
Driver's kneebag
Driver's knee airbag
:deploys under the steer-
ing column. The driver's knee airbag is triggered
together with the front airbags.
The driver's knee airbag offers additional thigh,
knee and lower leg protection for the occupant
in the driver's seat.
i The driver's knee airbag is available only in
certain countries.
Sidebags G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers may obstruct or even
prevent deployment of the airbags integrated into the seats. The airbags may then fail to
protect the vehicle occupants as intended.
Operation of the automatic co-driver's front
airbag deactivation system may also be
impaired. There is an increased risk of injury,
possibly even fatal.
Use only seat covers which have been specif- ically approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz. 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 pelvis
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
front airbag deactivation system: the sidebag on the front-passenger side deploys under the fol-
lowing conditions:
R an occupant is detected in the front-
passenger seat or
R the seat belt buckle 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 situation occurs. In
this case, deployment is independent of
whether the front-passenger seat is occupied or
not.
Windowbags Windowbags
:are integrated into the side of
the roof frame and deployed in the area from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
When deployed, the windowbag offers addi-
tional head protection. However, it does not
protect the thorax 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 it can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the seat 46
Occupant safetySafety

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-
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 50). 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 information about suitable posi-
tioning of the child restraint system in this
Owner's Manual as well as the child restraint 48
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 47).
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. 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 Occupant safety
51Safety Z

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 40)
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 Windowbag, 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
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off. Observe the information on the PASSENGER AIR
BAG indicator lamps (Y page 40).
Your vehicle has two-stage front airbags. In the
first deployment stage, the front airbag is filled
with propellant gas to reduce the risk of injuries. The front airbag is fully deployed if the second
deployment stage is activated within a few mil-
liseconds.
The activation threshold for the seat belt ten-
sioners and airbags is determined based on the
evaluation of the vehicle's rate of deceleration
or acceleration at various points in the vehicle.
This process is pre-emptive in nature. The trig-
gering/deployment process should take place
in good 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 the distribution of forces during the collision
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the vehicle
R the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors that can be seen and measured only
after a collision has occurred do not play a deci-
sive role in the deployment of an airbag, nor do
they provide an indication of airbag deployment.
The vehicle may be deformed significantly with-
out an airbag being deployed. This is the case if only parts that are relatively easily deformed are
affected and the rate of deceleration is not high. Conversely, an airbag may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is the case if, for example, very rigid
vehicle parts such as longitudinal body mem-
bers are hit, and sufficient deceleration occurs
as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side
impact, the applicable components of the
restraint system are activated independently of each other.
R Sidebags on the side on which an impact
occurs, independently of the seat belt ten-
sioner and seat belt usage
Vehicles with the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system: the sidebag 52
Occupant safetySafety

on the front-passenger side deploys under the
following conditions:
- an occupant is detected in the front-
passenger seat or
- the seat belt buckle tongue is engaged in
the belt buckle of the front-passenger seat
R Windowbag on the side on which an impact
occurs, independently of seat belt usage and
regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R Seat belt tensioners, if the system determines
that deployment can offer additional protec-
tion for the vehicle occupants in this situation
i Not all airbags are deployed in an accident.
The different airbag systems work independ-
ently of each other.
How the airbag 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 PRE-SAFE
®
(anticipatory occupant
protection)
Introduction In certain hazardous situations, PRE-SAFE
®
takes pre-emptive measures to protect the vehi-
cle occupants.
Important safety notes !
Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats. There is a risk
that the seats and/or the objects could be
damaged when PRE-SAFE ®
is activated.
Although your vehicle is equipped with PRE-
SAFE ®
, the possibility of injury in the event of an
accident cannot be ruled out. 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 when active Brake Assist intervenes power-
fully
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detected:
R the front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R if the vehicle skids, the side windows and the
panorama sliding sunroof are closed.
R vehicles with the memory function: the front-
passenger seat is adjusted if it is in an unfav-
ourable position.
If the hazardous situation passes without result- ing in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens the belt
pre-tensioning. All settings made by PRE-SAFE ®
can then be reversed.
If the seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced:
X Move the seat backrest or seat back slightly
when the vehicle is stationary.
Seat belt pre-tensioning is reduced and the
locking mechanism is released.
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. Informa-
tion about the convenience function can be
found under "Belt adjustment" (Y page 43). Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures may be implemented, depending on
the type and severity of the impact: R the hazard warning lamps are activated
R the emergency lighting is activated
R the vehicle doors are unlocked
R the front side windows are lowered
R the engine is switched off and the fuel supply
is cut off
R vehicles with the Mercedes-Benz emergency
call system: automatic emergency call Occupant safety
53Safety Z

Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor override the laws of physics. Driving safety systems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for maintaining the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time and for staying in lane. 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.
The driving safety systems described work as
effectively as possible only when there is ade-
quate contact between the tyres and the road
surface. Please pay special attention to the
notes on tyres, recommended minimum tyre
tread depths etc. (Y page 310).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tyres (M+S tyres) and, if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will the driving safety
systems described in this section work as effec-
tively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General notes ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that
the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steering the vehicle when braking.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h,
regardless of road-surface conditions. ABS
works on slippery surfaces, even when you only
brake gently.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 66). 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.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems, includ-
ing driving safety systems, will also become
inoperative. Observe the information on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 250) and display mes-
sages which may be shown in the instrument
cluster (Y page 217).
Braking X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force 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 indication
of hazardous road conditions; this serves as a
reminder to take extra care while driving. BAS (Brake Assist)
General notes BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If you depress the brake pedal quickly, BAS
automatically boosts the braking force, thus
shortening the stopping distance.
Important safety notes i
Read the "Important safety notes" section
(Y page 66). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking. 66
Driving safety systemsSafety

Correct driver's seat position
G
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle while
driving if you:
R adjust the driver's seat, 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 mirrors and fasten your seat
belt before starting the engine. Observe the following when adjusting steering
wheel
:, seat belt ;and driver's seat =:
R you are as far away from the driver's airbag as
possible
R you are sitting in an upright position
R your thighs are slightly supported by the seat
cushion
R your legs are not entirely stretched and you
can depress the pedals properly
R the back of your head is supported at eye level
by the centre of the head restraint
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 instrument
cluster clearly R
you have a good overview of traffic conditions
R the seat belt is pulled snugly against the body
and must be routed across the centre of your
shoulder and across your hips in the pelvic
area
Further related subjects:
R Adjusting the seats manually (Y page 98)
R Adjusting the seats electrically
(Y page 99)
R Adjusting the steering wheel manually
(Y page 102)
R Fastening the seat belt correctly
(Y page 43)
R Adjusting the rear-view mirror and exterior
mirrors (Y page 103)
R Vehicles with a memory function: save the
seat, steering wheel and exterior mirror set-
tings using the memory function
(Y page 106) Seats
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If children adjust the seats, they could
become trapped, especially if they are unat-
tended. There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
key in the ignition lock. G
WARNING
When adjusting a seat, you or another vehicle occupant could become trapped by the guiderail of the seat, for instance. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that no one has any part of their
body within the sweep of the seat when
adjusting it.
Observe the safety notes on "Airbags"
(Y page 44) and "Children in the Vehicle"
(Y page 54). Seats
97Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Overview of climate control systems
General notes
Observe the settings recommended on the fol-
lowing pages. Otherwise, the windows could
mist up.
To prevent the windows from misting up:
R switch off climate control only briefly
R activate air-recirculation mode only briefly
R switch on "Cooling with air dehumidification"
R activate the "Windscreen demisting" function
briefly, if required
The air-conditioning system or THERMOTRONIC
automatic climate control regulates the temper- ature and the humidity of the vehicle interior andfilters undesirable substances from the air.
The air-conditioning system or THERMOTRONIC automatic climate control can only be operatedwhen the engine is running. Optimum operationis only achieved with the side windows and pan-
orama sliding sunroof closed.
The residual heat function can only be activated or deactivated with the ignition switched off
(Y page 126).
Always keep the ventilation flaps behind the
side panelling clear (Y page 113). Otherwise the
vehicle will not be ventilated correctly.
i Ventilate the vehicle for a brief period during
warm weather, e.g. using the convenience
opening feature (Y page 90). This will speed up the cooling process and the desired inte-
rior temperature will be reached more
quickly.
i The integrated filter filters out most parti-
cles of dust and soot and completely filters
out pollen. With THERMOTRONIC automatic
climate control, gaseous pollutants and
odours will also be reduced. A clogged filter
reduces the amount of air supplied to the
vehicle interior. For this reason, you should
always observe the interval for replacing the
filter, which is specified in the Service Book-
let. As this depends on environmental condi-
tions, e.g. heavy air pollution, the interval may be shorter than stated in the Service Booklet.
i Vehicles with auxiliary heating:
Under
certain environmental conditions, the resid-
ual heat function may be activated automati-
cally an hour after the ignition key has been
removed in order to dry the automatic climate
control. The blue LED on the rocker switch in the centre console lights up when the active
function to dry the automatic climate control is on. The vehicle is then ventilated for
30 minutes.
Vehicles without auxiliary heating: Under
certain environmental conditions, the resid-
ual heat function may be activated automati-
cally an hour after the ignition key has been
removed in order to dry the automatic climate control. The vehicle is then ventilated for
30 minutes. Overview of climate control systems
117Climate control