Children may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle ,taking the child with
you, always ensure that th echild restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight.
Protect it with a blanket, for example. If the
child restraint system has been exposed to
direct sunlight, let it cool down before
securing the child in it. Never leave children
unattended in the vehicle.
If an infant or child is traveling in the vehicle:
X Secure the child with a child or infant seat
restraint system appropriate to the age and
weight of the child.
X Make sure that the infant or child is
properly secured at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
Special seat belt retractor All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor.
When activated, the special seat belt
retractor ensures that 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 seat
belt retractor.
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 seat
belt retractor retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should
hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat
belt retractor is activated.
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.
Special seat belt retractor All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor.
When activated, the special seat belt
retractor ensures that 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 seat
belt retractor.
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 seat
belt retractor retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should
hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat
belt retractor is activated.
X Push down on the child restraint system to
take up any slack. Children in the vehicle
59Safety Z
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-loc
kBraking System)
General information ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
tha
tthe wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the
vehicle when braking.
The yellow 0018ABS warning lamp in the
instrumentc luster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Importan tsafety notes"
sectio n(Ypage 61). 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 234) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 207).
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface
conditions. ABS works on slippery surfaces,
even if you only brake gently. 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. BAS (Brake AssistS
ystem)
General information BAS operates in emergency braking
situations. If you depress the brake pedal
quickly, BAS automatically boosts the braking
force, thus shortening the stopping distance.
Important safety notes
i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 61). 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.
Braking X
Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. 62
Driving safety systemsSafety
within a speed range between
4mph
(7 km/h) and 155 mph (250 km/ h).
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h), BAS PLUS can also react to
stationary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
i 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 situatio nis over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes
function as usual again, if:
R you release the brake pedal
R there is no longer a risk of collision
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 61).
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
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 61).
ETS/4ETS 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. In addition, more drive torque is
transferred to the wheel or wheels with
traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP
®
.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 61). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further
driving safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! When testing the electric parking brake
on a braking dynamometer, switch off the
ignition. Application of the brakes by
ESP ®
may otherwise destroy the brake
system.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: observe the notes
on ESP ®
(Y page 291) when towing the
vehicle with a raised rear axle.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the 0015warning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up
continuously when the engine is running.
If the 000D warning lamp and the 0015
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 236) and displaym essages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 207).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly. 64
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety
Characteristics of ESP
General information
If the
000D ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the 000DESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrumen tcluster.
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 your driving style to suit the
prevailing road and weathe rconditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts
automatically when the driver wants 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.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 61).
You can select between the following
statuses of ESP:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. 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. 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
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply.E SP®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the
vehicle if the vehicle starts to skid or a
wheel starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
You can activate and deactivate ESP ®
using
the on-board computer.
X To deactivate: (Ypage 197).
The 0015 ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: (Ypage 197).
The 0015 ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
star tto spin, the 000DESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a
cutting action for better traction on loose
surfaces.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake. Driving safety systems
65Safety Z
Deactivating/activating ESP
®
(AMG
vehicles) Important safety notes
You can selec
tbetween the following
statuses of ESP:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R SPORT handling mode is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and
accidents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the
situations described in the following. 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.
In the following situations, it may be better to
activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R on designated roads when the vehicle's
own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP ®
requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the
vehicle if the vehicle starts to skid or a
wheel starts to spin. Deactivating/activating ESP
® X
To activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button 0002.
The 0003 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button 0002.
The 0003 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button 0002until
the 0015 ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The 000DOFF message appears in the
multifunction display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button 0002.
The 0015 ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The 000D
ESP ®
ON message appears in the
multifunction display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT
handling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the 000DESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP ®
only stabilizes the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R traction control is still activated. 66
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety
Brake cannot prevent a collision withou
tyour
intervention.
Important safety notes 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 emergenc ybraking cannot 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 order to maintai nthe appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a
collision, you must apply the brakes yourself. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may neither
give warnings nor 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. In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, the
recognition can be impaired.
Recognition by the radar sensor system is
also impaired in the event of:
R
dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
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 sensors 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.
Function X
To activate/deactivate: activate or
deactivate PRE-SAFE ®
Brake in the on-
board computer (Y page 198).
If the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is not activated, the
0001 symbol appears in the multifunction
display.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph
(7 km/h), this function warns you if you
rapidly approach a vehicle in front.An
intermitten twarning tone will then sound and
the 000A distance warning lamp will light up
in the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
X Take evasive action provide ditis safe to do
so.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also brake the vehicle
automatically under the following conditions:
R the driver and front-passenger have their
seat belts fastened 68
Driving safety systemsSafety
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
The engine cannot be
started using the
SmartKey. The on-board voltage is too low.
X
Switch off non-essential consumers, e.g. seat heating or interior
lighting, and try to start the engine again.
If this does not work:
X Check the starter battery and charge it if necessary
(Y page 284).
or
X Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 288).
or
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine cannot be
started using the
SmartKey. The steering lock is mechanically blocked.
X
Remove the SmartKey and reinsert it into the ignition lock. While
doing this, turn the steering wheel in both directions. The engine cannot be
started using KEYLESS-
GO. The SmartKey is in
the vehicle. Ad
oor is open. Therefore, the SmartKey cannot be detected as
easily.
X Close the door and try to start the vehicle again. There is interference from a powerful source of radio waves.
X
Start your vehicle with the SmartKey in the ignition lock. Doors
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R Start the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury. When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
G
WARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected
to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle.
You should preferably place luggage or loads
in the cargo compartment. Observe the
loading guidelines (Y page 246). Doors
77Opening and closing Z
X
Turn the mechanical key clockwise as far
as it will go to position 0005.
X Turn the mechanical key back and remove
it.
X Make sure that the doors and the trunk lid
are locked.
X Insert the mechanical key into the
SmartKey.
i If you lock the vehicle as described above,
the fuel filler flap is not locked. The anti-
theft alarm system is not armed. Trunk
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected
to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle. G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Exhaust
gases can enter the vehicle interior if the
trunk lid is open when the engine is running,
especially if the vehicle is in motion .There is
a risk of poisoning.
Always switch off the engine before opening
the trunk lid. Never drive with the trunk lid
open. !
The trunk lid swings upwards when
opened. Therefore, make sure that there is
sufficient clearance above the trunk lid.
i Opening dimensions of the trunk lid
(Y page 340).
You should preferably place luggage or loads
in the cargo compartment. Observe the
loading guidelines (Y page 246).
Do not leave the SmartKey in the trunk. You
could otherwise lock yourself out.
The trunk lid can be:
R opened and closed manually from outside
R opened automatically from outside
R opened automatically from inside
R locked separately
R unlocked with the mechanical key
R opened with the emergency release button Trunk lid reversing feature
The trunk lid is equipped with an automatic
reversing feature. It reacts if a solid object
obstructs or restricts the trunk lid during the
closing procedure. The trunk lid opens again
automatically .The automatic reversing
feature is only an aid and is not a substitute
for your attentiveness to the trunk lid while it
is closing. G
WARNING
The reversing feature does not react:
R to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. small
fingers
R over the last 1/3 in(8 mm) of the closing
movement
This means that the reversing feature cannot
prevent someone being trapped in these
situations. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure. 80
TrunkOpening and closing