42Airbag system
Operation of curtain airbags
Fully inflated airbags reduce the risk of head or chest injury
in a side collision.
Fig. 27 Deployed curtain
airbags
During some side collisions the curtain airbag is triggered on the impact
side of the vehicle ⇒ Fig. 27.
In certain types of accident the front, side and curtain airbags may be trig-
gered together.
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled with propellant gas. In the
process, the curtain airbag covers the side windows and door pillars.
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within thousandths of a second, to
provide additional protection in the event of an accident. A fine dust may
develop when the airbag deploys. This is normal and it is not an indication
of fire in the vehicle.
The fully deployed airbags cushion the movement of the front occupants
and help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper body. The special design of the airbag allows the controlled escape of the propel-
lant gas when an occupant puts pressure on the bag. Thus, the head and
chest are surrounded and protected by the airbag.
Safety notes on the operation of the curtain airbag system
If you use airbags correctly, they can considerably reduce
the risk of injury in many kinds of accident.
WARNING
● In order for the side airbags to provide their maximum protection, the
prescribed sitting position must always be maintained with seat belts
fastened while travelling.
● For safety reasons, the curtain airbag must be disabled in those vehi-
cles fitted with a screen dividing the interior of the vehicle. See a Techni-
cal Service to make this adjustment.
● There must be no other persons, animals or objects between the oc-
cupants of the outer seats and the deployment space of the curtain air-
bags so that the curtain airbag can deploy without restriction and pro-
vide the greatest possible protection. Therefore, sun blinds which have
not been expressly approved for use in your vehicle may not be attached
to the side windows ⇒ page 222, Accessories, replacement of parts and
modifications.
● The built-in coat hooks should be used only for lightweight clothing.
Do not leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets. Please, do
not hang the clothes on coat hangers.
● The airbags provide protection for just one accident; replace them
once they have deployed.
45
Airbag system
– Check that the control lamp on the instrument panel ⇒ Fig. 29
does not light up when the ignition is switched on ⇒
.
WARNING
● The driver is responsible for the proper position of the key-operated
switch.
● You should only deactivate the front passenger front airbag when, in
exceptional cases, you have to use a rear-facing child seat on the front
passenger seat ⇒ page 46, Child safety.
● Never install a child seat facing backwards on the front passenger
seat unless the front passenger front airbag has been disabled. Other-
wise, there is a risk of death. If under exceptional circumstances it is nec-
essary to transport a child in a rear-facing child seat on the front passen-
ger seat, you must always disable the front passenger front airbag.
● As soon as the child seat is no longer needed on the front passenger
seat, enable the front passenger front airbag again.
● Only deactivate the front passenger front airbag when the ignition is
off, otherwise a fault may occur in the airbag system, which could cause
the airbag to not deploy properly or not deploy at all.
WARNING (Continued)
● When the front passenger front airbag is deactivated, if the control
lamp AIRBAG OFF is not continuously lit up, there may be a fault in the
airbag system:
–Have the airbag system inspected immediately by a specialised
workshop.
– Do not use a child seat on the front passenger seat! The front pas-
senger front airbag could be triggered despite the fact that there is a
fault in the system and, as a result, a child could sustain serious or
fatal injuries.
– It is unpredictable whether the front passenger airbag will deploy
in the event of an accident. Warn all your passengers of this.
● When using the ignition key to activate/deactivate the front passen-
ger front airbag, only the front passenger airbag will be activated/deacti-
vated. The side airbag and head airbag on the passenger side will remain
active.
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications
57
Cockpit
Operating instructions Cockpit
Overview Dash panel overview
Electric windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Door handle
Central locking switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Electric control for exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Air outlets with thumbwheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Light switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Lever for turn signals and main beam headlights . . . . . . . . . . .122
Instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Levers and switches for:
– Windscreen wipers and washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
– On-board computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
– Menu display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Depending on equipment fitted:
– Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
– Start-Stop switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
– Warning lamp indicating that front passenger airbag has
been disabled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
– Switch for acoustic parking aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
– Sun blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
123456789
1011
Hazard warning lights
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Drink holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Storage compartment
Depending on equipment fitted: Sound system or navigation
system
Lockable glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Front passenger airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Air conditioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Switch for heated rear window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Thumbwheel for seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Manual gear lever
Cigarette lighter/Power socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Auxiliary socket
Tyre pressure monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Storage compartment
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Seat memory* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Bonnet lock release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
– coming home and leaving home: delayed lights off and
anticipated lights on function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Lever for cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
12131415
161718192021222324252627282930
31
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications
59
Cockpit
Instruments Instrument panel overview
The instrument panel is the driver's information centre.
Fig. 38 Overview of instrument panel Coolant temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Rev counter incorporating digital clock and date . . . . . . . . . . . .61, 61
Warning and indicator lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Speedometer (incorporating odometer display) . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
1
2345
Adjuster buttons for
–
Digital clock and date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
– Instrument lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Digital display with
– Service interval display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
– Driver information system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
6
7
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications
60Cockpit
CHECK button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Call-up button for service indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Reset button for trip recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Coolant temperature gauge
Fig. 39 Engine coolant
temperature gauge
The coolant temperature gauge ⇒ Fig. 39 only works when the ignition is
switched on. In order to avoid engine damage, please read the following
notes for the different temperature ranges.
Cold area A
If the needle is still on the left of the dial, this indicates that the engine has
not yet reached operating temperature. Avoid high revs and heavy accelera-
tion and do not make the engine work hard.
Normal area B
In normal operations, the needle will settle somewhere in the centre of the
dial once the engine has reached running temperature. The temperature
may also rise when the engine is working hard, especially at high outside8
910
temperatures. This is no cause for concern, provided the warning lamp
does not light up in the instrument panel.
Warning area C
If the symbol
flashes in the display, this means that either the coolant
temperature is too high or the coolant level is too low ⇒ page 79.
WARNING
● Before opening the bonnet and checking the coolant level, observe
the warning information ⇒ page 227.
● Never open the bonnet when steam or coolant is being released from
it. This could lead to burns. Wait until you can no longer see or hear es-
caping steam or coolant.
CAUTION
Accessories in front of the air inlet reduce the cooling effect of the coolant.
At high outside temperatures and high engine loads, there is a risk of the
engine overheating.
64Cockpit
CHECK button
Fig. 44 Detailed view of
the instrument panel:
CHECK button
The CHECK
button has the following functions:
Activating the digital clock and the odometer
When the ignition is switched off, the odometer and the digital clock with
date display can be enabled for a few seconds by pressing the CHECK
but-
ton ⇒ Fig. 44.
Starting check procedure (auto-check control)
The auto-check control ⇒ page 76 checks important components and ve-
hicle systems. These background checks are run constantly, as long as the
ignition is switched on.
You can start the “check procedure” manually by pressing the CHECK
button
with the ignition switched on. This function check can be started with the
engine either stationary or running, but not at road speeds above 5 km/h.
Calling up driver messages
If a Priority 1 symbol flashes in the display ⇒ page 76, or if the bulb moni-
tor detects a failure of one of the lights ⇒ page 83, the relevant driver in- formation can be called up again by briefly pressing the
CHECK
button. For
example:
Switch off engine, check oil level
The message will disappear from the display after about 5 seconds.
Setting the speed warning
You can press the CHECK
button to set speed limit warning 1
⇒ page 84,
Setting speed limit warning 1 while the vehicle is moving . Speed limit warn-
ing 2* ⇒ page 85, Setting speed limit warning 2 can only be set when the
ignition is switched off .
65
Cockpit
Warning and indicator lamps General description
The warning and indicator lamps indicate a number of dif-
ferent functions and possible faults.
Fig. 45 Instrument panel with warning and indicator lamps
Exhaust emission control system⇒ page 66
Airbag system⇒ page 66
Tyre pressure too low⇒ page 67
Cruise speed (Cruise control)⇒ page 67
Trailer turn signals⇒ page 67
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)⇒ page 68
Seat belt warning⇒ page 68
If it stays lit: ASR switched off⇒ page 69
⇒ page 69
⇒ page 165
Left turn signals⇒ page 69
If flashing: the Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) is working or the ASR is working
If the following remain lit: ESC or ASR
faulty⇒ page 69
⇒ page 69
⇒ page 165
Alternator⇒ page 70
Main beam headlights⇒ page 70
Handbrake on⇒ page 70
⇒ page 77
Engine management (alternative to )⇒ page 70
Glow plug system (alternative to )⇒ page 70
Fault in brake system⇒ page 71
Right turn signals⇒ page 69
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications
66Cockpit
Note
A number of functions are monitored by the auto-check control
⇒ page 76. If a malfunction should occur, this will be shown by the dis-
play in the instrument panel either with a red symbol (priority 1 - danger) or
a yellow symbol (priority 2 - warning).
Exhaust emission control system
If the warning lamp lights up continuously you should take your vehicle to a
specialised workshop as soon as possible in order to have the fault re-
paired.
If the warning lamp flashes drive on at reduced speed and seek professio-
nal help in order to avoid damage to the catalytic converter.
For further information on the catalytic converter, see ⇒ page 195.
Airbag system
This warning lamp monitors the airbag and belt tension de-
vice system.
The control lamp should light up for a few seconds when the ignition is
switched on.
If the warning lamp does not go out, or if it lights up, flashes or flickers
when the vehicle is moving, this indicates a malfunction in the system.
WARNING
If a malfunction should occur, have the system checked immediately by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise there is a risk that the airbag system
and/or belt tensioners may not be triggered in an accident.