2016 MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS ESP

These data can help provide a better under-
standing of the circumstances in which acci-
dents and injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data are
recorded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial
crash situation occurs; no data is recorded by
the EDR under normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g. name, gender, age and acci-
dent location) are recorded. However, other par-
ties, such as law enforcement could combine
EDR data with the type of personally identifying
data routinely acquired during a crash investi-
gation.
Access to the vehicle and/or the EDR is needed
to read data that is recorded by the EDR, and
special equipment is required. In addition to the
vehicle manufacturer, other parties that have
the special equipment, such as law enforce-
ment, can read the information by accessing the
vehicle or the EDR.
EDR data may be used in civil and criminal mat-
ters as a tool in accident reconstruction, acci-
dent claims and vehicle safety. Since the Crash
Data Retrieval CDR tool that is used to extract
data from the EDR is commercially available,
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC ("MBUSA") expressly
disclaims any and all liability arising from the
extraction of this information by unauthorized
Mercedes-Benz personnel.
MBUSA will not share EDR data with others
without the consent of the vehicle owners or, if
the vehicle is leased, without the consent of the
lessee. Exceptions to this representation
include responses to subpoenas by law enforce-
ment; by federal, state or local government; in
connection with or arising out of litigation involv-
ing MBUSA or its subsidiaries and affiliates; or,
as required by law.
Warning: The EDR is a component of the
Restraint System Module. Tampering with, alter-
ing, modifying or removing the EDR component
may result in a malfunction of the Restraint Sys-
tem Module and other systems.
State laws or regulations regarding EDRs that
conflict with federal regulation are pre-empted.
This means that in the event of such conflict, the
federal regulation governs. As of February 2013,
13 states have enacted laws relating to EDRs. Information on copyright
General information Information on license for free and open-source
software used in your vehicle and its electronic
components is available on the following web-
site:
http://www.mercedes-benz.com/opensource34
Information on copyright
Introduction

Panic alarm X
To activate: press 3 button C for at
least one second.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed. X
To deactivate: press 3 button C again.
or X
Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
or, in vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start-function
or KEYLESS ‑ GOX
Press the Start/Stop button.
The SmartKey must be in the vehicle.
Occupant safety
Introduction to the restraint system The restraint system can reduce the risk of vehi-
cle occupants coming into contact with parts of
the vehicle's interior in the event of an accident.
Furthermore, the restraint system may also
reduce the forces exerted on the vehicle occu-
pants when an accident occurs.
The restraint system includes: R
Seat belt system R
Air bags R
Child restraint system R
Child seat securing system
The components of the restraint system work in
conjunction with each other. They can only offer
the intended level of protection if all vehicle
occupants: R
are correctly wearing their seat belts.
( Y
page 49)R
adjust their seat and head restraint properly
( Y
page 104). The driver is also responsible for ensuring that
the steering wheel has been correctly posi-
tioned. Observe the information relating to the
correct driver's seat position ( Y
page 104).
Always ensure the air bag can inflate properly if
deployed ( Y
page 51).
An air bag supplements a correctly fastened
seat belt. As an additional safety device, the air
bag increases the level of protection for vehicle
occupants in the event of an accident. For exam-
ple, if the protection already provided by a cor-
rectly fastened seat belt will suffice, the air bags
are not deployed. Furthermore, only the air bags
that would increase the degree of protection
afforded to the vehicle occupants in the event of
an accident are deployed. Seat belts and air
bags generally do not protect against objects
penetrating the vehicle from the outside.
Information on restraint system operation can
be found under "Triggering of Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices and air bags" ( Y
page 58).
See “Children in the vehicle” for information on
children traveling with you as well as vehicle
restraint systems ( Y
page 62).
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Modifications to the restraint system may
cause it to no longer work as intended. The
restraint system may then not perform its
intended protective function and may fail in an
accident or trigger unexpectedly, for example.
This poses an increased risk of injury or even
fatal injury.
Never modify parts of the restraint system.
Never tamper with the wiring, the electronic
components or their software.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
details. USA only: for further information con-
tact our Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1 ‑ 800 ‑ 367 ‑ 6372).
Restraint system warning lamp
The functions of the restraint system are
checked after the ignition is switched on and at46
Occupant safety
Safety

Driver's air bag C deploys in front of the steer-
ing wheel. Front-passenger front air bag D
deploys in front of and above the glove box.
When deployed, the front air bags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for the occu-
pants 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 air bag
( Y
page 47).
The front-passenger front air bag will only
deploy if: R
the system, based on the OCS weight sensor
readings, detects that the front-passenger
seat is occupied ( Y
page 54). The
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is lit
( Y
page 54) R
the restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity
Driver's knee bag
Driver's knee bag C deploys under the steering
column. The driver's knee bag is always
deployed along with the driver's front air bag.
The driver's knee bag offers additional thigh,
knee and lower leg protection for the occupant
in the driver's seat.
Side impact air bags
G WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers could restrict or even
prevent the deployment of the air bags inte-
grated into the seats. Consequently, the air
bags cannot protect vehicle occupants as
they are designed to do. In addition, the func-
tion of the Occupant Classification System (OCS) 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 respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz.
Front side impact air bags C and rear side
impact air bags D deploy next to the outer bol-
ster of the seat backrest.
When deployed, the side impact air bag offers
additional thorax protection. However, it does
not protect the: R
head R
neck R
arms
In the event of a side impact, the side impact air
bag is deployed on the side on which the impact
occurs.
The side impact air bag on the front-passenger
side (front) deploys under the following condi-
tions: R
the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied 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 side impact air bag on the front-passenger
side deploys if an appropriate accident situation
occurs. In this case, deployment is independent
of whether the front-passenger seat is occupied
or not.Occupant safety 53
Safety Z

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 air bag. R
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights 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. R
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated. It will
then not be deployed in the event of an acci-
dent.
If the status of the front-passenger front air bag
changes while the vehicle is in motion, an air bag
display message appears in the instrument clus-
ter ( Y
page 265). When the front-passenger
seat is occupied, always pay attention to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamps. Be aware of the status
of the front-passenger front air bag both before
and during the journey.
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 rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp is lit up, the front-passenger front air bag
may deploy in 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.
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 rear-
ward-facing child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. You can find more information
on OCS under "Problems with the Occupant
Classification System" ( Y
page 58).
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 ON is lit up
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 sash guide to the shoulder
belt guide on the child restraint system. The
shoulder belt strap must be routed forwards
and downwards from the vehicle belt sash
guide. If necessary, adjust the vehicle belt
sash guide and the front-passenger seat
accordingly. Always observe the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions.Occupant safety 55
Safety Z

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-passenger
air 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 forward-
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 or PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp displays the status of the front-passenger
front air bag ( Y
page 54). For more information about the OCS, see "Prob-
lems with the Occupant Classification System"
( Y
page 58).
Occupant safety 57
Safety Z

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 any
passengers 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.
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 Emergency Tensioning Devices or air bags
are deployed, you will hear a bang and a small
amount of powder may also be released. The
u restraint system warning lamp will light up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your hear-
ing. The powder released is generally not haz-
ardous to health, it could however cause short-
term breathing difficulties in people with asthma
or other respiratory problems. If it is safe to do
so, you should leave the vehicle immediately or
open a window in order to prevent breathing
difficulties.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ET Ds) co ntain perchlorate material,
w
hich may require special handling and regard
for the environment. Check with your local gov-
ernment’s disposal guidelines. California resi-
dents, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm .Method of 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 Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices in the event of a fron-
tal or rear-end 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. You can find further information
under "Restraint system warning lamp"
( Y
page 46) R
the belt tongue is inserted into the buckle on
the respective front seat
The Emergency Tensioning Devices in the rear
compartment are triggered independently of the
lock status of the seat belts.
If the restraint system control unit detects a high
accident severity, additional components of the
restraint system are deployed independently of
one another in certain frontal collision situa-
tions: R
Front air bags and driver's knee bag R
Window curtain air bag, if the system deter-
mines that it can offer additional protection to
that provided by the seat belt
Depe nding on the person occupying the front-
p assenger seat, the front-passenger air bag is
activated or deactivated. The front-passenger
front air bag can only be deployed in an accident
if the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is
lit. Observe the information on the PASSENGER
AIR BAG indicator lamps ( Y
page 47).
Your vehicle has dual-stage front air bags. Dur-
ing the first deployment stage, the front air bag
fills with propellant gas which reduces the risk of
injury. The second stage is then triggered within
milliseconds, filling the front air bag with the
maximum amount of propellant gas.
The deployment thresholds for the Emergency
Tensioning Devices and air bags are calculated
on the basis of the vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration occurring at various points in the vehi-
cle. This process is pre-emptive in nature. TheOccupant safety 59
Safety Z

air bag must be deployed on time, at the start of
the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determined by: R
distribution of the force during the impact R
collision angle R
deformation characteristics of the vehicle R
characteristics of the object with which the
vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after the 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 deploy-
ment.
The vehicle may be considerably deformed with-
out an air bag being deployed. This is the case if
only relatively easily deformable parts have
been hit and a high rate of deceleration has not
been reached. Conversely, an air bag may be
deployed even though the vehicle suffers only
minor deformation. This is the case if, for exam-
ple, very rigid vehicle parts such as the longitu-
dinal body members are hit in an accident and
the rate of deceleration is sufficient.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side
impact or that the vehicle is rolling over, the rel-
evant restraint system components are
deployed independently of one another depend-
ing on the anticipated type of accident. R
Side impact air bags on the side of the colli-
sion, regar dless of Emergency Tensioning
D evice and use of the seat belt on the driver's
side and the outer seats on the second row
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side deploys under the following
conditions: -
the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or -
the belt tongue has engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat. R
Window curtain air bag on the side of the col-
lision, regardless of seat belt use and whether
front-passenger seat is occupied R
Front Emergency Tensioning Devices, if the
system determines that they can offer addi-
tional protection for the vehicle occupants in
this situation R
Rear Emergency Tensioning Devices in cer-
tain situations if the vehicle rolls over R
Window curtain air bags on the driver's and
front-passenger sides in certain rollover sit- uations if the system determines that they
can offer additional protection to that provi-
ded by the seat belt
i Not all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The various air bag systems work independ-
ently of each other.
How the air bag system works is determined
by the severity of the accident detected,
especially the vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, and the apparent type of accident: R
frontal collision R
side impact R
rollover
PRE-SAFE ®
(anticipatory occupant
protection system)
Introduction PRE-SAFE ®
takes preemptive measures to pro-
tect occupants in certain hazardous situations.
Important safety notes
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats. There is a danger
that the seats and/or objects could be dam-
aged when PRE-SAFE ®
is activated.
Despite your vehicle being equipped with the
PRE-SAFE ®
system, the possibility of personal
injuries occurring as a result of an accident can-
not be eliminated. Always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions and maintain a safe distance from
the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
Function PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes: R
in emergency braking situations, e.g. when
BAS is activated R
in critical driving situations, e.g. when physi-
cal limits are exceeded and the vehicle under-
steers or oversteers severely R
vehicles with the Driving Assistance package:
when a driver assistance system intervenes
powerfully or the radar sensor system detects
an imminent danger of collision in certain sit-
uations60
Occupant safety
Safety

information on the "Occupant Classification
System (OCS)" ( Y
page 54). 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 Standards
213 and 225 R
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2
Confirmation that the child restraint system cor-
responds to the standards can be found on an
instruction label on the child restraint system.
This confirmation can also be found in the instal-
lation instructions that are included 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 instal-
lation 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 (ISOFIX) 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. Vehicles with rear seat armrest: adjust the
rear seat armrest so that LATCH-type (ISOFIX)
securing rings C for the LATCH-type (ISOFIX)
child restraint system are accessible. X
Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
system on both LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing
rings C .
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 of the
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 instructions.
Top Tether
Introduction Top Tether provides an additional connection
between the child restraint system secured with
a LATCH-type (ISOFIX) system and the vehicle.
This helps reduce the risk of injury even further.
If the child restraint system 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.64
Children in the vehicle
Safety