If the SmartKey has been removed from the
ignition lock or is in position 0,
001A001C indicator lamp 0002does not light
up.
The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
categorizes the occupant on the front-
passenger seat using a weight sensor. The
front-passenger front air bag is deactivated
automatically for certain weight categories.
001A001C indicator lamp 0002shows you the
current status. If
001A001C indicator lamp 0002lights up, the
front-passenger air bag is disabled.
The system does not deactivate:
R the side impact air bag
R the window curtain air bag
R the Emergency Tensioning Devices
To be classified correctly, the front passenger
must sit:
R with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in a positio nthat is as upright as possible
with their back against the seat backrest
R with their feet on the floor
The OCS weight sensor reading is affected if
the occupant's weight is transferred, e.g. by
leaning on the armrest.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or
the seat cushion are damaged, have the
necessary repair work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you only use seat
accessories that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Both the driver and the front passenger
should always observe the
001A001C
indicator lamp to determine whether or not
the front passenger is positioned correctly.
Also observe the air bag display messages,
which appearint he instrumentcluster
(Y page 298).
If the driver's air bag deploys, this does not
mean that the front-passenger front air bag
will also deploy.
The OCS may have detected that the seat:
R is empty or occupied by the weight of a
typical child up to twelve months old,
seated in a child restraint system
R is occupied by a small individual, such as a
young teenager or a small adult
R is occupied by a child in a child restraint
system whose weight is greater than that
of a typical twelve month old child.
These are examples of when the OCS
deactivates the front-passenger front air bag.
Deactivation takes place although the
collision fulfills the criteria for deploying the
driver's air bag.
System self-test G
WARNING
If the 001A001Cindicator lamp does not
illuminate, the system is not functioning. You
must contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center before seating any child on the front
passenger seat. G
WARNING
Never place anything betwee nseat cushion
and child seat (e.g. a pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the OCS. The underside
and rear side child restraint system must be
placed entirely on the seat cushion and the
backrest of the front-passenger seat
backrest.
If necessary, adjust the tilt of the passenger
seat backrest. Occupant safety
51Safety
Z
PRE-SAFE
®
(anticipatory occupant
protection system) G
WARNING
The PRE-SAFE ®
system reduces the impact of
an accident on vehicle occupants, as long as
their seat belts have been fastened correctly.
Although your vehicle is equipped with a PRE-
SAFE ®
system, the possibility of injury in the
event of an accident cannot be ruled out. You
should therefore always drive carefully and
adapt your driving style to the prevailing road,
weather and traffic conditions. G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody can become trapped
as you adjust the seat.
! 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.
PRE-SAFE ®
takes preemptive measures to
protect occupants in certain hazardous
situations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes:
R if BAS intervenes, e.g. in emergency
braking situations
R if BAS PLUS intervenes powerfully — on
vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS
R if, on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS, the
radar sensor system detectsani mminent
dange rofcollision in certain situations
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when
physical limits are exceeded and the
vehicle understeers or oversteers severely
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation
detected:
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
unfavorable position. R
vehicles with a multicontour seat: the air
pressure in the side bolsters of the seat
backrest is increased.
R if the vehicle skids, the sliding sunroof/
panorama roof with power tilt/sliding
panel 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. In vehicles with
multicontour seats, the air pressure in the
side bolsters is reduced again. All settings
made by PRE-SAFE ®
can then be reversed.
If the seat belts are not released:
X Move the backrest or seat back slightly, but
only when the vehicle is stationary.
The belt pretensioning is reduced and the
locking mechanism is released.
More information about seat belt adjustment,
a convenience function integrated into PRE-
SAFE ®
, can be found in the "Seat belt
adjustment" section (Y page 57). Seat belts
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Always fasten your seat belt before driving off.
Always make sure all of your passengers are
properly restrained. You and your passengers
should always wear seat belts.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and
position your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries can
be considerably more severe without your
seat belt properly buckled. Without your seat
belt buckled, you are much more likely to hit
the interior of the vehicle or be ejected from
it. You can be seriously injured or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are properly wearing
your seat belt. The air bags can only protect 54
Occupant safetySafety
Braking
X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking
situatio nis over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an
indication of hazardous road conditions, and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.
Off-road ABS An ABS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated on:
R vehicles without the ON&OFFROAD
package (Y page 252)
R vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package
(Y page 252)
At speeds below 20 mph (30 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking. The
digging-in effect achieved in the process
reduces the stopping distance on off-road
terrain. This limits steering capability. BAS (Brake AssistS
ystem)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 66). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
BAS operates in emergency braking
situations. If you depress the brake pedal
quickly, BAS automatically boosts the braking
force, thus shortening the stopping distance. The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 66).
BAS PLUS is only available in vehicles
equipped with DISTRONIC PLUS.
For BAS PLUS to assist you when driving, the
radar sensor system must be:
R activated (Y page 281)
R operational
With the help of the radar sensor system, BAS
PLUS can detect obstacles that are in the
path of yourv ehicle for an extended period of
time.
If the radar sensor system is malfunctioning,
BASP LUS will not be available. The brake
system is still available with complete brake
boosting effect and BAS.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in
hazardous situations at speeds greater than
4 mph (7 km/h).
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h), BAS PLUS can also detect
stationary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
To prevent a front-end collision, BAS PLUS
calculates the brake force necessary if:
R you approach an obstacle, and
R BAS PLUS has detected arisk of collision
At as pee dless than 20 mp h(30 km/h) : if
you depress the brake pedal, BASP LUS is
activated. The increase in brake pressure will
be carried out at the last possible moment.
At a speed greater than 20 mph
(30 km/h):ify ou depress the brake pedal
sharply, BAS PLUS automatically raises the
brake pressure to a value adapted to the
traffic situation.
If BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger Driving safety systems
67Safety Z
protection measures (PRE-SAFE
®
) are
activated simultaneously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes
function as usual, if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer any danger of a rear-end
collision.
R no obstacle is detected in fron tofyour
vehicle.
If you have activated DSR (Y page 250), BAS
PLUS is likewise deactivated. G
WARNING
BAS PLUS cannot always clearly identify
objects and complex traffic situations. BAS
PLUS cannot intervene in these cases. There
is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors.
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle G
WARNING
BAS PLUS does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering As
aresult, BAS PLUS may not intervene in all
critical situations. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake.
Following damage to the fron tend of the
vehicle, have the configuratio nand operation
of the rada rsensors checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. This also applies to
collisions at low speeds where there is no
visible damage to the fron tofthe vehicle. COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
General notes COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST consists of
Adaptive Brake Assist and the distance
warning function, which are described in the
following.
Distance warning function Important safety notes
i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 66). G
WARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
Thus, the distance warning function cannot
provide a warning in all critical situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake.
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations. 68
Driving safety systemsSafety
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and do not rely solely on the
distance warning function.
Function
X To activate/deactivate: activate or
deactivate the distance warning function in
the on-board computer (Y page 276).
When the distance warning function is
activated, the multifunction display shows
the 0003 symbol, as long as the HOLD
function is not switched on (Y page 211). On
vehicles with Active Parking Assist, the
0003 symbol is displayed when Pis engaged
or you are driving faster than 22 mph
(35 km/h).
The distance warning function can help you
to minimize the risk of a front-end collision
with a vehicle ahead or reduce the effects of
such a collision. If the distance warning
function detects that there is a risk of a
collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. The distance warning function
cannot prevent a collision withou tyour
intervention.
Starting at a speed of around 20 mph
(30 km/h), this function warns you if you
rapidly approach a vehicle in front.An
intermitten twarning tone will then sound and
the 000F distance warning lamp will light up
in the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
X Take evasive action, provide ditis safe to
do so.
For the distance warning function to assist
you when driving, the function must be
activated in the on-board computer and be
operational (Y page 276). Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving conditions may cause the
system to display unnecessary warnings.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect
obstacles that are in the path of your vehicle
for an extended period of time.
At speeds up to 40 mph (70 km/h), the
distance warning function may also detect
stationary obstacles, for example stopped or
parked vehicles.
If you approach an obstacle and the distance
warning function detects a risk of a collision,
the system will initially alert you both visually
and acoustically.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the
vehicle, have the configuration and operation
of the radar sensor checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. This also applies to
collisions at low speeds where there is no
visible damage to the front of the vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 66). G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic
situations. In these cases, Adaptive Brake
Assist may not intervene. There is a risk of an
accident. Driving safety systems
69Safety
Z
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situatio
nand be ready to brake. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R to stationary obstacles
R when cornering
As a result, Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situatio nand be ready to brake.
Adaptive Brake Assist provides braking
assistance in hazardous situations at speeds
greater than 20 mph (30 km/h) and uses
rada rsensor technology to assess the traffic
situation.
With the help of Adaptive Brake Assist, the
distance warning signal can detec tobstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
Should you approach an obstacle and
Adaptive Brake Assist has detected a risk of
collision, Adaptive Brake Assist calculates the
braking force necessary to avoid a rear-end
collision. Should you apply the brakes
vigorously, Adaptive Brake Assist will
automatically increase the braking force to a
level suitable for the traffic conditions.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer any danger of a rear-end
collision.
R no obstacle is detected in fron tofyour
vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated. If Adaptive Brake Assist requires particularly
high brake pressure, preventive passenger
protection measures (PRE-SAFE
®
) are
deployed simultaneously.
Up to vehicle speeds of around 155 mph
(250 km/h), adaptive Brake Assist is capable
of reacting to moving objects that have
already been recognized as such at least once
over the period of observation. Adaptive
Brake Assist does not react to stationary
obstacles.
If Adaptive Brake Assist is not available due
to a malfunction in the radar sensor system,
the brake system remains available with full
brake boosting effect and BAS.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the
vehicle, have the configuration and operation
of the radar sensor checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. This also applies to
collisions at low speeds where there is no
visible damage to the front of the vehicle. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 66).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one 70
Driving safety systemsSafety
If yourv
ehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer
combination) begins to lurch, you can only
stabilize the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
In this situation, ESP ®
assists you and can
detec tifthe vehicle/trailer combination
begins to lurch. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down
by braking and limiting the engine output until
the vehicle/trailer combination has
stabilized.
Trailer stabilization is active above speeds of
about 37 mph (60 km/h).
Trailer stabilization does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated because of a malfunction.
Crosswindd riving assistance Strong crosswinds ca
ncause your vehicle to
deviate from a straigh tcourse. The crosswind
driving assistance function integrated into
ESP ®
significantly reduces these effects.
ESP ®
intervenes automatically according to
the direction and intensity of the crosswinds
affecting your vehicle.
When driving on straight roads or gentle
bends, your vehicle is kept safely on course
by a stabilizing brake intervention.
Crosswind driving assistance is active above
a vehicle speed of 80 km/h.
Crosswind driving assistance does not work
if ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of
a malfunction. EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 66). G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can
still lock, e.g. under full braking. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have the brake system checked at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 323) as well as
display messages (Y page 289).
EBD monitors and controls the brake
pressure on the rear wheels to improve
driving stability while braking. ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In
addition to the braking function, ADAPTIVE
BRAKE also has the HOLD function
(Y page 211) and hill start assist
(Y page 166). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 66).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
If PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is to aid you, the radar
sensor system must be:
R activated (Y page 281)
R operational
With the help of the radar sensor system,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can detect obstacles that
are in front of your vehicle for an extended
period of time.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimize
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead or
reduce the effects of such a collision. If PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake has detected a risk of collision,
you will be warned visually and acoustically
as well as by automatic braking. PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot prevent a collision without your
intervention.
Starting at a speed of around
4 mph (7 km/h), this function warns you if
you very quickly approach a vehicle in front. Driving safety systems
73Safety Z
An intermittent warning tone will then sound
and the 000Fdistance warning lamp will light
up in the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
From a speed of approximately
4 mph (7 km/h), if the driver and front
passenge rhave fastened their seat belts,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can brake the vehicle
automatically at speeds up to approximately
124 mph (200 km/h).
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving condition smay cause
unnecessary warnings or th eunnecessary
intervention of PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
You can prevent the intervention of the PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake at any time by:
R depressing the accelerator peda lfurther
R activating kickdown
R releasing the brake pedal
The braking action of PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is
ended automatically if:
R you maneuve rto avoid the obstacle.
R there is no longer any danger of a rear-end
collision.
R there is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle.
If you have activated DSR (Y page 250), PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake is deactivated.
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h) ,PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also detect
stationary objects .Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
If you approach an obstacle and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake detects a ris kofacollision, the system
will alert you both visuall yand acoustically. If
you do not brake or take evasive action, the
system will warn you by automatically braking
the vehicle gently .Ifthere is an increased risk
of collision, preventative passenger
protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are activated (Y
page 54). If, at speeds over
20 mph (30 km/h), a risk of collision remains
and you do not brake, take evasive action or
significantly accelerate, automatic braking
may be performed up to alevel of automatic
emergency braking. Automatic emergency
braking is not performed until immediately
prior to an accident that can no longer be
avoided. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake will initially brake your
vehicle by a partial application of the brakes
if a danger of collision is detected. There may
be a collision unless you also brake.
Automatic emergency brakin gcannot prevent
a collision .There is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic
conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R not give a warning or intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake, especially if
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake warns you. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages 74
Driving safety systemsSafety