
Useful information
i This Operator's manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip- ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (Y page 26). Panic alarm
X
To activate: press0033button 0043for at
least one second.
An alarm sounds and the exterior lighting
flashes.
X To deactivate: press0033button 0043
again.
or
X Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock. Occupant safety
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Modifications to the restraint systems could
result in them not functioning properly any
more. The restraint systems could then no
longer protect vehicle occupants as they are designed to do and could fail in the event of an
accident or activate unexpectedly, for exam-
ple. There is an increased risk of injury.
Never modify parts of the restraint systems.
Do not attempt to modify the wiring as well as
electronic components or their software.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system to accommodate a person with disabilities, con-tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz center.
USA only: for further information contact our
Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1800-367-6372).
In this section, you will learn the most impor- tant facts about the restraint system compo-
nents of the vehicle.
The restraint system consists of:
R Seat belts
R Child restraint systems
R LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat securing
system
Additional protection is provided by:
R SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
R Air bag system components with:
- PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
- Front-passenger seat with Occupant
Classification System (OCS)
Although the systems are independent, their
protective functions work in conjunction with each other. Not all air bags are always
deployed in an accident.
i For information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle restraint
systems for infants and children, see "Chil-
dren in the vehicle" (Y page 56). SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
Introduction Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) with:
R The 0075 SRS warning lamp
R Air bags
R Air bag control unit (with crash sensors) 40
Occupant safetySafety

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

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 can
increase the risk and potential severity of
hand/arm injury if the driver front 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 inflates. This could result in
serious or fatal injuries should the side
impact air bag be deployed. Always sit as
upright as possible, wear the seat belt prop-
erly 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.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that you
make the buyer aware of this safety informa-
tion. Be sure to give the buyer this Operator's
Manual.
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 and does not indicate that there is a fire in the vehicle. The dust might cause
some temporary breathing difficulty for peo-
ple with asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid this, you may wish to get out of the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. You can
also open the window to allow fresh air to
enter the vehicle interior. The 0075SRS warn-
ing lamp lights up.
The air bag installation locations are identi-
fied by the AIR BAG symbol.
The air bags are deployed if the air bag control
unit detects the need for deployment. Only in the event of such a situation will the air bags
provide their supplemental protection.
If the driver and front passenger do not wear their seat belts, it is not possible for the air
bags to provide their supplemental protec-
tion.
In the event of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment thresh-
olds, the air bags will not deploy. The driver
and passenger will then be protected to the
extent possible by a properly fastened seat
belt. A properly fastened seat belt is also nee- ded 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 regardless of whether your vehicle is
equipped with air bags or not.
It is important for your safety and that of your
passenger 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.
i After an air bag has been deployed, have
the vehicle towed to the nearest qualified
specialist workshop, even if your vehicle is
ready to drive.
Front air bags Driver's air bag
0043deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air 44
Occupant safetySafety

bag
0044deploys in front of and above the glove
box.
The front air bags increase protection for the driver's and front passenger's head and
chest.
They are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate of
vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction
R if the system determines that air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R independently of other air bags in the vehi-
cle
The release time of the front air bags is
dependent upon the use of the seat belt.
If the vehicle rolls over, the front air bags are
generally not 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 part of the total
available propellant gas, thereby reducing the
risk of injury. If the air bag control unit rec-
ognizes within a few milliseconds that the
vehicle is being braked or accelerated faster
than originally predicted, the front air bag is
filled with the maximum amount of propellant gas available.
The deployment of the front-passenger front
air bag is also influenced by the weight cate-
gory of the front passenger, which is deter-
mined by the Occupant Classification System
(OCS) (Y page 47).
The lighter the passenger-side occupant, the
higher the vehicle deceleration rate required
(predicted at the start of the impact) for sec- ond stage inflation of the front-passenger
front air bag. In the second stage, the front air
bags are inflated with the maximum amount
of propellant gas available. The front-passenger front air bag will only
deploy if:
R the system, based on the OCS weight sen-
sor readings, detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied
R the PASSENGER air bag OFF indicator lamp
on the center console is not lit
(Y page 47)
R the air bag control unit predicts a high
impact severity
The front air bags are not deployed in situa-
tions where a low impact severity is predic-
ted. You will then be protected by the fas-
tened seat belt.
Knee bags Driver's knee bag
0043deploys underneath the
steering column and front-passenger knee
bag 0044underneath the glove box. They
deploy together with the front air bags. They
are designed to operate together with the
front air bags in frontal impacts if certain
thresholds are exceeded. The knee bags
operate at best in conjunction with correctly
positioned and fastened seat belts.
Knee bags provide increased protection for
the driver and front passenger against the risk
of:
R knee injuries
R thigh injuries
R lower leg injuries Occupant safety
45Safety Z

indicator lamp not illuminate or go out while
the restraint is installed, please check
installation. Periodically check the
00730074 indicator lamp while driving to
make sure that the 00730074indicator
lamp is illuminated. If the 00730074indi-
cator lamp goes out or remains out, do not transport a child on the front-passenger
seat until the system has been repaired.
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.
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 recommen-
ded for the age, size and weight of the
child
- secure child restraint with the vehicle's
seat belt according to the child seat man-
ufacturer's instructions
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
If the red 0075SRS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and the 00730074indica-
tor lamp light up simultaneously, the OCS is
malfunctioning. The front passenger front air
bag will be deactivated in this case. Have the system checked by qualified technicians as
soon as possible. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only have the seat repaired or replaced at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
In order to ensure proper operation of the air
bag system and OCS:
R Sit with the seat belt properly fastened in a
position that is as upright as possible with
your back against the seat backrest.
R When seated, a passenger should not posi-
tion him/herself in such a way as to cause the passenger's weight to be lifted from the seat cushion as this may result in the OCS
being unable to correctly approximate the
passenger's weight category.
R Read and observe all warnings in this chap-
ter. 0043
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
If the SmartKey is removed from the ignition
lock or is in position 0, PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp 0043does not light up.
The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
categorizes the occupant on the front-
passenger seat using a weight sensor.
The front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted automatically for certain weight catego-
ries.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
shows you the current status.
The system does not deactivate:
R the side impact air bag
R the window curtain air bag
R the Emergency Tensioning Devices
To be classified correctly, the front passenger
must sit:
R with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in a position that is as upright as possible
with their back against the seat backrest
R with their feet on the floor
The OCS weight sensor reading is affected if
the occupant's weight is transferred, e.g. by
leaning on the armrest.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or the seat cushion are damaged, have the nec- Occupant safety
49Safety Z

essary repair work carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat accessories
that have been approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Both the driver and the front passenger
should always observe the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp as an indication of
whether or not the front passenger is posi-
tioned correctly. Observe also the air bag dis- play messages that can be displayed in the
instrument cluster (Y page 225).
If the driver's air bag deploys, this does not
mean that the front-passenger front air bag
will also deploy.
The OCS may have detected that the seat:
R is empty or occupied by the weight of a
typical child up to twelve months old,
seated in a child restraint system.
R is occupied by a small individual, such as a
young teenager or a small adult.
R is occupied by a child in a child restraint
system whose weight is greater than that of
a typical twelve month old child.
These are examples of when the OCS deacti- vates the front-passenger front air bag. Deac-
tivation takes place although the collision ful- fills the criteria for deploying the driver's air
bag.
For further information, see "Air bag display
messages" (Y page 225).
System self-test G
WARNING
If the 00730074indicator lamp does not illu-
minate, the system is not functioning. You
must contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center before seating any child on the front
passenger seat. G
WARNING
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. a pillow), since it reduces the effectiveness of the OCS. The underside
and rear side child restraint system must be placed entirely on the seat cushion and the
backrest of the front-passenger seat back-
rest.
If necessary, adjust the tilt of the passenger
seat backrest.
An incorrectly mounted child seat could cause injuries to the child in case of an accident,
instead of increasing protection for the child.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for
installation of child restraint systems.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up:
R if you turn the SmartKey in the ignition lock
to position 1or 2
R if an adult is seated properly on the front-
passenger seat and the OCS classifies the
occupant as an adult
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
goes out again after approximately six sec-
onds.
If the seat is not occupied and the OCS
detects that the front-passenger seat is
empty, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indica- tor lamp will continue to light up. The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp will
not go out.
For further information, see "Problems with
the Occupant Classification System"
(Y page 51). 50
Occupant safetySafety

Problems with the occupant classification system
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lights up and remains
on.
The person on the
front-passenger seat:
R
has the weight of a
typical adult
R has been determined
by the system not to
be a child The OCS is malfunctioning.
X Make sure that the front passenger is sitting in a correct, upright
position.
X Have the OCS checked as soon as possible at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display (Y page 225). G
WARNING
If the 00730074 indicator lamp illuminates and remains illuminated when the weight of a typical
adult or someone larger than a small individual has been detected on the passenger seat, do not allow any occupant to use the passenger seat until the system has been repaired. Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050 0050Solutions The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lamp does not light up
and/or stays on.
The front-passenger
seat is:
R unoccupied
R occupied with the
weight of a child up
to twelve months old
in a child restraint
system The OCS is malfunctioning.
X Make sure there is nothing between the seat cushion and the
child seat.
X Make sure that the backrest and base of the child restraint sys-
tem are resting securely on the front-passenger seat. If neces-
sary, adjust the position of the front-passenger seat.
X When installing the child restraint system, make sure that the
seat belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight with the front-
passenger seat adjustment. This could result in the seat belt
being pulled too tightly.
X Check the installation of the child restraint system.
X Make sure that no objects are applying additional weight onto
the seat.
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off, have
the OCS checked immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop. Do not transport a child on the front-passenger seat until the OCS has been repaired.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display (Y page 225). Occupant safety
51Safety Z

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