
Side impact air bags
G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers can obstruct or pre-
vent deployment of the air bags integrated
into the seats. Consequently, the air bags
cannot protect vehicle occupants as they are designed to do. In addition, the operation of
the occupant classification system (OCS)
could be adversely affected. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz. Front side impact air bags
0043and rear side
impact air bags 0044deploy next to the outer bol-
ster of the seat backrest.
When deployed, the side impact air bag offers
additional thorax protection. It also offers addi-
tional pelvis protection for occupants in the
front seats. However, it does not protect the:
R head
R neck
R arms
In the event of a side impact, the side impact air bag is deployed on the side on which the impactoccurs.
The side impact air bag on the front-passenger
side deploys under the following conditions:
R the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
R the seat belt buckle 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
0043are 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 50). 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 Occupant safety
45Safety Z

sive role in the deployment of an air bag. Nor do
they provide an indication of air bag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably, with-
out an air bag being deployed. This is the case if only parts which are relatively easily deformed
are affected and the rate of deceleration is not
high. Conversely, air bags may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is the case if, for example, very rigid
vehicle parts such as longitudinal body mem-
bers are hit, and sufficient deceleration occurs
as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side
impact, the relevant restraint system compo-
nents are deployed independently of each other.
R Side impact air bags on the side where the
impact takes place, independently of the
Emergency Tensioning Device and the use of the seat belt on the driver's seat and outer
seats in the second row
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 seat belt buckle tongue is engaged in
the belt buckle of the front-passenger seat
R Window 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
R Emergency Tensioning Devices, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection in this situation
i Not all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The different air bag systems work independ- ently of each other.
How the air bag system works is determined
by the severity of the accident detected,
especially the vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration and the apparent type of accident:
R Frontal collision
R Side impact Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on the
type and severity of the impact:
R the hazard warning lamps are activated
R the emergency lighting is activated
R the vehicle doors are unlocked
R the front side windows are lowered
R the drive system and the high-voltage electri-
cal system are switched off
R vehicles with mbrace: automatic emergency
call Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured
in the front-passenger seat. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install a child restraint system on a rear seat. Children
are generally better protected there.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m)in height is traveling in the
vehicle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restraint system must be appropri-
ate to the age, weight and size of the child
R be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes in this section in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions
R be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" (Y page 45) G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment. 52
Children in the vehicleSafety

LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat secur-
ing system G
WARNING
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint systems
do not offer sufficient protective effect for
children whose weight is greater than 48 lbs
(22 kg) who are secured using the safety belt integrated in the child restraint system. In the
event of an accident, a child might not be
restrained correctly. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
If the child weighs more than 48 lbs (22 kg),
only use LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
systems with which the child is also secured
with the vehicle seat belt. Also secure the
child restraint system with the Top Tether
belt, if available.
Always comply with the manufacturer's instal-
lation and operating instructions for the child
restraint system used.
Before every trip, make sure that the LATCH-
type (ISOFIX) child restraint system is engaged
correctly in both LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing
rings
! When installing the child restraint system,
make sure that the seat belt for the middle
seat does not get trapped. The seat belt could
otherwise be damaged. X
Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
system on both LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing
rings 0043.
ISOFIX is a standardized securing system for
specially designed child restraint systems on
the rear seats. LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing
rings for two LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint systems are installed on the left and right of the
rear seats.
Non-LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seats may also
be used and can be installed using the vehicle's seat belt system. Install the child seat according
to the manufacturer's instructions. Top Tether
Introduction Top Tether provides an additional connection
between the child restraint system secured with
a LATCH-type (ISOFIX) system and the vehicle.
This helps reduce the risk of injury even further.
If the child restraint system is equipped with a
Top Tether belt, this should always be used.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the rear seat backrests are not locked, they
could fold forwards in the event of an acci-
dent, heavy braking or sudden changes of
direction. As a result, child restraint systems
cannot perform their intended protective
function. Rear seat backrests that are not
locked can also cause additional injuries, e.g. in the event of an accident. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Always lock rear seat backrests after instal-
ling a Top Tether belt. Observe the lock veri-
fication indicator. Adjust the rear seat backr-
ests so that they are in an upright position.
If the rear backrest is not engaged and locked,
the red lock verification indicator will be visible
(Y page 211). Children in the vehicle
55Safety Z

Top Tether anchorages
The Top Tether anchorages are located on the
rear side of the rear seat backrests.
X Move head restraint 0043upwards.
X Release rear seat backrest 0087and fold it for-
wards (Y page 211).
X Route Top Tether belt 0084under head
restraint 0043between the two head restraint
bars.
X Hook Top Tether hook 0083of Top Tether belt
0084 into Top Tether anchorage 0085.
Make sure that:
R Top Tether hook 0083is hooked into Top
Tether anchorage 0085as shown.
R Top Tether belt 0084is not twisted.
R Top Tether belt 0084is routed between rear
seat backrest 0087and cargo compartment
cover 0044if cargo compartment cover 0044is
installed.
R Top Tether belt 0084is routed between rear
seat backrest 0087and the cargo net if the
cargo net is installed.
X Swing back rear seat backrest 0087until it
engages.
The red lock verification indicator is no longer
visible. X
Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
system with Top Tether. Always comply with
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions when doing so.
X Tension Top Tether belt 0084. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions when doing so.
X Move head restraint 0043back down again
slightly if necessary (Y page 81). Make sure
that you do not interfere with the correct rout- ing of Top Tether belt 0084. Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured
in the front-passenger seat. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install the child restraint system on a rear seat.
If it is absolutely necessary to install a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat,
always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant Classification System
(OCS)" (Y page 45).
You can thus avoid the risks that could arise as a result of:
R an incorrectly categorized person in the front-
passenger seat
R the unintentional deactivation of the front-
passenger front air bag
R the unsuitable positioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board
Rearward-facing child restraint system If it is absolutely necessary to install a rearward-
facing child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat, always make sure that the
front-passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Only if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is permanently lit (Y page 39)is the front-
passenger front air bag deactivated.
Always observe the child restraint system man- ufacturer's installation and operating instruc-
tions. 56
Children in the vehicleSafety

Correct driver's seat position
G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the vehicle's drive system. Observe the following when adjusting steering
wheel
0043, seat belt 0044and driver's seat 0087:
R you are as far away from the driver's air bag as
possible
R you are sitting in a normal upright position
R your thighs are slightly supported by the seat
cushion
R your legs are not entirely stretched and you
can depress the pedals properly
R the back of your head is supported at eye level
by the center of the head restraint
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent
R you can move your legs freely
R you can see all the displays in the instrument
cluster clearly R
you should have a good overview of traffic
conditions
R the seat belt is pulled snugly against the body
and is routed across the center of your shoul-
der and across your hips in the pelvic area
Further related subjects:
R Adjusting the seats electrically
(Y page 80)
R Adjusting the steering wheel manually
(Y page 83)
R Fastening the seat belt correctly
(Y page 42)
R Adjusting the rear-view mirror and exterior
mirrors (Y page 84)
R Vehicles with a memory function: saving
the seat, steering wheel and exterior mirror
settings using the memory function
(Y page 85) Seats
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Neverleave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
SmartKey in the ignition lock. G
WARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
(Y page 43) and "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 52). G
WARNING
If the driver's seat is not engaged, it could
move unexpectedly while the vehicle is in Seats
79Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

motion. This could cause you to lose control of
the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Always make sure that the driver's seat is
engaged before starting the vehicle. G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the vehicle's drive system. G
WARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or other vehicle occupants could be trapped andthereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem.
! To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
R keep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
R if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat heat-
ing should also not be used to dry the seats.
R clean the seat covers as recommended;
see the "Interior care" section.
R do not transport heavy loads on the seats.
Do not place sharp objects on the seat
cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools. The
seats should only be occupied by passen-
gers, if possible.
R when the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating materi-
als, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat covers,
child seats or booster seats. !
Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when mov-
ing the seats back. There is a risk that the
seats and/or the objects could be damaged.
i Further related subjects:
R cargo compartment enlargement (folding
down the rear seats) (Y page 211) Adjusting the seats electrically
0043
Seat height
0044 Seat cushion angle
0087 Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
0085 Backrest angle
i You can store the seat settings using the
memory function (Y page 85). Adjusting the head restraints
Important safety notes G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the vehicle's drive system. G
WARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro- 80
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

tection as intended. There is an increased risk
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
Using the fore-and-aft adjustment, adjust the
head restraint so that it is as close as possible to your head.
Adjusting the head restraints manually Adjusting the head restraint height
X
To raise: pull the head restraint up to the
desired position.
X To lower: press release catch 0043in the direc-
tion of the arrow and push the head restraint down to the desired position.
Adjusting the fore/aft position of the
head restraint With this function you can adjust the distance
between the head restraint and the back of the
seat occupant's head.
X To move forwards: pull the head restraint
forwards in the direction of the arrow until it
engages.
There are several notches.
X To move backwards: press and hold release
button 0043and push the head restraint back-
wards.
X When the head restraint is in the desired posi-
tion, release the button and make sure that
the head restraint is engaged in position.
Rear seat head restraints Adjusting the rear seat head restraint
height
X
To raise: pull the head restraint up to the
desired position.
X To lower: press release catch 0043and push
the head restraint down until it is in the
desired position. Adjusting the 4-way lumbar support
You can adjust the contour of the front seat
backrests individually to provide optimum sup-
port for your back. Seats
81Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

0043
Raises the backrest contour
0044 Softens the backrest contour
0087 Lowers the backrest contour
0085 Hardens the backrest contour Switching the seat heating on/off
Switching on/off G
WARNING
Repeatedly switching on the seat heating can
cause the seat cushion and backrest pads to
become very hot. The health of persons with
limited temperature sensitivity or a limited
ability to react to excessively high tempera-
tures may be affected or they may even suffer burn-like injuries. There is a risk of injury.
Therefore, do not switch the seat heating on
repeatedly. The three red indicator lamps in the button indi-
cate the heating level you have selected.
The system automatically switches down from
level 3to level 2after approximately eight
minutes.
The system automatically switches down from
level 2to level 1after approximately ten
minutes.
The system automatically switches off approx-
imately 20 minutes after it is set to level 1.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock (Y page 109).
X To switch on: press button0043repeatedly
until the desired heating level is set.
X To switch off: press button0043repeatedly
until all the indicator lamps go out.
i If the battery voltage is too low, the seat
heating may switch off.
Problems with the seat heating Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050 0050Solutions The seat heating has
switched off prematurely
or cannot be switched
on. The on-board voltage is too low because too many electrical consum-
ers are switched on.
X Switch off electrical consumers that you do not need, such as the
rear window defroster or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the seat heating will switch
back on automatically. 82
SeatsSeats
, steering wheel and mirrors