2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS ESTATE warning light

Warning symbol for a rearward-facing child
restraint system G
WARNING
If the front-passenger airbag is not disabled:
R a child secured in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat could be seri-
ously and even fatally injured by the front-
passenger airbag deploying. This is espe-
cially a risk if the child is in the immediate
vicinity of the front-passenger airbag when
it deploys.
R never secure a child on the front-passenger
seat in a rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem. Only secure a rearward-facing child
restraint system on a suitable rear seat.
R always move the front-passenger seat to
the rearmost position if you secure a child
in a forward-facing child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat.
The front-passenger airbag is not disabled:
R on vehicles without automatic child seat
recognition on the front-passenger seat
R in vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition in the front-passenger seat, if no
special child restraint system with trans-
ponders for automatic child seat recogni-
tion in the front-passenger seat has been
fitted
R on vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat, if the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
4
is not lit.
To make you aware of this danger, a corre-
sponding warning sticker has been affixed on
the dashboard and on both sides of the sun
visor on the front-passenger side.
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
1
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 front-passenger seat sensor system for
child restraint systems detects whether a
1 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. Children in the vehicle
59Safety Z

special Mercedes-Benz child seat with a
transponder for automatic child seat recog-
nition has been fitted. In this case,
4
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp :
lights up. The front-passenger front airbag is
disabled. G
WARNING
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 front airbag is dis-
abled by the automatic child seat recogni-
tion, the following remain enabled on the
front-passenger side:
R the sidebag
R the windowbag
R the belt tensioner G
WARNING
Do not place electronic devices on the front-
passenger seat, e.g.:
R laptops, when switched 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-
ognition sensor 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 transponders for automatic child
seat recognition fitted. The front-passenger
airbag will not then deploy during an accident.
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 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
WARNING
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
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 60
Children in the vehicleSafety

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 a transponder for auto-
matic child seat recognition 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 lit:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Integrated child seat
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 you must follow the manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions for the child seat when
fitting the integrated child seat (ICS) pad-
ded play table and side head restraint and
when fastening the seat belt.
R do not modify the integrated child seat, the
ICS padded play table or the side head
restraint. Do not use protective covers.
R make sure that the ICS padded play table
and the side head restraints do not become trapped or damaged. This could happen
when you
- close the doors
- adjust the seat
- store the ICS padded play table and the
side head restraints
- transport heavy objects
R replace the integrated child seat, the pad-
ded play table and the side head restraints
if these were damaged or subjected to
heavy loads during an accident.
R note: children who weigh less than
12.5 kg require a different child restraint
system. Information about other child
restraint systems is available from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
R the vehicle's rear seat backrest must be
locked in position.
The child seats are integrated into the right
and left-hand rear seat cushions. In conjunc- Children in the vehicle
63Safety Z

Weight
catego-
ries Size cate-
gory Manufac-
turer Type Approval
number
(E1 ...) Order
number Auto-
matic
chil
dseat
recogni-
tion Group 0+:
up to
13 kg
E Britax
Römer BABY SAFE
ISOFIX
PLUS 04 301146 B6 6 86
8224 No
D – – – – –
C – – – – –
Group I:
9 to 18 kg
D – – – – –
C – – – – –
B – – – – –
B1 Britax
Römer DUO PLUS 03 301133
04 301133 A 000 970
11 00 Yes
A – – – – –
Child-proof locks
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Activate the child-proof locks for the rear
doors and the override switch for the rear
windows when children are travelling in the
vehicle. Otherwise, the children could open
doors or side windows while th evehicle is in
motion and injure themselves or others. 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.
Child-proof locks for the rear doors You secure each door individually with the
child-proof locks on the rear doors.
Adoor
secured with a child-proof lock cannot be
opened from inside the vehicle. When the
vehicle is unlocked, the door can be opened
from the outside. Children in the vehicle
71Safety Z

measures (PRE-SAFE
®
) are activated simul-
taneously.
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 there is no longer any dange rofarear-end
collision.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
BAS PLUS is then deactivated.
Vehicles with COMAND and navigation sys-
tem: the rada rsensor system is switched off
automatically in the vicinity of radio telescope
facilities (Y page 389).
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 ( Ypage 242).
For BASP LUS to assist you when driving, the
radars ensor system must be switched on and
operational; see "Rada rsensor system" in the
index. G
WARNING
BAS PLUS cannot always clearly identify
objects and complex traffic situations. BAS
PLUS cannot intervene in these cases.
There is a risk of an accident. Always pay
careful attention to the traffic situation and be
ready to brake.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired 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 the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example in multi-storey car parks R
a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line G
WARNING
BAS PLUS does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, BAS PLUS may not intervene in
critical situations. There is a risk of an acci-
dent .Always pay careful attention to the traf-
fic situation and be ready to brake.
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at slow speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
If BA SPLUS is not available due to a malfunc-
tion in the radars ensor 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/ho rifbraking 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.Ift he
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 (Y page 121).74
Driving safety systemsSafety

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 better grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
star tto 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 237).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. G
WARNING
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 weather condi-
tions.
X To activate:(Y page 237).
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
WARNING
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. 76
Driving safety systemsSafety

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 multifunctio ndisplay.
X To deactivate: briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrumen tcluster 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
WARNING
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.
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; it is also
not activated if you brake firmly and ESP ®
intervenes.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available;
nor is it activated if you brake firmly and
ESP ®
intervenes.
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 instrumentc luster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle. X
To deactivate: press button:until the
å ESP®
OFF warning lamp light sup in
the instrument cluster.
The ÷OFF message appears in the mul-
tifunction display. G
WARNING
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 weather condi-
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.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation ESP
®
trailer stabilisation is not available in
AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer
combination) begins to lurch, you can only
stabilise the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
In this situation, ESP ®
assists you and can
detec tifthe vehicle/trailer combination Driving safety systems
77Safety Z

begins to lurch. ESP
®
slows the vehicle down
by braking and limiting the engine output until
the vehicle/trailer combination has stabi-
lised.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 65 km/h. G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent
the trailer from swervin gand will thus be
unable to reduce the ris kofanaccident. Trail-
ers with a high centre of gravity can tip over
before ESP ®
can detect this.
Trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function. EBD (electronic brake forc
edistribu-
tion)
i Observe the "Importan tsafety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 72).
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking. G
WARNING
If EB Dhas 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.
X Observe the notes on warning and indicator
lamps (Y page 293) as well as display mes-
sages (Y page 251) (4-button multifunc-
tion steering wheel) and ( Ypage 257) (12-
button multifunction steering wheel). 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 193) and
hill start assist (Y page 156). For further
information, see Driving tips (Y page 175). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 72).
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. If PRE-SAFE ®
Brake has detected a risk
of collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically as well as by automatic braking.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot prevent a collision
without your intervention.
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 fron tis too short for
the speed at which you are travelling. The
· distance warning lamp then lights up
in the instrument cluster.
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.
X Brake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so. 78
Driving safety systemsSafety