2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S65AMG child seat

Contents
Introduction....................................... 13
Product information ............................. 13
Operator’s Manual ............................... 14
Service and warranty information .. 14
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 15
Maintenance .................................. 15
Roadside Assistance ...................... 16
Change of address or ownership.... 16
Operating your vehicle outside the
USA or Canada............................... 16
Where to find it .................................... 17
Symbols ............................................... 18
Operating safety .................................. 19
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 19
Problems with your vehicle .................. 20
Reporting safety defects...................... 21
Reporting safety defects ................ 21
Vehicle data recording ......................... 22
Information regarding electronic
recording devices ........................... 22At a glance.......................................... 23
Exterior view ......................................... 24
Cockpit ................................................. 26
Instrument cluster ................................ 28
Control systems ................................... 30
Center console ..................................... 32
Upper part ...................................... 32
Overhead control panel ........................ 33
Driver’s door control panel ................... 34
Rear door control panel ........................ 35
Storage compartments ......................... 36
Rear passenger compartment .............. 38
Safety and Security............................ 39
Occupant safety ................................... 40
Air bags........................................... 42
Occupant Classification System ..... 47
Seat belts........................................ 52
Active head restraints ..................... 55
Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE
®).................................... 56
Children in the vehicle .................... 57Override switch for rear passenger
compartment .................................. 63
Panic alarm .......................................... 65
Activating........................................ 65
Deactivating.................................... 65
Driving safety systems ......................... 66
ABS ................................................. 66
Adaptive Brake ............................... 67
Adaptive Brake Lights
(S 600/S 65 AMG and USA only) ... 68
BAS ................................................. 68
BAS Plus* ....................................... 69
EBP ................................................. 71
ESP
®............................................... 71
Four wheel electronic traction
system (4MATIC) with the ESP
®..... 75
PRE-SAFE® Brake* (vehicles with
DISTRONIC Plus* only) ................... 76
Anti-theft systems ................................ 81
Immobilizer ..................................... 81
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 81
Canceling the alarm ........................ 82

40 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
In this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are

Seat belts (page 52)

Child restraints (page 57)

Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren (LATCH) (
page 62)
Additional protection potential provide

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
with

Air bags (page 42)

Air bag control unit (with crash
sensors)

Emergency Tensioning Device
(ETD) for seat belts (
page 55)

Seat belt force limiter (page 55)

Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE®) (page 56)

Active head restraints (page 55)Air bag system components with

The front passenger front air bag off in-
dicator lamp (
page 50)

Front passenger seat with Occupant
Classification System (OCS)
(
page 47)
Although independent systems, their pro-
tective functions work in conjunction with
each other.The SRS system conducts a self-test when
the ignition is switched on and in regular
intervals while the engine is running. This
facilitates early detection of malfunctions.
The =indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster (
page 28) comes on when the
ignition is switched on and goes out no lat-
er than a few seconds after the engine has
been started.
The SRS components are in operational
readiness when the =indicator lamp is
not lit when the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been
detected if the =indicator lamp:

fails to go out after approximately
4 seconds after the engine was started

does not come on at all

comes on after the engine was started
or while driving
iFor information on infants and children trav-
eling with you in the vehicle and restraint sys-
tems for infants and children, see “Children in
the vehicle” (
page 57).

43 Safety and Security
Occupant safety

Occupants, especially children, should
always sit as upright as possible, proper-
ly use the seat belts and use an appro-
priately sized infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat recommended
for the size and weight of the child.
Failure to follow these instructions can
result in severe injuries to you or other
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.Warning!G
Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in an automobile is in the
rear seat.
There is a possibility for a side impact air
bag related injury if occupants, especially
children, are not properly seated or re-
strained when next to a side impact air bag
which needs to deploy rapidly in a side im-
pact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Always sit as upright as possible, prop-
erly use the seat belts, and for all chil-
dren 12 years old and under, use an
appropriately sized infant restraint, tod-
dler restraint, or booster seat recom-
mended for the size and weight of the
child.
(2) Always wear seat belts properly.
iAir bags are designed to deploy only in cer-
tain frontal impacts (front air bags), and in side
impacts (side impact and window curtain air
bags) which exceed preset thresholds, and in
certain rollovers (window curtain air bags). Only
during these events will they provide their sup-
plemental protection.
The driver and passengers should always wear
their seat belts. Otherwise it is not possible for
air bags to provide their supplemental protec-
tion.
In case of other types of impacts and impacts be-
low air bag deployment thresholds, air bags will
not deploy. The driver and passenger will then be
protected to the extent possible by a properly
fastened seat belt. A properly fastened seat belt
is also needed to provide the best possible pro-
tection in a rollover.
We caution you not to rely on the presence of the
air bags in order to avoid wearing your seat belt.
It is important to your safety and that of your pas-
sengers that you replace deployed air bags and
repair any malfunctioning air bags to make sure
the vehicle will continue to provide supplemental
crash protection for occupants.

47 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The window curtain air bags fill up the area
indicated by the arrows.
Occupant Classification System
The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
automatically turns the front passenger
front air bag on or off based on the classi-
fied occupant weight category determined
by weight sensor readings from the front
passenger seat.
Occupants must sit properly belted in a po-
sition that is as upright as possible with
their back against the seat backrest and
feet on the floor to be correctly classified.
If the occupant’s weight is transferred to
another object in the vehicle (e.g. by lean-
ing on armrests), the OCS may not be able
to properly approximate the occupant’s
weight category.Furthermore, the occupant weight may ap-
pear to increase or decrease due to
objects hanging on the seat, other passen-
gers pushing on the seat, objects lodged
underneath the seat or stuffed between
seat and middle console or between seat
and door or due to objects applying pres-
sure on the back of the seat. Always make
sure that the seat has clearance in all
directions at all times.
Both driver and the front passenger should
always use the 59indicator
lamp as an indication of whether or not the
front passenger is properly positioned.
iThe system does not deactivate the front
passenger side impact air bag, the window cur-
tain air bag and the emergency tensioning de-
vice.
iIf your seat, including your trim cover and
cushion needs to be serviced in any way, take
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Only seat accessories approved by
Mercedes-Benz may be used.
Warning!G
If the 59indicator lamp illumi-
nates when an adult or someone larger than
a small individual is in the front passenger
seat, have the front passenger re-position
himself or herself in the seat until the
59indicator lamp goes out, or
check whether objects are caught under or
around the seat.
More information about air bag display mes-
sages (
page 618).
In the event of a collision, the air bag control
unit will not allow front passenger front air
bag deployment when the OCS classified
the front passenger seat occupant as being
up to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child re-
straint or if the front passenger seat is
sensed as being empty.


48 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat occupant is classified as being up
to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child
restraint, the 59indicator
lamp will illuminate when the engine is start-
ed and remain illuminated, indicating that
the front passenger front air bag is deacti-
vated.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat is classified as being empty, the
59indicator lamp will illumi-
nate when the engine is started and remain
illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat occupant is classified as being
heavier than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint or as being a small individual
(such as a young teenager or a small adult),
the 59indicator lamp will illu-
minate for approximately 6 seconds when
the engine is started and then, depending on
occupant weight sensor readings fromthe seat, remain illuminated or go out. With
the 59indicator lamp illumi-
nated, the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated. With the 59 indi-
cator lamp out, the front passenger front air
bag is activated.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat occupant is classified as an adult or
someone larger than a small individual, the
59indicator lamp will illumi-
nate for approximately 6 seconds when the
engine is started and then go out, indicating
that the front passenger front air bag is
activated.
If the 59indicator lamp is illu-
minated, the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the 59indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front passenger front air
bag is activated and will be deployed:

in the event of certain frontal impacts

if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold

independently of the side impact air
bags
If the front passenger air bag is deployed,
the rate of inflation will be influenced by:

the rate of relevant vehicle deceleration
as assessed by the air bag control unit

front passenger’s weight category as
identified by the Occupant Classification
System (OCS).
Warning!G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant or child restraint
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.


49 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, the seat
belt and top tether strap, or lower anchors
and top tether strap, fully in accordance
with the child seat manufacturer’s
instructions.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following im-
portant information when circumstances re-
quire you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:

Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to turn off the front
passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the system senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard appropri-
ate child restraint on the front passen-
ger seat.

A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat will be serious-
ly injured or even killed if the front
passenger front air bag inflates in a
collision which could occur under some
circumstances, even with the air bag
technology installed in your vehicle.
The only means to completely eliminate
this risk is to never place a child in a
rear-facing child restraint in the front
seat. We therefore strongly recommend
that you always place a child in a rear-
facing child restraint in the back seat.

If you must install a rear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat
because circumstances require you to
do so, make sure that the
59 indicator lamp is illumi-
nated, indicating that the front passen-
ger front air bag is deactivated. Should
the 59 indicator lamp not
illuminate or go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation. Peri-
odically check the 59 indi-
cator lamp while driving to make sure
the 59 indicator lamp is il-
luminated.
If the 59indicator lamp
goes out or remains out, do not trans-
port a child on the front passenger seat
until the system has been repaired. A
child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat will be serious-
ly injured or even killed if the front pas-
senger front air bag inflates.

If you have to place a child in a
forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat, move the seat as
far back as possible, use the proper
child restraint recommended for the
age, size and weight of the child, and se-
cure child restraint with the vehicle’s
seat belt according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. For
children larger than the typical
12-month-old child, the front passenger
front air bag may or may not be
activated (
page 48).

50 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The 59 indicator lamp is lo-
cated on the dashboard to the right of the
instrument cluster.
1Front passenger front air bag indicator
lamp
The 59indicator lamp1 will
be illuminated, except with the SmartKey
removed from the starter switch or with
the starter switch in position0
(
page 346).
iDeployment of the driver front air bag does
not mean that the front passenger front air bag
also should have deployed.
The Occupant Classification System (
page 47)
may have determined:

that the seat was empty or occupied by the
weight up to or less than that of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint – both instances where the
system suppresses deployment of the front
passenger front air bag even though the im-
pact met the criteria and was of sufficient
severity to deploy the driver front air bag.

that the seat was occupied by a small individ-
ual (such as a young teenager or a small
adult) or a child weighing more than the
weight of a typical 12-month-old child in a
standard child restraint – instances where
the system may suppress deployment of the
front passenger front air bag even though
the impact met the criteria and was of suffi-
cient severity to deploy the driver front air
bag.
Warning!G
If the =indicator lamp and the
59 indicator lamp are lit at the
same time, there is a malfunction in the
Occupant Classification System. The front
passenger front air bag will be deactivated
in this case.
In order to ensure proper operation of the
air bag system and OCS:

Have the system checked as soon as
possible by qualified technicians.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

Do not place more than 4.4 lbs (2 kg)
into the ruffled storage bag on the back
of the front passenger seat. Otherwise,
the OCS may not be able to properly
approximate the occupant weight
category.

Do not place objects under and/or
around the front passenger seat.

Do not hang anything from or attach any
items to the seats.

51 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Self-test Occupant Classification
System
After turning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position1 or2 or pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button once or
twice (
page 346), the 59
indicator lamp1 located in the center
console illuminates. If an adult occupant is
properly sitting on the front passenger
seat and the system senses the occupant
as being an adult, the 59 indi-
cator lamp will illuminate and go out after
approximately 6 seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the system
senses the front passenger seat as being
empty, the 59indicator lamp
will illuminate and not go out.For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 610).
Do not stuff objects such as books be-
tween the middle console and the front
passenger seat.

Do not move the front passenger seat
backwards against stiff objects.

Sit properly belted in a position that is
as upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest.

Do not lean on the armrests or lift your-
self from the seat by using the handle
over the door as this may cause the OCS
to be unable to correctly approximate
the occupant weight category.

Only have the seat repaired or replaced
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.

Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.
Warning!G
If the 59 indicator lamp should
not illuminate, the system is not functioning.
You must contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center before seating any
child on the front passenger seat.
Warning!G
Never place anything between seat cushion
(e.g. pillow), since it reduces the effective-
ness of the Occupant Classification System.
The bottom of the child seat must make full
contact with the passenger seat cushion. An
incorrectly mounted child seat could cause
injuries to the child in case of an accident,
instead of increasing protection for the
child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of child seats.