2008 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON Owners Manual

Occupant safety
54 Weight 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
13 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
13 ISOFIX* child seat securing system in
the rear
ISOFIX is a standardised securing system for
specially-designed child restraint systems on
the rear seats. Securing rings for two child
restraint systems are fitted on the left and
right rear seats. 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 correctly
fitted to a suitable vehicle seat, it cannot
perform its protective function. The child
cannot be restrained in the event of a sud-
den change of direction, heavy braking or
an accident. This may lead to serious or
even fatal injuries. For this reason, when
fitting a child restraint system, observe the
manufacturer's installation instructions
and the 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
or their retaining systems are damaged or
have been subjected to a load in an acci-
13 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
55dent. 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 which are dam-
aged or which have been subjected to a
load in an accident checked immediately at
a qualified specialist workshop.
! When fitting the child restraint system,
make sure that the seat belt for the middle
seat does not become trapped. It could
otherwise be damaged. 1
Securing rings Integrated child seat* The child seats are integrated into the right
and left-hand sides of the seats of the rear
bench seat. They comply with the legal
requirements of ECE Regulation 44.03.
Mercedes-Benz recommends the integrated
child seat for children from approximately
two to twelve years or with a body weight of
12.5 kg to 36 kg.
For children between approximately two and
four years of age or weighing between
approximately 12.5 kg and 18 kg, you must
also use a padded table which has been spe-
cially approved for the integrated child seat.
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 You must follow the manufacturer's
installation instructions for the child seat
when fitting the padded table and fas-
tening the seat belt.
R Do not modify the integrated child seat
or padded table.
R When the child seat is occupied, adjust
the head restraint to a position at which
the back of the child's head is supported by the centre of the head restraint at
about eye level.
R Replace an integrated child seat or pad-
ded table that has been damaged or sub-
jected to a heavy load as the result of an
accident
R Be aware that children under two years
of age require a different child restraint
system. Information about other child
restraint systems is available from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
R The rear seat backrest in the vehicle
must be securely locked in position. 1
Release handle
2 Hook Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
56
Folding out the child seat
X
Pull release handle 1forwards.
X Push the child seat upwards and back until
it engages.
Fastening a child's seat belt 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 The shoulder belt section of the seat belt
must be routed across the middle of the
child's shoulder – never across the
child's neck – and be pulled tight against
the child's chest. The lap section of the
seat belt must be routed across the
child's pelvis – not across the abdomen
– and be pulled tight against the child's
body; retighten the belt strap if neces-
sary.
R Never secure more than one child at a
time in the child restraint system.
R The belt must be routed through the
hook.
R The belt strap must not be trapped or
twisted, nor rub against any sharp edges. Also observe the assembly instructions for
the padded table and the additional warn-
ings and information about risk of injury.
X Pull the belt smoothly from the belt reel.
X Guide the lower lap section of the belt
through hook 2.
X Engage the belt tongue in the buckle.
X If the integrated child seat is being used
without the padded table, make sure that
the belt:
R is routed as low as possible across the pel-
vic area, in front of the hips
R is tightened across the lap by pulling
upwards on the child's shoulder belt
R is tight and is routed across the middle of
the child's shoulder
R is not twisted and does not pass across the
child's neck or under the child's arm
X Adjust the head restraint (Y page 81)
Folding in the child seat
X Pull release handle 1forwards.
X Push the child seat back into the seat until
it engages. Child-proof locks If children are travelling in the vehicle, you can
activate the child-proof locks for the rear
doors.
Child-proof locks for the rear doors
The child-proof locks on the rear doors enable
you to secure each door individually. A locked
door cannot be opened from the inside. The
door can be opened 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. Safety
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Occupant safety
57Saloon shown as an example
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.
Child-proof lock for the tailgate (Estate) G
Risk of accident and injury
Activate the child-proof locks for the tail-
gate and the rear doors and the override
switch for the rear windows if children are
travelling in the vehicle. The children could otherwise open the tailgate, doors or win-
dows while the vehicle is in motion and
injure themselves or others.
The child-proof lock for the tailgate prevents
the tailgate from being opened from the
inside. 1
To activate
2 To deactivate
X To activate: push the locking lever to the
left 1.
X Check that the child-proof lock is working
properly.
X To release: press safety lever to the right
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. 1
Button
2 Indicator lamp
X To activate: press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2lights up. The rear side
windows can only be operated using the
switches on the driver's door. Safety
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Driving safety sys
tems58
X
To deactivate: press button1.
Indicator lamp 2goes out. You can oper-
ate the rear side windows using the
switches in the rear compartment. Driving safety systems
Overview of 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 as well as
on wet or slippery roads or when driving too
close to the vehicle in front.
The driving safety systems described in this
section cannot reduce this risk nor 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 sys
tems 59
X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full 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.
There is an increased risk of your vehicle
skidding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style
to suit the prevailing road and weather con-
ditions. 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 sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you drive
faster than 10 km/h again. You can also
switch off the hazard warning lamps using the
hazard warning switch button (Y page 102). Safety
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Driving safety sys
tems60 ESP
®
(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 physical limits. ESP ®
assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the vwarning
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 0or 1in the
ignition lock). Application of the brakes by
ESP ®
could otherwise destroy the brake
system on the front or rear axle.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC* may not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
Deactivating/activating 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 vwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehi-
cle. Safety
* optional
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Driving safety sys
tems 611
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
X To deactivate: press button1.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster is continuously lit when the engine
is running, ESP ®
is deactivated or not avail-
able due to a malfunction. There is an
increased risk of your vehicle skidding 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 155). For fur-
ther information, see Driving tips
(Y page 236). Safety
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