2015 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS COUPE warning

If the seat belt is pulled quickly or sharply by the
seat-belt extender, the inertia reel locks. The
belt strap cannot be pulled out any further.
The belt tensioner tightens the seat belt in the
event of a collision so that it fits tightly across
your body. However, it does not pull the vehicle occupants back in the direction of the seat
backrest.
The belt tensioner does not, however, correct an
incorrect seat position or correct the routing of
a seat belt that is worn incorrectly.
If the seat belt is also fitted with a belt force
limiter and this is triggered, the force exerted by the seat belt on the vehicle occupant is reduced.
The belt force limiters on the front seats are
synchronised with the front airbags, which take
on a part of the deceleration force. This can
reduce the forces to which the vehicle occu-
pants are subjected during an accident.
! If the front-passenger seat is not occupied,
do not engage the seat belt tongue in the
buckle on the front-passenger seat. Other-
wise, the belt tensioner and the front-
passenger front airbag could be triggered in
the event of an accident and would need to be
replaced.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The seat belt cannot perform its intended pro- tective function if it is not fastened correctly. Also, an improperly fastened seat belt can
cause additional injuries in the event of an
accident, sudden braking or abrupt changes
of direction. There is an increased risk of
injury, possibly even fatal.
Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
are wearing their seat belt properly and are
seated correctly. G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing 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 ensure that the backrestis in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seatbelt is routed
across the centre of your shoulder. G
WARNING
Persons under 1.50 mtall cannot wear the
seat belts correctly without a suitable, addi-
tional restraint system. The seat belt cannot
perform its intended protective function if it is not fastened correctly. Also, an improperly
fastened seat belt can cause additional inju-
ries in the event of an accident, sudden brak-
ing or abrupt changes of direction. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Secure persons less than 1.50 mtall in a suit-
able restraint system.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 1.50 m in height is travelling in the vehi-
cle: R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cle. The child restraint system must be appro- priate to the age, weight and size of the child.
R always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 47) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions. G
WARNING
Seat belts cannot protect as intended, if:
R they are damaged, have been modified, are
extremely dirty, bleached or dyed
R the seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
R modifications have been made to the belt
tensioners, belt anchorages or inertia reels
Seat belts may sustain non-visible damage in an accident, e.g. due to glass splinters. Modi-
fied or damaged seat belts can tear or fail, for example in the event of an accident. Modified
seat belt tensioners may be deployed unin- 38
Occupant safetySafety

tentionally or fail to be deployed when
required. There is an increased risk of injury,
possibly even fatal.
Never modify safety belts, seat belt tension-
ers, seat belt anchorages and inertia reels.
Ensure that seat belts are not damaged or
worn and are clean. After an accident, have
the seat belts checked immediately at a quali- fied specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use
seat belts which have been approved specifi-
cally for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz. Other-
wise, your vehicle's general operating permit
could be invalidated.
Correct seat belt use Pay attention to the safety notes about the seat
belt (Y page 38).
All vehicle occupants must fasten their seat
belts correctly before you start driving. You
must also make sure that all vehicle occupants
have fastened their seat belts correctly during
the journey.
When fastening your seat belt, always make
sure that:
R the seat belt tongue is inserted into the belt
buckle that belongs to the seat.
R the seat belt is tightened across your body.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
R the seat belt is not twisted.
Only then can the forces which occur be dis-
tributed over the area of the belt.
R the shoulder section of the belt is routed
across the centre of your shoulder.
The shoulder section of the belt must not
come into contact with your neck or be routed
under your arm.
R The lap belt must be taut and as low as pos-
sible over your lap.
The lap belt must always be routed across
your hip joints and not across your abdomen.
Pregnant women must take particular care
with this. If necessary, push the lap belt down to your hip joint and pull it tight using the
shoulder section of the belt.
R The seat belt is not routed over sharp, pointed
or fragile objects. If such objects are located on or in your cloth-
ing, e.g. pens, keys, spectacles, etc. stow
these in a suitable location.
R Only one person should use each seat belt at
any one time.
Babies and children must never travel sitting
on the lap of another vehicle occupant. In the
event of an accident, they could be crushed
between the vehicle occupant and seat belt.
R Do not secure any objects with a seat belt if
the seat belt is being used by one of the vehi- cle's occupants.
Also ensure that no objects are placed
between a person and the seat. e.g. a cush-
ion.
Seat belts are solely intended to secure and
restrain persons. To secure objects, luggage or
loads, always observe the "Loading guidelines"
(Y page 265).
Fastening a seat belt Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y
page 38) and the information on the correct
use of the seat belt (Y page 39). G
WARNING
If the seat-belt extender extends during the
journey, the seat belt is not sitting correctly
across your body. The seat belt then cannot
perform its intended protective function.
There is an increased risk of injury, possibly
even fatal.
During a journey, make sure that the seat-belt extender is retracted. The seat-belt extender for the driver and front
passenger helps you fasten your seat belt. Seat- belt extender =is extended when the respec- Occupant safety
39Safety Z

hold on to the seat belt tightly while it is adjust-
ing.
You can switch the seat-belt adjustment on and
off in the on-board computer (Y page 220).
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger The
7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder that all vehicle occu-
pants must wear their seat belts. It may light up
continuously or flash. In addition, a warning tone may sound.
The 7 seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tone ceases when the driver and the
front passenger have fastened their seat belts.
i More information on the
7seat belt
warning lamp can be found under "Warning
and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster,
seat belt" (Y page 247).
Rear seat belt status indicator The seat belt on the left rear seat, when viewed
in the direction of travel, is not fastened. (Exam- ple)
The rear seat belt status indicator is only avail-
able for certain countries.
The rear seat belt status indicator shows which rear seat belt is not fastened.
Hiding the rear seat belt status indicator imme-
diately (Y page 222). Airbags
Introduction The installation location of an airbag is identified
by the AIRBAG symbol.
An airbag supplements a correctly worn seat
belt. It is not a replacement for the seat belt. The airbag offers additional protection in corre-
sponding accident situations. Not all airbags are deployed in an accident. The
different airbag systems work independently of
each other (Y page 44).
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to completely rule out a
risk of injury caused by an airbag due to the
speed at which the airbag must be deployed.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you deviate from the correct seat position,
the airbag cannot perform its intended pro-
tective function and can even cause addi-
tional injuries when deployed. There is an
increased risk of serious or even fatal injuries. In order to avoid such risks, always ensure
that all vehicle occupants:
R fasten their seatbelts correctly, including
pregnant women
R are seated correctly and maintain the fur-
thest possible distance from the airbags
R observe the following notes
Always ensure that there are no objects loca-
ted between the airbag and the vehicle occu-
pant.
R Adjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat
is in an almost upright position. The centre of
the head restraint must support the head at
about eye level.
R Move the driver's and front-passenger seats
as far back as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven safely.
R Only hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the airbag to be fully deployed.
R Always lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forwards or lean against the
door or side window. You may otherwise be in
the deployment area of the airbags.
R Always keep your feet in the footwell in front
of the seat. Do not put your feet on the dash-
board, for example. Your feet may otherwise
be in the deployment area of the airbag.
R Always secure persons less than 1.50 mtall in
suitable restraint systems. Up to this height,
the seat belt cannot be worn correctly. Occupant safety
41Safety Z

If a child is travelling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
R Always secure children under twelve years of
age and less than 1.50 mtall in suitable child
restraint systems.
R Child restraint systems should be fitted to the
rear seats.
R Only secure a child to the front-passenger
seat when the front-passenger front airbag is
disabled, and only then in a rearward-facing
child restraint system. If the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp is permanently lit, the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled
(Y page 37).
R Always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 47) and on the "Child restraint sys-
tem on the front-passenger seat"
(Y page 52) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may prevent
the airbag from functioning correctly. Before
starting your journey and to avoid risks resulting from the speed of the airbag as it deploys, make
sure that:
R there are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an airbag.
R there are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar.
R no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, are hang-
ing on the grab handles or coat hooks.
R no accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deployment
area of an airbag, e.g. to doors, side windows, rear side trim or side walls.
R no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects are in
the pockets of your clothing. Store such
objects in a suitable place. G
WARNING
If you modify an airbag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the airbag can no longer function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an airbag cover or affix objects
to it. G
WARNING
Sensors to control the airbags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per- formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ling, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the function of the sensors being impaired. The
airbags might therefore not function properly any more. Consequently, the airbags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. This poses an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan-
elling carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Front airbags Driver's airbag
:deploys in front of the steer-
ing wheel. Front-passenger front airbag ;
deploys in front of and above the glove com-
partment.
When deployed, the front airbags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for the occu-
pants in the front seats.
A permanently lit PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp informs you that the front-
passenger front airbag is disabled (Y page 37).
Driver's kneebag 42
Occupant safetySafety

Driver's kneebag
:deploys under the steering
column. The driver's kneebag is triggered
together with the front airbags.
The driver's kneebag offers additional thigh,
knee and lower leg protection for the occupant
in the driver's seat.
i The driver's kneebag is only available in cer-
tain countries.
Sidebags G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers may obstruct or even
prevent deployment of the airbags integrated into the seats. The airbags may then fail to
protect the vehicle occupants as intended.
Operation of the automatic child seat recog-
nition may also be impaired. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Use only seat covers which have been specif-
ically approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz. Front sidebags
:and rear sidebags ;deploy
next to the outer bolster of the seat backrest.
When deployed, the sidebag offers additional
thorax protection. However, it does not protect
the:
R head
R neck
R arms
In the event of a side impact, the sidebag is
deployed on the side on which the impact
occurs. Pelvisbags G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers may obstruct or even
prevent deployment of the airbags integrated into the seats. The airbags may then fail to
protect the vehicle occupants as intended.
Operation of the automatic child seat recog-
nition may also be impaired. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Use only seat covers which have been specif-
ically approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz. Pelvisbags
:deploy next to and below the
outer seat cushions.
When activated, the pelvisbag enhances the
level of protection of the vehicle occupants on
the side of the vehicle on which the impact
occurs.
The pelvisbag is deployed on the side of the
impact.
i Pelvisbags are only available in certain
countries.
Windowbags Occupant safety
43Safety Z

Windowbags
:are integrated into the side of
the roof frame and deploy in the area from the A-
pillar to the C-pillar.
When deployed, the windowbag enhances the
level of protection for the head. However, it does
not protect the chest or arms.
In the event of a side impact, the windowbag is
deployed on the side which the impact occurs.
If the system determines that it can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the seat
belt, a windowbag may be deployed in other
accident situations (Y page 44).Deployment of belt tensioners and air-
bags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
After the airbag deploys, the airbag parts are
hot. There is a risk of injury.
Do not touch the airbag parts. Have a
deployed airbag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible. G
WARNING
Pyrotechnic seat belt tensioners that have
been deployed are no longer operational and
are unable to perform their intended protec-
tive function. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Therefore, have pyrotechnic belt tensioners
which have been triggered immediately
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have the
vehicle towed to a qualified specialist workshop
after an accident. Take this into account, par-
ticularly if a seat belt tensioner was triggered or
an airbag was deployed.
An electric motor is used by PRE-SAFE ®
to trig-
ger the tightening of the seat belt in hazardous
situations. This procedure is reversible.
If the belt tensioners are triggered or an airbag is deployed, you will hear a bang, and a small
amount of powder may also be released. The
6 restraint system warning lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your hear-
ing. In general, the powder released is not haz- ardous to health but may cause short-term
breathing difficulties to persons suffering from
asthma or other pulmonary conditions. Provided
it is safe to do so, you should leave the vehicle
immediately or open the window in order to pre- vent breathing difficulties.
Operation During the first stage of a collision, the restraint
system control unit evaluates important physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
R duration
R direction
R intensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the seat
belt tensioners in the event of a head-on or rear
collision.
A seat belt tensioner can only be triggered if:
R the ignition is switched on
R the components of the restraint system are
operational. You can find further information
under: "Restraint system warning lamp"
(Y page 37)
R the belt tongue has engaged in the belt buckle
of the respective front seat
The seat belt tensioners in the rear compart-
ment are triggered independently of the lock
status of the seat belts.
If the restraint system control unit detects a high severity accident, in certain head-on collisions,
additional components of the restraint system
are deployed independently of each other:
R front airbags and driver's kneebag
R windowbag, if the system determines that
deployment can offer additional protection to
that provided by the seat belt
Depending on the person in the front-passenger seat, the front-passenger front airbag is either
disabled or enabled. The front-passenger front
airbag can only be deployed in an accident if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off.
Observe the information on the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp (Y page 37).
Your vehicle has two-stage front airbags. In the
first deployment stage, the front airbag is filled
with propellant gas to reduce the risk of injuries.
The front airbag is fully deployed if the second
deployment stage is activated within a few mil-
liseconds. 44
Occupant safetySafety

The activation threshold for the seat belt ten-
sioners and airbags is determined based on the
evaluation of the vehicle's rate of deceleration
or acceleration at various points in the vehicle.
This process is pre-emptive in nature. The trig-
gering/deployment process should take place
in good time at the start of the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the collision
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the vehicle
R the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a deci-
sive role in the deployment of an airbag, nor do
they provide an indication of airbag deployment.
The vehicle may be deformed significantly with-out an airbag being deployed. This is the case if
only parts which are relatively easily deformed
are affected and the rate of deceleration is not
high. Conversely, an airbag may be deployed
even though the vehicle suffers only minor
deformation. This is the case if, for example,
very rigid vehicle parts such as longitudinal body
members are hit, and sufficient deceleration
occurs as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side impact, the applicable components of the
restraint system are activated independently of
each other.
R Sidebags and pelvisbag on the side on which
an impact occurs, independent from the seat
belt tensioner and seat belt usage
Vehicles with the automatic child seat recog- nition on the front-passenger seat: the side-
bag and pelvisbag on the front-passenger side (front) deploy under the following conditions:
- an occupant is detected on the front-
passenger seat or
- the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat
R Windowbag on the side on which an impact
occurs, independent of seat belt usage and
regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R Seat belt tensioners, if the system determines
that deployment can offer additional protec-
tion for the vehicle occupants in this situation i
Not all airbags are deployed in an accident.
The different airbag systems work independ-
ently of each other.
How the airbag system works is determined
by the severity of the accident detected,
especially the vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, and the apparent type of accident:
R frontal collision
R side impact NECK-PRO 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 unsuitable head restraint covers
If you do so, the head restraints cannot fulfil
their intended protective function in the event of an accident. In addition, objects attached
to the head restraints could endanger other
vehicle occupants. This poses an increased
risk of injury.
Do not attach any objects to the head
restraints and only use suitable head restraint
covers.
Consult a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre
regarding the availability of suitable seat or head
restraint covers.
Operation NECK-PRO head restraints reduce the likelihood
of head and chest injuries. The NECK-PRO head
restraints on the driver's and front-passenger
seats are moved forwards and upwards in the
event of a rear-end collision of a certain severity. This provides better head support.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints have been trig-
gered in an accident, you must reset the NECK-
PRO head restraints on the driver's and front-
passenger seat (Y page 46). Otherwise, the
additional protection will not be available in the
event of another rear-end collision. You can rec- ognise when NECK-PRO head restraints have Occupant safety
45Safety Z

PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS (anticipatory occu-
pant protection PLUS)
Introduction PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS is only available in vehicles
with the Driving Assistance package.
Using the radar sensor system, PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS is able to detect that a head-on or rear-end collision is imminent. In certain hazardous sit-
uations, PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS takes pre-emptive
measures to protect the vehicle occupants.
Important safety notes The intervention of PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS cannot
prevent an imminent collision.
The driver is not warned before the intervention
of PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS.
PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS does not intervene:
R if the vehicle is reversing
R when the vehicle is towing a trailer and there
is a risk of a rear-end collision
When driving, or when parking or exiting a park- ing space with assistance from Active Parking
Assist, PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS will not apply the
brakes.
Function PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS intervenes in certain situa-
tions if the radar sensor system detects an
imminent head-on or rear-end collision.
PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detected:
R if the radar sensor system detects that a
head-on collision is imminent, the seat belts
are pre-tensioned
R if the radar sensor system detects that a rear-
end collision is imminent:
- the rear hazard warning lamps are activa-
ted and flash at a higher frequency
- the brake pressure is increased if the driver
applies the brakes when the vehicle is sta-
tionary
- the seat belts are pre-tensioned The PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS braking application is can-
celled:
R if the accelerator pedal is depressed when a
gear is engaged
R if the risk of a collision passes or is no longer
detected
R if DISTRONIC PLUS indicates an intention to
pull away
If the hazardous situation passes without result- ing in an accident, the original settings are
restored. Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures may be implemented, depending on
the type and severity of the impact:
R the hazard warning lamps are activated
R the emergency lighting is activated
R the vehicle doors are unlocked
R the front side windows are lowered
R vehicles with a memory function: the electri-
cally adjustable steering wheel is raised
R the engine is switched off and the fuel supply
is cut off
R vehicles with the Mercedes-Benz emergency
call system: automatic emergency call Children in the vehicle
Important safety 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. Children are
generally better protected there.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 1.50 m in height is travelling in the vehi-
cle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restraint system must be appropri-
ate to the age, weight and size of the child.
R be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes in this section in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions. Children in the vehicle
47Safety Z