2012 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS COUPE warning

Have the airbags replaced at
aqualifie dspe-
cialist workshop .Otherwise, occupants are
not protecte dbythe airbags in the event of
anothe raccident.
Airba gdeployme nt slowsdowna nd restricts
the movement of the vehicl eoccupant.
If the airbags ar edeployed, you will hear a
bang ,and asmall 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.
The airbag installation locations are identified
by the AIRBAGs ymbol.
Front airbags !
Do not place heavy object sonthe front-
passenger seat. The system may then
detect that the seat is occupied and if there
is an accident ,the restraint systems on the
front-passenger side could be deployed.
Have restraint systems that have been trig-
gered replaced. Driver'
sairbag :deploys in front of the
steerin gwheel; front-passenger front air-
bag ;deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment.
The front airbags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
chest. They are deployed:
R
at the start of an accident with ahigh rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction
R if the system determines that airbag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R depending on whether the seat belt is being
used
R independently of other airbags in the vehi-
cle
If the vehicle overturns, the front airbags are
generally not deployed. The front airbags are
deployed if the system detect shigh vehicle
deceleration in alongitudinal direction.
Vehicles with automatic child seat recog-
nition in the front-passenger seat: front-
passenger airbag is only activated if the sys-
tem determines that the front-passenger seat
is occupied. The 4PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp on the centre console
does not light up (Y page 54).
If ac hild restraint system is fitted to the front-
passenger seat and the 4PASSENGER
AIRBAGO FF indicator lamp does not light up
on the centre console:
R ac hild restraint system without transpond-
ers for automatic child seat recognition is
fitted or
R ac hild restraint system with transponders
is not properly fitted.
Driver's kneebag 44
Occupant safetySafety

Driver's kneebag
:deploy sunder the steer-
ing column. It is deployed together with the
front airbags. Th edriver's kneeba gis
designe dtooperate together with the front
airbags in frontal impacts if certai nthresholds
are exceeded. The driver's kneebag operates
best in conjunction with correctly positioned
and fastened seat belts.
The driver's kneebag increases protection of
the driver against:
R knee injuries
R thigh injuries
R lower leg injuries
i The driver's kneebag is only available in
certain countries.
Sidebags G
WARNING
If you wish to use seat covers, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that, for safety reasons, you
only use seat covers that have been approved
for Mercedes-Ben zvehicles.
The seat cover smust have aspecial tear seam
for sidebags/pelvisbags. Otherwise, the side-
bag/pelvisbag cannot deploy correctly and
would fail to provide the intended protection
in the event of an accident. Appropriate seat
cover scan be obtained, for example, from a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Fron
tsidebags :and rear sidebags ;
deploy nex ttothe outer seat cushions. 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
The sidebags are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with ahigh rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in aside impact
R independently of the use of the seat belt
R independently of the front airbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
If the vehicle overturns, the sidebags are gen-
erally not deployed. Sidebags are deployed if
the system detect shigh vehicle deceleration
or acceleration in alateral direction and
determines that sidebag deployment can
offer additional protection to that provided by
the seat belt.
Pelvisbags G
WARNING
If you wish to use seat covers, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that, for safety reasons, you
only use seat covers that have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The seat covers must have aspecial tear seam
for sidebags/pelvisbags. Otherwise, the side-
bag/pelvisbag cannot deploy correctly and
would fail to provide the intended protection
in the event of an accident .Appropriate seat
covers can be obtained, for example, from a
Mercedes-Benz Servic eCentre. Occupant safety
45Safety Z

Pelvisbag deployment enhances the level of
protection of the vehicle occupant sonthe
side of the vehicle on which the impact
occurs.
Pelvisbags :deploy next to and below the
outer seat cushions. They are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with ahigh rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in aside impact
R independently of the use of the seat belt
R independently of the fronta irbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
If the vehicle overturns, the pelvisbags are
generally not deployed. Exception: if the sys-
tem detect shigh vehicle deceleration or
acceleration in alateral direction and deter-
mines that deploymen tcan offer additional
protection to that provide dbytheseat belt.
i Pelvisbags are only available in certain
countries.
Windowbags Windowbags
:enhance th elevel of protec-
tion fo rthe 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 deployed in the area
from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
Windowbags are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with ahigh rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in aside impact
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R on the driver's and the front passenger's
side if the vehicle overturns and the system
determines that windowbagd eployment
can offer additional protection to that pro-
vided by the seat belt
R independently of the use of the seat belt
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R independently of the front airbags NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints
Important safety notes 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 restraintsf rom trig-
gering properly. The NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
can therefore not provide the intended pro-
tection.
Consult aMercedes-Ben zService Centre
regarding availability.
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraintsi ncrease protection of the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
neck.Int he event of arear collision of acer- 46
Occupant safetySafety

PRE-SAFE
®
(preventative occupant
protection) G
WARNING
When adjusting the seat, make sure that
nobody can become trapped.
! Make sure that there are no objectsint he
footwell or behind the seats when moving
the seat back. There is arisk that the seats
and/or the objectsc ould be damaged.
PRE-SAFE ®
takes pre-emptive measures to
protect occupants in certain hazardous sit-
uations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes:
R when BAS activates, e.g. in emergency
braking situations
R when BAS PLUS intervenes powerfully on
vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS
R if, on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS, the
radar sensor system detectsani mminent
dange rofcollision in certain situations
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limits are exceeded and the vehicle
understeers or oversteers severely
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detec-
ted:
R the front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R vehicles with the memory function: the
front-passenger seat is adjusted if it is in an
unfavourable position.
R vehicles with amulticontour seat or active
multicontour seat: the air pressure in the
side bolsters of the seat cushion and back-
rest is increased.
R if the vehicle skids, the sliding sunroof/
panorama sliding sunroof and the side win-
dows are closed so that only asmall gap
remains.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident ,PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pretensioning. The air pressure in the
side bolsters on the multicontour seat/active
multicontour seat is reduced again. All set- tings 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
lockin gmechanism is released.
More information about seat belt adjustment,
ac onvenienc efunction integrated into PRE-
SAFE ®
,c an be found under "Seat belt adjust-
ment"( Ypage 50). Seat belts
Important safety notes G
WARNING
As eat belt which is not worn correctly, or
which has not been engaged in the seat belt
buckle correctly, cannot provide the intended
level of protection. Under certain circumstan-
ces, this could cause severe or even fatal inju-
ries in the event of an accident.
Therefore, make sure that all occupant s—in
particular, pregnan twomen —wear their seat
belts correctly at all times.
R The seat belt must fit snugly on your body
and must not be twisted.Therefore, avoid
wearing bulky clothing, e.g. awinter coat.
The shoulder section of the belt must be
routed across the centre of your shoulder
—onnoa ccount across your neck or under
your arm —and pulled tight against your
uppe rbody. The lap belt must alwaysp ass
across your lap as low down as possible, i.e.
over your hip joints—n ot across your abdo-
men. If necessary, push the seat belt
slightly downwards and adjust it by pulling
it in the direction the seat belt retracts.
R Do not route the seat belt strap over sharp
or fragile objects. Please make sure that
such object sare not on or in your clothing,
e.g. spectacles, pens or keys etc. The seat
belt strap could become damaged and tear 48
Occupant safetySafety

during an acciden
tand yo uoro thervehicle
occupant scould be injured.
R Only one person should use each seat belt
at any one time. Children must never travel
sitting on the lap of another occupant .The
child will not be secured in the event of an
accident, heavy braking or sudden change
of direction. This may result in the child or
other occupant sbeing seriously or fatally
injured.
R Person sunder 1.50m tallcanno twear the
seat belt scorrectly. For this reason secure
person sless than 1.50 mtall in specially
designed ,suitable restraint systems.
R Children unde r1.50 mtall and younger
than twelve years of age canno twear the
seat belts correctly. For this reason secure
them in special suitable child restraint sys-
tems installed on asuitable seat. Additional
information can be found in the Operating
Instructions in the chapter "Safety", "Chil-
dren in the Vehicle". Observe the installa-
tion instructions of the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer.
R Do not secure an objec twith 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 one that has
been modified or subjected to aload in an
accident no longer offers the intended level of
protection. Under certain circumstances, this
could cause sever eoreven fatal injuries in the
even tofana ccident. For this reason
,chec kregularly that the seat
belts are not damaged or dirty.
Always have damaged seat belts or seat belts
that have been subjected to aload in an acci-
dent replaced at aqualified specialist work-
shop.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat belts which have
been approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle.
Seat belts are the most effective means of
restraining the movemen tofvehicle occu-
pants in the event of an accident. This
reduces the risk of vehicle occupant scoming
into contact with parts of the vehicle interior.
Fastening seat belts X
Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position (Y page 96).
X Pull the seat belt smoothly through belt
sash guide :.
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 pelvis.
X Engage belt tongue ;in buckle =.
Seat-belt adjustment:ifn ecessary, the
driver's and front-passenger seat belts Occupant safety
49Safety Z

X
Press release button ?on belt buckle =.
X Slide belt tongue ;back to belt sash
guide :.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger The
7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is areminder 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 tonec eases when the driver and
the frontp assenger have fastened their seat
belt.
For certain countries only: regardless of
whether th edriver and th efront passenger
have fastened their seat belts, the 7seat
beltw arning lamp light supfor six seconds
after th eengineiss tarted. It then goes out if
th ed river and th efront pa ssenger have fas-
tene dtheir seat belts.
i For mor einformatio nonthe7 seat
belt warning lamp, see "Indicato rand warn-
ing lamps in the instrument cluster ,seat
belt" (Y page 259). Rea
rseatb elts tatus indicator Display for securel
yfastene doccupants on left
side of rea rcompartmen t(example)
The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator tells you if the rear passengers have
their seat belts fastened. The rear-compart-
ment seat belt status indicato rindicate sthe
rea rseat on which the belt is fastened. The
ü symbol in the display indicates afas-
tened seat belt. If aseat belt is not fastened
or if aseat is not occupied, the ýsymbol
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 aspeed of approx-
imately 10 km/h.
R the rear passengers fasten or unfasten
their seat belts while the vehicle is in
motion.
R someon egets 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 231).
i The status indicator for the rear-compart-
ment seat belts is only available for certain
countries.
Belt tensioners, belt force limiters 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 aqualified specialist work-
shop. Occupant safety
51Safety
Z

Comply wit
hsafety regulation swhen 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.
The seat belts are fitted with belt tensioners.
The belt tensioners tighten the seat belts in
an accident, pulling them close against the
body.
Belt tensioners do not correct incorrects eat
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 abelt force
limiter and this is triggered, the force exerted
by the seat belt on the vehicle occupant is
reduced.
The belt force limiters for the front seats are
synchronised with the front airbags, which
take on apart of the deceleration force. This
results in the force exerted on the occupant
being distributed over agreater area.
The belt tensioners can only be activated
when:
R the ignition is switched on.
R the restraint systems are operational; see
"SRS warning lamp" (Y page 41).
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the three-point seat belts in front.
R
The belt tensioners on the seats in the rear
compartmenta re triggeredindependently of
the lock status of the seat belts.
The beltt ensioners are triggered depending
on the type and severit yofanaccident:
R if, in the event of ahead-on or rear-en dcol-
lision the vehicle decelerates or acceler- ates rapidly in
alongitudinal direction dur-
ing the initial stages of the impact
R if, in the event of aside impact, on the side
opposite the impact the vehicle deceler-
ates or accelerates rapidly in alateral direc-
tion
R in certain situation swhere the vehicle over-
turn sand the system determines that it can
provide additional protection
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang, and asmall 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. Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
Important safet ynotes G
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injur ytot he child in the event of asudden
change in direction, brakin goranaccident:
R children less than 1.5 0mtall and under
twelve years of age must alway sbesecured
in special child restraint systems on asuit-
able vehicle seat. This is necessary
because the seat belts are not designed for
children.
R Do not drive with achild secured in arear-
ward-facin gchild restraint system on the
front-passenger seat. Exception: if the vehi-
cle is equipped with automatic child seat
recognition on the front-passenger seat
and the child is secured in achild restraint
system with transponder sfor automatic
child seat recognition
R if you secure aforward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger 52
Children in thev
ehicleSafety

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 asudden
change of direction, heavy braking or an
accident, it wouldn ot 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 as uitable vehicle seat. The child cannot be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. The
child could be seriously or even fatally injured.
For this reason, when fitting achild restraint
system, observe the manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions and the correct use of the
child restraint system.
Child restraint systems should be 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. acushion,
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. G
WARNING
Do not leave 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.
Observe the general notes on the HOLD func-
tion, which can be found under the same key-
word. 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 sudden braking
R as udden change of direction
Do not transport heavy or hard objects in the
vehicle interior unless they are secured. You
will find further information under "Loading
guidelines" in the index.
If ac hild is travelling in your vehicle, secure
the child using achild restraint system which
is recommended for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restraint system must be appropri-
ate to the age, weight and size of the child.
Ideallyt he child restraint system should be
installed on asuitabler ear seat. Make sure
that the child is secured for the trip.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
the listed child restraint systems
(Y page 60). You can obtain further infor-
mation aboutt he correct child restraint sys-
tem from any Mercedes-Ben zService Centre.
i It is advisabletou se Mercedes-Benzcare
product stoclean child restraint systems.
You can obtain informatio nabout this at
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Children in thev
ehicle
53Safety Z