It is important to your safety and that of your
passengers to have deployed air bags
replaced and to have any malfunctioning air
bags
repaired.
This will help to make sure the
air bags will continue to provide supplemental
crash protection for occupants.
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD)
and air bag G
Warning!
R Damaged seat
belts or seat belts that have
been subjected to stress in an accident
must be replaced. Their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use seat belts
installed or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
R Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) contain
perchlorate material, which may require
special handling and regard for the
environment. Check with your local
government’s disposal guidelines.
California residents, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm.
R Air bags and ETDs are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or ETD
that has deployed must be replaced.
R Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
R Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat belts.
R 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.
R No modifications of any kind may be made
to any components or wiring of the SRS.
R Do no change or remove any component or
part of the SRS.
R Do not install additional trim material, seat
covers, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, front passenger front air bag cover, outboard sides of the seat
backrests, door trim panels, or door frame
trims.
R Do not install additional electrical/
electronic equipment on or near SRS
components and wiring.
R Keep area
between air bags and occupants
free of objects (e.g. packages, purses,
umbrellas, etc.).
R Do not hang items such as coat hangers
from the coat hooks or handles over the
door. These items may be thrown around in
the vehicle and cause head and other
injuries when the window curtain air bag is
deployed.
R Air bag system components will be hot after
an air bag has inflated. Do not touch them.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
R Improper repair work on the SRS creates a
risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or
causing unintended air bag deployment.
Work on the SRS must therefore only be
performed by qualified technicians.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
R For your protection and the protection of
others, when scrapping the air bag unit or
ETD, our safety instructions must be
followed. These instructions are available
from any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
R Given the considerable deployment speed,
required inflation volume, and the material
of the air bags, there is the possibility of
abrasions or other, potentially more serious
injuries resulting from air bag deployment.
If you sell your vehicle, we strongly
recommend that you inform the subsequent
owner that the vehicle is equipped with SRS.
Also refer them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual. Occupant safety
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Front air bags
G
Observe Safety notes, see page 37. Driver’s front air bag
: and front passenger
front air bag ; are designed to provide
increased protection for the driver and front
passenger against the risk of injuries to the
head and thorax.
Driver and front passenger front air bag and
driver’s side knee bag are deployed
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the system determines that air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R depending on whether the respective seat
belt is in use
R independently of the side impact air bags
and/or the window curtain air bags
The front air bags in this vehicle have been
designed to inflate in two stages. This allows
the air bags to have different rates of inflation.
The rate of inflation is based on the vehicle
deceleration rate as assessed by the air bag
control unit.
The front passenger front air bag deployment
is additionally influenced by the passenger’s
weight category as identified by the Occupant
Classification System (OCS) ( Y page 41).
The lighter the front passenger-side
occupant, the higher the vehicle deceleration
rate required for second stage inflation of the
front passenger front air bag.
The air bags will not deploy in impacts which
do not exceed the system’s preset deployment thresholds. You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belts.
The front air bags will not deploy in the event
of a rollover unless the vehicle’s rate of
longitudinal deceleration or acceleration
exceeds the preset deployment threshold for
the front air bags.
The front passenger front air bag will only be
deployed if
R
the system, based on OCS weight sensor
readings, detects that the front passenger
seat is occupied
R the 42 indicator lamp in the
center console is not lit (Y page 41)
R the impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
Knee bag
Knee bag = is designed to provide increased
protection for the driver against the risk of
injuries to the knees, thighs and lower legs.
Knee bag = is located on the driver side
lower instrument panel. It is designed to
operate together with the driver front air bag
in certain frontal impacts if the system
determines that air bag deployment can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt. Knee bag = operates best in
conjunction with a properly positioned and
fastened seat belt.
Side impact air bags G
Observe Safety notes, see page 37. 40
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Front side impact air bags
: and rear side
impact air bags ; are designed to provide
increased protection for the thorax but not
the head, neck and arms.
The side impact air bags are deployed
R on the impacted side of the vehicle
R in instances with a high rate of lateral
vehicle deceleration or acceleration
R regardless of whether the seat belts on the
impacted side of the vehicle are in use
R independently of the front air bags
R independently of the ETDs
The front passenger side impact 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, the front passenger side impact 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.
The side impact air bags are not deployed in
side impacts which do not exceed the
system’s deployment threshold.
The side impact 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 the side
impact air bags. G
Warning!
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. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
availability. Window curtain air bags G
Observe 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
R on the impacted side of the vehicle
R in instances with a high rate of lateral
vehicle deceleration or acceleration
R independently of the front air bags
R regardless of whether the front passenger
seat is occupied
R regardless of whether the seat belt on the
impacted side of the vehicle is in use
R in certain vehicle rollovers, if the system
determines that air bag deployment can
offer additional protection to that provided
by the seat belt
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)
activates or deactivates the front passenger
front air bag automatically. The respective
status is based on the classified occupant
weight category determined by weight sensor
readings from the front passenger seat. Occupant safety
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The system does not deactivate
R
the front passenger side impact 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 42
indicator lamp as an indication of whether or
not the front passenger is properly
positioned. G
Warning!
If the 42 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 42 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 42 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 42 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
42 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
42 indicator lamp illuminated,
the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated. With the 42
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 42 indicator lamp
will illuminate 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 42 indicator lamp is
illuminated, the front passenger front air bag
is deactivated and will not be deployed. 42
Occupant safety
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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.
G
Warning!
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. G
Warning!
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 G
Warning!
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, 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, window curtain air
bags, and ETDs) impacts which exceed
preset deployment thresholds and in
certain rollovers (window curtain air bags
and ETDs).
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 belt 46
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The ETDs for the rear seats will activate with
or
without
the respective seat belts fastened.
In an impact, the ETDs remove slack from the
seat belts in such a way that the seat belts fit
more snugly against the body. Seat belt force
limiters, when activated, are employed to
help reduce the peak force exerted by the
seat belts on occupants during a crash.
i The ETDs do not correct an incorrect seat
position or incorrectly worn seat belts.
The ETDs do not pull occupants back
toward the seat backrest. G
Warning!
Pyrotechnic ETDs that were activated must be
replaced.
For your safety, when disposing of the
pyrotechnic ETDs always follow our safety
instructions. These are available at any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Automatic comfort-fit feature seat belt An automatic comfort-fit feature for the front
seats
reduces
the retracting force of the seat
belts when they are in normal use. Preventive occupant safety (PRE-
SAFE
®
) G
Warning!
The PRE-SAFE ®
system
is intended to reduce
the effects of an accident on vehicle
occupants who are wearing their seat belt
properly. Despite your vehicle being equipped
with the PRE-SAFE ®
system, the possibility of
personal injuries occurring as a result of an
accident cannot be eliminated. Therefore,
always drive carefully and adjust your driving
to the prevailing road, weather, and traffic
conditions. The PRE-SAFE
®
system takes preventive
measures to better protect the occupants
from the
possibility of personal injuries in the
following hazardous situations:
R emergency braking situations, e.g. if the
Brake Assist System (BAS) ( Y page 57) is
activated
or when
vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS:
the BAS PLUS ( Y page 57) or the PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 62) is strongly
engaging
R critical dynamic driving situations, e.g.
when the vehicle has been caused to
understeer or oversteer because it has
exceeded its physical limitations or in case
of evasive steering maneuvers at speeds
above approximately 85 mph (140 km/h)
The PRE-SAFE ®
system takes the following
measures when it is activated:
R If the front passenger seat is in an
unfavorable position, the seat will be
adjusted to a position that seeks to better
protect the occupant.
R The system increases the air pressure in
the air pockets (on the sides of the seat
cushion and backrest) of the drive-dynamic
multicontour front seats.
R If the vehicle is in a critical dynamic driving
situation, the door windows and the tilt/
sliding sunroof also closes, except for a
minimal gap that remains open.
If the closing procedure of any of these
elements is blocked, it will stop and open
slightly.
Once the hazardous situation no longer exists
and an accident has been avoided, the PRE-
SAFE ®
system decreases the air pressure in
the air pockets of the drive-dynamic
multicontour front seats. All of the PRE-
SAFE ®
system settings can be re-adjusted
following the critical driving event. Occupant safety
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X
Fold upholstery blend = upward to access
anchors ;.
X Turn installation device ? to a vertical
position so that upholstery blend = does
not fold down.
X Install 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.
Child safety Override switch
G
Observe Safety notes, see page 51.
With the override switch you can disable the
rear side window switches in the rear side
trim panels. This can be useful, for instance,
when you have children riding in the rear
passenger compartment. G
Warning!
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 side
window opening. X
Activating: Press override switch :.
Indicator lamp ; comes on.
The rear side windows can no longer be
operated using the respective switch
located in the rear side trim panels. You can still operate the rear side windows
using the switches located on the door
control panel of the driver’s door.
X
Deactivating: Press override switch :
again.
Indicator lamp ; goes out.
The rear side windows can be operated
again using the respective switch located
in the rear side trim panels.
For more information on power windows, see
the “Controls in detail” section
(Y page 282). Panic alarm
Example illustration: SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
X
Activating: Press and hold !
button : for at least 1 second.
An audible alarm and flashing exterior
lamps will operate.
X Deactivating: Press ! button : again.
or
X Insert the SmartKey into the starter switch.
or
X Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
inside the vehicle. Panic alarm
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COMAND components
COMAND can be used to operate:
R Audio functions
R Navigation system
R Telephone
R External audio and video sources
R Video DVD
R Various vehicle settings
COMAND consists of the following:
R COMAND shortcut buttons
R COMAND display
R Telephone keypad
R COMAND controller
R Built-in USB socket to connect USB storage
devices
R Optional media interface in the glove box
to connect external devices via iPod ®
cable, jack plug, or USB cable
i For information about cleaning and care
of displays, see ( Y page 409).
COMAND shortcut buttons Use the COMAND shortcut buttons to select
main functions directly. Function
:
Shortcut button for rear window
sunshade (
Y page 352) ;
R Shortcut button for:
R
CD/DVD/SD card (Y page 168)
R Radio ( Y page 153) =
% Back button (Y page 75)
?
T Seat menu button
(Y page 198)
A
S Shortcut button for:
R
Telephone ( Y page 135)
R Navigation ( Y page 83) B
u COMAND on/off button
(Y page 68)
C
H Volume control (Y page 76)
D
h Favorite button (
Y page 81) COMAND display
In the COMAND display, you will find the
function currently selected and the
corresponding menus. The COMAND display
is divided into several areas.
:
Status line
; Main functions
= Main area
? Submenus
A Climate control settings COMAND introduction
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