Page 65 of 381

Suitability of the rear seats for attaching ISOFIX child restraint systems
Weight categories Size category Equipment Rear seat, left and
right
Carry-cot
F ISO/L1 X
G ISO/L2 X
0: up to 10 kg
up to approximately
6 months
E ISO/R1 IL
0+: up to 13 kg
up to approximately
15 months
E ISO/R1 IL
D ISO/R2 IL
C ISO/R3 IL
I: 9to 18 kg
between approx-
imately 9 months and
4 years D ISO/R2 IL
C ISO/R3 IL
B ISO/F2 IUF
B1 ISO/F2X IUF
A ISO/F3 IUF
Recommended child restraint systems
When installing a child restraint system without a transponder for automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat:
X
Move the front-passenger seat to its rearmost position. Weight catego-
ries Manufac-
turer Type Approval
number
(E1 ...) Order num-
ber
(A 000 ...) Automatic
child seat
recognition
Category 0: up
to 10 kg
up to approx-
imately
6 months Britax
Römer BABY
SAFE
PLUS
5 03 301146
04 301146 970 10 00 Yes
Group 0+: up
to 13 kg
up to approx-
imately
15 months Britax
Römer BABY
SAFE
PLUS
5 03 301146
04 301146 970 10 00 Yes
5
Move the front-passenger seat to the rearmost and highest position. 62
Children in the vehicleSafety
Page 66 of 381
Weight catego-
ries Manufac-
turer Type Approval
number
(E1 ...) Order num-
ber
(A 000 ...) Automatic
child seat
recognition
Category I:
9to
18 kg
between
approximately
9 months and
4 years Britax
Römer DUO
PLUS
5 03 301133
04 301133 970 11 00 Yes
970 16 00 No
Group II/III: 15
to 36 kg
between
approximately
4and 12 years
Britax
Römer 970 12 00 Yes
970 17 00 No
Suggested ISOFIX child restraint system from the Universal category
Weight
catego-
ries Size cate-
gory Manufac-
turer Type Approval
number
(E1 ...) Order
number Auto-
matic
child seat
recogni-
tion
Carry-cot
F – – – – –
G – – – – –
Group 0:
up to
10 kg
E – – – – –
Group 0+:
up to
13 kg
E Britax
Römer BABY SAFE
ISOFIX
PLUS 04 301146 B6 6 86
8224 No
D – – – – –
C – – – – –
Group I:
9to 18 kg
D – – – – –
C – – – – –
B – – – – –
5
Move the front-passenger seat to the rearmost and highest position. Children in the vehicle
63Safety Z
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Weight
catego-
ries Size cate-
gory Manufac-
turer Type Approval
number
(E1 ...) Order
number Auto-
matic
child seat
recogni-
tion
B1 Britax
Römer DUO PLUS 03 301133
04 301133 A000 970
11 00 Yes
A – – – – –
Child-proof locks
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Activate the child-proof locks for the rear
doors and the override switch for the rear
windows when children are travelling in the
vehicle. Otherwise, the children could open
doors or side windows while the vehicle is in
motion and injure themselves or others. G
WARNING
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
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 a child opens a door, the child or other per-
sons could be injured as a result. They could
get out and injure themselves or be injured by
a passing vehicle.
Child-proof locks for the rear doors You secure each door individually with the
child-proof locks on the rear doors. A door
secured with a child-proof lock cannot be
opened from inside the vehicle. When the
vehicle is unlocked, the door can be opened
from the outside. X
To activate: press the child-proof lock
lever up in the direction of arrow :.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow ;.
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows 64
Children in the vehicleSafety
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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 systems overview
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System)
R Adaptive brake lamps
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
R EBD ( electronic brake force distribution) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you
are inattentive, the driving safety systems can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics. Driving safety sys-
tems are merely aids designed to assist driv-
ing. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and for
braking in good time. Always adapt your driv-
ing style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions and maintain a safe dis-
tance from the vehicle in front. Drive care-
fully.
i The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there
is adequate contact between the tyres and
the road surface. Please pay special atten-
tion to the notes on tyres, recommended
minimum tyre tread depths, etc.
(Y page 350).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tyres (M+S tyres) and, if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv- ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 65). G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp ( Ypage 286) and
any display messages that may appear in the
instrument cluster (Y page 247) or
(Y page 252).
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently.
The yellow !ABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running.
Brakes X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force. Driving safety systems
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If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions, and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving.
Off-road ABS (vehicles with the Off-
Road Engineering package) An ABS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road drive program (Y page 215) is activated.
At speeds below 30 km/h, the front wheels
lock cyclically during braking. The digging-in
effect achieved in the process reduces the
stopping distance when driving off-road. This
limits steering capability. BAS (Brake Assist System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 65). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
BAS operates in emergency braking 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 depressed firmly until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System Plus)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 65). BAS PLUS is only available on vehicles with
DISTRONIC PLUS.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in haz-
ardous situations at speeds greater than
7 km/h and uses radar sensor technology to
assess the traffic situation.
With the help of the radar sensor system, BAS
PLUS can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time.
At speeds up to approximately 70 km/h, BAS
PLUS may also detect stationary obstacles,
for example, stopped or parked vehicles.
To prevent a front-end collision, BAS PLUS
calculates the brake force necessary if:
R
you approach an obstacle, and
R BAS PLUS has detected a risk of collision
When driving at a speed over 30 km/h: if
you depress the brake sharply, BAS PLUS
automatically increases the brake pressure to
a degree suited to the traffic situation.
When driving at a speed under 30 km/h:
if you depress the brake, BAS PLUS is activa-
ted. Braking will be carried out at the last
possible moment.
If BAS PLUS demands particularly high brak-
ing force, preventative passenger protection
measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are activated simul-
taneously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes func-
tion as usual if:
R you release the brake pedal
R there is no longer any danger of a rear-end
collision
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle
Vehicles with COMAND and a navigation sys-
tem: the radar sensor system is switched off
automatically in the vicinity of radio telescope
facilities (Y page 375). 66
Driving safety systemsSafety
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Vehicles without COMAND and a navigation
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 242).
For BAS PLUS to assist you when driving, the
radar sensor system must:
R be switched on (Y page 242)
R be operational (Y page 272)
If the radar sensor system is malfunctioning,
BAS PLUS will not be available. The brake
system is still available with complete brake
boosting effect and BAS. G
WARNING
BAS PLUS cannot always clearly identify
objects and complex traffic situations. BAS
PLUS cannot intervene in these cases. There
is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
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 snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example, in multi-storey car parks
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorcycle
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line G
WARNING
BAS PLUS does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, BAS PLUS may not intervene in all
critical situations. There is a risk of an acci-
dent. Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at slow speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle. Adaptive brake lamps
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS,
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 a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a 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 automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off
the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning switch button (Y page 114). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 65). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop. Driving safety systems
67Safety Z
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!
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.
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 the åwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 288) and any display messages that
appear in the instrument cluster
(Y page 247) or (Y page 252).
If ESP ®
detects that 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.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X When pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly. ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 65).
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 ®
.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 65). G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following. X
To switch off: press button:.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To switch on: press button:.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started. 68
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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.
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
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 better grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Off-road ESP ®
(vehicles with off-road
engineering package) An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road drive program (Y page 215) is activated.
The off-road ESP ®
intervenes with a delay if
there is oversteering or understeering, thus
improving traction.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high centre of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your 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
detect if the 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.
Trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 65). G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can
still lock, e.g. under full braking. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe the notes on warning and indicator
lamps (Y page 286) as well as display mes-
sages (Y page 248) (4-button multifunction
steering wheel) and (Y page 253) (12-button
multifunction steering wheel).
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking. PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 65).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimise
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead or
reduce the effects of such a collision. If PRE- Driving safety systems
69Safety Z