2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK-Class Owner's Manual

ently of each other in certain frontal collision
situations:
RFront air bags as well as driver's and front-
passenger knee bags
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 41).
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-
ous points 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 sufficient
deceleration occurs as a result.
If the 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 bag on the side of impact,
independently of the Emergency Tension-
ing Device and the use of the seat belt on
the driver's seat
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side 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
RHead bag on the side of impact, independ-
ently of the use of the seat belt and inde-
pendently of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
REmergency Tensioning Devices, if the sys-
tem determines that deployment can offer
additional protection in this situation
RHead bags on the driver's and front-
passenger side in certain situations when
the vehicle rolls over, if the system deter-
mines that deployment can offer additional protection to that provided by the seat belt
iNot all air bags are deployed in an acci-
dent. The different air bag systems work
independently of each other.
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
Occupant safety55
Safety
Z

NECK-PRO head restraints
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The function of the head restraint may be
impaired if you:
Rattach objects such as coat hangers to the
head restraints, for example
Ruse head restraint covers
If you do so, the head restraints cannot fulfill
their intended protective function in the event of an accident. In addition, objects attached
to the head restraints could endanger other
vehicle occupants. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Do not attach any objects to the head
restraints and do not use head restraint cov-
ers.
Method of operation
NECK-PRO head restraints reduce the likeli-
hood of head and chest injuries. The NECK-
PRO head restraints on the driver's and front-
passenger seats are moved forwards and
upwards in the event of a rear-end collision of
a certain severity. This provides better head
support.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints have been
triggered in an accident, you must reset the
NECK-PRO head restraints on the driver’s and
front-passenger seat (
Ypage 56). Other-
wise, the additional protection will not be
available in the event of another rear-end col-
lision. You can recognize when NECK-PRO
head restraints have been triggered by the
fact that they have moved forwards and can
no longer be adjusted.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the NECK-PRO head restraints checked for
functionality at a qualified specialist work-
shop after a rear-end collision.
Resetting triggered NECK-PRO head
restraints
Do not insert your finger between the uphols-
tery of the head restraint and the seat. Pay
particular attention while resetting the NECK-
PRO head restraints.
XTilt the top of the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion forwards in the direction of
arrow :.
XPush the NECK-PRO head restraint cushion
down as far as it will go in the direction of
arrow;.
XFirmly push the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion back in the direction of arrow =
until the cushion engages.
XRepeat this procedure for the second
NECK-PRO head restraint.
iResetting the NECK-PRO head restraints
requires a lot of strength. If you have diffi-
culty resetting the NECK-PRO head
restraints, have this work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
PRE-SAFE®(anticipatory occupant
protection system)
Introduction
PRE-SAFE®is only available in vehicles with
the Driving Assistance package.
AMG vehicles: PRE-SAFE
®is not available.
In certain hazardous situations, PRE-SAFE
®
takes pre-emptive measures to protect the
vehicle occupants.
56Occupant safety
Safety

Important safety notes
!Make sure that there are no objectsinthe
footwe llor behind the seats. There is a dan-
ger that the seats and /or objects could be
damaged when PRE-SAFE
®is activated.
Although your vehicle is equipped with PRE-
SA FE
®, the possibilit y of injury in the event of
an acc ident cannot be ruled out. Always
adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions and maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive
carefully.
Function
PRE-SAFE®intervenes:
Rin emergency braking situations, e.g. when
BAS isactivated
Rincritical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limit s are exceeded and the vehicle
understeers or oversteers severe ly
Ron vehicles with the Driving Assistance
package:ifBAS PLUS intervenes power-
fully or the radar sensor system detects an
imminent danger of collision incertain sit-
uations
PRE-SAFE
®takes the fol lowing measures
depe nding on the hazardous situation detec-
te d:
Rthe seat belts are pre-tensioned.
Rifthe vehicle skids, the side windows are
closed so that only a small gap remains.
Rvehicleswith the memory function: the
front-passenger seat is adjusted if it is inan
unfavor ableposition.
Rvehicles with the memory function: the
front-passenger seat isadjusted if it is inan
unfavor ableposition.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting inan accident, PRE-SAFE
®slackens
the belt pre-tensioning. All settings made by
PRE-SAFE
®can then bereversed. If
the seat belt pre-tensioning isnot reduce d:
XMove the seat backrest or seat back
slightlywhen the vehicle isstationary.
The seat beltpre-tensioning isreduced and
the locking mec hanismi
s released.
The seat-belt adjustment isan integral part of
the PRE-SAFE
®convenience function. You
will find information on the convenience func-
tion under "Be ltadjustment" (
Ypage 45).
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Im mediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on
the type and severity of the impact:
Rthe hazard warning lamps are activated
Rthe emergency lighting isact ivat ed
Rthe vehicle doors are unlocked
Rthe front side windows are lowered
Rvehicles with a memory function: the elec-
trical lyadjustable steering wheel israised
Rthe engine isswitched off and the fuel sup-
ply iscut off
Rvehicles with mbrace: automat icemer-
gency call
Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
If a child younger than twe lveyears old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m) inheight istraveling inthe
vehicle:
Ralways secure the ch ild ina childrestraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz veh i-
cles. The child restraint system must be
appropriate to the age, weight and size of
the child
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes inthis section inaddition to
Children in the vehicle57
Safety
Z

the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes on the "Occupant Classifica-
tion System (OCS)" (
Ypage 49)
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
GWARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you, always ensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight. Pro- tect it with a blanket, for example. If the child
restraint system has been exposed to direct
sunlight, let it cool down before securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in
the vehicle.
Always ensure that all vehicle occupants have
their seat belts fastened correctly and are sit- ting properly. Particular attention must be
paid to children. Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(
Ypage 42) and the notes on correct use of
seat belts (
Ypage 43).
A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper seat belt positioning for children over
41 lbs (18 kg) until they reach a height where a three-point seat belt can be properly fas-
tened without a booster seat.
Special seat belt retractor
GWARNING
If the seat belt is released while driving, the
child restraint system will no longer be
secured properly. The special seat belt retrac- tor is disabled and the inertia real draws in a
portion of the seat belt. The seat belt cannot
be immediately refastened. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Stop the vehicle immediately, paying atten-
tion to road and traffic conditions. Reactivate
the special seat belt retractor and secure the
child restraint system properly.
The seat belt on the front passenger's side is
equipped with a special seat belt retractor.
When activated, the special seat belt retrac-
tor ensures that the seat belt cannot slacken
once the child seat is secured.
Installing a child restraint system:
XMake sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
XPull the seat belt smoothly out of the belt
loop.
XEngage seat belt tongue in belt buckle.
Activating the special seat belt retractor:
XPull the seat belt out fully and let the inertia
reel retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should
he ar a ra
tcheting sound. The special seat
belt retractor is enabled.
XPush the child restraint system down so
that the seat belt is tight and does not
loosen.
58Children in the vehicle
Safety

Removingth echild restrain tsystem and
deactivatin gth especial seat belt retractor:
XMak esur eyou observ eth echild restrain t
system manufacturer' sinstallation instruc -
tions.
XPress th erelease butto nof th eseat belt
buckle, hold th ebelt tongue and guide it
bac ktoward sth ebelt loop .
The special seat belt retracto ris deactiva-
ted.
Chil drestraint system
The use of seat belt sand child restrain tsys-
tems is require dby law in :
Rall 50 state s
RtheU.S. territories
Rth eDistric tof Columbia
Rall Canadian province s
You can obtain further information about th e
correc tchild restrain tsystem from any
authorize dMercedes-Ben zCenter.
GWARNIN G
If th echild restrain tsystem is installed incor-
rectl yon asuitable seat ,it canno tprotect as
intended. The child canno tthen be restrained
in th eevent of an accident, heav ybrakin gor
sudden changes of direction .There is an
increase dris kof injury, possibl yeve nfatal.
Mak esur ethat you observ eth echild restrain t
system manufacturer' sinstallation instruc -
tion sand th enote son use. Pleas eensure,
that th ebase of th echild restrain tsystem is
always resting completely on th eseat cush-
ion .Never plac eobjects ,e.g. cushions, under
or behin dth echild restrain tsystem. Only use
child restrain tsystems wit hth eoriginal cover
designed for them. Only replac edamaged
cover swit hgenuin ecovers.
GWARNIN G
If th echild restrain tsystem is installed incor-
rectl yor is no tsecured ,it can come loos ein
th eevent of an accident, heav ybrakin gor a
sudden chang ein direction .The child
restrain tsystem could be throw nabout ,strik -
in g vehicl eoccupants. There is an increase d
ris kof injury, possibl yeve nfatal.
Always install child restrain tsystems prop-
erly, eve nif they are no tbein gused .Mak e
sur ethat you observ eth echild restrain tsys-
te m manufacturer' sinstallation instructions.
Further information on stowin gobjects ,lug-
gage and loads securel ycan be found under
“Stowin goptions/stowage compartments ”
(
Ypage 254).
GWARNIN G
Child restrain tsystems or their securin gsys-
tems whic hhav ebeen damaged or subjecte d
to aload in an acciden tcan no longer protect
as intended. The child canno tthen be
restrained in th eevent of an accident, heav y
brakin gor sudden changes of direction .There
is an increase dris kof injury, possibl yeve n
fatal.
Replac echild restrain tsystems whic hhav e
been damaged or subjecte dto aload in an
acciden tas soo nas possible. Hav eth esecur-
in g systems on th echild restrain tsystem
checke dat aqualified specialist workshop ,
before you install achild restrain tsystem
again .
The securin gsystem of child restrain tsys-
tems is th eseat belt system.
iIf you install achild restrain tsystem on
th efront-passenger seat ,be sur eto read
and follow th einformation on th e"Occu-
pan tClassification Syste m(OCS)"
(
Ypage 49). There you will also fin dinfor -
mation on deactivatin gth efront-passenger
fron tair bag.
Al lchild restrain tsystems mus tmee tth efol -
lowin gstandards :
RU.S. Federal Motor Vehicl eSafet yStand -
ards 21 3and 22 5
RCanadian Motor Vehicl eSafet yStandards
21 3and 210. 2
Children in the vehicle59
Safety
Z

Confirmation that the child restraint system
corresponds to the standards canbefound
on an instruction label on the child restraint
system. This confirmation can also befound
in the installation instructions that are inclu-
ded with the ch ildrestraint system.
Observe the warning labels inthe vehicle inte-
rior and on the child restraint system.
Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes
If you install a child restraint system onto the
front-passenger seat, always observe the
instructions and safety notes on the "Occu-
pant Classification System (OCS)"
(
Ypage 49).
You can thus avoid the risks that could arise
as a result of:
Ran incorrect lycategorized person inthe
front-passenger seat
Rthe unintentional deactivation of the front-
passenger front air bag
Rthe unsuita blepositioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board
Rearward-facing child restraint system
If it is absolute lynecessary to install a rear-
ward-facing ch ildrestraint system on the
front-passenger seat, always make sure that
the front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
te d. Only if the PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp ispermanently lit (
Ypage 41)
is the front-passenger front air bag deactiva-
te d.
Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Forward-facing child restraint system
If you secure a ch ild ina forward-facing ch ild
restraint system on the front-passenger seat,
always move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible. The entire base of the ch ild
restraint system must always rest on the seat
cushion of the front-passenger seat. The
backrest of the ch ildrestraint system must lie
as flat as possible against the backrest of the
front-passenger seat. The ch ildrestraint sys-
tem must not touch the roof or besubjected
to a load bythe head restraint. Adjust the
ang leof the seat backrest and the head
restraint position accordingly. Always make
sure that the shoulder belt strap iscorrect ly
routed from the front-passenger seat belt
loop to the shoulder beltguide on the ch ild
restraint system. The shoulder belt strap
must berouted forwards and downwards
from the front-passenger seat beltloop.
Always observe the ch ildrestraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Pets in the vehicle
GWARNIN G
If you leav eanimals unattended or unsecured
in th evehicle, they could press buttons or
switches, for example .
As aresult ,they could:
Ractivat evehicl eequipmen tand become
trapped ,for example
Ractivat eor deactivate systems ,thereby
endangering other road user s
Unsecured animals could also be flun garoun d
th evehicl ein th eevent of an acciden tor sud-
den steering or braking ,thereby injurin gvehi-
cle occupants. Ther eis aris kof an acciden t
and injury.
Never leav eanimals unattended in th evehi-
cle .Always secure animals properly durin g
th ejourney, e.g. use asuitable animal trans -
por tbox .
60Pets in the vehicle
Safety

Drivingsafet ysystems
Overview of drivin gsafet ysystems
In this section ,you will fin dinformation about
th efollowing drivin gsafet ysystems :
RABS (Anti-loc kBrakin gSystem)
(
Ypage 61)
RBA S (B rake Assist System) (Ypage 62)
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLU S
(distanc ewarnin gfunction and Adaptive
Brak eAssist) (
Ypage 62)
RESP®(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(
Ypage 65)
REB D (Electroni cBrak eforc eDi stribution )
(
Ypage 69)
RADAPTIV EBRAKE (Ypage 69 )
Important safet ynotes
If you fail to adapt your drivin gstyle or if you
are inattentive ,th edrivin gsafet ysystems can
neither reduce th eris kof an acciden tno r
override th elaws of physics. Driving safet y
systems are merely aids designed to assist
driving. You are responsible fo rmaintainin g
th edistanc eto th evehicle in front, fo rvehicle
speed, fo rbraking in goo dtime, and fo rstay-
in gin lane. Always adapt your drivin gstyle to
suit th eprevailin groad and weather condi-
tion sand maintain asaf edistanc efrom th e
vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The drivin gsafet ysystems described only
wor kas effectively as possible when there is
adequat econtact between th etires and th e
road surface. Please pay special attention to
th enote son tires ,recommended minimum
tire tread depths, etc. (
Ypage 308).
In wintr ydrivin gconditions, always use winte r
tires (M+ Stires )and if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will th edrivin gsafet y
systems described in this section wor kas
effectively as possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information
AB Sregulates brake pressure in suc h away
that th ewheels do no tloc kwhen you brake .
Thi sallow syou to continue steerin gth evehi-
cl e when braking .
The ! ABSwarnin glamp in th einstrumen t
cluster lights up when th eignition is switched
on .It goe sout when th eengin eis running .
AB Sworks from aspeed of about 5mph
(8 km/h), regardles sof road-surfac econdi-
tions. AB Sworks on slipper ysurfaces, eve n
when you only brake gently.
Important safet ynotes
iObserv eth e"Important safet ynotes" sec -
tion (
Ypage 61).
GWARNING
If AB Sis faulty, th ewheels could loc kwhen
braking .The steerability and braking charac -
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition -
ally, further drivin gsafet ysystems are deac -
tivated. There is an increase ddanger of skid-
din gand accidents .
Drive on carefully. Hav eAB Schecke dimme-
diately at aqualified specialis tworkshop .
WhenAB Sis malfunctioning, other systems ,
includin gdrivin gsafet ysystems ,will also
becom einoperative .Observ eth einformation
on th eAB Swarnin glamp (
Ypage 243) and
display message swhic hmay be shown in th e
instrumen tcluster (
Ypage 212).
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes: continue to depress th e
brake peda lvigorousl yuntil th ebraking sit -
uation is over.
XTo make afull brak eapplication:
depress th ebrake peda lwit hfull force.
If AB Sintervenes when braking ,you will feel a
pulsin gin th ebrake pedal.
Driving safety systems61
Safety
Z

The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions, and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving.
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 61).
GWARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
Braking
XKeep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS
General information
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS con-
sists of a distance warning function with an
autonomous braking function and Adaptive
Brake Assist.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can
help you to minimize the risk of a front-end collision with a vehicle ahead or reduce the
effects of such a collision.
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically. If you
do not react to the visual and audible collision
warning, autonomous braking can be initiated
in critical situations. If you apply the brake
yourself in a critical situation, the COLLISION
PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS adaptive Brake
Assist assists you.
Important safety notes
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicle traveling in front on a different line
Rnew vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Observe the notes in the section on break-
ing-in (
Ypage 138).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi- cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Activating or deactivating
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
activated after every ignition cycle. You can
activate or deactivate COLLISION PREVEN-
TION ASSIST PLUS in the on-board computer(
Ypage 203). When deactivated, the dis-
tance warning function and the autonomous
braking function are also deactivated.
62Driving safety systems
Safety