2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS warning lights

Problems with the Occupant Classification System
GWARNING
If theindicator lamp illuminates and remains illuminated when the weight ofatypical
adult or someone larger thanasmall individual has been detected on the passenger seat, do not
allow any occupant to use the passenger seat until the system has been repaired.
GWARNING
If theindicator lamp does not illuminate or remains out with the weight ofatypical
12-month-old child inastandard 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.
ProblemPossiblecauses/consequencesandSolutions
The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lights up and remains
on.
The person on the
front-passenger seat:
Rhas the weight of a
typical adult
Rhas been determined
by the system not to
beachild
The COS is malfunctioning.
XMake sure that the front passenger is sitting inacorrect,upright
position.
XHave the COS checked as soon as possible ataqualified
specialist workshop.
XObserve the additional displaymessages in the multifunction
display(Ypage 244).
52Occupant safety
Safety

Beltheight adjustment
Youcan adjustthe seat belt height on the
front seats. Adjust the belt toaheight that
allowsthe upper part of the seat belt to be
routed across the center of your shoulder.
XTo raise:slide the belt sash guide upwards.
The belt sash guide engages in various
positions.
XTo lower:press and hold belt sash guide
release.
XSlide the belt sash guide downwards.
XRelease belt sash guide releaseand
make sure that the belt sash guide has
engaged.
Releasing seat belts
!Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled
up. Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue
will be trapped in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This could damage the door,
the door trim panel and the seat belt.
Damaged seat belts can no longer fulfill
their protective function and must be
replaced. Visitaqualified specialist
workshop.
XPress release button!on belt buckle$.
XGuidebelt tongueto belt sash
guide.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger
Regardless of whether the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts have already been
fastened, theseat belt warning lamp
lights up for six seconds each time the engine
is started. It then goes out if the driver and
the front passenger have already fastened
their seat belts.
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
amaximum 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:
Rtheseat belt warning lamp remains lit
as long as the driver's or front-passenger's
seat belt is not fastened
and
Rifavehicle speed of 15 mph (25 km/h) is
exceeded, theseat belt warning lamp
begins to flash.Awarning tone also sounds
withincreasing intensityforamaximum of
58Occupant safety
Safety

60 seconds or until the driverorfront
passenger have fastenedtheir seatbelts.
If the driver/frontpassenger unfasten their
seat belt while the vehicle is in motion,the
seat belt warning lamp lights up and a
warning tonesounds again.
The warning toneceases even if the driver or
front-passenger seat belt has still not been
fastened after 60 seconds. Theseat belt
warning lamp stops flashing but remains
illuminated.
After the vehicle comes toastandstill, the
warning toneisreactivated and the seat belt
warning lampflashes again if the vehicle
speed again exceeds 15 mph (25 km/h).
Theseat belt warning lamp only goes
out if:
Rboth the driver and the frontpassenger
have fastened their seat belts.
or
Rthevehicle is stationaryandadoor is open.
iFor moreinformationontheseat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and
indicator lamps in theinstrumentcluster,
seat belts" (Ypage 265).
Emergency TensioningDevices, seat
belt force limiters
GWARNING
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices
that have been deployed are no longer
operational and are unable to performtheir
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 ataqualified
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.
iVehicles with PRE-SAFE®:Emergency
Tensioning Devices that are triggered by an
electric motor can be deployed as often as
desired and do not need to be replaced.
The front seat belts and the outer seat belts
in the rear are equipped with Emergency
Tensioning Devices and seat belt force
limiters.
The ETDs tighten the seat belts in an accident,
pulling them close against the body.
The ETDs do not correct incorrectseat
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
"SRS warning lamp"(Ypage 41)
Rthe belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the front seat belts.
The ETDs on the outside seats in the rear
compartmentare triggeredindependently of
the lock status of the seat belts.
The ETDs are triggereddepending on the type
and severity of an accident:
Rif, in the event ofahead-on or rear-end
collision, the vehicledecelerates or
accelerates rapidly inalongitudinal
direction during the initialstages of the
impact
Rif,inthe event ofasideimpact,onthe side
opposite the impact the vehicle
decelerates or accelerates rapidlyina
lateraldirection
Rif,incertainsituations where the vehicle
rolls over,the system determines that it
can provide additional protection
If the ETDsare deployed, you will hearabang,
andasmall amountofpowder may also be
released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
Occupant safety59
Safety
Z

health hazard and does not indicate that there
isafire 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.
If the seat belt is also equipped withaseat
belt force limiter and this is triggered, the
force exerted by the seat belt on the vehicle
occupant is reduced.
The seat belt force limiters for the front seats
are synchronized with the front air bags,
which take onapart of the deceleration force.
This results in the force exerted on the
occupant being distributed overagreater
area.
Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
Important safety notes
GWARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
position. Thus, we strongly recommendthat
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,orbooster
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,orbooster 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 placeachild 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 ofastandard appropriate
child restraint on the front passenger seat.
RFor children larger than the typical
12-month-old child, the front passenger
front air bag may or may not be activated.
Always make sure theindicator
lamp is illuminated, indicatingthat the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
RAchild inarear-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the front passenger
front air bag inflates inacollision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology installed
in your vehicle. The only means to
completely eliminate this risk is to never
placeachild inarear-facing child restraint
in the front seat. We therefore strongly
recommendthat you always placeachild
inarear-facing child restraint inabackseat.
RIf you must installarear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat
because circumstances require you to do
so, make sure theindicator
lamp is illuminated, indicatingthat the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Should theindicator lamp not
illuminateorgoout while the restraint is
installed, please checkinstallation.
Periodically check theindicator
lamp while drivingtomake sure the
indicator lamp is illuminated. If the
indicator lamp goes out or
remainsout, do not transportachild on the
60Children in thevehicle
Safety

ABS works fromaspeedof about5mph
(8 km/h)upwards,regardless of road-surface
conditions.ABS works on slippery surfaces,
evenifyou only brake gently.
The yellowABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running.
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes:continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking
situation is over.
XTo makeafull brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
apulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an
indication of hazardous road conditions, and
functions asareminder to take extracare
while driving.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes"
section (Ypage 66).
GWARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergencybraking situation is
increased. There isarisk of an accident.
In an emergencybraking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
BAS operates in emergencybraking
situations. If you depress the brake pedal
quickly, BAS automatically boosts the braking
force, thus shortening the stopping distance.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated.
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS)
General information
iObserve the "Important safety notes"
section (Ypage 66).
BAS PLUS is only available in vehicles
equipped with DISTRONIC PLUS.
For BAS PLUS to assist you when driving, the
radar sensor system must be:
Ractivated (Ypage 232)
Roperational
With the help of the radar sensor system, BAS
PLUS can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time.
If the radar sensor system is malfunctioning,
BAS PLUS will not be available. The brake
system is still available with complete brake
boosting effect and BAS.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in
hazardous situations at speeds greater than
4mph (7 km/h).
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h),BAS PLUS can also react to
stationary objects. Examples of stationary
objectsare stopped or parked vehicles.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
BAS PLUS cannot alwaysclearly identify
objectsand complex traffic situations. BAS
PLUS cannot intervene in these cases. There
isarisk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
BAS PLUS does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossingtraffic
Rwhen cornering
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Safety
Z

Asaresult, BAS PLUS may not intervene in all
critical situations. There isarisk of an
accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
Rdirt on the sensorsoranythingelse
covering the sensors
Rsnow or heavy rain
Rinterference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
Ranarrow vehicle travelinginfront, e.g. a
motorbike
Ravehicle travelinginfrontonadifferent line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the frontend of the
vehicle, have the configurationand operation
of the radarsensorschecked ataqualified
specialist workshop. This also applies to
collisions at low speeds where thereisno
visible damage to the frontofthe vehicle.
Braking assistance
To preventacollision with the vehicle in front,
BAS PLUS calculates the brake force
necessary if:
Ryou approach an obstacle, and
RBAS PLUS has detectedarisk of collision
When driving ataspeed under 20 mph
(30 km/h):ifyou depress the brake pedal,
BAS PLUS is activated. The increase in brake
pressure will be carried out at the last
possible moment.
When driving ataspeed greater than
20 mph (30 km/h):ifyou depress the brake
pedal sharply, BAS PLUS automatically raises
the brake pressure toavalue adapted to the
traffic situation.
If BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger
protection measures (PRE-SAFE®)are
activated simultaneously.
XKeep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergencybraking situation is over.
ABS preventsthe wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes
function as usual if:
Ryou release the brake pedal
Rthere is no longerarisk of collision
Rno obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes"
section (Ypage 66).
GWARNING
If ESP®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further
driving safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP®checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC: switch off the
ignition when the parking brake is being
tested onabrake dynamometer.
Application of the brakes by ESP®may
otherwise destroy the brake system.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: observe the notes
on ESP®(Ypage 330) when towing the
vehicle witharaised rear axle.
ESP®is deactivated if the warning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up
continuously when the engine is running.
If thewarning lamp and the
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP®is not
available due toamalfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Ypage 269) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Ypage 238).
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If ESP®detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desiredbythe driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle.The engine output is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP®assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
If ESP®intervenes, theESP®warning
lamp flashes in the instrumentcluster.
If ESP®intervenes:
XDo not deactivateESP®under any
circumstances.
XOnly depressthe accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
XAdapt your drivingstyle to suit the
prevailing road and weatherconditions.
iOnly use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP®function
properly.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP®.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels
individuallyifthey spin. This enables you to
pull away and accelerate on slippery surfaces,
for example if the road surface is slippery on
one side. In addition, more drive torque is
transferred to the wheel or wheels with
traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP®.
Deactivating/activating ESP®(except
AMG vehicles)
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP®,ESP®no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP®in the situations
described in the following.
!Avoid spinningthe driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
XTo deactivate:(Ypage 227).
The ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
XTo activate:(Ypage 227).
The ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
ESP®is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts
automatically when the driver wants to pull
away again. ESP®remains in its previously
selected status. Example: if ESP®was
deactivated before the engine was switched
off, ESP®remains deactivated when the
engine is switched on again.
If ESP®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, theESP®warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations, ESP®will not stabilize the vehicle.
It may be best to deactivate ESP®in the
following situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
If you deactivate ESP®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
Rtraction control is still activated.
RESP®still provides support when you
brake.
Rengine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning
wheels produceacutting effect for better
traction.
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Deactivating/activating ESP®(AMG
vehicles)
Activating/deactivating SPORT handling
mode
GWARNING
WhenSPORT handling mode is activated,
there isagreater risk of skidding and
accidents.
Only activateSPORT handling mode in the
situations described in the following.
XTo activate:briefly press button.
TheSPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
TheSPORT handling modemessage
appears in the multifunction display.
SPORT handling mode is designed for
driving on designated roads when the
vehicle's own oversteering and
understeering characteristics are desired.
DrivinginSPORT handling mode requires
an extremely qualified and experienced
driver who is able to cope with these critical
driving conditions.
XTo deactivate:briefly press button.
TheSPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
ESP®is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
It may be best to activateSPORT handling
mode in the following situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, theESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP®only stabilizes the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
RESP®only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
Rtraction control is still activated.
RESP®still provides support when you
brake.
Rengine torque is only restricted toalimited
degree, and the drive wheels are able to
spin. The spinningwheels produce a
cutting effect for better traction.
Vehicles with ECO start/stop function: the
ECO start/stop function switches the engine
off automatically when the vehicle comes to
astop. The engine startsautomatically when
the driver wants to pull away again. ESP®
remains in its previously selected status. For
example, if ESP®was deactivated before the
engine was switched off, ESP®remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP®,ESP®no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP®in the situations
described in the following.
!Avoid spinningthe driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
70Driving safety systems
Safety