2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS COUPE Owners Manual

Occupant safety
54
"Universal" category child restraint systems
can be recognised by their orange approval
label.Example of an approval label on the child restraint
system
Recommended child restraint systems
Weight categories and
agesManufacturerTypeApproval numberDaimler order num-
berAutomatic child seat
recognition
Group 0: up to 10 kg;
Up to approximately 9
monthsBritax-RömerBABY SAFE PLUSE1 03 301146A 000 970 10 00Yes
Group 0+: up to 13 kg;
Up to approximately 18
monthsBritax-RömerBABY SAFE PLUSE1 03 301146A 000 970 10 00Yes
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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Occupant safety
56 or their retaining systems are damaged or
have been subjected to a load in an acci-
dent. This can result in serious or even fatal
injury to the secured child in the event of
an accident, heavy braking or a sudden
change in direction.
For this reason, have child restraint sys-
tems and their anchorages that are dam-
aged or which have been subjected to a
load in an accident checked immediately at
a qualified specialist workshop.1
Securing rings
Child-proof locks
If children are travelling in the vehicle, you can
activate the child-proof locks for the rear. Child-proof locks for the rear doors
The child-proof locks on the rear doors enable
you to secure each door individually. You can-
not open a locked door from the inside. You
can open the door from the outside if the
vehicle is unlocked.
G
Risk of accident and injury
If children are travelling in the vehicle, acti-
vate the child-proof locks for the rear doors
and the override switch for the rear win-
dows. The children could otherwise open
the doors or windows while the vehicle is in
motion and injure themselves or others.
1 To activate
2 To deactivate X
To activate: press locking lever upwards
1.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press locking lever down-
wards 2.
Override feature for the rear windows
G Risk of accident and injury
If children are travelling in the vehicle, acti-
vate the child-proof locks for the rear doors
and the override switch for the rear win-
dows. The children could otherwise open
the doors or windows while the vehicle is in
motion and injure themselves or others.
Safety
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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
58
If ABS intervenes:
X
Continue to depress the brake pedal with
force until the braking situation is over.
For full braking application:
X Depress the brake pedal with maximum
force. G
Risk of accident
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. This limits the steerability of the
vehicle when braking and the braking dis-
tance may increase.
If ABS is deactivated due to a malfunction,
then
BAS and ESP are also deactivated. The
risk of your vehicle skidding is then
increased in certain situations.
You should therefore always adapt your
driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions. BAS (Brake Assist)
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions.

If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. G
Risk of accident
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking sys-
tem
remains available with full brake boost-
ing effect. However, braking force is not
automatically increased in emergency
braking situations and the stopping dis-
tance may increase. Adaptive brake lamps
i Adaptive

brake lamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS,
the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way,
traffic travelling behind you is warned in an
even more noticeable manner.
If you brake from a speed of more than
70 km/h and bring the vehicle to a halt, the
hazard warning lamps switch on automati-
cally once the vehicle is stationary and the
brake lamps light up constantly if you depress
the brake pedal again. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h again. Safety
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Driving safety systems
59ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle.
The engine output is also modified, if
necessary, to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within the scope of the laws of phys-
ics. ESP ®
assists the driver when pulling away
on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also sta-
bilise the vehicle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the v warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the v
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R
Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any cir-
cumstances.
R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R Adapt your driving style to suit the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid. ESP
®

cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override
the laws of physics.
! If the vehicle is to be towed with the front
or rear axle raised, the ignition must be
switched off (key in position 0 or 1 in the
ignition lock). Application of the brakes by
ESP ®
could otherwise destroy the brake
system on the front or rear axle.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
To deactivate/activate ESP ® ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is running.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described
above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R Engine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning
wheels produce a cutting effect for better
traction.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
i If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more
wheels start to spin, the v warning lamp
in the instrument cluster flashes. ESP ®
does not, stabilise the vehicle. Safety
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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
61Anti-theft systems
Immobiliser
The immobiliser prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct key.
Activating the immobiliser X
With the key: remove the key from the
ignition lock.
X With KEYLESS GO*: press the KEYLESS
GO button on the selector lever.
The engine switches off.
Deactivating the immobiliser X
With the key: turn the key to position 2 in
the ignition lock.
X With KEYLESS GO*: press the KEYLESS
GO button on the selector lever twice with-
out depressing the brake.
i The immobiliser is always deactivated
when you start the engine. ATA* (anti-theft alarm system)
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is primed and you open:
R a door
R a door using the emergency key element
R the boot lid
R the bonnet
The alarm is not switched off even if you close
an open door again. 1
Indicator lamp
X To prime: lock the vehicle using the key.
On vehicles with KEYLESS GO*, the locking button on the door handle/boot lid can also
be used.
Indicator lamp 1 flashes. The alarm sys-
tem is primed after approximately 15 sec-
onds.
X To deactivate: unlock the vehicle using the
key. On vehicles with KEYLESS GO*, you
can also unlock the vehicle by opening the
door/boot lid.
Switching off the alarm X
With the key: insert the key into the igni-
tion lock.
The alarm is switched off.
or
X Press the Œ or ‹ button on the key.
The alarm is switched off.
X With KEYLESS GO*: pull the door handle.
The key must be outside the vehicle.
The alarm is switched off.
or
X Press the KEYLESS GO button on the selec-
tor lever. The key must be inside the vehi-
cle.
The alarm is switched off. Safety
* optional
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