2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS ESTATE service

G
WARNING
Modifications to or work performed incor-
rectly on the following parts can result in the
restraint systems not functioning as intended:
R the restraint system, consisting of seat
belts and their anchorage points, beltt en-
sioners, belt force limiters and airbags
R the wiring
R networked electronic systems
Airbags and belt tensioners could fail to
deploy or be triggered in an acciden tdespite
the deceleration force being sufficien tto trig-
ger the systems, or could be triggered unin-
tentionally. For this reason, never make any
modifications to the restraint systems.
Therefore, you must not tamper with elec-
tronic components or their software. SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
Introduction SRS consists of:
R
the 6 SRS warning lamp
R airbags
R airbag control unit (with crash sensors)
R belt tensioners
R belt force limiters
SRS reduces the risk of occupants coming
into contact with the vehicle's interior in the
event of an accident. It can also reduce the
effect of the forces to which occupants are
subjected during an accident.
SRS warning lamp SRS functions are checked regularly when
you switch on the ignition and when the
engine is running. Therefore, malfunctions
can be detected in good time.
The 6 SRS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out no later than a few seconds
after the engine is started. G
WARNING
If SRS is malfunctioning, individual systems
may be activated unintentionally or may not
be triggered in the event of an accident with
a high rate of vehicle deceleration.
A malfunction has occurred if:
R the 6 SRS warning lamp does not light
up when the ignition is switched on.
R the engine is running and the 6SRS
warning lamp does not go out after a few
seconds.
R the engine is running and the 6SRS
warning lamp lights up again.
In this case, have SRS checked immediately
at a qualified specialist workshop. Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you use a Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre for this purpose.
In particular, work relevant to safety or on
safety-related systems must be carried out at
a qualified specialist workshop.
Triggering of belt tensioners, belt force
limiters and airbags During the first stage of a collision, the airbag
control unit evaluates important physical
data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
R
duration
R direction
R magnitude
Based on the evaluation of this data, the air-
bag control unit pre-emptively triggers the
belt tensioners in the first stage.
i The front belt tensioners can only be trig-
gered if the seat belt tongues on the front
seats are correctly engaged in the seat belt
buckles.
If there is an even higher rate of vehicle decel-
eration or acceleration in a longitudinal direc-
tion, the front airbags are also deployed.
Your vehicle has adaptive, two-stage front air-
bags. The airbag control unit evaluates vehi-
cle deceleration or acceleration in the event Occupant safety
47Safety Z

intended protection in the event of an acci-
dent. Appropriate seat covers can be
obtained from a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
When deployed, the sidebags offer additional
protection for the thorax of the vehicle occu-
pants on the side of the vehicle on which the
impact occurs. However, they do not protect
the:
R head
R neck
R arms Example: Saloon
Front sidebags
:and rear sidebags ;
deploy nex tto the outer seat cushions.
The sidebags are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R independently of seat belt use
R independently of the front airbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
Windowbags The windowbags enhance the level of protec-
tion for the head, but not chest or arms, of the
vehicle occupants on the side of the vehicle
on which the impact occurs.
The windowbags are integrated into the side
of the roof frame and deploy in the area from
the A-pillar to the C-pillar. Saloon (example)
Windowbags
:are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R independently of seat belt use
R independently of the front airbags PRE-SAFE
®
(preventative occupant
protection)
PRE-SAFE ®
takes pre-emptive measures to
protec toccupants in certain hazardous sit-
uations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes:
R in emergency braking situations, e.g. if BAS
is activated or for vehicles with DISTRONIC
PLUS, BAS PLUS intervenes powerfully
R if the radar sensor system detects an immi-
nent danger of collisio nincertain situa-
tions (on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS)
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limits are exceed and the vehicle under-
steers or oversteers severely Occupant safety
51Safety Z

PRE-SAFE
®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detec-
ted:
R the fronts eat belts are pre-tensioned.
R vehicles with the memory function :it
adjusts the front-passenger seat if it is in
an unfavourable position.
R if the vehicle skids, the sliding sunroof/
panorama sliding sunroo fand the side win-
dows are closed so tha tonly a small gap
remains.
If the hazardous situatio npasses without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pretensioning .The air pressure in the
side bolsters on the multicontour seat is
reduced again. All settings made by PRE-
SAFE ®
can then be reversed.
If the seat belts are not released:
X Move the backrest or seat back slightly, but
only when the vehicle is stationary.
The belt pretensioning is reduced and the
locking mechanism is released. G
WARNING
When adjusting the seat, make sure that
nobody can become trapped.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when moving
the seat back. There is a risk that the seats
and/or the objects could be damaged.
More information about seat-belt adjust-
ment,ac onvenience function integrated into
PRE-SAFE ®
, can be found in the "Seat-belt
adjustment" section (Y page 55).NECK-PRO head restraint/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraint (except AMG
vehicles)
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints increase protection of the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
neck.Int he event of a rear collision of a cer-
tain severity, the NECK-PRO head restraints/ NECK-PRO luxury head restraints on the driv-
er's and front-passenger seats are moved for-
wards and upwards. This provides better
head support. G
WARNING
Only use head restraint covers which have
been tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz
for your vehicle model.
The use of non-approved head restraint cov-
ers may prevent NECK-PRO head restraints/
NECK-PRO luxury head restraints from trig-
gering properly. The NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
can therefore not provide the intended pro-
tection.
Consult a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre
regarding availability.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraints have been triggered in
an accident, reset the NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
on the driver's and front-passenger seats
(Y page 52). Otherwise, the additional pro-
tection will not be available in the event of
another rear-end collision. NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
that have been triggered are moved forwards
and can no longer be adjusted. Resetting
atriggered NECK-PRO head
restraint/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraint
Important safety notes Mercedes-Benz recommends tha
tyou have
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre, if your vehicle is involved in a
rear-end collision. 52
Occupant safetySafety

NECK-PRO head restraints
i
Resetting the NECK-PRO head restraints
requires a lo tofstrength. If you have diffi-
culty resetting the NECK-PRO head
restraints, have this work carried ou tata
qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. X
Tilt the top of the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion forwards in the direction of
arrow :.
X Push the NECK-PRO head restraint cushion
down in the direction of arrow ;as far as
it will go.
X Firmly push the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion back in the direction of arrow =
until the cushion engages.
X Repeat this procedure for the second
NECK-PRO head restraint.
NECK-PRO luxury head restraints i
If you have difficulty resetting the NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints, have this work
carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre. X
Remove resetting tool :from the vehicle
documen twallet.
X Slide resetting tool :into guide ;
between the NECK-PRO luxury head
restraint and the rear cover of the head
restraint.
X Push resetting tool :downwards until you
hear the head restraint deploymen tmech-
anism engage.
X Pull out resetting tool :.
X Firmly press the NECK-PRO luxury head
restraint cushion back =until it engages.
X Repeat this procedure for the second
NECK-PRO luxury head restraint.
X Put resetting tool :back into the vehicle
documen twallet. Seat belts
Important safety notes Seat belts are the most effective means of
restraining the movement of vehicle occu-
pants in the event of an accident. This
reduces the ris
kofvehicle occupants coming
into contact with parts of the vehicle interior. G
WARNING
A seat belt which is not worn correctly, or
which has not been engaged in the seat belt
buckle correctly, cannot perform its intended
protective function. Under certain circum-
stances, this could cause severe or even fatal
injuries in the event of an accident. Occupant safety
53Safety
Z

Make sure that all occupants
–inparticular,
pregnant women – wear their seat belt cor-
rectly at all times.
R The seat belt must fit snugly on your body
and must no tbe twisted. Therefore, avoid
wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter coat.
The shoulder belt section must be routed
across the centre of your shoulder – on no
account across your neck or under your
arm –and pulled tight against your upper
body .The lap belt must always pass across
your lap as low down as possible, i.e. over
your hip joints –not across your abdomen.
If necessary, push down the belt strap
slightly and then retighten it in the roll-up
direction.
R Do not route the belt strap across sharp
edges or fragile objects, especially if these
are located on or in your clothing, e.g. spec-
tacles, pens, keys, etc. The seat belt strap
could be damaged and tear in an accident,
and you or other vehicle occupants could
be injured.
R Only one person should use each seat belt
at any one time. Children must never travel
sitting on the lap of other occupants. It
would not be possible to restrain the child
in the event of a sudden change in direc-
tion, braking or an accident .This could
result in severe or even fatal injuries to the
child and other occupants.
R Persons less than 1.50 m tall cannot wear
the seat belts correctly. For this reason,
secure persons less than 1.50 mtall in spe-
cially designed, suitable restraint systems.
R Children less than 1.50 m tall or under 12
years of age canno twear the seat belts
properly. Therefore, they should always be
secured in a suitable child restraint system
on a suitable vehicle seat. You can find
more information under "Children in the
vehicle" in the "Safety" section of the Own-
er's Manual. Follow the manufacturer's installation instructions when fitting a child
restraint system.
R Do not secure any objects with a seat belt
if the seat belt is also being used by one of
the vehicle's occupants. G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level
of protection unless the backrest is almost
vertical. Under certain circumstances, this
could cause severe or even fatal injuries in the
event of an accident.
Before starting a journey, make sure that the
seat is properly adjusted and that the back-
rest is almost vertical. G
WARNING
Ad irty or damaged seat belt or a seat belt that
has been subjected to a load in an accident
or which has been modified no longer offers
the intended level of protection. Under certain
circumstances, this could cause severe or
even fatal injuries in the even tofanaccident.
For this reason, check regularly that the seat
belts are not damaged or dirty.
Always have damaged sea tbelts or seat belts
that have been subjected to a load in an acci-
dent replaced at a qualified specialist work-
shop. Consult a qualified specialist workshop
which has the necessary specialist knowledge
and tools to carry out the work required.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this pur-
pose.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat belts which have
been approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle. 54
Occupant safetySafety

X
Slide the belt sash guide downwards.
X Release belt sash guide release :and
make sure tha tthe belt sash guide has
engaged.
Releasing seat belts X
Press release button ?(Ypage 55) and
guide belt tongue ;back towards belt
sash guide :.
! Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled
up. Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue
will be trapped in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This could damage the door,
the door trim panel and the seat belt. Dam-
aged seat belts can no longer fulfil their
protective function and must be replaced.
Consult a Mercedes-Ben zService Centre.
Belt warning for driver and front
passenger The
7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder for all occupants
to fasten their seat belts. It may light up con-
tinuously or flash. In addition, there may be a
warning tone.
The 7 seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tone ceases when the driver and
the fron tpassenger have fastened their seat
belt.
For certain countries only: regardless of
whether the driver or th efront passenger
have fastened their seat belts, the 7seat
beltw arning lamp lights up for six seconds
after the engine is started. It then goes out if
the driver and the fron tpassenger have fas-
tened their seat belts.
i For more information on the 7seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrumen tcluster, seat
belt" (Y page 291). Rear seat belt status indicator The rear-compartmen
tseat belt status indi-
cator tells you if the rear passengers have
their seat belts fastened.
The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator indicates the rear seat on which the belt
is fastened. The üsymbol in the display
indicates a fastened seat belt. If a seat belt is
not fastened or if a seat is not occupied, the
ý symbol is displayed.
The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator appears in the multifunction display for
around 30 seconds if:
R you drive off and reach a speed of approx-
imately 10 km/h.
R the rear passengers fasten or unfasten
their seat belts while the vehicle is in
motion.
R someone gets in or out of the vehicle and
the vehicle drives off again.
You can also cancel the rear seat belt status
indicator immediately (Y page 248).
i The status indicator for the rear-compart-
ment seat belts is only available for certain
countries.
Belt tensioners, belt force limiters The fron
tseat belts and the outer seat belts
in the rear are equipped with belt tensioners.
The belt tensioners tighten the seat belts in
an accident, pulling them close against the
body.
Belt tensioners do not correct incorrect seat
positions or incorrectly fastened seat belts.
Belt tensioners do not pull vehicle occupants
back towards the backrest.
If the seat belt is also fitted with a belt force
limiter and this is triggered, the force exerted
by the seat belt on the vehicle occupan tis
reduced.
The belt force limiters on the front seats are
synchronised with the front airbags. They
take on a part of the deceleration force, 56
Occupant safetySafety

resulting in the force exerted on the occupant
being distributed over a greater area.
The beltt ensioners can only be activated
when:
R the ignition is switched on.
R the restraint systems are operational; see
"SRS warning lamp" (Y page 47).
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the three-poin tseat belts in the
front.
The belt tensioners on the outside seats in the
rear compartment are triggered independ-
ently of the lock status of the seat belts.
The belt tensioners are triggered depending
on the type and severity of an accident:
R if, in the event of a head-on or rear-end col-
lision, the vehicle decelerates or acceler-
ates rapidly in a longitudinal direction dur-
ing the initial stages of the impact
R if, in the event of a side impact, on the side
opposite the impact the vehicle deceler-
ates or accelerates rapidly in a lateral direc-
tion
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang, and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The 6SRS warning lamp
lights up. G
WARNING
If the seat belt tensioners have been trig-
gered, they provide no additional protection
in the event of another accident. Therefore,
have belt tensioners which have been trig-
gered replaced at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Comply with safety regulations when dispos-
ing of belt tensioners. Any Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre can provide details of these
regulations.
! If the front-passenger seat is not occu-
pied, do not engage the seat belt tongue in
the buckle on the front-passenger seat. Otherwise, the belt tensioner could be trig-
gered in the event of an accident. Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
Important safety notes G
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of a sudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R children less than 1.50 m tall and under
twelve years of age must always be secured
in special child restraint systems on a suit-
able vehicle seat. This is necessary
because the seat belts are not designed for
children.
R do not secure children less than 1.5 0mtall
or under twelve years of age on the front-
passenger seat .Exception: the vehicle is
equipped with automatic child sea trecog-
nition on the front-passenger seat and the
child is secured in a child restraint system
with transponders for automatic child seat
recognition.
R if you secure a forward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat, you must move the front-passenger
seat as far back as possible.
R children must never travel sitting on the lap
of another occupant. Due to the forces
which occur in the event of a sudden
change of direction, heavy braking or an
accident, it would not be possible to
restrain the child. The child could be thrown
against parts of the vehicle interior and be
seriously or even fatally injured. G
WARNING
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 Children in the vehicle
57Safety
Z

child could be seriously or eve
nfatally 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.
Child restraint systems shoul dbe fitted to the
rear seats. Children are generally better pro-
tected there.
The entire base of the child restraint system
must always rest on the seat cushion. There-
fore, never place objects, e.g. a cushion,
under the child restraint system.
Only use child restraint systems with the orig-
inal cover designed for them. Only replace
damaged covers with genuine Mercedes-Benz
covers.
We recommend the use of child restraint sys-
tems which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, secure
the child using a child restraint system which
is appropriate to the size, age and weight of
the child and recommended for Mercedes-
Benz vehicles. You should preferably fit the
restraint system to a suitable rear seat. You
can also secure the child in the integrated
child seat (Y page 63). Make sure that the
child is secured in a child restraint system
throughout the trip.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use the child restraint systems listed at
(Y page 70).
You can obtain further information about the
correct child restraint system from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products to clean child restraint systems.
You can obtain information about this at
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
WARNING
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. They could injure them-
selves on parts of the vehicle. They could also be seriously or even fatally injured by pro-
longed exposure to extreme heat or cold.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. Parts of the child restraint sys-
tem could heat up and the child could burn
herself/himself on them.
If a child opens a door, the child or other per-
sons could be injured as a result. They could
get out and injure themselves or be injured by
a passing vehicle. G
WARNING
Unsecured or incorrectly positioned loads
increase the risk of injury for children and all
other occupants in the event of:
R an accident
R a braking manoeuvre
R a sudden change of direction
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the vehi-
cle interior unless they are secured. You will
find further information under "Loading guide-
lines" in the index.
Child seat on the front-passenger seat Warning notice on the front-passenger sun visor58
Children in the vehicleSafety