2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS COUPE lights

Occupant safety
43In particular, work relevant to safety or on
safety-related
systems must be carried out
at a qualified specialist workshop. If this
work is not carried out correctly, the oper-
ating safety of your vehicle may be affec-
ted. There is a risk of an accident and injury. SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
The SRS reduces the risk of occupants com-
ing into contact with the vehicle's interior in
the event of an accident. It can also reduce
the forces to which occupants are exposed
during an accident.
The SRS consists of:
R 1 warning lamp
R belt tensioners
R belt force limiters
R Airbags
1 warning lamp The SRS functions are checked regularly
when you turn on the ignition and when the
engine

is running. Malfunctions can therefore
be detected in good time. The 1 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster

lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out no later than a few seconds
after the engine is started. G
Risk of injury
If SRS is malfunctioning, individual systems
may be activated unintentionally or not be
triggered in the event of an accident with
heavy braking.
A malfunction has occurred if the 1
warning lamp:
R does

not light up when you switch on the
ignition
R does not go out after the engine has been
running for a few seconds
R lights up again once the engine is running
In this case, have SRS checked immedi-
ately at a qualified specialist workshop.
Triggering of belt tensioners, belt force
limiters and airbags In the event of a collision, the sensor in the
airbag

control unit evaluates important phys-
ical data such as duration, direction and force
of the vehicle deceleration or acceleration.
Based on the evaluation of this data and depending on the vehicle's rate of longitudi-
nal deceleration in a collision, in the first
stage the airbag control unit pre-emptively
triggers the belt tensioners.
i
The

front belt tensioners can only be trig-
gered if the belt tongue is correctly
engaged in the seat belt buckle.
The front airbags are only deployed if there is
an even higher rate of vehicle deceleration in
a longitudinal direction.
Vehicles fitted with adaptive, dual-stage front
airbags: when the first deployment threshold
is reached, the front airbag is filled with
enough gas to reduce the risk of injuries. The
front airbag is only fully inflated if a second
threshold is reached within a few millisec-
onds due to the control unit having detected
further deceleration.
Criteria for triggering belt tensioners and
airbags
In the first stage of a collision, the airbag con-
trol unit evaluates the duration and direction
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in
order to determine whether it is necessary to
trigger the belt tensioner and/or airbag.
The belt tensioner and airbag triggering
thresholds are variable and are adapted to the
rate of deceleration of the vehicle. This proc- Safety
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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
51G
Risk of injury
If the front-passenger front airbag is not
disabled:
R a child secured in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat can be seri-
ously and even fatally injured by the
front-passenger airbag deploying. This is
especially likely if the child is in the imme-
diate vicinity of the front-passenger front
airbag when it is deployed.
R a child must never be secured on the
front-passenger seat in a rearward-facing
child restraint system. Only secure a
rearward-facing child restraint system on
a suitable rear seat.
R always move the front-passenger seat to
the rearmost position if you secure a
child in a forward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat.
The front-passenger front airbag is not dis-
abled:
R on vehicles without automatic child seat
recognition in the front-passenger seat*
R on vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat* if there is no child restraint system with
automatic child seat recognition fitted to
the front-passenger seat.
R on vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat*, if
the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warn-
ing lamp is not lit.
To draw attention to this danger, there is an
appropriate warning sticker on the dash-
board as well as on both sides of the sun
visor on the front-passenger side.
Information about recommended child
restraint systems is available at any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Automatic child seat recognition on the
front-passenger seat*
If your vehicle does not have automatic child
seat recognition on the front-passenger seat,
this is indicated by a special sticker.
The sticker is affixed to the side of the dash-
board on the front-passenger side. It is visible
when you open the front-passenger door.
The warning lamp 6
is located on the centre
console.1 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp
The front-passenger seat sensor system for
child restraint systems detects whether a
special Mercedes-Benz child seat with auto-
matic child seat recognition has been fitted.
In such cases, the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp 1 lights up. The front-
passenger airbag is deactivated.
G Risk of injury
If the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warn-
ing lamp does not light up when the child
restraint system is fitted, the front-
passenger front airbag has not been disa-
bled. If the front-passenger front airbag is
6 Vehicles without automatic child seat recognition in the front-passenger seat: the warning lamp lights up briefly when you turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock. However, it has no function and does not indicate that there is automatic child seat recognition on the front-passenger seat.
Safety
* optional
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Driving safety systems
571
Button
2 Indicator lamp
X To activate: press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2 lights up. The rear side
windows can only be operated using the
switches on the driver's door.
X To deactivate: press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2 goes out. You can oper-
ate the rear side windows using the
switches in the rear compartment.
Driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS (
Anti-lock Braking System)
R BAS (
Brake Assist System)
R Adaptive brake lamps
R ESP ®
(
Electronic Stability Program)
R EBV (electronic brake-power distribution)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE
i In wintry road conditions, always use win-
ter tyres (M+S tyres) and, where necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv-
ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible.
G Risk of accident
The risk of an accident is significantly
increased by driving too fast. This is partic-
ularly the case when cornering on wet and
slippery roads and when driving too close
to the vehicle in front.
The driving safety systems described in this
section cannot reduce this risk or override
the laws of physics.
For this reason, always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions. Maintain sufficient distance
from other road users and objects on the
road.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently.
G Risk of accident
Do not depress the brake pedal several
times in quick succession (pumping).
Depress the brake firmly and evenly. Pump-
ing the brake pedal reduces the braking
effect.
Braking
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
Safety
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Driving safety systems
601
To deactivate/activate ESP ®
X To deactivate: press button 1.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
G Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster is permanently lit when the engine
is running, ESP ®
is deactivated or not avail-
able due to a malfunction. The risk of your
vehicle skidding is then increased in certain
situations.
You should always adapt your driving style
to suit the prevailing road and weather con-
ditions. X
To activate: press button 1.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
EBV (electronic brake-power distribu-
tion)
EBV monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability under braking.
G Risk of accident
If EBV is malfunctioning, the brake system
is still available with full brake boosting
effect. However, the rear wheels can still
lock, e.g. under full braking. This could
cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and cause an accident. You should there-
fore adapt your driving style to the different
handling characteristics.
ADAPTIVE BRAKE
Due to its higher level of braking safety,
ADAPTIVE BRAKE offers exceptional braking
comfort. In addition to the braking function,
ADAPTIVE BRAKE also features the conveni-
ence function HOLD (Y page 144). For fur-
ther information, see Driving tips
(Y page 206).
Safety
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Anti-theft systems
62 Tow-away protection*
An audible and visual alarm is triggered if your
vehicle's angle of inclination is altered while
tow-away protection is primed. This happens
if the vehicle is jacked up on one side, for
example.
Priming tow-away protection X
Lock the vehicle using the key. On vehicles
with KEYLESS GO*, the locking button on
the door handle/boot lid can also be used.
Tow-away protection is primed after
approximately 30 seconds.
To deactivate tow-away protection When you unlock your vehicle using the key
or KEYLESS GO*, tow-away protection is
automatically deactivated.
Deactivate tow-away protection manually to
prevent a false alarm if your vehicle:
R
is being transported
R is being loaded, e.g. onto a ferry or car
transporter
R is being parked on a movable surface, e.g.
split-level garages 1
To deactivate tow-away protection
2 Indicator lamp
X Remove the key from the ignition lock.
X Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2 lights up briefly.
X Lock the vehicle using the key. On vehicles
with KEYLESS GO*, the locking button on
the door handle/boot lid can also be used.
Tow-away protection remains deactivated
until the vehicle is unlocked and locked
again. Interior motion sensor*
If the interior motion sensor is primed, a vis-
ual and audible alarm is triggered if move-
ment is detected in the vehicle interior while
the vehicle is locked. This occurs, for exam-
ple, if someone breaks the side windows of
your vehicle or reaches into the vehicle's inte-
rior.
Priming the interior motion sensor X
Make sure that:
R
the side windows are closed
R the sliding/tilting sunroof* is closed
R there are no objects, e.g. mascots, hang-
ing on the rear-view mirror or on the
grasp handles on the roof trim.
This will prevent false alarms.
X Lock the vehicle using the key or, on vehi-
cles with KEYLESS GO*, using the locking
buttons on the door handle/boot lid.
The interior motion sensor is primed after
approximately 30 seconds. 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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