2016 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS child restraint

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 ( Y
page 47).
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: R
The seat belt tongue is inserted into the belt
buckle that belongs to the seat. R
The seat belt is tightened across your body.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat. R
The seat belt is not twisted.
Only then can the forces produced in the
event of an accident be evenly distributed
across the belt. R
The 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. R
The 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. R
The seat belt is not routed over sharp, pointed
or fragile objects.
If these item s a re on or in your clothing, e.g.
e
yeglasses, pens, keys, etc., stow these items
in a more suitable location. R
Only 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. R
Objects 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" ( Y
page 325).
Rear beltbags
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 50).
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the
outer rear seat belts are equipped with a belt
bag. This can be seen from the BELTBAG iden-
tification on the rear seat belt.
G WARNING
In an accident, the belt bag may damage a
non-approved child restraint system. As a
result, the child restraint system may not be
able to provide the intended level of protec-
tion. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
For this reason, a child restraint system with
an integrated seat belt should always be
installed using LATCH-type (ISOFIX). In a vehi-
cle with optional belt bags for the rear seats,
you should only ever use a booster seat with
integrated backrest that has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz in conjunction
with a belt bag. Never use a seat belt equipped
with a belt bag to secure a forward or rear-
ward-facing child restraint system or a boos-
ter seat that has not been approved. For infor-
mation on approved child restraint systems,48
Occupant safety
Safety

please contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Further information on child restraint systems
( Y
page 61).
When triggered, belt bags C open, increasing
the protected area of the occupants' ribcages.
The belt bags are triggered depending on the
type and severity of the accident.
Fastening and adjusting the seat belts Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
( Y
page 47) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts ( Y
page 48).
Basic illustration X
Adjust the seat ( Y
page 104).
The seat backrest must be in an almost ver-
tical position. X
Pull the seat belt smoothly from the belt out-
let.
The seat belt on the driver’s seat and the
front-passenger seat may be tightened auto-
matically, see "Belt adjustment"
( Y
page 50). X
If 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. X
To raise: slide the belt outlet upwards.
The belt outlet will engage in various posi-
tions. X
To lower: hold belt outlet release

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 fro nt-
p a
ssenger front air bag is deactivated
( Y
page 46). R
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant Classification System
(OCS)" ( Y
page 53) and on "Children in the vehicle" ( Y
page 61 )i n 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.Occupant safety 51
Safety Z

The side impact air bag on the front-passenger
side (front) deploys under the following condi-
tions: R
the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or R
the 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.
Window curtain air bags
Window curtain air bags C are integrated into
the side of the roof frame and deployed in the
area from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
When deployed, the window curtain air bag
enhances the level of protection for the head.
However, it does not protect the chest or arms.
In the event of a side impact, the window curtain
air bag is deployed on the side on which the
impact occurs.
If the system determines that they can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt, a window curtain air bag may be
deployed in other accident situations
( Y
page 57).
Cushion air bags
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 50).
The rear reclining seat is equipped with a cush-
ion air bag. If the seat backrest is reclined, the
cushion air bag can provide additional occupant
protection in the event of frontal collision situa-
tions. When triggered, the cushion air bag
deploys under the seat cushion. This helps pre- vent the occupant from slipping off the seat
cushion.
G WARNING
If a child restraint system is installed and the
seat backrest is reclined too far backwards,
the cushion air bag may deploy by mistake in
the event of an accident. There is an increased
risk of injury.
When using a child restraint system, always
ensure that the seat is correctly adjusted and
that the backrest is almost vertical.
If you install a child restraint system on the rear
reclining seat, always observe: R
the instructions and safety notes in "Children
in the vehicle" ( Y
page 61) R
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions
Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
Introduction The Occupant Classification System (OCS) cat-
egorizes the person in the front-passenger seat.
Depending on that result, the front-passenger
front air bag is either enabled or deactivated.
The system does not deactivate: R
the side impact air bag R
the window curtain air bag R
the Emergency Tensioning Devices
Prerequisites To be classified correctly, the front passenger
must sit: R
with the seat belt fastened correctly R
in an almost upright position with their back
against the seat backrest R
with their feet resting on the floor, if possible
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, OCS may produce a false classifica-
tion, e.g. because the front passenger: R
transfers their weight by supporting them-
selves on a vehicle armrest R
sits in such a way that their weight is raised
from the seat cushionOccupant safety 53
Safety Z

If it is absolutely necessary to install a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat, be
sure to observe the correct positioning of the
child restraint system. Never place objects
under or behind the child restraint system, e.g.
cushions. 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
forward-facing 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.
Only then can OCS be guaranteed to function
correctly. Always observe the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Occupant Classification System opera-
tion (OCS)
C
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lampD
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
The indicator lamps indicate whether the front-
passenger front air bag is activated or deactiva-
ted. X
Press the start/stop button once or twice, or
turn the SmartKey to position 1 or 2 in the
ignition lock.
The system carries out a self-diagnosis test.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON indicator lamps must light up simul-
taneously for about six seconds.
The indicator lamps then display the status of
the front-passenger front air bag: R
PASSENGER AIRBAG ON lights up: the front-
passenger front airbag is enabled. If, in the case of an accident, all deployment criteria
are met, the front-passenger front air bag is
deployed. R
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF lights up: the front-
passenger front airbag is disabled. It will then
not be deployed in the event of an accident.
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 instru-
ment cluster ( Y
page 289). Always observe the
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamps when the front-
passenger seat is occupied. Make sure that the
status of the front-passenger front air bag is
correct before and during a journey.
G WARNING
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: R
the 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 R
the front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible. R
the 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.
G WARNING
If you secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp is lit up, the front-passenger front air bag
may deploy in an accident. The child could be54
Occupant safety
Safety

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.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
remains off and/or the PASSENGER AIR BAG
ON indicator lamp is lit, do not fit a rearward-
facing child restraint system to the front-
passenger seat. For more information, see
"Problems with the Occupant Classification Sys-
tem (OCS)" ( Y
page 57).
G WARNING
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, in the event of an
accident, the child could: R
come into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example R
be struck by the air bag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON is lit up
This poses an increased risk of injury or even
fatal injury.
Always move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible and fully retract the seat
cushion length. 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 downwards from the vehicle belt sash
guide. If necessary, adjust the vehicle belt
sash guide and the front-passenger seat
accordingly. Always observe the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions.
If OCS detects that: R
the front-passenger seat is not occupied, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up continuously after the system's self-
diagnosis test. This indicates that the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated. R
the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child aged up to twelve months in a standard child restraint system, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up continu-
ously after the system's self-diagnosis test.
This indicates that the front-passenger front
air bag is deactivated.
In the case of a twelve-month-old child in a
standard child restraint system, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp may
light up continuously after the system's self-
diagnosis test. This indicates that the front-
passenger front air bag is activated. Catego-
rization is dependent on the type of child
restraint system and the stature of the child,
for example. In this case, always install the
child restraint system on a suitable rear seat. R
the front-passenger seat is occupied by a per-
son of smaller stature (e.g. a teenager or a
small adult), either the PASSENGER AIR BAG
ON or PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp lights up continuously after the system's
self-diagnosis test depending on the catego-
rization. -
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp is lit, position the front-passenger
seat as far back as possible. Alternatively, a
person of smaller stature can sit on a rear
seat. -
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp lights up, a person of smaller stature
should not sit on the front-passenger seat. R
the front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a person of an appropriate size, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
lights up continuously after the system's self-
diagnosis test. This indicates that the front-
passenger front air bag is activated.
If children are traveling in the vehicle, be sure to
observe the notes on "Children in the vehicle"
( Y
page 61).
If the OCS is malfunctioning, both the red u
restraint system warning lamp in the instrument
cluster and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp light up simultaneously. In this case,
the front-passenger air bag is deactivated and
does not deploy during an accident. Have the
system checked by qualified technicians as
soon as possible. Consult an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. Only have the front-
passenger seat repaired at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or the
seat cushion are damaged, have the necessary
repair work carried out at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.Occupant safety 55
Safety Z

For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat accessories that
have been approved by Mercedes-Benz.
If the driver's air bag deploys, this does not
mean that the front-passenger front air bag will
also deploy. The Occupant Classification Sys-
tem (OCS) categorizes the occupant on the
front-passenger seat. Depending on the result,
the front-passenger air bag is activated or deac-
tivated.
System self-test
G DANGER
If both the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps do
not light up during the system self-test, the
system is malfunctioning. The front-
passenger front air bag might be triggered
unintentionally or might not be triggered at all
in the event of an accident with high deceler-
ation. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may not
be used. Do not install a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the Occu-
pant Classification System (OCS) checked
and repaired immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
G DANGER
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the
front-passenger front air bag is disabled. It will
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 a person 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: R
the 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 R
the person is seated properly with a cor-
rectly fastened seatbelt R
the front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit when it should not, the front-
passenger seat may not be used. Do not
install a child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. Have the Occupant Classifi-
cation System (OCS) checked and repaired
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
G WARNING
Objects between the seat surface and the
child restraint system could affect OCS oper-
ation. This could result in the 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 between the seat
surface and the child restraint system. The
entire base of the child restraint system must
always rest on the seat cushion of the 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. Always comply with the
child restraint system manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions.
After the system self-test, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF or PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp displays the status of the front-passenger
front air bag ( Y
page 54).
For more information about the OCS, see "Prob-
lems with the Occupant Classification System"
( Y
page 57).56
Occupant safety
Safety

Problems with the Occupant Classification System (OCS) Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" ( Y
page 56).
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
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 per-
son of a stature corre-
sponding to that of an
adult. The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is incor-
rect. X
Make sure the conditions for a correct classification of the person
on the front-passenger seat are met ( Y
page 53).X
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the front-
passenger seat may not be used. X
Have 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: R
unoccupied R
occupied with the
weight of a child up to
twelve months old in a
child restraint system OCS is malfunctioning. X
Make sure there is nothing between the seat cushion and the child
seat. X
Make 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 possible
against the backrest of the front-passenger seat. If necessary,
adjust the position of the front-passenger seat. X
Make sure that the seat cushion length is fully retracted. X
When 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. X
Check 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 accord-
ingly. X
Make sure that no objects are applying additional weight onto the
seat. X
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off and/or
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not install
a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat. It is recom-
mended that you install the child restraint system on a suitable rear
seat. X
Have OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center.
Deployment of Emergency Tensioning
Devices and air bags
Important safety notes
G WARNING
The air bag parts are hot after an air bag has
been deployed. There is a risk of injury. Do not touch the air bag parts. Have a
deployed air bag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible.
G WARNING
A deployed air bag no longer offers any pro-
tection and cannot provide the intended pro-Occupant safety 57
Safety Z