76 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Infant and child restraint systems
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
The passenger lap-shoulder belt has a
special seat belt retractor for secure
fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint follow child
restraint instructions for mounting. Then
pull the shoulder belt out completely and
let it retract. During seat belt retraction, a
ratcheting sound can be heard to indicate
that the special seat belt retractor is acti-
vated. The belt is now locked. Push down
on child restraint to take up any slack.
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely.
The seat belt can again be used in the
usual manner.The 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
Canadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be
seated in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system and properly secured in
accordance with the manufacturer’s in-
structions for the child restraint that com-
plies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards 213 and 225 and
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2.
A statement by the child restraint manu-
facturer of compliance with these stan-
dards can be found on the instruction label
on the restraint and in the instruction
manual provided with the restraint.When using any infant, or toddler restraint,
or booster seat, be sure to carefully read
and follow all manufacturer’s instructions
for installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels
affixed to inside of the vehicle and to infant
or child restraints.
The infant or child restraint are applicable
only to the standard passenger seat. Any
individualization of this seat may restrict
correct fitment of the infant or child
restraint.
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
manufacturer’s instructions.
77 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Occupants, especially children, should
never 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 personal injuries or death
should the head-thorax air bag be triggered.
Always sit nearly upright, properly use the
seat belt and use an appropriately sized in-
fant or toddler restraint or booster seat rec-
ommended 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 pas-
senger front air bag and the passenger
knee 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 passenger seat.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the passenger seat will be seriously
injured 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
installed in your vehicle.
If you install a rear-facing child restraint
on the passenger seat, make sure that
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is illuminated, indicating that the
passenger front air bag and the passen-
ger knee air bag are deactivated. Should
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp not illuminate or go out while the
restraint is installed, please check in-
stallation. Periodically check the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
while driving to make sure the PASSEN-
GER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is
illuminated. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp goes out or remains
out, do not transport a child on the pas-
senger seat until the system has been
repaired. A child in a rear-facing child
restraint on the passenger seat will be
seriously injured or even killed if the
passenger front air bag and/or the
passenger knee air bag inflate.
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 68).
78 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Installation of infant and child restraint
systems
This vehicle is equipped with a tether an-
chorage for a top tether strap behind the
passenger seat.
1Cover of anchorage ring
To have better access to the anchorage
ring, move the passenger seat forward
(
page 42).
Remove cover1 in direction of the
arrow from anchorage ring3.
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/or 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.
Position the shoulder belt across chest and
shoulder, not face or neck. A booster seat
may be necessary to achieve proper belt
positioning 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,
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
vehicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised
children in a child restraint system may use
vehicle equipment and may cause an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
79 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Guide tether strap according to the
child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions.
Make sure the tether strap is not
twisted.
2Hook
3Anchorage ring
Securely fasten hook2, which is part
of the tether strap, to anchorage
ring3.
Move the passenger seat as far as
possible rearward.
Once the top tether anchorage hook is
attached, the child restraint itself can be
secured.
Properly secure the child restraint us-
ing the passenger seat lap/shoulder
belt (
page 76) and tether anchorage
for top tether strap, fully in accordance
with the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions.
Tighten the top tether strap according
to the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions.
Reinstall cover1 after removing the
tether strap.
iFor safety, make sure the hook has attached
to the ring beyond the safety catch, as
illustrated.
313 Practical hints
What to do if ...
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
The passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp does not illumi-
nate and/or does not remain illu-
minated with the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child in a
standard child restraint or less
on the passenger seat.The system is malfunctioning.Make sure there is nothing between
seat cushion and child seat and check
installation of the child seat.
Make sure that no objects applying
supplemental weight onto the seat
are present.
If the passenger front air bag off indi-
cator lamp remains out, have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Do not transport a child on the pas-
senger seat until the system has been
repaired.
Also read and observe any messages
in the multifunction display and follow
corrective steps (
page 319).
Warning!G
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 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
passenger seat, do not transport a child on
the passenger seat until the system has
been repaired.
319 Practical hints
What to do if ...
Left display Right display Possible cause/consequencePossible solution
Front passenger
airbagenabled
See Oper. ManualThe passenger front air bag and
the passenger knee air bag are
activated while driving even
though a child, small individual,
or object below the system’s
weight threshold is on the pas-
senger seat, or the passenger
seat is empty. Objects on the
seat or forces acting on the seat
may make the system sense
supplemental weight.Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as possible and
check the passenger seat for the following:
Switch off the ignition (page 40).
Apply the parking brake (page 55).
Remove child and child restraint from passenger seat.
Make sure that no objects which are applying supplemen-
tal weight onto the seat are present. The system may rec-
ognize such supplemental weight and sense that an
occupant on the passenger seat is of a greater weight
than actually present.
Keep the seat unoccupied, close the passenger door and
switch on the ignition (
page 40).
Monitor the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
(
page 70) and the multifunction display in the instrument
cluster (
page 117) for the following:
(Continued on next page)
320 Practical hints
What to do if ...
Left display Right display Possible cause/consequencePossible solution
With the seat unoccupied and the ignition switched on,
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp (page 70) should
illuminate and remain illuminated, indicating that the OCS
(
page 67) has deactivated the passenger front air bag and the
passenger knee air bag.
the message Front passenger airbag enabled See Oper. Manual
or the message
Front passenger airbag disabled See Oper.
Manual
should not appear in the multifunction display at any time
the seat is unoccupied. Wait at least 60 seconds for the system to
complete the necessary check cycles and to make sure neither
message appears in the multifunction display.
If above conditions are met, you can occupy the passenger seat again.
Depending on the passenger classification sensed by the OCS
(
page 67), the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp will remain
illuminated or go out.
If above conditions are not met, the system is not working properly.
Have the system checked as soon as possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains out even after performing the
above corrective steps, do not have any
children 12 years old and under and other small individuals use the passenger seat
until the system has been repaired.
415 Index
Multifunction display messages
ABS 316, 317
ACL malfunction 323
Airbrake 327
Battery, Vehicle 327
Brake pads 334
Coolant 335
Coolant level 335
Differential 338
Doors 352
Electro-hydraulic brake system 329
Engine oil 339
ESP
®318
Fuel system 339
Hood 352
Lamps 341
Parking brake 334
Passenger front air bag 321
Reserve fuel 340
Seat belt 352
Service brake 334
SmartKey 340
Telephone 340
Tires 346
Trunk lid 352
Washer fluid 352Multifunction steering wheel 30, 118,
401
Button operation 118
N
Net, parcel 207
Neutral gear position, Automatic
transmission 169
Night security illumination 109, 136
Normal occupant weight 285
Number, Vehicle Identification
(VIN) 378, 403
O
Occupant Classification System see OCS
Occupant distribution 285
Occupant safety
Air bags 62
Children and air bags 63
Children in the vehicle 75
Fastening the seat belts 45
Infant and child restraint systems 76
OCS 67
Passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp 70
Seat belts 71
SRS 60OCS 67, 401
Self-test 71
Octane number 402
Odometer
Main 117
Trip 115
Oil level see Engine oil, Checking level
Oil see Engine oil
One-touch gearshifting
Gear selector lever 175
Steering wheel gearshift
control* 177
Operating safety
Audio system 145
Vehicle 20
Operator’s manual 353
Outside temperature 122
Outside temperature see Displays
Overdue maintenance service 293
Overhead control panel 33
Overspeed range, Engine 116, 401