wearin
gbulky clothing, e.g .awinter coat.
The shoulde rbelt section must be routed
across the centre of your shoulder –onno
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–n ot 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 occupant scould
be injured.
R Only one person should use each seat belt
at any one time. Children must never travel
sittin gont he lap of other occupants. It
would not be possible to restrain the child
in the event of asudden 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 mtall 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 mtall or unde r12
years of age canno twear the seat belts
properly. Therefore, they should alway sbe
secured in asuitable child restraint system
on asuitable 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 achild
restraint system.
R Do not secure any objects with aseat 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.
Befor estarting ajourney, make sure that the
seat is properly adjusted and that the back-
rest is almost vertical. G
WARNING
Ad irtyord amaged seat belt or aseat belt that
has been subjected to aload in an accident
or which has been modified no longer offers
the intended level of protection. Under certain
circumstances, this could cause sever eor
even fatal injuries in the even tofanaccident.
For this reason, check regularly that the seat
belts are not damaged or dirty.
Alway shaved am aged sea tbelts or seat belts
that have been subjected to aload in an acci-
dent replaced at aqualified specialist work-
shop. Consult aqualified 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 Centr efor 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.
Fastening seat belts The seat-belt extender for the driver and front
passenger helps you fasten your seat belt. Occupant safety
47Safety Z
Example: Coupé
Seat-belt extender
:is extende dwhent he
respective door is closed and the key is
turned to position 1or 2in the ignition lock.
Yo uc an also extend seat-belt extender :by
using the seat-belt extende rbutton in the
centre console. X
Press th eseat-belt extender button.
Seat-belt extender :extends. G
WARNING
The seat-belt extender must be retracted
when th evehicl eisinm otion.Only then can
the sea tbelt fit properly on the body and per-
form its protective function.
Seat-belt extender :is retracted again if:
R the belt tongue is engaged in the seat belt
buckle.
R the belt tongue is not engaged in the seat
belt buckle within 60 seconds.
R the respective door is opened.
R the key is turned to position 0in the ignition
lock. R
you release the seat backrest and fold it
forwards.
R nobody is sitting on the front-passenger
side after approximately five seconds.
If you press the seat-belt extender button
after this, seat-belt extender :will not
extend. Example: Coupé
X
Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position (Y page 100).
X Pull the seat belt smoothly out of seat-belt
extender :.
X Without twistin git, guide the shoulder sec-
tion of the seat belt across the middle of
your shoulder and the lap section across
your hips.
X Engage belt tongue ;in buckle =.
Seat-belt adjustment:ifn ecessary, the
driver's and front-passenger seat belts
automatically adjust to the upper body
(Y page 49).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
The rear seat belts are equipped with achild
seat lock (Y page 52). If you pull out the seat
belt fully and then allow the inertia reel to
retract it, the child-seat lock is activated. To
deactivat ethe child seat lock, unfasten the 48
Occupant safetySafety
tem could heat up and the child could burn
herself/himself on them.
If ac hild opens adoor, the child or othe rper-
sons could be injured as aresult. They could
get out and injure themselves or be injured by
ap assing vehicle.
Also observe the notes on HOLD .Relevant
information can be found in the index. G
WARNING
Unsecured or incorrectly positioned loads
increase the risk of injury for children and all
other occupant sinthe event of:
R an accident
R ab raking manoeuvre
R as udden 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 lock The seat belts on the rear seats are fitted with
ac
hild seat lock. When enabled, the child-
seat lock function ensures that the belt does
not slacken oncet he child seat is secured.
Installing achild restraint system:
X Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from the inertia
reel.
X Engage the seat belt tongue in the belt
buckle.
Activating the child seat lock:
X Pull the seat belt out fully and let the inertia
reel retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should
hear aratchetin gsound. The child-seat lock
function is enabled.
X Push down on the child restraint system to
take up any slack. Removing
achild restraint system/deactivat-
ing the child seat lock:
X Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Press the seat belt release button and
guide the belt tongue to the belt outlet.
The child-seat lock function is deactivated.
Child seat on the front-passenger seat Warning notice on the front-passenger sun visor
Warning symbol for
arearward-facing child
restraint system G
WARNING
If the front-passenger airbag is not disabled:
R ac hild secured in achild 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 arisk if the child is in the immediate
vicinit yofthe front-passenger airbag when
it deploys.
R never secure achild on the front-passenger
seat in arearward-facing child restraint sys- 52
Children in thev
ehicleSafety
Child-proof locks
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Do no tleave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in achild
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 ac hild opens adoor, the child or other per-
sons could be injured as aresult. They could
get out and injure themselves or be injured by
ap assing vehicle.
Also observe the notes on HOLD .Relevant
information can be found in the index.
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows G
WARNING
Activate the override switch for the rear side
windows if children are travellin ginthe vehi-
cle. Otherwise, the children could open the
side windows while the vehicle is movin gand
injure themselves or others. X
To activate/deactivate: press button;.
If indicator lamp :is lit, operation of the
rear side windows is disabled. Operation is
only possible using the switches in the driv- er's door. If indicator lamp
:is off, oper-
ation is possible using the switches in the
rear compartment. Driving safety systems
Driving safety system
soverview
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS (Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
R BAS (Brake AssistSystem)
R BAS PLUS ( BrakeAssist System Plus*)
R Adaptive brake lamps
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
R EBD( electronic brake force distribution)
R ADAPTIV EBRAKE
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The risk of an acciden tissignificantly
increased by driving too fast. This is particu-
larly the case when cornering as well as on
wet or slippery roads or when driving too close
to the vehicle in front.
The driving safety systems described in this
section can neither reduce this risk nor over-
ride the laws of physics.
For this reason, always adapty our driving
style to the prevailing road and weather con-
ditions. Maintain sufficient distance from
other road users and object sonthe road.
i Please notet hat the driving safety sys-
tems described only work as effectively as
possible when there is adequate contact
between the tyres and the road surface.
Pay particular attention to the information
regarding tyres, recommended minimum
tyre tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and
tyres" section (Y page 318). Driving safety systems
61Safety Z
In wintry driving conditions, alwaysu
se
winter tyres (M+S tyres) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way willt he driv-
ing safety systems describe dinthis section
work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-loc
kBraking System)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tio n(Ypage 61).
ABS regulate sbrake pressure in such away
tha tthe wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allowsy ou to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from aspeed of about 8km/h
upwards, regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently. G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. This limits the steerability of the vehi-
cle when braking and the braking distance
may increase.
If ABS is deactivated due to amalfunction,
then BAS and ESP are also deactivated. There
is an increased risk of your vehicle skidding in
certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
Braking If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
ap ulsing in the brake pedal.
X If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make afull brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditionsa nd func-tions as
areminder to take extrac are while
driving. G
WARNING
Do not depress the brake pedal several times
in quick succession (pumping). Pumping the
brake pedal reduces the braking effect.Y ou
might otherwise not be able to stop the vehi-
cle in time and could cause an accident.
Depress the brake pedal firmly and smoothly. BAS (Brake Assist)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
BAS operates in emergenc ybraking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergenc ybraking situation is over.
ABS prevent sthe wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. G
WARNING
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect .However, braking force is not auto-
matically increased in emergenc ybraking sit-
uations and the stopping distance may
increase. BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS)
BAS PLUS is only available on vehicles with
DISTRONIC PLUS.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in haz-
ardous situations at speeds of over
30 km/ha nd uses rada rsensor technology
to assess the traffic situation. 62
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety
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 aspeed of more
than 70 km/htoa standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automaticallyify ou travel
faster than 10 km/h .You can also switch off
the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning switch button (Y page 117).ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes i
See the "Important safety notes" section
(Y page 61).
If ESP ®
detect sthat the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. If necessary, the engine output is also
modified to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within physical limits. ESP ®
assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
WARNING
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 your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could go into askid.
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.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ETS (Electronic Traction Support) Traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
viduall yifthey spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side.
Traction control remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
. G
WARNING
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 ® i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
i Vehicles with ECO start/stop function:
the ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
comes to astop. The engine startsa uto-
matically when the driver wants to pull
away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously
selected status. Example: if ESP ®
was
deactivated before the engine was
switched off, ESP ®
remains deactivated
when the engine is switched on again. 64
Driving safety systemsSafety
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
describe dabove no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwis enot be abletos tabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or awhee lstarts
to spin.
When 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 acutting action, which
provide sbetter grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provide ssupport 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 ®
willn ot stabilise the vehicle.
X To deactivate: (Ypage 223).
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-
ouslyw hen the engine is running.
If the ÷ warning lamp and åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not availa-
ble due to amalfunction.
There is an increased risk of yourv ehicle skid-
ding in certain situations.
You should alway sadapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions. X
To activate:(Y page 223).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation 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
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 swerving and will thus be
unable to reduce the risk of an accident. Trail-
ers with ahigh centre of gravity can tip over
before ESP ®
can detect this.
Trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of amal-
function. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking. G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect.H owever, 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 therefor eadapt your Driving safety systems
65Safety
Z
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE
®
)
are activated (Y page 45). If the risk of colli-
sion remains and you do not brake, tak eeva-
sive action or accelerate significantly, the
vehicle may perfor mautomatic emergency
braking .Automatic emergenc ybraking is not
performed until immediately prio rtoanacci-
dent that can no longer be avoided. G
WARNING
Even if PRE-SAFE ®
Brake slows the vehicle
before an imminent rear-end collision, the
system cannot avert acollision without the
intervention of the driver. There is arisk of an
accident .Brake according to the situation or
take evasive action. Delayed intervention by
the driver can lead to an accident. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot alwaysc learly iden-
tify object sand complex traffic conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R not give awarning or intervene
There is arisk of an accident .Always pay par-
ticular attention to the traffic situation and be
ready to brake, especially if PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
warns you. Terminat ethe intervention in a
non-critical drivin gsituation.
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 sno worh eavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibilit yofstrong radar reflections,
for example in multi-storey car parks
R an arrow vehicle travellin ginfront,e.g. a
motorbike
R av ehicle travellin ginfront on adifferent
line G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brak edoes not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncomin gvehicles
R to crossin gtraffic
R when cornering
As aresult ,PRE-SAFE ®
Brak emay not give
warnings or intervene in critical situations.
There is arisk of an accident .Always pay
careful attention to the traffic situation and be
ready to brake.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent acol-
lision ,you must apply the brakes yourself.
X To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate PRE-SAFE ®
Brak eint he on-board
computer (Y page 223).
The Ä symbol appears in the multifunc-
tion display as long as the HOL Dfunction
is no tactivated (Y page 184).
On vehicles wit hparking guidance, the
Ä symbol is displayed when Pis
engaged or you are driving faste rthan
35 km/h.
The radar sensor system is switched off auto-
matically in the vicinity of radio telescope
facilities (Y page 345).
Vehicles without COMAND and anavigation
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 (Y page 229).
For PRE-SAFE ®
Brake to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system must be
switched on (Y page 229) and be opera-
tional.
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors checked at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at slow speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle. Driving safety systems
67Safety Z