Pelvis air bags : are designed to provide
increased protection for the pelvis.
Pelvis air bags : are deployed
Rin instances with a high rate of lateral
vehicle deceleration or acceleration
Ron the impacted side of the vehicle
Rindependently of whether the seat belt is in
use
Rindependently of the front air bags
Rindependently of the ETDs
Vehicles with OCS, USA only: Front
passenger pelvis air bag : will not deploy if
the OCS senses that the front passenger seat
is empty and the front passenger seat belt is
not fastened. With the front passenger seat
empty and the seat belt fastened, front
passenger pelvis air bag : will deploy
independently of the empty seat. Whether a
seat belt is recognized as fastened depends
on whether or not the latch plate is properly
inserted into the buckle.
Pelvis air bags : are not deployed in side
impacts which do not exceed the system’s
deployment threshold.
Pelvis air bags : will not deploy in the event
of a rollover unless the vehicle’s rate of lateral
deceleration or acceleration exceeds the
preset deployment threshold for pelvis air
bags :.
GWarning!
Only use seat covers which have been tested
and approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle model. Using other seat covers may
interfere with or prevent the deployment of
the side impact air bags and/or pelvis air
bags. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for availability.
Window curtain air bags
GObserve Safety notes, see page 37.
Window curtain air bags : are designed to
provide increased protection for the head but
not the chest or arms.
Window curtain air bags : are deployed
Ron the impacted side of the vehicle
Rin instances with a high rate of lateral
vehicle deceleration or acceleration
Rindependently of the front air bags
Rregardless of whether the front passenger
seat is occupied
Rregardless of whether the seat belt on the
impacted side of the vehicle is in use
Window curtain air bags : are not deployed
in impacts which do not exceed the system’s
deployment threshold.
Window curtain air bags : deploy in the area
indicated by the arrows.
Occupant Classification System
The Occupant Classification System (OCS) is
standard equipment in USA.
The OCS activates or deactivates the front
passenger front air bag automatically. The
respective status is based on the classified
42Occupant safetySafety and security
204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 42
occupant weight category determined by
weight sensor readings from the front
passenger seat.
The system does not deactivate
R the front passenger side impact air bag
R the pelvis air bag
R the window curtain air bag
R the Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs)
To be classified correctly, the front passenger
must sit
R with the seat belt properly fastened
R in a position that is as upright as possible
with the back against the seat backrest
R with the feet on the floor
If the occupant’s weight is transferred to
another object in the vehicle (e.g. by leaning
on armrests), the OCS may not be able to
properly approximate the occupant’s weight
category.
If your seat, including the 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.
Both the driver and the front passenger
should always use the 45 indicator
lamp as an indication of whether or not the
front passenger is properly positioned.GWarning!
If the 45 indicator lamp illuminates
when an adult or someone larger than a small
individual is in the front passenger seat, have
the front passenger reposition himself or
herself in the seat until the 45
indicator lamp goes out.
In the event of a collision, the air bag control
unit will not allow front passenger front air bag
deployment when the OCS has classified the
front passenger seat occupant as weighting
as much as or less than a typical 12-month-
old child in a standard child restraint or if the
front passenger seat is classified as being
empty.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger 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 45 indicator lamp will
illuminate 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
passenger seat is classified as being empty,
the 45 indicator lamp will illuminate
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
passenger 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
45 indicator lamp will illuminate for
approximately 6 seconds when the engine is
started and then, depending on occupant
weight sensor readings from the seat, remain
illuminated or go out. With the 45
indicator lamp illuminated, the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated. With
the 45 indicator lamp out, the front
passenger front air bag is activated.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat occupant is classified as an
adult or someone larger than a small
individual, the 45 indicator lamp will
illuminate for approximately 6 seconds when
the engine is started and then goes out,
indicating that the front passenger front air
bag is activated.
If the 45 indicator lamp is illuminated,
the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed.Occupant safety43Safety and security204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 43Z
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 a backseat.
RIf you must install a BabySmart™
compatible rear-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat because
circumstances require you to do so, make
sure the 45 indicator lamp is
illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Should the 45 indicator lamp not
illuminate or go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation.
Periodically check the 45 indicator
lamp while driving to make sure the
45 indicator lamp is illuminated. If
the 45 indicator lamp goes out or
remains out, do not transport 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 seriously
injured or even killed if the front passenger
front air bag inflates.
RIf 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 secure child restraint with
the vehicle’s seat belt according to the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.
GWarning!
When using a BabySmart™ compatible child
seat on the front passenger seat, the front
passenger front air bag will not deploy only if
the 45 indicator lamp remains
illuminated.
Please be sure to check the 45
indicator lamp every time you use a
BabySmart™ compatible child seat on the
front passenger seat. Should the 45
indicator lamp go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation. If the
45 indicator lamp remains out, do not
use the BabySmart™ restraint to transport a
child on the front passenger seat until the
system has been repaired.
Special BabySmart™ compatible child seats,
designed for use with the Mercedes-Benz
system, are required for use with the
BabySmart™ air bag deactivation system.
Please contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for information on availability. With
the special child seat installed properly, the
front passenger front air bag will not deploy.
45 indicator lamp : will be
illuminated, except with the SmartKey
removed from the starter switch or with the
starter switch in position 0.
The system does not deactivate
Rthe side impact air bag
Rthe pelvis air bag
Rthe window curtain air bag
Rthe Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD)
Self-test BabySmart™ without special
child seat installed
After turning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position 1 or 2 or pressing the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button once or
twice, the 45 indicator lamp comes
on for approximately 6 seconds and then
goes out.
Occupant safety47Safety and security204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 47Z
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a position that is as upright as
possible and the seat belt is properly
positioned on the body.GWarning!
Never let more people ride in the vehicle than
there are seat belts available. Make sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly
restrained with a separate seat belt. Never
use a seat belt for more than one person at a
time.
GWarning!
Damaged seat belts or seat belts that have
been subjected to stress in an accident must
be replaced. Also, the seat belt anchoring
points must be checked.
Only use seat belts which have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
of the ETDs or to their failure to activate when
necessary.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Proper use of seat belts
GWarning!
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY
R Seat belts can only protect when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any other
way than as described in this section, as
that could result in serious injuries in case
of an accident.
R Each occupant should wear their seat belt
at all times, because seat belts help reduce
the likelihood of and potential severity of
injuries in accidents, including rollovers.
The integrated restraint system includes
SRS (driver front air bag, driver side knee
bag, front passenger front air bag, side
impact air bags, pelvis air bags, window
curtain air bags for side windows),
Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs),
seat belt force limiters, and front seat knee
bolsters.
The system is designed to enhance the
protection offered to properly belted
occupants in certain frontal (front air bags,
driver’s side knee bag, and ETDs) and side
(side impact air bags, pelvis air bags,
window curtain air bags, and ETDs) impacts
which exceed preset deployment
thresholds.
R Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your shoulder.
In a frontal crash, your body would move
too far forward. That would increase the
chance of head and neck injuries. The seat
belt would also apply too much force to the
ribs or abdomen, which could severely
injure internal organs such as your liver or
spleen.
Adjust the seat belt so that the shoulder
section is located as close as possible to
the middle of the shoulder. It should not
touch the neck. Never pass the shoulder
portion of the seat belt under your arm.
R Position the lap belt as low as possible on
your hips and not across the abdomen. If
the lap belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries in
a crash.
R Never wear seat belts over rigid or
breakable objects in or on your clothing,
such as eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as
these might cause injuries.
R Make sure the seat belt is always fitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
R Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat beltOccupant safety49Safety and security204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 49Z
XInstall a LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat
according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
A rigid connection between the child seat
and the body of the vehicle is established.
XMake sure that the seat belt for the rear
center seat can operate freely with a child
seat installed.
Child safety
Child safety locks
GObserve Safety notes, see page 54.GWarning!
Children could open a rear door from the
inside. This may cause serious personal injury
or an accident. Therefore, secure the rear
doors with the child safety locks whenever
children are riding in the back seats of the
vehicle.
The child safety locks on the rear doors
enable you to secure each rear door
individually. You cannot open a secured rear
door from the inside. You can open the rear
door from the outside when the vehicle is
unlocked.
XSecuring: Press the lever up in direction of
arrow :.
XCheck to make sure the child safety locks
are working properly.
XReleasing: Press the lever down in
direction of arrow ;.
Override switchGObserve Safety notes, see page 54.
With the override switch you can disable the
rear door window switches in the rear door
panels. This can be useful, for instance, when
you have children riding in the rear passenger
compartment.
GWarning!
Activate the override switch when children
are riding in the back seats of the vehicle. The
children may otherwise injure themselves,
e.g. by becoming trapped in the rear door
window opening.
XActivating: Press override switch :.
Indicator lamp ; comes on.
The rear door windows can no longer be
operated using the respective switch
located in the rear doors.
You can still operate the rear door windows
using the switches located on the door
control panel of the driver’s door.
XDeactivating: Press override switch :
again.
The rear door windows can be operated
again using the respective switch located
in the rear doors.
For more information on power windows, see
the “Controls in detail” section
(Y page 98).
Occupant safety59Safety and security204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 59Z
Vehicle equipment ..............................70
Locking and unlocking .......................70
Starter switch positions .....................77
Seats ....................................................79
Multifunction steering wheel .............84
Mirrors .................................................86
Memory function .................................89
Lighting ................................................90
Wipers ..................................................96
Power windows ...................................98
Driving and parking ..........................101
Manual transmission ........................107
Automatic transmission ...................108
Transfer case ....................................116
Instrument cluster ............................116
Control system ..................................118
Audio system ....................................136
Driving systems ................................180
Climate control system ....................189
Rear window defroster .....................196
Power tilt/sliding sunroof ...............196
Panorama roof with power tilt/
sliding panel ......................................199
Loading and storing ..........................202
Useful features .................................207
69Controls in detail204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 69
XSwitch on the ignition.XPress button : for the driver’s side
exterior rear view mirror or button ; for
the passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror.
The indicator lamp in the respective button
comes on.
If you do not make adjustments to the
selected exterior rear view mirror within
15 seconds, the indicator lamp goes out.
You will then have to select the desired
exterior rear view mirror again before
adjustments can be made. Adjustments
can only be made with the indicator lamp
for the respective exterior rear view mirror
button illuminated.
XPress adjustment button = up, down, left
or right according to the desired setting.
! If an exterior rear view mirror was forcibly
hit from the front, manually snap it back
into place.
iAt low ambient temperatures, the exterior
rear view mirrors will be heated
automatically.
Auto-dimming rear view mirrors
The exterior rear view mirror on the driver’s
side and the interior rear view mirror will
respond automatically to glare when the
ignition is switched on and incoming light
from headlamps falls on the sensor in the
interior rear view mirror.
The rear view mirrors will not react if the
automatic transmission is set to reverse gear
R (manual transmission to reverse gear) or
the interior lighting is switched on.
GWarning!
The auto dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at sensors
in the interior rear view mirror.
The interior rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, if the rear window
sunshade is in raised position.
Light hitting the mirror(s) at certain angles
(incident light) could blind you. As a result,
you may not be able to observe traffic
conditions and could cause an accident.
Exterior rear view mirror parking
position
To assist during parking maneuvers, you can
set the passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror so that you can see the rear wheel and
the road curb.
Setting and storing the parking position
XSwitch on the ignition.XPress button ;, to select the passenger-
side exterior rear view mirror.
Mirrors87Controls in detail204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 87Z
If the windshield wipers fail to function at
all with the combination switch in position
Ä or Å,
Rset the combination switch to the next
higher wiper speed
Rhave the windshield wipers checked at
the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center
Power windows
Opening and closing
The door windows are opened and closed
electrically. The switches for all door windows
are located on the driver’s door control panel.
The switches for the respective door windows
are located on the front passenger door and
on the rear doors.
i Operating the rear door windows from
the rear is not possible when you activate
the override switch (Y page 59).
GObserve Safety notes, see page 54.GWarning!
When opening or closing the door windows,
make sure there is no danger of anyone being
harmed by the opening/closing procedure.
The door windows are equipped with the
express operation and automatic reversal
function. If in express operation mode a door
window encounters an obstruction that
blocks its path, the automatic reversal
function will stop the door window and open
it slightly.
The door windows operate differently when
the switch is pulled and held. See the “Closing
when a door window is blocked” section in
this chapter for details.
The closing of the door windows can be
immediately halted by releasing the switch or,
if the switch was pulled past the resistance
point and released, by either pressing or
pulling the respective switch.
If a door window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you are closing the door windows by pressing
and holding button & on the SmartKey or
by pressing and holding the sensor surface
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO) on an outside
door handle, the automatic reversal function
will not operate.
Activate the override switch when children
are riding in the back seats of the vehicle. The
children may otherwise injure themselves,
e.g. by becoming trapped in the door window
opening.
GWarning!
Do not keep any part of your body up against
the window pane when opening a window. The
downward motion of the pane may pull that
part of your body down between the window
pane and the door frame and trap it there. If
there is a risk of entrapment, release the
switch and pull it to close the window.
iYou can also open or close the door
windows using the SmartKey, see
“Summer opening feature” (Y page 99)
and “Convenience closing feature”
(Y page 100).
iAfter switching off the ignition or
removing the SmartKey from the starter
switch, you can operate the door windows
until you open the driver’s or front
passenger door. If no door was opened you
can operate the door windows for up to
5 minutes.
98Power windowsControls in detail
204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 98