2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK550 weight

74 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
If the 56 indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front passenger front air
bag is activated and will be deployed:

in the event of certain frontal impacts

if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold

independently of the front side impact
air bags (CLK coupe), head-thorax air
bag (CLK cabriolet) and/or rear side im-
pact air bags*.
If the front passenger front air bag is
deployed, the rate of inflation will be
influenced by:

the rate of vehicle deceleration as as-
sessed by the air bag control unit

front passenger’s weight category as
identified by the Occupant Classification
System (OCS).
Warning!G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant or child restraint recom-
mended for the size and weight of the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, the seat
belt and top tether strap (CLK coupe), or
lower anchors and top tether strap (CLK
coupe), or seat belt and lower anchors (CLK
cabriolet), fully in accordance with the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front
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 system senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard appropri-
ate child restraint on the front passen-
ger seat.

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 in
a collision which could occur under
some circumstances, even with the air
bag technology 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.


75 Safety and Security
Occupant safety

If you must install a rear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat
because circumstances require you to
do so, make sure the 56 indica-
tor lamp is illuminated, indicating that
the front passenger front air bag is deac-
tivated. Should the 56 indicator
lamp not illuminate or go out while the
restraint is installed, please check in-
stallation. Periodically check the
56 indicator lamp while driving
to make sure the 56 indicator
lamp is illuminated.
If the 56 indicator 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
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 front passenger
front air bag may or may not be
activated (
page 73).
iDeployment of the driver front air bag does
not mean that the front 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 front
passenger front air bag even though the im-
pact 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
front passenger front air bag even though
the impact met the criteria and was of suffi-
cient severity to deploy the driver front air
bag.

76 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The 56indicator lamp is located in
the center console.
1Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp
The 56indicator lamp1 will be
illuminated, except with the SmartKey
removed from the starter switch or with
the starter switch in 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 56indicator lamp
located in the center console illuminates. If
an adult occupant is properly sitting on the
front passenger seat and the system
senses the occupant as being an adult,
the56 indicator lamp will
illuminate and go out after
approximately 6 seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the system
senses the front passenger seat as being
empty, the 56 indicator lamp will
illuminate and not go out.
Warning!G
If the 1indicator lamp and the
56indicator lamp are lit at the same
time, there is a malfunction in the Occupant
Classification System. The front passenger
front air bag will be deactivated in this case.
Have the system checked as soon as possi-
ble by qualified technicians. Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only have the seat repaired or replaced at
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
In order to ensure proper operation of the
air bag system and OCS:

Sit properly belted in a position that is
as upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest.

While seated, an occupant should not
position him/herself in such a way as to
cause the occupant’s weight to be lifted
from the seat bottom as this may result
in the OCS being unable to correctly ap-
proximate the occupant’s weight
category.

Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.

84 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The use of infant or child restraints is
required by law in all 50 states, the District
of Columbia, the U.S. territories, and all
Canadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be seat-
ed in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system properly secured in accor-
dance with the manufacturer's instruc-
tions for the child restraint, that complies
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 225 and Canadian Mo-
tor 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 the inside of the vehicle and to
infant or child restraints.
iFor information on LATCH-type child seat
anchors (
page 87).
CLK coupe: Information on child seats with an-
chor fittings for tether anchorages (
page 86).
Warning!G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant or child restraint recom-
mended for the size and weight of the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, or:
CLK coupe: the seat belt and top tether
strap, or lower anchors and top tether
strap,
CLK cabriolet: the seat belt and lower
anchors,
fully in accordance with the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions.
Occupants, especially children, should nev-
er place their bodies or lean their heads in
the area of the door or the rear side trim
panel where the front side impact air bag
(CLK cabriolet: head-thorax air bag) and/or
the rear side impact air bag* inflates. This
could result in serious injuries or death
should the air bag be triggered. Always sit as
upright as possible, properly use the seat
belts and use an appropriately sized infant
restraint, 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 circumstances
require you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:

85 Safety and Security
Occupant safety

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.

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 in
a collision which could occur under
some circumstances, even with the air
bag technology 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
restraint on the front passenger seat
because circumstances require you to
do so, make sure the 56 indica-
tor lamp is illuminated, indicating that
the front passenger front air bag is deac-
tivated. Should the 56 indicator
lamp not illuminate or go out while the
restraint is installed, please check in-
stallation. Periodically check the
56 indicator lamp while driving
to make sure the 56indicator
lamp is illuminated. If the 56
indicator lamp goes out or remains out,
do not transport a child on the front pas-
senger seat until the system has been
repaired. A child in a rear-facing child re-
straint 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
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 front passenger
front air bag may or may not be activated
(
page 73).
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.
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 belt positioning
for children over 41 lbs until they reach a
height where a lap/shoulder belt fits
properly without a booster.


283 Controls in detail
Loading
Loading instructions
The total load weight including vehicle oc-
cupants and luggage/cargo should not ex-
ceed the load limit indicated on the
corresponding Tire and Loading Informa-
tion placard located on the driver’s door
B-pillar (
page 334).
The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.Always place items being carried against
front or rear seat backrests, and fasten
them as securely as possible.
The heaviest portion of the cargo should al-
ways be kept as low as possible since it in-
fluences the handling characteristics of
the vehicle.
Warning!G
If a red indicator is visible with the backrest
up, then the backrest is not properly locked
into position.
Always lock backrest in its upright position
when rear seat bench is occupied, or the ex-
tended trunk compartment is not in use.
Check for secure locking by pushing and
pulling on the backrest.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo.
iTo prevent unauthorized persons from ac-
cess to the trunk, always lock backrest in its up-
right position.
!CLK cabriolet:
To prevent damage to the soft top or lug-
gage/cargo when lowering the roof:

load trunk only to the height of the luggage
cover

do not permit luggage/cargo to push up the
closed luggage cover

do not place anything on the shelf behind the
roll bar

do not place anything on the soft top com-
partment cover

284 Controls in detail
Loading
Cargo tie-down rings (CLK coupe only)
The four cargo tie-down rings are located
in the trunk.
Cargo tie-down rings
Carefully secure cargo by applying
even load on all rings with rope of
sufficient strength to hold down the
cargo.
Always follow loading instructions
(
page 283).
Warning!G
CLK coupe:
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible using cargo tie-down rings and
fastening materials appropriate for the
weight and size of the load.
CLK cabriolet:
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible using fastening materials ap-
propriate for the weight and size of the load.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo. Put luggage or car-
go in the trunk if possible.
Never drive vehicle with trunk open. Deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) gases may enter ve-
hicle interior resulting in unconsciousness
and death.
iThe trunk is the preferred place to carry ob-
jects.
CLK coupe: The enlarged cargo area should only
be used for items which do not fit in the trunk
alone.

286 Controls in detail
Useful features
Ruffled storage bags
Storage bags are located on the rear side
of the front seats.Parcel net in front passenger footwell
A small convenience parcel net is located
in the front passenger footwell. It is for
small and light items, such as road maps,
mail, etc.
Warning!G
The ruffled storage bag is intended for stor-
ing light-weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
ruffled storage bag. In an accident, during
hard braking, or sudden maneuvers, they
could be thrown around inside the vehicle
and cause injury to vehicle occupants.
The ruffled storage bag cannot protect
transported goods in the event of an
accident.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.