Restraint system warning lamp
The functions of the restraint system are
checked after the ignition is switched on and at
regular intervals while the engine is running.
Therefore, malfunctions can be detected in
good time.
The6 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 6restraint
system warning lamp:
Rdoes not light up after the ignition is switched
on
Rdoes not go out after a few seconds with the
engine running
Rlights up again while the engine is running
GWARNING
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. 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.
PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamp
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp :and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp ;are
part of the Occupant Classification System
(OCS). The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front air bag.
RPASSENGER 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.
RPASSENGER 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.
RChildren 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)" (
Ypage 46) and on "Chil-
dren in the vehicle" (Ypage 53). There you
will also find instructions on rearward and
forward-facing child restraint systems on the
front-passenger seat.
RAll other persons: depending on the classi-
fication of the person in the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger front air bag is ena-
bled or deactivated (
Ypage 46). Be sure to
observe the notes on "Seat
belts“ (
Ypage 40) and "Air bags"
(Ypage 44). There you can also find infor-
mation on the correct seat position.
Seat belts
Introduction
Seat belts are the most effective means of
restricting the movement of vehicle occupants
in the event of an accident or the vehicle rolling over. This reduces the risk of vehicle occupants
coming into contact with parts of the vehicle
interior or being ejected from the vehicle. Fur-
thermore, the seat belt helps to keep the vehicle
40Occupant safety
Safety
Seat belts are only intended to secure and
restrain vehicle occupants. Always observe the
"Loading guidelines" for securing objects, lug-
gage or loads (
Ypage 233).
Fastening and adjusting the seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Ypage 41)and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage 42).
Basic illustration
XAdjust the seat (Ypage 89).
The seat backrest must be in an almost ver-
tical position.
XPull the seat belt smoothly from the belt out- let.
XEngage seat belt tongue ;in belt buckle :.
XIf 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.
XTo raise: slide the belt outlet upwards.
The belt outlet will engage in various posi-
tions.
XTo lower: hold belt outlet release =and slide
belt outlet downwards.
XLet go of belt outlet release =in 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" (
Ypage 54).
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.
XPress 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 7 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 7seat belt warn-
ing lamp lights up for six seconds each time the
engine is started. If, after six seconds, the driver or front-passenger seat belt has not been fas-
tened and the doors are closed, the 7seat
belt warning lamp lights up. As soon as the driv-
er's and front-passenger seat belts are fastened
or a front door is opened again, the 7seat
belt warning lamp goes out.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after the
engine is started, an additional warning tone will
sound. The warning tone switches off after six
seconds or once the driver's seat belt is fas-
tened.
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
increasing intensity for 60 seconds or until the
driver or front passenger have fastened their
seat belts.
If the driver or front passenger unfasten their
seat belts during the journey, the seat belt warn-
ing is acti vated a
gain.
Occupant safety43
Safety
Z
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a deci-
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 or if the vehicle rolls over, the applicable
components of the restraint system are activa-
ted independently of each other depending on
the apparent type of accident.
RSide 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
RWindow curtain air bag on the side of impact, independ ently of the u se of the seat belt and
independently of whether the front-
passenger seat is occupied
REmergency Tensioning Devices, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection in this situation
RWindow curtain air bags on the driver's and
front-passenger side in certain situations
when the vehicle rolls over, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the seat
belt
iNot 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:
RFrontal collision
RSide impact
RRollover
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately 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 is activated
Rthe vehicle doors are unlocked
Rthe front side windows are lowered
Rthe engine is switched off and the fuel supply
is cut off
Rvehicles 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 istraveling in the
vehicle:
Ralways 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
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 on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" (
Ypage 46)
Children in the vehicle53
Safety
Z
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 sitting
properly. Particular attention must be paid to
children.
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(
Ypage 41) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage 42).
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 fastened
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.
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor.
When activated, the special seat belt retractor
ensures that the seat belt will not slacken once
the child restraint system has been secured.
Installing a child restraint system:
XAlways comply with the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions.
XPull the seat belt smoothly from the belt out-
let.
XEngage the seat belt tongue in the 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
hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat belt
retractor is activated.
XPush the child seat restraint system down so
that the seat belt is tight and does not loosen.
Removing a child restraint system and deacti-
vating the special seat belt retractor:
XAlways comply with the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions.
XPress the release button of the belt buckle,
hold the belt tongue firmly and guide it back
towards the belt outlet.
The special seat belt retractor is deactivated.
54Children in the vehicle
Safety
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 (
Ypage 40) is the front-
passenger front air bag deactivated.
Always observe the child restraint system man-
ufacturer's installation and operating instruc-
tions.
Forward-facing child restraint system
If it is absolutely necessary to install a forward-
facing child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat, always move the front-
passenger seat as far back as possible. Fully
retract the seat cushion length. The entire base
of the child restraint system must always rest on
the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat.
The backrest of the child restraint system must
lie as flat as possible against the backrest of the front-passenger seat. The child restraint system
must not touch the roof or be subjected to a load
by the head restraint. Adjust the angle of the
seat backrest and the head restraint position
accordingly. Always make sure that the shoul-
der belt strap is correctly routed from the vehi-
cle belt outlet to the shoulder belt guide on the
child restraint system. The shoulder belt strap
must be routed forwards and downwards from
the vehicle belt outlet. If necessary, adjust the
vehicle belt outlet and the front-passenger seat
accordingly.
Always observe the child restraint system man-
ufacturer's installation and operating instruc-
tions.
Child-proof locks
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are traveling in the vehicle, they
could:
Ropen doors, thus endangering other people
or road users
Rexit the vehicle and be caught by oncoming
traffic
Roperate vehicle equipment and become
trapped
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always activate the child-proof locks and
override feature if children are traveling in the vehicle. When leaving the vehicle, always take
the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unattended in the vehicle.
Override feature for:
Rthe rear doors (Ypage 59)
Rthe rear side windows (Ypage 59)
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.
58Children in the vehicle
Safety
Drivingsafet ysystems
Overview of drivin gsafet ysystems
In this section ,you will fin dinformation about
th efollowin gdrivin gsafet ysystems :
RABS (Anti-loc kBrakin gSystem)
(Ypage 60)
RBA S (B rakeAssist System) (Ypage 60)
RActive Brak eAssis t (Ypage 61 )
RESP®(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Ypage 63)
REB D (Electroni cBrak eforc eDistribution )
(Ypage 66 )
RADAPTIV EBRAKE (Ypage 66 )
RSTEERCONTROL (Ypage 66)
Important safet ynotes
If you fail to adapt your drivin gstyle or if you are
inattentive ,th edrivin gsafet ysystems can nei-
ther reduce th eris kof an acciden tno roverride
th elaws of physics. Driving safet ysystems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible fo rmaintainin gth edistanc eto th e
vehicle in front, fo rvehicle speed, fo rbraking in
goo dtime, and fo rstayin gin lane. Always adapt
your drivin gstyle to suit th eprevailin groad and
weather condition sand maintain asaf edistanc e
from th evehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The drivin gsafet ysystems described only wor k
as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quat econtact between th etires and th eroad
surface. Please pay special attention to th e
note son tires ,recommended minimum tire
tread depths, etc. (
Ypage 282).
In wintr ydrivin gconditions, always use winte r
tires (M+ Stires )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
! 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
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 60).
GWARNING
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 (
Ypage 218) and dis-
play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (
Ypage 189).
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit-
uation is over.
XTo 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.
60Driving safety systems
Safety
Braking assistance appropriate to the situation
can also detect stationary objects, up to vehicle
speeds of around 44 mph 70 km/h.
XKeep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
Ryou release the brake pedal.
Rthere is no longer any danger of a collision.
Rno obstacle is detected in front of your vehi-
cle.
Braking assistance appropriate to the situation
is then deactivated.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Ypage 60).
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
As a result, Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist might:
Rintervene unnecessarily
Rnot intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
Due to the nature of the system, complex but
non-critical driving conditions may also cause
Active Brake Assist to intervene.
Even if Active Brake Assist is not available due to
a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the brake system is still available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS.
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 60).
ESP
®monitors driving stability and traction, i.e.
power transmission between the tires and the
road surface.
If ESP
®detects that the vehicle is deviating from
the direction desired by the driver, one or more
wheels are braked to stabilize the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the vehi-
cle on the desired course within physical limits.
ESP
®assists the driver when pulling away on
wet or slippery roads. ESP®can also stabilize
the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 60).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®. On vehicles
with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part of ESP®.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP
®.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 60).
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP
®checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Driving safety systems63
Safety
Z
Vehicles without 4MATIC:when towing your
vehicle with the front axle raised, it is important
that you observe the notes on ESP
®
(Ypage 277).
If the å ESP®OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, ESP®is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®warning lamp and the å
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP®is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 219) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 189).
Only use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP
®function properly.
Characteristics of ESP®
General information
If the ÷ ESP®warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP®is automatically
active.
If ESP
®intervenes, the ÷ESP®warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP
®intervenes:
XDo not deactivate ESP®under any circum-
stances.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
XAdapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle stops
moving. The engine starts automatically when
the driver wants to pull away again. ESP
®
remains in its previously selected status. Exam-
ple: if ESP®was deactivated before the engine
was switched off, ESP®remains deactivated
when the engine is switched on again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®(except
Mercedes‑AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 60). You can select between the following states of
ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cutting
action for better traction on loose surfaces.
It may be best to deactivate ESP
®in the follow-
ing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehicle if
the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
You can deactivate or activate ESP®via the on-
board computer (Ypage 182).
ESP®deactivated:
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
ESP
®activated:
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP®is deactivated
If ESP®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
REngine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
64Driving safety systems
Safety