facing child restraint systems on the front-
passenger seat.
R All other persons: the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp must be off. Be
sure to observe the notes on "Seat belts"
(Y page 44) and "Airbags" (Y page 48).
There you can also find information on the
correct seat position.
Observe the information on automatic child
seat recognition in the front-passenger seat
(Y page 59). Seat belts
Introduction A correctly fastened seat belt is the most
effective means of limiting the movement of a
vehicle occupant during a collision or in the
event that the vehicle overturns. This reduces
the risk of vehicle occupants coming into con- tact with parts of the vehicle interior or being
ejected from it. Furthermore, the seat belt
helps to keep the vehicle occupant in the best position in relation to a deployed airbag.
The seat belt system consists of:
R seat belts
R belt tensioners for the front seat belts and
the outer seat belts in the rear
R seat belt force limiters for the front seat
belts and the outer seat belts in the rear
If the seat belt is pulled quickly or suddenly
from the belt sash guide, the inertia reel
locks. The belt strap cannot be pulled out fur- ther.
In an impact, the belt tensioner tightens the
belt to pull it close to the body. It does not pullthe vehicle occupant back in the direction of
the seat backrest, however.
In addition, the belt tensioner cannot com-
pensate for the seat position being incorrect
or for an incorrectly worn seat belt.
If the seat belt is also fitted with a belt force
limiter and this is triggered, the force exerted by the seat belt on the vehicle occupant is
reduced.
The belt force limiters on the front seats are
synchronised with the front airbags, which
take on a part of the deceleration force. This
helps to reduce the forces to which vehicle
occupants are subjected during an accident.
! If the co-driver's seat is not occupied, do
not engage the seat belt tongue in the
buckle on the co-driver's seat. Otherwise,
the belt tensioner could be triggered in the
event of an accident and would have to be
replaced.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The seat belt cannot perform its intended pro- tective function if it is not fastened correctly. Also, an improperly fastened seat belt can
cause additional injuries in the event of an
accident, sudden braking or abrupt changes
of direction. There is an increased risk of
injury, possibly even fatal.
Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
are wearing their seat belt and positioned cor-
rectly. G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seatbelt is routed
across the centre of your shoulder. G
WARNING
Persons under 1.50 mtall cannot wear the
seat belts correctly without a suitable, addi- 44
Occupant safetySafety
R
only one person is using a seat belt.
Infants and children must never travel sit-
ting on the lap of a vehicle occupant. In the
event of an accident, they could be crushed between the vehicle occupant and seat
belt.
R objects are never secured with a seat belt if
the seat belt is also being used by one of the vehicle's occupants.
Seat belts are only intended to secure and
restrain vehicle occupants. Always observe
the "Loading guidelines" for securing objects,
luggage or loads (Y page 300).
Fastening and adjusting the seat belts Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y page 44) and the notes on correct use of
seat belts (Y page 45).
If the centre rear seat belt is being used, also
observe the information about the seat belt
for the centre rear seat (Y page 46).X
Adjust the seat (Y page 104).
The seat backrest must be in an almost
vertical position.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from belt sash
guide =and engage belt tongue ;into
belt buckle :.
The seat belt on the driver’s seat and the
front-passenger seat may be tightened automatically, see "Belt adjustment"
(Y
page 47).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body. The shoulder section of the seat belt must
always be routed across the centre of the
shoulder. Adjust the belt sash guide if neces-
sary.
X To raise: slide the belt guide upwards.
The belt guide will engage in various posi-
tions.
X To lower: hold belt guide release :and
slide the belt guide downwards.
X Let go of belt guide release :in the
desired position and make sure that the
belt guide engages.
Seat belt for the centre rear seat (CLS
Shooting Brake) If the left-hand rear seat backrest is folded
down and back up again, the rear centre seat
belt may lock. The seat belt can then not be
pulled out.
X To release the rear centre seat belt: pull
the seat belt out approximately 20 mm at
the belt outlet on the backrest and then
release it again.
The seat belt is retracted and released.
Releasing the seat belts !
Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled
up. Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue 46
Occupant safetySafety
When deployed, the windowbag enhances the
level of protection for the head. However, it
does not protect the chest or arms.
In the event of a side impact, the windowbag
is deployed on the side on which the impact
occurs.
If the system determines that they can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt, a windowbag may be deployed in
other accident situations (Y page 51).Deployment of belt tensioners and air-
bags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
After the airbag deploys, the airbag parts are
hot. There is a risk of injury.
Do not touch the airbag parts. Have a
deployed airbag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible. G
WARNING
Pyrotechnic seat belt tensioners that have
been deployed are no longer operational and
are unable to perform their intended protec-
tive function. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Therefore, have pyrotechnic belt tensioners
which have been triggered immediately
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that after an
accident, you have your vehicle towed to a
qualified specialist workshop. This is particu- larly important after the seat belt tensioners
have been triggered or after airbags have
been deployed.
An electric motor is used by PRE-SAFE ®
to
trigger the tightening of the seat belt in haz-
ardous situations. This procedure is reversi-
ble.
If belt tensioners are triggered or the airbags
are deployed, you will hear a bang, and a small amount of powder may also be released. The
6 restraint system warning lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your
hearing. The powder that is released gener-
ally does not constitute a health hazard but
can cause short-term breathing difficulties for people with asthma or breathing problems. If
it is safe to do so, leave the vehicle immedi-
ately or open a window to avoid experiencing potential breathing difficulties.
Mode of operation During the first stage of a collision, the
restraint system control unit evaluates impor-
tant physical data relating to vehicle deceler- ation or acceleration, such as:
R duration
R direction
R intensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the seat belt tensioner is triggered by the restraint
system control unit in the event of a frontal or
rear collision.
The belt tensioner can only be triggered if:
R the ignition is switched on
R the components of the restraint system are
operational; see the "Restraint system
warning lamp" section (Y page 43)
R the seat belt buckle tongue is engaged in
the belt buckle on your front seat
The belt tensioners in the rear compartment
are triggered independently of the lock status of the seat belts.
In certain frontal collision situations, further
components of the restraint system are acti-
vated independently of each other if the
restraint system control unit determines that the accident is severe:
R front airbags and driver's kneebag
R windowbag, if it is determined that it can
offer additional protection to the seat belt
for vehicle occupants
Depending on the classification of the person in the front-passenger seat, the front- Occupant safety
51Safety Z
R
vehicles with the memory function: the
front-passenger seat is adjusted if it is in an unfavourable position.
R Vehicles with a multicontour seat or active
multicontour seat: the air pressure in the
side bolsters of the backrest is increased.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pre-tensioning. On vehicles with mul-
ticontour seats/active multicontour seats,
the air pressure in the side bolsters is reduced
again. All settings made by PRE-SAFE ®
can
then be reversed.
If the seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced:
X Move the seat backrest or seat back
slightly when the vehicle is stationary.
Seat belt pre-tensioning is reduced and the
locking mechanism is released.
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. Fur-
ther information can be found under "Belt
adjustment" (Y page 47). Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on
the type and severity of the impact:
R the hazard warning lamps are activated
R the emergency lighting is activated
R the vehicle doors are unlocked
R the front side windows are lowered
R the electrically adjustable steering wheel is
raised
R the engine is switched off
R vehicles with the Mercedes-Benz emer-
gency call system: automatic emergency
call Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than chil-
dren secured in the front-passenger seat. For this reason, Mercedes-Benz strongly advises
that you install a child restraint system on a
rear seat. Children are generally better pro-
tected there.
If a child younger than 12 years old and under
1.50 m in height is travelling in the vehicle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles. The child restraint system must be
appropriate to the age, weight and size of
the child.
R be sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes in this section in addition to
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position P
R start the engine
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. G
WARNING
If persons (particularly children) are exposed
to heat or cold for a prolonged period, there is a risk of serious or even fatal injuries. Never
leave persons (particularly children) unatten-
ded in the vehicle. Children in the vehicle
55Safety Z
i
It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products to clean child restraint systems
recommended by Mercedes-Benz. You can obtain information about this at any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. ISOFIX child seat securing system
G
WARNING
ISOFIX child restraint systems do not offer
sufficient protective effect for children whose weight is greater than 22 kg who are securedusing the safety belt integrated in the child
restraint system. The child could, for example, not be restrained correctly in the event of an
accident. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
If the child weighs more than 22 kg, only use
ISOFIX child restraint systems with which the child is also secured with the vehicle seat belt. Also secure the child restraint system with the
Top Tether belt, if available.
When fitting a child restraint system, be sure to observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions and the instructions for correct
use of the child restraint system
(Y page 63).
Before every trip, make sure that the ISOFIX
child restraint system is engaged correctly in both ISOFIX securing rings.
! When fitting the child restraint system,
make sure that the seat belt for the centre
seat does not get trapped. Otherwise, the
seat belt could be damaged. Example: Coupé
When installing the ISOFIX child restraint sys- tem, fold protective caps ;of securing
rings :inwards.
X Install the ISOFIX child restraint system on
both ISOFIX securing rings :.
ISOFIX is a standardised securing system for specially designed child restraint systems on
the rear seats. ISOFIX securing rings :for
two ISOFIX child restraint systems are fitted
on the left and right of the rear seats.
Secure child restraint systems without an
ISOFIX child seat securing system using the
seat belts in the vehicle. When fitting a child
restraint system, be sure to observe the man-
ufacturer's installation instructions and the
instructions for correct use of the child
restraint system (Y page 63). Top Tether
Introduction Top Tether provides an additional connection
between the child restraint system secured
with ISOFIX and the vehicle. It helps reduce
the risk of injury even further. If the child
restraint system is fitted with a Top Tether
belt, this should always be used.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the rear seat backrests are not locked, they
could fold forwards in the event of an acci- Children in the vehicle
57Safety
Z
dent, heavy braking or sudden changes of
direction. As a result, child restraint systems
cannot perform their intended protective
function. Rear seat backrests that are not
locked can also cause additional injuries, e.g. in the event of an accident. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Always lock rear seat backrests after fitting a Top Tether belt. Observe the lock verificationindicator. Adjust the rear seat backrests so
that they are in an upright position.
If the rear seat backrest is not engaged and
locked, this will be shown in the multifunction display in the instrument cluster. A warning
tone also sounds.
Top Tether anchorages CLS Coupé
The Top Tether anchorage points are located
in the rear compartment behind the head
restraints. X
Move head restraint :upwards.
X Fold up cover ;of Top Tether anchorage
=.
X Fit the ISOFIX child restraint system with
Top Tether. Always comply with the child
restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions when doing so.
X Route Top Tether belt Aunder head
restraint :between the two head restraint
bars.
X Hook Top Tether hook ?into Top Tether
anchorage =.
X Make sure that Top Tether belt Ais not
twisted.
X Tension Top Tether belt A. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur- er's installation instructions when doing so.
X Fold down cover ;of Top Tether anchor-
age =.
X If necessary, move head restraint :back
down again slightly (Y page 108).
Make sure that you do not interfere with the
correct routing of Top Tether belt A.
CLS Shooting Brake The Top Tether anchorages are attached to
the rear of the rear seat backrests.58
Children in the vehicleSafety
G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a forward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and you position the front-passenger seat too close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could:
R come into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
R be struck by the airbag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Move the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible. Always make sure that the shoulder belt strap is correctly routed from the vehicle
belt sash guide to the shoulder belt guide on
the child restraint system. The shoulder belt
strap must be routed forwards and down-
wards from the vehicle belt sash guide. If nec-
essary, adjust the vehicle belt sash guide and the front-passenger seat accordingly. Always
observe the information about suitable posi-
tioning of the child restraint system in this
Owner's Manual as well as the child restraint system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
i Ensure that your vehicle is equipped with
automatic child seat recognition for the
front-passenger seat (Y page 61). If this
is not the case, always fit the child restraint
system on a suitable rear seat
(Y page 63). PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
:
shows you whether the front-passenger front airbag is disabled.
X Turn the key to position 1or 2in the ignition
lock, or press the Start/Stop button once
or twice on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO.
The system carries out a self-diagnosis.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
must light up for approximately six seconds.
If, after the system self-test, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
R is lit, the front-passenger front airbag is
disabled. They will then not be deployed in
the event of an accident.
R is not lit, the sensor system did not detect
a child restraint system with transponder
for automatic child seat recognition. If, in
the case of an accident, all deployment cri-
teria are met, the front-passenger front air-
bag is deployed. G
WARNING
Electronic devices on the front-passenger
seat can affect the function of the automatic
child seat recognition, for example:
R laptop
R mobile phone
R transponder cards such as ski passes or
access passes
The front-passenger front airbag could deploy unintentionally or not function as intended
during an accident. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Do not place any of the devices mentioned
above or similar devices on the front-
passenger seat. Be aware of the status of thefront-passenger front airbag both before and
during the journey. 60
Children in the vehicleSafety
Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than chil-
dren secured in the front-passenger seat. For
this reason, Mercedes-Benz strongly advises
that you install a child restraint system on a
rear seat.
Vehicles with automatic child seat recogni-
tion on the front-passenger seat: if it is abso- lutely necessary to fit a child restraint systemto the front-passenger seat, always observe
the information on the "Automatic child seat
recognition on the front-passenger seat"
(Y page 59).
You can thus avoid the risks that could arise
as a result of:
R a child restraint system that is not detected
by the automatic child seat recognition
sensor system
R the unintentional disabling of the front-
passenger front airbag
R the unsuitable positioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board Please observe the warning notice on the
front-passenger sun visor, see the illustra-
tion. G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off, the front-passenger front airbag can
deploy in the event of an accident. The child
could be struck by the airbag. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenger front air-
bag has been disabled. The PASSENGER AIR-
BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
NEVER use a rearward facing child restraint
on a seat protected by an ACTIVE AIRBAG in
front of it, DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the
CHILD can occur.
Vehicles without automatic child seat
recognition on the front-passenger seat If the front-passenger seat of your vehicle is
not equipped with automatic child seat rec-
ognition, this is indicated by a special sticker. The sticker is affixed to the side of the dash-
board on the front-passenger side. The
sticker is visible when you open the front-
passenger door.
If you turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up briefly. It has no function, how-ever, and does not indicate that the front-
passenger seat is equipped with automatic
child seat recognition.
In this case, always fit the rearward-facing
child restraint system to a suitable rear seat
(Y page 63).
Observe the following information under
"Rearward-facing child restraint system" and
"Forward-facing child restraint system" as
well as information on the suitable position- Children in the vehicle
61Safety Z