2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS COUPE belt

Occupant safety
44
ess is pre-emptive in nature as the airbag
must
be deployed during – and not at the end
of – the collision.
i Airbags are not deployed in all types of
accidents. They are controlled by complex
sensor technology and evaluation logic.
This process is pre-emptive in nature as
airbag deployment must take place during
the impact and must be adapted to provide
calculated, additional protection for the
vehicle occupants. Not all airbags are
deployed in an accident.
The different airbag systems work inde-
pendently of each other. However, the
deployment of each individual system will
depend on the type of accident determined
by the control system in the first stages of
the collision (head-on collision, side impact
and overturn) and the extent of the acci-
dent (in particular, the vehicle's rate of
deceleration or acceleration).
The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the direction of the force are basi-
cally determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the colli-
sion
R the collision angle R
the deformation characteristics of the vehi-
cle
R the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided, e.g. the other vehi-
cle
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after the collision has taken place do not play
a decisive role in the deployment of an airbag,
nor do they provide an indication of it.
The vehicle may be deformed significantly,
e. g. on the bonnet or the wing, without an
airbag being deployed. This happens if only
parts which are relatively easily deformed are
affected and the necessary deceleration does
not occur. Conversely, airbags may be
deployed even though the vehicle suffers only
minor deformations. This is the case if, for
example, very rigid vehicle parts such as lon-
gitudinal body members are affected and suf-
ficient deceleration occurs as a result.
Belt tensioners, belt force limiters The front seat belts and the outer seat belts
in

the rear are equipped with belt tensioners.
! Do not engage the seat belt tongue in the
buckle on the front-passenger seat if the
seat is not occupied. Otherwise the belt tensioner could be activated in an emer-
gency.
If the seat belt is also equipped with a belt
force limiter, the force exerted by the seat
belt on the seat occupant is reduced.
Belt tensioners tighten the seat belts in an
accident,

pulling them close against the body.
i Belt tensioners do not correct incorrect
seat positions or incorrectly fastened seat
belts.
Belt tensioners do not pull occupants back
towards the backrest.
The front belt force limiters are synchronised
with the front airbags, which spread the
forces exerted by the belt force limiters on
the occupant over a greater area.
When the ignition is switched on, the belt ten-
sioner is triggered:
R only if the restraint systems are operational
(the 1 warning lamp lights up after the
ignition is switched on and goes out once
the engine is running)(Y page 43)
R for each three-point seat belt in the front of
the vehicle when the belt tongue is
engaged in the buckle
R In the event of a head-on or rear-end colli-
sion if the vehicle decelerates or acceler- Safety
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Occupant safety
45
ates rapidly in a longitudinal direction
during the initial stages of the collision
R In certain situations if the vehicle over-
turns, if the system determines that it can
provide additional protection
When the belt tensioners are triggered, you
will hear a bang, which will not cause any
harm to your hearing, and a small amount of
powder
may also be released. The 1 warn-
ing lamp lights up. G
Risk of injury
If the seat belt tensioners have been trig-
gered, they provide no additional protec-
tion in the event of another accident.
Therefore,

have belt tensioners which have
been triggered replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Comply with safety regulations when dis-
posing of belt tensioners. Any Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre can provide details of
these regulations.
Airbags Airbag deployment slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant.
When

the airbags are deployed, you will hear
a bang, which will not cause any harm to your hearing, and a small amount of powder may
also be released. The
1 warning lamp
lights up.
The SRS/AIRBAG symbol indicates the loca-
tion of the airbags. G
Risk of injury
Airbags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for the seat
belts.
Observe the following notes to reduce the
risk of serious or even fatal injury if an air-
bag is deployed:
R Vehicle occupants — in particular preg-
nant woman — must wear their seat belt
correctly at all times and lean back
against their backrest, which should be
positioned

as close to the vertical as pos-
sible. The head restraint must support
the back of the seat occupant's head at
about eye level.
R Always secure children less than
1.50 m tall or under 12 years of age in
suitable child restraint systems.
R All vehicle occupants must select a seat
position that is as far away from the air-
bag as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven safely. The driver's chest should be as far
away

from the middle of the driver's front
airbag cover as possible.
R Move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible, in particular, if a child
is secured in a child restraint system on
the seat.
R Vehicle occupants – in particular, chil-
dren – must not lean their head into the
area of the window in which the sidebag/
windowbag is deployed.
R Rearward-facing child restraint systems
must not be fitted to the front-passenger
seat unless the front-passenger front air-
bag has been disabled. On the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger
front airbag is only deactivated if a child
restraint system with automatic child
seat recognition is fitted to the front-
passenger seat*. The 5 PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF warning lamp must be lit
constantly.
If either the rearward-facing child
restraint system or the front-passenger
seat* of your vehicle does not have auto-
matic child seat recognition, children
must be secured in a child restraint sys- Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
47
The driver's front airbag and front-passenger
front airbag are deployed:
R
at the start of an accident with a high rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction
R if the system determines that airbag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R if the seat belt is fastened
R independently of other airbags in the vehi-
cle
R if the vehicle overturns, but only if the sys-
tem detects high vehicle deceleration in a
longitudinal direction1 Driver's front airbag
2 Front-passenger front airbag Driver's front airbag
1 deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front airbag
2 deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment.
In vehicles with automatic child seat recog-
nition in the front-passenger seat*, front-
passenger front airbag 2 is only deployed if
the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp in the centre console is not lit
(Y page 51). This means that a child
restraint system with automatic child seat
recognition* has not been fitted to the front-
passenger seat or has been fitted incorrectly.
Sidebags
G Risk of injury
If you wish to use seat covers, Mercedes-
Benz recommends that, for safety reasons,
you only use seat covers that have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The
seat covers must be equipped with a spe-
cial tear seam for sidebags. Otherwise, a
sidebag may not deploy correctly and could
fail to provide the intended protection in the
event of an accident. Appropriate seat cov-
ers can be obtained from a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. The sidebags are intended to offer additional
protection for the thorax when deployed.
However, they do not protect the head, neck
and arms.1
Front sidebag
2 Rear sidebag*
The sidebag inflates next to the backrest side
cushions.
Sidebags 1 and 2 are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R independently of the use of the seat belt
R independently of the front airbags
Safety
* optional
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Z

Occupant safety
48
R
independently of the belt tensioners
R if the vehicle overturns, but only if the sys-
tem detects high vehicle deceleration in a
lateral direction and determines that side-
bag deployment can offer additional pro-
tection to that provided by the seat belt
Windowbags
The purpose of the windowbags is to enhance
the level of protection for the head (but not
chest or arms) of the vehicle occupants on
the side of the vehicle on which the impact
occurs.
The windowbags are integrated into the side
of the roof frame and run from the front door
(A-pillar) to the rear door (C-pillar).1 Windowbag Windowbags
1 are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
lateral direction
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R independently of the front airbags
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R if the vehicle overturns and the system
determines that windowbag deployment
can offer additional protection to that pro-
vided by the seat belt
PRE-SAFE ®
system
PRE-SAFE ®
system takes pre-emptive meas-
ures to protect you in certain hazardous sit-
uations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes in the event of:
R emergency braking situations, e.g. if BAS
Brake Assist intervenes
R critical situations involving driving dynam-
ics, e.g. if the vehicle oversteers or under-
steers significantly due to physical limits
being exceeded If you are driving faster than approximately
30 km/h, PRE-SAFE
®
takes the following
measures in the aforementioned situations:
R It tensions the front seat belts.
R Vehicles with memory functions*: it
adjusts the front-passenger seat if this is in
an unfavourable position.
R If the vehicle skids, it closes the sliding/
tilting sunroof* and side windows so that
only a small gap remains.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
releases
the belt pretensioning. You can then reverse
all settings made by PRE-SAFE ®
again.
If the seat belts are not released:
X Move the backrest or the seat back slightly
until the belt tension is reduced.
The locking mechanism releases.
G Risk of injury
Make sure when adjusting the seat that
nobody can become trapped.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when adjusting
the seats. You could otherwise damage the
seats and the objects.
Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
50 G
Risk of injury
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of a sudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R Children less than 1.50 m tall and under
twelve years of age must always be
secured in special child restraint systems
on a suitable vehicle seat. This is neces-
sary because the seat belts are not
designed for children of this size.
R Do not secure children under twelve
years of age on the front-passenger seat.
Exception: the child is secured in a vehi-
cle with automatic child seat recognition
on the front-passenger seat* and is
secured in a child restraint system with
automatic child seat recognition.
R If you fit a child restraint system to the
front-passenger seat, you must move the
front-passenger seat as far back as pos-
sible.
R Never allow children to travel sitting on
the lap of another occupant. Due to the
forces occurring in the event of an acci-
dent, heavy braking or during a sudden
change in direction, it would not be pos-
sible to restrain the child. The child would be thrown against parts of the vehicle
interior and be seriously or even fatally
injured.
G
Risk of injury
If the child restraint system is not fitted
correctly to a suitable vehicle seat, it can-
not perform its protective function. The
child cannot be restrained in the event of
an accident, heavy braking or sudden
changes of direction. This may lead to seri-
ous or even fatal injuries. For this reason,
when fitting a child restraint system
observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions and correct use of the child
restraint system.
Child restraint systems should preferably
be fitted to the rear seats. The child is gen-
erally better protected there.
The entire base of the child restraint system
must always be resting on the seat cushion.
Never place objects, e.g. a cushion, under
the child restraint system.
Only use child restraint systems with their
original covers. Only replace damaged cov-
ers with genuine Mercedes-Benz covers.
For safety reasons, you should only use
child restraint systems which have been approved for use in Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles.
Child seat on the front-passenger seatWarning on the front-passenger sun visor
Warning symbol for a rearward-facing child
restraint system
Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
52 inflated, the child could be seriously or even
fatally injured.
Proceed as follows:
R
Do not use a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger
seat.
R Fit a rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem on a suitable rear seat.
or
R Only use a forward-facing child seat on
the front-passenger seat and move the
front-passenger seat to its rearmost
position.
R Have the automatic child seat recogni-
tion checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. To ensure that the automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat func-
tions correctly, never place objects (such
as a cushion) under the child restraint sys-
tem. The entire base of the child restraint
system
must always be resting on the seat
cushion. An incorrectly fitted child restraint
system cannot perform its intended pro-
tective function in the event of an accident,
and could even lead to injuries.
i The windowbag, the sidebag and the belt
tensioner on the front-passenger side are
still active even if the front-passenger front
airbag is disabled. G
Risk of injury
Do not place items of electronic equipment
on the front-passenger seat, e.g.:
R laptops, if switched on
R mobile phones
R cards with transponders, e.g. ski passes
or access passes
Signals from electronic equipment can
cause interference in the automatic child
seat recognition sensor system. This can
lead to a system malfunction. This may
cause the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
warning lamp to light up without there
being

a child seat with automatic child seat
recognition fitted. This means the front-
passenger airbag is not deployed during an
accident. It is also possible that the
5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp will not light up if you turn the key in
the ignition lock to position 2.Safety
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Occupant safety
55Weight categories and
ages Manufacturer Type Approval number Daimler order num-
ber Automatic child seat
recognition
Group I: 9 to 18 kg;
Between approximately 8
months and 4 years Britax-Römer DUO PLUS E1 03 301133 A 000 970 11 00 Yes
A 000 970 16 00
No
8 Group II/III: 15 to 36 kg;
Between approximately
3½ and 12 years Britax-Römer KID E1 03 301148 A 000 970 12 00 Yes
A 000 970 17 00
No
8 ISOFIX* child seat securing system in
the rear
ISOFIX is a standardised securing system for
specially-designed child seats in the rear.
There are securing rings for two child
restraint systems on the left-hand and right-
hand rear seats between the seat cushions
and the backrest.
G
Risk of injury
A child restraint system secured by the ISO-
FIX child seat securing system does not
provide sufficient protection for children
weighing
more than 22 kg. For this reason,
do not secure children weighing more than
22 kg in a child restraint system secured by the ISOFIX child seat securing system. If
the child weighs more than 22 kg, secure
the

child restraint system using a lap-shoul-
der belt. G
Risk of injury
If the child restraint system is not fitted
correctly to a suitable vehicle seat, it can-
not perform its protective function. The
child cannot be restrained in the event of
an accident, heavy braking or sudden
changes

of direction. This may lead to seri-
ous or even fatal injuries. For this reason,
when fitting a child restraint system
observe the manufacturer's installation instructions and correct use of the child
restraint system.
On the rear seats, only use child restraint
systems

with an ISOFIX child seat securing
system which have been recommended for
use in Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
An incorrectly fitted child restraint system
could come loose and seriously or even
fatally injure the child or other vehicle occu-
pants. When fitting the child restraint sys-
tem, make sure that it is engaged in the
securing rings on both sides. G
Risk of injury
Please note that child restraint systems
cannot
provide a protective function if they
8 For child restraint systems without automatic child seat recognition, move the front-passenger seat to the rearmost position. Safety
* optional
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65
Opening and closing
...........................66
Key positions ....................................... 74
Seats .................................................... 75
Steering wheel .................................... 81
Mirrors ................................................. 83
Memory functions* ............................. 86
Seat belts ............................................. 88
Lights ................................................... 91
Windscreen wipers .............................97
Side windows ...................................... 98Driving and parking ..........................
101
Transmission ..................................... 104
Instrument cluster ............................109
On-board computer ..........................111
Driving systems ................................ 132
Air conditioning ................................. 151
Sliding sunroof .................................. 169
Loading and stowing ........................172
Features ............................................. 180 Controls
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