2013 MERCEDES-BENZ C-Class SEDAN Owner's Manual

be replaced and their anchoring points must
also be checked.
Only use seat belts which have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
of the ETDs or to their failure to activate when
necessary.
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.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Correct use of the seat belts G
WARNING
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY
R Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any other
way than as described in this section, as
that could result in serious injuries in the
event of an accident.
R Each occupant should wear their seat belt
at all times, because seat belts help reduce
the likelihood of and potential severity of
injuries in accidents, including rollovers.
The integrated restraint system includes
SRS (driver fron tair bag, driver's side knee
bag, front-passenge rfront air bag, side
impact air bags, pelvis air bags, window
curtain air bags for the side windows),
Emergency Tensioning Devices, seat belt
force limiters, and front seat knee bolsters.
The system is designed to enhance the
protection offered to properly belted
occupants in certain frontal (front air bags,
driver's side knee bag, and ETDs) and side
(side impact air bags, pelvi sair bags,
window curtain air bags, and ETDs) impacts
which exceed prese tdeployment
thresholds.
R Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, across your neck or off your shoulder. In a frontal crash, your body would move
too far forward. That would increase the
chance of head and neck injuries. The seat
belt would also apply too much force to the
ribs or abdomen, which could severely
injure internal organs such as your liver or
spleen.
Adjust the seat belt so that the shoulder
section is located as close as possible to
the middle of the shoulder. It should not
touch the neck
.Never pass the shoulder
portion of the seat belt under your arm.
R Position the lap belt as low as possible on
your hips and not across the abdomen. If
the lap belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries in
a crash.
R Never wear seat belts over rigid or
breakable objects in or on your clothing,
such as eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as
these might cause injuries.
R Make sure the seat belt is always fitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
R Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat belt
around a person and another person or
other objects at the same time.
R Seat belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you would not have the full width of
the seat belt to distribut eimpact forces.
The twisted seat belt against yourb ody
could cause injuries.
R Pregnant women should also always use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible on
the hips to avoid any possible pressure on
the abdomen.
R Place the seat backrest in a position that is
as upright as possible.
R Check your seat belt during travel to make
sure it is properly positioned.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always Occupant safety
55Safety
Z

keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
R Whe nusing a seat belt to secure infant
restraints, toddler restraints, or children in
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 94).
X Pull the seat belt smoothly through belt
sash guide 0002.
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 0003in buckle 0022.
X If necessary, adjust the seat belt to the
appropriate height (Y page 57).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor to
securely fasten child restraint systems in the
vehicle. For further information on special
seat belt retractors, see (Y page 61).
For more information about releasing the seat
belt with release button 0021, see "Releasing
seat belts" (Y page 57).
Seat belt adjustment The seat-belt adjustment function adjusts the
driver's and front-passenger seat belt to the
upper body of the occupants.56
Occupant safetySafety

The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
R you engage the belt tongue in the belt
buckle and you then turn the SmartKey to
position 2in the ignition lock.
The seat-belt adjustmen tisanintegral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. More
information about PRE-SAFE ®
can be found
in the "PRE-SAFE ®
(anticipatory occupant
protection system)" sectio n(Ypage 52).
Belt height adjustment You can adjust the seat belt height on the
driver's seat and the front-passenger seat. Adjust the height so that the upper part of the
seat belt is routed across the center of your
shoulder.
X To raise: slide the belt sash guide upwards.
The belt sash guide engages in various
positions.
X To lower: press and hold belt sash guide
release 0002.
X Slide the belt sash guide downwards.
X Release belt sash guide release 0002and
make sure that the belt sash guide has
engaged.
Releasing seat belts X
Press release button 0021(Ypage 56) and
guide belt tongue 0003back towards belt
sash guide 0002.
! 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.
Damaged seat belts can no longer fulfill
their protective function and must be
replaced. Visit a qualified specialist
workshop.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger Regardless of whether the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts have already been
fastened, the
001Fseat belt warning lamp
lights up for six seconds each time the engine
is started. It then goes out if the driver and
the fron tpassenger have already fastened
their seat belts.
If the driver's seat belt is no tfastened when
the engine is started, an additional warning
tone will sound. This warning tone stops after
a maximum of six seconds or once the
driver's seat belt is fastened.
If after six seconds the driver or front
passenger have no tfastened their seat belts
and the doors are closed, the 001Fseat belt
warning lamp lights up:
R until the driver's or fron tpassenger's seat
belt is fastened
R if a vehicle speed of 15 mph (25 km/h) is
exceeded, a warning tone also sounds with
increasing intensity for a maximum of
60 seconds or until the driver or front-
passenger seat belt has been fastened.
If the driver/front passenger unfasten their
seat belt while the vehicle is in motion, the
001F seat belt warning lamp lights up and a
warning tone sounds again.
The warning tone ceases eve nifthe driver or
front-passenger seat belt has still not been
fastened after 60 seconds. The 001Fseat belt
warning lamp stops flashing but remains
illuminated.
After the vehicle comes to a standstill, the
warning tone is reactivated and the 001Fseat Occupant safety
57Safety Z

belt warning lamp flashes again if the vehicle
speed again exceeds 15 mph (25 km/h).
The
001F seat belt warning lamp only goes
out if:
R both the driver and the fron tpassenger
have fastened their seat belts.
or
R the vehicle is stationary and a door is open.
i For more information on the 001Fseat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster,
seat belts" ( Ypage 242).
Emergency Tensioning Devices, seat
belt force limiters The seat belts for the fron
tseats and rear
outer seats are equipped with ETDs and seat
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.
When triggered, the seat belt force limiters
help to reduce the peak force exerted by the
seat belt on the vehicle occupant.
The seat belt force limiters for the fron tseats
are synchronized with the fron tair bags.
These take on a part of the deceleration force.
They take on a part of the deceleration force,
resulting 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 41).
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the lap-shoulder belts in the front
R the front-passenger seat is occupied and
the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
the front-passenger side The ETDs on the outside seats in the rear
compartmen
tare triggered independently of
the lock status of the seat belts.
The Emergency Tensioning Devices are
triggered depending on the type and severity
of an accident, if:
R in the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision, the vehicle decelerates or
accelerates rapidly in a longitudinal
direction during the initia lstages of the
impact
R in the event of a side impact, the vehicle
decelerates or accelerates rapidly in a
lateral directio nonthe side opposite the
impact
If the ETDs 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 001ESRS warning lamp
lights up. G
WARNING
Pyrotechnic ETDs that were activated must be
replaced.
For your safety, when disposing of the
pyrotechnic ETDs always follow our safety
instructions. These are available at any
authorized Mercedes-Ben zCenter.
! 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. Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
Important safety notes We recommend that all infants and children
be properly secured in an infan
torchild 58
Children in the vehicleSafety

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 Canadian provinces.
Infants and small children must 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 comply with the
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 225 and Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards 213 and 210.2.
Confirmation that the child restraint system
corresponds to the standards can be found
on an instruction label on the child restraint
system. This confirmation can also be found
in the installation instructions that are
included 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. 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.
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 0019001Bindicator
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 0019001Bindicator
lamp is illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Should the 0019001Bindicator lamp not
illuminate or go out while the restraint is
installed, please chec kinstallation.
Periodically check the 0019001Bindicator
lamp while driving to make sure the 0019
001B indicator lamp is illuminated. If the Children in the vehicle
59Safety
Z

0019001Bindicator 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 the face or neck.Ab ooster
seat may be necessary to achieve proper seat
belt positioning for children over 41 lbs
(18 kg) until they reach a height where alap/
shoulder belt fits properly without a booster
seat.
When the child restraint is no tinuse, remove
it from the vehicle or secure it with the seat
belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an
accident.
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. 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 60
Children in the vehicleSafety

Special seat belt retractor
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor.
When activated, the special seat belt
retractor ensures that the seat belt will not
slacken once the child restraint system has
been secured.
Installing a child restraint system:
X Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from the seat
belt retractor.
X Engage the seat belt tongue in the belt
buckle.
Activating the special seat belt retractor:
X Pull the seat belt out fully and let the seat
belt retractor retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should
hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat
belt retractor is activated.
X Push down on the child restraint system to
take up any slack.
Removing a child restraint system/
deactivating the special seat belt retractor:
X Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Press the seat belt release button and
guide the belt tongue to the belt outlet.
The special seat belt retractor is
deactivated. G
WARNING
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat belt
retractor will be deactivated.
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat anchors
in the rear G
WARNING
Children that are too large for a child restraint
must travel in seats using normal seat belts.
Position 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.
Install the child restraint system in
accordance with the manufacturer's
instructions.
Attach the child restraint system to both
securing rings.
An incorrectly installed child restraint system
could come loose during an accident and
seriously or even fatally injure the child.
Child restraint systems or child seat securing
rings that are malfunctioning or damaged as
the result of a collision must be replaced.
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) is a standardized
securing system for specially designed child
restraint systems on the rear seats. Securing
rings for two LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint systems are installed on the left and
right of the rear seats.
Secure non-LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint systems using the vehicle's seat belt
system. When installing child restraint
systems, you must observe the
manufacturer's installation instructions.
! When installing the child restraint system,
make sure that the seat belt for the middle
seat does not get trapped. The seat belt
could otherwise be damaged. Vehicles without rear-seat through-loading facility
Installation instructions
0002indicate the
installation location of securing rings 0022. Children in the vehicle
61Safety Z

X
Pull protective caps 0003from securing rings
0022 in the direction of the arrow. Vehicles with rear-seat through-loading facility
X
Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system. Comply with the
manufacturer's instructions when
installing the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system.
Top Tether G
WARNING
Always lock the rear seat backrests in their
upright position when the rear seats are
occupied by passengers. Lock the rear seat
backrests in their upright position before
installing the Top Tether straps or when the
cargo compartment is not in use. Make sure
that rear seat backrest sare secured properly
by pushing and pulling on the seat backrests.
If the seat backrest is not locked properly, the
seat backrest could fold forward. The child
restraint system is no longer supported
properly or held in position and can no longer
fulfill its function. This could cause serious or
even fatal injuries.
Top Tether provides an additional connection
between a child restraint system, secured
with a LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat mount,
and the rear seat. This helps reduce the risk
of injury even further.
The Top Tether anchorages are located in the
rear compartment behind the head restraints. X
Move head restraint 0002upwards.
X Fold up cover 0003of Top Tether anchorage
0022.
X Route Top Tether belt 001Funder head
restraint 0002between the two head restraint
bars.
X Hook Top Tether hook 0021into Top Tether
anchorage 0022.
X Make sure that Top Tether belt 001Fis not
twisted.
X Fold downc over0003of Top Tether
anchorage 0022.
X Move head restraint 0002back down again
slightly if necessary (Y page 98). Make
sure that you do not interfere with the
correc trouting of Top Tether belt 001F.
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system with Top Tether. Comply
with the manufacturer's installation
instructions when doing so. Make sure that
Top Tether belt 001Fis tight. 62
Children in the vehicleSafety