
Warning and indicator lamps
Function Page
:
L
Low-beam head-
lamps 99
;
÷
ESP® 239
=
K
High-beam head-
lamps 103
?
J
Brakes (yellow) 236
A
·
Distance warning 245
B
#!
Turn signals 103
C
h
Tire pressure monitor 246
D
6
Restraint system 40
E
ü
Seat belt 235 Function Page
F
?
Coolant 243
G
R
Rear fog lamp 101
H
O
Front fog lamps 101
I
;
Check Engine 243
J
8
Reserve fuel 243
K
å
ESP®
OFF 239
L
!
ABS 237
M
Brakes (red)
$
(USA only) J
(Canada only) 23632
Instrument clusterAt a glance

Center console
Center console, upper section
Function Page
:
COMAND; see the separate
operating instructions ~
;
Seat heating 89
=
s
Seat ventilation 90
?
c
PARKTRONIC 182
A
¤
ECO start/stop func-
tion (AMG vehicles only ) 135 Function Page
B
£
Hazard warning
lamps 104
C
45PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp 42
D
å
ESP® 6334
Center consoleAt a glance

Window curtain air bags
Window curtain air bags
:are integrated
into the side of the roof frame and deployed in
the area from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
When deployed, the window curtain air bag
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 window cur-
tain air bag is deployed on the side on which
the impact occurs.
If the system determines that they can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt, a window curtain air bag may be
deployed in other accident situations
(Y page 49). Deployment of Emergency Tensioning
Devices and air bags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The air bag parts are hot after an air bag has
been deployed. There is a risk of injury.
Do not touch the air bag parts. Have a
deployed air bag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible. G
WARNING
A deployed air bag no longer offers any pro-
tection and cannot provide the intended pro-
tection in an accident. There is an increased
risk of injury. Have the vehicle towed to a qualified special-
ist workshop in order to have a deployed air
bag replaced.
It is important for your safety and that of your
passenger to have deployed air bags replaced and to have any malfunctioning air bags
repaired. This will help to make sure the air
bags continue to perform their protective
function for the vehicle occupants in the
event of a crash. G
WARNING
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices
that have been deployed are no longer opera- tional and are unable to perform their inten-
ded protective function. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Therefore, have pyrotechnic Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices which have been triggered
immediately replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If Emergency Tensioning Devices are trig-
gered or air bags are deployed, you will hear a
bang, and a small amount of powder may also be released. The 6restraint system warn-
ing lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your
hearing. The powder that is released gener-
ally does not constitute a health hazard, but it
may cause short-term breathing difficulties in
people with asthma or other respiratory prob-
lems. To avoid this, you may wish to get out of
the vehicle or open the windows as soon as it is safe to do so.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tension-
ing Devices (ETDs) contain perchlorate mate- rial, which may require special handling and
regard for the environment. National guide-
lines must be observed during disposal. In
California, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/
index.cfm. Occupant safety
49Safety Z

Method of operation
During the first stage of a collision, the
restraint system control unit evaluates impor-
tant physical data relating to vehicle deceler-
ation or acceleration, such as:
R duration
R direction
R intensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the
Emergency Tensioning Devices during a fron-
tal or rear collision.
An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be triggered, if:
R the ignition is switched on.
R the components of the restraint system are
operational; see "Restraint system warning lamp" (Y page 41)
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
the respective front-passenger seat
The Emergency Tensioning Devices in the
rear compartment are triggered independ-
ently of the lock status of the seat belts.
If the restraint system control unit detects a
more severe accident, further components of the restraint system are activated independ-
ently of each other in certain frontal collision
situations:
R Driver's air bag
R Front-passenger front air bag
The front-passenger front air bag is activated
or deactivated depending on the person on
the front-passenger seat. The front-
passenger front air bag can only deploy in an accident if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi- cator lamp is off. Observe the information onthe PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
(Y page 42).
Your vehicle has a two-stage driver's air bag.
During the first deployment stage the driver's
air bag fills with sufficient propellant gas to
reduce the risk of injuries. The front air bag is fully deployed with the maximum amount of propellant gas if a second deployment thresh-
old is reached within a few milliseconds.
The activation threshold of the Emergency
Tensioning Devices and the air bag are deter-
mined by evaluating the rate of vehicle decel-
eration or acceleration which occurs at vari-
ous points in the vehicle. This process is pre- emptive in nature. Deployment should take
place in good time at the start of the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the direction of the force are essen- tially determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the colli-
sion
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the vehi-
cle
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
decisive role in the deployment of an air bag.
Nor do they provide an indication of air bag
deployment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably,
without an air bag being deployed. This is the
case if only parts which are relatively easily
deformed are affected and the rate of decel-
eration is not high. Conversely, air bags may
be deployed even though the vehicle suffers
only minor deformation. This is the case if, for example, very rigid vehicle parts such as lon-
gitudinal body members are hit, and sufficient deceleration occurs as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a
side impact or if the vehicle rolls over, the
applicable components of the restraint sys-
tem are activated independently of each
other depending on the apparent type of acci-
dent. If the system determines a need for
additional protection for the vehicle occu-
pants, the Emergency Tensioning Devices are
triggered.
R Window curtain air bag on the side of
impact, independently of the use of the 50
Occupant safetySafety

seat belt and independently of whether the
front-passenger seat is occupied
R Window curtain air bags on the driver's and
front-passenger side in certain situations
when the vehicle rolls over, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the
seat belt
i Not all air bags are deployed in an acci-
dent. The different air bag systems work
independently of each other.
How the air bag system works is deter-
mined by the severity of the accident detec- ted, especially the vehicle deceleration or
acceleration and the apparent type of acci-
dent:
R frontal collision
R side impact
R rollover NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-
PRO luxury 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 head restraint covers
If you do so, the head restraints cannot fulfill
their intended protective function in the event of an accident. In addition, objects attached
to the head restraints could endanger other
vehicle occupants. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Do not attach any objects to the head
restraints and do not use head restraint cov-
ers. Method of operation NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints offer additional protection
against head and neck injuries. In the event of a rear collision of a certain severity, the NECK-
PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraints on the driver's and front-passenger
seats are moved forwards and upwards. This
provides better head support.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraints have been triggered in
an accident, reset the NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
on the driver's seat and the front-passenger
seat (Y page 51). Otherwise, the additional
protection will not be available in the event of
another rear-end collision. You can see that a NECK-PRO head restraint/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraint has been triggered if it is tiltedforward and can no longer be adjusted.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the functionality of the NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
checked at a qualified specialist workshop
after a rear-end collision.
Resetting a triggered NECK-PRO head
restraint/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraint NECK-PRO head restraints
Do not insert your finger between the cushion
of the head restraint and the cover. Pay par-
ticular attention while resetting the NECK-
PRO head restraints. Occupant safety
51Safety Z

i
If it is absolutely necessary to carry a child
on the front-passenger seat, be sure to
observe the information on "Child restraint
systems on the front-passenger seat"
(Y page 58). There you will also find infor-
mation 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. :
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing rings
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system on both LATCH-type (ISO-
FIX) securing rings :.
ISOFIX is a standardized securing system for
specially designed child restraint systems on
the rear seats. LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing rings :for 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 the child
seat according to the manufacturer's instruc-
tions. 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. Children in the vehicle
55Safety Z

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 air bag can
deploy in the event of an accident. The child
could be struck by the air bag. 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. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenger front air bag is disabled. It will not be deployed in the event of
an accident and cannot perform its intended
protective function. A person in the front-
passenger seat could then, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, espe-
cially if the person is sitting too close to the
dashboard. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may not be used. Only suitable rearward-facing or
forward-facing child restraint systems may be
installed on the front-passenger seat. Always observe the child restraint system manufac-
turer's installation instructions. G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a forward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and you position the front-passenger seat too close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could:
R come into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
R be struck by the air bag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Move the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible. Always make sure that the shoulder belt strap is correctly routed from the vehicle belt sash guide to the shoulder belt guide on
the child restraint system. The shoulder belt
strap must be routed forwards and down-
wards from the belt sash guide. If necessary,
adjust the belt sash guide and the front-
passenger seat accordingly. Always observe
the information about suitable positioning of
the child restraint system in this Operator's
Manual as well as the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
:
shows you whether the front-passenger front air bag is deactivated.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock.
The system carries out self-diagnostics.
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 is lit: the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated. 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 the BabySmart™ air bag deactivation
system. If, in the event of an accident, all
deployment criteria are met, the front-
passenger front air bag is deployed. Children in the vehicle
57Safety Z

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.
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 62)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) (Y page 62)
R Adaptive brake lights (Y page 63)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 63)
R EBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(Y page 65)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 65)
R Trailer stabilization Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The ABS, the BAS, and the ESP ®
switch off
when the differential locks are switched on.
When the ABS, the BAS, and the ESP ®
are
switched off
R wheels may lock during hard braking
R steering capabilities are reduced
R braking distance is increased
R vehicle stability in standard driving maneu-
vers is increased
Make sure the differential locks are switched on at all times except when driving off-road for
example. Switch on the differential locks
immediately when returning from off-road
driving.
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you
are inattentive, the driving safety systems can neither 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 the distance
to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and
for braking in good time. Always adapt your
driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions and maintain a safe dis-
tance from the vehicle in front. Drive care-
fully.
i Please note that the driving safety sys-
tems described only work as effectively as
possible if there is adequate contact
between the tires and the road surface. Pay particular attention to the information
regarding tires, recommended minimum
tire tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and
tires" section (Y page 306).
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. Driving safety systems
61Safety Z