
Average weight of the vehicle
occupants (definition)
....................309
Bar (definition) ............................... 309
Changing awheel .......................... 312
Characteristics .............................. 309
Checking ........................................ 293
Definition of terms .........................309
Direction of rotatio n...................... 312
Display message ............................ 214
Distributio nofthe vehicle
occupants (definition) ....................311
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) .............................................. .308
DOT (Department of
Transportation) (definition) ............309
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
(definition) ..................................... 310
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
(definition) ..................................... 310
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating) (definition) .........................310
Important safety notes ..................292
Increased vehicle weight due to
optional equipment (definition) ......309
Kilopascal (kPa) (definition) ...........310
Labeling (overview). .......................305
Load bearing index (definition) ......311
Load index ..................................... 308
Load index (definition) ...................310
M+S tires ....................................... 294
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
(definition) ..................................... 310
Maximum load on a tire
(definition) ..................................... 310
Maximum permissible tire
pressure (definition) ....................... 310
Maximum tire load. ........................303
Maximum tire load (definition) .......310
MOExtended tires ..........................294
Optional equipment weight
(definition) ..................................... 311
PSI (pounds per square inch)
(definition) ..................................... 310
Replacing ....................................... 312
Service life ..................................... 294
Sidewall (definition) .......................311
Speed rating (definition) ................310
Storing ........................................... 312Structure and characteristics
(definition)
..................................... 309
Summer tires ................................. 294
Temperature .................................. 305
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
(definition) ..................................... 311
Tire bead( definition) ...................... 311
Tire pressure (definition) ................311
Tire pressures (recommended )...... 309
Tire size (data) ............................... 316
Tire size designation, load-bearing
capacity, speed rating .................... 306
Tire tread ....................................... 293
Tire tread (definition) .....................311
Total load limit (definition) .............311
Traction ......................................... 304
Traction (definition) .......................311
Trea dwear ..................................... 304
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standard s...................................... 304
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standard s(definition) .................... 309
Unladen weight (definition) ............310
Wea rindicato r(definition) .............311
Whee lrim (definition ).................... 309
see Flat tire
Top Tether ............................................ 52
Towing Important safety guidelines ...........285
Installing the towing eye ................286
Removing the towing eye. ..............286
Towing away
With both axles on the ground .......286
With front axle raised ..................... 286
Tow-starting
Emergency engine starting ............287
Important safety notes ..................285
Installing the towing eye ................286
Removing the towing eye. ..............286
Traction control ................................... 63
Transmission see Automatic transmission
Transmission position display .........133
Transporting the vehicle ..................287
Trim pieces (cleaning instructions) .270
Trip computer (on-board
computer) .......................................... 182 Index
17 

Protection of the environment
General notes
H
Environmental note
Daimler's declared policy is one of integrated
environmental protection.
The objectives are for the natural resources
that form the basis of our existence on this
planet to be used sparingly and in a manner
that takes the requirements of both nature
and humanity into account.
You too can help to protect the environment
by operating your vehicle in an
environmentally responsible manner.
Fuel consumption and the rate of engine,
transmission, brake and tire wear depend on
the following factors:
R operating conditions of your vehicle
R your personal driving style
You can influence both factors. You should
bear the following in mind:
Operating conditions:
R avoid short trips as these increase fuel
consumption.
R always make sure that the tire pressures
are correct.
R do not carry any unnecessary weight.
R keep an eye on the vehicle's fuel
consumption.
R remove roof racks once you no longer need
them.
R a regularly serviced vehicle will contribute
to environmental protection. You should
therefore adhere to the service intervals.
R always have service work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Personal driving style:
R do not depress the accelerator pedal when
starting the engine.
R do not warm up the engine when the vehicle
is stationary.
R drive carefully and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front. R
avoid frequent, sudden acceleration.
R change gear in good time and use each gear
only up to Ôof its maximum engine speed.
R switch off the engine in stationary traffic. Environmental concerns and
recommendations
Wherever the operating instructions require
you to dispose of materials, first try to
regenerate or re-use them. Observe the
relevant environmental rules and regulations
when disposing of materials. In this way you
will help to protect the environment. Product information
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
genuine Mercedes-Benz parts, conversion
parts and accessories that have been
approved for your vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz tests genuine parts as well as
conversion parts and accessories that have
been specifically approved for your vehicle for
their reliability, safety and suitability. Despite
ongoing market research, Mercedes-Benz is
unable to assess other parts. Therefore,
Mercedes-Benz accepts no responsibility for
the use of such parts in Mercedes-Benz
vehicles. This is also the case, even if they
have been independently or officially
approved. The use of non-approved parts
could affect your vehicle's operating safety.
Genuine Mercedes-Benz parts, approved
conversion parts and accessories are
available from any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Here, you will receive advice about
permissible technical modifications, and the
parts will be professionally installed. 20
Introduction 

As the ai
rbag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating position
and correct positioning of the hands on the
steering wheel will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the air bag. Occupants who are
no tw earing their seat belt, are not seated
properly or are too close to the air bag can be
seriously injured or killed by an air bag, as it
inflates with great force instantaneously:
R sit with the seat belt fastened correctly and
in a position that is as upright as possible
with your back against the backrest.
R move the driver's seat as far back as
possible, still permitting proper operation
of vehicle controls. The distance from the
center of the driver's chest to the center of
the air bag cover on the steering wheel
must be at least 10 inches (25 cm). You
should be able to accomplish this by
adjusting the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any difficulties, please contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
R do not lean your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or dashboard.
R only hold the steering wheel on the outside.
Placing hands and arms inside the rim can
increase the risk and potential severity of
hand/arm injury if the driver front air bag
inflates.
R adjust the front-passenger seat as far back
as possible from the dashboard when the
seat is occupied.
R occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their heads
in the area of the door where the side
impact air bag inflates .This could result in
serious or fatal injuries should the side
impact air bag be deployed. 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.
Failure to follow these instructions can result
in severe injuries to you or other occupants. If you sell your vehicle, it is important that you
make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator's Manual.
G
WARNING
Accident research shows that the safest place
for children in an automobile is in a rear seat.
As ide impact air bag related injury may occur
if occupants, especially children, are not
properly seated or restraine dwhen next to a
side impact air bag which needs to deploy
rapidly in a side impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Always sit as upright as possible and use the seat belts properly.
Make sure that children 12 years
old and under use an appropriately
sized child restraint, infant
restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and
weight of the child.
(2) Always wear seat belts properly.
If the air bags 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.
The air bags are only deployed if the air bag
control unit detects the need for deployment.
Only in the event of such a situation will the
air bags provide their supplemental
protection.
If the driver and front passenger do not wear
their seat belts, it is not possible for the air
bags to provide their supplemental
protection.
In the event of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, the air bags will not deploy.T he
driver and passengers will then be protected
to the extentp ossible by a properly fastened40
Occupant safetySafety 

booster seats, always follow the child seat
manufacturer's instructions.
G
WARNING
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the seat belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the seat belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to seat
belts. This could impair the effectiveness of
the seat belts.
Fastening seat belts G
WARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommend that children be
placed in the rear seat whenever possible.
Regardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriately sized
child restraint system or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child. For additional information, see the
"Children in the vehicle" section.
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. X
Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position (Y page 84).
X Pull the seat belt smoothly through belt
sash guide :.
X Without twisting it, guide the shoulder
section of the seat belt across the middle
of your shoulder and the lap section across
your pelvis.
X Engage belt tongue ;in buckle =.
X If necessary, adjust the seat belt to the
appropriate height (Y page 45).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
For more information about releasing the seat
belt with release button ?, see "Releasing
seat belts" (Y page 46).
Belt height adjustment Occupant safety
45Safety Z 

i
For more information on the 7seat
bel tw arning lamp, see "Warning and
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster,
seat belts" ( Ypage 218).
Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
force limiters G
WARNING
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices
that have been deployed must be renewed.
For your safety, when disposing of Emergency
Tensioning Devices, always observe the
safety instructions. These are available from
any authorized Mercedes-Ben zCenter.
The PRE-SAFE ®
system has electrically
operated reversible pre-tensioners that do
not require replacement after activation.
! If the front-passenger seat is not
occupied, do not engage the seat belt
tongue in the buckle on the front-
passenger seat. Otherwise, the Emergency
Tensioning Device could be triggered in the
event of an accident.
The fron tseat belts and the outer seat belts
in the rear are equipped with Emergency
Tensioning Devices and belt force limiters.
The ETDs tighten the seat belts in an accident,
pulling them close against the body.
The ETDs do not correct incorrect seat
positions or incorrectly fastened seat belts.
The ETDs do not pull vehicle occupants back
towards the backrest.
If the seat belt is also equipped with a seat
belt force limiter and this is triggered, the
force exerted by the seat belt on the vehicle
occupan tis reduced.
The belt force limiters for the front seats are
synchronized with the front air bags, 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 ETDs can only be activated when:
R
the ignition is switched on.
R the restraint systems are operational; see
"SRS warning lamp" (Y page 37).
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the lap-shoulder belts in the front.
The ETDs on the outside seats in the rear
compartment are triggered independently of
the lock status of the seat belts.
The ETDs are triggered depending on the type
and severity of an accident:
R if, in the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision, the vehicle decelerates or
accelerates rapidly in a longitudinal
direction during the initial stages of the
impact
R if, in the event of a side impact, the vehicle
is subjected to high lateral acceleration/
deceleration
If the ETDs are deployed, you will hear a bang,
and a small amount of powder may also be
released.O nly 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 safety notes G
WARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
position. Thus, we strongly recommend that
children be placed in the rear seats whenever
possible. Regardless of seating position,
children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an appropriate
infant restraint, toddler restraint, or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight of
the child. Children in the vehicle
47Safety
Z 

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 

becoming a projectile in the event of an
accident.
G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and lock the 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. G
WARNING
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartmentort runk unless they
are firmly secured in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child's risk of injury in the event
of
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
We recommend that all infants and children
be properly secured in an infant or child restraint system at all times while the vehicle
is in motion.
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in all 50
states, the District of Columbia, the U.S.
territories and all Canadia
nprovinces.
Infants and children must always be seated in
an appropriate infant or child restraint system
recommended for the size and weight of the
child .The infant or child restraint system
must be properly secured in accordance with
the manufacturer's instructions. All infant or
child restraint systems must meet Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and
210.2.
An information label on the child restraint
system indicates whether it meets these
standards. This information is also provided
in the installation instructions supplied with
the child restraint system.
Always read and follow the manufacturer's
instructions when using an infant or child
restraint system or booster seat.
Observe all warning signs in the vehicle
interior and on the infant or child restraint.
If an infant or child is traveling in the vehicle:
X Secure the infant or child with an
appropriate infant or child restraint
recommended for the child's age and
weight.
X Make sure that the infant or child is
properly secured at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
Child seat on the front-passenger seat G
WARNING
If the front-passenger air bag is not disabled:
R a child secured in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat could be
seriously or even fatally injured by the front-
passenger air bag deploying. This is
especially a risk if the child is in the Children in the vehicle
49Safety
Z 

Problems with the air bag deactivation system
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The
45
indicator lamp on the
center console is lit. As
pecial Mercedes-Benz child seat with transponders for an air
bag deactivation system has been installed on the front-passenger
seat. The front-passenger air bag has therefore been deactivated
as desired. G
WARNING
There is no child seat installed on the front-passenger seat. The
air bag deactivation system is malfunctioning.
It is also possible that the 6SRS warning lamp lights up and/
or the 45 indicator lamp does not light up briefly when you
switch the ignition on.
There is a risk of injury.
X Remove electronic equipment from the front-passenger seat,
e.g.
R
Laptop
R Mobile phone
R Cards with transponders, such as ski passes or access cards
If the 45 indicator lamp remains lit:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Suitable positioning of the child restraint systems
Key to the letters used in the table:
XS
eat which is unsuitable for children in this weight category.
US uitable for child restraint systems in the Universal category that are approved for use in
this weigh tcategory.
UF Suitable for forward-facing child restraint systems that belong to the "Universal" category and are approved for use in this weigh tcategory.
LS uitable for child restraint systems as recommended, see the following table of
"Recommended child restraint systems" (Y page 56).54
Children in the vehicleSafety