2013 MERCEDES-BENZ R-CLASS FAMILY TOURER ESP

Warning and indicator lamps
Function Page
:
!
ABS 239
;
È
The lamp lights up
briefly, but has no function. =
$
Brakes (USA only) 239
?
÷
ESP® 241
A
·
Distance warning 246
On vehicles without
DISTRONIC, the lamp lights
up briefly but has no
function.
B
J
Brakes (Canada only) 239
C
h
Tire pressure monitor
(USA only) 247
D
#!
Turn signals 123
E
å
ESP®
OFF 241 Function Page
F
ü
Seat belt 238
G
%
Diesel engine:
preglow 151
H
+
SRS 244
I
L
Low-beam
headlamps 121
J
;
Check Engine
(Canada only) 245
K
!
Check Engine (USA
only) 245
L
K
Low-beam
headlamps 123
M
Reserve fuel 24532
Instrument clusterAt a glance

Center console
Center console, upper section
Function Page
:
COMAND; see the separate
operating instructions
;
c
Seat heating 110
=
s
Seat ventilation 111
?
Á
Level control 183
A
Selects the drive program 157
B
42
Indicator
lamp 46 Function Page
C
£
Hazard warning
lamps 124
D
ATA indicator lamp 72
E
c
PARKTRONIC 186
F
å
ESP® 69
G
e
Adaptive Damping
System 18334
Center consoleAt a glance

Air bags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Air bags are designed to reduce the incidence
of injuries and fatalities in certain situations:
R frontal impacts (driver's and front-
passenger fron tair bags)
R side impacts (side impact air bags and
window curtain air bags)
R rollover (window curtain air bags)
However, no system available today can
completely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
When the air bags are deployed, a small
amount of powder is released .The powder
generally does not constitute a health hazard
and does not indicate that there is a fire in the
vehicle. In order to prevent potential
breathing difficulties, you should leave the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have any breathing difficulty but cannot get
out of the vehicle after the air bag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
door. G
WARNING
In order to reduce the potential danger of
injuries caused during the deployment of the
front air bags, the driver and front passenger
must always be correctly seated and wear
their seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision, you must always be in the normal
seat position with your back against the
backrest. Fasten your seat belt and make sure
that it is correctly positioned on your body. As the air bag 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
not wearing 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-Ben zCenter.
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. Occupant safety
43Safety
Z

If you sell yourv
ehicle, 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 +SRS warning lamp
lights up.
The air bags are deployed if the air bag control
unit detects the need for deployment.O nly in
the event of such a situatio nwill the air bags
provide their supplemental protection.
If the drive rand front passenge rdo 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. The
driver and passengers will then be protected
to the extentp ossible by a properly fastened
seat belt. Aproperly fastened seat belti s alsoneeded to provide the best possible
protection in a rollover.
Air bags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for seat belts.
All vehicle occupants must fasten their seat
belts regardless of whether your vehicle is
equipped with air bags or not.
It is important for your safety and that of your
passengers to have deployed air bags
replaced and to have any malfunctioning air
bags repaired. This will help to make sure the
air bags continue to perform their protective
function for the vehicle occupants in the
event of a crash.
Front air bags
Driver's air bag
:deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air
bag ;deploys in front of and above the glove
box.
The front air bags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
chest.
They are deployed:
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the system determines that air bag
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 air bags in the
vehicle
If the vehicle overturns, the front air bags are
generally not deployed. If the system detects 44
Occupant safetySafety

front passenger seato
ccupant as weighing as
much as or less than a typical 12-month-old
child in a standard child restraint or if the front
passenger sea tis classified as being empty.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat occupant is classified as
being up to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child
restraint, the 42 indicator lamp
will illuminate when the engine is started and
remain illuminated. This indicates that the
front passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat is classified as being empty,
the 42 indicator lamp will
illuminate when the engine is started and
remain illuminated. This indicates that the
front passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat occupant is classified as
being heavier than the weight of a typical 12-
month-old child seated in astandard child
restraint or as being a small individual (such
as a young teenager or asmall adult), the
42 indicator lamp will illuminate
for approximately 6seconds when the engine
is started. Depending on occupant weight
sensor readings from the seat, it will then
remain illuminated or go out. With the
42 indicator lamp illuminated,
the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated. With the 42
indicator lamp out, the front passenger front
air bag is activated.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat occupant is classified as an
adult or someone larger than a small
individual, the 42 indicator lamp
will illuminate for approximately six seconds
when the engine is started and then go out.
This indicates that the fron tpassenger front
air bag is activated.
If the 42 indicator lamp is
illuminated, the fron tpassenger fron tair bag
is deactivated and will not be deployed. If the
24 indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front passenger front air bag
is activated and will be deployed
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the impact exceeds a predetermined
triggering threshold
R independently of the side impact air bags
If the front passenger front air bag is
deployed, the rate of inflation will be
influenced by
R the rate of vehicle deceleratio nas assessed
by the air bag control unit
R the front passenger's weight category as
identified by the OCS 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 seats 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.
The infant or child restraint system 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 appropriate sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child. Occupant safety
47Safety
Z

health hazard. The
+SRS 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 on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. 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 appropriately sized
child restraint system or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
The infant or child restraint system 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 appropriate 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 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 eliminate
this risk completely is never to place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint in the front-
passenger seat. We therefore strongly
recommend that you always place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint on the rear
seat.
R If you install a rear-facing child restraint on
the front-passenger seat, make sure the
42 indicator lamp is
illuminated, indicating that the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Should the 42 indicator lamp
not illuminate or go out while the restraint
is installed, please check installation.
Periodically check the 42
indicator lamp while driving to make sure
the 42 indicator lamp is
illuminated. If the 42indicator
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 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
- secure child restraint with the vehicle's
seat belt according to the child seat
manufacturer's instructions
R For children larger than a typical 12-month-
old child, the front-passenger front air bag
can be activated or deactivated. 60
Children in the vehicleSafety

manufacturer's instructions when
installing.
Secure child restraint systems withou ta
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat securing
system using the seat belts in the vehicle.
When installing child restraint systems, you
must observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions.
Top Tether Top Tether anchorages
Top Tether provides an additional connection
betwee
nachild restraint system, secured
with a LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child sea tmount,
and the rear seat. This helps reduce the risk
of injury even further.
The Top Tether anchorages are:
R in the second row of seats on the outer
seats, on the rear side of the rear seat
backrests
R in the second row of seats on the floor
behind the middle seat
R in the third row of seats on the rear side of
the rear seat backrests
Outer seats in the 2nd and 3rd row G
WARNING
Do not secure the Top Tether hook to the loop
underneath the Top Tether anchorage if you
are securing a child restraint system in the
third row of seats. The child restraint system
is not secured if you do so. An incorrectly
installed child restraint system cannot
perform its intended protective function in the
event of an accident, and could lead to
injuries. G
WARNING
Make sure that the seats are locked and that
the backrests are locked in a vertical position
after installing the Top Tether belt.
The outer seats in the second row are only
locked if the lock verification indicator is folded in and the indicator area is barely
visible.
If the backrests are not locked, they could fold
forwards in the event of an accident, sudden
braking or a sudden change of direction.
Instead of restraining an occupant, they could
cause additional serious or even fatal injury.
X
Remove respective covering cap :of the
Top Tether anchorage.
X Move the head restraint upwards.
X Release the rear seat backrest and fold it
forwards (Y page 254).64
Children in the vehicleSafety

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
direc tsunlight .The child restraint system's
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.
Child-proof locks for the rear doors G
WARNING
Children could open a rear door from inside
the vehicle. This could result in serious
injuries or an accident. Therefore, when
children ride in the rear always secure the rear
doors with the child-proof locks. You secure each door individually with the
child-proof locks on the rear doors.
Adoor
secured with a child-proof lock cannot be
opened from inside the vehicle. When the
vehicle is unlocked, the door can be opened
from the outside.
X To activate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow ;.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever up in the direction of arrow :.Override feature for the rear side
windows G
WARNING
When children ride on the vehicle's rear seats,
activate the override switch. Otherwise, the
children could be injured, e.g. by trapping
themselves in the rear side window. X
To activate/deactivate: press button:.
Button :is pushed in or extended. If the
button has engaged, operation of the rear
side windows is deactivated. Operation is
then only possible using the switches in the
driver's door. Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS (Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Y page 68)
R BAS (Brake AssistSystem) (Y page 68)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 69)
R EBD ( electronic brake force distribution)
(Y page 70)
R Distance warning function (Y page 71) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or
become distracted, the driving safety Driving safety systems
67Safety Z