2016 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS CABRIOLET lights

R
modifications, installations and conversions
R work on electronic components
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Vehicle registration
Mercedes-Benz may ask its Service Centres to
carry out technical inspections on certain vehi-
cles. The quality or safety of the vehicle is
improved as a result of the inspection.
Mercedes-Benz can inform you about vehicle
inspections only if it has your registration data.
It is possible that your vehicle has not yet been
registered in your name in the following cases:
R if your vehicle was not purchased at an
authorised specialist dealer.
R if your vehicle has not yet been inspected at a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
It is advisable to register your vehicle with a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Inform Mercedes-Benz as soon as possible
about any change in address or vehicle owner-
ship. You can do this at a Mercedes-Benz Ser-
vice Centre, for example. Correct use
If you remove any warning stickers, you or oth-
ers could fail to recognise certain dangers.
Leave warning stickers in position.
Observe the following information when driving
your vehicle:
R the safety notes in this manual
R technical data for the vehicle
R traffic rules and regulations
R laws and safety standards pertaining to motor
vehicles Implied warranty
! Follow the instructions in this manual about
the proper operation of your vehicle as well as
about possible vehicle damage. Damage to
your vehicle that arises from culpable contra- ventions against these instructions are not
covered either by Mercedes-Benz implied
warranty or by the New or Used-Vehicle War-
ranty. QR code for rescue card
The QR code is secured in the fuel filler flap and
on the opposite side on the B-pillar. In the event of an accident, rescue services can use the QR
code to quickly find the appropriate rescue card for your vehicle. The current rescue card con-
tains, in a compact form, the most important
information about your vehicle, e.g. the routing
of the electric cables.
You can find more information under
www.mercedes-benz.de/qr-code. Data stored in the vehicle
Many of the electronic components in your vehi-
cle can store data.
These data memories temporarily or perma-
nently store technical information about:
R the vehicle's operating state
R events
R faults
In general, this technical information docu-
ments the state of a component, a module, a
system or the surroundings.
These include, for example:
R operating conditions of system components –
for example, fluid levels
R status messages concerning the vehicle and
its individual components – for example,
wheel rotational speed, vehicle speed, decel-
eration in movement, lateral acceleration,
accelerator pedal position
R malfunctions and defects in important system
components, for example, lights, brakes
R vehicle reactions and operating conditions in
special driving situations – for example, air-
bag deployment, intervention of stability con-
trol systems
R ambient conditions – for example, outside
temperature
These data are of an exclusively technical nature
and can be used to:
R assist in detecting and rectifying faults and
defects
R analyse vehicle functions, e.g. after an acci-
dent
R optimise vehicle functions Data stored in the vehicle
31Introduction Z

Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use only
driving aids that have been approved specifi-
cally for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz. Restraint system warning lamp
The functions of the restraint system are
checked after the ignition is switched on and at regular intervals while the engine is running.
Therefore, malfunctions can be detected in
good time.
The 6 restraint system warning lamp on the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition is
switched on. It goes out no later than a few sec- onds after the vehicle is started. The compo-
nents of the restraint system are in operational
readiness.
A malfunction has occurred if the 6restraint
system warning lamp:
R does not light up after the ignition is switched
on
R does not go out after a few seconds with the
engine running
R lights up again while the engine is running G
WARNING
If the restraint system is malfunctioning,
restraint system components may be trig-
gered unintentionally or may not deploy as
intended during an accident. This may affect
the seat belt tensioner or airbag, for example. This poses an increased risk of injury or even
fatal injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamp
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
:and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp ;are
part of the automatic deactivation system of the front-passenger front airbag.
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front airbag.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up for 60 sec-
onds, then both indicator lamps are off
(PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and OFF): the front-
passenger front airbag is able to deploy in the event of an accident.
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 PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is off, only the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
front airbag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
Depending on the person in the front-passenger seat, the front-passenger front airbag must be
either disabled or enabled; see the following
points. You must make sure of this both before
and during a journey.
R Children in a rearward-facing child
restraint system: the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp must be lit. The front-
passenger front airbag is disabled. It is imper-
ative to observe the notes on the "Automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation sys-
tem" (Y page 50) and on "Children in the
vehicle" (Y page 59).
R Children in a forward-facing child
restraint system: depending on the installed
child restraint system and the age and size of the child, the front-passenger front airbag is
either disabled or enabled. Therefore, it is
imperative to observe the notes on the "Auto-
matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva- Occupant safety
43Safety Z

front-passenger seat. The child restraint system
must not touch the roof or be put under strain bythe head restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat
backrest and the head restraint position accord-
ingly. Only then is the correct function of the
automatic front-passenger front airbag deacti-
vation system guaranteed. Always observe the
information on suitable positioning of the child
restraint system (Y page 62) in addition to the
child restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions.
Operation of automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation :
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
; PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
The indicator lamps inform you whether the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled or ena-
bled.
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 simul- taneously for approximately six seconds.
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front airbag:
R PASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up for 60 sec-
onds, then both indicator lamps are off
(PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and OFF): the front-
passenger front airbag is able to deploy in the
event of an accident.
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 PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is
off, only the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp shows the status of the front-passenger front airbag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
If the status of the front-passenger front airbag
changes while the vehicle is in motion, an airbag display message appears on the instrument
cluster (Y page 251). 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
airbag both before and during the journey.
If a person sits in the passenger seat, he/she
must be:
R seated with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in an almost upright position with his/her
back against the seat backrest
R with his/her feet resting on the floor, if pos-
sible
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system may be influenced,
e.g. because the front passenger:
R transfers his/her weight by supporting him-
self/herself on a vehicle armrest
R sits in such a way that his/her weight is raised
from the seat cushion
The front-passenger front airbag may be disa-
bled by mistake as a result of these or similar
actions. In this case, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp lights up permanently. The
front-passenger front airbag then does not
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- Occupant safety
51Safety
Z

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 in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the co-driver's seat and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
is off, the co-driver's front airbag can deploy in the event of an accident. The child could be
struck by the airbag. There is an increased risk
of injury, possibly even fatal.
In this case, always make sure that the co-
driver's front airbag has been disabled. The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
must be lit.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
stays off, do not install a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat.
Further information can be found under "Prob-
lems with the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system" (Y page 54).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 OFF indicator lamp is off
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 belt outlet to the shoulder belt guide on the child restraint system. The shoul-
der belt strap must be routed forwards and
downwards from the vehicle belt outlet. If
necessary, adjust the vehicle belt outlet and
the front-passenger seat accordingly. Always
observe the child restraint system manufac-
turer's installation instructions.
Always observe the vehicle-specific information for the correct positioning of the child restraint
system (Y page 62).
If the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system detects that:
R the front-passenger seat is unoccupied, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up after the system self-test and
remains lit. This indicates that the front-
passenger front airbag is disabled.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child in a rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp lights up after the system self-test and
remains lit. This indicates that the front-
passenger front airbag is disabled.
But in the case of a child in a rearward-facing
child restraint system, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp can also go out after
the system self-test. This indicates that the
front-passenger front airbag is enabled. The
result of the classification is dependent on,
among other factors, the child restraint sys-
tem and the child's stature. It is recommen-
ded that you fit the child restraint system to a
suitable rear seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child in a forward-facing child restraint sys-
tem, either the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the result
of the classification, or it goes out. The result of the classification is dependent on, among
other factors, the child restraint system and
the child's stature.
Move the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible. Always observe the information in
"Child restraint systems on the front-
passenger seat" (Y page 61) and in "Suita-
ble positioning of the child restraint system"
(Y page 62). Alternatively, you can fit the
child restraint system to a suitable rear seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a per-
son of smaller stature (e.g. a teenager or 52
Occupant safetySafety

small adult), the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the result
of the classification or, alternatively, goes out.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is off, move the front-passenger seat
as far back as possible. Alternatively, a per-
son with a small stature can sit on a rear
seat.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, a person with a smaller stature
should not use the front-passenger seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a person with the stature of an adult,
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
goes out after the system self-test. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front airbag is enabled.
If children are travelling in the vehicle, be sure to
observe the notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 59).
If the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system is malfunctioning, the red
6 restraint system warning lamp on the
instrument cluster and the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp light up simultaneously.
The front-passenger front airbag is disabled in
this case and does not deploy during an acci-
dent. Have the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system checked and
repaired immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this purpose.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or the
seat cushion are damaged, have the necessary
repair work carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this purpose.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use only a child restraint systemthat has been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz in combination with the auto-
matic front-passenger front airbag deactivation
system.
System self-test G
DANGER
If both the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps do
not light up during the system self-test, the system is malfunctioning. The front-
passenger front airbag might be triggered
unintentionally or might not be triggered at all
in the event of an accident with high deceler-
ation. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may notbe used. Do not install a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the auto-
matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva-
tion system checked and repaired immedi-
ately at a qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. It willnot be deployed in the event of an accident. In
this case, the front-passenger front airbag
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 airbag 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 seat belt.
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
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 automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system
checked and repaired immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop. Occupant safety
53Safety Z

G
WARNING
Objects between the seat surface and the
child restraint system could affect the func-
tion of the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system. This could result
in the front-passenger front airbag not func-
tioning 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
rear reclining seat. Always comply with the child restraint system manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions.
After the system self-test, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF or PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
front airbag (Y page 51). If the front-passenger
front airbag is enabled, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG ON indicator lamp lights up for 60 seconds
and then goes out.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is off, only the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
front airbag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi- cator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
Further information can be found under "Prob-
lems with the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system" (Y page 54).
Problems with automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Y
page 53).54
Occupant safetySafety

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up and remains lit,
even though the front-
passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult or a per-
son with a build corre-
sponding to that of an
adult. The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is false.
X Make sure the conditions for a correct classification of the person
on the front-passenger seat are met (Y page 51).
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the front-
passenger seat may not be used.
X Have the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation sys-
tem checked immediately at a qualified specialist workshop. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up and/or
does not stay on.
The front-passenger seatis:
R empty
R occupied with a rear-
ward-facing child
restraint system The automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation system is
malfunctioning.
X Make sure there is nothing between the seat and the child restraint
system.
X Make sure that the entire base of the child restraint system rests on
the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat.
X Make sure that the seat cushion length is fully retracted.
X When installing the child restraint system, make sure that the seat
belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight with the front-passenger
seat adjustment. This could result in the seat belt and the child
restraint system being pulled too tightly.
X Check that the child restraint system is installed correctly.
X Make sure that no objects are applying additional weight to the
seat.
X 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. It is recommended that you fit the child restraint system to a suitable rear seat.
X Have the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation sys-
tem checked immediately at a qualified specialist workshop. Roll bars
G
DANGER
If the roll bar has developed a fault, it may not function, e.g. in the event of an accident. The
roll bars may then not protect the vehicle
occupants as intended. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Have roll bars checked immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop. G
WARNING
Risk of injury if the roll bar is triggered.
Ensure that the movement area of the roll bars behind the rear head restraints is kept clear. G
WARNING
If you place objects or clothing on the roll bar covers, these could impair roll bar extension.
The roll bars may then not protect the vehicle occupants as intended. In addition, objects
could endanger the vehicle occupants when
the roll bar is extending. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Ensure that the movement area of the roll barcovers is kept clear. Always stow all objects in
the vehicle correctly. Occupant safety
55Safety Z

The roll bars are under the covers behind the
rear head restraints. They extend if systems
detect that the vehicle is in danger of overturn-
ing.
Once the roll bars are extended, an open soft top can no longer be closed. In this case, visit the
nearest qualified specialist workshop. 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
Pyrotechnical belt tensioners which have
been triggered are no longer operational and
therefore cannot protect as intended. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Have pyrotechnic belt tensioners which have
been triggered replaced at a qualified special-
ist workshop immediately.
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 be triggered only 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 43)
R the seat belt buckle 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 colli-
sions, additional components of the restraint
system are deployed independently of each
other:
R Front airbags and driver's kneebag
R Headbag, if the system determines that
deployment can offer additional protection to
that provided by the seat belt
On vehicles with the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system: 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
be deployed in an accident only if the 56
Occupant safetySafety