Product Information
Please observe the following in your own best
interest:
We recommend using Genuine Mercedes-
Benz Parts as well as conversion parts and
accessories explicitly approved by us for your
vehicle model.
We have tested these parts to determine their
reliability, safety and special suitability for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
We are unable to make an assessment for
other products and therefore cannot be held
responsible for them, even if in individual
cases an official approval or authorization by
governmental or other agencies should exist.
Use of such parts and accessories could
adversely affect the safety, performance or
reliability of your vehicle. Please do not use
them.
Genuine Mercedes-Benz Parts and pre-
approved conversion parts and accessories
are available at any authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. In addition, you will receive
comprehensive information on permissible
technical modifications and expert
installations. Operator’s Manual
Notes
This
Operator’s Manual contains a great deal
of useful information. We urge you to read it
carefully and familiarize yourself with the
vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life of
the vehicle, we urge you to follow the
instructions and warnings contained in this
Operator’s Manual. Ignoring them could
result in damage to the vehicle or personal
injury to you or others. Vehicle damage
caused by failure to follow instructions is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty. We continuously strive to improve our
product and ask for your understanding that
we reserve the right to make changes in
design and equipment. Therefore,
information, illustrations, and descriptions in
this
Operator’s Manual might differ from your
vehicle. Vehicle equipment
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
operating particular equipment, any
authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center will be glad
to demonstrate the proper procedures.
Optional equipment is also described in this
manual, including operating instructions
wherever necessary. Since they are special-
order items, the descriptions and illustrations
herein may vary slightly from the actual
equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are not
shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center will be glad to inform you of correct
care and operating procedures. The
Operator’s Manual and Maintenance Booklet
are important documents and should be kept
with the vehicle. Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
booklet contains detailed information about
the
warranties covering your Mercedes-Benz,
including:
R New Vehicle Limited Warranty
R Emission System Warranty
R Emission Performance Warranty
R California, Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, 20
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Lower part
Function Page
:
Storage compartment 198
;
Ashtray with storage
compartment
204
Cigarette lighter 205
=
Cup holder 201
?
Front armrest storage
compartment/telephone
tray
198
A
Removable card/ticket
holder, bottle opener
201 Overhead control panel
Function Page
:
Left front reading lamp on/
off
102
;
Automatic interior lighting 102
=
Rear interior lighting on/off 102
?
Front interior lighting on/
off
102
A
Right reading lamp on/off 102
B
Front right interior lamp 102
C
Power tilt/sliding sunroof
switch
181
Power tilt/sliding panel
switch
184
D
SOS button (Tele Aid
system)
209
E
Interior rear view mirror 94
F
Reading lamps 102
G
Garage door opener 21332
Overhead control panelAt a glance
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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 bags are
deployed
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
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.
Vehicles with OCS, USA only: 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 42).
Vehicles with OCS, USA only: 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
vehicles with OCS, USA only: 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
(USA only: (Y page 42),
Canada only: ( Y page 45))
R the impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
! Vehicles with BabySmart™ air bag
deactivation system (Canada only): Do not
place objects heavier than 20 lb (9 kg) on
the front passenger seat. This could cause
the front or side impact air bag on the front
passenger side to deploy in a crash which
exceeds the system’s deployment
threshold.
Side impact air bags G
Observe Safety notes, see page 37. G
Warning!
The pressure sensors for side impact air bag
control are located in the doors. Do not
modify any components of the doors or door
trim panels including, for example, the
addition of door speakers.
Improper repair work on the doors or the
modification or addition of components to the
doors create a risk of rendering the side 40
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Seat belt adjustment function
The seat belt adjustment function adjusts the
seat belts on both front seats to the upper
body
of the respective vehicle occupant. The
seat belt will be pulled slightly tighter for that
purpose when
R you engage the latch plate into the buckle
and then turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position 2
R the SmartKey in the starter switch is in
position 2 and you then engage the latch
plate in the buckle
The seat belt adjustment function takes place
with a certain amount of retracting force
when the system senses slack between the
vehicle occupant and the seat belt. Do not
retain the seat belt during this procedure. You
can activate or deactivate the seat belt
adjustment function via the control system
(Y page 138).
Releasing the seat belts X
Press seat belt release button ?
(Y page 50).
Allow the retractor to completely rewind
the seat belt by guiding latch plate ;
(Y page 50).
! Make sure the seat belt retracts
completely.
Otherwise the seat belt and/or
latch plate could get caught or pinched in
the door or in the seat mechanism. This can
damage the seat belt and impair its
effectiveness, and/or cause damage to the
door and/or door trim panel. Such damage
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Damaged seat belts must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Enhanced seat belt reminder system When the engine is started, the seat belt
telltale
7 will always illuminate for 6 seconds to remind you and your passengers
to fasten your seat belts.
If the driver’s seat belt is not fastened when
the engine is started, an additional warning
chime
will sound. The warning chime goes out
after approximately 6 seconds or once the
driver’s seat belt is fastened.
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 302). Occupant safety
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R
If the vehicle is in a critical dynamic driving
situation, the door windows close, except
for a minimal gap that remains open.
R Vehicles with power tilt/sliding sunroof: If
the vehicle is in a critical dynamic driving
situation, 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 seat
belt pre-tensioning is deactivated. All of the
PRE-SAFE ®
settings can be re-adjusted
following the critical driving event.
If the seat belts do not release:
X Adjust the seat backrest or seat slightly to
the rear until the seat belt tension is
reduced.
The locking mechanism releases.
! When moving the seats, make sure there
are no items in the footwell or behind the
seats. Otherwise, you could damage the
seats and/or the items.
For information on the seat belt adjustment
function as an integrated comfort feature of
PRE-SAFE ®
, see ( Y page 51). 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
restraints on the front seats are designed to
move forward in the direction of travel. They
thus provide the head with increased support
earlier on in the collision sequence. The
NECK-PRO active front head restraints will
move forward whether the seats are occupied
or not. G
Warning!
Do not attach any objects (e.g. hangers) to the
head restraint posts. Otherwise, the NECK-
PRO active front head restraints may not be
able
to function properly or offer the intended
degree of protection they were designed for
in the event of a rear-end collision. G
Warning!
Only use seat or head restraint covers which
have
been tested and approved by Mercedes-
Benz for your vehicle model.
Using other seat or head restraint covers may
interfere with or prevent the activation of the
NECK-PRO active front head restraints and/
or the deployment of the front side impact air
bags.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for availability.
When the NECK-PRO active front head
restraints have been triggered in an accident,
the NECK-PRO active front head restraints
must be reset. Otherwise, the NECK-PRO
active front head restraints cannot offer any
additional protection in the event of another
rear-end collision.
For information on resetting the activated
NECK-PRO active front head restraints, see
“Resetting activated head restraints”
(Y page 310).
You cannot remove the NECK-PRO active
front head restraints. G
Warning!
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close
to the head as possible and the center of the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of an
accident or similar situation.
For information on head restraint adjustment,
see “Head restraint height” ( Y page 83), or Occupant safety
53
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see “Head restraint fore and aft adjustment”
(Y page 83).
Correct driver seat adjustment
G
Warning!
In order to avoid possible loss of vehicle
control the following must be done before the
vehicle is put into motion:
R seat adjustment
R head restraint adjustment
R steering wheel adjustment
R rear view mirror adjustment
R fastening of seat belts Steering wheel
G
Observe Safety notes, see page 91.
X Position steering wheel : properly. See
(Y page 92) for manual adjustment and
(Y page 92) for electrical adjustment. Make sure:
R
You can reach the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent at the elbows.
R You can move your legs freely.
R All displays (including malfunction and
indicator lamps) on the instrument cluster
are clearly visible.
Seat belt G
Observe Safety notes, see page 47.
X Fasten and position your seat belt ;
correctly (Y page 49).
Make sure:
R The seat belt is always fitted snugly.
R Adjust the seat belt so that the shoulder
section is located as close as possible to
the middle of the shoulder.
R Place the lap portion of the seat belt as low
as possible on your hips.
Seat and head restraint G
Observe Safety notes, see page 81.
X Position seat = and head restraint
properly. See ( Y page 82) for seat and
head restraint adjustment.
Observe the following points:
R Always be in a properly seated position.
R The position should be as far rearward from
the front air bag in the steering wheel as
possible, while still permitting proper
operation of vehicle controls.
R Adjust the seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely.
R The seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten and position your seat belt.
R The seat backrest must be in a position that
is as nearly upright as possible. 54
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R
Adjust the seat cushion so that the front
edge of the seat cushion lightly supports
your legs.
R Adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to the head as possible and the
center of the head restraint supports the
back of the head at eye level.
R Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while the seat is being
adjusted. Children in the vehicle
Safety notes If an infant or child is traveling with you in the
vehicle:
X
Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint
appropriate to the age and size of
the child.
X Make sure the infant or child is properly
secured at all times while the vehicle is in
motion. G
Warning!
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch. Always
take the SmartKey with you and lock the
vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. The children
could
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
even if the SmartKey is removed from the
starter switch or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system’s
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned by these
parts.
G
Warning!
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger
or cargo compartment unless they
are firmly secured in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child’s risk of injury in the event
of
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
Infant and child restraint systems G
Observe Safety notes, see page 55.
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
Canada only:
Only use a BabySmart™ compatible child
restraint for the front passenger seat in this
vehicle.
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. Occupant safety
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and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the
brake pressure so that the wheels do not
lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of
approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will
respond even to light brake pressure.
The ABS indicator lamp ! indicator lamp
in the instrument cluster comes on when you
switch on the ignition. It goes out when the
engine is running.
Braking At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal. The pulsation indicates that the
ABS is in the regulating mode.
X
Keep firm and steady pressure on the brake
pedal while you feel the pulsation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely
braking power and the ability to steer
the vehicle.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an
indication of hazardous road conditions and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.
Emergency brake maneuver X
Keep continuous full pressure on the brake
pedal. G
Warning!
If the ABS malfunctions, other driving safety
systems
such as the BAS or the ESP ®
are also
switched off. Observe indicator and warning
lamps that may come on as well as messages
in the multifunction display that may appear. If the ABS malfunctions, the wheels may lock
during hard braking, reducing steering
capability
and extending the braking distance. BAS
G
Observe Safety notes, see page 63.
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency
situations. If you apply the brakes
very quickly, the BAS provides full brake
boost automatically, thereby potentially
reducing the braking distance.
X Apply continuous full braking pressure until
the emergency braking situation is over.
The ABS will prevent the wheels from
locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the brakes
function again as normal. The BAS is then
deactivated. G
Warning!
If the BAS malfunctions, the brake system still
functions, but without the additional brake
boost available that the BAS would normally
provide in an emergency braking maneuver.
Therefore,
the braking distance may increase. EBP
G
Observe Safety notes, see page 63.
The Electronic Brake Proportioning (EBP)
enhances braking effectiveness by allowing
the
rear brakes to supply a greater proportion
of the braking effort in straight-line braking
without a loss of vehicle stability. G
Warning!
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. 64
Driving safety systems
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