
R
Emergency Tensioning Devices for the
front seat belts and the outer seat belts in
the rear
R Seat belt force limiter for the front seat
belts and the outer seat belts in the rear
SRS reduces the risk of vehicle occupants
coming into contact with parts of the vehi-
cle's interior in the event of an accident. It can
also reduce the forces to which vehicle occu-
pants are subjected during an accident.
SRS warning lamp G
WARNING
If SRS is malfunctioning, restraint system
components may be triggered unintentionally
or might not be triggered at all in the event of
an accident with a high rate of vehicle decel-
eration. There is an increased risk of injury,
possibly even fatal.
Have SRS checked and repaired immediately
at a qualified specialist workshop.
SRS functions are checked regularly when
you switch on the ignition and when the
engine is running. Therefore, malfunctions
can be detected in good time.
The 0075 SRS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched on. It goes out no later than a few seconds
after the engine is started.
The SRS components are in operational read-
iness when the 0075SRS indicator lamp goes
out while the engine is running.
There is a malfunction if:
R the 0075 SRS warning lamp does not light
up when the ignition is switched on
R the engine is running and the 0075SRS
warning lamp does not go out after a few
seconds
R the engine is running and the 0075SRS
warning lamp lights up again Triggering of Emergency Tensioning
Devices and air bags During the first stage of a collision, the air bag
control unit evaluates important physical
data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
R duration
R direction
R magnitude
Based on the evaluation of this data, the air
bag control unit pre-emptively triggers the
Emergency Tensioning Device in the first
stage.
If there is an even higher rate of vehicle decel- eration or acceleration in a longitudinal direc-tion, the front air bags are also deployed.
Your vehicle has adaptive, two-stage front air bags. The air bag control unit evaluates vehi-cle deceleration or acceleration in the event
of a collision. In the first deployment stage,
the front air bag is filled with enough propel-
lant gas to reduce the risk of injuries. The
front air bag is fully deployed if a second
deployment threshold is reached within a few
milliseconds.
The Emergency Tensioning Device and air bag triggering thresholds are variable and are
adapted to the detected rate of deceleration
or acceleration of the vehicle. This process is
pre-emptive in nature. The triggering process must take place in good time at the start of
the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the direction of the force are essen-
tially determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the colli-
sion
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the vehi-
cle
R the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors that can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a Occupant safety
41Safety Z

The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side will deploy if the front-
passenger seat belt is fastened, regardless of whether the front-passenger seat is occupied
or not.
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side does not deploy under the fol-
lowing conditions:
R OCS has detected that the front-passenger
seat is unoccupied.
R the front-passenger seat belt is not fas-
tened.
Window curtain air bags Window curtain air bags
0043enhance the level
of protection for the head, but not chest or
arms, of the vehicle occupants on the side of the vehicle on which the impact occurs.
Window curtain air bags 0043are integrated
into the side of the roof frame and deployed in the area from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
Window curtain air bags are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate of
lateral vehicle deceleration or acceleration,
e.g. in a side impact
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R on the driver's side and passenger side, in
the event of a vehicle rollover and if the
system determines that air bag deployment
can offer the vehicle occupants additional
protection to that provided by the seat belt
R independently of the use of the seat belt R
regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R independently of the front air bags
Window curtain air bags 0043will not deploy in
the event of impacts which do not exceed the
system's preset deployment thresholds for
vehicle acceleration/deceleration. You will
then be protected by the fastened seat belt. Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
How the Occupant Classification Sys-
tem works G
WARNING
If the 00730074 indicator lamp illuminates
when an adult or someone larger than a small individual is in the front-passenger seat, havethe front passenger reposition himself or her-
self in the seat until the 00730074indicator
lamp goes out.
In the event of a collision, the air bag control
unit will not allow front-passenger front air
bag deployment when the OCS has classified
the front-passenger seat occupant as weigh-
ing as much as or less than a typical 12-
month-old child in a standard child restraint or if the front-passenger seat is 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 00730074indicator lamp will
illuminate when the engine is started and
remain illuminated, indicating that the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front-
passenger seat is classified as being empty,
the 00730074 indicator lamp will illuminate
when the engine is started and remain illumi-
nated, indicating that the front-passenger
front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front-
passenger seat occupant is classified as Occupant safety
47Safety
Z

being heavier than the weight of a typical 12-
month-old child seated in a standard child
restraint or as being a small individual (such
as a young teenager or a small adult), the
00730074 indicator lamp will illuminate for
approximately 6 seconds when the engine is
started and then, depending on occupant
weight sensor readings from the front-
passenger seat, remain illuminated or go out. With the 00730074 indicator lamp illumina-
ted, the front-passenger front air bag is deac-
tivated. With the 00730074indicator lamp
out, the front-passenger front air bag is acti-
vated.
When the OCS senses that the front-
passenger seat occupant is classified as an
adult or someone larger than a small individ-
ual, the 00730074 indicator lamp will illumi-
nate for approximately 6 seconds when the
engine is started and then go out, indicating
that the front-passenger front air bag is acti-
vated.
If the 00730074 indicator lamp is illuminated,
the front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted and will not be deployed.
If the 00730074 indicator lamp is not illumi-
nated, the front-passenger front air bag is
activated and will be deployed:
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
R independently of the side impact air bags
If the front-passenger front air bag is
deployed, the rate of inflation will be influ-
enced by:
R the rate of relevant vehicle deceleration as
assessed by the air bag control unit
R the front passenger's weight category as
identified by 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 prop- erly secured in an appropriate infant restraint,
toddler restraint, or booster seat recommen-
ded for the size and weight of the child.
The infant or child restraint 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 appropriately 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 impor-
tant information when circumstances require you to place a child in the front-passenger
seat:
R Your vehicle is equipped with air bag tech-
nology 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 A child 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 rec- ommend 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
00730074 indicator lamp is illuminated,
indicating that the front-passenger front air bag is deactivated. Should the 0073007448
Occupant safetySafety

X
Press release button 0085on belt buckle 0087.
X Guide belt tongue 0044back to belt guide 0043.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger Every time the engine is started, the
0076
seat belt warning lamp lights up for six sec-
onds. It lights up regardless of whether the
driver's and front-passenger seat belts have
already been fastened. If the driver's and
front-passenger seat belts have already been fastened, the 0076seat belt warning lamp
then goes out.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened when
the engine is started, an additional warning
tone will sound. This warning tone stops after
a maximum of six seconds or once the driv-
er's seat belt is fastened.
If after six seconds, the driver or front
passenger have not fastened their seat belts
and the doors are closed:
R the 0076 seat belt warning lamp remains lit
as long as the driver's or front-passenger's seat belt is not fastened
and
R if a vehicle speed of 15 mph (25 km/h) is
exceeded, the 0076seat belt warning lamp
begins to flash. A warning tone also sounds
with increasing intensity for a maximum of 60 seconds or until the driver or front
passenger have fastened their seat belts.
If the driver/front passenger unfasten their
seat belt while the vehicle is in motion, the
0076 seat belt warning lamp lights up and a
warning tone sounds again.
The warning tone ceases even if the driver or
front-passenger seat belt has still not been
fastened after 60 seconds. The 0076seat belt
warning lamp stops flashing but remains illu- minated.
After the vehicle comes to a standstill, the
warning tone is reactivated. The 0076seat
belt warning lamp flashes again if the vehicle
speed exceeds 15 mph (25 km/h).
The 0076 seat belt warning lamp only goes
out if:
R both the driver and the front passenger
have fastened their seat belts.
or
R the vehicle is stationary and a door is open.
i For more information on the
0076seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster, seat
belts" (Y page 243).
Emergency Tensioning Devices, seat
belt force limiter G
WARNING
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices
that have been deployed are no longer opera- tional and are unable to perform their inten-
ded protective function. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Therefore, have pyrotechnic Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices which have been triggered
immediately replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
! If the front-passenger seat is not occu-
pied, 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. Occupant safety
55Safety Z

Replace child restraint systems which have
been damaged or subjected to a load in an
accident as soon as possible. Have the secur- ing systems on the child restraint system
checked at a qualified specialist workshop,
before you install a child restraint system
again. 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.
A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is sig- nificantly increased if the child restraints are
not properly secured in the vehicle and/or thechild 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 the face or neck. A booster seat may be necessary to achieve proper seat
belt positioning for children over 41 lbs
(18 kg) until they reach a height where a lap/
shoulder belt fits properly without a booster
seat.
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 becom-
ing a projectile in the event of an accident. 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. G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren 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 the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight. Pro- tect it with a blanket, for example. If the childrestraint 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:
R Secure the child with a child or infant seat
restraint system appropriate to the age and
weight of the child.
R Make sure that the infant or child is prop-
erly secured at all times while the vehicle is
in motion.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you always
properly secure all infants and children with a
child or infant seat restraint system for the
trip.
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in:
R all 50 states
R the U.S. territories 58
Children in the vehicleSafety

X
Hook Top Tether hook 0085into Top Tether
anchorage 0087.
X Make sure that Top Tether belt 0083is not
twisted.
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system with Top Tether. Always
comply with the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions
when doing so. Make sure that Top Tether
belt 0083is tight. Child-proof locks
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. G
WARNING
If children are traveling in the vehicle, they
could:
R open doors, thus endangering other people
or road users
R exit the vehicle and be caught by oncoming
traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always activate the child-proof locks and
override feature if children are traveling in the vehicle. When leaving the vehicle, always take
the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unattended in the vehicle.
You can activate the following child-proof
locks: R rear doors (Y page 62)
R rear side windows (Y page 63)
Child-proof locks for the rear doors G
WARNING
Children could open a rear door from inside
the vehicle. This could result in serious inju-
ries 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. A door
secured with a child-proof lock cannot be
opened from inside the vehicle. When the 62
Children in the vehicleSafety

This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
The 0025 ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched on. It goes out when the engine is running.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 63).G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid- ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately 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 245) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 214).
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h) , regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery roads, even if
you only brake gently.
Braking X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit- uation 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 indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions, and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving. BAS (Brake Assist System)
General information BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. 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" sec-
tion (Y page 63). 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. COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
General notes COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST consists of
the Adaptive Brake Assist and the distance
warning function, which are described in the
following.
Distance warning function Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 63). 64
Driving safety systemsSafety

R
there is 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
R new vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Observe the notes in the section on break-
ing-in (Y page 140).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS General information
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
only available on vehicles with DISTRONIC.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
extends the functionality of COLLISION PRE-
VENTION ASSIST with an automatic braking
function. COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS can help you to minimize the risk of a
front-end collision with a vehicle ahead or
reduce the effects of such a collision. If COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS detects
that there is a risk of a collision, you will be
warned visually and acoustically. In critical
situations COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS also initiates automatic braking.
Function X To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS in the on-board computer
(Y page 206).
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
activated, the 00C7symbol appears in the
assistance graphics display.
If the driver's seat belt is fastened, COLLI-
SION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can brake automatically within a speed range of
between 4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph
(200 km/h).
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can
also react to stationary obstacles with auto-
matic braking within a speed range of
between 4 mph (7 km/h) and 19 mph
(30 km/h).
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R there is snow or heavy rain
R there is 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
R new vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Observe the notes in the section on break-
ing-in (Y page 140).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi- cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 63).
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 Driving safety systems
67Safety Z