Transporting children safelyVehicle features and op‐
tions
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are notnecessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and sys‐
tems. The respectively applicable country provi‐
sions must be observed when using the respec‐
tive features and systems.
The right place for children
Information
WARNING
Unattended children or animals can
cause the vehicle to move and endanger them‐
selves and traffic, e.g., due to the following ac‐
tions:▷Pressing the Start/Stop button.▷Releasing the parking brake.▷Opening and closing the doors or windows.▷Engaging selector lever position N.▷Using vehicle equipment.
There is risk of accidents or injuries. Do not
leave children or animals unattended in the ve‐
hicle. Take the remote control with you when
exiting and lock the vehicle. ◀
Children should always be in the rear WARNING
Children shorter than 5 ft, 150 cm cannot
correctly fasten the safety belt without suitable
additional restraint systems. The protective ef‐
fect of the safety belts can be limited or lost
when safety belts are fastened incorrectly. An
incorrectly fastened safety belt can cause addi‐
tional injuries, e.g., in the event of an accident
or during braking and evasive maneuvers.
There is a risk of injury or danger to life. Secure
children shorter than 5 ft, 150 cm using suitable
restraint systems. ◀
Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is in the rear seat.
Only transport children younger than 13 years
of age or shorter than 5 ft, 150 cm in the rear in
suitable child restraint systems provided in ac‐
cordance with the age, weight and size of the
child.
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint
system can no longer be used due to their age,
weight and size.
Children on the front passenger seat
Before using a child restraint system on the
front passenger seat, ensure that the front,
knee, and side airbags on the front passenger
side are deactivated. Automatic deactivation of
front-seat passenger airbags, refer to
page 107.
Information WARNING
Active front-seat passenger airbags can
injure a child in a child restraint system when
the airbags are activated. There is a risk of in‐
jury. Make sure that the front-seat passenger
airbags are deactivated and that the PASSEN‐
GER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp lights up. ◀Seite 63Transporting children safelyCONTROLS63
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WARNING
The stability of the child restraint system
is limited or compromised with incorrect seat
adjustment or improper installation of the child
seat. There is a risk of injury or danger to life.
Make sure that the child restraint system fits
securely against the backrest. If possible, adjust
the backrest tilt for all affected backrests and
correctly adjust the seats. Make sure that seats
and backrests are securely engaged. If possible,
adjust the height of the head restraints or re‐
move them. ◀
Installing child re‐ straint systems
InformationPay attention to the specifications of the child
restraint system manufacturer when selecting,
installing, and using child restraint systems.
WARNING
The stability of the child restraint system
is limited or compromised with incorrect seat
adjustment or improper installation of the child
seat. There is a risk of injury or danger to life.
Make sure that the child restraint system fits
securely against the backrest. If possible, adjust
the backrest tilt for all affected backrests and
correctly adjust the seats. Make sure that seats
and backrests are securely engaged. If possible,
adjust the height of the head restraints or re‐
move them. ◀
In order to faciliate the installation of a back-
facing child restraint system in the rear:
Move the front passenger's seat as far up as
possible before folding down the backrest.On the front passenger seat
Deactivating airbags WARNING
Active front-seat passenger airbags can
injure a child in a child restraint system when
the airbags are activated. There is a risk of in‐
jury. Make sure that the front-seat passenger
airbags are deactivated and that the PASSEN‐
GER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp lights up. ◀
After installing a child restraint system in the
front passenger seat, make sure that the front,
knee and side airbags on the front passenger
side are deactivated.
Deactivate the front-seat passenger airbags au‐
tomatically, refer to page 107.
Seat position and height
Before installing a child restraint system, move
the front passenger seat as far back as possible
and adjust its height to the highest and thus
best possible position for the belt and to offer
optimal protection in the event of an accident.
If the upper anchorage of the safety belt is lo‐
cated in front of the belt guide of the child seat,
move the passenger seat carefully forward until
the best possible belt guide position is reached.
Child seat security
The rear safety belts and the front passenger
safety belt can be permanently locked to fasten
child restraint systems.
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be activated if objects are placed on the front
passenger seat.
Make sure that the safety belts are positioned
correctly.
Airbag system Airbag system and belt tensioner are
not working.
Have the vehicle checked immediately
by a dealer’s service center or another qualified
service center or repair shop.
Parking brake, brake system The parking brake is set.
For additional information, refer to Re‐
lease parking brake, refer to page 71.
Front-end collision warning Illuminated: advance warning is issued,
e.g., when there is the impending dan‐
ger of a collision or the distance to the
vehicle ahead is too small.
Increase distance.
Flashing: acute warning of the imminent dan‐
ger of a collision when the vehicle approaches
another vehicle at a relatively high differential
speed.
Intervention by braking or make an evasive
maneuver.
Pedestrian warning If a collision with a person detected in
this way is imminent, the symbol lights
up and a signal sounds.Orange lights
Active Cruise Control The number bars shows the selected
distance from the vehicle driving ahead.
For more information, see Camera-
based cruise control, refer to page 126.
Vehicle detection, Active Cruise Control Illuminated: vehicle driving ahead de‐
tected.
Flashing: the conditions are not ade‐
quate for operating the system.
The system was deactivated but applies the
brakes until you actively resume control by
pressing on the brake pedal or accelerator
pedal.
Yellow lights Anti-lock Braking System ABS Avoid sudden braking as much as possi‐
ble. Braking force boost may not be
working. Stop cautiously. Take into ac‐
count the longer brake distance. Have
the system immediately checked by a
dealer’s service center or another quali‐
fied service center or repair shop.
DSC Dynamic Stability Control Flashing: DSC controls the drive and
braking forces. The vehicle is stabilized.
Reduce speed and adapt driving style to
the driving circumstances.
Illuminated: DSC failed. Have the system
checked by a dealer’s service center or another
qualified service center or repair shop.
For additional information, refer to Dynamic
Stability Control DSC, refer to page 122.Seite 82CONTROLSDisplays82
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Correct functionWhen the ignition is switched on, the
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up briefly and thereby indicates
the operational readiness of the entire airbag
system and the belt tensioner.
Airbag system malfunctioning▷Warning lamp does not come on when the
ignition is turned on.▷The warning lamp lights up continuously.
Automatic deactivation of the front-
seat passenger airbags
The concept
The system reads if the front passenger seat is
occupied by measuring the human body's re‐
sistance.
Front, knee and side airbag on the front pas‐
senger's side are either activated or deacti‐
vated.
Information Before transporting a child on the front passen‐
ger seat, refer to the safety notes and instruc‐
tions for children on the front passenger seat,
see Children.
WARNING
To ensure the front-seat passenger airbag
function, it must be detected, whether a person
occupies the front passenger seat. The entire
seat cushion area must be used for this pur‐ pose. There is a risk of injury or danger to life.
Make sure that the front passenger keeps his or
her feet in the floor area. ◀
Malfunction of the automatic
deactivation system
When transporting older children and adults,
the front-seat passenger airbags may be deac‐
tivated in certain sitting positions. In this case,
the indicator lamp for the front-seat passenger
airbags lights up.
In this case, change the sitting position so that
the front-seat passenger airbags are activated
and the indicator lamp goes out.
If it is not possible to activate the airbags, have
the person sit in the rear.
To enable correct recognition of the occupied
seat cushion.▷Do not attach covers, cushions, ball mats or
other items to the front passenger seat un‐
less they are specifically determined to be
safe for use on the front passenger seat.▷Do not place any electronic devices on the
passenger seat if a child restraint system is
to be installed on it.▷Do not place objects under the seat that
could press against the seat from below.▷No moisture in or on the seat.
Indicator lamp for the front-seat
passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front-seat passenger
airbags indicates the operating state of the
front-seat passenger airbags.
The lamp indicates whether the airbags are ei‐
ther activated or deactivated.
▷The indicator lamp lights up
when a child is properly
seated in a child restraint fix‐
ing system or when the seat
is empty. The airbags on theSeite 107SafetyCONTROLS107
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