2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS COUPE Owners Manual

Occupant safety
46 tem on a suitable seat in the rear. If you
secure a forward-facing child restraint
system to the front-passenger seat, you
must move the front-passenger seat as
far back as possible.
R Make sure there are no heavy or sharp-
edged objects in pockets of clothing.
R Do
not lean forwards, e.g. over the cover
of the driver's front airbag, particularly
when the vehicle is in motion.
R Do not put your feet on the dashboard.
R Only hold the steering wheel by the rim.
This allows the airbag to inflate fully. You
could be injured if the airbag is deployed
and you are holding the inside of the
steering wheel.
R Do not lean on the doors from inside the
vehicle.
R Make sure that there are no people, ani-
mals or objects between the vehicle
occupants and the area of deployment of
the airbag.
R Do not place any objects between the
seat backrest and the door. R
Do not hang any hard objects, for exam-
ple
coat hangers, on the grab handles or
coat hooks.
R Do not attach accessories, e.g. cup hold-
ers, to the doors.
It is not possible to rule out the risk of inju-
ries caused by an airbag due to the high
speed at which the airbag is required to
deploy. G
Risk of injury
The airbag's functionality can only be guar-
anteed if the following parts are not cov-
ered and no badges or stickers are
attached to them:
R Padded steering wheel boss
R Front-passenger front airbag cover
R Outer side of front seats
R Rear door trims G
Risk of injury
When an airbag deploys, a small amount of
powder
is released. The powder may cause
short-term breathing difficulties to persons
suffering from asthma or other pulmonary
conditions. In order to prevent possible breathing dif-
ficulties you should leave the vehicle as
soon

as it is safe to do so. You can also open
the window to allow fresh air to enter the
interior. The powder does not constitute a
health hazard and does not indicate that
there is a fire in the vehicle. G
Risk of injury
The airbag parts are hot after the airbag has
been deployed. Do not touch them, other-
wise you may burn yourself.
Occupants

are not protected by the airbags
in the event of another accident. Have the
airbags checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Front airbags
The front airbags are designed to increase
protection for the driver's and front-
passenger head and chest. Safety
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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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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
49NECK-PRO head restraint
NECK-PRO head restraints are designed to
increase protection to the driver's and front-
passenger's head and neck. To this end, the
head restraints on the driver's and front-
passenger seats are moved forwards and
upwards
in the event of a rear-end collision in
the direction of travel. This provides better
head support. G
Risk of injury
Head restraint covers prevent the NECK-
PRO head restraints from triggering cor-
rectly. Consequently, the NECK-PRO head
restraints

cannot provide the intended level
of protection. Do not use head restraint
covers.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints are triggered
in an accident, you must reset the head
restraints on the driver's and front-passenger
seats (Y page 269). Head restraints that have
been triggered are tilted forwards. Children in the vehicle
If a child is riding in your vehicle, secure the
child using a child restraint system appropri-
ate to the size and age of the child and
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Pref-
erably,

you should fit the restraint system on
a suitable rear seat. Preferably, you should fit
it to a suitable rear seat. Make sure that the
child is strapped in throughout the trip.
You can obtain information about the correct
child restraint system from any Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products to clean child restraint systems.
You can obtain information about this from
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. The children could injure
themselves on parts of the vehicle. They
could also be seriously or even fatally
injured by prolonged exposure to extreme
heat or cold.
Do

not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The metallic parts of the child restraint system could heat up and the
child could be burned by them.
If

the children open the door other persons
could be injured. They could get out and
injure themselves or be injured by a passing
vehicle.
You should also observe the information on
HOLD; see the index. G
Risk of injury
An unsecured or incorrectly positioned load
increases the risk of injury to the child in
the event of:
R an accident
R a braking manoeuvre
R a sudden change of direction
Do not carry heavy or hard objects inside
the vehicle unless they are secured. You
will

find further information under "Loading
guidelines" in the index.
Child restraint systems Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use the child restraint systems listed on
(Y page 54). Safety
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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
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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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
53
Suitable positioning of the child restraint system Weight categories and ages Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat Child restraint system on the left-hand
and right-hand rear seats
Group 0: up to 10 kg;
Up to approximately 9 months Vehicles with automatic child seat recogni-
tion* on the front-passenger seat: as rec-
ommended
7 Universal or as recommended
Group 0+: up to 13 kg;
Up to approximately 18 months
Group I: 9 to 18 kg;
Between approximately 8 months and 4 years As recommended Universal or as recommended
Category II/III: 15 to 36 kg
Between approximately 3½ and 12 years
7
Only use child restraint systems with automatic child seat recognition Safety
* optional
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