Emergency spar
ewheel ................. 339
Important safety notes ..................308
Interchanging/changing ................329
Mounting anew wheel ................... 333
Mounting awheel .......................... 330
Overview ........................................ 308
Removing awheel .......................... 333
Storing ........................................... 330
Tightening torque ........................... 334
Whee lsize/tir esize ....................... 335
Windows
see Side windows
Wind screen
Inserting and removing ....................88
Preparing for installation .................. 89
see AIRGUIDE
Windshield
Defrosting ...................................... 128
Windshiel dwasher fluid
see Windshield washer system
Windshiel dwasher system
Adding washer fluid .......................279
Filling capacity ............................... 353
Notes ............................................. 352
Windshiel dwipers
Display message ............................ 240
Problem (malfunction) ...................117
Replacing the wiper blades ............116
Switching on/off ........................... 115
Winte rdriving
Important safety note s.................. 310
Slippery road surfaces ...................163
Snow chains .................................. 311
Winter operation
Overview ........................................ 310
Winter tires
M+S tires ....................................... 310
Wiper blades
Cleaning ......................................... 284
Important safety notes ..................116
Replacing ....................................... 116
Wooden trim (cleaning instructions) 286
Workshops see Qualified specialist workshop Index
19
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 and knee bags)
R side impacts (side impact air bags and head
bags)
R rollover (head 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 middle 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 a
qualified specialist workshop.
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 of
the steering wheel can increase the risk
and potential severity of hand/arm injuries
if the 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 and/or head bag inflates.
This could result in serious injuries or death
should the side impact air bag/head 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
41Safety
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
If the side impact air bag and/or head bag is
deployed in the event of a side impact and the
fron tpassenger, especially achild, is not
properly seated or restrained when next to a
side impact air bag/head bag, injuries are
possible due to the rapid inflation of the side
impact air bag/head bag.
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 001BSRS 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.
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 0003
Driver's air bag
0004 Front-passenger front air bag
0024 Front-passenger knee bag
0023 Driver's knee bag
Driver's air bag 0003deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air
bag 0004deploys in front of and above the glove
box.
The front air bags increase protection against
head and chest injuries.
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 42
Occupant safetySafety
check the
0017PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp while driving to make sure it
is illuminated. If the 0017PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp goes ou tor
remains out, do not transport a child on the
front-passenge rseat.
R Ac hild in a rearward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat can be
seriously injured or even killed if the front-
passenger air bag is deployed.
R When securing a child in achild restraint
system on the front-passenger seat, you
must:
- move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible
- use a child restraint system that is
suitable for the age, size and weight of
the child
- observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions in order to install and secure
the child restraint system correctly.
R For children larger than the typical 12-
month-old child, the front-passenger front
air bag may or may not be activated. 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.
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 compartmentu nless 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 Child restraint systems
57Safety Z
If ESP
®
intervenes, the 000CESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any
circumstances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt yourd riving style to suitt he
prevailing road and weather conditions.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 59).
Traction control is part of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels
individually if they spin. This enables you to
pull away and accelerate on slippery surfaces,
for example if the road surface is slippery on
one side.
Traction control remains active if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
AMG vehicles) i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 59). G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations
described in the following.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain. X
To switch off: press button0003.
The 0014 ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrumentc luster lights up.
X To switch on: press button0003.
The 0014 ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrumen tcluster goes out.
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle stops
moving. The engine starts automatically when
the drive rwants to pull away again .ESP ®
remains in its previously selected status.
Example: if ESP ®
was deactivated before the
engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
star tto spin, the 000CESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the
following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R traction control is still activated. 62
Driving safety systemsSafety
Seats
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The seats can still be adjusted when there is
no key in the ignition lock. For this reason,
children should never be left unsupervised in
the vehicle. They could otherwise become
trapped when adjusting the seat. G
WARNING
Make sure that the back of your head is
supported at eye level by the central area of
the head restraint .Ifyour head is not
supported correctly by the head restraint, you
could suffer a severe neck injury in the event
of an accident. Never drive if the head
restraints are not engaged and set correctly. G
WARNING
In order to avoid possible loss of vehicle
control, all seat, head restraint, steering
wheel and rear view mirror adjustments, as
well as fastening of seat belts, must be done
before setting the vehicle in motion. G
WARNING
Do not adjust the driver's seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never travel in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide under
the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under
it, the seat belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck.T his could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat belts
provide the best restraint when the wearer is
in a position that is as upright as possible and
seat belts are properly positioned on the
body. G
WARNING
Your seat belt must be adjusted so that you
can correctly fasten your seat belt. Observe the following points:
R
adjust the seat backrest until your arms are
slightly angled when holding the steering
wheel.
R adjust the seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely. The
position should be as far back as possible
with the driver still able to operate the
controls properly.
R adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to the head as possible and the center
of the head restraint supports the back of
the head at eye level.
R never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being
adjusted.
Failure to do so could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. G
WARNING
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an
appropriately sized infant restraint, 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. G
WARNING
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. Additional information can be found
under "Children in the vehicle".
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. Seats
95Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z
i
The steering wheel only moves upwards if
it has not already reached the upper end
stop.
Position of the steering wheel for
driving The steering wheel is moved to the last
selected position when:
R
the driver's door is closed.
R you insert the SmartKey into the ignition
lock.
or
R you press the Start/Stop button once on
vehicles with KEYLESS-GO.
When you close the driver's door with the
ignition switched on, the steering wheel is
also automatically moved to the previously
set position.
The last position of the steering wheel is
stored when you switch off the ignition or
when you store the setting with the memory
function (Y page 103).
Crash-responsive EASY-EXI Tfeature If the crash-responsive EASY-EXIT feature is
triggered in an accident, the steering column
will move upwards when the driver's door is
opened. This occurs irrespective of the
position of the SmartKey in the ignition lock.
This makes it easier to exi tthe vehicle and
rescue the occupants.
The crash-responsive EASY-EXIT feature is
only operational if the EASY-EXIT/ENTRY
feature is activated in the on-board computer. Mirrors
Rear-view mirror
X
Anti-glare mode: flick anti-glare lever 0003
forwards or back. Exterior mirrors
Adjusting the exterior mirrors G
WARNING
The exterior mirrors reduce the size of the
image. Objects are actually closer than they
appear. You could misjudge the distance from
vehicles driving behind and cause an
accident, e.g. when changing lane. For this
reason, make sure of the actual distance from
the vehicle driving behind by glancing over
your shoulder. 100
MirrorsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors
X
Stop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground, as far away as possible from
traffic.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away
(Y page 155).
X Bring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Switch off the engine.
X Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: openthe
driver's door.
The on-board electronics have status 0,
which is the same as the SmartKey having
been removed.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 136).
X All occupants must get out of the vehicle.
Make sure that they are not endangered as
they do so.
X Make sure that no one is near the danger
area while a wheel is being changed.
Anyone who is not directly assisting in the
wheel change should, for example, stand
behind the barrier.
X Get out of the vehicle. Pay attention to
traffic conditions when doing so.
X Close the driver's door. MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
properties) G
WARNING
When driving in emergency mode, the driving
characteristics deteriorate, e.g. when
cornering, accelerating quickly and when
braking. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not exceed the stated maximum speed.
Avoid abrupt steering and driving maneuvers,
and driving over obstacles (curbs, potholes,
off-road). This applies in particular to a laden
vehicle. Stop driving in emergency mode if:
R
you hear banging noises.
R the vehicle starts to shake.
R you see smoke and smell rubber.
R ESP ®
is intervening constantly.
R there are tears in the sidewalls of the tire.
After driving in emergency mode, have the
wheel rims checked at a qualified specialist
workshop with regard to their further use. The
defective tire must be replaced in every case.
With MOExtended tires (tires with run flat
characteristics), you can continue to drive
your vehicle even if there is a total loss of
pressure in one or more tires.
MOExtended tires may only be used in
conjunction with an active tire pressure loss
warning system or with an active tire pressure
monitor.
The maximum driving distance is
approximately 50 miles (80 km) when the
vehicle is partially laden, and approximately
18 miles (30 km) when the vehicle is fully
laden.
In addition to the vehicle load, the driving
distance possible depends upon:
R Speed
R Road condition
R Outside temperature
The driving distance possible in run-flat mode
may be reduced by extreme driving
conditions/maneuvers, or it can be increased
through a moderate style of driving.
The maximum permissible distance which
can be driven in run-flat mode is counted from
the moment the tire pressure loss warning
appears in the multifunction display.
You must not exceed a maximum speed of
50 mph (80 km/h).
i When changing or replacing one or all of
the tires, note the label "MOExtended".
Take note also of the size specified for the
vehicle. 292
Flat tireBreakdown assistance