
To be classified correctly, the frontpassenger
must sit:
Rwith the seat belt fastened correctly
Rin a positionthat is as upright as possible
with their back against the seat backrest
Rwith 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
necessary repair work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you only use seat
accessories that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
Both the driver and the front passenger
should always observe the
indicator lamp to determine whether or not
the front passenger is positioned correctly.
Observe also the air bag display messages
that can be displayed in the instrument
cluster (Ypage 222).
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:
Ris empty or occupied by the weight of a
typical child up to twelve months old,
seated in a child restraint system
Ris occupied by a small individual, such as a
young teenager or a small adult
Ris 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
deactivates the front-passenger front air bag.
Deactivation takes place although the
collision fulfills the criteria for deploying the
driver's air bag.
System self-test
GWARNING
If the indicator lamp does not
illuminate, the system is not functioning. You
must contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center before seating any child on the front
passenger seat.
GWARNING
Never place anything betweenseat 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
backrest.
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.
If you turn the SmartKey to position1or2in
the ignition lock, the indicator
lamp illuminates.
If an adult occupant is sitting properly on the
front-passenger seat and the OCS classifies
the occupant as an adult, the
indicator lamp illuminates and goes out again
after approximately six seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the OCS
classifies the frontpassenger seat as being
unoccupied, the indicator lamp
will illuminate and notgo out.
For more information, see "Problems with the
Occupant Classification System"
(Ypage 49).
48Occupant safety
Safety

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
driver'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:
Rthe seat belt warning lamp remains lit
as long as the driver's or front-passenger's
seat belt is not fastened
and
Rif a vehicle speed of 15 mph (25 km/h) is
exceeded, the seat belt warning lamp
begins to flash.Awarning 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
seat belt warning lamp lights up and a
warning tone sounds again.
The warning tone ceases evenifthe driver or
front-passenger seat belt has still not been
fastened after 60 seconds. The seat belt
warning lamp stops flashing but remains
illuminated.
After the vehicle comes to a standstill, the
warning tone is reactivated. The seat
belt warning lamp flashes again if the vehicle
speed exceeds 15 mph (25 km/h).
The seat belt warning lamp only goes
out if:
Rboth the driver and the front passenger
have fastened their seat belts.
or
Rthe vehicle is stationary and a door is open.
iFor more information on the seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster,
seat belts" (Ypage 240).
Emergency Tensioning Devices, seat
belt force limiters
GWARNING
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices
that have been deployed are no longer
operational and are unable to perform their
intended protective function. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Therefore, have pyrotechnic Emergency
Tensioning Devices which have been
triggered immediately replaced at a qualified
specialist workshop.
!If the front-passenger seat is not
occupied, 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.
The front seat belts and the outer seat belts
in the rear are equipped with Emergency
Tensioning Devices and seat belt force
limiter.
The ETDs tighten the seat belts in an accident,
pulling them close against the body.
The ETDs do not correct incorrect seat
positions or incorrectly fastened seat belts.
The ETDs do not pull vehicle occupants back
towards the backrest.
The ETDs can only be activated when:
Rthe ignition is switched on.
Rthe restraint systems are operational; see
"