wards from the retracted seat-belt extender.
If necessary, adjust the front-passenger seat
accordingly. Always observe the information
about suitable positioning of the child
restraint system in this Owner's Manual as
well as the child restraint system manufac-
turer's installation instructions.
i Ensure that your vehicle is equipped with
automatic child seat recognition for the front-
passenger seat (Y page 52). If this is not the
case, always install a child restraint system on a suitable rear seat (Y page 55).PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
:
shows you whether the front-passenger front
airbag is disabled.
X Turn the key to position 1or 2in the ignition
lock or, on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, press
the Start/Stop button once or twice.
The system carries out a self-diagnosis.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
must light up for approximately six seconds.
If, after the system self-test, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp:
R lights up , the front-passenger front airbag is
disabled. It will then not be deployed in the
event of an accident.
R is not lit , the sensor system did not detect a
child restraint system with transponder for
automatic child seat recognition. If, in the
case of an accident, all deployment criteria
are met, the front-passenger front airbag is
deployed. G
WARNING
Electronic devices on the front-passenger
seat can affect the function of the automatic
child seat recognition, for example:
R laptop
R mobile phone
R transponder cards such as ski passes or
access passes
The front-passenger front airbag could deploy unintentionally or not function as intended
during an accident. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Do not place any of the devices mentioned
above or similar devices on the front-
passenger seat. Be aware of the status of the front-passenger front airbag both before and
during the journey. Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured
in the front seats. For this reason, Mercedes-
Benz strongly advises that you fit a child
restraint system on a rear seat.
Vehicles with automatic child seat recognition
on the co-driver's seat: if it is absolutely neces-
sary to fit a child restraint system to the co-driv- er's seat, always observe the notes on "Auto-
matic child seat recognition on the co-driver's
seat" (Y page 52).
You can thus avoid the risks that could arise as
a result of:
R a child restraint system that is not detected
by the automatic child seat recognition's sen-
sor system
R the unintentional disabling of the co-driver's
front airbag
R the unsuitable positioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board. 52
Children in the vehicleSafety
Please observe the warning notice on the co-
driver's sun visor, see the illustration. G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is
off, the front-passenger front airbag can
deploy in the event of an accident. The child
could be struck by the airbag. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenger front air-
bag has been disabled. The PASSENGER AIR- BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
NEVER use a rearward-facing child restraint on a seat protected by an ACTIVE AIRBAG in front of
it, DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the CHILD can
occur.
Vehicles without automatic child seat
recognition on the co-driver's seat If the co-driver's seat of your vehicle is not
equipped with automatic child seat recognition,
this is indicated by a special sticker. The sticker is affixed to the side of the dashboard on the co- driver's side. The sticker is visible when you
open the co-driver's door.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up briefly when the key is turned to posi-
tion
2in the ignition lock. It has no function,
however, and does not indicate that the co-driv-
er's seat is equipped with automatic child seat
recognition.
If you turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps light
up briefly. They have no function, however, and do not indicate that the co-driver's seat is equip- ped with automatic child seat recognition.
Always fit the rearward-facing restraint system
to a suitable rear seat in this case (Y page 55).
Observe the following information under "Rear-
ward-facing child restraint system" and
"Forward-facing child restraint system" and on
suitable positioning of the child restraint system (Y page 55).
Rearward-facing child restraint system Warning symbol for a rearward-facing child
restraint system
If it is absolutely necessary to fit a rearward-
facing child restraint system to the co-driver's
seat, you must always make sure that the co-
driver's front airbag is deactivated. The co-driv-
er's front airbag is only disabled if the
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is lit
continuously (Y page 37).
Always observe the information about suitable
positioning of the child restraint system
(Y page 55) as well as the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions. Children in the vehicle
53Safety Z
Problems with automatic child seat recognition
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
on the centre console is
lit. A special Mercedes-Benz child restraint system with a transponder for
automatic child seat recognition has been fitted to the front-
passenger seat. The front-passenger front airbag has therefore been
disabled as desired. G
WARNING
There is no child restraint system fitted to the front-passenger seat.
Automatic child seat recognition is malfunctioning, for example due to
electronic devices on the front-passenger seat.
There is a risk of injury.
X Remove electronic equipment from the front-passenger seat, e.g.:
R laptop
R mobile phone
R a card with a transponder, such as a ski pass or access pass
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the front- passenger seat may not be used.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. When you switch the
ignition on, the
6
restraint system warning lamp lights up and/or
the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up briefly. G
WARNING
Automatic child seat recognition is malfunctioning.
Do not install a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat.
It is recommended that you fit the child restraint system to a suitable rear seat.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
X Please also refer to the notes about the restraint system warning
lamp (Y page 228). Suitable positioning of the child
restraint system
Introduction Only child restraint systems which are approved
in accordance with the ECE standard ECE R44
are permitted for use in the vehicle.
For certain child restraint systems in weight cat-
egories II or III, this can mean that the area of
use is restricted. The maximum size setting of
the child restraint system is not possible due to possible contact with the roof.
"Universal" category child restraint systems can
be recognised by their orange approval label and the text "Universal". Example: approval label on the child restraint
system
"Universal" category child restraint systems can
be used on the seats indicated with U, UF or IUF according to the tables "Suitability of the seats
for attaching belt-secured child restraint sys- Children in the vehicle
55Safety Z
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows X
To enable/disable: press button;.
If indicator lamp :is lit, operation of the rear
side windows is disabled. Operation is only
possible using the switches in the driver's
door. If indicator lamp :is off, operation is
possible using the switches in the rear com-
partment. Pets in the vehicle
G
WARNING
If you leave animals unsupervised or unse-
cured in the vehicle, they may push a button
or a switch, for example.
They could:
R activate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
R switch vehicle systems on or off, thus
endangering other road users
In the event of an accident, sudden braking or
abrupt changes of direction, unsecured ani-
mals could be flung around the vehicle, injur-
ing the vehicle occupants. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals correctly during a
journey, e.g. in an animal transport box. Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS (A nti-lock Braking System)
(Y page 62)
R BAS (Brake AssistSystem) (Y page 62)
R BAS PLUS (B rakeAssist System PLUS) with
Cross-Traffic Assist (Y page 62)
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
(Y page 64)
R Adaptive brake lights (Y page 66)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 67)
R EBD (e lectronic brake force distribution)
(Y page 69)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 69)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 69)
R STEER CONTROL (Y page 71) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor override the laws of physics. Driving safety systems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for maintaining the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time, and for staying in lane. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road and weather conditions and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The driving safety systems described only work as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quate contact between the tyres and the road
surface. Please pay special attention to the
notes on tyres, recommended minimum tyre
tread depths etc. (Y page 313).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tyres (M+S tyres) and, if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will the driving safety
systems described in this section work as effec-
tively as possible. Driving safety systems
61Safety Z
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General notes ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that
the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steering the vehicle when braking.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h,
regardless of road-surface conditions. ABS
works on slippery surfaces, even when you only
brake gently.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61). G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid- ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems, includ-
ing driving safety systems, will also become
inoperative. Observe the information on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 249) and display mes-
sages which may be shown in the instrument
cluster (Y page 223).
Brakes X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions; this serves as a
reminder to take extra care while driving. BAS (Brake Assist)
General notes BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If you depress the brake pedal quickly, BAS
automatically boosts the braking force, thus
shortening the stopping distance.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
Brakes X
Keep the brake pedal depressed firmly until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. BAS PLUS (Brake Assist PLUS) with
Cross-Traffic Assist
General notes BAS PLUS can help you to minimise the risk of a
collision with a vehicle or a pedestrian and
reduce the effects of such a collision. If BAS
PLUS detects a danger of collision, you are
assisted when braking.
i Pay attention to the important safety notes
in the "Driving safety systems" section
(Y page 61).
BAS PLUS is only available on vehicles with the
Driving Assistance package.
For BAS PLUS to assist you when driving, the
radar sensor system and the camera system
must be operational. 62
Driving safety systemsSafety
Distance warning function
General notes
The distance warning function can help you to
minimise the risk of a collision with the vehicle in front or reduce the effects of such a collision. If
the distance warning function detects that there
is a risk of a collision, you will be warned visually and acoustically.
Important safety notes i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 61).G
WARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
Thus, the distance warning function cannot
provide a warning in all critical situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation; do not rely on the distance warning
function alone.
Function The distance warning function issues a warning at speeds:
R of approximately 30 km/h or more, if, over
several seconds, the distance maintained to
the vehicle travelling in front is insufficient. The
· distance warning lamp then lights
up in the instrument cluster.
R of approximately 7 km/h or more, if you rap-
idly approach a vehicle in front. An intermit-
tent warning tone will then sound and the
· distance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause the system to display a warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an exten-
ded period of time.
Up to a speed of approximately 70 km/h, the
distance warning function can also react to sta-
tionary obstacles, such as stopped or parked
vehicles.
Autonomous braking function If the driver does not react to the distance warn-
ing signal in a critical situation, COLLISION PRE- VENTION ASSIST PLUS can assist with the
autonomous braking function.
The autonomous braking function:
R gives the driver more time to react to critical
driving situations
R can help the driver to avoid an accident or
R reduces the effects of an accident
The autonomous braking function is available in
the following speed ranges:
R from 7 km/h to approximately 105 km/h for
moving objects
R from 7 km/h to approximately 50 km/h for
stationary objects
Due to the nature of the system, complicated
but non-critical driving conditions may also
cause the autonomous braking function to inter- vene.
If the autonomous braking function demands
particularly high braking force, preventative
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
)
are activated simultaneously. Driving safety syste
ms
65Safety Z
Adaptive Brake Assist
General notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
With the help of Adaptive Brake Assist, the dis-
tance warning signal can detect obstacles that
are in the path of your vehicle for an extended
period of time.
If Adaptive Brake Assist detects a risk of a col-
lision with the vehicle in front, it calculates the
braking force necessary to avoid a collision. If
you apply the brakes forcefully, Adaptive Brake
Assist will automatically increase the braking
force to a level suitable for the traffic conditions.
Adaptive Brake Assist provides braking assis-
tance in hazardous situations at speeds above
7 km/h. It uses radar sensor technology to
assess the traffic situation.
Up to a speed of approximately 250 km/h,
Adaptive Brake Assist is capable of reacting to
moving objects that have already been detected
as such at least once over the period of obser-
vation.
Up to a speed of approximately 70 km/h, Adap-
tive Brake Assist reacts to stationary obstacles.
If Adaptive Brake Assist demands a particularly
high braking force, preventative passenger pro-
tection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are activated
simultaneously (Y page 46).
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if: R you release the brake pedal
R there is no longer any danger of a collision
R no obstacle is detected in front of your vehicle
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated.
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 61).G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions. In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause Brake Assist to intervene.
If Adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system remains available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS. Adaptive brake lights
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
The adaptive brake lights warn following traffic
in an emergency braking situation:
R by flashing brake lamps
R the hazard warning lamps are activated
If you brake sharply from a speed of more than
50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS or BAS
PLUS, the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way,
traffic travelling behind you is warned in an even
more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more than
70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warning
lamps are activated automatically. If the brakes are applied again, the brake lamps light up con-
tinuously. The hazard warning lamps switch off
automatically if you travel faster than 10 km/h. 66
Driving safety systemsSafety
You can also switch off the hazard warning
lamps using the hazard warning button
(Y page 108). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction, i.e.
power transmission between the tyres and the
road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating from
the direction desired by the driver, one or more
wheels are braked to stabilise the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the vehi- cle on the desired course within physical limits.
ESP ®
assists the driver when pulling away on
wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise
the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
. On vehicles
with 4MATIC, 4ETS is a component of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deactivate ESP ®
.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or perform-
ance tests may only be carried out on a 2-axle dynamometer. Before operating the vehicle on such a dynamometer, please consult a
qualified specialist workshop. You could oth-
erwise damage the drive train or the brake
system.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicle with the rear axle raised, observe the
notes on ESP ®
(Y page 309).
If the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, then ESP ®
is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®
warning lamp and the å
ESP ®
OFF warning lamp are lit continuously,
ESP ®
is not available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 249) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 223).
i Only use wheels with the recommended tyre
sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function properly.
Characteristics of ESP ® General notes
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X When pulling away, only depress the acceler-
ator pedal as far as is necessary.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle stops
moving. When pulling away again, the engine
starts automatically. ESP ®
remains in its previ-
ously selected status. Example:if ESP®
was
deactivated before the engine was switched off,
ESP ®
remains deactivated when the engine is
switched on again. Driving safety systems
67Safety Z