Page 49 of 417

R
the seat belt is not twisted.
Only then can the forces produced during
an accident be distributed across the sur-
face of the seat belt.
R the shoulder section of the belt is routed
across the centre of your shoulder.
The shoulder section of the belt should not
touch the neck nor be routed under your
arm.
R the lap belt is fastened closely and routed
as low as possible across your lap, i.e.
across your hips.
The lap belt must always be routed across
the hip joints and never across your stom-
ach or abdomen. This is of particular impor-
tance for pregnant women. If necessary,
push the lap belt downwards into your pel-
vic area and pull it tight using the shoulder section of the belt.
R the seat belt is not routed across sharp-
edged, pointed or breakable objects.
Should you have such objects on or in your
clothing, e.g. pens, keys or spectacles,
stow these in a suitable place.
R only one person uses each seat belt at any
one time.
Infants and children must never travel sit-
ting on the lap of another vehicle occupant. In the event of an accident, they could be
crushed between vehicle occupant and
seat belt.
R never to secure objects with a seat belt if
the seat belt is also being used by a vehicle
occupant
Also make sure that there are never any
objects between a person and the seat, e.g. pillows.
Seat belts are solely intended to secure and
restrain vehicle occupants. When securing
objects, luggage or loads, always observe the instructions and safety notes in "Loading
guidelines" (Y page 316). Fastening seat belts Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y
page 44) and the notes on correct use of
seat belts (Y page 45). 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. Seat-belt extender
The seat-belt extender for the driver and front passenger helps you fasten your seat belt.
Seat-belt extender =is extended when the
respective door is closed and the key is
turned to position 1or 2in the ignition lock. You can also extend seat-belt extender
=
with seat-belt extender button ?.46
Occupant safetySafety
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X
Press seat-belt extender button ?.
Seat-belt extender =extends.
Seat-belt extender =is retracted again if:
R the belt tongue is engaged in the seat belt
buckle
R the belt tongue is not engaged in the seat
belt buckle within 60 seconds
In this case, you can extend seat-belt
extender =again. Press seat-belt
extender button ?again.
R the respective door is opened
R the key is turned to position 0in the ignition
lock
R you release the seat backrest and fold it
forwards
R the front-passenger seat remains unoccu-
pied after approximately five seconds
If you press seat-belt extender button ?
after this, seat-belt extender =will not
extend. Basic illustration
X Adjust the seat (Y page 108).
The seat backrest must be in an almost
vertical position.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly out of seat-belt
extender =and engage belt tongue ;
into belt buckle :.
The seat belt on the driver's seat and the
front-passenger seat may be tightened automatically, see "Belt adjustment"
(Y
page 47).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
Releasing the seat belts !
Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled
up. Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue
will be trapped in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This could damage the door,
the door trim panel and the seat belt. Dam- aged seat belts can no longer fulfil their
protective function and must be replaced.
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Basic illustration
X Press release button :, hold belt
tongue ;firmly and guide it back towards
seat-belt extender =.
Seat belt adjustment The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. This
function adjusts the driver's and front-
passenger seat belt to the upper body of the
occupants. Occupant safety
47Safety Z
Page 51 of 417

The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
R with a retracted seat-belt extender, the
seat belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle and
R the ignition is switched on
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a certain
tightening force if any slack is detected
between the vehicle occupant and the seat
belt. Do not hold on to the seat belt tightly
while it is adjusting.
You can switch the seat-belt adjustment on
and off using COMAND Online. Information
on activating and deactivating the seat-belt
adjustment function can be found in the Dig-
ital Owner's Manual.
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
occupants 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 For more information on the
7seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster, seat
belt" (Y page 302).
Rear seat belt status indicator The rear seat belt status indicator is only
available for certain countries.
For approximately 30 seconds, the rear seat
belt status indicator informs you which rear
seat belt is not fastened.
The rear seat belt status indicator appears if:
R you drive off and reach a speed of approx-
imately 10 km/h
R the rear passengers fasten or unfasten
their seat belts while the vehicle is in
motion
R someone gets in or out of the vehicle and
you pull away again
You can also cancel the rear seat belt status
indicator immediately (Y page 266). Airbags
Introduction The installation location of an airbag is iden-
tified 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
applicable accident situations.
Not all airbags are deployed in an accident.
The different airbag systems work independ-
ently of each other (Y page 57).
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. 48
Occupant safetySafety
Page 52 of 417

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 position must allow the vehicle to be
driven safely.
R Only hold the steering wheel on the out-
side. 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 other-
wise be in the deployment area of the air-
bags.
R Always keep your feet in the footwell in
front of the seat. Do not put your feet on the dashboard, for example. Your feet may oth-
erwise 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 cor-
rectly.
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 43).
R Always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system
(Y page 51) and on "Children in the vehi-
cle" (Y page 60) in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may pre-
vent the airbag from functioning cor-
rectly. 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 air-
bag.
Do not place any objects on the dashboard,
e.g. above the front-passenger front airbag.
R there are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar.
R no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, are
hanging on the grab handles or coat hooks.
R no accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deploy-
ment 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. Occupant safety
49Safety Z
Page 53 of 417

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 !
Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. This could cause the sys-
tem to identify the seat as being occupied.
In the event of an accident, the restraint
systems on the front-passenger side may
be triggered and have to be replaced. Driver's airbag
:deploys in front of the
steering wheel. Front-passenger front air-
bag ;deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment.
When deployed, the front airbags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for the
occupants in the front seats.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps
inform you about the status of the front-
passenger front airbag (Y page 43).The front-passenger front airbag will only
deploy if:
R the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system has detected that the
front-passenger seat is occupied
(Y page 51). The PASSENGER AIR BAG
ON indicator lamp is lit (Y page 52)
R the restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity
Driver's kneebag Driver's kneebag
:deploys under the steer-
ing 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 occu-
pant in the driver's seat.
Sidebags G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers can obstruct or pre-
vent the deployment of the airbags integrated into the seats. Consequently, the airbags can-
not protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. In addition, the function of the automatic front-passenger front airbag deac-
tivation system could be restricted. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal
injury.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for the corresponding seats by Mercedes-Benz. 50
Occupant safetySafety
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Front sidebags
:and rear sidebags ;
deploy next to the outer bolster of the seat
backrest.
When deployed, the sidebag offers additional thorax protection. It also offers additional pel-
vis protection for occupants in the front
seats. 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.
Vehicles with the automatic front-passenger
airbag deactivation system: the sidebag on
the front-passenger side deploys under the
following conditions:
R an occupant is detected on the front-
passenger seat or
R the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat
If the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle, the sidebag on the front-passenger
side deploys if an appropriate accident situa- tion occurs. In this case, deployment is inde- pendent of whether the front-passenger seatis occupied or not. Windowbags 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 on which the impact
occurs.
If the system determines that they can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt, a windowbag may be deployed in
other accident situations (Y page 57). Automatic front-passenger front air-
bag deactivation
Introduction In order to recognise a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat, the automatic
front-passenger front airbag deactivation sys-tem categorises the person in the front-
passenger seat. Depending on that result, the
front-passenger front airbag is either enabled or disabled. If a rearward-facing child
restraint system is fitted to the front-
passenger seat, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp must light up after the
system self-test and remain lit. The front-
passenger front airbag is disabled. Occupant safety
51Safety Z
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The system does not disable:
R the sidebag
R the windowbag
R the seat belt tensioner
Make sure that your vehicle is equipped with
the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system (Y page 63). If this is
not the case, always install a child restraint
system on a suitable rear seat (Y page 65).
If it is absolutely necessary to fit a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat,
be sure to observe the correct positioning of
the child restraint system. Never place
objects under or behind the child restraint
system, e.g. a cushion. Fully retract the seat
cushion length. The entire base of the child
restraint system must always rest on the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat. The
backrest of the forward-facing child restraint
system must, as far as possible, be resting on the backrest of the front-passenger seat. The
child restraint system must not touch the roof or be put under strain by the head restraint.
Adjust the angle of the seat backrest and the
head restraint position accordingly. Only then is the correct function of the automatic front- passenger front airbag deactivation system
guaranteed. Always observe the information
on suitable positioning of the child restraint
system (Y page 65) in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions. Operation of automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation :
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
; PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
The indicator lamps inform you whether the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled or
enabled. X Press the Start/Stop button once or twice,
or turn the key to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock.
The system carries out a self-diagnosis.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps
must light up simultaneously for approx-
imately six seconds.
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front airbag:
R PASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up: the
front-passenger front airbag is enabled. If,
in the event of an accident, all deployment
criteria are met, the front-passenger front
airbag is deployed.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. It
will then not be deployed in the event of an accident.
If the status of the front-passenger front air-
bag changes while the vehicle is in motion, an
airbag display message appears in the instru-
ment cluster (Y page 279). When the front-
passenger seat is occupied, always pay atten-
tion to the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamps. Be aware of the status of the front-passenger 52
Occupant safetySafety
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front airbag both before and during the jour-
ney.
If a person is sitting on the front-passenger
seat, this person must sit:
R with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in an almost upright position with their
back against the seat backrest
R with their feet resting on the floor, if possi-
ble
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system may be influ- enced, e.g. because the front passenger:
R transfers their weight by supporting them-
selves on a vehicle armrest
R sits in such a way that their weight is raised
from the seat cushion
The front-passenger front airbag may be dis-
abled by mistake as a result of these or similar
actions. In this case, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up perma-
nently. The front-passenger front airbag does not then deploy during an accident. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is lit, the front-passenger front airbag is disa-
bled. It will not be deployed in the event of an
accident and cannot perform its intended pro-
tective 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 make sure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and that the front-
passenger front airbag 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 airbag is correct. G
WARNING
If you secure a child on the co-driver's seat in a rearward-facing child restraint system and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
lights up, the co-driver's airbag could be
deployed in the event of an accident. The childcould be struck by the airbag. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
In this case, always ensure that the co-driver's
airbag is disabled. The PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp must light up.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains off and/or the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not install
a rearward-facing child restraint system on
the front-passenger seat. Further information can be found under "Problems with the auto-matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva-
tion system" (Y page 56). 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 airbag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is lit
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Always move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible and fully retract the seat
cushion length. Always make sure that the
shoulder belt strap is correctly routed from
the vehicle seat-belt extender to the shoulder
belt guide on the child restraint system. The
shoulder belt strap must be routed forwards
and downwards from the retracted seat-belt
extender. If necessary, adjust the front- Occupant safety
53Safety
Z