2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C-Class SEDAN child restraint

CareCarpets .......................................... 289
Car wash ........................................ 284
Display ........................................... 288
Exterior lights ................................ 287
Gear or selector lever ....................288
Matte finish ................................... 285
Notes ............................................. 283
Paint .............................................. 285
Plastic trim .................................... 288
Power washer ................................ 284
Rear view camera .......................... 287
Roof lining ...................................... 289
Seat belt ........................................ 289
Seat cover ..................................... 288
Sensors ......................................... 287
Steering wheel ............................... 288
Tail pipes ....................................... 287
Trim pieces .................................... 288
Washing by hand ........................... 284
Wheels ........................................... 285
Windows ........................................ 286
Wiper blades .................................. 286
Wooden trim .................................. 288
Cargo tie down rings ......................... 258
Car wash (care) ................................. 284
CD player/CD changer (on-board
computer) .......................................... 202
Cell phone see Mobile phone
Center console ..................................... 32
Central locking Automatic locking (on-board
computer) ...................................... 208
Locking/unlocking (SmartKey) ........70
Changing bulbs
Brake lamps ................................... 116
Cornering light function .................115
High-beam headlamps ...................115
Important safety notes ..................113
Low-beam headlamps ....................114
Overview of bulb types ..................114
Parking lamps ................................ 115
Reversing lamps ............................ 116
Standing lamps (front) ...................115
Child-proof locks
Important safety notes ....................57
Rear doors ....................................... 57Children
In the vehicle ................................... 53
Restraint systems ............................ 53
Child seat
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat
anchors ............................................ 55
Special seat belt retractor ...............55
Top Tether ....................................... 56
Cigarette lighter ................................ 262
Climate control Automatic climate control (3-
zone) .............................................. 125
Controlling automatically ...............127
Cooling with air dehumidification ..126
Defrosting the windows .................130
Defrosting the windshield ..............129
Dual-zone automatic climate
control ........................................... 123
Important safety notes ..................122
Indicator lamp ................................ 127
Maximum cooling .......................... 130
Notes on using automatic climate
control ................................... 124, 126
Overview of systems ......................122
Problems with cooling with air
dehumidification ............................ 127
Problem with the rear window
defroster ........................................ 130
Rear control panel .........................125
Refrigerant ..................................... 350
Setting the air distribution .............128
Setting the airflow .........................129
Setting the air vents ......................131
Setting the climate mode (AIR
FLOW) ............................................ 127
Setting the temperature ................128
Switching air-recirculation mode
on/off ............................................ 130
Switching on/off ........................... 126
Switching residual heat on/off ......131
Switching the rear window
heating on/off ............................... 130
Switching the ZONE function on/
off .................................................. 129
Cockpit
Overview .......................................... 28
see Instrument cluster 6Index

Multifunction displayFunction/notes ............................. 196
Permanent display .........................206
Multifunction steering wheel
Operating the on-board computer . 195
Overview .......................................... 31
Multifunction steering wheel (4
buttons) see 4-button multifunction
steering wheel
N
Navigation Menu (on-board computer) ............200
see separate operating instructions
NECK-PRO head restraints
Operation ......................................... 47
Resetting after being triggered ........47
NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
Operation ......................................... 47
Resetting after being triggered ........47
Notes on breaking-in a new
vehicle ................................................ 136
O
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) Faults ............................................... 46
Operation ......................................... 42
System self-test ............................... 45
Occupant safety
Children in the vehicle .....................53
System overview .............................. 36
Octane number (fuel) ........................ 348
Odometer ........................................... 199
see Trip odometer
Oil
see Engine oil
On-board computer
AMG menu ..................................... 210
Assistance menu ........................... 204
Audio menu ................................... 201
Convenience submenu ..................209
Displaying a service message ........283
Display messages ..........................213
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 168
Factory settings submenu .............210
Important safety notes ..................194
Instrument cluster submenu ..........206
Lighting submenu .......................... 207
Menu overview .............................. 198
Message memory .......................... 213
Navigation menu ............................ 200
Operation ....................................... 195
RACETIMER ................................... 211
Service menu ................................. 206
Settings menu ............................... 206
Standard display ............................ 199
Telephone menu ............................ 202
Trip menu ...................................... 199
Vehicle submenu ........................... 208
Video DVD operation .....................202
On-board diagnostics interface .......... 24
Opening and closing the side trim
panels ................................................. 115
Operating safety On-board diagnostics interface ........24
Operating system
see On-board computer
Outside temperature display ........... 195
Overhead control panel ...................... 33
Override feature Rear side windows ...........................57
P
Paint code number ............................ 343
Paintwork (cleaning instructions) ... 285
Panic alarm .......................................... 58
Panorama roof with power tilt/
sliding panel Opening/closing .............................. 87
Opening/closing the roller
sunblind ........................................... 88
Problem (malfunction) .....................89
Resetting ......................................... 88
Panorama sliding sunroof
Important safety notes ....................86
Parcel net ........................................... 256
Parking ............................................... 153
Important safety notes ..................153
Parking brake ................................ 154
Index13

Remote controlGarage door opener .......................270
Reporting safety defects .................... 25
Reserve (fuel tank) see Fuel
Reserve fuel
Display message ............................ 228
Warning lamp ................................. 246
see Fuel
Residual heat (climate control) ........ 131
Restraint system see SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System)
Reverse gear
Engaging (automatic
transmission) ................................. 142
Roadside Assistance (breakdown) .... 22
Roller blind see Roller sunblind
Roller sunblind
Panorama roof with power tilt/
sliding panel ..................................... 88
Rear side windows .........................261
Rear window .................................. 261
Roof carrier ........................................ 259
Roof lining and carpets (cleaning
guidelines) ......................................... 289
Roof load (maximum) ........................ 351
Route see Route guidance (navigation)
Route guidance (navigation) ............ 200
S
Safety Children in the vehicle .....................53
Child restraint systems ....................53
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) ............................................... 42
Overview of occupant safety
systems ........................................... 36
Safety systems
see Driving safety systems
Seat belts
Adjusting the height ......................... 51
Belt force limiters ............................ 52
Cleaning ......................................... 289
Correct usage .................................. 49
Emergency Tensioning Devices ........ 52
Fastening ......................................... 50
Important safety guidelines .............48
Releasing ......................................... 51
Safety guidelines ............................. 37
Special seat belt retractor ...............55
Warning lamp ................................. 239
Warning lamp (function) ................... 51
Seats
Adaptive seat backrests (AMG
vehicles) .......................................... 97
Adjusting (electrically) .....................94
Adjusting (manually and
electrically) ...................................... 94
Adjusting lumbar support ................97
Adjusting the 4-way lumbar
support ............................................ 97
Adjusting the head restraint ............95
Cleaning the cover .........................288
Correct driver's seat position ........... 92
Important safety notes ....................93
Seat heating problem ......................98
Seat ventilation problem ..................99
Storing settings (memory
function) ........................................ 103
Switching seat heating on/off .........98
Switching seat ventilation on/off ....98
Sensors (cleaning instructions) ....... 287
Service see ASSYST PLUS service interval
display
Service interval display
Displaying service messages .........283
Hiding service messages ...............283
Notes ............................................. 283
Service messages ..........................282
Service menu (on-board computer) . 206
Service products Brake fluid ..................................... 350
Capacities ...................................... 346
Coolant (engine) ............................ 350
Engine oil ....................................... 349
Fuel ................................................ 347
Important safety notes ..................344
Refrigerant (air-conditioning
system) .......................................... 350
Washer fluid ................................... 351Index15

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible. Please note that your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systems and functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops ( Y page 24).
Occupant safety
Overview of occupant safety
In this section, you will learn the most
important facts about the restraint system
components of the vehicle.
The restraint system consists of:
R seat belts
R child restraint systems
R LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat anchors
Additional protection is provided by:
R SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
R NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraints
R Air bag system components with:
- PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
- front-passenger seat with Occupant
Classification System (OCS)
The different air bag systems work
independently of each other. The protective
functions of the system work in conjunction
with each other. Not all air bags are deployed
in an accident.
GWARNING
Modifications to or work improperly
conducted on restraint system components
or their wiring, as well as tampering with
interconnected electronic systems, can lead
to the restraint systems no longer functioning
as intended.
Air bags or Emergency Tensioning Devices
(ETDs), for example, could deploy
inadvertently or fail to deploy in accidents
although the deceleration threshold for air
bag deployment is exceeded. Therefore,
never modify the restraint systems. Do not
tamper with electronic components or their
software.
i See "Children in the vehicle"
( Y page 53) for more information on
infants and children traveling with you in
the vehicle and restraints for infants and
children.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
Introduction
SRS consists of:
R the 6 SRS warning lamp
R air bags
R air bag control unit (with crash sensors)
R Emergency Tensioning Devices
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.
The SRS components are in operational
readiness when the 6 SRS warning lamp
is not lit while the engine is running .
36Occupant safetySafety

serious injuries or death should the side
impact air bag be deployed. Always sit as
upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately sized
child restraint, infant restraint or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight
of the child.
Failure to follow these instructions can result
in severe injuries to you or other occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that you
make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator's Manual.GWARNING
Accident research shows that the safest place
for children in an automobile is in a rear seat.
A side impact air bag related injury may occur
if occupants, especially children, are not
properly seated or restrained when next to a
side impact air bag which needs to deploy
rapidly in a side impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1)Always sit as upright as possible
and use the seat belts properly.
Make sure that children 12 years
old and under use an appropriately
sized child restraint, infant
restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and
weight of the child.(2)Always wear seat belts properly.
The air bags are only deployed if the air bag
control unit detects the need for deployment.
Only in the event of such a situation will they
provide their supplemental protection.
The driver and passenger should always wear
their seat belts. Otherwise, it is not possible
for the air bags to provide their supplemental
protection.
In the event of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, the air bags will not deploy. The
driver and passengers will then be protected
to the extent possible by a properly fastened
seat belt. A properly fastened seat belt is also
needed to provide the best possible
protection in a rollover.
Air bags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for seat belts.
All vehicle occupants must fasten their seat
belts regardless of whether your vehicle is
equipped with air bags or not.
It is important for your safety and that of your
passenger to have deployed air bags replaced
and to have any malfunctioning air bags
repaired. This will help to make sure the air
bags continue to perform their protective
function for the vehicle occupants in the
event of a crash.
Front air bags
The front air bags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
chest.
Driver's air bag : deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air
bag ; deploys in front of and above the glove
box.
They are deployed:
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the system determines that air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R if the seat belt is fastened
R independently of other air bags in the
vehicle
Occupant safety39SafetyZ

For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you only use seat
accessories which have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
Both the driver and the passenger should
always use the 45 indicator lamp as
an indication of whether or not the passenger
is properly positioned.GWARNING
If the 45 indicator lamp illuminates
when an adult or someone larger than a small
individual is in the front passenger seat, have
the front passenger reposition himself or
herself in the seat until the 45
indicator lamp goes out.
In the event of a collision, the air bag control
unit will not allow front passenger front air bag
deployment when the OCS has classified the
front passenger seat occupant as weighing as
much as or less than a typical 12-month-old
child in a standard child restraint or if the front
passenger seat is classified as being empty.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat occupant is classified as
being up to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child
restraint, the 45 indicator lamp will
illuminate when the engine is started and
remain illuminated. This indicates that the
front passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat is classified as being empty,
the 45 indicator lamp will illuminate
when the engine is started and remain
illuminated. This indicates that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat occupant is classified as
being heavier than the weight of a typical 12-
month-old child seated in a standard child
restraint or as being a small individual (such
as a young teenager or a small adult), the
45 indicator lamp will illuminate for
approximately 6 seconds when the engine is
started. Depending on occupant weight
sensor readings from the seat, it will then
remain illuminated or go out. With the
45 indicator lamp illuminated, the
front passenger front air bag is deactivated.
With the 45 indicator lamp out, the
front passenger front air bag is activated.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat occupant is classified as an
adult or someone larger than a small
individual, the 45 indicator lamp will
illuminate for approximately six seconds
when the engine is started and then go out.
This indicates that the front passenger front
air bag is activated.
If the 45 indicator lamp is illuminated,
the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the 45 indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front passenger front air bag
is activated and will be deployed
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the impact exceeds a predetermined
triggering threshold
R independent of the side impact air bag or
pelvis air bag
If the front passenger front air bag is
deployed, the rate of inflation will be
influenced by
R the rate of vehicle deceleration as assessed
by the air bag control unit
R the front passenger's weight category as
identified by the OCS
For further information, see "Air bag display
messages" ( Y page 221).GWARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommend that children be
placed in the rear seats whenever possible.
Regardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriate infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
Occupant safety43SafetyZ

recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle's seat belt, the seat
belt and Top Tether strap, or lower anchors
and Top Tether strap, fully in accordance with
the child seat manufacturer's instructions.
Occupants, especially children, should always
sit as upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front-
passenger seat:
R Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to deactivate the
front-passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the system senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard appropriate
child restraint on the front-passenger seat.
R A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the
front-passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the front-passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology installed
in your vehicle. The only means to eliminate
this risk completely is never to place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint in the front-
passenger seat. We therefore strongly
recommend that you always place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint on the rear
seat.
R If you install a rear-facing child restraint on
the front-passenger seat, make sure the
45 indicator lamp is illuminated,
indicating that the front-passenger front air
bag is deactivated. Should the 45
indicator lamp not illuminate or go out while
the restraint is installed, please check
installation. Periodically check the45 indicator lamp while driving to
make sure that the 45 indicator
lamp is illuminated. If the 45
indicator lamp goes out or remains out, do
not transport a child on the front-passenger
seat until the system has been repaired.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the
front-passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the front-passenger
front air bag inflates.
R If you place a child in a forward-facing child
restraint on the front-passenger seat:
- move the seat as far back as possible
- use the proper child restraint
recommended for the age, size and
weight of the child
- secure child restraint with the vehicle's
seat belt according to the child seat
manufacturer's instructions
R For children larger than the typical 12-
month-old child, the front-passenger front
air bag may or may not be activated.
If the driver's air bag deploys, this does not
mean that the front-passenger front air bag
also has to deploy.
The OCS may have detected that the seat:
R was empty or occupied by a person with a
weight of up to or less than that of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint
R was occupied by a small individual, such as
a young teenager or a small adult
R was occupied by a child in a child restraint
system, whose weight is greater than that
of a typical 12-month-old child.
These are examples of when the OCS
deactivates the front-passenger front air bag.
Deactivation takes place although the
collision fulfills the criteria for deploying the
driver's air bag.44Occupant safetySafety

If the SmartKey has been removed from the
ignition lock or is in position 0, indicator lamp
45 : does not light up.
GWARNING
If the red 6 SRS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and the 45
indicator lamp light up simultaneously, the
OCS is malfunctioning. The front passenger
front air bag will be deactivated in this case.
Have the system checked by qualified
technicians as soon as possible. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only have the seat repaired or replaced at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
In order to ensure proper operation of the air
bag system and OCS:
R Sit with the seat belt properly fastened in a
position that is as upright as possible with
your back against the seat backrest.
R When seated, a passenger should not
position him/herself in such a way as to
cause the passenger's weight to be lifted
from the seat cushion as this may result in
the OCS being unable to correctly
approximate the passenger's weight
category.
R Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.
System self-test
The 45 indicator lamp illuminates
when you:
R turn the SmartKey to position 1 or 2 in the
ignition lock
R on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, press the
Start/Stop button once or twice
If an adult occupant is properly sitting on the
passenger seat and the OCS classifies the
occupant as an adult, the 45 indicator
lamp illuminates and goes out again after
approximately 6 seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the OCS
classifies the front passenger seat as being
unoccupied, the 45 indicator lamp
will illuminate and not go out.
GWARNING
If the 4 5 indicator lamp does not
illuminate, the system is not functioning. You
must contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center before seating any child on the front
passenger seat.
For more information, see "Problems with the
Occupant Classification System"
( Y page 46).
GWARNING
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. a pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the OCS. The underside
and rear side child restraint system must be
placed entirely on the seat cushion and the
backrest of the front-passenger seat
backrest.
If necessary, adjust the tilt of the passenger
seat backrest.
An incorrectly mounted child seat could cause
injuries to the child in case of an accident,
instead of increasing protection for the child.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for
installation of child restraint systems.
Occupant safety45SafetyZ