75 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When activated, emergency tensioning
devices remove slack from the belts in
such a way that the seat belts fit more
snugly against the body. Belt force limiters
reduce the force exerted by the seat belts
on occupants during a crash.Children in the vehicle
If an infant or child is traveling with you in
the vehicle:
Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint appropriate to the age and
size of the child.
Make sure the infant or child is proper-
ly secured at all times while the vehicle
is in motion.
Infant and child restraint seats and
information on choosing an appropriate
restraint system can be obtained from any
Mercedes-Benz Center.Warning!G
An emergency tensioning device (ETD) that
was activated must be replaced.
When disposing of the emergency tension-
ing device, our safety instructions must be
followed. These are available at your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. The children could
injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or
cold
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system’s
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.
If children open a door, they could
injure other persons
get out of the car and injure themselves
or be injured by following traffic
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment unless they are
firmly secured in place.
For more information, please refer to the
“Useful features” section (
page 206)
through (
page 207).
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child’s risk of injury in the event
of
strong braking maneuvers
sudden changes of direction
an accident
81 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems
In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:
ABS (Antilock Brake System)
BAS (Brake Assist System)
ESP® (Electronic Stability Program)
Electro-hydraulic brake system
ABS
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will
respond even to light brake pressure.
The -indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on (
page 29) when you
switch on the ignition. It goes out when the
engine is running.
Warning!G
The following factors increase the risk of
accidents:
Excessive speed, especially in turns
Wet and slippery road surfaces
Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, ESP
®, and the electro-hy-
draulic brake system cannot reduce this
risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
iIn winter operation, the maximum effective-
ness of the ABS, the BAS, the ESP®, and the
electro-hydraulic brake system is only achieved
with winter tires (
page 290) or snow chains as
required.
Warning!G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.
103 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
1Remote trunk opening switch
Press switch1 until the trunk lid
unlocks and opens slightly.
Lift the trunk lid.
The trunk can also be opened using
buttonŠ on the SmartKey or from its
inside in an emergency, see “Trunk emer-
gency release” (
page 104).
Closing the trunk lid
1Handle
Lower trunk lid by firmly pulling on
handle1.
!Always make sure that there is sufficient
overhead clearance.
Warning!G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the trunk
opening when closing the trunk lid. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Make sure the trunk is closed when the en-
gine is running and while driving. Among
other dangers, such as blocked visibility,
exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle
interior. These fumes are damaging to your
health.
!Do not pull on the Airbrake. Otherwise the
Airbrake could be damaged.
iDo not place the SmartKey in the open
trunk. You may lock yourself out.
If the vehicle was previously centrally locked, the
trunk lid will lock automatically after closing it.
All turn signals will flash three times to confirm
locking.
106 Controls in detail
Lighting
For information on how to switch on the
headlamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 51).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
MOff
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 108)
UAutomatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 108)
CParking lamps (also tail lamps,
license plate lamps, side marker
lamps, instrument panel lamps)BLow beam headlamps or high beam
headlamps when the combination
switch is pushed forward. The tail
lamps, license plate lamps, side
marker lamps, parking lamps and
instrument panel lamps also come
on.
ˆStanding lamps, right
(turn left one stop)
‚Standing lamps, left
(turn left two stops)
CIndicator lamp for parking lamps
‡Indicator lamp for front fog lamps
†Indicator lamp for rear fog lamp
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles drive
on the other side of the road than the country
where the vehicle is registered, you must have
the headlamps modified for symmetrical low
beams. Relevant information can be obtained at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
iIf you hear a warning signal you have forgot-
ten to switch off the headlamps before opening
the driver’s door.
In addition the message$
Turn off lamps
appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the headlamps.
107 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and the parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch.
Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off
automatically depending on the brightness
of the ambient light:
Low beam headlamps
Tail and parking lamps
License plate lamps
Side marker lamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionU.
With the SmartKey in starter switch
position1, only the parking lamps and
side marker lamps will switch on and
off automatically.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps, the tail and parking
lamps, the license plate lamps, and the
side marker lamps will switch on and
off automatically.
Warning!G
If the exterior lamp switch is set toU,
the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright
ambient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.
the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others,
activate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch toB when driving or when traffic
and/or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from positionU toB with the
vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching fromU toB will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions
may result in an accident.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle’s lights at all
times.
iUSA only:
With the automatic headlamp mode activated
you can switch on the high beam headlamps in
low ambient lighting conditions.
109 Controls in detail
Lighting
USA only:
By default, the daytime running lamp mode
is deactivated. Activate the daytime
running lamp mode using the control
system, see “Setting daytime running lamp
mode (USA only)” (
page 135).
When the engine is running, and you turn
the exterior lamp switch to positionC
orB, the manual headlamp mode has
priority over the daytime running lamp
mode.
The corresponding exterior lamps switch
on (
page 106).
Locator lighting and night security
illumination
The locator lighting and the night security
illumination are described in the “Control
system” section, see “Setting locator light-
ing” (
page 135) and “Setting night secu-
rity illumination” (
page 136).Fog lampsFront fog lamps
Switch on the low beam headlamps
(
page 106).
Pull out the exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The front fog lamps switch on.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
exterior lamp switch comes on.
Push in the exterior lamp switch.
The front fog lamps switch off.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
exterior lamp switch goes out.
Warning!G
In low ambient lighting or foggy conditions,
only switch from positionU toB with
the vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching fromU toB will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions
may result in an accident.
iFog lamps will operate with the parking
lamps and/or the low beam headlamps on. Fog
lamps should only be used in conjunction with
low beam headlamps. Consult your State or
Province Motor Vehicle Regulations regarding al-
lowable lamp operation.
iFog lamps cannot be switched on with the
exterior lamp switch in positionU. For
switching on the fog lamps, turn the exterior
lamp switch to positionB first.
111 Controls in detail
Lighting
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be
switched on at all times, even with the
SmartKey removed from the starter
switch.
The hazard warning flasher switches on
automatically when an air bag deploys.
The hazard warning flasher switch is
located on the upper part of the center
console.
1Hazard warning flasher switchSwitching on hazard warning flasher
Press hazard warning flasher
switch1.
All turn signals are flashing.Switching off hazard warning flasherPress hazard warning flasher switch1
again.
iWith the hazard warning flasher activated
and the combination switch set for either left or
right turn, only the respective turn signals will
operate when the ignition is switched on.
iIf the hazard warning flasher has been
activated automatically, press hazard warning
flasher switch1 once to switch it off.
114 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
For a full view illustration of the instrument
cluster, see “Instrument cluster”
(
page 28).
1Reset button
The instrument cluster is activated when
you
open a door
switch on the ignition
press the reset button1
switch on exterior lampsOpening a door will activate the instrument
cluster only for about 30 seconds.
You can change the instrument cluster
settings in the Instrument cluster submenu
of the control system (
page 132).Adjusting instrument cluster
illumination
Use the reset button1 to adjust the illu-
mination brightness for the instrument
cluster and the switches on the center
console.
To brighten illumination
Turn the reset button1 clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.
To dim illumination
Turn the reset button1 counterclock-
wise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
Warning!G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see infor-
mation about your driving conditions, such
as speed or outside temperature, warn-
ing/indicator lamps, malfunction/warning
messages or the failure of any systems.
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, do so with
added caution. Visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened to suit ambient light
conditions.