2016 MERCEDES-BENZ METRIS ESP

Useful information
This Operator's Manual describes all models as
well as standard and optional equipment of your
vehicle that were available at the time of going
to print.Country-specific variation sare possi-
ble. Note that your vehicle may not be equipped
with all of the described functions. This also
applies to system sand function srelevantt o
safety.
Read the information on qualified specialist
workshops (
Ypage 29).
Occupant safety
Restraint system introduction
The restraint system can reduce the risk of vehi- cle occupants comingi ntoc ontact with parts of
the vehicle' sinterior in the eventofana ccident.
Furthermore, the restraint system may also
reduce the forces exerted on the vehicle occu-
pant swhen an acciden toccurs.
The restraint system includes:
RSeat belt system
RAir bags
RChild restraint system
RChild seat securings ystem
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:
Rare correctly wearing their seat belts.
(Ypage 45)
Radjust their seat and head restraint properly
(Ypage 83).
The driver is also responsible for ensurin gthat
the steering wheel has been correctly posi-
tioned. Observet he information relatin gtothe
correct driver'ss eat position (
Ypage 83).
Always ensure the air bag can inflat eproperly if
deployed (
Ypage 48).
An air bag supplement sacorrectly fastened
seat belt. As an additional safetyd evice, the air
bag increases the level of protection for vehicle
occupants in the eventofana ccident. For exam-
ple, if the protection already provided by acor-
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 evento fan acciden
tare deployed. Seat belts and air
bags generally do not protect against objects
penetratin gthe vehicle from the outside.
Information on restraint system operatio ncan
be found under "TriggeringofE mergencyTen-
sionin gDevices and air bags" (
Ypage 54).
See “Children in the vehicle” for information on children traveling with you as well as vehicle
restraint system s(
Ypage 56).
Important safetyn otes
GWARNING
If the restraint system is modified, it may no
longer work as intended. The restraint system
may then not performi ts intended protective
function by failing in an acciden tortriggering
unexpectedly, for example. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Never modify parts of the restraint system .Do
not attempt to modify the wiring as well as
electronic components or their software.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system to
accommodate aperson with disabilities, con-
tact aMercedes-Benz Commercial Van Cen-
ter for details. USA only: contact our
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center
at 1-877-762-8267 for details.
Restraint system warning lamp
The restraint system sfunction sare checked
after the ignition is switched on and at regular
intervals when the engin eisrunning. This allows
malfunction stobedetected in good time.
The 6 restraint system warnin glamp in the
instrumentc luster lights up when the ignition is
switched on. It goes out no later than afew sec-
onds after the vehicle is started. The compo-
nents of the restraint system are on standby.
Am alfunction has occurred if the 6restraint
system warnin glamp:
Rdoes not light up after the ignition is switched
on.
Rdoes not go out after afew seconds when the
engin eisrunning.
Rlights up again when the engin eisrunning.
Occupant safety43
Safety
Z

GWARNING
If restraint system is malfunctioning, restraint
system components may be triggere dunin-
tentionall yormight not be triggere datall in
the event of an accident with ahigh rate of
vehicled eceleration. This can affect the Emer-
gency Tensioning Device or air bag ,for exam-
ple.T his poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired in aqualified specialist worksho pas
soon as possible.
PASSENGER AI RBAG OFF indicator
lamp
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp :is
part of the Occupant Classification System
(OCS).
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
showsy ou the status of the front-passenger
front air bag.
If the PASSENGER AI RBAG OFF indicator
lamp:
Rlights up,t he front-passenge rair bag is deac-
tivated. It wil lnot be deploye dinthe event of
an accident.
Rdoes not light up,t he front-passengerair
bag is activated. If, in the case of an accident,
all deployment criteria are met, the front-
passenger front air bag is deployed. Depending on the personint
he front-passenger
seat, the front-passenge rfront air bag must
either be deactivated or activated; see the fol-
lowing points. You must make sure of this both
before and during ajourney.
RChil dint he chil drestraint system:
whethe rthe front-passenge rair bag is acti-
vated or deactivated depends on the child
restraint system installed, as wel lasthe age
and size of the child .Itisthus essentialt o
comply with the instructions on the “Occu-
pant Classification System (OCS)”
(
Ypag e50) and “Childre ninthe vehicle”
(Ypag e56). Information is als oincluded
here on rearward or forward-facing child
restraint systems on the front-passenger
seat.
RAll other persons: depending on the person
classifie dasoccupying the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenge rair bag must be
activated or deactivated (
Ypag e50). Be
sure to observe the notes on "Sea tbelts"
(
Ypag e44) and "Air bags" (Ypag e47).
Information is als oincluded here on the cor-
rect seating position.
Seat belts
Introduction
Ac orrectly fastened seat beltist he most effec-
tive means of restraining the movement of vehi- cle occupants in the event of an accident or the
vehicler olling over. This reduces the risk of
vehicleo ccupants coming into contact with
parts of the vehiclei nterior or being thrown from
the vehicle. Furthermore ,the seat belth elpsto
keep the vehicleo ccupants in the best position
in relation to the air bag.
The seat belts ystem consists of:
RSeat belts
REmergency Tensioning Devices for the front
seat belts
If the vehicleise quipped withafront air bag,
the seat belts ystem alsoincludes aseat belt
force limiter for the corresponding seat.
If the seat beltisp ulled quickly or suddenly from
the belto utlet, the inertia reel locks. The belt
strap cannot be pulled out further.
Emergency Tensioning Devices tighten the seat belts in an accident, pulling them close against
44Occupant safety
Safety

formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ing, as wellasdamaged doors,c an leadtothe
function of the sensors being impaired .The air
bag smight therefore not function properly
anymore. Consequently, the air bag scannot
protect vehicl eoccupants 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 carrie dout at aqualified specialist work-
shop.
Fron tair bags
Driver's air bag :deploys in front of the steer-
ing wheel. Front-passenger air bag ;deploys in
front of and above the glove box and the center
console.
When deployed, the front air bag soffer addi-
tional heada nd thorax protection on the front
seats.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
showsy ou the status of the front-passenger
front air bag (
Ypag e44).
The front-passenger air bag wil lonly deploy if:
Rthe Occupant Classification System (OCS)
has detected that the front-passenger seati s
occupied (
Ypag e50). The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lam pisnot lit
(
Ypag e51)
Rthe restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity
Side impact air bags
GWARNING
Unsuitabl eseatc overs coul drestrict or even
prevent the deployment of the air bag sinte-
grated into the seats. Consequently, the air
bag scannot protect vehicl eoccupants as
they are designed to do. In addition, the func- tion of the Occupant Classification System
(OCS) coul dberestricted. This posesa n
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
You should only use seatc overs that have
been approved for the respective seatb y
Mercedes-Benz.
Side impact air bags :deploy next to the outer
cushions of the seatb ackrest.
When deployed, the side impact air bag offers
additiona lthorax and pelvis protection. How-
ever, it does not protect the:
Rhead
Rneck
Rarms
In the event of aside impact, the side impact air
bag is deploye donthe side on which the impact
occurs.
The side impact air bag on the front-passenger
side deploys under the following conditions:
Rthe OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seatiso ccupied or
Rthe belttongue has engaged in the beltb uckle
of the front-passenger seat.
If the beltt ongue has engaged in the beltb uckle,
the side impact air bag on the front-passenger
side deploys if the corresponding accident sit-
uation occurs. This is regardless of whethe rthe
front-passenger seatiso ccupied or not.
Occupant safety49
Safety
Z

Occupant Classification System (OCS)
operation
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp:
shows you whether the front-passenger fronta ir
bag is deactivated .
XTurn the key to position 1or 2in the ignition
lock.
The system will carry out aself-test.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
must light up for approximately six seconds.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
then shows the status of the front-passenger
fronta ir bag. If the status of the front-passenger
fronta ir bag changes while the vehicle is in
motion ,anair bag display message may appear
in the instrument cluster:
Ron vehicles without steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 190)
Ron vehicles with steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 204)
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
alwaysp ay attention to the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp. Make sure the correct
status is displayed for the front-passenger air
bag before and during the journey.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp:
Rlights up ,the front-passenger air bag is deac-
tivated. It will not be deployed in the event of
an accident.
Rdoes not light up,t he front-passenger air
bag is activated. If, in the case of an accident,
all deployment criteria are met, the front-
passenger fronta ir bag is deployed.
GWARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenger fronta ir bag is
disabled. It will not be deployed in the event of
an accidenta nd cannot perform its intended
protective function .Aperson 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
injur yore ven fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
alwayse nsure that:
Rthe classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger fronta ir 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
fronta ir bag is correct.
GWARNING
If you secure achild in achild restraint system
on the front-passenger seat and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is
off, the front-passenger fronta ir bag can
deploy in the event of an accident. The child
could be struc kbythe air bag. This poses an
increased risk of injur yoreven fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenger fronta ir
bag has been disabled. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
GWARNING
If you secure achild in aforward-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
Occupant safety51
Safety
Z

This poses an increased risk of injury or evenfatal 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.
If OCS determines that:
Rthe front-passenger seat is unoccupied, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up after the system self-test and
remains lit. This indicates that the front-
passenger air bag has been deactivated.
Rthe front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child of up to 12 months old in astandard
child restraint system, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up after the
system self-test and remains lit. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger air bag has
been deactivated.
But even in the case of a12-month-old child in
as tandard child restraint system, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp can
go out after the system self-test. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger air bag has
been activated. The classification depends,
among other things, on the child restraint sys-
tem and the size and weight of the child. In
this case, install the child restraint system on
as uitable rear seat.
Rthe front-passenger seat is occupied by aper-
son of smaller stature (e.g. ateenager or
small adult), the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the result
of the classification or, alternatively, goes out.
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is not lit, move the front-passenger
seat as far back as possible. Alternatively, a person of smaller stature can sit on
arear
seat.
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, aperson of smaller stature
should not use the front-passenger seat.
Rthe front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or aperson of astature corresponding
t o
that of an adult, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp goes out after the system
self-test. This indicates that the front-
passenger air bag has been activated.
If children are also traveling in the vehicle,
please observe the instructions about “Children
in the vehicle” (
Ypage 56).
If OCS is malfunctioning, the red 6restraint
system warning lamp in the instrument cluster
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp light up simultaneously. This signals that
the front-passenger air bag has been deactiva-
ted and will not be deployed in the event of an
accident .Have the system checked by aquali-
fied technician as soon as possible. Consult a
Mercedes-Benz Commercial Van Center. The
front-passenger seat should only be repaired at aM ercedes-Benz Commercial Van Center.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or the
upholstery is damaged, have the necessary
repair work carried out at aMercedes-Benz
Commercial Van Center.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seating accessories
that have been specially approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
If the driver's air bag deploys, this does not
mean the front-passenger air bag must also
deploy. The Occupant Classification System
(OCS) classifies occupantsont he front-
passenger seat. Dependin gonthe outcome, the
front-passenger air bag is either activated or
deactivated.
System self-test
GDANGER
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp does not light up during the system self-
test ,then the system is malfunctioning. The
front-passenger front air bag might be trig-
gered unintentionally or might not be trig-
gered at all in the event of an accident with
high deceleration. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
52Occupant safety
Safety

In this case the front-passenger seat may not
be used.Donot install achild restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the Occu-
pant Classification System (OCS) checked
and repaired immediately at aqualifieds pe-
cialist workshop.
GDANGER
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the
front-passenger front air bag is disabled.Itw ill
not be deployed in the event of an accident. In
this case, the front-passenger front air bag
cannot perform its intended protective func-
tion, e.g. when aperson is seated in the front-
passenger seat.
That person could ,for example ,come into
contact with the vehicle's interior, especially
if the person is sitting too close to the dash-
board .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 enable dordisa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
Rthe person is seated properlyw ithacor-
rectly fastened seatbelt
Rthe front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit when it shoul dnot, the front-
passenger seat may not be used .Donot
install achild restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. Have the Occupant Classifi-
cation System (OCS) checked and repaired
immediately at aqualifieds pecialist work-
shop.
GWARNING
Objects between the seat surface and the
child restraint system could affect OCS oper- ation. This could resul tinthe front-passenger
air bag not functioning as intended during an
accident. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Do not place any objects betwee nthe seat
surface and the child restraint system. The
entire base of the child restraint system must
always rest on the seat cushio nofthe front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the forward-
facing child restraint system must, as far as
possible, be resting on the backrest of the
front-passenger seat. Alway scomply with the
child restraint system manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions.
After the system self-test, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp then shows the status
of the front-passenger front air bag (
Ypage 51).
For more information abou tthe OCS, see "Prob-
lems with the Occupant Classification System"
(
Ypage 54).
Occupant safety53
Safety
Z

Have the vehicle towedtoaqualifiedspecial-
ist workshop in orde rtohavead eployed air
bagr eplaced.
It is important for your safety and that of any
passengers to hav edeployed ai rbagsr eplaced
and to hav eany malfunctioning ai rbags
repaired. Thisw illh elptom ake surethe ai rbags
continuetop erform theirp rotective functio nfor
the vehicle occupants in the event of acrash.
GWARNING
PyrotechnicE mergency Tensioning Devices
that hav ebeend eployed are no longer opera-
tiona land are unable to perform theiri nten-
ded protective function. Thisp oses an
increased risk of injury or even fata linjury.
Therefore, hav epyrotechnicE mergency Ten-
sioning Device swhich hav ebeent riggered
immediately replaced at aqualifie dspecialist
workshop.
If the Emergency Tensioning Device sorairbags
are deployed, yo uwillh earab angandasmall
amount of powder may also be released.T he
6 restraint system warning lamp will light up.
Only in rare case swillt he bang affect your hear-
ing. The powder released is generally not haz-
ardous to health, it coul dhowever cause short-
term breathing difficultie sinpeople with asthma
or other respiratory problems. If it is safe to do
so, yo ushould leave the vehicle immediately or
openaw indow in orde rtoprevent breathing
difficulties.
Air bags and pyrotechni cEmergency Tensioning
Device s(ETDs) contai nperchlorate material,
which may require specialh andling and regard
for the environment. Check with your loca lgov-
ernment’sd isposal guidelines .Calif ornia resi-
dents, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm .
Methodofoperation
During the first stag eofacollision, the restraint
system control uni tevaluates important physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleratio noraccel-
eration, such as:
RDuration
RDirection
RIntensity Base
dont he evaluatio nofthis data, the
restraint system control uni ttriggers the Emer-
gency Tensioning Device sinthe event of afron-
tal or rear-end collision.
An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be
triggered if:
Rthe ignition is switched on
Rthe components of the restraint system are
operational .You can find furthe rinformation
unde r"Re straint system warning lamp"
(
Ypage 43)
Rthe bel ttongueisi nserted into the buckle on
the respective front seat
If the restraint system control uni tdetects ahigh
accident severity,a dditional components of the
restraint system are deployed independently of
one anothe rincertainfrontal collision situa-
tions:
RFront ai rbags
RWindow curtain ai rbag,ift he system deter-
mines that it can offer additional protection to
that provided by the seatb elt
Depending on the person occupying the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger ai rbag is
activated or deactivated. The front-passenger
front ai rbag can only be deployed in an accident
if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
is off. Observe the informatio nonthe
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
(
Ypage 44).
You rvehicle has dual-stage front ai rbags. Dur-
ing the first deployment stage, the front ai rbag
fills with propellant gas which reduces the risk of
injury .The second stag eisthen triggered withi
n
mi

lliseconds, filling the front ai rbag with the
maximum amount of propellant gas.
The deployment threshold sfor the Emergency
Tensioning Device sand ai rbagsa re calculated
on the basis of the vehicle deceleratio noraccel-
eration occurring at various points in the vehi-
cle. Thisp rocess is pre-emptiv einnature. The
ai rb ag mus tbed eployed on time, at the start of
the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleratio noracceleration
and the directio nofthe force are essentially
determine dby:
Rdistribution of the force during the impact
Rcollision angle
Rdeformation characteristics of the vehicle
Rcharacteristics of the object with which the
vehicle has collided
Occupants afety55
Safety
Z

Factors which can only be seenand measured
afte rthe collision has occurred do not pla ya
decisive roleint he deployment of an ai rbag,nor
do they provide an indication of ai rbag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle may be considerably deformed with-
outana irbagb eing deployed. Thisist he case if
only relativelye asilyd eformable parts have
bee nhit and ahighr ate of deceleration has not
bee nreached .Conversely ,anairbagm ay be
deployed even though the vehicle suffers only
minor deformation. Thisist he case if, for exam-
ple ,very rigid vehicle parts such as the longitu-
dina lbodym embers are hit in an accident and
the rate of deceleration is sufficient.
If the restraint system control uni tdetects aside
impact or that the vehicle is rolling over,t he rel-
evant restraint system components are
deployed independently of one another depend-
ing on the anticipated typ eofaccident.
RSide impact ai rbag and pelvis ai rbag on the
sid eonw hich an impact occurs, independ-
ently of the Emergency Tensioning Device and sea tbeltu sage
The sid eimpact ai rbag on the front-
passenger sid edeploy sunder the following
conditions:
-the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger sea tisoccupied or
-the bel ttongueh as engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat.
RWindow curtain ai rbag on the sid eofthe col-
lision, regardless of sea tbeltu se and whether
front-passeng er se
ati
so ccupied
REmergency Tensioning Devices, if the system
determinesthat they can offera dditional pro-
tection for the vehicle occupants in this sit-
uation
RWindow curtain ai rbagsont he driver's and
front-passenger sides in certain rollover sit-
uations if the system determine sthat they
can offera dditional protection to that provi-
ded by the sea tbelt
iNot al lairbags are deployed in an accident.
The variousa irbags ystems wor kindepend-
ently of each other. How the ai
rbag system works is determined
by the severity of the accident detected,
especiall ythe vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, and the apparent typ eofaccident:
Rfrontalc ollision
Rsideimpact
Rrollover
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately afte ranaccident, the following
measures are implemented ,depending on the
typ eand severity of the impact:
Rthe hazard warning lamps are activated
Rthe emergency lighting is activated
Rthe vehicle doors are unlocked
Rthe front sid ewindow sare lowered
Rthe engine is switched off and the fue lsupply
is cut off
Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that childre nsecured
in the rears eats are safer than childre nsecured
in the front seats. For this reason, Mercedes-
Benz stronglya dvise sthat yo uinstall achild
restraint system on arears eat. Children are
generally better protected there.
If ac hildy ounge rthan twelve years and under
5ft( 1.50 m) in height is traveling in the vehicle:
Ralways securethisc hild in arestraint system
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles .The
child restraint systemm ustbea ppropriate to
the age, weight and size of the child.
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and safety
note sint hissectio nina dditiontot he child
restraint systemm anufacturer's installation
instructions.
Ralways observe the instructions and safety
note sont he "Occupant Classification System
(OCS) "(
Ypage 50).
56Children in the vehicle
Safety