an accident, no longer withstand the strain
they are designed to.
If the underbody paneling is damaged,
combustible materials such as leaves,
grass or twigs can gather between the
underbody and the underbody paneling. If
these materials come in contact with hot
parts of the exhaust system, they can catch
fire.
In such situations, have the vehicle
checked and repaired immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop. If on con-
tinuing your journey you notice that driving
safety is impaired, pull over and stop the
vehicle immediately, paying attention to
road and traffic conditions. In such cases,
consult a qualified specialist workshop.
Declarations of conformity
Vehicle components which receive
and/or transmit radio waves
USA: "The wireless devices of this vehicle
comply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Oper-
ation is subject to the following two condi-
tions: 1) These devices may not cause harm-
ful interference, and 2) These devices must
accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired oper-
ation. Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for com-
pliance could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment."
Canada: "The wireless devices of this vehicle
comply with Industry Canada license-exempt
RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) These devices
may not cause interference, and (2) These
devices must accept any interference, includ-
ing interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device."
Diagnostics connection
The diagnostics connection is only intended
for the connection of diagnostic equipment at
a qualified specialist workshop.
GWARNING
If you connect equipment to the diagnostics
connection inthe vehicle, itmay affect the
operation of the vehicle systems. As a result,
the operating safety of the vehicle could be
affected. There isa risk of an accident.
Do not connect any equipment to a diagnos-
tics connection inthe vehicle.
GWARNING
Objects inthe driver's footwell can restrict the
pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
je opardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
!If the engine is switched off and equip-
ment on the diagnostics connection is
used, the starter battery may discharge.
Connecting equipment to the diagnostics
connection can lead to emissions monitoring
information being reset, for example. This
may lead to the vehicle failing to meet the
requirements of the next emissions test dur-
ing the main inspection.
Qualified specialist workshop
An authorized Mercedes-Benz Center is a
qualified specialist workshop. It has the nec-
essary specialist knowledge, tools and quali-
fications to correctly carry out the work
required on your vehicle. This is especially the
case for work relevant to safety.
26Introduction
QR codes for the rescue card
The QR codes are secured in the fuel filler flap
and on the opposite side on the B-pillar. In the event of an accident, rescue services can use
the QR code to quickly find the appropriate
rescue card for your vehicle. The current res-
cue card contains the most important infor-
mation about your vehicle in a compact form,
e.g. the routing of the electric cables.
You can find more information under http://
portal.aftersales.i.daimler.com/public/
content/asportal/en/communication/
informationen_fuer/QRCode.html.
Data stored in the vehicle
Data recording
This vehicle is capable of recording diagnostic
information relating to vehicle operation, mal-
functions, and user settings. This may include information about the performance or status
of various systems, including but not limited
to, engine, throttle, steering or brake sys-
tems, that is stored and can be read out with
suitable devices, particularly when the vehi-
cle is serviced. The data obtained is used to
properly diagnose and service your vehicle or
to further optimize and develop vehicle func-
tions.
COMAND/mbrace
If the vehicle is equipped with COMAND or
mbrace, additional data about the vehicle’s
operation, the use of the vehicle in certain
situations, and the location of the vehicle may
be compiled through COMAND or the mbrace
system.
For additional information please refer to the
COMAND User Manual and/or the mbrace
Terms and Conditions.
Event data recorders
This vehicle is equipped with an event data
recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR
is to record data that will assist in under-
standing how a vehicle’s systems performed
in certain crash or near crash-like situations,
such as during air bag deployment or when
hitting a road obstacle. The EDR is designed
to record data related to vehicle dynamics
and safety systems for a short period of time,
typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record
such data as:
Rhow various systems in your vehicle are
operating
Rwhether or not the driver and passenger
seat belts are fastened
Rhow far (if at all) the driver is depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal and
Rhow fast the vehicle is traveling
This data can help provide a better under-
standing of the circumstances in which
crashes and injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data is
recorded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial
crash situation occurs; no data is recorded by the EDR under normal driving conditions and
no personal data (e.g., name, gender, age,
and crash location) are recorded. However,
other parties, such as law enforcement, can
combine the EDR data with the type of per-
sonal identification data routinely acquired
during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special
equipment is required, and access to the vehi-
cle or the EDR is needed. In addition to the
vehicle manufacturer, other parties that have
the special equipment, such as law enforce-
ment, can read the information by accessing
the vehicle or the EDR.
EDR data may be used in civil and criminal
matters as a tool in accident reconstruction,
accident claims, and vehicle safety. Since the
Crash Data Retrieval CDR tool that is used to
extract data from the EDR is commercially
available, Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
28Introduction
Front side impact air bags:and rear side
impact air bags ;deploy next to the outer
bolster of the seat backrest.
When deployed, the side impact air bag offers
additional thorax protection. It also offers
additional pelvis protection for occupants in
the front seats. However, it does not protect
the:
Rhead
Rneck
Rarms
In the event of a side impact, the side impact
air bag is deployed on the side on which the
impact occurs.
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side (front) deploys under the fol-
lowing conditions:
Rthe OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
Rthe 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 acci- dent situation occurs. In this case, deploy-
ment is independent of whether the front-
passenger seat is occupied or not.
Window curtain air bags
Window curtain air bags :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 cur-
tain 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
(
Ypage 59).
Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
Introduction
The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
categorizes the person in the front-passenger
seat. Depending on that result, the front-
passenger front air bag and front-passenger
knee bag are either enabled or deactivated.
The system does not deactivate:
Rthe side impact air bag
Rthe window curtain air bag
Rthe Emergency Tensioning Devices
Occupant safety53
Safety
Z
Prerequisite
To be classified correctly, the front passenger
must sit:
Rwith the seat belt fastened correctly
Rin an almost upright position with their
back against the seat backrest
Rwith their feet resting on the floor, if possi-
ble
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, OCS may produce a false classi-
fication, e.g. because the front passenger:
Rtransfers their weight by supporting them-
selves on a vehicle armrest
Rsits in such a way that their weight is raised from the seat cushion
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 back-
rest and the head restraint position accord-
ingly.
Only then can OCS be guaranteed to function
correctly. Always observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
Occupant Classification System opera-
tion (OCS)
:PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
;PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
The indicator lamps inform you whether the
front-passenger front air bag is deactivated or
enabled.
XPress the Start/Stop button once or twice,
or turn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in
the ignition lock.
The system carries out self-diagnostics.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps
must light up simultaneously for approx-
imately six seconds.
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front air bag.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is enabled. If,
in the event of an accident, all deployment
criteria are met, the front-passenger front
air bag is deployed.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted. It will then not be deployed in the event
of an accident.
If the status of the front-passenger front air
bag changes while the vehicle is in motion, an
air bag display message appears in the instru-
ment cluster (
Ypage 264). When the front-
passenger seat is occupied, always pay atten-
tion to the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamps. Be
aware of the status of the front-passenger
54Occupant safety
Safety
Problems with the Occupant Classification System (OCS)
Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Ypage 56).
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 54).
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.
58Occupant safety
Safety
the restraint system are activated independ-
ently of each other in certain frontal collision
situations:
RFront air bags as well as driver's and front-
passenger knee bags
RWindow curtain air bag, if the system deter-
mines that deployment can offer additional
protection to that provided by the seat belt
The front-passenger front air bag is activated
or deactivated depending on the person on
the front-passenger seat. The front-
passenger front air bag can only deploy in an
accident if the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indi-
cator lamp is lit. Observe the information on
the PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamps
(
Ypage 45).
Your vehicle has two-stage front air bags.
During the first deployment stage, the front
air bag is filled with propellant gas to reduce
the risk of injuries. The front air bag is fully
deployed with the maximum amount of pro-
pellant gas if a second deployment threshold
is reached within a few milliseconds.
The activation threshold of the Emergency
Tensioning Devices and the air bag are deter-
mined by evaluating the rate of vehicle decel-
eration or acceleration which occurs at vari-
ou s p
oints in the vehicle. This process is pre-
emptive in nature. Deployment should take
place in good time at the start of the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the direction of the force are essen-
tially determined by:
Rthe distribution of forces during the colli-
sion
Rthe collision angle
Rthe deformation characteristics of the vehi-
cle
Rthe characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a
decisive role in the deployment of an air bag.
Nor do they provide an indication of air bag
deployment. The vehicle can be deformed considerably,
without an air bag being deployed. This is the
case if only parts which are relatively easily
deformed are affected and the rate of decel-
eration is not high. Conversely, air bags may
be deployed even though the vehicle suffers
only minor deformation. This is the case if, for
example, very rigid vehicle parts such as lon-
gitudinal body members are hit, and sufficientdeceleration occurs as a result.
If th
e restraint system control unit detects a
side impact or if the vehicle rolls over, the
applicable components of the restraint sys-
tem are activated independently of each
other depending on the apparent type of acci-
dent.
RSide impact air bags on the side of impact, independently of the Emergency Tension-
ing Device and the use of the seat belt on
the driver's seat and in the rear compart-
ment seats
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side (front) deploys under the
following conditions:
-the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
-the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat
RWindow curtain air bag on the side of
impact, independently of the use of the
seat belt and independently of whether thefront-passenger seat is occupied
REmergency Tensioning Devices, if the sys-
tem determines that deployment can offer
additional protection in this situation
RWindow curtain air bags on the driver's and
front-passenger side in certain situations
when the vehicle rolls over, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection to that provi ded b
y the
seat belt
iNot all air bags are deployed in an acci-
dent. The different air bag systems work
independently of each other.
60Occupant safety
Safety
How the air bag system works is deter-
mined by the severity of the accident detec-
ted, especially the vehicle deceleration or
acceleration and the apparent type of acci-
dent:
Rfrontal collision
Rside impact
Rrollover
PRE-SAFE®(anticipatory occupant
protection system)
Introduction
In certain hazardous situations, PRE-SAFE®
takes pre-emptive measures to protect the
vehicle occupants.
Important safety notes
!Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats. There is a dan-
ger that the seats and/or objects could be
damaged when PRE-SAFE
®is activated.
Despite your vehicle being equipped with the
PRE-SAFE
®system, the possibility of per-
sonal injuries occurring as a result of an acci-
dent cannot be eliminated. Always adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions and maintain a safe dis-
tance from the vehicle in front. Drive care-
fully.
Function
PRE-SAFE®intervenes:
Rin emergency braking situations, e.g. when
BAS is activated
Rin critical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limits are exceeded and the vehicle
understeers or oversteers severely
Rvehicles with the Driving Assistance pack-
age: when a driver assistance system inter-
venes powerfully or the radar sensor sys-
tem detects an imminent danger of colli-
sion in certain situations PRE-SAFE
®takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detec-
ted:
Rthe front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
Rif the vehicle skids, the side windows are
closed so that only a small gap remains.
Rif the vehicle skids, the panorama roof with
power tilt/sliding panel and the side win-
dows are closed so that only a small gap
remains.
Rthe front-passenger seat is adjusted if it is
in an unfavorable position.
Rvehicles with a multicontour seat: the air
pressure in the side bolsters of the seat
backrest is increased.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE
®slackens
the belt pre-tensioning. On vehicles with mul-
ticontour seats, the air pressure in the side
bolsters is reduced again. All settings made
by PRE-SAFE
®can then be reversed.
If the seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced:
XMove the seat backrest or seat back
slightly when the vehicle is stationary.
The seat belt pre-tensioning is reduced and the locking mechanism is re
leased.
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE
®convenience function. Infor-
mation about the convenience function can
be found under "Belt adjustment"
(
Ypage 50).
PRE-SAFE®PLUS (anticipatory occu-
pant protection system PLUS)
Introduction
PRE-SAFE®PLUS is only available in vehicles
with the Driving Assistance package.
Using the radar sensor system, PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS is able to detect that a head-on or rear-
end collision is imminent. In certain hazard-
ous situations, PRE-SAFE
®PLUS takes pre-
Occupant safety61
Safety
Z
The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there is
adequate contact between the tires and the
road surface. Please pay special attention to
the notes on tires, recommended minimum
tire tread depths, etc. (
Ypage 362).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will the driving safety systems described in this section work as
effectively as possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 67).
GWARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information on the ABS warning lamp (
Ypage 288) and display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (
Ypage 252).
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes:
continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit-
uation is over.
XTo make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal.
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.
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 67).
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.
68Driving safety systems
Safety