Page 65 of 426

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 retrac- tor 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 atten-
tion to road and traffic conditions. Reactivate
the special seat belt retractor and secure the
child restraint system properly.
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt and the folding bench seat belts in the cargo com-
partment are equipped with a special seat
belt retractor. When activated, the special
seat belt retractor ensures that the seat belt
cannot slacken once the child seat is secured.
Installing a child restraint system:
X Make sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc- tions.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from the belt
outlet.
X Engage seat belt tongue in belt buckle.
Activating the special seat belt retractor:
X Pull the seat belt out fully and let the inertia
reel retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat
belt retractor is enabled.
X Push the child restraint system down so
that the seat belt is tight and does not
loosen. Removing a child restraint system/deactivat-
ing the special seat belt retractor:
X Make sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc- tions.
X Press the belt buckle release button, hold
the belt tongue and guide it back towards
the belt outlet.
The special seat belt retractor is deactiva-
ted. Child restraint system
The use of seat belts and child restraint sys-
tems is required by law in:
R all 50 states
R the U.S. territories
R the District of Columbia
R all Canadian provinces
Do not install a rearward-facing child restraint
system on the center rear seat.
You can obtain further information about the correct child restraint system from any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor- rectly 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 instruc-
tions and the notes on use. Please ensure,
that the base of the child restraint system is
always resting completely on the seat cush-
ion. 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. Children in the vehicle
63Safety Z
Page 66 of 426

G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor- rectly 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, strik- ing vehicle occupants. There is an increased
risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Always install child restraint systems prop-
erly, even if they are not being used. Make
sure that you observe the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer's installation instructions.
You will find further information on stowing
objects, luggage or loads under "Loading
guidelines" (Y page 292). G
WARNING
Child restraint systems or their securing sys-
tems 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 secur-
ing systems on the child restraint system
checked at a qualified specialist workshop,
before you install a child restraint system
again.
Securing systems for the child restraint sys-
tem are:
R the seat belt system
R the ISOFIX (LATCH-type) securing rings
R the Top Tether anchorages
If it is absolutely necessary to carry a child on
the front-passenger seat, be sure to observe
the information on the "Occupant Classifica-
tion System (OCS)" (Y page 52). There you
will also find information on deactivating the
front-passenger front air bag. All child restraint systems must meet the fol-
lowing standards:
R U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand-
ards 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
in the installation instructions that are inclu-
ded with the child restraint system.
Observe the warning labels in the vehicle inte-
rior and on the child restraint system. LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat secur-
ing system 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.
Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation and operating instructions for the child restraint system used.
Before every trip, make sure that the LATCH- type (ISOFIX) child restraint system is
engaged correctly in both LATCH-type (ISO-
FIX) securing rings
! When installing the child restraint system,
make sure that the seat belt for the middle seat does not get trapped. The seat belt
could otherwise be damaged. 64
Children in the vehicleSafety
Page 67 of 426

When installing the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system, fold protective caps 0044of
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing rings 0043
inwards.
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system on both LATCH-type (ISO-
FIX) securing rings 0043.
ISOFIX is a standardized securing system for
specially designed child restraint systems on
the rear seats. LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing
rings 0043for two LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint systems are installed on the left and
right rear seats.
Non-LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seats may
also be used and can be installed using the
vehicle's seat belt system. Install child seats
according to the manufacturer's instructions. Top Tether
Introduction Top Tether provides an additional connection
between the child restraint system secured
with a LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat mount
and the vehicle. This helps reduce the risk of
injury even further. If the child restraint sys-
tem is equipped with a Top Tether belt, this
should always be used.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the rear seat backrests are not locked, they
could fold forwards in the event of an acci-
dent, heavy braking or sudden changes of direction. As a result, child restraint systems
cannot perform their intended protective
function. Rear seat backrests that are not
locked can also cause additional injuries, e.g.
in the event of an accident. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Always lock rear seat backrests after instal-
ling a Top Tether belt. Observe the lock veri-
fication indicator. Adjust the rear seat backr-
ests so that they are in an upright position.
If the rear seat backrest is not engaged and
locked, this will be shown in the multifunction
display in the instrument cluster. A warning
tone also sounds.
Top Tether anchorages Sedan
The Top Tether anchorage points are installed
in the rear compartment behind the head
restraints. X
Move head restraint 0043upwards.
X Fold up cover 0044of Top Tether anchorage
0083. Children in the vehicle
65Safety Z
Page 68 of 426

X
Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system with Top Tether. Always
comply with the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions
when doing so.
X Route Top Tether belt 0087under head
restraint 0043between the two head restraint
bars.
X Hook Top Tether hook 0085into Top Tether
anchorage 0083.
X Make sure that Top Tether belt 0087is not
twisted.
X Tension Top Tether belt 0087. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur- er's installation instructions when doing so.
X Fold down cover 0044of Top Tether anchor-
age 0083.
X Move head restraint 0043back down again
slightly if necessary (Y page 113). Make
sure that you do not interfere with the cor-
rect routing of Top Tether belt 0087.
Wagon
The Top Tether anchorages are located on the rear side of the rear seat backrests. X
Move head restraint 0043upwards.
X Remove combined cargo cover and net 0087
(Y page 300).
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system with Top Tether. Always
comply with the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions
when doing so.
X Route Top Tether belt 0084under head
restraint 0043between the two head restraint
bars.
X Hook Top Tether hook 0083into Top Tether
anchorage 0085on the back of rear seat
backrest 0044.
X Make sure that Top Tether belt 0084is not
twisted.
X Tension Top Tether belt 0084. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur- er's installation instructions when doing so.
X Move head restraint 0043back down again
slightly if necessary (Y page 113). Make
sure that you do not interfere with the cor- rect routing of Top Tether belt 0084.
X Install combined cargo cover and net 0087
(Y page 300). Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than chil-
dren secured in the front-passenger seat. For
this reason, Mercedes-Benz strongly advises
that you install the child restraint system on a
rear seat.
If it is absolutely necessary to install a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat,
be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant Classification System (OCS)" (Y page 52). 66
Children in the vehicleSafety
Page 69 of 426

You can thus avoid the risks that could arise
as a result of:
R an incorrectly categorized person in the
front-passenger seat
R the unintentional deactivation of the front-
passenger front air bag
R the unsuitable positioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board
Rearward-facing child restraint system If it is absolutely necessary to install a rear-
ward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat, always make sure that
the front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted. Only if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is permanently lit (Y page 43)
is the front-passenger front air bag deactiva-
ted.
Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Forward-facing child restraint system If it is absolutely necessary to install a
forward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat, always move the front-
passenger seat as far back as possible. The
entire base of the child restraint system must always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the child
restraint system must lie as flat as possible
against the backrest of the front-passenger
seat. The child restraint system must not
touch the roof or be subjected to a load by the
head restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat
backrest and the head restraint position
accordingly. Always make sure that the shoul-
der belt strap is correctly routed from the
vehicle belt outlet to the shoulder belt guide
on the child restraint system. The shoulder
belt strap must be routed forwards and down- wards from the vehicle belt outlet. If neces-
sary, adjust the vehicle belt outlet and the
front-passenger seat accordingly. Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions. Child-proof locks
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If children are traveling in the vehicle, they
could:
R open doors, thus endangering other people
or road users
R exit the vehicle and be caught by oncoming
traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always activate the child-proof locks and
override feature if children are traveling in the vehicle. When leaving the vehicle, always take
the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unattended in the vehicle.
Override feature for: R the rear doors (Y page 68)
R the rear side windows (Y page 68) G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. 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 unsupervised in the vehicle. Children in the vehicle
67Safety Z
Page 70 of 426

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. Chil-
dren 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. Pro- tect it with a blanket, for example. If the childrestraint system has been exposed to direct
sunlight, let it cool down before securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in the vehicle.
Child-proof locks for the rear doors Child-proof lock, rear door (example: Sedan)
You secure each door individually with the
child-proof locks on the rear doors. A door
secured with a child-proof lock cannot be
opened from inside the vehicle. When the
vehicle is unlocked, the door can be opened
from the outside. X
To activate: press the child-proof lock
lever up in the direction of arrow 0043.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow 0044.
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows X
To activate/deactivate: press button0044.
If indicator lamp 0043is lit, operation of the
rear side windows is disabled. Operation is
only possible using the switches in the driv- er's door. If indicator lamp 0043is off, oper-
ation is possible using the switches in the
rear compartment. Pets in the vehicle
G
WARNING
If you leave animals unattended or unsecured in the vehicle, they could press buttons or
switches, for example.
As a result, they could:
R activate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
R activate or deactivate systems, thereby
endangering other road users
Unsecured animals could also be flung around
the vehicle in the event of an accident or sud- den steering or braking, thereby injuring vehi-
cle occupants. There is a risk of an accident
and injury. 68
Pets in the vehicleSafety
Page 71 of 426

Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box. Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Y page 69)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) (Y page 70)
R BAS PLUS (B rakeAssist System PLUS) with
Cross-Traffic Assist (Y page 70)
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
(distance warning function and adaptive
Brake Assist) (Y page 72)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 74)
R EBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(Y page 78)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 78)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 78)
R STEER CONTROL (Y page 80) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or
become distracted, the driving safety sys-
tems can neither reduce the risk of accident
nor override the laws of physics. Driving
safety systems are merely aids designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and for braking in good time. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road,
weather and traffic conditions and maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive
carefully.
i In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tires (M+S tires) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv- ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi- cle when braking.
The yellow 0025ABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69). 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.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 282) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 252).
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even if
you only brake gently. Driving safety systems
69Safety Z
Page 72 of 426

Braking
X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously 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 indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions, and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving. BAS (Brake Assist System)
General information BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. 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 69). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
Braking X
Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed 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 information i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69).
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.
With the help of a sensor system and a cam-
era system, BAS PLUS can detect obstacles:
R that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time
R that cross the path of your vehicle
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your
vehicle can be detected.
BAS PLUS detects pedestrians by using typi-
cal characteristics such as the body contours and posture of a person standing upright.
If the radar sensor system or the camera sys-
tem is malfunctioning, BAS PLUS functions
are restricted or no longer available. The
brake system is still available with complete
brake boosting effect and BAS.
i Observe the restrictions described in the
"Important safety notes" sec-
tion“ (Y page 70).
BAS PLUS can help you to minimize 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.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
BAS PLUS cannot always clearly identify
objects and complex traffic situations.
In such cases, BAS PLUS may:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident. 70
Driving safety systemsSafety