75 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the passenger seat will be seriously in-
jured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology in-
stalled in your vehicle.
If you install a rear-facing child restraint
on the passenger seat, make sure that
the 5/indicator lamp is illumi-
nated, indicating that the passenger
front air bag is deactivated. Should the
5/ indicator lamp not illuminate
or go out while the restraint is installed,
please check installation. Periodically
check the 5/ indicator lamp
while driving to make sure the
5/ indicator lamp is illuminated.
If the 5/ indicator lamp goes out
or remains out, do not transport a child
on the passenger seat until the system
has been repaired. A child in a rear-fac-
ing child restraint on the passenger seat
will be seriously injured or even killed if
the passenger front air bag inflates.
If you place a child in a forward-facing
child restraint on the passenger seat,
move the seat as far back as possible,
use the proper child restraint recom-
mended for the age, size and weight of
the child, and secure 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 passenger front
air bag may or may not be activated
(page 74).
i
Deployment of the driver front air bag does
not mean that the passenger front air bag also
should have deployed.
The Occupant Classification System (
page 72)
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 pas-
senger front air bag even though the impact
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
passenger front air bag even though the
impact met the criteria and was of sufficient
severity to deploy the driver front air bag.
76 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyThe 5/indicator lamp is located in
the upper part of the center console, be-
tween the center air vents.
1Front passenger front air bag off indica-
tor lamp
The 5/indicator lamp1 will be
illuminated, except with the SmartKey
removed or in starter switch position0.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 5/ indicator lamp
located in the upper part of the center con-
sole, between the center air vents illumi-
nates. If an adult occupant is properly
sitting on the passenger seat and the sys-
tem senses the occupant as being an
adult, the5/ indicator lamp will
illuminate and go out after
approximately 6 seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the system
senses the passenger seat as being empty,
the 5/ indicator lamp will
illuminate and not go out.
Warning!
G
If the 1indicator lamp and the
5/indicator lamp are lit at the same
time, there is a malfunction in the Occupant
Classification System. The 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.
Only have the seat repaired or replaced
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.
84 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyThe use of infant or child restraints is re-
quired by law in all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, the U.S. territories, and all Ca-
nadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be seat-
ed in an appropriate infant or child re-
straint system which is properly secured
by a lap-shoulder belt and that complies
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 and Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 213.
A statement by the child restraint manu-
facturer of compliance with this standard
can be found on the instruction label on
the restraint and in the instruction manual
provided with the restraint.When using any infant or child restraint
system, be sure to carefully read and fol-
low all manufacturer’s instructions for in-
stallation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels af-
fixed to inside of vehicle and to infant or
child restraints.Warning!
G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an appropri-
ate infant or child restraint recommended
for the size and weight of the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle's seat belt fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er's instructions.
Occupants, especially children, should nev-
er place their bodies or lean their heads in
the area of the door where the head-thorax
air bag inflates. This could result in serious
injuries or death should the head-thorax air
bag be triggered. Always sit nearly upright,
properly use the seat belt and use an appro-
priately sized infant or toddler restraint or
booster seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information when you place a
child in the passenger seat:
Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to turn off the front
passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the OCS senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard
appropriate child restraint on the front
passenger seat.
85 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the passenger seat will be seriously in-
jured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology in-
stalled in your vehicle.
If you install a rear-facing child restraint
on the passenger seat, make sure that
the 5/indicator lamp is illumi-
nated, indicating that the passenger
front air bag is deactivated. Should the
5/ indicator lamp not illuminate
or go out while the restraint is installed,
please check installation. Periodically
check the 5/ indicator lamp
while driving to make sure the
5/indicator lamp is illuminated.
If the 5/ indicator lamp goes out
or remains out, do not transport a child
on the passenger seat until the system
has been repaired. A child in a rear-fac-
ing child restraint on the passenger seat
will be seriously injured or even killed if
the passenger front air bag inflates.
If you place a child in a forward-facing
child restraint on the passenger seat,
move the seat as far back as possible,
use the proper child restraint recom-
mended for the age, size and weight of
the child, and secure 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 passenger front
air bag may or may not be activated
(page 74).
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.
Warning!
G
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Posi-
tion the shoulder belt across chest and
shoulder, not face or neck. A booster seat
may be necessary to achieve proper belt po-
sitioning for children over 41 lbs until they
reach a height where a lap/shoulder belt fits
properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use,
remove 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 accident.
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 cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
234 Controls in detailUseful featuresOpening
Press release button 1.
Storage compartment lid 2 lid opens
upwards.
Armrest storage compartments
The release buttons are located under the
cushion of the armrest.
1Storage tray release
2Storage compartment releaseOpening storage tray
Press button1 and lift the armrest.
Opening storage compartment
Press button2 and lift the armrest.Seat storage compartments
Storage compartments are located in the
seat base of each seat and are intended for
storing small, light weight items.
Passenger seat storage compartment1Handle
2Storage compartment lid
Pull handle 1 up.
Fold lid 2 down.
i
The Roadside Assistance button•
(
page 247) and the Information button¡
(page 248) are located in the storage tray.
i
The driver’s seat storage compartment con-
tains the first-aid kit, (
page 388).
236 Controls in detailUseful features
Insert the mechanical key into the
glove box lock.
Turn the mechanical key to
position2.
The following storage compartments
will be locked. They remain locked,
even when the vehicle is unlocked with
the SmartKey or with the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO*:
Glove box
Armrest storage compartments
Rear storage compartmentsUnlocking the storage compartments
separately
Insert the mechanical key into the
glove box lock.
Turn the mechanical key to
position1.
You can now open the storage com-
partments.Parcel net in passenger footwell
A small convenience parcel net is located
in the passenger footwell. It is for small
and light items, such as road maps, mail,
etc.
i
The separate locking status of these storage
compartments can only be canceled with the
mechanical key.
The storage compartments in the doors cannot
be locked.
i
If the glove box cannot be unlocked using
the SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*,
see “Unlocking the glove box” (
page 392).
Warning!
G
The parcel net is intended for storing
light-weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
parcel net. In an accident, during hard brak-
ing, or sudden maneuvers, they could be
thrown around inside the vehicle and cause
injury to vehicle occupants.
The parcel net cannot protect transported
goods in the event of an accident.
286 OperationTires and wheelsDirection of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advan-
tages, such as better hydroplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
make sure the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the
intended direction of rotation (spinning) of
the tire.
Loading the vehicle
A label on your vehicle shows how much
weight it may properly carry.
The Tire and Loading Information
placard can be found on the driver’s
door B-pillar. This placard tells you im-
portant information about the number
of people that can be in the vehicle and
the total weight that can be carried in
the vehicle. It also contains information
on the proper size and recommended
tire inflation pressures for the original
equipment tires on your vehicle.
The Certification label, also found on
the driver’s door B-pillar tells you about
the gross weight capacity of your vehi-
cle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
fuel and cargo. The Certification label
also tells you about the front and rear
axle weight capacity, called the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). The GAWR
is the total allowable weight that can be carried by a single axle (front or rear).
Never exceed the GVWR or GAWR for
either the front axle or rear axle.
1Driver’s door B-pillar
Following is a discussion on how to work
with the information contained on the
placard with regards to loading your vehi-
cle.
i
Spare wheels may be mounted against the
direction of rotation (spinning) even with a unidi-
rectional tire for temporary use only until the reg-
ular drive wheel has been repaired or replaced.
Always observe and follow applicable temporary
use restrictions and speed limitations indicated
on the spare wheel.
287 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire and Loading Information
Tire and Loading Information placard1Load limit information on the Tire and
Loading Information placard
The placard showing the load limit informa-
tion is located on the driver’s door B-pillar.
Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kilograms or XXX
lbs.” on this placard.
The combined weight of all occupants,
cargo/luggage and trailer tongue load
(if applicable) should never exceed the
weight referenced in that statement.Seating capacity
The seating capacity gives you important
information on the number of occupants
that can be in the vehicle. Observe front
and rear seating capacity. The placard
showing the load limit information is locat-
ed on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 286).
1Seating capacity information on the
Tire and Loading Information placard
Warning!
G
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit or vehicle capacity
weight as indicated on the placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading the tires
can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.i
Data shown on placard example are for illus-
tration purposes only. Load limit data are specif-
ic to each vehicle and may vary from data shown
in the illustration below. Refer to placard on ve-
hicle for actual data specific to your vehicle.
i
Data shown on placard example are for illus-
tration purposes only. Seating data are specific
to each vehicle and may vary from data shown in
the illustration below. Refer to placard on vehicle
for actual data specific to your vehicle.