2016 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS Owners Manual

Important safety notes The use of seat belt s and child restrain t systems
is require d by law in:R
all 50 state sR
th e U.S. territoriesR
th e Distric t of ColumbiaR
all Canadian province s
Even wher e this is no t require d by law, all vehicl e
occupant s should correctl y faste n their seat
belt s before starting th e journey.
G WARNIN G
If th e seat belt is incorrectl y fastened, it can -
no t protect as intended. Furthermore , an
incorrectl y fastene d seat belt can caus e addi-
tional injury, for example, in an accident, dur-
ing braking or when abruptl y changing direc-
tion . This poses an increased ris k of injury or
eve n fatal injury.
Mak e sur e that all vehicl e occupant s are
seated properly wit h a correctl y fastene d seat
belt .
G WARNIN G
The seat belt does no t offer th e intended level
of protection if you have no t moved th e back-
res t to an almost vertical position . When brak -
ing or in th e event of an accident, you could
slide underneat h th e seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased ris k of injury or eve n fatal
injury.
Adjus t th e seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensur e that th e backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that th e
shoulder section of your seat belt is routed
across th e center of your shoulder .
G WARNIN G
Objects next to th e fron t seat that bloc k th e
belt buckle or th e moving belt anchorage on
th e fron t seat impair th e function of th e Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices. The Emergency
Tensioning Devices may no t function as inten -
ded and th e seat belt may no longer provide
th e intended protection . This poses an
increased ris k of injury or eve n fatal injury. Before starting th e journey, mak e sur e that
there are no objects aroun d th e belt buckle or
between th e fron t seat and door .
G WARNIN G
Person s under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height canno t
faste n th e seat belt correctl y without an addi-
tional suitable restrain t system. If th e seat
belt is incorrectl y fastened, it canno t protect
as intended. Furthermore , an incorrectl y fas -
tene d seat belt can caus e additional injury, for
example, in an accident, during braking or an
abrup t chang e of direction . This poses an
increased ris k of injury or eve n fatal injury.
Fo r this reason , always secure person s under
5 ft (1.50 m) in height in suitable restrain t
systems .
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.5 0 m) in height is traveling in the
vehicle: R
always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cle. The child restraint system must be appro-
priate to the age, weight and size of the child R
always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the belt bags for the outer seat belts
in the rear ( Y
page 48) R
always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
( Y
page 61) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions R
be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" ( Y
page 53)
G WARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended
protective function if: R
they are damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleach or dyed R
the seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty R
the Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
anchorages or inertia reels have been modi-
fiedOccupant safety 47
Safety Z

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

buckle is illuminated and extended after a rear
door is opened.
Releasing seat belts
! Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled up.
Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue will be
trapped in the door or in the seat mechanism.
This could damage the door, the door trim
panel and the seat belt. Damaged seat belts
can no longer fulfill their protective function
and must be replaced. Visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. X
Press the release button in the belt buckle,
hold the belt tongue firmly and guide the belt
back.
Seat belt adjustment The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. This func-
tion adjusts the driver's and front-passenger
seat belt to the upper body of the occupants.
The belt strap is tightened slightly when: R
the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle and R
the ignition is switched on
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a certain
retraction force if any slack is detected between
the vehicle occupant and the seat belt. Do not
hold on to the seat belt tightly while it is adjust-
ing.
You can switch the seat-belt adjustment on and
off using the multimedia system. Information on
activating and deactivating the seat-belt adjust-
ment function can be found in the Digital Oper-
ator's Manual.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger The v seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder that all vehicle occu-
pants must wear their seat belts. It may light up
continuously or flash. In addition, there may be
a warning tone.
Regardless of whether the driver's seat belt has
already been fastened, the v seat belt warn-
ing lamp lights up for six seconds each time the
engine is started. If, after six seconds, the driver
or front-passenger seat belt has not been fas-
tened and the doors are closed, the v seat
belt warning lamp lights up. As soon as the driv-
er's and front-passenger seat belts are fastened or a front door is opened again, the v seat
belt warning lamp goes out.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after the
engine is started, an additional warning tone will
sound. The warning tone switches off after six
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.
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 57).
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.50
Occupant safety
Safety

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

Front air bags
Driver's air bag C deploys in fron t of th e steer -
ing wheel. Front-passenger fron t air bag D
deploys in fron t of and abov e th e glov e box .
When deployed, th e fron t air bags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for th e occu-
pants in th e fron t seats.
The PASSENGER AI R BA G OF F and PASSENGER
AI R BA G ON indicator lamp s inform you about
th e status of th e front-passenger air bag
( Y
page 46).
The front-passenger fron t air bag will only
deplo y if:R
th e system, based on th e OCS weigh t sensor
readings, detect s that th e front-passenger
seat is occupied ( Y
page 53) . The
PASSENGER AI R BA G ON indicator lamp is lit
( Y
page 54)R
th e restrain t system control unit predicts a
high acciden t severit y
Driver's knee bag
Driver's knee bag C deploys under th e steering
column . The driver' s knee bag is always
deployed alon g wit h th e driver' s fron t air bag. The driver' s knee bag offers additional thigh,
knee and lower leg protection for th e occupant
in th e driver' s seat .
Side impact air bags
G WARNIN G
Unsuitable seat cover s could restrict or eve n
preven t th e deploymen t of th e air bags inte-
grated int o th e seats. Consequently, th e air
bags canno t protect vehicl e occupant s as
they are designed to do. In addition , th e func-
tion of th e Occupant Classification Syste m
(OCS ) could be restricted. This poses an
increased ris k of injury or eve n fatal injury.
You should only use seat cover s that have
been approve d for th e respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz.
Fron t side impac t air bags C and rear side
impact air bags D deplo y next to th e outer bol-
ster of th e seat backrest .
When deployed, th e side impac t air bag offers
additional thorax protection . It also offers addi-
tional pelvis protection for occupant s in th e
fron t seats. However, it does no t protect the:R
head R
neck R
arm s
In th e event of a side impact, th e side impac t air
bag is deployed on th e side on whic h th e impac t
occurs.52
Occupant safety
Safety

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