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:
R Your 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.
R A child 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
in a rear-facing child restraint on the rear
seat.
R If you install a rear-facing child restraint on
the front-passenger seat, make sure the
45 indicator lamp is illuminated,
indicating that the front-passenger front air
bag is deactivated. Should the 45
indicator lamp not illuminate or go out while
the restraint is installed, please check
installation. Periodically check the
45 indicator lamp while driving to
make sure that the 45indicator
lamp is illuminated. If the 45
indicator lamp goes out or remains out, do not transport a child on the front-passenger
seat until the system has been repaired.
A child 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.
R If 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
R For children larger than the typical 12-
month-old child, the front-passenger front
air bag may or may not be activated. G
WARNING
If the red 6SRS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and the 45
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-Benz Center.
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:
R Sit with the seat belt properly fastened in a
position that is as upright as possible with
your back against the seat backrest.
R When 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.
R Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter. Occupant safety
49Safety Z
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Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lamp does not light up
and/or stays on.
The front-passenger
seat is:
R
unoccupied
R occupied with the
weight of a child up
to twelve months old
in a child restraint
system The OCS is malfunctioning.
X
Make sure there is nothing between the seat cushion and the
child seat.
X Make sure that the backrest and base of the child restraint
system are resting securely on the front-passenger seat. If
necessary, adjust the position of the front-passenger seat.
X When installing the child restraint system, make sure that the
seat belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight with the front-
passenger seat adjustment. This could result in the seat belt
being pulled too tightly.
X Check the installation of the child restraint system.
X Make sure that no objects are applying additional weight onto
the seat.
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off, have
the OCS checked immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. Do not transport a child on the front-passenger seat
until the OCS has been repaired.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display (Y page 265). NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The function of the head restraint may be
impaired if you:
R attach objects such as coat hangers to the
head restraints, for example
R use head restraint covers
If you do so, the head restraints cannot fulfill
their intended protective function in the event
of an accident. In addition, objects attached
to the head restraints could endanger other
vehicle occupants. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Do not attach any objects to the head
restraints and do not use head restraint
covers.
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints increase protection of the driver's and front-passenger's head and
neck. In the event of a rear collision of a
certain severity, the NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
on the driver's and the front-passenger seats
are moved forwards and upwards. This
provides better head support.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraints have been triggered in
an accident, reset the NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
on the driver's and front-passenger seats
(Y page 54). Otherwise, the additional
protection will not be available in the event of
another rear-end collision. NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
that have been triggered are moved forwards
and can no longer be adjusted.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraints checked at a qualified
specialist workshop after a rear-end collision. Occupant safety
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Correct use of the seat belts
G
WARNING
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY
R Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any other
way than as described in this section, as
that could result in serious injuries in the
event of an accident.
R Each occupant should 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),
Emergency Tensioning 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).
R Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, across your neck or off your shoulder.
In a frontal 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. R
Position 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
a crash.
R Never wear seat belts over rigid or
breakable objects in or on your clothing,
such as eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as
these might cause injuries.
R Make sure the seat belt is always fitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
R Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat belt
around a person and another person or
other objects at the same time.
R Seat belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you would not have the full width of
the seat belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted seat belt against your body
could cause injuries.
R Pregnant women should also always use 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.
R Place the seat backrest in a position that is
as upright as possible.
R Check your seat belt during travel to make
sure it is properly positioned.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
R When using a seat belt to secure infant
restraints, toddler restraints, or children in
booster seats, always follow the child seat
manufacturer's instructions.
Fastening seat belts G
WARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommend that children be 56
Occupant safetySafety
ProCarManuals.com
placed in the rear seat whenever possible.
Regardless of seating position, 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.
A child'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. Seat belt (example: Sedan)
X
Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position (Y page 108).
X Pull the seat belt smoothly through belt
sash guide :.
X Without twisting it, guide the shoulder
section of the seat belt across the middle
of your shoulder and the lap section across
your pelvis.
X Engage belt tongue ;in buckle =.
Seat-belt adjustment: if necessary, the
driver's and front-passenger seat belts
automatically adjust to the upper body
(Y page 57). X
If necessary, adjust the seat belt to the
appropriate height (Y page 58).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
All seat belts in the vehicle with the exception
of the driver's seat belt and the seat belt on
the folding bench seat in the cargo
compartment are equipped with a special
seat belt retractor, to which a child restraint
system can be secured. Further information
can be found under "Special seat belt
retractor" (Y page 63).
Information on releasing the seat belt with
release button ?(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:
R
you engage the belt tongue in the belt
buckle and you then turn the SmartKey to
position 2in the ignition lock.
R the SmartKey is in position 2in the ignition
lock and you then engage the belt tongue
in the buckle.
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a
retraction force if any 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 (Y page 252).
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 ®
(preventative occupant
protection)" (Y page 54). Occupant safety
57Safety Z
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direction during the initial stages of the
impact.
R in the event of a side impact if the vehicle
decelerates or accelerates rapidly in a
lateral direction on the side opposite to the
impact.
R in certain situations where the vehicle rolls
over if the system determines that it can
provide additional protection.
If the ETDs 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. The 6SRS
warning lamp lights up.
If the seat belt is also equipped with a seat
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 absorb part of the deceleration force.
This results in the force exerted on the
occupant being distributed over a greater
area. Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
Important safety notes G
WARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
position. 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:
R Your 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.
R For children larger than the typical
12-month-old child, the front passenger
front air bag may or may not be activated.
Always make sure the 45indicator
lamp is illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
R A child 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
completely eliminate this risk is to never
place a child in a rear-facing child restraint
in the front seat. We therefore strongly 60
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recommend that you always place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint in a backseat.
R If you must install a rear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat
because circumstances require you to do
so, make sure the 45indicator
lamp is illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Should the 45indicator lamp not
illuminate or go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation.
Periodically check the 45indicator
lamp while driving to make sure the 4
5 indicator lamp is illuminated. If the
45indicator lamp goes out or
remains out, do not transport a child on the
front passenger seat until the system has
been repaired.
A child 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.
R If you have to 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, and secure child restraint with
the vehicle's seat belt according to the
child seat manufacturer's instructions. G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is installed
incorrectly on a suitable 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.
G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is installed
incorrectly or is not secured, it can come
loose in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or a sudden change in direction. The
child restraint system could be thrown about,
striking vehicle 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. G
WARNING
Child restraint systems or their securing
systems which have been damaged or
subjected to a load 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 to a load in an
accident as soon as possible. Have the
securing systems on the child restraint
system checked at a qualified specialist
workshop, before you install a child restraint
system again. G
WARNING
Infants and small children should never share
a seat belt with another occupant. In the event
of an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
A child'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 in the vehicle
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Children that are too large for a child restraint
must travel in seats using normal seat belts.
Position the shoulder belt across the chest
and shoulder, not the face or neck. A booster
seat may be necessary to achieve proper seat
belt positioning for children over 41 lbs
(18 kg) until they reach a height where a lap/
shoulder belt fits properly without a booster
seat.
When the child restraint is not in use, remove
it from the vehicle or secure it with the seat
belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an
accident. G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R Start the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take 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. G
WARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected
to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle. G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Children may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you, always ensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight.
Protect it with a blanket, 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 infant or child is traveling in the vehicle:
R Secure the child with a child or infant seat
restraint system appropriate to the age and
weight of the child.
R Make sure that the infant or child is
properly secured at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you always
properly secure all infants and children with
a child or infant seat restraint system for the
trip.
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in:
R all 50 states
R the U.S. territories
R the District of Columbia
R all Canadian provinces
Infants and children must always be seated in
an appropriate infant or child restraint system
recommended for 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:
R U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 225
R Canadian Motor 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 62
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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.
Do not install a rearward-facing child restraint
system on the center rear seat.
Special seat belt retractor G
WARNING
If the seat belt is released while driving, the
child restraint system will no longer be
secured properly. The special seat belt
retractor is disabled and the inertia real draws
in a portion of the seat belt. The seat belt
cannot be immediately refastened. There is
an increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Stop the vehicle immediately, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.
Reactivate the special seat belt retractor and
secure the child restraint system properly.
All seat belts in the vehicle, excluding the
driver's seat belt and the seat belts of the
folding bench seat in the cargo compartment,
are equipped with a special seat belt
retractor. When activated, the special seat
belt retractor ensures that the seat belt will
not slacken once the child restraint system
has been secured.
Installing a child restraint system:
X Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from the seat
belt retractor.
X Engage the seat belt tongue in the belt
buckle. Activating the special seat belt retractor:
X
Pull the seat belt out fully and let the seat
belt retractor retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should
hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat
belt retractor is activated.
X Push down on the child restraint system to
take up any slack.
Removing a child restraint system/
deactivating the special seat belt retractor:
X Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Press the seat belt release button and
guide the belt tongue to the belt outlet.
The special seat belt retractor is
deactivated.
For more information about releasing the seat
belt with the release button, see "Releasing
seat belts" (Y page 58).
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat anchors
in the rear G
WARNING
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint systems
do not offer sufficient protective effect for
children whose weight is greater than 48 lbs
(22 kg) who are secured using the safety belt
integrated in the child restraint system. In the
event of an accident, a child might not be
restrained correctly. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
If the child weighs more than 48 lbs (22 kg),
only use LATCH-type (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 installing a child restraint system, be
sure to observe the manufacturer's
installation instructions and the instructions
for correct use of the child restraint system.
! When installing the LATCH-type (ISOFIX)
child restraint system, make sure that the Children in the vehicle
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