2016 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS steering

Panic alarm X
To activate: press the 3 button C for
approximately one second.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed. X
To deactivate: press the 3 button C
again.
or X
Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
or, on vehicles with KEYLESS ‑ GO:X
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 44) R
adjust their seat and head restraint properly
( Y
page 94). 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 94).
Always ensure the air bag can inflate properly if
deployed ( Y
page 46).
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 53).
See “Children in the vehicle” for information on
children traveling with you as well as vehicle
restraint systems ( Y
page 58).
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 atOccupant safety 41
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.
i More information on the v seat belt
warning lamp can be found under "Warning
and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster,
seat belt" ( Y
page 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 ( Y
page 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
G WARNING
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: R
have fastened their seat belts correctly,
including pregnant women R
are sitting correctly and maintain the great-
est possible distance to the air bags R
follow the following instructions
Always make sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu-
pants. R
Adjust 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. R
Move 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. R
Only hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the air bag to be fully deployed. R
Always 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. R
Always 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. R
For 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: R
Always secure children under twelve years of
age and less than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable
child restraint systems. R
Child restraint systems should be installed on
the rear seats. R
Only 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 a
ssenger front air bag is deactivated
( Y
page 42). R
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant Classification System
(OCS)" ( Y
page 49) and on "Children in the46
Occupant safety
Safety

vehicle" ( Y
page 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: R
there are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air
bag. R
there are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar. R
no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, hang on
the grab handles or coat hooks. R
no 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. R
no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects are in
the pockets of your clothing. Store such
objects in a suitable place.
G WARNING
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.
G WARNING
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 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 indicator lamp
informs you about the status of the front-
passenger front air bag ( Y
page 42).
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 49)R
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up ( Y
page 49)R
the restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity
Knee bags
Driver's knee bag C deploys under the steering
column and front-passenger knee bag D under
the glove box. The driver's and front-passenger
knee bags are triggered together with the front
air bags.Occupant safety 47
Safety Z

If the hazardous situation passes without result-
ing in an accident, the original settings are
restored.
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are 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
vehicles with a memory function: the electri-
cally adjustable steering wheel is raised R
the engine is switched off and the fuel supply
is cut off R
vehicles with mbrace: automatic emergency
call
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: R
always 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 R
be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes in this section in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions R
be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" ( Y
page 49) G WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example: R
release the parking brake. R
shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P .R
start 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.
G WARNING
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.
G WARNING
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
( Y
page 43) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts ( Y
page 44).
A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper seat belt positioning for children over
41 lbs (18 kg) until they reach a height where a58
Children in the vehicle
Safety

When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
G WARNING
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.
G WARNING
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.
Child-proof locks for the rear doors
You secure each door individually with the child-
proof locks on the rear doors. A door secured
with a child-proof lock cannot be opened from
inside the vehicle. When the vehicle is unlocked,
the door can be opened from the outside. X
To activate: press the child-proof lock lever
up in the direction of arrow C .X
Make sure that the child-proof locks are work-
ing properly. X
To deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow D .
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows X
To activate/deactivate: press button D .
If indicator lamp C is lit, operation of the rear
side windows is disabled. Operation is only
possible using the switches in the driver's
door. If indicator lamp C is off, operation is
possible using the switches in the rear com-
partment.
Pets in the vehicle
G WARNING
If you leave animals unattended or unsecured
in the vehicle, they could press buttons or
switches, for example.
As a result, they could: R
activate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example R
activate or deactivate systems, thereby
endangering other road users
Unsecured animals could also be flung around
the vehicle in the event of an accident or sud-
den steering or braking, thereby injuring vehi-
cle occupants. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.Pets in the vehicle 63
Safety Z

Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems: R
ABS ( A nti-lock B raking S ystem)
( Y
page 64)R
BAS ( B rake A ssist S ystem) ( Y
page 65)R
BAS PLUS ( B rake A ssist S ystem PLUS) with
Cross-Traffic Assist ( Y
page 65)R
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
( Y
page 67)R
ESP ®
( E lectronic S tability P rogram)
( Y
page 69)R
EBD ( E lectronic B rake force D istribution)
( Y
page 72)R
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ( Y
page 72)R
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ( Y
page 73)
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 only work
as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quate contact between the tires and the road
surface. Please pay special attention to the
notes on tires, recommended minimum tire
tread depths, etc. ( Y
page 301).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow chains.
Only in this way will the driving safety systems
described in this section work as effectively as
possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information 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 5 mph
(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 64).
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.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp ( Y
page 238) and dis-
play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster ( Y
page 213).
Braking X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously 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, and functions as a
reminder to take extra care while driving.64
Driving safety systems
Safety

Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(Mercedes ‑ AM G vehicles )Important safet y notesYou can selec t between th e followin g states of
ES P ®
: R
ES P ®
is activated.R
SPORT handlin g mode is activated.R
ES P ®
is deactivated.
G WARNING
Whe n SPORT handlin g mode is activated,
there is a greater ris k of skidding and acci-
dents .
Only activat e SPORT handlin g mode in th e sit -
uation s described in th e following.
G WARNING
If you deactivat e ES P ®
, ES P ®
no longer sta-
bilizes th e vehicle. There is an increase d ris k
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivat e ES P ®
in th e situation s descri-
bed in th e following.
! Avoid spinnin g th e driven wheels fo r an
extended period wit h ES P ®
deactivated. You
could otherwise damage th e drivetrain .
In th e followin g situations, it may be bette r to
activat e SPORT handlin g mode or deactivat e
ES P ®
: R
when usin g snow chain sR
in dee p snowR
on san d or grave lR
on specially designated roads when th e vehi-
cle's own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desire d
Driving in SPORT handlin g mode or without
ES P ®
require s an extremely qualified and expe-
rienced driver .
i Activat e ES P ®
as soo n as th e situation s
described abov e no longer apply . ES P ®
will
otherwise no t be able to stabilize th e vehicle if
th e vehicle start s to skid or a whee l start s to
spin. Deactivating/activating ESP ®
X
To activate SPORT handling mode: briefly
press butto n C .
The t SPORT handlin g mode warnin g
lamp in th e instrumen t cluster lights up. The
SPORT handling mod e
messag e appears in
th e multifunction display. X
To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press butto n C .
The t SPORT handlin g mode warnin g
lamp in th e instrumen t cluster goe s out .X
To deactivate ESP ®
: press butto n C until
th e

Correct driver's seat position
G WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do
the following while driving: R
adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
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 mirror and fasten your seat belt
before starting the engine.
Observe the following when adjusting steering
wheel C , seat belt D and driver's seat