approximate the occupant’s weight
category.
R Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.
OCS Self-test
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
illuminates. If an adult occupant is properly
sitting on the front passenger seat and the
system classifies the occupant as an adult,
the 45 indicator lamp will illuminate
and go out after approximately 6 seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the system
classifies the front passenger seat as being
empty, the 45 indicator lamp will
illuminate and not go out.
GWarning!
If the 45 indicator lamp does not
illuminate, the system is not functioning. You
must contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center before seating any child on the front
passenger seat.
For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section ( Y page 298).
GWarning!
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the OCS. The bottom and
back of the child seat must make full contact
with the passenger seat cushion and
backrest.
If necessary, adjust the tilt of the passenger
seat backrest.
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.
BabySmart™ air bag deactivation
system
The BabySmart™ air bag deactivation system
is standard equipment in Canada.GWarning!
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 Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a Mercedes-
Benz authorized BabySmart™ compatible
child seat, which operates with the
BabySmart™ system installed in the vehicle
to deactivate the front passenger front air
bag when it is installed properly. Otherwise
they will be struck by the air bag when it
inflates in a crash. If this happens, serious
or fatal injury will result.
R A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat will be seriously
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KEYLESS-GO start/stop button once or
twice, the 45 indicator lamp comes
on for approximately 6 seconds and then
goes out.
If the 45 indicator lamp should not
come on or is continuously lit, the system is
not functioning. You must see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center before seating any
child on the front passenger seat. More
information can be found in the “Practical
hints” section ( Y page 297).GWarning!
Do not place powered-on laptops, mobile
phones, electronic tags such as those used in
ski passes and like electronic devices on the
front passenger seat. Signals from such
devices may interfere with the BabySmart™
air bag deactivation system. Such signal
interference may cause the 45
indicator lamp not to come on during self-test.
The SRS indicator lamp 6 and/or the
45 indicator lamp could be
continuously lit, indicating that the system is
not functioning. The front passenger front air
bag could deploy inadvertently or fail to
deploy in an accident.
GWarning!
The BabySmart™ air bag deactivation system
will ONLY work with a special child seat
designed to operate with it. It will not work
with child seats which are not BabySmart™
compatible.
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness off the BabySmart™ air bag
deactivation system. The bottom of the child
seat must make full contact with the front
passenger seat cushion. An incorrectly
mounted child seat could cause injuries to the
child in case of an accident, instead of
protecting the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of special child seats.
Seat belts
Safety notes
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in all 50
states, the District of Columbia, the U.S.
territories and all Canadian provinces.
Even where this is not the case, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts
fastened whenever the vehicle is in motion.
i See “Children in the vehicle”
( Y page 53) for information on
R infants and children traveling with you in
the vehicle
R restraint systems for infants and children
GWarning!
Always fasten your seat belt before driving off.
Always make sure all of your passengers are
properly restrained. You and your passengers
should always wear seat belts.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and
position your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries can
be considerably more severe without your
seat belt properly buckled. Without your seat
belt buckled, you are much more likely to hit
the interior of the vehicle or be ejected from
it. You can be seriously injured or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are properly wearing
your seat belt. The air bags can only protect
as intended if the occupants are properly
wearing their seat belts.
GWarning!
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide under
the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under
it, the seat belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck. That could cause serious
or even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
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If after these 6 seconds the driver’s or the
front passenger’s seat belt (with the front
passenger seat occupied) is not fastened with
front doors closed,
R the seat belt telltale 7 remains
illuminated for as long as either the driver’s
or front passenger’s seat belt is not
fastened.
R and if the vehicle speed once exceeds
15 mph (25 km/h), the seat belt telltale
7 starts flashing and a warning chime
sounds with increasing intensity for a
maximum of 60 seconds or until the
driver’s and front passenger’s seat belt are
fastened.
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 292).
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.GWarning!
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.
NECK-PRO active front head
restraints
The NECK-PRO active front head restraints
are intended to offer the driver and front
passenger increased protection from
whiplash-type injuries. In the event of a rear-
end collision, the NECK-PRO active front head
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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 95).
Panic alarm
XActivating: Press and hold !
button : for at least 1 second.
An audible alarm and flashing exterior
lamps will operate.
XDeactivating: Press ! button : again.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the starter switch.
or
XPress the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
inside the vehicle.
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
2. this device must accept any
interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired
operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
1.This device may not cause interference,
and
2. this device must accept any
interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
Driving safety systems
Introduction
This section contains information about the
following driving safety systems:
RABS (Antilock Brake System)
RBAS (Brake Assist System)
REBP (Electronic Brake Proportioning)
RESP® (Electronic Stability Program)
iIn winter operation, the maximum
effectiveness of most of the driving
systems described in this section is only
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of the braking effort in straight-line braking
without a loss of vehicle stability.GWarning!
If the EBP malfunctions, the brake system will
still function with full brake boost. However,
the rear wheels could lock up during
emergency braking situations, for example.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident.
Adapt your driving style to the changed
driving characteristics.
ESP ®
GObserve Safety notes, see page 60.
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP
®
) is
operational as soon as the engine is running.
It monitors the vehicle’s traction (force of
adhesive friction between the tires and the
road surface) and handling.
The ESP ®
recognizes that the vehicle deviates
from the direction of travel as intended by the
driver. By applying brakes to individual
wheels and by limiting the engine output, the
ESP ®
works to stabilize the vehicle. The
ESP ®
is especially useful while driving off and
on wet or slippery road surfaces. The ESP ®
also stabilizes the vehicle during braking and
steering maneuvers.
The ESP ®
warning lamp d in the
instrument cluster comes on when you switch
on the ignition. It goes out when the engine
is running.
The ESP ®
warning lamp d in the
instrument cluster flashes when the ESP ®
is
engaged.
GWarning!
Never switch off the ESP ®
when you see the
ESP ®
warning lamp d flashing in the
instrument cluster. In this case proceed as
follows:
R When driving off, apply as little throttle as
possible.
R While driving, ease up on the accelerator
pedal.
R Adapt your speed and driving style to the
prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid. The ESP ®
cannot
prevent accidents resulting from excessive
speed.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC:
Only conduct operational or performance
tests on a two-axle dynamometer. If such
tests are necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. You could
otherwise seriously damage the brake
system or the transfer case which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
! Because the ESP ®
operates
automatically, the engine and ignition must
be shut off (SmartKey in starter switch
position 0 or 1 or KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button in position 0 or 1) when
R the parking brake is being tested on a
brake test dynamometer
R towing the vehicle with the front or rear
axle raised (not permissible for vehicles
with 4MATIC)
Active braking action through the ESP ®
may otherwise seriously damage the brake
system which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
! The ESP ®
will only function properly if you
use wheels of the recommended tire size
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To cancel the alarm after it has been
triggered, see “Canceling the alarm”
(Y page 64).
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, the Tele Aid system initiates a
call to the Customer Assistance Center
automatically. The Tele Aid system will
initiate the call provided that
Ryou have subscribed to the Tele Aid
service
Rthe Tele Aid service has been activated
properly
Rthe necessary mobile phone, power
supply and GPS coverage are available
XArming: Lock the vehicle with the
SmartKey or with KEYLESS-GO.
The turn signal lamps flash three times and
an acoustic warning sounds three times to
indicate that the vehicle is locked. Indicator
lamp : flashes to indicate that the alarm
system is armed.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not flash three
times and the acoustic warning does not
sound three times, a door or the tailgate
may not be properly closed.
Close the respective element.
XDisarming: Unlock the vehicle with the
SmartKey or with KEYLESS-GO.
The turn signal lamps flash once and an
acoustic warning sounds once to indicate
that the alarm system is disarmed.
iUnless you open a door or the tailgate
within approximately 40 seconds after
unlocking the vehicle:
RThe vehicle will be locked again.
RThe anti-theft alarm system will be
rearmed.
Canceling the alarm
To cancel the alarm, do one of the following:
XInsert the SmartKey into the starter switch.XPress button % or & on the
SmartKey.
In vehicles with KEYLESS-GO:
XGrasp an outside door handle.
The SmartKey must be within 3 ft (1 m) of
the vehicle.
XPress the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button.
The SmartKey must be inside the vehicle.
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iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference,
and
2. this device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
Important notes on using KEYLESS-GO
R You can also use the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO like a normal SmartKey
( Y page 66).
R You can combine KEYLESS-GO functions
with normal SmartKey functions (e.g.
unlocking with KEYLESS-GO and locking
with button &).
R Always carry the SmartKey with you.
R Never store the SmartKey together with
- electronic items such as a mobile phone
or another SmartKey
- metallic objects such as coins or metal
foil
Doing so could impair the function of the
KEYLESS-GO system.
R To lock or unlock the vehicle, the SmartKey
must be located outside the vehicle within
approximately 3 ft (1 m) of a door or the
tailgate.
R When the vehicle has been parked for more
than 72 hours, the KEYLESS-GO function is
deactivated. Pull an outside door handle
and switch on the ignition once to activate
the KEYLESS-GO function.
R If the SmartKey is positioned farther away
from the vehicle, the system may no longer
recognize the SmartKey. The vehicle
cannot be locked or the engine started via
the KEYLESS-GO system.
R If the SmartKey is removed from the vehicle
(e.g. if a passenger exits the vehicle with
the SmartKey)
- when pressing the KEYLESS-GO start/
stop button or trying to lock the vehicle
with the outside door handle the
message Key Not Detected appears in
the multifunction display
- with the engine running, the red message
Key Not Detected appears in the
multifunction display while driving off
Find the SmartKey or change its present
location immediately (e.g. place it on the
front passenger seat or insert it in shirt
pocket).
R If you have started the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button, you can
turn it off again by
- pressing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button
- inserting the SmartKey into the starter
switch when the vehicle is at a standstill
and the automatic transmission is in park
position P
R The vehicle could be inadvertently
unlocked if the SmartKey is within 3 ft (1 m)
of the vehicle and
- an outside door handle is splashed with
water
or
- you attempt to clean an outside door
handle
R Remember that the engine can be started
by anyone with a SmartKey that is left
inside the vehicle.
Possibility 1 (One SmartKey in the vehicle,
one SmartKey outside the vehicle):
If you leave the SmartKey behind when
exiting and locking the vehicle, no message
appears in the multifunction display.68Locking and unlockingControls in detail
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RNo SmartKey is inserted in the starter
switch.
RKEYLESS-GO: The vehicle’s on-board
electronics must have status 0
(Y page 76).
Opening the tailgate from the outside
You can unlock and open the tailgate
simultaneously from the outside when the
vehicle is stationary.
XPress and hold button F on the
SmartKey until the tailgate unlocks and
begins to open.
An acoustic warning sounds when the
tailgate begins to open.
or
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO: Pull on the
handle (Y page 72).
Closing the tailgate from the outside
GObserve Safety notes, see page 53.GWarning!
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
make sure no one is in danger of being
injured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from the
cargo compartment opening when closing the
tailgate. Be especially careful when small
children are around. To stop the closing
procedure, do one of the following:
RPress or pull the remote tailgate opening/
closing switch on the driver’s door.
RPress the tailgate closing switch.
RPress the KEYLESS-GO locking/closing
switch.
RPull outside handle on the tailgate.
RWhen no SmartKey is inserted in the starter
switch (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: Make
sure the vehicle’s on-board electronics
have status 0): Press button F on the
SmartKey.
Do not leave the SmartKey in the vehicle. You
may lock yourself out.
If the vehicle was previously centrally locked
with the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO, the
tailgate will lock automatically when it is
closed. The turn signal lamps flash three
times to confirm locking.
Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO
XPress tailgate closing switch : or press
and hold button F on the SmartKey until
the tailgate begins to close.
If the tailgate comes into contact with an
object while closing, the closing procedure is
stopped and the tailgate reopens. This may
happen if luggage has been piled too high, for
example.
Closing the tailgate and locking the
vehicle from the outside (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO)
GObserve Safety notes, see page 53.GWarning!
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
make sure no one is in danger of being
injured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from the
cargo compartment opening when closing the
tailgate. Be especially careful when small
children are around. To stop the closing
procedure, do one of the following:
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