such forces as supplemental weight.

If the light remains out, have the system checked as
soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Do not transport a child on the front passen-
ger seat until the system has been repaired.

Read and observe messages in the multifunction
display and follow corrective steps (
page 403).
Warning!
G
If the
75
indicator lamp does
not illuminate or remains out with the
weight of a typical 12-month-old child in a
standard child restraint or less on the front
passenger seat,
do not transport a child on the front passen-
ger seat until the system has been repaired.

395 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
(Canada only)75
The indicator lamp illu-
minates and remains
illuminated
(page 81).
A BabySmart
TM child seat is installed on
the passenger seat. Therefore the front
passenger front air bag is switched off.
The system is malfunctioning when there
is no BabySmart
TM child seat installed on
the passenger seat.

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
The indicator lamp
does not illuminate or
does not remain illumi-
nated with a
BabySmart
TM child seat
properly installed on
the passenger seat.
The system is malfunctioning.

Make sure there is nothing between
seat cushion and child seat.

Check installation of the child seat
(page 92).
If the front passenger front air bag off indi-
cator lamp remains out:

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
Do not use the BabySmart
TM restraint to
transport children on the front passenger
seat until the system has been repaired.

403 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
(USA only)Front passenger
airbag enabled
See Operator’s Manual
Front passenger front air bag is
activated while driving even
though a child, small individual, or
object below the system’s weight
threshold is on the front passen-
ger seat, or the front passenger
seat is empty. Objects on the seat
or forces acting on the seat may
make the system sense supple-
mental weight.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as possible and check the
front passenger seat for the following:
Apply the parking brake.

Switch off the ignition (
page 38).

Open the front passenger door.

Remove child and child restraint from front passenger seat and
properly secure the child in rear seat employing the child restraint
if necessary.

Remove any other items from on and around the front passenger
seat and make sure the storage pocket on the back of the front pas-
senger seat is empty.

Make sure that no objects which apply forces to the seat are
present (e.g. objects such as books, briefcases etc. lodged behind
or around the seat, head restraints pushing against roof etc.). The
system may recognize such forces as supplemental weight and
sense that an occupant on the front passenger seat is of a greater
weight than actually present.

Keep the seat unoccupied, close the front passenger door and turn
on the ignition (
page 38).
(Continued on next page)