Center console
Upper part
Function Page
:
Seat heating, driver’s side 81
;
Rear window sunshade
switch
162
=
Rear seat head restraints
switch, folding down
80
?
Hazard warning flasher
switch
90
A
Front passenger front air
bag off indicator lamp
41
B
Central unlocking switch 71
C
Alarm system indicator
lamp
62 Function Page
D
Electronic Stability
Program (ESP
®
) control
switch 59
E
Seat heating, front
passenger side
81
F
Seat ventilation, front
passenger side
81
G
Central locking switch 71
H
Seat ventilation, driver’s
side
81Center console
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G
Warning!
The SRS self-check has detected a
malfunction when the SRS indicator lamp
+
R does not come on at all
R fails to go out after approximately
4 seconds after the engine was started
R comes on after the engine was started or
while driving
For
your safety, we strongly recommend that
you contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately to have the system
checked. Otherwise the SRS may not be
activated when needed in an accident, which
could result in serious or fatal injury. The SRS
might also deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could also result in injury
as well.
In addition, improper 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.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system
to accommodate a person with disabilities,
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
USA only: Call our Customer Assistance
Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details. Air bags
G
Warning!
Air bags are designed to reduce the potential
of injury and fatality in certain
R frontal impacts (front air bags and driver’s
side knee bag)
R side impacts (side impact air bags and
window curtain air bags)
R rollovers (window curtain air bags) However, no system available today can
completely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
Deployment of the air bags temporarily
releases a small amount of dust from the air
bags. This dust, however, is neither harmful
to
your health, nor does it indicate a fire in the
vehicle. The dust might cause some
temporary breathing difficulty for people with
asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid
this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any
breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the air bag inflates, then get fresh
air by opening a window or door. G
Warning!
To reduce the risk of injury when the front air
bags
inflate, it is very important for the driver
and front passenger to always be in a properly
seated position and to wear their respective
seat belt.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the seat backrest.
Fasten your seat belt and make sure it is
properly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating position
and correct positioning of the hands on the
steering wheel will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the air bag. Occupants who are
not wearing their seat belt, are not seated
properly or are too close to the air bag can be
seriously injured or killed by an air bag as it
inflates with great force instantaneously:
R Sit with the seat belt properly fastened in a
position that is as upright as possible with
your back against the seat backrest.
R Move the driver’s seat as far back as
possible, still permitting proper operation
of vehicle controls. The distance from the
center of the driver’s chest to the center of
the air bag cover on the steering wheel
must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) or more.
You should be able to accomplish this by Occupant safety
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adjusting the seat and steering wheel. If
you
have any difficulties, please contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
R Do not lean your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or dashboard.
R Keep hands on the outside of the steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms inside
the rim can increase the risk and potential
severity of hand/arm injury when the driver
front air bag inflates.
R Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.
R Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their heads
in the area of the door where the side
impact air bag inflates. This could result in
serious injuries or death should the side
impact air bag be deployed. Always sit as
upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately 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. G
Warning!
Accident research shows that the safest place
for
children in an automobile is in a rear seat.
There is a possibility for a side impact air bag-
related injury if occupants, especially
children, are not properly seated or restrained
when next to a side impact air bag which
needs to deploy rapidly in a side impact in
order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their heads in the area of the
door
where the side impact air bag
inflates. This could result in
serious injuries or death should
the side impact air bag be
deployed.
(2) Always sit as upright as possible, wear
the seat belt properly and use
an appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the
size and weight of the child. and
for children 12 years old and
under, use an appropriately sized
infant restraint, toddler restraint,
or booster seat recommended for
the size and weight of the child.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of these
guidelines,
it would be safer for your rear seat
occupants to have the rear mounted side
impact air bags deactivated, then
deactivation can be carried out upon your
written request at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center at an additional cost.
Please contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call the Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372), or Customer Service (in
Canada) at 1-800-387-0100 for details.
Air bags are designed to deploy only in certain
R frontal impacts (front air bags and driver’s
side knee bag)
R side impacts (side impact and window
curtain air bags) if the system determines
the need for air bag deployment
R rollovers (window curtain air bags)
Only in the event of such a situation will they
provide their supplemental protection.
The driver and passengers should always
wear their seat belts. Otherwise it is not
possible for the air bags to provide their
supplemental protection. 38
Occupant safety
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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.
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 04 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 40
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conjunction with a properly positioned and
fastened seat belt.
Side impact air bags
G
Observe Safety notes, see page 37. 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 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 front 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 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 Occupant safety
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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 04 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 04 indicator lamp is
illuminated, the front passenger front air bag
is deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the 04 indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front passenger front air bag
is activated and will be deployed
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
R independently of the side impact air bags
If the front passenger front air bag is
deployed, the rate of inflation will be
influenced by
R the rate of relevant vehicle deceleration as
assessed by the air bag control unit
R the front passenger’s weight category as
identified by the OCS
For more information on air bag display
messages in the multifunction display, see
(Y page 230). G
Warning!
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
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 restraint, toddler restraint, or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight of
the child. 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.
Occupants, especially children, should always
sit as upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:
R Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to deactivate 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 appropriate
child restraint on the front passenger seat.
R 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 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 a backseat.
R If you must install a rear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat
because circumstances require you to do
so, make sure the 04
indicator lamp is illuminated, indicating
that the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated. Should the 04
indicator lamp not illuminate or go out while
the restraint is installed, please check
installation. Periodically check the Occupant safety
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If you and/or your passenger release the
seat belt during driving, the seat belt
telltale
7 starts flashing and the
warning
chime sounds as described before.
If the driver’s or the front passenger’s seat
belt remains unfastened after 60 seconds,
the warning chime stops sounding, the seat
belt telltale 7 stops flashing but
continues to be illuminated.
After a vehicle standstill, the warning chime
is reactivated and the seat belt telltale
7 is flashing again if the vehicle speed
once exceeds 15 mph (25 km/h).
The seat belt telltale 7 will only go out if
both the driver’s and the front passenger’s
seat belt (with the front passenger seat
occupied) are fastened, or the vehicle is
standing still and a front door is opened.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(Y page 253).
Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter The seat belts for the front seats and rear
outer
seats are equipped with ETDs and seat
belt force limiters.
The ETDs are designed to activate in the
following cases:
R in frontal or rear-end impacts exceeding
the system’s preset deployment threshold
R in side impacts exceeding the system’s
preset deployment threshold on the far
side of the impact
R in certain vehicle rollovers
R if the restraint systems are operational and
functioning correctly, see “SRS indicator
lamp” (Y page 36)
The ETDs for the front seats will only activate
if the front seat belts are fastened (latch plate
properly inserted into buckle).
The ETDs for the rear outer 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. Occupant safety
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Infant and child restraint systems
G
Observe Safety notes, see page 52.
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
All
lap/shoulder belts except the driver’s seat
belt have special seat belt retractors for
secure fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow the child
restraint manufacturer’s instructions for
mounting.
To activate the special seat belt retractor:
X Pull the shoulder belt out completely and
let it retract.
During seat belt retraction, a ratcheting
sound can be heard to indicate that the
special seat belt retractor is activated.
The seat belt is now locked.
X Push down on child restraint to take up any
slack.
To deactivate the special seat belt retractor:
X Release the seat belt buckle and let the
seat belt retract completely.
The
seat belt can then again be used in the
usual manner. G
Warning!
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle
is in motion, since the special seat belt
retractor will be deactivated.
i Information on child seats with mounting
fittings for tether anchorages
(Y page 54).
For information on LATCH-type (ISOFIX)
child seat anchors ( Y page 55).
The use of infant or child restraints is required
by law in all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, the U.S. territories and all
Canadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be seated
in an appropriate infant or child restraint
system. They must be properly secured in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions for the child restraint. All infant
or child restraint systems must comply with
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 225 and Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards 213 and 210.2.
A statement by the child restraint
manufacturer of compliance with these
standards can be found on the instruction
label on the restraint and in the instruction
manual provided with the restraint.
When using any infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat, make sure to
carefully read and follow all manufacturer’s
instructions for installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels
affixed to the inside of the vehicle and to
infant or child restraints.
G
Warning!
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
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 restraint, toddler restraint, or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight of
the child.
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.
Occupants, especially children, should always
sit as upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child. Occupant safety
53
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