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Occupant safety
54 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
The child restraint system cannot perform
its protective function if is not correctly fit-
ted to a suitable vehicle seat. 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
subjected to a load in an accident. This
could result in serious or even fatal injuries
to the secured child in the event of an acci-
dent, heavy braking or a sudden change in
direction.
For this reason, have child restraint sys-
tems and their anchorages which have
been damaged or subjected to a load in an
accident checked immediately at a quali-
fied 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
Covers
X Remove covers 1. 2
Securing rings
TopTether
TopTether provides an additional connection
between the child restraint system secured Safety
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Page 58 of 381
Occupant safety
55
with ISOFIX and the rear seat. It helps reduce
the risk of injury even further.
The three TopTether anchorages are located
on the rear side of the backrests. 1
Protective caps for TopTether anchorage
X Remove corresponding protective cap 1. 1
Luggage compartment cover
2 Backrests
3 Head restraints
4 TopTether anchorages 4
TopTether anchorage
5 TopTether hook*
6 TopTether belt* for the ISOFIX child
restraint system
X Move head restraint 3upwards.
X Fit the ISOFIX child restraint system with
TopTether*. Comply with the manufactur-
er's installation instructions.
X Guide TopTether belt* 6under head
restraint 3between the two head restraint
rods.
X Guide TopTether belt* 6downwards
between luggage compartment cover 1
and backrest 2.
X Hook TopTether hook* 5into TopTether
anchorage 4. Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
56
X
Tighten TopTether belt* 6. Comply with
the manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
X Move head restraint 3back down again
slightly if necessary (Y page 80). Make
sure that you do not interfere with the cor-
rect routing of TopTether belt* 6.
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 feature for the rear win-
dows. The children could otherwise open
doors or windows while the vehicle is in
motion and injure themselves or others. 1
To deactivate
2 To activate
X To activate: press latch2downwards.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press latch1upwards.
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 feature for the rear win-
dows. The children could otherwise open
doors or windows while the vehicle is in
motion and injure themselves or others. 1
Switch
X To activate: press button 1.
Button 1engages. The rear side windows
can only be operated using the switches on
the driver's door.
X To deactivate: press button1.
Button 1pops out and is flush with the
other buttons. You can operate the rear
side windows using the switches in the rear
compartment. Safety
* optional
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Page 60 of 381

Driving safety sys
tems 57Driving 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 4-ETS ( Electronic Traction Support)
R Distance warning function* (vehicles with
Distronic*)
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 nor override
the laws of physics.
For this reason, always adapt your driving
style to suit 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.
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.
Off-road ABS An ABS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically if the off-
road drive program (Y
page 140) is activated Safety
* optional
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Driving safety sys
tems58
or if the LOW RANGE* (Y
page 141) off-road
gear is selected.
At speeds below 30 km/h, the front wheels
lock cyclically during braking. The digging-in
effect achieved in the process reduces the
stopping distance on off-road terrain. This
limits steering capability. 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 25 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 95). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between 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 prevailing
road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid. Safety
* optional
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Page 62 of 381

Driving safety sys
tems 59ESP
®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override
the laws of physics.
! Only operate the vehicle briefly (for a max-
imum of ten seconds) on a brake dyna-
mometer. Turn the key in the ignition lock
to position 0or 1. You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a twin-axle dyna-
mometer. If you wish to operate the vehicle
on such a dynamometer, please consult a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre in advance.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation If your trailer begins to lurch, you can only
stabilise the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
In this situation, ESP
®
assists you and detects
if the trailer begins to lurch. ESP ®
slows the
vehicle down by braking and limiting the engine output so the vehicle/trailer combi-
nation can stabilise.
Trailer stabilisation is active from about
65 km/h. G
Risk of accident
If road and weather conditions are bad,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to pre-
vent the trailer from swerving and thereby
reduce the risk of accident. Trailers with a
high centre of gravity can tip over before
ESP ®
can detect this.
Trailer stabilising does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function.
Activating/deactivating 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 the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels can spin. Spinning of the
wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides better grip.
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
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Driving safety sys
tems601
To deactivate/activate 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 prevailing road and weather condi-
tions. X
To activate: press button 1.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Off-road ESP ® An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically if the off-
road drive program is activated
(Y page 140) or if the LOW RANGE* off-road
gear is selected (Y page 141). It intervenes
with a delay if there is oversteering or under-
steering, thus improving traction. 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.
4ETS
4-ETS makes it possible to pull away or accel-
erate on a slippery surface. It brakes the
wheels individually if they start to spin.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up briefly when the engine is
started. This indicates that the warning lamp
is operational.
X Activate the off-road drive program
(Y page 140) or the LOW RANGE* off-road
gear (Y page 141) if appropriate to driving
conditions.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes at any speed if at least one tyre
has exceeded its tyre grip limit. Safety
* optional
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Driving safety sys
tems 61G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R Accelerate less when driving.
R Adapt your driving style to suit prevailing
road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid.
If you drive too fast, 4-ETS cannot reduce
the risk of an accident. 4-ETS cannot over-
ride the laws of physics.
! Only operate the vehicle briefly (for a max-
imum of ten seconds) on a brake dyna-
mometer. Turn the key in the ignition lock
to position 0or 1. You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a twin-axle dyna-
mometer. If you wish to operate the vehicle
on such a dynamometer, please consult a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre in advance.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system. i
If heavy demands are made on the brakes,
4-ETS switches off automatically for a brief
period so that the brakes do not heat up
further. If, for this reason, 4-ETS does not
engage, the vwarning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. The message
ABS, ESP unavailable see Owner's
Manual also appears in the multi-function
display.
! The engine may be switched on when the
vehicle is towed with its axle raised or when
the parking brake is checked on the brake
dynamometer. Application of the brakes
via 4-ETS may otherwise destroy the brake
system.
Off-road 4-ETS A 4-ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically if the off-
road drive program is activated
(Y page 140) or the LOW RANGE* off-road
gear is selected (Y page 141). Distance warning system (only for
vehicles with Distronic*)
This function will issue a warning at speeds of
around 30 km/h or more if:
R for a period of several seconds, the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front is too short for
the speed at which you are travelling. The
distance warning lamp lin the instru-
ment cluster will then light up.
R you are approaching the vehicle in front too
rapidly. An intermittent warning tone will
then sound and the distance warning lamp
l will light up in the instrument cluster.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a
crash, you must apply the brakes yourself. G
Risk of accident
Pay particular attention to the traffic con-
ditions if the distance warning lamp l
in the instrument cluster lights up or an
intermittent warning tone sounds.
If necessary, brake or swerve to avoid an
obstacle. Safety
* optional
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