ton once or twice on vehicles with KEY-
LESS-GO.
The system carries out a self-diagnosis.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
must light up for approximately six second s.
The PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
then displays the status of the front-
passenger front air bag. If the status of the
front-passenger front air bag changes while
the vehicle is in motion, an air bag display
message may appear in the instrument clus-
ter (Y page 295). When the front-passenger
seat is occupied, always pay attention to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp. Be aware of the status of the front-passenger
front air bag both before and during the jour-ney.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp:
R is lit, the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated. They will then not be deployed in the event of an accident.
R does not light up: the front-passenger
front air bag is enabled. If, in the event of an
accident, all deployment criteria are met,
the front-passenger front air bag is
deployed. 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.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa- bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible.
R the person is seated correctly.
Make sure, both before and during the jour-
ney, that the status of the front-passenger
front air bag is correct. 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 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, the child could, in the
event of an accident:
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 vehicle belt sash guide. If nec- essary, adjust the vehicle belt sash guide and
the front-passenger seat accordingly. Always
observe the child restraint system manufac-
turer's installation instructions. 54
Occupant safetySafety
G
DANGER
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the front-passenger front air bag is disabled. It willnot be deployed in the event of an accident. In
this case, the front-passenger front air bag
cannot perform its intended protective func-
tion, e.g. when a person is seated in the front- passenger seat.
That person could, for example, come into
contact with the vehicle's interior, especially
if the person is sitting too close to the dash-
board. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
R the person is seated properly with a cor-
rectly fastened seatbelt
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit when it should not, the front- passenger seat may not be used. Do not
install a child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. Have the Occupant Classifi-
cation System (OCS) checked and repaired
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop. G
WARNING
Objects between the seat surface and the
child restraint system could affect OCS oper- ation. This could result in the front-passengerair bag not functioning as intended during an
accident. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Do not place any objects between the seat
surface and the child restraint system. The
entire base of the child restraint system must
always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the forwards- facing child restraint system must, as far as
possible, be resting on the backrest of the
front-passenger seat. Always comply with the child restraint system manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions.
After the system self-test, the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp displays the sta-
tus of the front-passenger front air bag
(Y page 53).
For more information about the OCS, see
"Problems with the Occupant Classification
System" (Y page 57). 56
Occupant safetySafety
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 0025 ABS 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 67). 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 320) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 285).
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently. 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.
Off-road ABS An ABS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (Y page 251).
At speeds below 20 mph (30 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking. The dig-
ging-in effect achieved in the process reduces the stopping distance on off-road terrain. This
limits steering capability. 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 67). 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. 68
Driving safety systemsSafety
When driving at a speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h): if you depress the brake pedal
sharply, BAS PLUS automatically raises the
brake pressure to a value adapted to the traf-
fic situation.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in haz- ardous situations with vehicles in front within
a speed range between 4 mph (7 km/h) and
155 mph (250 km/h).
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h), BAS PLUS can also react to sta-
tionary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
i If BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger pro-
tection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are activa-
ted simultaneously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes func-
tion as usual again, if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer a risk of collision.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
If you have activated DSR (Y page 250), BAS
PLUS is likewise deactivated. COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
General notes COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST consists of
Adaptive Brake Assist and the distance warn-
ing function, which are described in the fol-
lowing.
Distance warning function Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 67). 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 and do not rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Function X To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate the distance warning function in the
on-board computer (Y page 275).
If the distance warning function is not activa-
ted, the 00D4symbol appears in the assis-
tance graphics display.
The distance warning function can help you to minimize the risk of a front-end collision with
a vehicle ahead 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. The
distance warning function cannot prevent a
collision without your intervention.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
the distance warning function warns you if
you rapidly approach a vehicle in front. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound, 70
Driving safety systemsSafety
and the
00BAdistance 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 condi-
tions may also cause the system to display a
warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obsta-
cles that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
Up to a speed of about 40 mph (70 km/h), the distance warning function can also react to
stationary obstacles, such as stopped or
parked vehicles.
If you approach an obstacle and the distance
warning function detects a risk of a collision, the system will initially alert you both visually
and acoustically.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R there is snow or heavy rain
R there is interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
R new vehicles or after the COLLISION PRE-
VENTION ASSIST system has been serv-
iced
Observe the notes in the section on break-
ing-in (Y page 156).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli- sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 67). G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist may:
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 to stationary obstacles
R when cornering
As a result, 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 condi-
tions may also cause Brake Assist to inter-
vene.
Adaptive Brake Assist aids you in braking dur-
ing hazardous situations at speeds above
4 mph (7 km/h) and uses the radar sensor
system to evaluate the traffic situation.
With the help of Adaptive Brake Assist, the
distance warning signal can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time. Driving safety systems
71Safety Z
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) A 4ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (Y page 251).
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv- ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: only operate the
vehicle for a maximum of ten seconds on a
brake test dynamometer. Switch off the
ignition.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on
a 2-axle dynamometer. Before you operate the vehicle on such a dynamometer, please
consult a qualified workshop. You could
otherwise damage the drive train or the
brake system.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the 00BBwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running.
If the 00E5 warning lamp and the 00BBwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 323) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 285).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly. Characteristics of ESP
® General information
If the
00E5 ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the 00E5ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously selected sta-
tus. Example: if ESP®
was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® Important safety notes
You can select between the following states
of ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following. Driving safety systems
73Safety Z
G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may neither
give warnings nor intervene in all critical sit-
uations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, the rec-
ognition can be impaired.
Recognition by the radar sensor system is
also impaired in the event of:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example in
parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Function X
To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate PRE-SAFE ®
Brake in the on-board
computer (Y page 276).
If the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is not activated, the
00D4 symbol appears in the multifunction
display.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
this function warns you if you rapidly
approach a vehicle in front. An intermittent
warning tone will then sound and the 00BAdistance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also brake the vehicle
automatically under the following conditions:
R the driver and front-passenger have their
seat belts fastened
and
R the vehicle speed is between approx-
imately 4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph
(200 km/h)
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h) PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also detect
stationary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
i If there is an increased risk of collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE ®
) are activated.
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking,
up to the point of full brake application. Auto- matic emergency braking is not performed
until immediately prior to an imminent acci-
dent.
You can prevent the intervention of the PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake at any time by:
R depressing the accelerator pedal further.
R activating kickdown.
R releasing the brake pedal.
The braking action of PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is
ended automatically if:
R you maneuver to avoid the obstacle.
R there is no longer any danger of a collision.
R there is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle.
If you have activated DSR (Y page 250), PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake is deactivated. 76
Driving safety systemsSafety
Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip- ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (Y page 29). Correct driver's seat position
G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine. X
Observe the safety guidelines on seat
adjustment (Y page 105).
X Make sure that seat 0087is adjusted prop-
erly.
Electrical seat adjustment (Y page 106)
When adjusting the seat, make sure that:
R you are as far away from the driver's air bag
as possible.
R you are sitting in a normal upright position.
R you can fasten the seat belt properly.
R you have moved the backrest to an almost
vertical position.
R you have set the seat cushion angle so that
your thighs are gently supported.
R you can depress the pedals properly.
X Check whether the head restraint is adjus-
ted properly.
When doing so, make sure that you have
adjusted the head restraint so that the back of your head is supported at eye level by the
center of the head restraint. Also make
sure that you have adjusted the head
restraint so that the back of your head is as close to the head restraint as possible. Thiswill be the case if the head restraint is
adjusted correctly (Y page 107).
X Observe the safety guidelines on steering
wheel adjustment (Y page 111).
X Make sure that steering wheel 0043is adjus-
ted properly.
Adjusting the steering wheel manually
(Y page 111)
Adjusting the steering wheel electrically
(Y page 112)
When adjusting the steering wheel, make
sure that:
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
R you can move your legs freely.
R you can see all the displays in the instru-
ment cluster clearly.
X Observe the safety guidelines for seat belts
(Y page 46). 104
Correct driver's seat positionSeats, steering wheel and mirrors