2012 MERCEDES-BENZ R-Class remove seats

you must move the respective seat as far
back as possible (Y page 101). Then, fold the
seat backrest forwards.
You can remove the head restraints in the
second row of seats (center seat and outer
seats) and the head restraints in the third row
of seats in the same way.
Removing the head restraints from the outer seats
in the second row of seats
XTo remove: pull the head restraint up to
the stop.XPress release catch : and pull the head
restraint out of the guides.XTo re-install: place the head restraint in
the guides of the backrest.
i For the outer seat head restraints in the
second row of seats, the notches on the
guide rod must be on the left-hand side
when viewed in the direction of travel.
XPush the head restraint down until you hear
it engage in position.
Adjusting the seats in the 2nd and 3rd
rows
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Never travel in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide under
the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under
it, the seat belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck. This could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat belt
provide the best restraint when the wearer is
in a position that is as upright as possible and
the seat belt is properly positioned on the
body.
Your seat belt must be adjusted so that you
can correctly fasten your seat belt.
Never place hands under the seat or near any
moving parts while a seat is being adjusted.
After adjusting the seat, always ensure that
the seat and the backrest are correctly
engaged. The backrest must be in an upright
position.
An outer seat in the second row is only locked
correctly if lock verification indicator : is
folded in and red marking ; is just visible.
If the seat and backrest are not correctly
latched, the seat could move forward and the
backrest could fold down. While braking,
changing direction, or in an accident, you
could slide under the seat belt. The child seat
would no longer be correctly supported or
correctly positioned and would no longer
carry out its intended function. This could
cause serious or fatal injuries.
Seat locking display
Seat locked
When the seat is locked, lock verification
indicator : is folded in and indicator
area ; is barely visible.
Seats101Seats, steering wheel and mirrorsZ

Adjusting the steering wheel
electrically:To adjust the steering wheel position
(fore-and-aft adjustment);To adjust the steering wheel height
i Other topics:
R EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature
( Y page 108)
R storing settings ( Y page 112)
Steering wheel heating
Switching on/off
The steering-wheel heating heats the leather
areas of the steering wheel.
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.XTo switch on/off: turn the lever in the
direction of arrow : or ;.
Indicator lamp = lights up or goes out.i The steering wheel heating may switch off
temporarily if:
R the temperature of the vehicle interior is
above 86 ‡ (30 †).
R the temperature of the steering wheel is
above 95 ‡ (35 †).
Indicator lamp = remains on.
Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: when you
remove the key from the ignition lock, the
steering wheel heating is deactivated.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: when you switch
off the ignition and open the driver's door, the
steering wheel heating is deactivated.
Problems with the steering wheel
heating
If steering wheel heating indicator lamp = is
flashing, the steering wheel heating has
switched off automatically. The vehicle's
electrical system voltage is too low because
too many electrical consumers are switched
on.
XSwitch off electrical consumers which you
do not need, such as the rear window
defroster or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the
steering wheel heating will switch back on
automatically.
EASY-ENTRY/EXIT system
Important safety notes
The EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature makes getting
in and out of your vehicle easier.
You can activate and deactivate the EASY-
ENTRY/EXIT feature in the on-board
computer ( Y page 209).
GWARNING
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
108Steering wheelSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

To stop steering wheel movement do one of
the following:
R Move steering wheel adjustment stalk.
R Press one of the memory position buttons.
R Press memory button M.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver's door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.GWARNING
Let the system complete the adjustment
procedure before setting the vehicle in
motion. All steering wheel adjustment must
be completed before setting the vehicle in
motion. Driving off with the steering wheel
still adjusting could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.
Position of the steering wheel when the
EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature is active
The steering wheel swings upwards when
you:
R remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock
R open the driver's door and KEYLESS-GO is
in position 1
R open the driver's door and the SmartKey is
in position 0 or 1 in the ignition lock
i The steering wheel only moves upwards if
it has not already reached the upper end
stop.
Position of the steering wheel for
driving
The steering wheel is moved to the last
selected position when:
R the driver's door is closed.
R you insert the SmartKey into the ignition
lock.
or
R you press the Start/Stop button once on
vehicles with KEYLESS-GO.
When you close the driver's door with the
ignition switched on, the steering wheel is
also automatically moved to the previously
set position.
The last position of the steering wheel is
stored when you switch off the ignition or
when you store the setting with the memory
function ( Y page 112).
Crash-responsive EASY-EXIT feature
If the crash-responsive EASY-EXIT feature is
triggered in an accident, the steering column
will move upwards when the driver's door is
opened. This occurs irrespective of the
position of the SmartKey in the ignition lock.
This makes it easier to exit the vehicle and
rescue the occupants.
The crash-responsive EASY-EXIT feature is
only operational if the EASY-EXIT/ENTRY
feature is activated in the on-board computer.
Mirrors
Rear-view mirror
Rear-view mirror (manual anti-glare)
Xanti-glare mode: flick anti-glare
switch : forwards or back.Mirrors109Seats, steering wheel and mirrorsZ

Rear overhead control panel (second row of seats)
:Switches the reading lamp on/off
Rear overhead control panel (third row of seats)
:p Switches the left-hand reading lamp
on/off;p Switches the right-hand reading
lamp on/off
Interior lighting control
Important notes
In order to prevent the vehicle's battery from
discharging, the interior lighting functions are
automatically deactivated after some time
except for when the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.
Automatic interior lighting control
XTo switch on/off: press the | button.
When the automatic interior lighting
control is activated, the button is flush with
the overhead control panel.The interior lighting automatically switches
on if you:
R unlock the vehicle
R open a door
R remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock
The interior light is activated for a short while
when the SmartKey is removed from the
ignition lock. You can activate this delayed
switch-off using the on-board computer
( Y page 208).
Manual interior lighting controlXTo switch the front interior lighting on/
off: press the c button.XTo switch the rear interior lighting on/
off: press the v button.XTo switch the reading lamps on/off:
press the p button.
Crash-responsive emergency lighting
The interior lighting is activated automatically
if the vehicle is involved in an accident.
XTo switch off the crash-responsive
emergency lighting: press the hazard
warning lamp button.
or
XLock and then unlock the vehicle using the
key.
Replacing bulbs
Important safety notes
Xenon bulbs
If your vehicle is equipped with Xenon bulbs,
you can recognize this by the following: the
cone of light from the Xenon bulbs moves
from the top to the bottom and back again
when you start the engine. For this to be
observed, the lights must be switched on
before starting the engine.
Replacing bulbs119Lights and windshield wipersZ

:Stowage compartment
Stowage pockets
GWARNING
Storage bags are intended for storing light-
weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
storage bag. In an accident, during hard
braking, or sudden maneuvers, they could be
thrown around inside the vehicle and cause
injury to vehicle occupants.
Storage bags cannot protect transported
goods in the event of an accident.
Storage bags are located in the rear
compartment on the driver's and front-
passenger seat backrests.
Parcel nets
GWARNING
Vehicles with Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
Do not place objects with a combined weight
of more than 4.4 lbs (2 kg) into the parcel net
on the back of the front passenger seat.
Otherwise, the OCS may not be able to
properly approximate the occupant weight
category.
GWARNING
Parcel nets are intended for storing light-
weight items only, such as road maps, mail,
etc.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges, or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
parcel nets. In an accident, during hard
braking, or sudden maneuvers, they could be
thrown around inside the vehicle and cause
injury to vehicle occupants.
Parcel nets cannot protect transported goods
in the event of an accident.
Parcel nets are located in the front-passenger
footwell and on the back of the driver's and
the front-passenger seat.
Center console, 2nd row of seats
Removing the center console
GWARNING
Remove all containers that may be stored in
the cup holder in the rear center console.
Otherwise, liquids could spill on the
occupants and/or vehicle equipment. Hot
fluids spilled on the vehicle occupants may
cause serious injury. Liquids spilled on vehicle
equipment may cause damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
The center console contains a stowage
compartment ( Y page 250) and a cup holder
( Y page 263).
If you are using the fully extended cargo
compartment and want an even loading area
( Y page 253), you must remove the center
console.
! To avoid damage to the center console or
its components, close the stowage
compartment before removing the center
console.
i Remove all objects from the stowage
compartment ( Y page 250) to reduce the
weight of the center console.
Stowage areas251Stowing and featuresZ

Folding down the outer seats in the 2nd
row of seats
! If you want to fold the outer seats down
in the 2nd row of seats, the front seats must
not be in the rearmost position. Otherwise,
you could damage the front seats and outer
seats in the 2nd row.
! Close the cup holder in the 2nd row of
seats before folding down the 2nd row of
seats. You could otherwise damage the
seats or cup holder.XMove the seat concerned in the 2nd row to
its rearmost position ( Y page 101).XRemove the center console for the 2nd row
of seats, if installed ( Y page 251).
i
The center console of the 2nd row of
seats can remain installed if it is installed
in the front position (position 1)
( Y page 251). However, the loading area
will not be level.
XRemove the head restraint of the seat
concerned ( Y page 100).XLay the head restraints on the seat cushion
of the corresponding seat.XRelieve the pressure on backrest : and
pull release lever ; upwards in the
direction of the arrow beyond the pressure
point to the stop.
Backrest : and the seat are unlocked.XFold backrest : forwards until it is resting
horizontally on the seat cushion.XNow push backrest : down further until
seat cushion ; engages on the floor.
Folding down the seats in the 3rd row of
seats
XPush down the respective head restraints
in the 3rd row as far as they will go
( Y page 100).XClamp the seat belt behind retainer ;.XPull release handle : of backrest =
upwards in the direction of the arrow.
Backrest = is released.Stowage areas255Stowing and featuresZ

Extending and retracting the cargo
compartment cover
Cargo compartment cover installed behind the
third row of seats
XTo extend: pull the cargo compartment
cover back by grab handle : and clip it
into retainers ; on the left and right.XTo retract: unhook the cargo compartment
cover from retainers ; on the left and right
and guide it forwards by grab handle :
until it is fully retracted.
Installing/removing the cargo
compartment cover
Cargo compartment cover installed behind the
second row of seats
XTo remove: make sure that cargo
compartment cover ; is rolled up.XPress button :.XMove cargo compartment cover ; to the
left.XRemove cargo compartment cover ;.XTo install: extend cargo compartment
cover ; if you wish to install cargo
compartment cover ; behind the second
row of seats ( Y page 260).
!
You must not install the extensions if you
wish to install the cargo compartment
cover behind the 3rd row of seats. The
cargo compartment cover and side panels
in the cargo compartment could otherwise
be damaged.
XIf installed, remove the protective caps
from the side trims on the third row of seats
when you wish to install cargo
compartment cover ; behind the second
row of seats.
Protective cap in the right-hand side trim on the
third row of seats
XPush in the bottom of the protective cap as
indicated by the arrow.
The protective cap folds out at the top.XPull the top of the protective cap from the
side trim in the direction of the arrow.
i Stow the protective caps in a safe place.
XWith the handle of the cargo compartment
pointing to the rear and button : facing
upwards, insert cargo compartment
cover ; into the recess of the side trim on
the left-hand side.XGuide cargo compartment cover ; in front
of the recess on the right.Stowage areas259Stowing and featuresZ

When not in use, keep the cup holder closed.
An open cup holder may cause injury to you
or others when contacted during braking,
vehicle maneuvers, or in an accident.
Keep in mind that objects placed in the cup
holder may come loose during braking,
vehicle maneuvers, or in an accident and be
thrown around in the vehicle interior. Objects
thrown around in the vehicle interior may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Cup holder in the front-compartment
center console
In the front part of the center console, there
is a cup holder and a removable support with
a card holder.
XTo remove the card holder: raise card
holder ; at the rear and remove.
Cards and car park tickets can be inserted
into the slot in the center.
The bottle opener is located under the card
holder. It can be use to open both screw
caps = and crown caps ?.
i If you take out the card holder, you can
remove the rubber insert for cleaning.XTo install the card holder: insert lugs A
into the openings.XAlign card holder ; at the bottom and
insert into cup holder :.
Cup holder for the second row of seats
below the center air vents
! Close the cup holder if you are not using
it and before folding down the second row
of seats.
Short wheelbase vehicles with a cup holder in
the second row of seats do not have an
ashtray below the center air vents.
XTo open the cup holder: press button ;.
Cover : opens automatically.Features263Stowing and featuresZ