2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA warning

RImproper repairwork on the SRS creates a
risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or
causing unintended air bag deployment.
Work on the SRS must therefore only be
performed by qualified technicians.
Consult an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
RFor your protection and the protection of
others, when scrapping the air bag unit or
ETD, our safety instructions must be
followed. These are available from any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
RGiven the considerable deployment speed,
required inflation volume, and the material
of the air bags, there is the possibility of
abrasions or other, potentially more serious
injuries resulting from air bag deployment.
If you sell your vehicle, Mercedes-Benz
strongly recommends that you inform the
subsequent owner that the vehicle is
equipped with SRS. Also, refer them to the
applicable section in the Operator's Manual.
Air bags
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Using unsuitable seat covers could restrictor
even preventdeployment of the air bags
integrated into the seats. Consequently, the
air bags cannot protectvehicle occupants as
they are designed to do. In addition, the
function of the air bag deactivation system
could be restricted. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz.
GWARNING
The air bag parts are hot after the airbag has
been deployed. There is a risk of injury.
Do not touch the air bag parts. Have the
deployed air bags replaced at a qualified
specialist workshop as soon as possible.
GWARNING
Air bags are designed to reduce the potential
of injury and fatality in certain:
Rfrontal impacts (driver's/front-passenger
air bags and knee bags)
Rside impacts (side impact air bags and
window curtain air bags)
Rrollover (window curtain air bags)
However, no system available today can
completely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
When the air bags are deployed, a small
amount of powder temporarily comes out of
the air bags. This dust, however, is generally
neither harmful to your health, nor does it
indicate a fire in the vehicle. In order to
preventpotential breathing difficulties, you
may wish to get out of the vehicle as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have any breathing
difficulty but cannot get out of the vehicle
after the air bag inflates, then get fresh air by
opening a window or door.
GWARNING
In order to reduce the potential danger of
injuries caused during the deployment of the
front air bags, the driver and front passenger
must always be correctly seated and wear
their seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision, you must always be in the normal
seat position with your back against the
backrest.Fasten your seat belt and make sure
that it is correctly positioned on your body.
Occupant safety41
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As the airbag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating position
and correct positioning of the hands on the
steering wheel will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the air bag. Occupants who are
notwearing their seat belt, are not seated
properly or are too close to the air bag can be
seriously injured or killed by an air bag, as it
inflates with great force instantaneously:
Rsit with the seat belt fastened correctly and
in a position that is as upright as possible
with your back against the backrest.
Rmove the driver's seat as far back as
possible, still permitting proper operation
of vehicle controls. The distance from the
center of the driver's chest to the center of
the air bag cover on the steering wheel
must be at least 10 inches (25 cm). You
should be able to accomplish this by
adjusting the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any difficulties, please contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Rdo not lean your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or dashboard.
Ronly 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.
Radjust the front-passenger seat as far back
as possible from the dashboard when the
seat is occupied.
Roccupants, 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
properly 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
information. 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
people 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. TheSRS
warning lamp lights up.
The air bag installation locations are
identified 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 situationwill the air bags
provide their supplemental protection.
If the driverand front passengerdo not wear
their seat belts, it is not possible for the air
bags to provide their supplemental
protection.
In the event of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, the air bags will not deploy. The
driver and passenger will then be protected
to the extentpossible by a properly fastened
seat belt.Aproperly fastened seat beltis also
needed 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
42Occupant safety
Safety

Driver's knee bagdeploys underneath the
steering column and front-passenger knee
bagunderneath the glove box. They
deploy together with the front airbags. 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 frontpassenger against the risk
of:
Rknee injuries
Rthigh injuries
Rlower leg injuries
Side impact air bags
GWARNING
Using unsuitable seat coverscould restrictor
even preventdeployment of the air bags
integrated into the seats. Consequently, the
air bags cannot protectvehicle occupants as
they are designed to do. In addition, the
function of the air bag deactivation system
could be restricted. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz.
GWARNING
Sensors to control the air bags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not
performed correctly to the doors or door
paneling, as well as damaged doors, can lead
to the function of the sensors being impaired.
The air bags might therefore not function
properly any more. Consequently, the air bags
cannot protectvehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. There is an increased risk of
injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door
paneling carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-
Benz.The seat covers must have a special
tear seam for side impact air bags. Otherwise,
the side impact air bags cannot deploy
correctly and therefore cannot provide the
intended protection in the event of an
accident.
Front side impact air bagsand rear side
impact air bagsdeploy next to the outer
seat cushions.
When deployed, the side impact air bags offer
additional protection of the thorax for
occupants on the front seats as well as also
of the pelvis for the vehicle occupants on the
side of the vehicle on which the impact
occurs. However, they do not protect the:
Rhead
Rneck
Rarms
The side impact air bags are deployed:
Ron the side on which an impact occurs
Rat the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, e.g. inaside impact
Rindependently of the use of the seat belt
Rindependently of the front air bags
Rindependently of the ETDs
If the vehicle rolls over, the side impactair
bags are generally not deployed. Side impact
air bags are deployed if the system detects
high vehicle deceleration or acceleration in a
lateral direction and determines that side
impactair bag deploymentcan offer
44Occupant safety
Safety

additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt.
Side impactair bags will not deploy in side
impacts which do not exceed the system's
presetdeployment thresholds for lateral
acceleration/deceleration.You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belt.
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side is not deployed in the
following situations:
ROCS has detected that the front-passenger
seat is unoccupied.
Rthe front-passenger seat belt is not
fastened.
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.
Window curtain air bags
Window curtain air bagsenhance 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 bagsare 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:
Rat the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, e.g. inaside impact
Ron the side on which an impactoccurs
Ron the driver's side and passenger side, in
the event of a vehicle rollover and if the
system determines that airbag deployment
can offer the vehicle occupants additional
protection to that provided by the seat belt
Rindependently of the use of the seat belt
Rregardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
Rindependently of the frontair bags
Window curtain air bagswill not deploy in
the eventofimpacts which do not exceed the
system's presetdeployment thresholds for
vehicle acceleration/deceleration.You will
then be protected by the fastened seat belt.
Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
Method of operation
GWARNING
If theindicator lamp illuminates
when an adult or someone larger than a small
individual is in the front-passenger seat, have
the front passenger reposition himself or
herself in the seat until the
indicator 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
weighing 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, theindicator 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,
Occupant safety45
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theindicator lamp will illuminate
when the engine is started and remain
illuminated, indicating thatthe front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front-
passenger seat occupant is classified as
being heavier than the weight of a typical 12-
month-old child seated inastandard child
restraint or as being a small individual (such
as a young teenager orasmall adult), the
indicator lamp will illuminate for
approximately6seconds when the engine is
started and then, depending on occupant
weight sensor readings from the front-
passenger seat, remain illuminated or go out.
With theindicator lamp
illuminated, the front-passenger frontair bag
is deactivated. With theindicator
lamp out, the front-passengerfront air bag is
activated.
When the OCS senses that the front-
passenger seat occupant is classified as an
adult or someone larger than a small
individual, theindicator lamp will
illuminate for approximately6seconds when
the engine is started and then go out,
indicating that the front-passenger front air
bag is activated.
If theindicator lamp is illuminated,
the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed.
If theindicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front-passenger frontair bag
is activated and will be deployed:
Rin the event of certain frontal impacts
Rif impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
Rindependently of the side impact air bags
If the front-passenger front air bag is
deployed, the rate of inflation will be
influenced by:
Rthe rate of relevant vehicle decelerationas
assessed by the air bag control unit
Rthe frontpassenger's weightcategory as
identified by OCS
GWARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
saferwhen 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
properly secured in an appropriate infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended 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
important information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front-
passenger seat:
RYour vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology 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.
RAchild 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
recommend that you always place a child
46Occupant safety
Safety

in a rear-facing child restraint on the rear
seat.
RIf you install a rear-facing child restraint on
the front-passengerseat, make sure the
indicator lamp is illuminated,
indicating that the front-passenger frontair
bag is deactivated. Should the
indicator lamp not illuminate or go out while
the restraint is installed, please check
installation.Periodically check the
indicator lamp while driving to
make sure that theindicator
lamp is illuminated. If the
indicator lamp goes out or remains out, do
not transport a child on the front-passenger
seat until the system has been repaired.
Achild 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.
RIf 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
recommended for the age, size and
weight of the child
-secure child restraint with the vehicle's
seat belt according to the child seat
manufacturer's instructions
RFor children larger than the typical 12-
month-old child, the front-passenger front
air bag may or may not be activated.
GWARNING
If the redSRS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and the
indicator 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-BenzCenter.
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:
RSit with the seat belt properly fastened in a
position that is as upright as possible with
your back against the seat backrest.
RWhen seated, a passenger should not
position 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.
RRead and observe all warnings in this
chapter.
If the SmartKey has been removed from the
ignition lock or is in position0,
indicator lampdoes 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 deactivated
automatically for certain weight categories.
indicator lampshows you the
current status. Ifindicator
lampis lit, the front-passenger front air
bag is disabled.
The system does not deactivate:
Rthe side impact air bag
Rthe window curtain air bag
Rthe Emergency Tensioning Devices
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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 theindicator 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, theindicator
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, theindicator lamp
will illuminate and notgo out.
For more information, see "Problems with the
Occupant Classification System"
(Ypage 49).
48Occupant safety
Safety

Problems with the Occupant Classification System
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and
Solutions
The
indicator lamp
illuminates and
remains illuminated.
The person on the
front-passenger seat:
Rhas the weight of a
typical adult
Rhas been determined
by the system not to
be a child
The OCS is malfunctioning.
XHave the OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction
display (Ypage 222).
GWARNING
If theindicator 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.
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and
Solutions
The
indicator lamp does not
illuminate and/or does
not remain illuminated.
The front-passenger
seat is:
Runoccupied
Roccupied with a
weight up to that of a
typical twelve-
month-old child in a
standard child
restraint system
The OCS is malfunctioning.
XMake sure there is nothing between the seat cushion and the
child seat.
XCheck the installation of the child restraint system.
XMake sure that no objectsare applying additional weight onto
the seat.
XIf theindicator lamp does not illuminate, have the
OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. Do not transport a child on the front-passenger
seat as long as the OCS is not functioning.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction
display (Ypage 222).
GWARNING
If theindicator lamp does not illuminate or remains out with the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child restraint or less, or is unoccupied, on the front-passenger
seat, do not transportachild on the front-passenger seat until the system has been repaired.
Occupant safety49
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