
Restraint system warning lamp
The functions of the restraint system are
checked after the ignition is switched on and at
regular intervals while the drive system is run-
ning. Therefore, malfunctions can be detected in good time.
The 0075 restraint system warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition is
switched on. It goes out no later than a few sec- onds after the vehicle is started. The compo-
nents of the restraint system are in operational
readiness.
A malfunction has occurred if the 0075restraint
system warning lamp:
R does not light up after the ignition is switched
on
R does not go out after a few seconds with the
drive system running
R lights up again while the drive system is run-
ning G
DANGER
If the restraint system is malfunctioning,
restraint system components may be trig-
gered unintentionally or may not deploy as
intended during an accident. This can affect
for example the Emergency Tensioning
Device or the air bag. Furthermore, in the
event of an accident, the vehicle's high-volt-
age electrical system may not be deactivated as intended. You may be electrocuted if you
touch the damaged components of the vehi-
cle's high-voltage electrical system. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal
injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired in a qualified specialist workshop as soon as possible. After an accident, switch offthe ignition immediately and remove the key
from the ignition lock. PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamp
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
0043and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp 0044are
part of the Occupant Classification System
(OCS).
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front air bag.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up for 60 sec-
onds, subsequently both indicator lamps are
off (PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and OFF): the
front-passenger front air bag is able to deploy in the event of an accident.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated. It will
then not be deployed in the event of an acci-
dent.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is
off, only the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
front air bag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
Depending on the person in the front-passenger seat, the front-passenger front air bag must
either be deactivated or enabled; see the fol-
lowing points. You must make sure of this both
before and during a journey.
R Children in a child restraint system:
whether the front-passenger front air bag is
enabled or deactivated depends on the instal- led child restraint system, and the age and
size of the child. Therefore, be sure to observe
the notes on the "Occupant Classification
System (OCS)" (Y page 45) and on "Chil-
dren in the vehicle" (Y page 52). There you
will also find instructions on rearward and
forward-facing child restraint systems on the
front-passenger seat.
R All other persons: depending on the classi-
fication of the person in the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger front air bag is ena- Occupant safety
39Safety Z

abruptly. This poses an increased risk of injury
or even fatal injury.
For this reason, always secure persons under
5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable additional restraint
systems.
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 this Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cle. The child restraint system must be appro-
priate to the age, weight and size of the child
R always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 52) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions
R always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" (Y page 45) G
WARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended protective function if:
R they are damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleached or dyed
R the seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
R the Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
anchorages or inertia reels have been modi-
fied.
Seat belts may be damaged in an accident,
although the damage may not be visible, e.g.
due to splinters of glass. Modified or damaged
seat belts may tear or fail, e.g. in an accident. Modified Emergency Tensioning Devices
could accidentally trigger or fail to deploy
when necessary. This poses an increased risk
of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify the seat belts, Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices, belt anchorages and inertia
reels. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, not worn out and clean. Follow-
ing an accident, have the seat belts checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop. Only use seat belts that have been approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
Proper use of the seat belts Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y
page 40).
All vehicle occupants must be wearing the seat
belt correctly before beginning the journey. Also
make sure that all vehicle occupants are always
wearing the seat belt correctly while the vehicle is in motion.
When fastening the seat belt, always make sure
that:
R the seat belt tongue is only inserted to the belt
buckle belonging to that seat.
R the seat belt is tight across your body.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
R the seat belt is not twisted.
Only then can the forces which occur be dis-
tributed over the area of the belt.
R the shoulder section of the belt is always
routed across the center of your shoulder.
The shoulder section of the belt must not
come into contact with your neck or be routed
under your arm. Where possible, adjust the
seat belt to the appropriate height.
R the lap belt passes tightly and as low down as
possible across your lap.
The lap belt must always be routed across
your hip joints and not across your abdomen.
This applies particularly to pregnant women.
If necessary, push the lap belt down to your
hip joint and pull it tight using the shoulder
section of the belt.
R the seat belt is not routed across sharp, poin-
ted or fragile objects.
If you have such items located on or in your
clothing, e.g. pens, keys or eyeglasses, store
these in a suitable place.
R only one person is using a seat belt at a time.
Infants and children must never travel sitting
on the lap of a vehicle occupant. In the event of an accident, they could be crushed
between the vehicle occupant and seat belt.
R objects are never secured with a seat belt if
the seat belt is also being used by one of the
vehicle's occupants.
Also ensure that there are never objects
between a person and the seat, e.g. cushions. Occupant safety
41Safety Z

Seat belts are only intended to secure and
restrain vehicle occupants. Always observe the
"Loading guidelines" for securing objects, lug-
gage or loads (Y page 207).
Fastening and adjusting the seat belts Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y
page 40 )and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Y page 41).
If the center rear seat belt is being used, also
observe the information about the seat belt for
the center rear seat (Y page 42).Basic illustration
X Adjust the seat (Y page 79).
The seat backrest must be in an almost ver-
tical position.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from the belt out-
let.
X Engage seat belt tongue 0044in belt buckle 0043.
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
The shoulder section of the seat belt must
always be routed across the center of the shoul- der. Adjust the belt outlet if necessary.
X To raise: slide the belt outlet upwards.
The belt outlet will engage in various posi-
tions.
X To lower: hold belt outlet release 0087and slide
belt outlet downwards.
X Let go of belt outlet release 0087in the desired
position and make sure that the belt outlet
engages.
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor to
securely fasten child restraint systems in the
vehicle. Further information can be found under "Special seat belt retractor" (Y page 53).Seat belt for the center rear seat If the left-hand rear seat backrest is folded down
and back up again, the rear center seat belt may lock. The seat belt can then not be pulled out.
X To release the rear center seat belt: pull
the seat belt out approximately 1 in (25 mm)
at the belt outlet on the backrest and then
release it again.
The seat belt is retracted and released.
Releasing seat belts !
Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled up.
Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue will be
trapped in the door or in the seat mechanism. This could damage the door, the door trim
panel and the seat belt. Damaged seat belts
can no longer fulfill their protective function
and must be replaced. Visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
X Press the release button in the belt buckle,
hold the belt tongue firmly and guide the belt
back.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger The
0076 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder that all vehicle occu- pants must wear their seat belts. It may light up
continuously or flash. In addition, there may be
a warning tone.
Regardless of whether the driver's seat belt has
already been fastened, the 0076seat belt warn-
ing lamp lights up for six seconds each time the
drive system is started. If the front doors are
closed and the driver or front-passenger seat
belt has not been fastened, the 0076seat belt
warning lamp lights up again after the
six seconds. As soon as the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are fastened or a front door is opened again, the 0076seat belt warning
lamp goes out.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after the drive system is started, an additional warning
tone will sound. The warning tone switches off
after six seconds or once the driver's seat belt is
fastened.
If the vehicle's speed exceeds 15 mph
(25 km/h) once and the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are not fastened, a warning
tone sounds. A warning tone also sounds with 42
Occupant safetySafety

and to have any malfunctioning air bags
repaired. This will help to make sure the air bags
continue to perform their protective function for the vehicle occupants in the event of a crash. G
WARNING
Emergency Tensioning Devices that have
deployed pyrotechnically are no longer opera- tional and are unable to perform their inten-
ded protective function. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Have pyrotechnically triggered Emergency
Tensioning Devices replaced immediately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If Emergency Tensioning Devices are triggered
or air bags are deployed, you will hear a bang,
and a small amount of powder may also be
released. The 0075restraint system warning
lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your hear-
ing. The powder that is released generally 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 pre- vent breathing difficulties.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contain perchlorate material,
which may require special handling and regard
for the environment. National guidelines 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 physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
R duration
R direction
R intensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices during a frontal or
rear collision. An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be
triggered, if:
R the ignition is switched on
R the components of the restraint system are
operational. You can find further information
under: "Restraint system warning lamp"
(Y page 39)
R the seat belt buckle tongue has engaged in
the belt buckle of the respective front seat
The Emergency Tensioning Devices in the rear
compartment are triggered independently of the lock status of the seat belts.
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 collision
situations:
R Front air bags and driver's knee bag
R Window 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 OFF indicator lamp is off.
Observe the information on the PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamps (Y page 39).
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 sec- ond deployment threshold is reached within a
few milliseconds.
The activation threshold of the Emergency Ten-
sioning 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 acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the collision
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the vehicle
R the 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 deci- Occupant safety
51Safety Z

vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time, and for staying in lane. 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.
The driving safety systems described only work
as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quate contact between the tires and the road
surface. Please pay special attention to the
notes on tires, recommended minimum tire
tread depths, etc. (Y page 257).
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 vehicle when braking.
The 0025 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 conditions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even when you
only brake gently.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 58). G
WARNING
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 (Y page 193) and dis-play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y
page 168).
Braking X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To 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 indication
of hazardous road conditions, and functions as a reminder to take extra care while driving. BAS (Brake Assist System)
General information BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If you depress the brake pedal quickly, BAS
automatically boosts the braking force, thus
shortening the stopping distance.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 58). G
WARNING
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 X
Keep 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. Driving safety systems
59Safety Z

Function
Starting at a speed of approximately 4 mph
(7 km/h), the distance warning function warns
you if you rapidly approach a vehicle in front. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound, and
the 00BA distance warning lamp will light up in
the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or X Take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause the system to display a warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an exten-
ded period of time.
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/ h), the distance warning function can
also react to stationary obstacles, such as stop-
ped or parked vehicles.
Autonomous braking function If the driver does not react to the distance warn-
ing signal in a critical situation, Active Brake
Assist can assist the driver with the autonomous braking function.
The autonomous braking function:
R gives the driver more time to react to critical
driving situations
R can help the driver to avoid an accident or
R reduces the effects of an accident
The autonomous braking function is available in
the following speed ranges:
R 4 - 65 mph (7 - 105 km/ h)for moving objects
R 4 - 31 mph (7 - 50 km/h) for stationary
objects
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause the Autonomous Braking Func-
tion to intervene. Braking assistance appropriate to the
situation General information
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 58).
With the help of the radar sensor system, Adap- tive Brake Assist can detect obstacles that are in
the path of your vehicle for an extended period
of time.
If Adaptive Brake Assist detects a risk of colli-
sion with the vehicle in front, it calculates the
brake pressure necessary to avoid a collision. If
you apply the brakes forcefully, the braking
assistance adapts to the situation and automat-
ically increases the brake pressure to a degree
appropriate to the traffic situation.
Braking assistance appropriate to the situation
provides braking assistance in hazardous situa- tions at speeds above 4 mph (7 km/h). It uses
radar sensor technology to assess the traffic
situation.
Situation-dependent braking assistance is capa-
ble of reacting to moving objects that have
already been recognized as such at least once
over the period of observation, up to vehicle
speeds of around 155 mph (250 km/h).
Braking assistance appropriate to the situation
can also detect stationary objects, up to vehicle speeds of around 44 mph 70 km/h.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if: R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer any danger of a collision.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your vehi-
cle.
Braking assistance appropriate to the situation
is then deactivated.
Important safety notes i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 58). G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles Driving safety systems
61Safety
Z

SmartKey
Important safety notes
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.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the transmission out of park position P
R start the vehicle's drive system.
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 or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children. G
WARNING
If you attach heavy or large objects to the
SmartKey, the SmartKey could be uninten-
tionally turned in the ignition lock. This could
cause the engine to be switched off. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not attach any heavy or large objects to the
SmartKey. Remove any bulky key rings before
inserting the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
! Keep the SmartKey away from strong mag-
netic fields. Otherwise, the remote control
function could be affected.
Strong magnetic fields can occur in the vicin- ity of powerful electrical installations.
Do not keep the SmartKey: R with electronic devices, e.g. a mobile phone
or another SmartKey.
R with metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal foil.
R inside metallic objects, e.g. a metal case SmartKey functions
0043
0037 To lock the vehicle
0044 0036 To unlock the vehicle
X To unlock centrally: press the0036button.
If you do not open the vehicle within approx-
imately 40 seconds of unlocking:
R the vehicle is locked again.
R anti-theft protection is reactivated.
X To lock: press the 0037button.
The SmartKey centrally locks/unlocks: R the doors
R the tailgate
R the charge socket flap
The turn signals flash once when unlocking and
three times when locking.
When the locator lighting is activated via the
multimedia system, it lights up when it is dark
after the vehicle is unlocked with the remote
control (see the separate operating instruc-
tions).
You can also set an audible signal to confirm
that the vehicle has been locked. The audible
signal can be activated and deactivated using
the on-board computer (Y page 166). KEYLESS-GO
General notes Bear in mind that the drive system can be star-
ted by any of the vehicle occupants if there is a
SmartKey in the vehicle. 66
SmartKeyOpening and closing

Locking and unlocking
You can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using
KEYLESS-GO. To do this, you only need carry the
SmartKey with you. You can combine the func-
tions of KEYLESS-GO with those of a conven-
tional SmartKey. Unlock the vehicle by using
KEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it using the 0037 button on the SmartKey.
The driver's door and the door at which the han-
dle is used, must both be closed. The SmartKey
must be outside the vehicle. When locking or
unlocking with KEYLESS-GO, the distance
between the SmartKey and the corresponding
door handle must not be greater than 3 ft (1 m).
A check which periodically establishes a radio
connection between the vehicle and the Smart-
Key determines whether a valid SmartKey is in
the vehicle. This occurs, for example:
R when starting the drive system
R while driving
R when the external door handles are touched
R during convenience closing X
To unlock the vehicle: touch the inner sur-
face of the door handle.
X To lock the vehicle: touch sensor surface 0043
or 0044.
Make sure that you do not touch the inner
surface of the door handle.
X Convenience closing feature: touch
recessed sensor surface 0044for an extended
period.
Further information on the convenience clos-
ing feature (Y page 77). X
To unlock the tailgate: pull tailgate han-
dle 0043.
Deactivating and activating If you do not intend to use the vehicle for a lon-
ger period of time, you can deactivate KEYLESS-
GO. The SmartKey will then use very little power, thereby conserving battery power. For the pur-
poses of activation/deactivation, the vehicle
must not be nearby.
X To deactivate: press the0037button on the
SmartKey twice in rapid succession.
The battery check lamp of the SmartKey
flashes twice briefly and lights up once, then
KEYLESS-GO is deactivated (Y page 69).
X To activate: press any button on the Smart-
Key.
or X Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
KEYLESS-GO and all of its associated features
are available again. Changing the settings of the locking
system
You can change the settings of the locking sys-
tem. This means that only the driver's door and
the charge socket flap are unlocked when the
vehicle is unlocked. This is useful if you fre-
quently travel on your own.
X To change the setting: press and hold the
0036 and0037 buttons simultaneously for SmartKey
67Opening and closing Z