
deployment threshold is reached within a few
milliseconds.
The Emergency Tensioning Device and air bag
triggering thresholds are variable and are
adapted to the detected rate of deceleration
or acceleration of the vehicle. This process is
pre-emptive in nature. The triggering process
must take place in good time at the start of
the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or
acceleration and the direction of the force are
essentially determined by:
R
the distribution of forces during the
collision
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the
vehicle
R the characteristics of the objectw ith which
the vehicle has collided
Factors that can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a
decisive role in the deploymen tofanair bag,
nor do they provide an indication of air bag
deployment.
The vehicle may be deformed significantly,
e.g. the hood or the fender, without an air bag
being deployed. This is the case if only parts
which are relatively easily deformed are
affected and the rate of deceleration is not
high. Conversely, air bags may be deployed
even though the vehicle suffers only minor
deformation. This is the case if, for example,
very rigid vehicle parts such as longitudinal
body members are hit, and sufficient
deceleration occurs as a result.
i The front Emergency Tensioning Devices
can only be triggered if the seat belt
tongues on the front seats are correctly
engaged in the seat belt buckles.
i Not all air bags are deployed in an
accident .The different air bag systems
work independently of each other. How the air bag system works is
determined by predicting the severity of
the accident, especially vehicle
deceleration or acceleration, and the type
of accident:
R
head-on collision
R side impact
Safety guidelines for seat belts,
Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs)
and air bags G
WARNING
R Damaged seat belts or seat belts that have
been subjected to stress in an accident
must be replaced. Their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use seat belts
installed or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
R Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) contain
perchlorate material, which may require
special handling and regard for the
environment. Check your national disposal
guidelines. California residents, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm.
R Air bags and ETDs are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or ETD
that has deployed must be replaced. PRE-
SAFE ®
has electrically operated reversible
belt tensioners in addition to the
pyrotechnic ETDs.
R Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
R Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat belts.
R Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
R No modifications of any kind may be made
to any components or wiring of the SRS.
R Do not change or remove any component
or part of the SRS. 38
Occupant safetySafety

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 For children larger than the typical
12-month-old child, the front passenger
front air bag may or may not be activated.
Always make sure the 45indicator
lamp is illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
R Ac hild 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
completely eliminate this risk is to never
place a child in a rear-facing child restraint
in the front seat. We therefore strongly
recommend that you always place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint in a backseat.
R If you must install a rear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat
because circumstances require you to do
so, make sure the 45indicator
lamp is illuminated, indicating that the front passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Should the
45indicator lamp not
illuminate or go out while the restraint is
installed, please chec kinstallation.
Periodically check the 45indicator
lamp while driving to make sure the 4
5 indicator lamp is illuminated. If the
45indicator lamp goes out or
remains out, do not transport a child on the
front passenger seat until the system has
been repaired.
Ac hild 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 have to 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, and secure child restraint with
the vehicle's seat belt according to the
child seat manufacturer's instructions. G
WARNING
Infants and small children should never share
a seat belt with another occupant. In the event
of an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
Ac hild's risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and/
or the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
Children that are too large for a child restraint
must travel in seats using normal seat belts.
Position the shoulder belt across the chest
and shoulder, not face or neck.Ab ooster seat
may be necessary to achieve proper seat belt
positioning for children over 41 lb (18 kg) until
they reach a height where a lap-shoulder belt
fits properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, remove
it from the vehicle or secure it with the seat
belt to prevent the child restraint from 48
Children in the vehicleSafety

Child-proof locks
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and loc kthe vehicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Achild's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. The children
could:
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
even if the SmartKey is removed from the
ignition lock or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system's
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.
Child-proof locks for the rear doors G
WARNING
Children could open a rear door from inside
the vehicle. This could result in serious
injuries or an accident. Therefore, when
children ride in the rear always secure the rear
doors with the child-proof locks. You secure each door individually with the
child-proof locks on the rear doors.
Adoor
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
windows G
WARNING
When children ride on the vehicle's rear seats,
activate the override switch. Otherwise, the
children could be injured, e.g. by trapping
themselves in the rear side window. X
To activate/deactivate: press button:.
If the indicator lamp is lit, operation of the
rear side windows is deactivated. 58
Children in the vehicleSafety

!
To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
R keep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
R if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat
heating should also not be used to dry
the seats.
R clean the seat covers as recommended;
see the "Interior care" section.
R do not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place sharp objects on the
seat cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools.
The seats should only be occupied by
passengers, if possible.
R when the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating
materials, e.g. blankets, coats, bags,
seat covers, child seats or booster seats.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when resetting
the seats. There is a risk that the seats
and/or the objects could be damaged.
i The head restraints in the front and rear
seats can be removed.
For more information, contact a qualified
specialist workshop.
i Further related subjects:
R cargo compartment enlargement
(folding down rear seat) (Y page 234) Adjusting the seats manually
Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
X
Lift handle :and slide the seat forwards
or backwards.
X Release lever :again.
Make sure that you hear the seat engage in
position.
Backrest angle X
Relieve the pressure on the backrest.
X Turn handwheel ?forwards or backwards.
Seat height X
Pull handle =upwards or push it down
repeatedly until the seat has reached the
desired height.
Seat cushion angle Adjust the angle so that your thighs are lightly
supported.
X
Turn handwheel ;forwards or backwards. 86
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

Keep the area around head restraints clear of
articles (e.g. clothing) to not obstruct the
folding operation of the head restraints.
G
WARNING
For yourp rotection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way that it
is as close to the head as possible and the
center of the head restraint supports the back
of the head at eye level .This will reduce the
potential for injury to the head and neck in the
event of an accident or similar situation.
With a rear seat occupied, make sure to move
the respective head restraint up from the
lowest non-use position and have the
occupant adjust the head restraint properly.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head
restraints installed when the rear seats are
occupied. Head restraints are intended to
help reduce injuries during an accident.
Adjusting the rear seat head restraint
height X
To raise: pull the head restraint up to the
desired position.
X To lower: press release catch :and push
the head restraint down until it is in the
desired position.
Removing and installing the rear seat
head restraints G
WARNING
Occupants should only travel sitting on seats
which have the head restraints installed. This reduces the risk of injury to occupants in the
event of an accident.
X
Fold the seat backrest slightly forwards in
order to remove the head restraint
(Y page 234).
X To remove: pull the head restraint up to
the stop.
X Press release catch :and pull the head
restraint out of the guides.
X To re-install: insert the head restraint so
that the notches on the bar are on the left
when viewed in the direction of travel.
X Push the head restraint down until you hear
it engage in position. Adjusting the 4-way lumbar support
You can adjust the contour of the front seat
backrests individually to provide optimum
support for your back. :
To raise the backrest contour
; To soften the backrest contour 88
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

X
To reduce the tire pressure: depress
pressure release button :next to
pressure gage ;. X
To remove the tire sealant bottle from the
tire inflation compressor, press together
the locking tabs on the yellow cap.
X Pull the tire sealant bottle outoft he tire
inflation compressor.
The filler hose remains attached to the tire
sealant bottle.
X Stow the tire sealant bottle and the tire
inflation compressor.
X Drive to the nearest qualified specialist
workshop and have the tire changed there.
X Have the tire sealant bottle and the filler
hose replaced as soon as possible at a
qualified specialist workshop.
X Have the tire sealant bottle replaced every
four years at a qualified specialist
workshop. Battery (vehicle)
Important safety notes
Special tools and expert knowledge are
required when working on the battery, e.g.
removal and installing. You should therefore
have all work involving the battery carried out
at a qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
Work carried out incorrectly on the battery
can, for example, lead to a short circuit and
damage your vehicle's electronic system. This
can disrupt driving safety systems such as
ABS (anti-lock braking system) or ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program).
R If ABS malfunctions, the wheels can lock
during braking. This limits the steerability
of the vehicle when braking and the braking
distance may increase. There is a risk of
accident.
R If ESP ®
malfunctions, the vehicle will not be
stabilised if it starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin. There is a risk of accident.
You should therefore have all work involving
the battery carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop. G
WARNING
Electrostatic build-up can lead to the creation
of sparks, which could ignite the highly
explosive gases of a battery. There is a risk of
an explosion.
Before handling the battery, touch the vehicle
body to remove any existing electrostatic
build-up.
The highly flammable gas mixture forms when
charging the battery as well as when jump-
starting.
Always make sure that neither you nor the
battery is electrostatically charged. There is
a build-up of electrostatic charge, e.g.:
R by wearing clothing made from synthetic
fibers
R due to friction between clothing and seats Battery (vehicle)
279Breakdown assistance Z