Safety
Passive Safety
General information
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Before every journey
8
Driving safety
8
Safety equipment
8
In this section, you will find important information, tips and notes on the sub-
ject of passive safety in your vehicle.
We have combined everything here which you should be familiar with, for ex-
ample, regarding seat belts, airbags, child seats and the safety of children.
WARNING■ This chapter contains important information on how to use the vehicle for
the driver and their occupants.■
You will find further information on safety, which concerns you and those
travelling with you, in the following chapters of this Owner's Manual.
■
The complete on-board literature should always be in the vehicle. This
particularly applies, if you rent out or sell the vehicle.
Before every journey
Read and observe
on page 8 first.
For your own safety and the safety of passengers, the following points must
be observed before every ride.
Ensure that the lighting and the turn signal system are functioning proper-
ly.
Make sure that the function of the wiper and the condition of the wiper
blades are free of any defects.
Ensure that all of the windows offer good visibility to the outside.
Adjust the rear-view mirror so that vision to the rear is guaranteed.
Ensure that the mirrors are not covered.
Check the tyre inflation pressure.
Check the engine oil, brake fluid and coolant levels.
Secure all items of luggage.
Do not exceed the permissible axle loads and permissible gross weight of
the vehicle – risk of accident.
Close all doors and the engine compartment and luggage compartment lid.
Ensure that no objects can obstruct the pedals.
Protect children in suitable child seats with correctly fastened seat belts
» page 22 , Transporting children safely .
Adopt the correct seated position » page 9, Correct and safe seated
position . Tell your passengers to assume the correct seated position.
Driving safety
Read and observe
on page 8 first.
The driver is fully responsible for himself/herself and his/her occupants. If your
driving safety is affected, you place yourself and oncoming traffic at risk.
The following guidelines must be observed. Do not get distracted from concentrating on the traffic situation, e.g. by
your passengers or mobile phone calls.
Never drive when your driving ability is impaired, e.g. through medication,
alcohol or drugs.
Keep to the traffic regulations and the permissible speed limit.
Always adjust the driving speed to the road, traffic and weather condi-
tions.
Take regular breaks on long journeys – at least every two hours.
Safety equipment
Read and observe
on page 8 first.
The following list contains only part of the safety equipment in your vehicle.
› Three-point seat belts for all the seats.
› Belt force limiters for the front seats.
› Belt tensioners for the front seats.
› Seat belt height adjusters for the front seats.
› Front airbag for the driver and the front passenger.
› Front side airbags.
› Head airbags.
› Anchoring points for child seats using the ISOFIX system.
8Safety
WARNING (Continued)■Many layers of clothing and loose clothing (e. g. a winter coat over a jack-
et) do not allow you to be correctly seated and impairs proper operation of
the seat belts.■
Do not use clamps or similar items, which prevent the lash-lock function
of the seat from operating. A seat belt which is hanging too loose can re-
sult in injuries, as your body is moved forward by the kinetic energy pro-
duced in an accident and is then abruptly held firm by the belt.
■
The seat belts for the rear seats can only fulfil their function reliably
when the seat backrests are correctly locked into position » page 74.
WARNINGInformation on the care and maintenance of the safety belts■The belt webbing must always be kept clean. Soiled belts may impair
proper operation of the inertia reel » page 147.■
The seat belts must not be removed or changed in any way. Do not at-
tempt to repair the seat belts yourself.
■
Check the condition of all the seat belts on a regular basis. If any damage
to the seat belts, seat belt connections, inertia reel or the lock is detected,
the seat belt concerned must be replaced by a specialist garage.
■
Damaged seat belts which have been subjected to stress in an accident
and were therefore stretched, must be replaced - this is best done by a
specialist garage. The anchorage points of the belts must also be inspec-
ted. The anchorage points for the belts should also be checked.
Note
The national legal requirements must be observed when using seat belts.The physical principle of a frontal collisionFig. 4
Driver without a fastened seat belt/rear seat passenger without a
fastened seat belt
Read and observe
on page 12 first.
As soon as the vehicle is moving, so-called kinetic energy (the energy of mo-
tion) is produced, both in terms of the car as well as in terms of the occupants.
The magnitude of this kinetic energy depends essentially on the speed at
which the vehicle is travelling and on the weight of the vehicle, including the
occupants. The greater the speed and weight increase, the greater the
amount of energy which has to be absorbed in the event of an accident.
The speed of the vehicle is the most important factor. Doubling the speed of
the vehicle from 25 km/h up to 50 km/hour increases the kinetic energy four
times.
The notion that it is possible to support your body with your hands in a minor
accident is incorrect. Even in a collision at only a low speed, the forces acting
on the body are such that it is no longer possible to support your body.
Even if you only drive at a speed of 30 km/h to 50 km/h, the forces that your body is exposed to in the event of an accident can exceed a ton (1,000 kg).
For example, a person's weight of 80 kg “increases” at 50 km/h to 4.8 tons (4,800 kg).
In the event of a frontal collision, occupants of the car not wearing a seat belt
are thrown forward and strike parts of the interior of the car, such as the
steering wheel, dash panel, windscreen in ways which cannot be controlled
» Fig. 4 -
. In certain circumstances, you could even be thrown out of the ve-
hicle, which could cause life-threatening or even fatal injuries.
13Seat belts
If a trailer is hitched and the warning light is not flashing , one of the trailer
turn signal lights has failed.
The following message is shown in the information cluster display, for exam-
ple.
Trailer: check left turn signal!
TRAILER TURN SIG_ CHECK LEFT
The trailer must be unhitched properly » page 134, Trailer, connect and dis-
connect .
Fog lights
Read and observe
on page 34 first.
The warning light
illuminates when the fog lamps are operating.
Cruise control / speed limiter
Read and observe
on page 34 first.
The indicator light illuminates
, when the vehicle is being controlled by the
cruise control or speed limiter.
The indicator light
flashes , if the speed set by the speed limiter has been
exceeded.
Brake pedal (automatic transmission)
Read and observe
on page 34 first.
If the warning light
illuminates , operate the brake pedal.
Main beam
Read and observe
on page 34 first.
The warning light
illuminates when the main beam or the headlight flasher
is being operated.
Warning icons in the display
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Automatic transmission
39
Rear seat belt warning
39
Alternator
39
Coolant
40
Engine oil pressure
40
Engine oil level
40
Lamp failure
41
Diesel particulate filter (diesel engine)
41
Windscreen washer fluid level
42
START-STOP-system
42
Display of a low temperature
42
Distance warning (Front Assistant)
42
Advance warning/emergency brake (Front Assistant)
42
The warning icons indicate the status of certain functions or faults.
The warning icons are indicated in the display of the instrument cluster
» page 31 .
Depending on the meaning of the warning icon, the icon or
will also illu-
minate in the bar with the warning lights
4
» Fig. 20 on page 30 or » Fig. 21
on page 30 .
SymbolMeaningDangerWarning
While the operational faults remain unrectified, the messages are repeated.
After they are displayed for the first time, the symbols or
continue to be
displayed without any extra messages for the driver.
Some warning icons can be accompanied by acoustic signals and messages in
the instrument cluster display.
After switching on the ignition, some warning icons illuminate briefly as a
function test.
38Operation
CAUTIONIf in addition to the symbol the symbol lights up while driving, stop
driving - there is a risk of engine damage! Switch off the engine and seek as-
sistance from a specialist garage.
Coolant
Read and observe
on page 39 first.
Coolant level too low
If the coolant level is too low, the warning icon
lights up and the following
message appears in the instrument cluster display.
Please check engine coolant! Owner's Manual!
ENGINE COOLANT PLEASE CHECK
› Stop the vehicle, switch off the engine and check the coolant level
» page 156 .
› If the coolant level is too low, top up coolant
» page 156.
If the warning icon
does not illuminate after adding coolant and switching
on the engine, you may continue your journey.
If the coolant is within the specified range and the warning icon is still
lit
after switching on the ignition, then there may be a malfunction of the cooling
fan.
› Switch off the ignition.
› Check the fuse for the radiator fan, replace if necessary
» page 185, Fuses in
the engine compartment .
If the coolant level and fan fuse are OK and the Warning icon
lights up again
after switching on the ignition, do not continue driving!
Seek help from a specialist garage.
Coolant temperature too high
If the coolant temperature is too high, the warning icon
lights up and the
following message appears in the instrument cluster display.
Engine overheated. Stop! Owner's Manual!
ENGINE OVERHEAT STOP
› Stop the vehicle and turn off the engine.
› Switch on the ignition and wait until the coolant temperature returns to the
operating range » page 31.
› Continue your journey only after the warning icon
has disappeared.
WARNING■
Carefully open the coolant expansion bottle. If the engine is hot, the cool-
ing system is pressurized - risk of scalding! It is therefore best to allow the
engine to cool down before removing the cap.■
Do not touch the radiator fan. The radiator fan may switch on automati-
cally even if the ignition is off - danger of injury!
CAUTION
■ Additional headlights and other attached components in front of the air inlet
impair the cooling efficiency of the coolant.■
Never cover the radiator - there is a risk of the engine overheater.
Engine oil pressure
Read and observe
on page 39 first.
When the warning icon is
lit , the engine oil pressure is too low.
The following message is shown in the information cluster display. Oil pressure: Stop! Owner's Manual!
STOP VEHICLE OIL PRESSURE
›
Stop the vehicle, switch off the engine, and check the engine oil level
» page 154 .
›
If the oil pressure is too low, top up the engine oil » page 155.
If the oil level is within the specified range and the warning icon
turns on
again after the engine is started,
do not continue driving! Switch off the en-
gine and seek assistance from a specialist garage.
CAUTION
Do not continue your journey if for some reason it is not possible to top up
the engine oil! Switch off the engine and seek assistance from a specialist ga-
rage.
Engine oil level
Read and observe
on page 39 first.
Engine oil level too low
If the warning icons and
are
lit, the engine oil level is too low.
40Operation
The following message is shown in the information cluster display.Oil level: top up oil!
ADD OIL
› Stop the vehicle, switch off the engine, and check the engine oil level
» page 154 .
The warning icon will go out if the bonnet is left open for more than 30 sec-
onds. If no engine oil has been replenished, the warning icon will come on
again after driving about 100 km.
Engine oil level too high
If the warning icons
and
are lit in conjunction with the following message
on the display, the engine oil level is too high.
Reduce oil level!
OIL LEVEL TOO HIGH
› Stop the vehicle, switch off the engine, and check the engine oil level
» page 154 .
Engine oil level sensor
If the warning icons and
are
lit in conjunction with the following message
on the display, the engine oil level sensor is defective.
Oil sensor: Workshop!
OIL SENSOR WORKSHOP
Seek assistance from a specialist garage immediately.
CAUTION
Stop driving if for some reason it is not possible to top up the engine oil un-
der the current conditions. Switch off the engine and seek assistance from a
specialist garage.
Lamp failure
Read and observe
on page 39 first.
The warning icon
comes on if a bulb is faulty.
The following message is shown in the information cluster display, for exam-
ple.
Check right dipped headlight beam!
DIPPED HEADLIGHT CHECK RIGHT
Diesel particulate filter (diesel engine)
Read and observe
on page 39 first.
The diesel particulate filter separates the soot particles from the exhaust. The soot particles collect in the diesel particulate filter where they are burnt on a
regular basis.
If the warning icon
illuminates , soot has accumulated in the diesel particu-
late filter.
To clean the filter, and where traffic conditions permit »
, drive for at least
15 minutes or until the warning icon
goes out as follows.
4th or 5th gear engaged (automatic transmission: Position D/S).
Vehicle speed at least 70 km/h.
Engine speed between 1,800-2,500 rpm.
If the filter is properly cleaned, the warning icon
goes out .
If the filter is not properly cleaned, illumination of the warning icon
does
not take place and the warning light
begins to
flash.
The following message is shown in the information cluster display. Diesel particulate filter: Owner's Manual!
DIESEL PM FILTER OWNER MANUAL
Seek assistance from a specialist garage immediately.
WARNING■ The diesel particulate filter reaches very high temperatures - there is a
fire hazard and serious injury could be caused. Therefore, never stop the
vehicle at places where the underside of your vehicle can come into contact
with flammable materials such as dry grass, undergrowth, leaves, spilled
fuel or such like.■
Always adjust the speed and driving style to the actual weather, road, ter-
rain and traffic conditions. The recommendations indicated by the warning
light must not tempt you to disregard the national regulations for road traf-
fic.
41Instruments and warning lights
Set the memory to zero at the start of a new measurement if you wish to de-
termine the average fuel consumption over a certain period » page 46.
After erasing the memory, no fuel consumption data will appear for the first 100 m driven.
The indicated information is updated continuously while you are driving.
Current fuel consumption
You can use this information to adapt your driving style to the desired fuel
consumption 1)
.
The display appears in litres/hour if the vehicle is stationary or driving at a low
speed 2)
.
Oil temperature
If the engine oil temperature is in the range of 80-110 °C, the engine operating
temperature has been reached.
If the oil temperature is lower than 80 °C or above 110 °C, avoid high engine
revs, full throttle and high engine loads.
If the oil temperature is lower than 50 °C or if there is a fault in the system for
checking the oil temperature are displayed instead of the oil temperature.
Warning against speeding
Set the speed limit, e.g. for the maximum permissible speed in towns
» page 47 .
Current driving speed
The current speed display is identical to the display on the speedometer 3
» Fig. 20 on page 30 or » Fig. 21 on page 30 .
Average speed
The average speed since the memory was last erased is displayed in km/hour .
Set the memory to zero at the start of measurement to determine the average
speed over a certain period » page 46.
After erasing the memory, no data will appear for the first 300 m driven.
The indicated information is updated continuously while you are driving.
Distance travelled
The distance travelled since the memory was last erased is displayed.
Reset the memory to zero if you want to measure the distance travelled from
a particular moment » page 46.
The maximum distance indicated is 9,999 km. The indicator is automatically
set back to zero if this period is exceeded.
Driving time
The time travelled since the memory was last erased is displayed.
If you want to measure the time travelled from a particular moment in time,
reset the memory to zero at that point in time » page 46.
The maximum distance indicated is 99 hours and 59 minutes. The indicator is
automatically set back to zero if this period is exceeded.
Coolant temperature
If the engine oil temperature is in the range 80-110 °C, the engine operating
temperature is reached.
If the temperature lies below 80 °C or above 110 °C, avoid high engine revs, full
throttle and high engine loads.
Warning at excessive speeds
Read and observe
on page 45 first.
The system allows you to set a speed limit and when this is reached, an acous-
tic warning signal sounds.
The following warning message is shown in the display. Speed … km exceeded.
SPEED TOO HIGH
Adjust the speed limit while the vehicle is stationary
›
Select the menu item Warning at (
) or
(
).
›
Activate the speed limit option by confirming this menu item.
›
Set the desired speed limit, e.g. 50 km/h.
1)
The units for the displayed consumption are set in the Infotainment
» Infotainment operating instruc-
tions , chapter Device settings .
2)
On some models in certain countries, the display appears in --,- kilometres/litres if the vehicle is station-
ary.
47Information system
WARNING■The system only serves as an assistance and does not relieve the driver
of the responsibility for the vehicle operation.■
The system has physical and system-related limitations. For this reason,
the driver may experience some undesired or delayed system responses in
certain situations. You should therefore always be alert and ready to inter-
vene!
■
Always adapt your speed and safety proximity to the vehicle ahead to the
current visibility, weather, road and traffic conditions.
■
The increased passenger protection afforded through the system must
not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise – risk of accident!
■
The system does not respond to crossing or oncoming objects.
CAUTION
In case of failure of more than one brake light on the vehicle or on the electri-
cally connected trailer, the system becomes unavailable.
Radar sensor
Fig. 123
Mounting location of the radar
sensor
Read and observe and on page 122 first.
The radar sensor » Fig. 123(Hereinafter referred to simply as the sensor) may
detect objects by radiating and receiving electromagnetic waves.
The sensor function may be impaired in the events of one of the following.
› The sensor is soiled by mud, snow and the like.
› The area in front and around the senor is obscured by labels, auxiliary lights
and similar.
› When visibility is poor, (e.g. fog, heavy rain, thick snowfall).
If the sensor is dirty or covered, the corresponding message appears on the
display of the instrument cluster » page 124, Information messages .
WARNING■
If you suspect that the sensor is damaged, deactivate the system. Have
the sensor checked by a specialist garage.■
The sensor can become misaligned by collisions or by damage to the front
of the vehicle, the wheel arch or the underside of the vehicle. This can lead
to impaired function of the sensor - risk of accidents! Have the sensor
checked by a specialist garage.
■
The area in front and around the senor should not be obscured by labels,
auxiliary lights and similar. This can lead to impaired function of the sensor
- risk of accidents!
CAUTION
Remove the snow with a brush and the ice with a solvent-free de-icer.
Operation
Fig. 124
Instrument cluster display: Note
(dangerous distance) / warning
or emergency braking at low
speed
Read and observe and on page 122 first.
The system support is provided in the following manner.
› Alerts you about a dangerous proximity to the vehicle ahead.
› Warns you of an impending collision.
› Prepares the brakes for emergency braking prior to a detected danger.
› Assists with a brake action triggered by the driver.
› If the driver fails to respond to a detected danger, an automatic braking ac-
tion is performed.
The system can work only if the following basic conditions are met. The system is activated.
TheTCS is activated » page 115, Traction Control System (TCS) .
The vehicle is moving forwards at a speed of more than approx. 5 km/h.
122Driving
WARNINGIn the following situations, Front Assistant should be switched off for safe-
ty reasons.■
When the vehicle is being towed away.
■
When the vehicle is on a rolling test bench.
■
If an unfounded warning or a system action was taken.
■
When on a truck, or a car ferry service or similar.
Information messages
Read and observe
and on page 122 first.
The warning symbols are shown in the instrument cluster display. Front Assist: No sensor view.
The sensor is soiled or covered.
Stop the car, switch off the engine and clean the sensor or eliminate the dis-
turbance causing the lack of visibility » Fig. 123 on page 122 .
If the message appears again after starting the engine, the system should be disabled » page 123 . Seek help from a specialist garage.
Front Assist not available.
The system is not available for an unknown reason.
Stop the vehicle, switch off the engine and then start it again.
If the message appears again after starting the engine, the system should be disabled » page 123 . Seek help from a specialist garage.
START-STOP
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Operating conditions for the system
124
Operation in vehicles with manual gearbox
125
Operation in vehicles with automatic gearbox
125
System conditioned automatic start-up
126
Manually deactivating/activating
126
Information messages
126The START-STOP system (hereinafter referred to just as the system) reduces
fuel consumption and polluting emissions and CO 2 emissions by turning the
engine off, e.g. when stopping at traffic lights, and starting the engine again
when moving off.WARNING■ Never let the vehicle roll with the engine switched off.■The brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the engine is run-
ning.
Operating conditions for the system
Fig. 125
Engine is automatically switched
off / automatic engine cut off is
not possible
Read and observe on page 124 first.
For the system-dependent automatic engine shutdown to operate, the follow-
ing conditions must be met.
The driver's door is closed.
The driver has fastened the seat belt.
The bonnet is closed.
The driving speed exceeded 4 km/h after the last stop.
No trailer is coupled.
Some additional conditions for the system to function cannot be either influ-
enced or recognised by the driver. Therefore, the system can react differently
in situations which are identical from the driver's view.
If, after stopping the vehicle, the check icon
» Fig. 125 appears on the dis-
play, then the conditions for automatic engine shutdown are not met.
Running the engine is essential, for example, for the following reasons.
› The engine temperature for the proper function of the system has not yet
been reached.
› The charge state of the vehicle battery is too low.
124Driving