2013 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA warning

OFF indicator lamp must be continuously
lit.
If the front-passenger seat of your vehicle
does not have automatic child seat recog-
nition, or your rearward-facing child
restraint system does not have a trans-
ponder for automatic child seat recogni-
tion, children must be secured in a child
restraint system on a suitable seat in the
rear. If you secure a forward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat, you must move the front-passenger
seat as far back as possible.
R make sure there are no heavy or sharp-
edged objects in the pockets of clothing.
R do not lean forwards, e.g. over the cover of
the driver's/front-passenger front airbag,
particularly when the vehicle is in motion.
R do not put your feet on the dashboard.
R only hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the airbag to be fully deployed.
You could be injured if the airbag is
deployed and you are holding the inside of
the steering wheel.
R do not lean on the doors from inside the
vehicle.
R make sure that there are no people, ani-
mals or objects between the vehicle occu-
pants and the area where the airbags are
deployed.
R do not place any objects between the seat
backrest and the door.
R do not hang any hard objects, e.g. coat
hangers, on the grab handles or coat hooks.
R do not attach accessories, e.g. cup holders,
to the doors.
It is not possible to rule out a risk of injury
being caused by an airbag, due to the high
speed at which the airbag must be deployed.GWARNING
If you modify the airbag covers or affix
objects, e.g. stickers to them, the airbags may
no longer function as intended. There is an
increased risk of injury.
Never modify the airbag covers and do not
affix any objects to them.GWARNING
Unsuitable seat covers may obstruct or even
prevent deployment of the airbags integrated
into the seats. The airbags may then fail to
protect the vehicle occupants as intended.
Operation of the automatic child seat recog-
nition may also be impaired. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Use only seat covers which have been specif-
ically approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz.
GWARNING
After the driver's airbag has been deployed,
the airbag parts are hot. There is a risk of
injury.
Do not touch the airbag parts. Have deployed
airbags replaced immediately at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Airbag deployment slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant.
If the airbags 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 and does not indicate that there
is a fire in the vehicle. The powder may cause
short-term breathing difficulties to persons
suffering from asthma or other pulmonary
conditions. In order to prevent potential
breathing difficulties, you should leave the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. You can
also open the window to allow fresh air to
enter the vehicle interior. The 6 SRS warn-
ing lamp lights up.
The airbag installation locations are identified
by the AIRBAG symbol.
i After an airbag has been deployed, have
the vehicle towed to the nearest qualified
specialist workshop, even if your vehicle
can still be driven.
Occupant safety43SafetyZ

Front airbags
! Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. This could cause the sys-
tem to identify the seat as being occupied.
In the event of an accident, the restraint
systems on the front-passenger side may
be triggered and have to be replaced.
Driver's airbag : deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air-
bag ; deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment.
The front airbags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
chest.
They are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction.
R if the system determines that airbag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt.
R depending on whether the seat belt is being
used.
R independently of other airbags in the vehi-
cle.
If the vehicle overturns, the front airbags are
generally not deployed.
Vehicles with automatic child seat recog-
nition in the front-passenger seat: front-
passenger airbag ; is only activated if the
system determines that the front-passenger
seat is occupied. The PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp on the centre console
does not light up ( Y page 53).
If a child restraint system is fitted to the front-
passenger seat and the PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp on the centre console is
not on:
R a child restraint system without a trans-
ponder for automatic child seat recognition
has been fitted or
R a child restraint system with a transponder
has been fitted incorrectly
Driver's kneebag
Driver's kneebag : deploys underneath the
steering column. The driver's kneebag is trig-
gered together with the front airbag. The driv-
er's kneebag is designed to operate together
with the front airbags in frontal impacts if cer-
tain thresholds are exceeded. The driver's
kneebag operates best in conjunction with
correctly positioned and fastened seat belts.
Driver's kneebag : increases the driver's
protection against:
R knee injuries
R thigh injuries
R lower leg injuries
Sidebags
GWARNING
Unsuitable seat covers may obstruct or even
prevent deployment of the airbags integrated
into the seats. The airbags may then fail to
protect the vehicle occupants as intended.
Operation of the automatic child seat recog-
44Occupant safetySafety

nition may also be impaired. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Use only seat covers which have been specif-
ically approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz.GWARNING
Sensors to control the airbags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ling, as well as damaged doors, can lead to
the function of the sensors being impaired.
The airbags might therefore not function
properly any more. Consequently, the airbags
cannot protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. This poses an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan-
elling carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
You should only use seat cover that have been
approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
The seat covers must have a special tear
seam for sidebags. Otherwise, the sidebags
cannot deploy correctly and therefore cannot
provide the intended protection in the event
of an accident.
Front sidebags : and rear sidebags ;
deploy next to the outer seat cushions.
When deployed, the sidebags offer additional
protection of the thorax for occupants on the
front seats as well as also of the pelvis for the
vehicle occupants on the side of the vehicle
on which the impact occurs. However, they
do not protect the:
R head
R neck
R arms
The sidebags are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R independently of the use of the seat belt
R independently of the front airbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
If the vehicle overturns, the sidebags are gen-
erally not deployed. Sidebags are deployed if
the system detects high vehicle deceleration
or acceleration in a lateral direction and
determines that sidebag deployment can
offer additional protection to that provided by
the seat belt.
Windowbags
Windowbags : enhance the level of protec-
tion for the head (but not chest or arms), of
the vehicle occupants on the side of the vehi-
cle on which the impact occurs.
Windowbags : are integrated into the side
of the roof frame and deployed in the area
from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
Occupant safety45SafetyZ

Windowbags are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R on the driver's and the front passenger's
side if the vehicle overturns and the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the
seat belt
R independently of the use of the seat belt
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R independently of the front airbags
PRE-SAFE ®
(anticipatory occupant
protection)
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when moving
the seat back. There is a risk that the seats
and/or the objects could be damaged.
PRE-SAFE ®
takes pre-emptive measures to
protect occupants in certain hazardous sit-
uations. Although your vehicle is equipped
with a PRE-SAFE ®
system, the possibility of
injury in the event of an accident cannot be
ruled out.
Always adapt your driving style to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions and
maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in
front. Drive carefully.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes:
R when BAS activates, e.g. in emergency
braking situations.
R when adaptive Brake Assist intervenes
powerfully on vehicles with DISTRONIC
PLUS.
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limits are exceeded and the vehicle
understeers or oversteers severely.
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detec-
ted:
R the front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R vehicles with the memory function: the
front-passenger seat is adjusted if it is in an
unfavourable position.
R if the vehicle skids, the panorama sliding
sunroof and the side windows are closed so
that only a small gap remains.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pretensioning. All settings made by
PRE-SAFE ®
can then be reversed.
If the seat belts are not released:XMove the backrest or seat back slightly, but
only when the vehicle is stationary.
Seat belt pretensioning is reduced and the
locking mechanism is released.
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. More
information about seat-belt adjustment can
be found under "Seat-belt adjustment"
( Y page 48).
Seat belts
Important safety notes
GWARNING
A seat belt which is not worn correctly, or
which has not been engaged in the seat belt
buckle correctly, cannot provide the intended
level of protection. Under certain circumstan-
ces, this could cause severe or even fatal inju-
ries in the event of an accident.
Therefore, make sure that all occupants — in
particular, pregnant women — wear their seat
belts correctly at all times.
R The seat belt must fit snugly on your body
and must not be twisted.Therefore, avoid
wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter coat.
The shoulder section of the belt must be
routed across the centre of your shoulder
46Occupant safetySafety

— on no account across your neck or under
your arm — and pulled tight against your
upper body. The lap belt must always pass
across your lap as low down as possible, i.e.
over your hip joints — not across your abdo-
men. If necessary, push the seat belt
slightly downwards and adjust it by pulling
it in the direction the seat belt retracts.
R Do not route the seat belt strap over sharp
or fragile objects. Please make sure that
such objects are not on or in your clothing,
e.g. spectacles, pens or keys etc. The seat
belt strap could become damaged and tear
during an accident and you or other vehicle
occupants could be injured.
R Only one person should use each seat belt
at any one time. Children must never travel
sitting on the lap of another occupant. The
child will not be secured in the event of an
accident, heavy braking or sudden change
of direction. This may result in the child or
other occupants being seriously or fatally
injured.
R Persons under 1.50 m tall cannot wear the
seat belts correctly. For this reason secure
persons less than 1.50 m tall in specially
designed, suitable restraint systems.
R Children under 1.50 m tall and younger
than twelve years of age cannot wear the
seat belts correctly. For this reason secure
them in special suitable child restraint sys-
tems installed on a suitable seat. Additional
information can be found in the Operating
Instructions in the chapter "Safety", "Chil-
dren in the Vehicle". Observe the installa-
tion instructions of the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer.
R Do not secure an object with a seat belt if
the seat belt is also being used by one of
the vehicle's occupants.GWARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level
of protection if the backrest is not in the
upright position. When braking or in the event
of an accident, you could slide underneath the
seat belt and sustain abdomen or neck inju-
ries, for example. This poses an increased risk
of injury or even fatal injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat
is in the upright position.GWARNING
Seat belts cannot perform their intended pro-
tective function if:
R they are damaged, modified, bleached or
coloured, or are very dirty
R the seat belt buckle is damaged or very
dirty
R modifications have been made to the seat
belt tensioners or belt anchorages
In the event of an accident, seat belts can
sustain damage that is not visible to the naked
eye, e. g. due to glass splinters. Modified or
damaged seat belts could tear or fail in the
event of an accident, for example. Modified
belt tensioners could deploy unexpectedly or
fail. There is an increased risk of serious or
even fatal injuries.
Never make modifications to seat belts, belt
tensioners, belt anchorages or seat belt
retractors. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, are not worn and are clean.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use seat belts which have been approved
specifically for your vehicle by Mercedes-
Benz.
Seat belts are the most effective means of
restraining the movement of vehicle occu-
pants in the event of an accident. This
reduces the risk of vehicle occupants coming
into contact with parts of the vehicle interior.
Occupant safety47SafetyZ

Releasing the seat belts
! 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. Dam-
aged seat belts can no longer fulfil their
protective function and must be replaced.
Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
XPress release button ? on belt buckle =.XGuide belt tongue ; back to belt sash
guide :.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger
The 7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder for all occupants
to fasten their seat belts. It may light up con-
tinuously or flash. In addition, a warning tone
may sound.
The 7 seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tone ceases when the driver and
the front passenger have fastened their seat
belt.
Only for certain countries: the 7 seat belt
warning lamp lights up for six seconds after
every engine start. It lights up regardless of
whether the driver's and front-passenger seat
belts have already been fastened. If the driv-
er's and front-passenger seat belts have
already been fastened, the 7 seat belt
warning lamp then goes out.
i For more information on the 7 seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster, seat
belt" ( Y page 255).
Rear seat belt status indicator
Example: rear seat belt status indicator
The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator indicates the rear seat on which the belt
is fastened. In the example, the occupant on
the right rear seat, when viewed in the direc-
tion of travel, is secured. The ü symbol in
the display indicates a fastened seat belt. If a
seat belt is not fastened or if a seat is not
occupied, the ý symbol is displayed.
The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator appears in the multifunction display for
around 30 seconds if:
R you drive off and reach a speed of approx-
imately 10 km/h.
R the rear passengers fasten or unfasten
their seat belts while the vehicle is in
motion.
R someone gets in or out of the vehicle and
the vehicle drives off again.
You can also cancel the rear seat belt status
indicator immediately ( Y page 226).
i The status indicator for the rear-compart-
ment seat belts is only available for certain
countries.
Occupant safety49SafetyZ

Belt tensioners, belt force limitersGWARNING
Pyrotechnic seat belt tensioners that have
been deployed are no longer operational and
are unable to perform their intended protec-
tive function. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Therefore, have pyrotechnic belt tensioners
which have been triggered immediately
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
! If the front-passenger seat is not occu-
pied, do not engage the seat belt tongue in
the buckle on the front-passenger seat.
Otherwise, the belt tensioner could be trig-
gered in the event of an accident.
i Vehicles with PRE-SAFE ®
: belt tensioners
that are triggered by an electric motor can
be deployed as often as desired and do not
need to be replaced.
The front seat belts and the outer seat belts
in the rear are equipped with belt tensioners
and belt force limiters.
The belt tensioners tighten the seat belts in
an accident, pulling them close against the
body.
Belt tensioners do not correct incorrect seat
positions or incorrectly fastened seat belts.
Belt tensioners do not pull vehicle occupants
back towards the backrest.
The belt tensioners can only be activated
when:
R the ignition is switched on
R the restraint systems are operational; see
" 6 SRS warning lamp"( Y page 41)
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the front seat belts.
The belt tensioners on the outside seats in the
rear compartment are triggered independ-
ently of the lock status of the seat belts.
The belt tensioners are triggered depending
on the type and severity of an accident:
R if, in the event of a head-on or rear-end col-
lision the vehicle decelerates or acceler-
ates rapidly in a longitudinal direction dur-
ing the initial stages of the impact
R if, in the event of a side impact, on the side
opposite the impact the vehicle deceler-
ates or accelerates rapidly in a lateral direc-
tion
R in certain situations where the vehicle over-
turns and the system determines that it can
provide additional protection
If the airbags 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 and does not indicate that there
is a fire in the vehicle. The powder may cause
short-term breathing difficulties to persons
suffering from asthma or other pulmonary
conditions. In order to prevent potential
breathing difficulties, you should leave the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. You can
also open the window to allow fresh air to
enter the vehicle interior. The 6 SRS warn-
ing lamp lights up.
If the seat belt is also fitted with a belt force
limiter and this is triggered, the force exerted
by the seat belt on the vehicle occupant is
reduced.
The belt force limiters on the front seats are
synchronised with the front airbags, which
take on a part of the deceleration force. This
results in the load being distributed over a
greater area.
Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
Important safety notes
GWARNING
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of a sudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R Children less than 1.50 m tall and under
twelve years of age must always be secured
50Children in the vehicleSafety

in special child restraint systems on a suit-
able vehicle seat. This is necessary
because the seat belts are not designed for
children.
R Do not transport children who are secured
in rearward-facing child restraint systems
on the front-passenger seat. Exception: if
the vehicle is equipped with automatic child
seat recognition on the front-passenger
seat and the child is secured in a child
restraint system with transponders for
automatic child seat recognition
R If you secure a forward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat, you must move the front-passenger
seat as far back as possible. When doing
so, ensure that the shoulder belt strap from
the belt outlet on the vehicle is routed
towards the front to the shoulder belt guide
on the child restraint system. Set the belt
height adjustment so that the belt strap is
routed towards the front along the bottom.
R Children must never travel sitting on the lap
of another occupant. Due to the forces
which occur in the event of a sudden
change of direction, heavy braking or an
accident, it would not be possible to
restrain the child. The child could be thrown
against parts of the vehicle interior and be
seriously or even fatally injured.GWARNING
If the child restraint system is incorrectly fit-
ted on the seat position suitable for this pur-
pose, it cannot perform its intended protec-
tive function. In the event of an accident,
sharp braking or a sudden change in direction,
the child may not be held securely. There is
an increased risk of serious or even fatal inju-
ries.
Observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions and the correct use for the child
restraint system. Make sure that the entire
surface of the child restraint system is resting
on the seat surface. Never place objects
under or behind the child restraint system,
e.g. cushions. Only use child restraint sys-
tems with the original cover designed for
them. Only replace damaged covers with gen-
uine covers.GWARNING
If the child restraint system is fitted incor-
rectly or is not secured, it can come loose in
the event of an accident, heavy braking or a
sudden change in direction. The child
restraint system could be thrown about, strik-
ing vehicle occupants. There is an increased
risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Always fit child restraint systems properly,
even if they are not being used. Make sure
that you observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions.
GWARNING
Child restraint systems or their securing sys-
tems that have been damaged or subjected to
a load in an accident cannot perform their
intended protective function. In the event of
an accident, sharp braking or a sudden
change in direction, the child may not be held
securely. There is an increased risk of serious
or even fatal injuries.
Immediately replace child restraint systems
that have been damaged or subjected to a
load in an accident. Have the child restraint
securing systems checked in a qualified spe-
cialist workshop before fitting a child restraint
system again.
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment.
Children in the vehicle51SafetyZ