2016 MERCEDES-BENZ C-Class SEDAN seats

Driver's air bag:deploys in front of the steer-
ing wheel. Front-passenger front air bag ;
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
(
Ypage 47).
The front-passenger front air bag will only
deploy if:
Rthe system, based on the OCS weight sensor
readings, detects that the front-passenger
seat is occupied (
Ypage 54). The
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is lit
(
Ypage 54)
Rthe restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity
Driver's knee bag
Driver's knee bag :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
GWARNING
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 :and rear side
impact air bags ;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:
Rhead
Rneck
Rarms
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:
Rthe OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
Rthe 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 safety53
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:
Rdistribution of the force during the impact
Rcollision angle
Rdeformation characteristics of the vehicle
Rcharacteristics 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.
RSide impact air bags on the side of the colli-
sion, regardless of Emergency Tensioning
Device 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.
RWindow curtain air bag on the side of the col-
lision, regardless of seat belt use and whether
front-passenger seat is occupied
RFront Emergency Tensioning Devices, if the
system determines that they can offer addi-
tional protection for the vehicle occupants in
this situation
RRear Emergency Tensioning Devices in cer-
tain situations if the vehicle rolls over
RWindow 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
iNot 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:
Rfrontal collision
Rside impact
Rrollover
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:
Rin emergency braking situations, e.g. when
BAS is activated
Rin critical driving situations, e.g. when physi-
cal limits are exceeded and the vehicle under-
steers or oversteers severely
Rvehicles 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- uations
60Occupant safety
Safety

Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured
in the front-passenger seat. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install
a child restraint system on a rear seat. Children are generally better protected there.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height is traveling in the
vehicle:
Ralways secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restraint system must be appropri-
ate to the age, weight and size of the child
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes in this section in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and safetynotes on the "Occupant Classification System
(OCS)" (
Ypage 54)
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
GWARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you, always ensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight. Pro- tect it with a blanket, for example. If the child
restraint system has been exposed to direct
sunlight, let it cool down before securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in
the vehicle.
Always ensure that all vehicle occupants have
their seat belts fastened correctly and are sitting
properly. Particular attention must be paid to
children.
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(
Ypage 48 )and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage 49).
A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper seat belt positioning for children over
41 lb s(18 kg) until they reach a height where a
three-point seat belt can be properly fastened
without a booster seat.
Special seat belt retractor
GWARNING
If the seat belt is released while driving, the
child restraint system will no longer be
secured properly. The special seat belt retrac- tor is disabled and the inertia real draws in a
portion of the seat belt. The seat belt cannot
be immediately refastened. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Stop the vehicle immediately, paying atten-
tion to road and traffic conditions. Reactivate
the special seat belt retractor and secure the
child restraint system properly.
All seat belts in the vehicle, except the driver's
seat belt, are equipped with a special seat belt
retractor. When activated, the special seat belt
retractor ensures that the seat belt cannot
slacken once the child seat is secured.
62Children in the vehicle
Safety

information on the "Occupant Classification
System (OCS)" (Ypage 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:
RU.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 225
RCanadian 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
GWARNING
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 :for the LATCH-type (ISOFIX)
child restraint system are accessible.
XInstall the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
system on both LATCH-type (ISOFIX) 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 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
GWARNING
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.
64Children in the vehicle
Safety

in the event of an accident. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Always lock rear seat backrests after instal-
ling a Top Tether belt. Observe the lock veri-
fication indicator.
If the rear seat backrest is not engaged and
locked, this will be shown in the multifunction
display in the instrument cluster. A warning tone
also sounds.
Top Tether anchorages
Top Tether anchorage points =are installed in
the rear compartment behind the outer head
restraints on the parcel shelf.
XMove head restraint :upwards.
XFold up cover ;of Top Tether anchorage =.
XInstall the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
system with Top Tether. Always comply with
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions when doing so.
XRoute Top Tether belt Aunder head
restraint :between the two head restraint
bars.
XHook Top Tether hook ?of Top Tether belt
A into Top Tether anchorage =.
Make sure that Top Tether belt Ais not twis-
ted.
XTension Top Tether belt A. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions when doing so.
XFold down cover ;of Top Tether anchorage
=.
XMove head restraint :back down again
slightly if necessary (Ypage 106). Make sure
that you do not interfere with the correct rout-
ing of Top Tether belt A.
Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes
Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured
in the front-passenger seat. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install
the child restraint system on a rear seat.
If it is absolutely necessary to install a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat,
always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant Classification System
(OCS)" (
Ypage 54).
You can thus avoid the risks that could arise as a result of:
Ran incorrectly categorized person in the front-
passenger seat
Rthe unintentional deactivation of the front-
passenger front air bag
Rthe unsuitable positioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board
Rearward-facing child restraint system
If it is absolutely necessary to install a rearward-
facing child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat, always make sure that the
front-passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Only if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is permanently lit (
Ypage 47) is the front-
passenger front air bag deactivated.
Children in the vehicle65
Safety
Z

Correct driver's seat position
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten 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.
Observe the following when adjusting steering
wheel :, seat belt ;and driver's seat =:
Ryou are as far away from the driver's air bag as
possible.
Ryou are sitting in a normal upright position.
Ryour thighs are slightly supported by the seat
cushion.
Ryour legs are not entirely stretched and you
can depress the pedals properly.
Rthe back of your head is supported at eye level
by the center of the head restraint.
Ryou can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
Ryou can move your legs freely.
Ryou can see all the displays in the instrument
cluster clearly.
Ryou should have a good overview of traffic
conditions.
Rthe seat belt is pulled snugly against the bodyand is routed across the center of your shoul-
der and across your hips in the pelvic area.
Further related subjects:
R
R
Electrical seat adjustment (Ypage 106)
RAdjusting the steering wheel mechanically
(Ypage 110) or electrically (Ypage 111).
RFastening the seat belt correctly (Ypage 50).
RAdjusting the rear-view mirror and exterior
mirrors (Ypage 113).
RYou can store the seat, steering wheel, exte-
rior mirror and head-up display settings with
the memory function (
Ypage 116).
Seats
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust
the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
GWARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
(
Ypage 51) and "Children in the Vehicle"
(Ypage 62).
GWARNING
If the driver's seat is not engaged, it could
move unexpectedly while the vehicle is in
motion. This could cause you to lose control of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
104Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Always make sure that the driver's seat is
engaged before starting the vehicle.
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten 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.
GWARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
other vehicle occupants could be trapped and
thereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem.
GWARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection as intended. There is an increased risk
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
GWARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder.
!To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
Rkeep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
Rif the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat heat-
ing should also not be used to dry the seats.
Rclean the seat covers as recommended;
see "Interior care".
Rdo not transport heavy loads on the seats.
Do not place sharp objects on the seat
cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools. The
seats should only be occupied by passen-
gers, if possible.
Rwhen the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating materi-
als, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat covers,
child seats or booster seats.
!Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when mov-
ing the seats back. There is a risk that the
seats and/or the objects could be dama
ged.
iThe rear-compartment head restraints can
be removed (Ypage 107).
Vehicles without the through-loading feature:
the head restraints cannot be removed from
the rear compartment seats.
For more information, contact a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
iRelated topic:
RRear bench seat through-loading feature
(Ypage 311)
Seats105
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

Adjusting the seats electrically
Electricallyadjustabl eseats wit hmem -
ory function
:Hea drestrain theight
;Backrest angle
=Seat height
?Seat cushion lengt h
ASeat cushion angle
BSeat fore-and-aftadjustmen t
iFurther relate dsubjects :
RYou can store th eseat setting susin gth e
memory function (Ypage 116).
RIf PRE-SAFE®is triggered ,th efront-
passenger seat will be moved to abette r
position if it was previously in an unfavora-
ble position (
Ypage 60).
Vehicles wit hAM GPerformance Seat: th e
height of th ehead restraints canno tbe adjus-
ted.
Electricall yadjustabl eseats withou t
memory function
:Backrest angle
;Seat height
=Seat cushion lengt h
?Seat cushion angle
ASeat fore-and-aftadjustmen t
Adjusting the head restraints
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
You could lose control of your vehicl eif you do
th efollowin gwhile driving:
Radjust th edriver's seat ,head restraint,
steering whee lor mirror s
Rfastenth eseat belt
There is aris kof an accident.
Adjus tth edriver's seat ,head restraint, steer -
ing whee land mirror and faste nyour seat belt
before starting th eengine.
GWARNIN G
If th ehead restraints are no tinstalled or no t
adjusted correctly, they canno tprovid epro -
tection as intended. There is an increased ris k
of injury in th ehead and neck area, e.g. in th e
event of an acciden tor when braking .
Always drive wit hth ehead restraints instal -
led. Befor edrivin goff ,mak esur efor every
vehicl eoccupant that th ecenter of th ehead
restrain tsupport sth ebac kof th ehead at
about eye level.
Genera l notes
Pay attention to th eimportant safet ynote s
(Ypage 104).
Do no trotate th ehead restraints of th efron tand
rear seats. Otherwise ,you canno tadjust th e
height and angle of th ehead restraints to th e
correc tposition .
106Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors