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
substitute for the seat belt. Air bags provide
additional protection in the event of an acci- dent.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The various air bag systems work independ-
ently of each other (
Ypage 40).
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
GWARNING
If you do not sit in the correct seat posi-
tion, 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.
To avoid hazardous situations, always make
sure that all of the vehicle's occupants:
Rhave fastened their seat belts correctly,
including pregnant women
Rare sitting correctly and maintain the
greatest possible distance to the air
bags
Rfollow the following instructions
Always make sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu- pants.
RAdjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seatis in an almost upright position.
RMove the driver's and front-passenger
seats as far back as possible. The driver's
seat position must allow the vehicle to be
driven safely.
ROnly hold the steering wheel on the outside.This allows the air bag to be fully deployed.
RAlways lean against the backrest while
driving. Do not lean forwards or lean
against the door or side window. You may
otherwise be in the deployment area of the
air bags.
RAlways keep your feet in the footwell in
front of the seat. Do not put your feet on the
dashboard, for example. Your feet may oth-
erwise be in the deployment area of the air
bag.
RFor this reason, always secure persons lessthan 5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable restraint
systems. Up to this height, the seat belt
cannot be worn correctly.
If a child is traveling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
RAlways secure children under twelve years
of age and less than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall in
suitable child restraint systems.
ROnly 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 front-passenger front air bag is deactivated (
Ypage 30).
RAlways observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant Classification Sys-
tem (OCS)" (
Ypage 36) and on "Children in
the vehicle" (Ypage 42) in 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:
Rthere are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air
bag.
Rthere are no objects between the seat, door and B-pillar.
Rno hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, hang on
the grab handles or coat hooks.
Rno accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deploy-
ment area of an air bag, e.g. to doors or side
windows.
Rno heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects
are in the pockets of your clothing. Store
such objects in a suitable place.
34Occupant safety
>> Safety.
Thorax/pelvis air bags0043deploy next to the
outer bolster of the seat backrest.
When deployed, the thorax/pelvis air bags
offer additional thorax and pelvis protec-
tion.
In the event of a side impact, the thorax/
pelvis air bag is deployed on the side on
which the impact occurs.
The thorax/pelvis air bag on the front-
passenger side deploys under the following
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 thorax/pelvis air bag on the
front-passenger side deploys if an appro-
priate 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 0043are integrated
into the side of the roof frame above the
doors. 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 40).
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 thorax/pelvis air bag
Rthe window curtain air bag
Rthe Emergency Tensioning Devices
Prerequisites
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 pos-
sible
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 you 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. 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-
36Occupant safety
>> Safety.
GWARNING
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices
that have been deployed are no longer
operational and are unable to perform
their intended protective function. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even
fatal injury.
Therefore, have pyrotechnic Emergency
Tensioning Devices which have been trig-
gered immediately replaced at a qualified
specialist workshop.
If Emergency Tensioning Devices are trig-
gered or air bags are deployed, you will hear
a bang, and a small amount of powder may also
be released. The 0075restraint system warn-
ing lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your
hearing. The powder that is released gener-
ally does not constitute a health hazard, but it may cause short-term breathing difficulties
in people with asthma or other respiratory
problems. Provided it is safe to do so, you
should leave the vehicle immediately or open
the window in order to prevent breathing dif-
ficulties.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tension-
ing Devices (ETDs) contain perchlorate mate-
rial, which may require special handling and
regard for the environment. National guide-
lines must be observed during disposal. In
California, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm .
Method of operation
During the first stage of a collision, the
restraint system control unit evaluates
important physical data relating to vehicle
deceleration or acceleration, such as:
Rduration
Rdirection
Rintensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the
Emergency Tensioning Devices during a fron- tal or rear collision. An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be
triggered, if:
Rthe ignition is switched on
Rthe components of the restraint system are
operational. You can find further informa-
tion under: "Restraint system warning
lamp" (
Ypage 30)
Rthe belt tongue has engaged in the belt
buckle of the respective seat
If the restraint system control unit detects a
more severe accident, further components of
the restraint system are activated independ- ently of each other in certain frontal colli-
sion situations:
RFront air bags as well as driver's and front-
passenger knee bags
RWindow curtain air bag, if the system
determines that deployment can offer
additional protection to that provided by
the seat belt
The front-passenger front air bag is activa-
ted 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 30).
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
propellant gas if a second deployment
threshold is reached within a few millisec-
onds.
The activation threshold of the Emergency
Tensioning Devices and the air bag are
determined by evaluating the rate of vehicle
deceleration or acceleration which occurs at
various 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 acceler-
ation and the direction of the force are
essentially determined by:
Rthe distribution of forces during the col-
lision
Rthe collision angle
Occupant safety41
>> Safety.
Z
Rthe deformation characteristics of the
vehicle
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 longitudinal body members are hit, and suf-
ficient deceleration occurs as a result.
If the control unit of the restraint system
detects a side impact or a vehicle rollover,
the relevant components of the restraint sys-
tem are activated separately depending on
the anticipated type of accident.
RThorax/pelvis air bag on the side of
impact, independently of the Emergency
Tensioning Device and the use of the seat
belt
The thorax/pelvis 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
RWindow curtain air bag on the side of
impact, independently of the use of the seat
belt and independently of whether the
front-passenger seat is occupied
RWindow curtain air bags on the driver's andfront-passenger side in certain situations
when the vehicle rolls over, if the system
determines that deployment can offer
additional protection to that provided by
the seat belt
REmergency Tensioning Devices, if the sys-
tem determines that deployment can offer
additional protection in this situation
iNot all air bags are deployed in an acci-
dent. The differ ent air bag systems work
independently of each other. How the air bag system works is determined
by the severity of the accident detected,
especially the vehicle deceleration or
acceleration and the apparent type of acci-
dent:
RFrontal collision
RSide impact
RRollover
Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
If a child younger than 12 years and under 5 ft
(1.50 m) in height is traveling in the vehicle:
Ralways secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
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 in this section in addition to
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes in "Occupant classification
system (OCS)" (
Ypage 36)
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of
park position Por shift manual trans-
mission into neutral.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle
equipment 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 sub-
jected to prolonged exposure to extreme
42Children in the vehicle
>> Safety.
Pets in the vehicle
GWARNING
If you leave animals unattended or unse-
cured in the vehicle, they could press but-
tons or switches, for example.
As a result, they could:
Ractivate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
Ractivate or deactivate systems, thereby
endangering other road users
Unsecured animals could also be flung
around the vehicle in the event of an acci- dent or sudden steering or braking, thereby
injuring vehicle occupants. There is a risk
of an accident and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always secure animals properly
during the journey, e.g. use a suitable ani-
mal transport box.
Protection against theft
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct Smart Key.
XTo activate: remove the Smart Key from the
ignition lock.
XTo deactivate: switch on the ignition.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
Smart Key with you and lock the vehicle. The
engine can be started by anyone with a valid
Smart Key that is left inside the vehicle.
iThe immobilizer is always deactivated
when you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be star-
ted when the starter battery is fully
charged, the immobilizer may be faulty.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter or call 1-800-367-6372 (in USA) or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
Anti-theft alarm system
Switching on
XMake sure that:
Rthe side windows are closed.
Rno objects, such as mascots, are hanging
from the rear-view mirror or grab han-
dles.
This will prevent false alarms.
XMake sure that:
Rthe doors are closed.
Rthe tailgate is closed
Rthe service cover is closed.
XPress the 0037button on the key.
The alarm system is primed after approx-
imately 30 seconds.
iIf the service cover is open or is not
properly closed, the vehicle will be
locked. The anti-theft alarm system is
primed. To remind you that the service
cover is not secured, a warning tone sounds
for 30 seconds. Ensure that the service
cover is properly closed. Only then is the
anti-theft alarm system correctly primed
and the service cover properly secured.
Switching off
XPress the 0036button on the key.
or
XUnlock the vehicle by using the key in the
emergency lock.
and
Switch on the ignition.
Examples for triggering the alarm
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed and you open:
Rthe vehicle by using the key in the emer-
gency lock
Ra door
Rthe tailgate
Rthe service cover
46Protection against theft
>> Safety.
Opening or closing
Opening the upper tailgate
XIf the vehicle is locked, first press the
0036 button on the key.
Press button 0043.
The upper tailgate opens slightly.
or
XPress and hold thebutton on the key.
The upper tailgate opens slightly.
or
XPress thebutton on the left under the
steering wheel.
The upper tailgate opens slightly.
XSwing the upper tailgate up.
Opening the lower tailgate
XPull release catch 0043upwards.
Swing the lower tailgate down.
Closing the tailgate
XSwing the lower tailgate upwards until it
engages audibly.
XPull the upper tailgate down and push
closed.
XIf necessary, lock the vehicle with the 0037
button on the key.
Side windows
Important safety notes
GWARNING
While closing the side windows, body parts in the closing area could become trapped.
There is a risk of injury.
When closing make sure that no parts of the
body are in the closing area. If somebody
becomes trapped, release the switch or
press the switch to open the side window
again.
GWARNING
If children operate the side windows they
could become trapped, particularly if they
are left unsupervised. There is a risk of
injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle.
Side windows57
>> Opening and closing.
Z
Side window reversing feature
In vehicles with the convenience feature, theside windows are equipped with an automatic
reversing feature. If a solid object blocks or
restricts a side window from traveling
upwards during the automatic closing proc-
ess, the side window opens again automati-
cally. During the manual closing process, the side window only opens again automatically
after the corresponding switch is released.
The automatic reversing feature is only an
aid and is no substitute for your attention
when closing a side window.
GWARNING
The reversing feature does not react:
Rto soft, light and thin objects, e.g. small
fingers
Rwhile resetting
This means that the reversing feature can-
not prevent someone being trapped in these
situations. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure. If
someone becomes trapped, press the switch
to open the side window again.
GWARNING
If you close a side window again immedi-
ately after it has been blocked or reset, the
side window closes with increased or max-
imum force. The reversing feature is then
not active. Parts of the body could be trap-
ped in the closing area in the process. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even
fatal injury.
Make sure that no parts of the body are in
the closing area. To stop the closing proc- ess, release the switch or push the switch
again to reopen the side window.
Opening or closing the side windows
The switches for both side windows are loca-
ted on the driver's door. There is also a
switch for the front-passenger side window
on the front-passenger door. The switch on the driver’s door takes prece-
dence.
0043Left
0044Right
XTurn the key to position
1or 2in the igni-
tion lock.
XTo open manually: press and hold the cor-
responding button.
XTo open fully: press the button beyond the
point of resistance and release it.
Automatic closing is started.
XTo close manually: pull the corresponding
button and hold it.
XVehicles with convenience control:
To close fully: pull the button beyond the
point of resistance and release it.
Automatic closing is started.
XTo interrupt automatic opening/closing:
press/pull the corresponding switch
again.
iIf you press the switch beyond the point of
resistance while opening, automatic oper-
ation is started. In vehicles with conveni-
ence control, you can also start automatic
operation when closing. To do so, pull the
switch beyond the point of resistance.
You can stop automatic operation by oper-
ating the switch again.
iYou can continue to operate the side win-
dows after turning the key to position 0in
the ignition lock or removing the key. This
function remains active for 3 minutes or
until you open a door.
58Side windows
>> Opening and closing.
Resetting the side windows
You must reset each side window if:
Rthe side window opens again slightly after
being closed fully.
Rthe side window can no longer be fully
opened or closed.
XClose all the doors.
XTurn the SmartKey to position2in the igni-
tion lock.
XPull the corresponding switch on the door
control panel until the side window is com- pletely closed (
Ypage 58).
XHold the switch for an additional second.
If the side window opens again slightly:
XImmediately pull the corresponding switch
on the door control panel until the side
window is completely closed (
Ypage 58).
XHold the switch for an additional second.
XIf the respective side window remains
closed after the button is released, then it
has been set correctly. If this is not the
case, repeat the steps above again.
Side windows59
>> Opening and closing.
Z