bag is disabled. If the front-passenger seat is
recognized as empty, the air bag control unit
will not deploy the front-passenger air bag in
the event of a collision.
Ask your passenger to sit correctly on the
front-passenger seat in an upright position
until the 4/ indicator lamp goes out.
If the 4/ indicator lamp does not go
out, please consult an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. Driver's air bag
:deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air
bag ;deploys in front of and above the glove
box.
The front air bags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head, neck and
chest.
They are deployed:
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the system determines that air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R independently of other air bags in the
vehicle
R depending on whether the seat belt is being
used
If the vehicle rolls over, the front air bags are
generally not deployed. If the system detects
high vehicle deceleration in a longitudinal
direction, the front air bags are deployed.
Your vehicle is equipped with a dual-stage
driver's air bag and a single-stage front-
passenger front air bag. In the event of a
collision, the air bag control unit evaluates the vehicle deceleration. In the first deployment
stage, the driver's air bag is filled with enough
propellant gas to reduce the risk of injuries.
The front-passenger front air bag, however, is
immediately filled with the maximum amount
of propellant gas. The driver's air bag is fully
deployed if a second deployment threshold is
exceeded within a few milliseconds.
The lighter the front passenger, the higher the
vehicle deceleration rate required (predicted
at the start of the impact) for triggering the
front-passenger front air bag.
The front air bags will not deploy in impacts
with vehicle deceleration or acceleration
rates which do not exceed the system’s
preset deployment thresholds for vehicle
deceleration or acceleration. You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belt.
Front-passenger front air bag ;will only
deploy if:
R the front-passenger seat is occupied
R the 45 indicator lamp on the center
console is not lit (Y page 44)
R the impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
The front-passenger air bag is automatically
activated and deactivated. Both driver and
passenger should always check whether the
front-passenger air bag is activated or
deactivated.
The deployment of the driver's air bag does
not mean that the front-passenger air bag will
also deploy. If the system recognizes that the
front-passenger seat is empty, the front-
passenger air bag does not deploy even if the
impact fulfills the criteria and the driver's air
bag has deployed.
If the system detects that the front-passenger
seat is occupied, the 45indicator
lamp lights up for approximately six seconds
if:
R you turn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in
the ignition lock.
R the engine is running and then you switch
it off. Occupant safety
43Safety Z
This indicates the operational readiness of
the front-passenger air bag.
Note that objects placed on the front-
passenger seat may cause the system to
recognize the seat as occupied. This can
result in the deployment of the front-
passenger air bag if the impact fulfills the
specified criteria. If the 45indicator
lamp lights up, the front-passenger front air
bag is disabled and will not be deployed in
certain situations. If the 45indicator
lamp does not light up, the front-passenger
front air bag is enabled and can be deployed.
Window curtain air bags G
WARNING
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y page 41). Window curtain air bags
:enhance 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 bags :are integrated
into the side of the roof frame and deploy in
the area extending from the front door (A-
pillar) to the rear door (C-pillar).
Window curtain air bags :are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, e.g. in a side impact
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied R
independently of seat belt use
R if the vehicle rolls over and the system
determines that window curtain air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R independently of the front air bags
Window curtain air bags will not deploy in
impacts which do not exceed the system's
preset deployment thresholds for lateral
acceleration/deceleration. You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belt. BabySmart™ air bag deactivation
system
How the air bag deactivation system
works 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. 44
Occupant safetySafety
G
WARNING
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide under
the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under
it, the seat belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck. That could cause serious
or even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a position that is as upright as
possible and the seat belt is properly
positioned on the body. G
WARNING
Never let more people ride in the vehicle than
there are seat belts available. Make sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly
restrained with a separate seat belt. Never
use a seat belt for more than one person at a
time. G
WARNING
Always have damaged seat belts or seat belts
that have been subjected to a load in an
accident replaced and the anchorages
checked.
Only use seat belts that have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz.
Never tamper with seat belts. This can result
in the unintended deployment of the
Emergency Tensioning Devices or the failure
to deploy when necessary.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts, as this may
severely weaken them. In the event of a
collision, they may be unable to provide
adequate protection.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Consult a qualified specialist
workshop.
The use of infant or child restraints is required
by law in all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, all U.S. territories and all Canadian
provinces. Even where this is not the case, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts
fastened when the vehicle is in motion.
i
See "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 53) for further information on
infants and children traveling in the vehicle,
as well as on child restraint systems.
Correct use of the seat belts G
WARNING
CORRECT USE OF SEAT BELTS
R Seat belts only work properly if they are
fastened correctly. 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 All occupants should wear their seat belt at
all times, because seat belts help reduce
the likelihood of and potential severity of
injuries in accidents, even if the vehicle
overturns. The restraint system installed is
equipped with SRS (driver's air bag, front-
passenger air bag, window curtain air
bags), belt tensioners and belt force
limiters.
The system is designed to enhance the
protection offered to occupants who are
wearing their seat belts correctly, in certain
frontal impacts (front air bags and belt
tensioners) and side impacts (window
curtain air bags and belt tensioners) which
exceed preset deployment thresholds.
R Never route the shoulder section of the
seat belt under your arm, across your neck
or anywhere other than across your
shoulder. In the event of a frontal impact,
your body would be moved too far forward.
This would increase the risk of head and
neck injuries. The seat belt would then
apply excessive force to the ribs or
abdomen which could cause severe
internal injuries to organs such as the liver
or spleen.
Adjust the seat belt so that the upper part
of the belt is as close as possible to the 48
Occupant safetySafety
accelerator/brake pedal safely. The
position should be as far back as possible
with the driver still able to operate the
controls properly.
R adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to the head as possible and the center
of the head restraint supports the back of
the head at eye level.
R never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being
adjusted.
Failure to do so could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. 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
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. G
WARNING
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint so that it is as close
to the head as possible and the center of the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of an
accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head
restraints. Head restraints are intended to
help reduce injuries during an accident. !
To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
R keep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
R if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat
heating should also not be used to dry
the seats.
R clean the seat covers as recommended;
see the "Interior care" section.
R do not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place sharp objects on the
seat cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools.
The seats should only be occupied by
passengers, if possible.
R when the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating
materials, e.g. blankets, coats, bags,
seat covers, child seats or booster seats.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when resetting
the seats. There is a risk that the seats
and/or the objects could be damaged.
! When the rear bench seat is folded
forwards, the front seats cannot be moved
to their rearmost position. You could
otherwise damage the seats and the rear
bench seat.
! Make sure that the sun visor is folded up
before adjusting the backrest and head
restraint height. The head restraint and sun
visor could otherwise collide when the head
restraint is fully extended.
i If the front door is open, the seats can be
adjusted for up to 30 minutes after the
ignition has been switched off.
i The rear-compartment head restraints
can be removed (Y page 78).
For more information, contact a qualified
specialist workshop.
i You can find further information about
enlarging the cargo compartment (folding Seats
77Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z
road, weather and traffic conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in lane. Only engage
DISTRONIC PLUS when the current road,
weather and traffic conditions permit it to be
done safely, and adapt your driving style
accordingly. Drive carefully and maintain a
suitable distance to the vehicle in front.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a risk of collision
but cannot sufficiently decelerate the vehicle
in order to maintain the set distance, you will
be warned visually and acoustically.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot prevent a collision
without your intervention. An intermittent
warning tone will then sound and the distance
warning lamp will light up in the instrument
cluster. Brake immediately in order to
increase the distance from the vehicle in
front, or take evasive action, provided it is
safe to do so.
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line. Therefore,
always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
Otherwise, you may fail to recognize dangers
in time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R the sensor is dirty or covered
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R there is the possibility of strong radar
reflections, for example, in parking
garages.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
This can happen unexpectedly, especially
when towing or in a car wash. There is a risk
of an accident. In these or similar situations,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS.
If you want DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you,
the following activation conditions must be fulfilled (Y
page 116) and the radar sensor
system must be operational.
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the
distance to the vehicle detected in front.
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so
that the set speed is not exceeded.
On long and steep downhill gradients,
especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a
trailer, you must select shift range
1,2or 3
in good time. By doing so, you will make use
of the braking effect of the engine, which
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a slower-moving
vehicle in front, your vehicle is braked in order
to maintain the preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between 20 mph
(Canada: 30 km/h) and120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h). If a vehicle is driving in front of
you, it operates in the speed range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves,
it can resemble the radar detectors of the
responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter in the Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
i USA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC
as a “Vehicular Radar System”. The radar
sensor is intended for use in an automotive
radar system only. Removal, tampering, or
altering of the device will void any
warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way. Driving systems
115Driving and parking Z
System menu overview
Settings Time Consump-
tion Seat Display
off
Display settings Sets the time Calls up the
fuel
consumption
display Changes the
driver/front-
passenger seat
settings Switches
off the
display
Text reader speed Sets the format
Voice-operated control
settings Sets the time
zone
Language
Favorites button
Rear view camera
Activates/deactivates
Bluetooth
® Resets COMAND
i
Delete your
personal data using
this function, for
example before
selling your vehicle. If equipped with the rear view camera:
when the function is activated and COMAND is
switched on, the image from the rear view camera is automatically shown in the COMAND
display when reverse gear is engaged. COMAND operating system
175COMAND Z
Function Page
F
Number pad
• Selects stations via the
station presets • Stores stations manually
• Mobile phone
authorization
• Telephone number entry
• Sends DTMF tones
• Character entry
• Selects a location for the
weather forecast from the
memory
z
Displays the current
track being played g
Selects stations by
entering the frequency
manually g
Selects a track G
Switches COMAND on/off
Adjusts the volume Function Page
H
SD memory card slot
I
Calls up the system menu
J
Accepts a call
Dials a number
Redials
Accepts a waiting call
K
Switches the sound on or
off
Switches the hands-free
microphone on/off
Cancels the text message
read-aloud function
Switches off navigation
announcements
L
Rejects a call
Ends an active call
Rejects a waiting call
COMAND controller
Overview :
COMAND controller
You can use the COMAND controller to select
the menu items in the COMAND display. You can:
R
call up menus or lists
R scroll within menus or lists and
R exit menus or lists
Operation Example: operating the COMAND controller COMAND operating system
177COMAND Z
disconnected at a qualified specialist
workshop. You can also charge the battery
with a charger recommended by Mercedes-
Benz. Contact a qualified specialist workshop
for further information.
Explosive gases are created during charging
and jump-starting.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you only use batteries
which have been tested and approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz. These
batteries provide increased impact
protection to prevent vehicle occupants from
suffering acid burns should the battery be
damaged in the event of an accident.
Have the battery condition of charge checked
more frequently if you use the vehicle mainly
for short trips or if you leave it standing idle
for a lengthy period. Consult a qualified
specialist workshop if you wish to leave your
vehicle parked for a long period of time.
i Remove the SmartKey if you park the
vehicle and do not require any electrical
consumers. The vehicle will then use very
little energy, thus conserving battery
power.
i If the power supply has been interrupted,
e.g. due to a discharged battery, you will
have to:
R set the clock. Information on setting the
clock can be found in the Digital
Operator's Manual.
On vehicles with COMAND and a
navigation system, the clock is set
automatically.
R reset the head restraints on the front
seats. Information on adjusting the head
restraints can be found in the Digital
Operator's Manual.
R reset the function for folding the exterior
mirrors in/out automatically, by folding
the mirrors out once (Y page 79). Charging the battery
G
WARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive
gases can escape from the battery. There is a
risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting.
Do not lean over a battery. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury.
Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Do not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean
over the battery. Keep children away from
batteries. Wash battery acid immediately with
water and seek medical attention. G
WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at
temperatures below freezing point. When
jump-starting the vehicle or charging the
battery, gases can escape from the battery.
There is a risk of an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before
charging it or jump-starting.
! Only charge the battery using the jump-
starting connection point.
! Only use battery chargers with a
maximum charging voltage of 14.8 V.
! Only charge the installed battery with a
battery charger which has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. These battery
chargers allow the battery to be charged
while still installed in the vehicle.
A battery charger unit specially adapted for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles and tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz is available as an
accessory. Contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for information and availability.
Charge the battery in accordance with the
operating instructions for the battery
charger. Battery (vehicle)
217Breakdown assistance Z