2013 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class warning

G
WARNING
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices
that have been deployed must be renewed.
For yours afety, 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.
Automatic comfort-fit feature The fron
tseat belts have an automatic
comfort-install feature. In vehicles with a rear
bench seat with electrically adjustable outer
seats, the seat belts for the outer seats have
an automatic comfort-install feature. The
automatic comfort-install feature reduces the
retraction force of the seat belts. This results
in increased seat belt comfort. Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
Important safety notes We recommend that all infants and children
be properly secured in an infan
torchild
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 DistrictofC olumbia, 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 comply with U.S.
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213
and 225 and CanadianM
otor 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. 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. 66
Children in the vehicleSafety

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 fron tair 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-passenge rseat.
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
00170016 indicator lamp is
illuminated, indicating that the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Should the 00170016 indicator lamp
not illuminate or go out while the restraint
is installed, please check installation.
Periodically check the 00170016
indicator lamp while driving to make sure
the 00170016 indicator lamp is
illuminated. If the 00170016indicator
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. 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
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. Children in the vehicle
67Safety Z

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
Special seat beltr etractorAll seat belts except th
edriver's seat belta re
equipped with a special seat beltr etractor.
When activated, the special seat belt retractor ensures 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 inertia
reel.
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 inertia
reel retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should
hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat
belt retractor is enabled.
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 68
Children in the vehicleSafety

a lap/shoulde
rbelt 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 acciden tand
seriously or eve nfatally 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.
ISOFIX is a standardized securing system for
specially designed child restraint systems on
the rear seats. Securin grings 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. Always install child restraint systems
according to the manufacturer's instructions.
! Vehicles with a center seat in the rear:
when installing the LATCH-type (ISOFIX)
child restraint system, make sure that the
seat belt for the center seat does not get
trapped. Otherwise, the seat belt could be
damaged. Installation instructions
0002indicate the
installation location of securing rings 2.X
Move the backrest of the electrically
adjustable rear seat to an upright position
(Y page 108).
X Fold upholstery cover 0026and the Velcro
fastener upwards.
X Turn installation aid 0025to a vertical position
to prevent upholstery cover 0026fromf olding
down.
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint systems on both securing
rings 0003. Comply with the manufacturer's
instructions when installing the LATCH-
type (ISOFIX) child restraint system. G
WARNING
Vehicles with rear power seats:
Never change the rear seat position after
installing the child restraint .This could
R damage the child restraint
R introduce undesirable slack or tension into
the seat belt
R loosen the child restraint
R misposition the child restraint
All of the above will lessen the
effectiveness of the child restraint and thus
increase the chance or severity of injury in
an accident.
Top Tether Top Tether provides an additional connection
between the child restraint system secured
with ISOFIX and the rear seat. It helps reduce
the risk of injury even further.
The Top Tether anchorage points are located
in the rear compartmentb
ehind the head
restraints. Children in the vehicle
69Safety Z

X
Vehicles with electrically adjustable rear
seats: move the rear seat backrests to an
uprightp osition (Y page 108).
X Remove respective covering cap 0002of the
Top Tether anchorage.
X Place covering cap 0002in a suitable place
(e.g. in the glove box). X
Move the head restraint upwards.
X Route Top Tether belt 0025under the head
restraint between the two head restraint
bars.
X Hook Top Tether hook 0026of Top Tether
belt 0025into Top Tether anchorage 0003.
Ensure that:
R Top Tether hook 0026is hooked into Top
Tether anchorage 0003as shown.
R Top Tether belt 0025is not twisted.
R Top Tether belt 0025can move freely
between the rear seat backrest and the
head restraint.
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
0025is tight.
The child restraint system with Top Tether
belt 0025has been removed:
X Slide covering cap 0002onto Top Tether
anchorage 0003. G
WARNING
Vehicles with rear power seats:
Never change the rear seat position after
installing the child restraint .This could
R damage the child restraint
R introduce undesirable slack or tension into
the seat belt
R loosen the child restraint
R misposition the child restraint
All of the above will lessen the
effectiveness of the child restraint and thus
increase the chance or severity of injury in
an accident. Child-proof locks
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Activate the child-proof locks for the rear
doors and the override switch for the rear
windows when children are traveling in the
vehicle.
Children could injure themselves or others
while the vehicle is in motion if, for example,
they:
R open the doors
R open the side windows
R adjust the seats
R operate the cigarette lighter 70
Children in the vehicleSafety

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.
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 up in the direction of arrow 0002.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow 0003.
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.
For the rear compartment, you can deactivate
operation of:
R the rear side windows
R the cigarette lighter in the rear
R adjustmen tofthe front-passenger seat
from the rear compartment
R the sunblinds:
-in the roof
- of the rear window
- of the rear side windows Children in the vehicle
71Safety Z

R
ADAPTIVE BRAKE
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake Important safety notes
G
WARNING
HYBRID vehicles: It is imperative tha tyou read
the HYBRID Supplemental Operating
Instructions included in your vehicle literature
portfolio. You may otherwise not receive all
necessary safety information and warning for
the operation of your vehicle.
If you fail to adapt your driving style or
become distracted, the driving safety
systems can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
Driving safety systems are merely aids
designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in
good time. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions and maintain asafe distance from
the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
i The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there
is adequate contact between the tires and
the road surface. Pay particular attention
to the informatio nregarding tires,
recommended minimum tire tread depths
etc.int he "Wheels and tires" section
(Y page 498).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tires (M+S tires) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the
driving safety systems described in this
section work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lockB
raking System)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
sectio n(Ypage 73). G
WARNING
If ABSi s faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking
characteristics may be severely impaired.
Additionally, further driving safety systems
are deactivated. There is an increased danger
of skidding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked
immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 428) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 391).
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the
vehicle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h) upwards, regardless of road-surface
conditions. ABS works on slippery surfaces,
even if you only brake gently.
The 0015 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
Braking: X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking
situation is 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. Driving safety systems
73Safety Z

BAS (Brake Assist System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Ypage 73). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situatio nis
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels fro mlocking.
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)
BAS PLUS is only available in vehicles
equipped with DISTRONIC PLUS.
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 73).
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in
hazardous situations at speeds greater than
4m ph (7 km/h) and uses radar sensor
technology to assess the traffic situation.
i This device has been approved by the FCC
as a "Vehicular Radar System". The radar
senso ris intended for use in an automotive
radar system only. Removing, altering or
tampering with the device will void any
warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use the
device in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
With the help of the radar sensor system, BAS
PLUS can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time. BAS PLUS can also react to stationary
obstacles, e.g. stopped or parked vehicles, at
speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h).
Should you approach an obstacle and BAS
PLUS has detected a risk of collision, BAS
PLUS calculates the braking force necessary
to avoid a rear-end collision.
R
For speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h): if
you apply the brakes forcefully, BAS PLUS
automatically increases the braking force
to a level suitable for the traffic conditions.
R For speeds below 20 mph (30 km/h): if
you apply the brakes, BAS PLUS is
activated. Braking is performed as late as
possible.
If BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger
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.
The brakes will work normally againi f:
R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longe rany dange rofarear-end
collision.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
BAS PLUS is then deactivated.
For BAS PLUS to assist you when driving, the
rada rsensor system must be switched on and
operational; see "Rada rsensor system" in the
index. 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.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake. 74
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety