2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS Owners Manual

Rif, on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS,the
radar sensor system detectsanimminent
dangerofcollision in certain situations.
Rin critical driving situations, e.g. when
physical limits are exceeded and the
vehicle understeers or oversteers severely.
PRE-SAFE®takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation
detected:
Rthe front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
Rthe front-passenger seat is adjusted if it is
in an unfavorable position.
Rvehicles withamulticontour seat or active
multicontour seat: the air pressure in the
side bolsters of the seat cushion and
backrest is increased.
Rif the vehicle skids, the sliding sunroof and
the side windows are closed so that only a
small gap remains.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident,PRE-SAFE®slackens
the belt pre-tensioning. The air pressure in
the side bolsters on the multicontour seat/
active multicontour seat is reduced again. All
settings made by PRE-SAFE®can then be
reversed.
If the seat belts are not released:
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, move the
backrest or seat back slightly.
The seat belt pre-tensioningisreduced and
the lockingmechanism is released.
Information about seat belt adjustment, a
conveniencefunction integrated into PRE-
SAFE®,can be found in the "Seat belt
adjustment" section (Ypage 57).
Seat belts
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level
of protection if the backrest is not in the
upright position. When braking 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 make sure that the seat
is in the upright position.
GWARNING
Seat belts cannot protect as intended, if:
Rthey are damaged, extremely dirty,
bleached or dyed
Rthe seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
Rthe Emergency TensioningDevices or the
belt anchorage has been modified.
Damage caused to seat belts in an accident
may not be visible, e.g. by splinters of glass.
Modified or damaged seat belts can tear or
fail, for example in the event of an accident.
Modified Emergency TensioningDevices may
be deployed unintentionally or fail to be
deployed when required. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Never modify seat belts, Emergency
TensioningDevices, seat belt anchorages and
inertia reels. Ensure that seat belts are not
damaged or worn and are clean.
Only use seat belts that have been approved
for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in:
Rall 50 states
Rthe U.S. territories
Rthe District of Columbia
Rall Canadianprovinces
Even where this is not required by law,all
vehicleoccupants should correctly fasten
their seat belts before starting the journey.
iSee "Children in the vehicle"
(Ypage60) for further information on
infants and children traveling in the vehicle
as wellasonchild restraint systems.
Occupant safety55
Safety
Z

Correct use of theseat belts
GWARNING
USESEATBELTS PROPERLY
RSeat beltscan only work when used
properly. Never wear seat beltsinany other
way than as describedinthissection, as
that couldresult in serious injuries in the
event of an accident.
REachoccupantshould wear their seat belt
at all times, because seat belts help reduce
the likelihood of and potential severity of
injuries in accidents, including rollovers.
The integrated restraint system includes
SRS (driver front air bag, driver's side knee
bag, front-passenger front air bag, side
impact air bags, pelvis air bags, window
curtain air bags for the side windows),
EmergencyTensioning Devices, seat belt
force limiters, and front seat knee bolsters.
The system is designed to enhance the
protection offered to properly belted
occupants in certain frontal (front air bags,
driver's side knee bag and ETDs) and side
(side impact air bags, window curtain air
bags, and ETDs) impacts which exceed
preset deployment thresholds and in
certain rollovers (window curtain air bags
and ETDs).
RNever wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, across your neck or off your shoulder.
Inafrontal crash, your body would move
too far forward. That would increase the
chance of head and neck injuries. The seat
belt would also apply too much force to the
ribs or abdomen, which could severely
injure internal organs such as your liver or
spleen.
Adjust the seat belt so that the shoulder
section is located as close as possible to
the middle of the shoulder. It should not
touch the neck.Never pass the shoulder
portion of the seat belt under your arm. For
this purpose, you can adjust the height of
the seat belt outlet.
RPosition the lap belt as low as possible on
your hips and not across the abdomen. If
the lap belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries in
acrash.
RNever wear seat belts over rigid or
breakable objects in or on your clothing,
such as eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as
these might cause injuries.
RMake sure the seat belt is alwaysfitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
RNever useaseat belt for more than one
person atatime. Do not fastenaseat belt
aroundaperson and another person or
other objects at the same time.
RSeat belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you would not have the full width of
the seat belt to distributeimpact forces.
The twisted seat belt against yourbody
could cause injuries.
RPregnant women should also alwaysuse a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible on
the hips to avoid any possible pressure on
the abdomen.
RPlace the seat backrest inaposition that is
as upright as possible.
RCheck your seat belt during travel to make
sure it is properly positioned.
RNever place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
RWhen usingaseat belt to secure infant
restraints, toddler restraints, or children in
booster seats, alwaysfollow the child seat
manufacturer'sinstructions.
Fastening seat belts
GWARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommendthat children be
56Occupant safety
Safety

placed in the rear seat whenever possible.
Regardless of seatingposition,children 12
years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriately sized
child restraint system or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child. For additional information,see the
"Children in the vehicle" section.
Achild's risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and/
or the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
XAdjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position (Ypage 98).
XPull the seat belt smoothly through belt
sash guide.
XWithout twisting it, guide the shoulder
section of the seat belt across the middle
of your shoulder and the lap section across
your pelvis.
XEngage belt tonguein buckle$.
Seat-belt adjustment:ifnecessary, the
driver's and front-passenger seat belts
automatically adjust to the upper body
(Ypage 57).
XIf necessary, adjust the seat belt to the
appropriate height (Ypage 58).
XIf necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped withaspecial seat belt retractor to
securely fasten child restraint systems in the
vehicle. Further information can be found
under "Special seat belt retractor"
(Ypage 63).
For more information about releasing the seat
belt with release button!,see "Releasing
seat belts" (Ypage 58).
Seat belt adjustment
The seat-belt adjustment function adjusts the
driver's and front-passenger seat belt to the
upper body of the occupants.
The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
Ryou engage the belt tongue in the belt
buckle and you then turn the SmartKey to
position2in the ignition lock.
Rthe SmartKey is in position2in the ignition
lock and you then engage the belt tongue
in the buckle.
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a
retraction forceifany slack is detected
between the occupant and the seat belt. Do
not hold on to the seat belt tightly while it is
adjusting. You can switch the seat-belt
adjustment on and off in the on-board
computer (Ypage 233).
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE®convenience function.More
information about PRE-SAFE®can be found
under "PRE-SAFE®(preventativeoccupant
protection)" (Ypage 54).
Occupant safety57
Safety
Z

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

front passenger seatuntil the system has
been repaired.
Achild inarear-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 have to placeachild inaforward-
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, and secure child restraint with
the vehicle's seat belt according to the
child seat manufacturer's instructions.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is installed
incorrectly onasuitable seat, it cannot
protect as intended. The child cannot then be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. There
is an increased risk of injury, possibly even
fatal.
Make sure that you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation
instructions and the notes on use. Please
ensure, that the base of the child restraint
system is always resting completely on the
seat cushion. Never place objects, e.g.
cushions, under or behind the child restraint
system. Only use child restraint systems with
the original cover designed for them. Only
replace damaged covers with genuine covers.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is installed
incorrectly or is not secured, it can come
loose in the event of an accident, heavy
braking orasudden change in direction. The
child restraint system could be thrown about,
strikingvehicle occupants. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Always install child restraint systems
properly, even if they are not being used.
Make sure that you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation
instructions.
GWARNING
Child restraint systems or their securing
systems which have been damaged or
subjected toaload in an accident can no
longer protect as intended. The child cannot
then be restrained in the event of an accident,
heavy braking or sudden changes of direction.
There is an increased risk of injury, possibly
even fatal.
Replace child restraint systems which have
been damaged or subjected toaload in an
accident as soon as possible. Have the
securing systems on the child restraint
system checked ataqualified specialist
workshop, before you installachild restraint
system again.
GWARNING
Infantsand small children should never share
aseat belt with another occupant. In the event
of an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
Achild's risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and/
or the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
Children that are too large forachild restraint
must travel in seats using normal seat belts.
Position the shoulder belt across the chest
and shoulder, not the face or neck.Abooster
seat may be necessary to achieve proper seat
belt positioning for children over 41 lbs
(18 kg)until they reachaheight wherealap/
shoulder belt fitsproperly withoutabooster
seat.
When thechild restraint is notinuse, remove
it from the vehicle or secure it with the seat
belt to prevent the child restraint from
becomingaprojectile in the event of an
accident.
Children in the vehicle61
Safety
Z

GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children couldset the vehiclein
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park positionP
RStart the engine.
There isarisk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, alwaystake the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
GWARNING
If persons, particularlychildren are subjected
to prolonged exposure to extreme heator
cold,there isariskofinjury,possiblyeven
fatal. Never leave children unattendedinthe
vehicle.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot.
Children mayburn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There isarisk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, takingthe child with
you, alwaysensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight.
Protectitwithablanket,for example. If the
child restraint system has been exposed to
direct sunlight, let it cool down before
securing the child in it. Never leave children
unattended in the vehicle.
If an infantorchild is traveling in the vehicle:
RSecure the child withachild or infant seat
restraint system appropriate to the age and
weight of the child.
RMake sure that the infant or child is
properly secured at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
Mercedes-Benzrecommends that you always
properly secure all infants and children with
achild or infantseat restraint system for the
trip.
The use of seat belts and infantand child
restraint systemsisrequired by lawin:
Rall50states
Rthe U.S. territories
Rthe District of Columbia
RallCanadianprovinces
Infants and children must alwaysbeseated in
an appropriate infant or child restraint system
recommendedfor the size and weight of the
child.The infant or child restraint system
must be properly secured in accordance with
the manufacturer's instructions.
All infant or child restraint systems must meet
the following standards:
RU.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 225
RCanadianMotor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2
Confirmation that the child restraint system
corresponds to the standards can be found
on an instruction label on the child restraint
system. This confirmation can also be found
in the installation instructions that are
included with the child restraint system.
Always read and follow the manufacturer's
instructions when using an infant or child
restraint system or booster seat.
Observe the warning labels in the vehicle
interior or on the infant or child restraint.
62Children in the vehicle
Safety