2012 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET Owners Manual

Headbags
Example
:headbag on the front-passenger side
Headbags are available in the Cabriolet.
Headbags enhance the level of protection for
the head, but not chest or arms, of the vehicle
occupants on the side of the vehicle on which
the impact occurs.
Headbags :deploy in the area of the side
windows at the front. They are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side 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 windowbag deployment
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 fron tairbags
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-Ben zvehicles.
The seat covers must have a special 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 Service Centre.
Pelvisbag deployment enhances the level of
protection of the vehicle occupants on the
side of the vehicle on which the impact
occurs.
Pelvisbags :deploy nextt o 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 a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R independently of the use of the seat belt
R independently of the front airbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
Cabriolet: if the vehicle overturns, the pelvis-
bags are generally not deployed. Exception :if
the syste mdetects high vehicle deceleration
or acceleration in a lateral direction and
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the seat
belt.
i Pelvisbags are only available in certain
countries. 46
Occupant safetySafety

Windowbags
Windowbags are available in the Coupé
Windowbags :enhance the level of protec-
tion for the 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 deploy in the area
extending from the front door (A-pillar) to the
rear sidewall (C-pillar).
Windowbags are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R independently of the use of the sea tbelt
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R independently of the fron tairbags Roll bar (Cabriolet)
G
DANGER
If the roll bar is malfunctioning, the AMal‐function Consult workshop message
appears in the multifunction display. The roll
bars will the npossibly not be extended in the
event of an accident .This could result in
severe or even fatal injuries to you and other
occupants. In this case, visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop immediately and have the
roll bar checked. G
WARNING
Ensure that the area around the roll bars/rear
head restraints is kept clear. Otherwise,
someone could be injured by the roll bars
when they are triggered.
The roll bars are under the rear head
restraints. They are extended if systems
detect that the vehicle is in danger of over-
turning.
When the roll bars are extended, the rear
head restraints also extend automatically.
Once the roll bars are extended, you can no
longer lower the rear head restraints. The soft
top can no longer be closed. In this case, visit
the nearest qualified specialist workshop. NECK-PRO 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
from triggering properly. Consequently, the
NECK-PRO head restraints cannot provide the
intended level of protection.
Consult a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre
regarding availability.
The NECK-PRO head restraints reduce the
likelihood of head and chest injuries. The
NECK-PRO head restraints on the driver's and
front-passenger seats are moved forwards
and upwards in the event of a rear-end colli-
sion of a certain severity. This provides better
head support.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints have been
triggered in an accident, you must reset the
NECK-PRO head restraints on the driver’s and
front-passenger seat (Y page 48). Other-
wise, the additional protection will not be
available in the event of another rear-end col- Occupant safety
47Safety Z

lision
.You can recognise when NECK-PRO
head restraints have been triggered by the
fact that they have moved forwards and can
no longer be adjusted.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the NECK-PRO head restraints checked at a
qualified specialist workshop after a rear-end
collision.
Resetting triggered NECK-PRO head
restraints NECK-PRO head restraint (example: Coupé)
X
Tilt the top of the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion forwards in the direction of
arrow :.
X Push the NECK-PRO head restraint cushion
down in the direction of arrow ;as far as
it will go.
X Firmly push the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion back in the direction of arrow =
until the cushion engages.
X Repeat this procedure for the second
NECK-PRO head restraint.
i Resetting the NECK-PRO head restraints
requires a lot of strength. If you have diffi-
culty resetting the NECK-PRO head
restraints, have this work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. PRE-SAFE
®
(anticipatory occupant
protection) G
WARNING
When adjusting the seat, make sure that
nobody can become trapped.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when moving
the seat back. There is a risk that the seats
and/or the objects could be damaged.
PRE-SAFE ®
takes pre-emptive measures to
protec toccupants 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 detects an imminent
danger of collision 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 sea tbelts 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 a multicontour seat: the air
pressure in the side bolsters of the seat
cushion and backrest is increased.
R if the vehicle skids, the fron tside windows
and, on the Coupé, the panorama sliding
sunroof, are closed so that only a small 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 is
reduced again. All settings made by PRE-
SAFE ®
can then be reversed. 48
Occupant safetySafety

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
locking mechanism is released.
More information abouts eat belt adjustment,
a convenience function integrated into PRE-
SAFE ®
, can be found under "Seat belt adjust-
ment" (Y page 51). Seat belts
Important safety notes G
WARNING
A seat 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 occupants —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. a winter coat.
The shoulder section of the belt must be
routed across the centre of your shoulder
—onn o account across your neck or under
your arm —and pulled tight against your
uppe rbody. The lap belt must always pass
across your lap as low down as possible, i.e.
over your hip joints —not 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 objects are not on or in your clothing,
e.g. spectacles, pens or keys etc. The seat
belt strap could become damaged and tear
during an accident and you or other vehicle
occupants could 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 occupants being seriously or fatally
injured.
R Persons under 1.50 mtall cannot wear the
seat belts correctly. For this reason secure
persons less than 1.50 m tall 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 a suitable 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 object with a seat 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.
Before starting a journey, make sure that the
seat is properly adjusted and that the back-
rest is almost vertical. G
WARNING
Ad irty or damaged seat belt or one that has
been modified or subjected to a load in an
accident no longer offers the intended level of
protection. Under certain circumstances, this
could cause severe or even fatal injuries in the
event of an accident.
For this reason, chec kregularly that the seat
belts are not damaged or dirty. Occupant safety
49Safety
Z

Always have damaged sea
tbelts or seat belts
that have been subjected to a load in an acci-
dent replaced at a qualified 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 movement of vehicle occu-
pants in the event of an accident. This
reduces the risk of vehicle occupants coming
into contact with parts of the vehicle interior.
Fastening seat belts G
WARNING
The seat-belt extender must be retracted
when the vehicle is in motion .Only then can
the sea tbelt fit properly on the body and per-
form its protective function. Seat-belt extender (example: Coupé)
The seat-belt extender for the driver and front
passenger helps you fasten your seat belt.
Seat-belt extender :is extended when the
respective door is closed and the key is
turned to position 1or 2in the ignition lock. You can also extend seat-belt extender
:by
using the seat-belt extender button in the
centre console.
X Press the seat-belt extender button.
Seat-belt extender :extends.
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 after approximately five seconds if the
front-passenger seat is unoccupied.
If you press the seat-belt extender button
after this, seat-belt extender :will not
extend. 50
Occupant safetySafety

Example: Coupé
X
Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almos tvertical position (Y page 108).
X Pull the seat belt smoothly out of seat-belt
extender :.
X Without twisting it, 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 driv-
er's and front-passenger seat belts auto-
matically adjust to the upper body
(Y page 51).
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 a child-
seat lock (Y page 55). If you pull out the seat
belt fully and then allow the inertia reel to
retract it, the child-seat lock is activated. To
deactivate the child seat lock, unfasten the
seat belt and guide the belt tongue back to
the belt sash guide.
For more information about releasing the seat
belt with release button ?, see "Releasing
seat belts" (Y page 51). Seat belt adjustment The seat-belt adjustment function adjusts the
driver's and front-passenger seat belt to the
upper body of the occupants.
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 once the seat-belt extender has
retracted.
The seat-belt adjustment will 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 belt adjustment
on and off in the on-board computer
(Y page 247).
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. More
information about PRE-SAFE ®
can be found
under "PRE-SAFE ®
(preventative occupant
protection)" (Y page 48).
Releasing the seat belts !
Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled
up. Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue
will be trapped in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This could damage the door,
the door trim panel and the seat belt. Dam-
aged seat belts can no longer fulfil their
protective function and must be replaced.
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Occupant safety
51Safety Z

Example: Coupé
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 seatbelt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder 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 tone ceases when the driver and
the fron tpassenger have fastened their seat
belt.
For certain countries only: regardless of
whether the driver and th efront passenger
have fastened their seat belts, the 7seat
beltw arning lamp lights up for six seconds
after the engine is started. It then goes out if
the driver and the fron tpassenger have fas-
tened their seat belts.
i For more information on the 7seat
belt warning lamp, see "Indicato rand warn-
ing lamps in the instrument cluster, seat
belt" (Y page 276). Rear seat belt status indicator
Display for securely fastened occupants on right
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 rindicates the
rea rseat on which the belt is fastened. The
ü symbol in the display indicates a fas-
tened seat belt. If a seat belt is not fastened
or if a seat 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 a speed of approx-
imately 10 km/h.
R the rear passengers fasten or unfasten
their seat belts while the vehicle is in
motion.
R someone gets 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 249).
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 a qualified specialist work-
shop. 52
Occupant safetySafety

Comply with safety 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 incorrect seat
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 a belt 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 a part of the deceleration force. This
results in the force exerted on the occupant
being distributed over a greater 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 triggered independently of
the lock status of the seat belts.
The beltt ensioners are triggered depending
on the type and severity of an accident:
R if, in the event of a head-on or rear-end col-
lision the vehicle decelerates or acceler- ates rapidly in a longitudinal direction dur-
ing the initial stages of the impact
R if, in the event of a side impact, on the side
opposite the impact the vehicle deceler-
ates or accelerates rapidly in a lateral direc-
tion
R Cabriolet: in certain situations if the vehicle
overturns and the system determines that
it can provide additional protection.
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang, and a small 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.
Automatic comfort-fit feature The fron
tseat belts have an automatic com-
fort-fit feature. The automatic comfort-fit fea-
ture reduces the retraction force of the seat
belts. This results in increased seat belt com-
fort. Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
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 children less than 1.50 m tall and under
twelve years of age must always be secured
in special child restraint systems on a suit-
able vehicle seat. This is necessary
because the seat belts are not designed for
children.
R Do not drive with a child secured in a rear-
ward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat. Exception: if the vehi-
cle is equipped with automatic child seat
recognition on the front-passenger seat Children in the vehicle
53Safety
Z