Airbags and belt tensioners could fail to
deploy or be triggered in an accident despite
the deceleratio nforce being sufficient to 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 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 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 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
Risk of injury
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
of a collision. When the first deployment
threshold is reached, the front airbag is filled
with enough propellant gas to reduce the risk
of injuries. The front airbag is fully deployed
if a second deployment threshold is exceeded
within a few milliseconds. Occupant safety
35Safety Z
The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
R you engage the belt tongue in the belt
buckle and you then turn the key to position
2in the ignition lock.
R the key is in position 2in the ignition lock
and you then engage the belt tongue in the
buckle.
The seat-belt adjustmen twill apply a certain
tightening force if any slack is detected
between the occupant and the seat belt. Do
not hold on to the seat belt tightly while it is
adjusting. You can switch the seat-belt
adjustment on and off in the on-board com-
puter (Y page 211).
Belt height adjustment You can adjust the seat belt height on the
driver's seat and the front-passenger seat.
Adjust the height so that the upper part of the
seat belt is routed across the centre of your
shoulder.
X
To raise: slide the belt sash guide upwards.
The belt sash guide engages in various posi-
tions.
X To lower: press and hold belt sash guide
release :.
X Slide the belt sash guide downwards.
X Release belt sash guide release :and
make sure that the belt sash guide has
engaged. Releasing seat belts X
Press release button ?(Ypage 43) and
guide belt tongue ;back towards belt
sash guide :.
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 .Itmay 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 .Ift he vehicle is stationary and a door is
opened, the 7seat belt warning lamp
goes out and the warning tone ceases.
For certain countries only: regardless of
whether the driver or the front passenger
have fastened their seat belts, the 7seat
belt warning lamp lights up for six seconds
after the engine is started. It then goes out if
the driver and the front passenger have fas-
tened their seat belts.
i For more information on the 7seat
belt warning lamp, see "Indicator and warn-
ing lamps in the instrumentc luster, seat
belt" (Y page 239).
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. 44
Occupant safetySafety
If ESP
®
intervenes, the ÷warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the ÷ warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R adapt yourd riving style to suitt he prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could go into a skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident if
you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override the
laws of physics.
! Switch the ignition off when:
R the parking brake is being tested using a
dynamometer
R the vehicle is being towed with the front/
rear axle raised
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Do not tow vehicles with 4MATIC with the
front or rear axle raised.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) Traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. On vehicles with 4MATIC, more drive
torque is also transferred to the wheel or
wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
. G
Risk of accident
Traction control cannot reduce the risk of an
accident if you drive too fast. Traction control
cannot override the laws of physics.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
AMG vehicles) 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
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply.E SP®
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 can spin. The spinning of
the wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides bette rgrip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to 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 204).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running. Driving safety systems
59Safety
Z
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 yourv ehicle 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 204).
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
Risk of accident
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. 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 multifunction display.
X To deactivate: briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster 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
Risk of accident
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. 60
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety
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 and is
also not activated if you brake firmly with
the assistance of ESP.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available and
is also not activated if you brake firmly with
the assistance of ESP ®
.
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 instrument cluster does not flash.Ins uch
situations, ESP ®
will no tstabilise the vehicle. X
To deactivate: press button:until the
å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluste rlights up.
The ÷OFF message appears in the mul-
tifunction display. G
Risk of accident
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 weathe
rcondi-
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. EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribu-
tion)
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking. G
Risk of accident
If EBD has 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. 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 165) and
hill start assist (Y page 131). For further
information, see Driving tips (Y page 149). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake (vehicles with DIS-
TRONIC PLUS)
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. Driving safety systems
61Safety Z
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 fronti s too short for
the speed at which you are travelling. The
· distance warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster will light up.
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.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving conditions may cause the
system to display an unnecessary warning. G
Risk of accident
Pay particular attention to the traffic condi-
tions if the ·distance warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up or an intermittent
warning tone sounds. If necessary, brake or
manoeuvre to avoid an obstacle.
If the driver and passengers have fastened
their seat belts, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also
can also perform the following at speeds of
above approximately 30 km/h:
R brake the vehicle automatically from a
speed of up to approximately 200 km/h
R trigger preventative passenger protection
measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) G
Risk of accident
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only an aid to assist you
when driving. You are responsible for main-
taining a safe distance from other vehicles,
the vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time. Always pay attention to the traffic con-
ditions. Otherwise, you may recognise dan-
gers too late, cause an accident and injure
yourselfa nd others.
With the help of the rada rsensor system,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can detect obstacles that
are in front of your vehicle for an extended
period of time. If you approach an obstacle
and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake detects a risk of a col-
lision, the system will initially alert you both visually and acoustically. If you do not brake
or steer, the vehicle will at first automatically
brake slightly. In the event of an increased
risk of a collision, PRE-SAFE
®
is activated
(Y page 40). If the risk of collision remains
and you do not brake, take evasive action or
accelerate significantly, the vehicle may per-
form automatic emergency braking. G
Risk of accident
Only clearly detected obstacles will trigger a
warning and initiate braking assistance by
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or the sensors are cov-
ered
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
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake does not react to persons,
animals, oncoming vehicles, crossing traffic
or when cornering.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may not detect narrow
vehicles such as motorcycles and vehicles
driving on a different line. G
Risk of accident
Depending on the current speed, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake decelerates your vehicle by up to
4 m/s 2
before performing possible emer-
gency braking. This is equivalent to approx-
imately 40 % of the maximum braking power
of the vehicle. You must additionally apply the
brakes yourself in order to preven tacollision
or minimis ean impact. Automatic emergency
braking is not performed until immediately
prior to an accident in the event that you are
unable to avoid one by, for instance, taking
evasive action.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a col-
lision, you must apply the brakes yourself. 62
Driving safety systemsSafety
Dipped-beam headlamps
X
To switch on the dipped-beam head-
lamps: turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2or start the engine.
X Tur nthe light switch to L.
The L indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
Daytime driving lights You can activate or deactivate the daytime
driving lights function using the on-board
computer (Y page 207).
X Daytime driving lights: activate the day-
time driving lights function using the on-
board computer.
X Turn the light switch to c.
When the engine is on: depending on the
ambient light conditions, the daytime driv-
ing lights or the dipped-beamh eadlamps
are switched on.
When the dipped-beam headlamps are
switched on, the Lindicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
Automatic headlamps G
Risk of accident
If the light switch is set to c, the dipped-
beam headlamps will not come on automati-
cally if it is foggy. This could endanger you and
others. Therefore, turn the light switch to
L in fog.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid. The driver is responsible for the vehicle's
lighting at all times.
X To switch on automatic headlamp
mode: turn the light switch to c.
Key in position 1in the ignition lock: the
side lamps are switched on or off automat-
ically depending on the brightness of the
ambient light. With the engine running: depending on the
brightness of the ambient light, the daytime
driving lights
21
or the dipped-beam head-
lamps are switched on or off automatically.
When the dipped-beam headlamps are
switched on, the Lindicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
Rear foglamp X
To switch on the rear foglamp: turn the
key in the ignition lock to position 2or start
the engine.
X Turn the light switch to Lorc.
X Press the Rbutton.
The yellow Rindicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To switch off the rear foglamp: press the
R button.
The yellow Rindicator lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
i If you switch the engin eoff (key in posi-
tion 1in the ignition lock) and then restart
it, the previous rear foglamp settings are
restored. Combination switch
Turn signals :
Main-beam headlamps
; Turn signal, right
21 Only if daytime driving lights have been activated via the on-board computer. Exterior lighting
99Lights and windscreen wipers Z
=
Headlamp flasher
? Turn signal, left
X To indicate briefly: press the combination
switch briefly to the pressure point in the
directio nofarrow;or?.
The corresponding turn signal flashes three
times.
X To indicate: press the combination switch
beyond the pressure point in the direction
of arrow ;or?.
Main-beam headlamps X
To switch on the main-beam head-
lamps: turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to Lorc.
X Press the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of
arrow :.
In the cposition, the main-beam head-
lamps are only switched on when it is dark
and the engine is running.
The K indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the main-beam head-
lamps are switched on.
X To switch off the main-beam head-
lamps: move the combination switch back
to its normal position.
The K indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist G
Risk of accident
Adaptive Highbeam Assist is only an aid
designed to assist driving. The drive ris
responsible for adjusting the vehicle's lighting
to the prevailing light, visio nand traffic con-
ditions. The system may be impaired or deactivated:
R if there is poor visibility, e.g .due to snow,
rain, fog or spray
R if the area of the windscree naround the
optical sensor is dirty, misted up or covered
up, e.g. by a sticker
The system may not recognise the following
road users:
R road users that have no lighting, e.g. pedes-
trians
R road users that have poor lighting, e.g.
cyclists
R road users whose lighting is not clearly visi-
ble, e.g. road users behind a crash barrier
R on rare occasions: road users that have
lights that may be recognised too late or not
at all
The automatic main-bea mheadlamps will not
be deactivated, or they may be activated
despite road users travelling in fron tofor
approaching the vehicle.
Thus, you could cause an acciden tand injure
yoursel fand others. Alway sobserve traffic
conditions and, if necessary, dip the lights
manually.
You can use this function to set the head-
lamps to change between dipped beam and
main beam automatically. The system recog-
nises vehicles with their lights on, either
approaching from the opposite direction or
travelling in fron tofyour vehicle, and conse-
quently switches the headlamps from main
beam to dipped beam.
The system automatically adapts the dipped-
beam headlamp range depending on the dis-
tance to the other vehicle. Once the system
no longer detects any other vehicles, it reac-
tivates the main-beam headlamps.
The system's optical sensor is located behind
the windscreen near the overhead control
panel. 100
Exterior lightingLights and windscreen wipers