Problems with the Occupant Classification System (OCS)
Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Ypage 60).
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
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
person of a stature cor-
responding to that of an
adult.The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is
incorrect.
XMake sure the conditions for a correct classification of the per-
son on the front-passenger seat are met (
Ypage 58).
XIf the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the
front-passenger seat may not be used.
XHave OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lamp does not light up
and/or does not stay
on.
The front-passenger
seat is:
Runoccupied
Roccupied by the
weight of a child up
to 12 months old in a
child restraint sys-
tem
OCS is malfunctioning.
XMake sure there is nothing between the seat cushion and the
child seat.
XMake sure that the entire base of the child restraint system rests on the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat. The backrest of
the forward-facing child restraint system must lie as flat as pos-
sible against the backrest of the front-passenger seat. If nec-
essary, adjust the position of the front-passenger seat.
XWhen installing the child restraint system, make sure that the
seat belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight using the front-
passenger seat adjustment. This could result in the seat belt and
the child restraint system being pulled too tightly.
XCheck for correct installation of the child restraint system.
Make sure that the head restraint does not apply a load to the
child restraint system. If necessary, adjust the head restraint
accordingly.
XMake sure that no objects are applying additional weight onto
the seat.
XIf the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off, do
not install a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat.
It is recommended that you install the child restraint system on
a suitable rear seat.
XHave OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
62Occupant safety
Safety
Deployment of Emergency Tensioning
Devicesan dair bags
Important safet ynotes
GWARNING
The air bag parts are hot after an air bag has
bee ndeployed .There is aris kof injury.
Do no ttouch th eair bag parts .Hav e a
deployed air bag replaced at aqualified spe -
cialis tworkshop as soo nas possible.
GWARNING
A deployed air bag no longer offers any pro -
tection and canno tprovid eth eintended pro -
tection in an accident. There is an increase d
ris kof injury.
Hav eth evehicle towed to aqualified special-
ist workshop in order to hav e adeployed air
bag replaced.
It is important fo ryour safet yand that of your
passenger to hav edeployed air bags replaced
and to hav eany malfunctionin gair bags
repaired. Thi swill help to mak esur eth eair
bags continue to perform their protective
function fo rth evehicle occupant sin th e
event of acrash .
GWARNING
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices
that hav ebee ndeployed are no longer opera-
tional and are unable to perform their inten-
ded protective function .Thi sposes an
increase dris kof injury or eve nfatal injury.
Therefore, hav epyrotechni cEmergency Ten -
sioning Devices whic hhav ebee ntriggere d
immediately replaced at aqualified specialis t
workshop .
An electric moto ris used by PRE-SAF E®to
trigger th etightenin gof th eseat belt in haz -
ardous situations. Thi sprocedur eis reversi-
ble.
If Emergency Tensioning Devices are trig-
gered or air bags are deployed ,you will hear a
bang, and asmall amount of powder may also be released. The
6restrain tsystem warn -
in g lamp lights up.
Only in rar ecases will th eban gaffec tyour
hearing. The powder that is release dgener-
ally doe sno tconstitute ahealth hazard ,but it
may caus eshort-term breathin gdifficulties in
people wit hasthm aor other respirator yprob-
lems. To avoid this, you may wish to get out of
th evehicle or ope nth ewindows as soo nas it
is saf eto do so.
Ai rbags and pyrotechni cEmergency Tension-
in gDevices (ETDs) contain perchlorat emate-
rial ,whic hma
y require special handlin gand
regard fo rth eenvironment. National guide-
lines mus tbe observed durin gdisposal. In
California, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/
index.cfm .
Method of operation
Duringth efirst stage of acollision ,th e
restrain tsystem contro luni tevaluates impor -
tant physical dat arelatin gto vehicle deceler -
ation or acceleration ,suc has:
Rduration
Rdirection
Rintensit y
Based on th eevaluation of this data, th e
restrain tsystem contro luni ttriggers th e
Emergency Tensioning Devices durin g afron -
ta lor rea rcollision .
An Emergency Tensioning Devic ecan only be
triggered, if:
Rth eignition is switched on
Rth ecomponent sof th erestrain tsystem are
operational; see "Restrain tsystem warnin g
lamp " (
Ypage 49)
Rthebelt tongue is engage din th ebuckl eon
th erespective front-passenger seat
The Emergency Tensioning Devices in th e
rea rcompartmen tare triggere dindepend -
entl yof th eloc kstatus of th eseat belts.
If th erestrain tsystem contro luni tdetects a
more severe accident, further component sof
Occupant safety63
Safety
Z
How the air bag system works is deter-
mined by the severity of the accident detec-
ted, especially the vehicle deceleration or
acceleration and the apparent type of acci-
dent:
Rfrontal collision
Rside impact
Rrollover
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The function of the head restraint may be
impaired if you:
Rattach objects such as coat hangers to the
head restraints, for example
Ruse head restraint covers
If you do so, the head restraints cannot fulfill
their intended protective function in the event of an accident. In addition, objects attached
to the head restraints could endanger other
vehicle occupants. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Do not attach any objects to the head
restraints and do not use head restraint cov-
ers.
Method of operation
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints offer additional protection
against head and neck injuries. In the event of
a rear collision of a certain severity, the NECK-
PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraints on the driver's and front-passenger
seats are moved forwards and upwards. This
provides better head support.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraints have been triggered inan accident, reset the NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
on the driver's seat and the front-passenger
seat (
Ypage 65). Otherwise, the additional protection will not be available in the event of
another rear-end collision. You can see that a
NECK-PRO head restraint/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraint has been triggered if it is tilted
forward and can no longer be adjusted.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the functionality of the NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
checked at a qualified specialist workshop
after a rear-end collision.
Resetting a triggered NECK-PRO head
restraint/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraint
NECK-PRO head restraints
Do not insert your finger between the cushion
of the head restraint and the cover. Pay par-
ticular attention while resetting the NECK-
PRO head restraints.
XTilt the top of the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion forwards in the direction of
arrow
:.
XPush the NECK-PRO head restraint cushion
down as far as it will go in the direction of
arrow ;.
XWith your hand flat, firmly push the NECK-
PRO head restraint cushion backwards in
the direction of arrow =until it engages.
XRepeat this procedure for the second
NECK-PRO head restraint.
iResetting the NECK-PRO head restraints
requires a lot of strength. If you have diffi-
culty resetting the NECK-PRO head
Occupant safety65
Safety
Z
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor-
rectly or is not secured, it can come loose in
the event of an accident, heavy braking or a
sudden change in direction. The child
restraint system could be thrown about, strik-
ing vehicle occupants. There is an increased
risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Always install child restraint systems prop-
erly, even if they are not being used. Make
sure that you observe the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer's installation instructions.
You will find further information on stowing
objects, luggage or loads under "Loading
guidelines" (
Ypage 238).
GWARNING
Child restraint systems or their securing sys-
tems which have been damaged or subjected
to a load in an accident can no longer protect
as intended. The child cannot then be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even
fatal.
Replace child restraint systems which have
been damaged or subjected to a load in an
accident as soon as possible. Have the secur-
ing systems on the child restraint system
checked at a qualified specialist workshop,
before you install a child restraint system
again.
The securing systems of child restraint sys-
tems are:
Rthe seat belt system
Rthe LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing rings
Rthe Top Tether anchorages
If it is absolutely necessary to carry a child on the front-passenger seat, be sure to observe
the information on the "Occupant Classifica-
tion System (OCS)" (
Ypage 58). 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 Stand-
ards 213 and 225
RCanadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2
Confirmation that the child restraint system
corresponds to the standards can be found
on an instruction label on the child restraint
system. This confirmation can also be found
in the installation instructions that are inclu-
ded 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
installation 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 (ISO-
FIX) 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.
70Children in the vehicle
Safety
ation is possible using the switches in the
rear compartment.
Pets in the vehicle
GWARNING
If you leave animals unattended or unsecured
in the veh icle, they could press buttons or
swit ches, for example.
As a result, they co uld:
Ractivate vehicle equipment and become
tr apped, for example
Ractivate or deactivate systems, there by
endangering other road users
Unsecured animals could also beflung around
the veh icle inthe event of an acc ident or sud-
den steering or braking, there byinjuring veh i-
cle occupants. There isa risk of an acc ident
and injury.
Never leave animals unattended inthe veh i-
cle. Alwa ys 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:
RABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
(
Ypage 75)
RBAS (B rakeAssist System) (Ypage 76)
RBAS PLUS (B rakeAssist System PLUS) with
Cross-Traffic Assist (
Ypage 76)
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
(distance warning function and Adaptive
Brake Assist) (
Ypage 78)
RESP®( Electronic StabilityProgram)
(
Ypage 80)
REBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(
Ypage 84)
RADAPTIVE BRAKE (Ypage 84)
RPRE-SAFE®Brake (Ypage 84)
RSTEER CONTROL (Ypage 86)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you
are inattentive, the driving safety systems can
neither 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 stay-
ing in lane. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions 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
adequate contact between the tires and the
road surface. Pay particular attention to the
information regarding tires, recommended
minimum tire tread depths etc. in the "Wheels
and tires" section (
Ypage 288).
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 vehi-
cle when braking.
The yellow !ABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. It goes out when the engine is running.
Driving safety systems75
Safety
Z
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE®)
are activated simultaneously.
Adaptive Brake Assist
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 75).
Adaptive Brake Assist provides braking assis-
tance in hazardous situations at speeds
above 4 mph (7 km/h). It uses radar sensor
technology to assess the traffic situation.
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
Rintervene unnecessarily
Rnot intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause Brake Assist to inter-
vene.
If adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to
a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system remains available with full
brake boosting effect and BAS. With the help of adaptive Brake Assist, the
distance warning signal can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
If adaptive Brake Assist detects a risk of col-
lision with the vehicle in front, it calculates
the braking force necessary to avoid a colli-
sion. If you apply the brakes forcefully, adap-
tive Brake Assist will automatically increase
the braking force to a level suitable for the
traffic conditions.
XKeep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
Ryou release the brake pedal.
Rthere is no longer any danger of a collision.
Rno obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated.
If adaptive Brake Assist demands particularly
high braking force, preventative passenger
protection measures (PRE-SAFE
®) are activa-
ted simultaneously.
Up to a speed of approximately 155 mph
(250 km/ h), adaptive Brake Assist is capable
of reacting to moving objects that have
already been detected as such at least once
over the period of observation.
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 k
m/h), adaptive Brake Assist reacts to
stationary obstacles.
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 75).
ESP
®monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and
the road surface.
If ESP
®detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
80Driving safety systems
Safety
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP
®assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 75).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®. On vehi-
cles with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part of ESP®.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP
®.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 75).
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP
®checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on
a 2-axle dynamometer. Before you operate
the vehicle on such a dynamometer, please
consult a qualified workshop. You could
otherwise damage the drive train or the
brake system.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: observe the notes
on ESP
®(Ypage 283) when towing the vehi-
cle with a raised rear axle.
ESP
®is only deactivated if the åwarning
lamp is lit continuously. If the
÷ warning lamp and the åwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP
®not avail-
able due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 206) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 192).
iOnly use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP®function
properly.
Characteristics of ESP®
General information
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP
®is automatically
active.
If ESP
®intervenes, the ÷ESP®warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP
®intervenes:
XDo not deactivate ESP®under any circum-
stances.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
XAdapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again.
ESP
®remains in its previously selected sta-
tus. Example: if ESP®was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP®remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®(except
AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 75).
Driving safety systems81
Safety
Z
You can select between the following states
of ESP®:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
It may be best to deactivate ESP
®in the fol-
lowing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP
®
You can deactivate or activate ESP®via the
on-board computer (
Ypage 190).
ESP
®deactivated:
The å ESP
®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
ESP
®activated:
The å ESP
®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP
®is deactivated
If ESP
®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle. If you deactivate ESP
®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
Rengine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
Rtraction control is still activated.
RESP®still provides support when you
brake.
Deactivating/activating ESP®(AMG
vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 75).
You can select between the following states
of ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RSPORT handling mode is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit-
uations described in the following.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
82Driving safety systems
Safety