the dashboard and on both sides of the sun
visor on the front-passenge rside.
Information about recommended child
restraint systems is available at any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Automatic child seat recognition on the
front-passenger seat If your vehicle does not have automatic child
seat recognition 2
on the front-passenger
seat, this is indicated by a special sticker .The
sticker is affixed to the side of the dashboard
on the front-passenger side. The sticker is
visible when you open the front-passenger
door. The automatic child seat recognition sensor
system on the front-passenger seat detects
whether a special Mercedes-Ben zchild seat
with automatic child seat recognition has
been fitted there. In such cases, 4
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp :lights up. The front-passenger airbag is disa-
bled. G
Risk of injury
If the 4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indica-
tor lamp does not light up when the child
restraint system is fitted, the front-passenger
airbag has not been disabled. If the front-
passenger airbag deploys, the child could be
seriously or even fatally injured.
Proceed as follows:
R do not use a rearward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat.
R fit a rearward-facing child restraint system
on a suitable rear seat.
or
R only use a forward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat and
move the front-passenger seat to the rear-
most position.
R have the automatic child seat recognition
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
To ensure that the automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat func-
tions/communicates correctly, never place
objects, e.g. a cushion, under the child
restraint system. The entire base of the child
restraint system must always rest on the seat
cushion. An incorrectly fitted child restraint
system cannot perform its intended protec-
tive function in the event of an accident, and
could lead to injuries.
i If the front-passenger airbag is disabled
by the automatic child seat recognition, the
following remain enabled on the front-
passenger side:
R the sidebag
R the pelvisbag
R the windowbag
R the belt tensioner
2 Vehicles without automatic child seat recognition on the front-passenger seat: if you turn the key to position
2int he ignition lock, the 4PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp lights up briefly but has no function.
It does not indicate that there is automatic child seat recognition on the front-passenger seat. 48
Children in the vehicleSafety
G
Risk of injury
Do not place electronic devices on the front-
passenger seat, e.g.:
R laptops, whe nswitched on
R mobile phones
R cards with transponders, e.g .ski passes or
access cards
Signals from electronic equipment can cause
interference in the automatic child seat rec-
ognitio nsensor system. This can lead to a
system malfunction. This may cause the
4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp to light up without there being a child
seat with automatic child seat recognition fit-
ted, and the front-passenger fron tairbag will
not deploy during an accident .Itis also pos-
sible that the 6SRS warning lamp lights
up and/or the 4PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp does not light up briefly when
you turn the key in the ignition lock to position
2.
ISOFIX child seat securing system for
the rear seats ISOFIX is a standardised securing system for
specially designed child restraint systems on
the rear seats. Securing rings for two ISOFIX
child restraint systems are fitted on the left
and right of the rear seats. G
Risk of injury
Ac hild restraint system secured by the ISOFIX
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 three-point seat belt. G
Risk of injury
The child restraint system cannot perform its
protective function if it is not correctly fitted
to a suitable vehicle seat. The child cannot be restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. The
child could be seriously or even fatally injured.
For this reason, when fitting a child restraint
system, observe the manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions and the correct use of the
child restraint system.
For reasons of safety, only use child restraint
systems with the ISOFIX child seat securing
system on the rear seats.
We recommend that you use the ISOFIX child
restraint systems that have been recommen-
ded for Mercedes-Benz.
An incorrectly fitted child restraint system
could come loose and seriously or even fatally
injure the child or other vehicle occupants.
When fitting the child restraint system, always
make sure that it is engaged correctly in the
securing rings on both sides. G
Risk of injury
Please note that if child restraint systems, or
their retaining systems, are damaged or sub-
jected to a load in an accident, they may not
be able to provide their protective function.
This could result in serious or even fatal inju-
ries to the secured child in the event of an
accident, heavy braking or a sudden change
in direction.
For this reason, have child restraint systems
and their anchorages which have been dam-
aged or subjected to a load in an accident
checked immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. Children in the vehicle
49Safety Z
Problems with child seat recognition
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The
4 PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp on the centre con-
sole is lit. As
pecial Mercedes-Benz child seat with automatic child seat rec-
ognition has been fitted to the front-passenger seat. The front-
passenger airbag has therefore been disabled as desired. G
Risk of injury
There is no child seat fitted to the front-passenger seat. Automatic
child seat recognition is malfunctioning.
It is also possible that the 6SRS warning lamp lights up and/
or the 4PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp does not light
up briefly when you switch the ignition on.
X Remove electronic equipment from the front-passenger seat,
e.g.
R
laptop
R mobile phone
R cards with transponders, such as ski passes or access cards
If the 4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is still on:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Children in the vehicle
51Safety Z
force to a level suitable for the traffic condi-
tions.
If BAS PLUS demands particularly high brak-
ing force, PRE-SAFE
®
is activated simultane-
ously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
R there is no longe rany dange rofarear-end
collision.
BAS PLUS is then deactivated.
At speeds up to approximately 70 km/h, BAS
PLUS may also detect stationary obstacles,
for example, stopped or parked vehicles.
Vehicles without COMAND and a navigation
system and vehicles for Australia: the radar
sensor system and on-board computer must
be switched off in the vicinity of radio tele-
scope facilities (Y page 210).
For BAS PLUS to assist you when driving, the
rada rsensor system must be switched on and
operational. You can chec kthis by activating
DISTRONIC PLUS(Y page 154) or via the
"radars ensor" function in the on-board com-
puter (Y page 210). G
Risk of accident
Only clearly identified obstacles will initiate
braking assistance by BAS PLUS.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be restricted if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example in
multi-storey car parks
BAS PLUS does not react to people or ani-
mals, oncoming vehicles and crossing traffic,
or when cornering. BAS PLUS may not detect narrow vehicles
such as motorcycles and vehicles driving on
a different line.
Following a collision or accident-related dam-
age to the fron tend of the vehicle, have the
configuratio nand operatio nofthe radar sen-
sors checked at a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
If BAS PLUS is not available due to a malfunc-
tion in the radar sensor system, the brake
system remains available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS. 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
or BAS PLUS, 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 .Ifthe
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously.T he hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h .You can also switch off
the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning switch button . ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes 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. If necessary, the engine output is also
modified 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. 58
Driving safety systemsSafety
If ESP
®
intervenes, the ÷warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the ÷ warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R adapt yourd riving style to suitt he prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could go into a skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident if
you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override the
laws of physics.
! Switch the ignition off when:
R the parking brake is being tested using a
dynamometer
R the vehicle is being towed with the front/
rear axle raised
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Do not tow vehicles with 4MATIC with the
front or rear axle raised.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) Traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. On vehicles with 4MATIC, more drive
torque is also transferred to the wheel or
wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
. G
Risk of accident
Traction control cannot reduce the risk of an
accident if you drive too fast. Traction control
cannot override the laws of physics.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
AMG vehicles) ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
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.E SP®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
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. The spinning of
the wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides bette rgrip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
X To deactivate:(Y page 204).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running. Driving safety systems
59Safety
Z
If the
÷ warning lamp and åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not availa-
ble due to a malfunction.
There is an increased risk of yourv ehicle skid-
ding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
X To activate:(Y page 204).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(AMG
vehicles) Activating/deactivating SPORT handling
mode
ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
It may be best to activate SPORT handling
mode in the following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
Otherwise, you should only use SPORT han-
dling mode on designated race circuits. G
Risk of accident
Deactivate SPORT handling mode and acti-
vate ESP ®
as soon as the situations described
above no longer apply. Otherwise, SPORT
handling mode will only be able to stabilise
the vehicle to a limited degree if the vehicle
starts to skid or a wheel starts to spin.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R the engine's torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels can spin. The
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
firmly.
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP ®
only stabilises the vehicle to a
limited degree. X
To activate: briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate: briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
Activating/deactivating ESP ®
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
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 vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin. 60
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety
If you deactivate ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels are able to spin. The spin-
ning of the wheels results in a cutting
action, which provides better grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available and is
also not activated if you brake firmly with
the assistance of ESP.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available and
is also not activated if you brake firmly with
the assistance of ESP ®
.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash.Ins uch
situations, ESP ®
will no tstabilise the vehicle. X
To deactivate: press button:until the
å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluste rlights up.
The ÷OFF message appears in the mul-
tifunction display. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running.
If the ÷ warning lamp and åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not availa-
ble due to a malfunction. There is an increased risk of your vehicle skid-
ding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weathe
rcondi-
tions.
X To activate: briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷ON message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribu-
tion)
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking. G
Risk of accident
If EBD has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains 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 therefore adapt your
driving style to the different handling charac-
teristics. ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function (Y page 165) and
hill start assist (Y page 131). For further
information, see Driving tips (Y page 149). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake (vehicles with DIS-
TRONIC PLUS)
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimise
the risk of a frontal collision with a vehicle
ahead or reduce the effect sofsuch a colli-
sion. Driving safety systems
61Safety Z
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 fronti s too short for
the speed at which you are travelling. The
· distance warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster will light up.
R you are rapidly approaching the vehicle in
front. An intermittent warning tone will
then sound and the ·distance warning
lamp will light up in the instrument cluster.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving conditions may cause the
system to display an unnecessary warning. G
Risk of accident
Pay particular attention to the traffic condi-
tions if the ·distance warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up or an intermittent
warning tone sounds. If necessary, brake or
manoeuvre to avoid an obstacle.
If the driver and passengers have fastened
their seat belts, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also
can also perform the following at speeds of
above approximately 30 km/h:
R brake the vehicle automatically from a
speed of up to approximately 200 km/h
R trigger preventative passenger protection
measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) G
Risk of accident
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only an aid to assist you
when driving. You are responsible for main-
taining a safe distance from other vehicles,
the vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time. Always pay attention to the traffic con-
ditions. Otherwise, you may recognise dan-
gers too late, cause an accident and injure
yourselfa nd others.
With the help of the rada rsensor system,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can detect obstacles that
are in front of your vehicle for an extended
period of time. If you approach an obstacle
and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake detects a risk of a col-
lision, the system will initially alert you both visually and acoustically. If you do not brake
or steer, the vehicle will at first automatically
brake slightly. In the event of an increased
risk of a collision, PRE-SAFE
®
is activated
(Y page 40). If the risk of collision remains
and you do not brake, take evasive action or
accelerate significantly, the vehicle may per-
form automatic emergency braking. G
Risk of accident
Only clearly detected obstacles will trigger a
warning and initiate braking assistance by
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or the sensors are cov-
ered
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example in multi-storey car parks
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake does not react to persons,
animals, oncoming vehicles, crossing traffic
or when cornering.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may not detect narrow
vehicles such as motorcycles and vehicles
driving on a different line. G
Risk of accident
Depending on the current speed, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake decelerates your vehicle by up to
4 m/s 2
before performing possible emer-
gency braking. This is equivalent to approx-
imately 40 % of the maximum braking power
of the vehicle. You must additionally apply the
brakes yourself in order to preven tacollision
or minimis ean impact. Automatic emergency
braking is not performed until immediately
prior to an accident in the event that you are
unable to avoid one by, for instance, taking
evasive action.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a col-
lision, you must apply the brakes yourself. 62
Driving safety systemsSafety