
Problems with the Occupant Classification System (OCS)
Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Ypage 53).
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 51).
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 with the
weight of a child up
to twelve months old
in a child restraint
system
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.
XMake sure that the seat cushion length is fully retracted.
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 and/
or the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do notinstall 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.
Occupant safety55
Safety
Z

Vehicles with adjustable head restraints:
XMove head restraint:upwards.
XRoute Top Tether belt ?under head
restraint :between the two head restraint
bars.
Vehicles without adjustable head
restraints:
XTop Tether belt with one belt strap: route
Top Tether belt ?centrally over head
restraint :.
or
XTop Tether belt with two belt straps:
route one Top Tether belt ?to the left and
one to the right past the side of head
restraint :.
All vehicles:
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.
XHook Top Tether hook =of Top Tether
belt ?into Top Tether anchorage ;.
Make sure that:
RTop Tether hook =is hooked into Top
Tether anchorage ;as shown.
RTop Tether belt ?is not twisted.
RTop Tether belt ?is routed between the
rear seat backrest and the cargo com- partment cover if the cargo compart-
ment cover is installed.
XTension Top Tether belt
?. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions when doing so.
Vehicles with adjustable head restraints:
XMove head restraint :back down again
slightly if necessary (
Ypage 106). Make
sure tha t y
ou do not interfere with the cor-
rect routing of Top Tether belt ?.
Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes
Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than chil-
dren 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 51).
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 rear-
ward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat, always make sure that
the front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted. Only if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is permanently lit (
Ypage 43)
62Children in the vehicle
Safety

is the front-passenger front air bag deactiva-
ted.
Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Forward-facing child restraint system
If it is absolutely necessary to install a
forward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat, always move the front-
passenger seat as far back as possible. Fully
retract the seat cushion length. The entire
base of the child restraint system must
always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the child
restraint system must lie as flat as possible
against the backrest of the front-passenger
seat. The child restraint system must not
touch the roof or be subjected to a load by the
head restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat
backrest and the head restraint position
accordingly. Always make sure that the shoul-
der belt strap is correctly routed from the
vehicle belt outlet 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 outlet. If neces-
sary, adjust the vehicle belt outlet and the
front-passenger seat accordingly.
Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Child-proof locks
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are traveling in the vehicle, they
could:
Ropen doors, thus endangering other people
or road users
Rexit the vehicle and be caught by oncoming
traffic
Roperate vehicle equipment and become
trapped
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always activate the child-proof locks and
override feature if children are traveling in the vehicle. When leaving the vehicle, always take
the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unattended in the vehicle.
Override feature for:
Rthe rear doors (Ypage 64)
Rthe rear side windows (Ypage 64)
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.
Children in the vehicle63
Safety
Z

The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions, and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving.
Off-road ABS
An ABS system specifically suited to off-roadterrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (
Ypage 199).
At speeds below 20 mph (30 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking. The dig-
ging-in effect achieved in the process reduces the stopping distance on off-road terrain. This
limits steering capability.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
General information
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 65).
GWARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
Braking
XKeep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS
General information
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 65).
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS con-
sists of a distance warning function with an
autonomous braking function and adaptive
Brake Assist.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can
help you to minimize the risk of a front-end
collision with a vehicle ahead or reduce the
effects of such a collision.
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically. If you
do not react to the visual and audible collision
warning, autonomous braking can be initiated
in critical situations. If you apply the brake
yourself in a critical situation, the COLLISION
PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS adaptive Brake
Assist assists you.
Important safety notes
Detection of hazardous situations can be par-
ticularly impaired by:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicle traveling in front on a different line
Rnew vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Observe the important safety notes in the
"Breaking-in notes" section (
Ypage 148).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
66Driving safety systems
Safety

sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Switching on/off
The COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
automatically active after switching on the
ignition.
You can activate or deactivate COLLISION
PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS in the on-board
computer (
Ypage 228). When deactivated,
the distance warning function and the auton-
omous braking function are also deactivated.
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
deactivated, the æsymbol appears in the
assistance graphics display.
Distance warning function
General information
The distance warning function can help you to
minimize the risk of a front-end collision with
a vehicle ahead or reduce the effects of such a collision. If the distance warning function
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (
Ypage 65).
GWARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
Thus, the distance warning function cannot
provide a warning in all critical situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and do not rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Function
Starting at a speed of approximately 4 mph
(7 km/h), the distance warning function
warns you if you rapidly approach a vehicle in
front. An intermittent warning tone will then
sound, and the ·distance warning lamp
will light up in the instrument cluster.
XBrake immediately in order to increase the distance from the vehicle in front.
or
XTake evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause the system to display a warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obsta-
cles that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), the distance warning function can
also react to stationary obstacles, such as
stopped or parked vehicles.
Autonomous braking function
If the driver does not react to the distance
warning signal in a critical situation, COLLI-
SION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can assist
with the autonomous braking function.
Driving safety systems67
Safety
Z

Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip-
ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (
Ypage 25).
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.
XObserve the safety guidelines on seat
adjustment (
Ypage 103).
XMake sure that seat =is adjusted prop-
erly.
Manual seat adjustment (
Ypage 104)
Electrical seat adjustment (
Ypage 105)
When adjusting the seat, make sure that:
Ryou are as far away from the driver's air
bag as possible
Ryou are sitting in a normal upright posi-
tion
Ryou can fasten the seat belt properly
Ryou have moved the backrest to an
almost vertical position
Ryou have set the seat cushion angle so
that your thighs are gently supported
Ryou can depress the pedals properly
XCheck whether the head restraint is adjus-
ted properly (
Ypage 105).
When doing so, make sure that you have
adjusted the head restraint so that the back
of your head is supported at eye level by the
center of the head restraint.
XObserve the safety notes on steering col-
umn adjustment (
Ypage 108).
XMake sure that steering wheel :is adjus-
ted properly.
Adjusts the steering wheel (
Ypage 108)
When adjusting the steering wheel, make
sure that:
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 instru-
ment cluster clearly
XObserve the safety guidelines for seat belts
(
Ypage 44).
XCheck whether you have fastened seat
belt ;properly (
Ypage 46).
102Correct driver's seat position
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

The seat belt should:
Rfit snugly across your body
Rbe routed across the middle of your
shoulder
Rbe routed in your pelvic area across the
hip joints
XBefore starting off, adjust the rear-view mir-
ror and the exterior mirrors (
Ypage 109) in
such a way that you have a good view of
road and traffic conditions.
XVehicles with a memory function: save
the seat and exterior mirror settings
(
Ypage 112).
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 48) and "Children in the vehicle"
(
Ypage 58).
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.
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.
!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
heating should also not be used to dry
the seats.
Rclean the seat covers as recommended;
see the "Interior care" section.
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
passengers, if possible.
Rwhen the seat heating is in operation, do not cover the seats with insulating mate-
Seats103
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

Adjusting the seats electrically
:Seat height
;Seat cushion angle
=Seat fore-and-aftadjustmen t
?Backrest angle
iYou can store th eseat setting susin gth e
memory function (
Ypage 112).
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.
Using th efore-and-af tadj ustment, adjust th e
head restrain tso that it is as close as possible
to your head.
Gene ral notes
Fo rvehicles wit h sportsseat syou canno t
adjust th efron thead restraints or th eouter
rear head restraints .
Adjusting the head restraints manually
Adjusting th ehea drestrain theight
XTo raise: pull thehead restrain tup to th e
desired position .
XTo lower:press release catch :in th e
direction of th earrow and push th ehead
restrain tdown to th edesired position .
Adjusting th e fore/aftposition of th e
hea drestrain t
Seats105
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z