2016 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS-Class warning

regular intervals while the engine is running.
Therefore, malfunctions can be detected in
good time.
The6 restraint system warning lamp in 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:
Rdoes not light up after the ignition is switched
on
Rdoes not go out after a few seconds with the
engine running
Rlights up again while the engine is running
GWARNING
If restraint system is malfunctioning, restraint
system components may be triggered unin-
tentionally or might not be triggered at all in
the event of an accident with a high rate of
vehicle deceleration. This can affect the Emer- gency Tensioning Device or air bag, for exam-
ple. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired in a qualified specialist workshop as
soon as possible.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp :is
part of the Occupant Classification System
(OCS). The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
informs you about the status of the front-
passenger front air bag.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp:
Ris lit: the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated. It will then not be deployed in the
event of an accident.
Ris not lit
: 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.
Depending on the person in the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger front air bag must
either be deactivated or enabled; see the fol-
lowing points. You must make sure of this both
before and during a journey.
RChildren in a child restraint system:
whether the front-passenger front air bag is
enabled or deactivated depends on the instal-
led child restraint system, and the age and
size of the child. Therefore, be sure to observe the notes on the "Occupant Classification
System (OCS)" (
Ypage 49) and on "Chil-
dren in the vehicle" (Ypage 58). There you
will also find instructions on rearward and
forward-facing child restraint systems on the
front-passenger seat.
RAll other persons: depending on the classi-
fication of the person in the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger front air bag is ena-
bled or deactivated (
Ypage 49). Be sure to
observe the notes on "Seat
belts“ (
Ypage 42) and "Air bags"
(Ypage 46). There you can also find infor-
mation on the correct seat position.
Seat belts
Introduction
Seat belts are the most effective means of
restricting the movement of vehicle occupants
in the event of an accident or the vehicle rolling
over. This reduces the risk of vehicle occupants coming into contact with parts of the vehicle
interior or being ejected from the vehicle. Fur-
thermore, the seat belt helps to keep the vehicle
occupant in the best position in relation to the
air bag.
42Occupant safety
Safety

The seat belt system comprises:
RSeat belts
REmergency Tensioning Devices for the front
seat belts and the outer seat belts in the rear
RSeat belt force limiters for the front seat belts
and the outer seat belts in the rear
If the seat belt is pulled out of the belt outlet
quickly or with a jerky movement, the belt
retractor locks. The belt strap cannot be extrac-
ted any further.
The Emergency Tensioning Device tightens the
seat belt in an accident, pulling the belt close
against the body. However it does not pull the
vehicle occupant back in the direction of the
backrest.
The Emergency Tensioning Device does not cor-
rect an incorrect seat position or the routing of
an incorrectly fastened seat belt.
When triggered, a seat belt force limiter helps to
reduce the force exerted by the seat belt on the
vehicle occupant.
The seat belt force limiters for the front seats are
synchronized with the front air bags, which
absorb part of the deceleration force. This can
reduce the force exerted on the vehicle occu-
pants during an accident.
!If the front-passenger seat is not occupied,
do not engage the seat belt tongue in the
buckle on the front-passenger seat. Other-
wise, in the event of an accident, the Emer-
gency Tensioning Device and front-passenger
front air bag may be triggered and would need
to be replaced.
Important safety notes
The use of seat belts and child restraint systems
is required by law in:
Rall 50 states
Rthe U.S. territories
Rthe District of Columbia
Rall Canadian provinces
Even where this is not required by law, all vehicle
occupants should correctly fasten their seat
belts before starting the journey.
GWARNING
If the seat belt is incorrectly fastened, it can-
not protect as intended. Furthermore, an
incorrectly fastened seat belt can cause addi-
tional injury, for example, in an accident, dur-
ing braking or when abruptly changing direc-
tion. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
Make sure that all vehicle occupants are
seated properly with a correctly fastened seat belt.
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.
GWARNING
Persons under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height cannot
fasten the seat belt correctly without an addi- tional suitable restraint system. If the seat
belt is incorrectly fastened, it cannot protect
as intended. Furthermore, an incorrectly fas-
tened seat belt can cause additional injury, for
example, in an accident, during braking or an
abrupt change of direction. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
For this reason, always secure persons under
5 ft (1.50 m) in height in suitable restraint
systems.
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 this Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cle. The child restraint system must be appro-
priate to the age, weight and size of the child
Ralways observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(
Ypage 58) in addition to the child restraint
Occupant safety43
Safety
Z

system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system(OCS)" (
Ypage 49)
GWARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended protective function if:
Rthey are damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleach or dyed
Rthe seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
Rthe Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
anchorages or inertia reels have been modi-
fied
Seat belts may sustain non-visible damage in an accident, e.g. due to glass splinters. Modi-
fied or damaged seat belts may tear or fail,
e.g. in an accident. Modified Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices could accidentally trigger or
fail to deploy when necessary. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify the seat belts, Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices, belt anchorages or inertia
reels. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, not worn out and clean. Follow-
ing an accident, have the seat belts checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Only use seat belts that have been approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
Proper use of the seat belts
Pay attention to the safety notes about the seat
belt (Ypage 43).
All vehicle occupants must fasten the seat belt
correctly before setting off. Make sure that all
occupants are wearing their seat belts correctly
for the entire journey.
When fastening the seat belt, make sure that:
RThe seat belt tongue is inserted into the belt
buckle that belongs to the seat.
RThe seat belt is tightened across your body.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
RThe seat belt is not twisted. Only then can the forces produced in the
event of an accident be evenly distributed
across the belt.
RThe shoulder section of the belt must always
be routed across the center of the shoulder.
The shoulder section of the belt should not
come into contact with your neck and must
not be routed under the arm. Where possible,
adjust the seat belt to the appropriate height.
RThe lap belt must be taut and as low as pos-
sible over your lap.
The lap belt must always pass across your hip
joints and never across your stomach or
abdomen. Pregnant women must take partic-
ular care. If necessary, the lap belt can be
pushed down across the hip joints and pulled
tight using the shoulder section.
RThe seat belt is not routed over sharp, pointed
or fragile objects.
If these items are on or in your clothing, e.g.
eyeglasses, pens, keys, etc., stow these items
in a more suitable location.
ROnly one person should use each seat belt at
any one time.
On no account should babies or children
travel sitting on the lap of another vehicle
occupant. During an accident, they could be
crushed between the occupant and seat belt.
RObjects are not secured with a seat belt if the seat belt is being used by one of the vehicle’s
occupants.
Also make sure that there are no objects, e.g.
cushions, between the occupant and the seat.
Seat belts are solely intended for the protection
and restraint of the vehicle occupants. To
secure objects, luggage or loads, always
observe the "Loading guidelines" (
Ypage 251).
Fastening and adjusting the seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Ypage 43) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage 44).
44Occupant safety
Safety

Basic illustration
XAdjust the seat (Ypage 94).
The seat backrest must be in an almost ver-
tical position.
XPull the seat belt smoothly from the belt outlet
and engage belt tongue ;into belt
buckle :.
The seat belt on the driver’s seat and the
front-passenger seat may be tightened auto-
matically, see "Belt adjustment"
(
Ypage 45).
XIf necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
The shoulder section of the seat belt must
always be routed across the center of the shoul-
der. Adjust the belt outlet if necessary.
XTo raise: slide the belt outlet upwards.
The belt outlet will engage in various posi-
tions.
XTo lower: hold belt outlet release =and slide
belt outlet downwards.
XLet go of belt outlet release =in the desired
position and make sure that the belt outlet
engages.
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor to
securely fasten child restraint systems in the
vehicle. Further information can be found under
"Special seat belt retractor" (
Ypage 59).
Releasing seat belts
!Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled up.
Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue will be
trapped in the door or in the seat mechanism.
This could damage the door, the door trim
panel and the seat belt. Damaged seat belts
can no longer fulfill their protective function
and must be replaced. Visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
XPress the release button in the belt buckle,
hold the belt tongue firmly and guide the belt
back.
Seat belt adjustment
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE®convenience function. This func-
tion adjusts the driver's and front-passenger
seat belt to the upper body of the occupants.
The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
Rthe belt tongue is engaged in the buckle and
Rthe ignition is switched on
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a certain
retraction force if any slack is detected between
the vehicle occupant and the seat belt. Do not
hold on to the seat belt tightly while it is adjust-
ing.
You can switch the seat-belt adjustment on and
off in the on-board computer (
Ypage 208).
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger
The 7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder that all vehicle occu-
pants must wear their seat belts. It may light up
continuously or flash. In addition, there may be
a warning tone.
Regardless of whether the driver's seat belt has
already been fastened, the 7seat belt warn-
ing lamp lights up for six seconds each time the engine is started. If, after six seconds, the driver
or front-passenger seat belt has not been fas-
tened and the doors are closed, the 7seat
belt warning lamp lights up. As soon as the driv-
er's and front-passenger seat belts are fastened
or a front door is opened again, the 7seat
belt warning lamp goes out.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after the
engine is started, an additional warning tone will
sound. The warning tone switches off after six
Occupant safety45
Safety
Z

seconds or once the driver's seat belt is fas-
tened.
If the vehicle's speed exceeds 15 mph
(25 km/h) once and the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are not fastened, a warning
tone sounds. A warning tone also sounds with
increasing intensity for 60 seconds or until the
driver or front passenger have fastened their
seat belts.
If the driver or front passenger unfasten their
seat belts during the journey, the seat belt warn-
ing is activated again.
iMore information on the7seat belt
warning lamp can be found under "Warning
and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster,
seat belt" (
Ypage 236).
Air bags
Introduction
The air bag installation point is identified by the
label AIR BAG.
An air bag supplements a correctly fastened
seat belt. However, it is not intended as a sub-
stitute for the seat belt. Air bags provide addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident. The
various air bag systems work independently of
each other (
Ypage 53).
There is, however, no system available today
that can completely rule out injury or death.
It is also not possible to rule out a risk of injury
caused by an air bag due to the high speed at
which the air bag must be deployed.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you do not sit in the correct seat position,
the air bag cannot protect as intended and
could even cause additional injury when
deployed. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
To avoid hazardous situations, always make
sure that all of the vehicle's occupants:
Rhave fastened their seat belts correctly,
including pregnant women
Rare sitting correctly and maintain the great-
est possible distance to the air bags
Rfollow the following instructions
Always make sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu-
pants.
RAdjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat
is in an almost upright position. The center of
the head restraint must support the head at
about eye level.
RMove the driver's and front-passenger seats
as far back as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven safely.
ROnly hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the air bag to be fully deployed.
RAlways lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forwards or lean against the
door or side window. You may otherwise be in
the deployment area of the air bags.
RAlways keep your feet in the footwell in front
of the seat. Do not put your feet on the dash-
board, for example. Your feet may otherwise
be in the deployment area of the air bag.
RFor this reason, always secure persons less
than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable restraint sys-
tems. Up to this height, the seat belt cannot
be worn correctly.
If a child is traveling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
RAlways secure children under twelve years of
age and less than 5 ft (1.50 m)tall in suitable
child restraint systems.
RChild restraint systems should be installed on
the rear seats.
ROnly secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
when the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is permanently lit, the front-
p

assenger front air bag is deactivated
(
Ypage 42).
RAlways observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant Classification System
(OCS)" (
Ypage 49) and on "Children in the
46Occupant safety
Safety

vehicle" (Ypage 58) in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
and operating instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may prevent
an air bag from functioning correctly. Before
starting your journey and to avoid risks resulting
from the speed of the air bag as it deploys, make sure that:
Rthere are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air
bag.
Rthere are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar.
Rno hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, hang on
the grab handles or coat hooks.
Rno accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deployment
area of an air bag, e.g. to doors, side windows,
rear side trim or side walls.
Rno heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects are in
the pockets of your clothing. Store such
objects in a suitable place.
GWARNING
If you modify the air bag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the air bag can no longer
function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an air bag cover or affix objects
to it.
GWARNING
Sensors to control the air bags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ing, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the
function of the sensors being impaired. The air
bags might therefore not function properly
anymore. Consequently, the air bags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. There is an increased risk of
injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan-
eling carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Front air bags
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 indicator lamp
informs you about the status of the front-
passenger front air bag (
Ypage 42).
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 49)
Rthe PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up (Ypage 49)
Rthe restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity
Knee bags
Driver's knee bag :deploys under the steering
column and front-passenger knee bag ;under
the glove box. The driver's and front-passenger
knee bags are triggered together with the front
air bags.
Occupant safety47
Safety
Z

The driver's and front-passenger knee bags
offer additional thigh, knee and lower leg pro-
tection for the occupants in the front seats.
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.
Pelvis 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.
Pelvis air bags :deploy below next to the outer
seat cushions.
When activated, the pelvis air bag enhances the
level of protection of the vehicle occupants on
the side of the vehicle on which the impact
occurs.
The pelvis air bag is deployed on the side of the
impact.
The pelvis air bag on the front-passenger side
does not deploy under the following conditions:
ROCS has detected that the front-passenger
seat is unoccupied.
Rthe front-passenger seat belt is not fastened.
If the belt tongue is engaged in the belt buckle,
the pelvis air bag on the front-passenger side
deploys if an appropriate accident situation
occurs. In this case, deployment is independent
48Occupant safety
Safety

PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp:
indicates whether the front-passenger front air
bag is disabled.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock, or in vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, press the start/stop button once or twice.
The system carries out a self-diagnosis test.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
must light up for about six seconds.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
then shows the status of the front-passenger
front air bag. If the status of the front-passenger
front air bag changes whilst the vehicle is in
motion, an air bag display message may appear
in the instrument cluster (
Ypage 219). Always
observe the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp when the front-passenger seat is occu-
pied. Make sure that the status of the front-
passenger front air bag is correct before and
during a journey.
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp:
Rlights up, the front-passenger front air bag is
disabled. It will then not be deployed in the
event of an accident.
Rdoes not light up, the front-passenger front
air bag is enabled. If, in the case of an acci-
dent, all deployment criteria are met, the
front-passenger front air bag is deployed.
GWARNING
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:
Rthe 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
Rthe front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible.
Rthe 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.
GWARNING
If you secure a child in a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is
off, the front-passenger front air bag can
deploy in the event of 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.
GWARNING
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, the child could, in the
event of an accident:
Rcome into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
Rbe struck by the air bag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off
This poses an increased risk of injury or even
fatal injury.
Move the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible. 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 down-
wards from the vehicle belt sash guide. If nec- essary, adjust the vehicle belt sash guide and
the front-passenger seat accordingly. Always
observe the child restraint system manufac-
turer's installation instructions.
50Occupant safety
Safety