See "Children in the vehicle" for information
on infants and children traveling with you in
the vehicle restraint systems for infants and
children (
Ypage 58).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Modifications to the restraint system may
cause it to no longer work as intended. The
restraint system may then not perform its
intended protective function and may fail in an
accident or trigger unexpectedly, for example.
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify parts of the restraint system.
Never tamper with the wiring, the electronic
components or their software.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
details. USA only: for further information con-
tact our Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1‑800‑ 367‑6372).
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 run-
ning. Therefore, malfunctions can be detec-
ted in good time.
The 6 restraint system warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up when the igni-
tion is switched on. It goes out no later than a
few seconds after the vehicle is started. The
components of the restraint system are in
operational readiness.
A malfunction has occurred if the 6
restraint 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 restraint system is malfunctioning, restraint
system components may be triggered unin-
tentionally or might not be triggered at all in
the event of an accident with a high rate of
vehicle deceleration. This can affect the Emer- gency Tensioning Device or air bag, for exam-
ple. 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 Classifica-
tion System (OCS).
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front air bag.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is enabled. If,
in the event of an accident, all deployment
criteria are met, the front-passenger front
air bag is deployed.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted. It will then not be deployed in the event of an accident.
Occupant safety43
Safety
Z
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front air bag.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is enabled. If,
in the event of an accident, all deployment
criteria are met, the front-passenger front
air bag is deployed.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted. It will then not be deployed in the eventof an accident.
If the status of the front-passenger front air
bag changes while the vehicle is in motion, an
air bag display message appears in the instru-
ment cluster (
Ypage 246). When the front-
passenger seat is occupied, always pay atten-
tion to the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamps. Be
aware of the status of the front-passenger
front air bag both before and during the jour-
ney.
GWARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenger front air bag is
disabled. It will not be deployed in the event of
an accident and cannot perform its intended
protective function. A person in the front-
passenger seat could then, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, espe-
cially if the person is sitting too close to the
dashboard. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensure that:
Rthe classification of the person in the front- passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
Rthe front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible.
Rthe person is seated correctly.
Make sure, both before and during the jour-
ney, that the status of the front-passenger
front air bag is correct.
GWARNING
If you secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp is lit up, the front-passenger front air bag may deploy in an accident. The child could be
struck by the air bag. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenger front air
bag has been disabled. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains off and/or the PASSENGER AIR
BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not install
a rearward-facing child restraint system on
the front-passenger seat. You can find more
information on OCS under "Problems with the
Occupant Classification System"
(
Ypage 55).
GWARNING
If you secure a child in a forward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and you position the front-passenger seat too close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could:
Rcome into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
Rbe struck by the air bag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON is lit up
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Always move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible and fully retract the seat
cushion length. Always make sure that the
shoulder belt strap is correctly routed from
the vehicle belt sash guide to the shoulder
belt guide on the child restraint system. The
shoulder belt strap must be routed forwards
and downwards from the vehicle belt sash
guide. If necessary, adjust the vehicle belt
sash guide and the front-passenger seat
accordingly. Always observe the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions.
52Occupant safety
Safety
GDANGER
If th ePASSENGER AI RBA GOF Findicator
lamp remain slit after th esystem self-test ,th e
front-passenger fron tair bag is disabled. It will
no tbe deployed in th eevent of an accident. In
this case, th efront-passenger fron tair bag
canno tperfor mits intended protective func-
tion ,e.g. when aperson is seated in th efront-
passenger seat .
That person could, for example, come int o
contact wit hth evehicle's interior, especially
if th eperson is sitting to oclose to th edash -
board. This poses an increased ris kof injury or
eve nfatal injury.
Whe nth efront-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensur ethat:
Rth eclassification of th eperson in th efront-
passenger seat is correc tand th efront-
passenger fron tair bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordanc ewit hth eperson in th e
front-passenger seat
Rth eperson is seated properly wit h acor-
rectl yfastene dseatbelt
Rth efront-passenger seat has been moved
bac kas far bac kas possibl e
If th ePASSENGER AI RBA GOF Findicator
lamp remain slit when it should not, th efront-
passenger seat may no tbe used .Do no t
instal l achild restrain tsystem on th efront-
passenger seat .Hav
eth eO
ccupant Classifi-
cation Syste m(OCS )checke dand repaire d
immediately at aqualified specialist work-
shop.
GWARNIN G
Objects between th eseat surfac eand th e
child restrain tsystem could affec tOCS oper -
ation .This could result in th efront-passenger
air bag no tfunctioning as intended during an
accident. This poses an increased ris kof
injury or eve nfatal injury.
Do no tplac eany objects between th eseat
surfac eand th echild restrain tsystem. The
entire base of th echild restrain tsystem mus t
always res ton th eseat cushion of th efront-
passenger seat .The backrest of th eforward -
facing child restrain tsystem must, as far as
possible, be resting on th ebackrest of th e
front-passenger seat .Always compl ywit hth e
child restrain tsystem manufacturer' sinstal -
lation instructions.
Afte rth esystem self-test ,th ePASSENGER
AI R BA GOF For PASSENGER AI RBA GON
indicator lamp displays th estatus of th efront-
passenger fron tair bag (
Ypage 51) .
Fo rmor einformation about th eOCS ,see
"Problem swit hth eOccupant Classification
System" (
Ypage 55).
54Occupant safety
Safety
Drivingsafet ysystems
Overview of drivin gsafet ysystems
In this section ,you will fin dinformation about
th efollowing drivin gsafet ysystems :
RABS (Anti-loc kBrakin gSystem)
(
Ypage 65)
RBA S (B rake Assist System) (Ypage 66)
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLU S
(
Ypage 66 )
RESP®(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(
Ypage 69 )
REBD (Electroni cBrak eforc eDi stribution )
(
Ypage 72)
RADAPTIV EBRAKE (Ypage 73 )
RSTEERCONTROL (Ypage 73)
Important safet ynotes
If you fail to adapt your drivin gstyle or if you
are inattentive ,th edrivin gsafet ysystems can
neither reduce th eris kof an acciden tno r
override th elaws of physics. Driving safet y
systems are merely aids designed to assist
driving. You are responsible fo rmaintainin g
th edistanc eto th evehicle in front, fo rvehicle
speed, fo rbraking in goo dtime, and fo rstay-
in gin lane. Always adapt your drivin gstyle to
suit th eprevailin groad and weather condi-
tion sand maintain asaf edistanc efrom th e
vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The drivin gsafet ysystems described only
wor kas effectively as possible when there is
adequat econtact between th etires and th e
road surface. Please pay special attention to
th enote son tires ,recommended minimum
tire tread depths, etc. (
Ypage 340).
In wintr ydrivin gconditions, always use winte r
tires (M+ Stires )and if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will th edrivin gsafet y
systems described in this section wor kas
effectively as possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information
AB Sregulates brake pressure in suc h away
that th ewheels do no tloc kwhen you brake .
Thi sallow syou to continue steerin gth evehi-
cl e when braking .
The ! ABSwarnin glamp in th einstrumen t
cluster lights up when th eignition is switched
on .It goe sout when th eengin eis running .
AB Sworks from aspeed of about 5mph
(8 km/h), regardles sof road-surfac econdi-
tions. AB Sworks on slipper ysurfaces, eve n
when you only brake gently.
Important safet ynotes
iObserv eth e"Important safet ynotes" sec -
tion (
Ypage 65).
GWARNING
If AB Sis faulty, th ewheels could loc kwhen
braking .The steerability and braking charac -
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition -
ally, further drivin gsafet ysystems are deac -
tivated. There is an increase ddanger of skid-
din gand accidents .
Drive on carefully. Hav eAB Schecke dimme-
diately at aqualified specialis tworkshop .
WhenAB Sis malfunctioning, other systems ,
includin gdrivin gsafet ysystems ,will also
becom einoperative .Observ eth einformation
on th eAB Swarnin glamp (
Ypage 269) and
display message swhic hmay be shown in th e
instrumen tcluster (
Ypage 236).
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes: continue to depress th e
brake peda lvigorousl yuntil th ebraking sit -
uation is over.
XTo make afull brak eapplication:
depress th ebrake peda lwit hfull force.
If AB Sintervenes when braking ,you will feel a
pulsin gin th ebrake pedal.
Driving safety systems65
Safety
Z
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Switching on/off
The COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
automatically active after switching on the
ignition.
You can activate or deactivate COLLISION
PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS in the on-board
computer (
Ypage 228). When deactivated,
the distance warning function and the auton-
omous braking function are also deactivated.
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
deactivated, the æsymbol appears in the
assistance graphics display.
Distance warning function
General information
The distance warning function can help you to
minimize the risk of a front-end collision with
a vehicle ahead or reduce the effects of such a collision. If the distance warning function
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (
Ypage 65).
GWARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
Thus, the distance warning function cannot
provide a warning in all critical situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and do not rely solely on the distance
warning function.
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 ·distance warning lamp
will light up in the instrument cluster.
XBrake immediately in order to increase the distance from the vehicle in front.
or
XTake evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause the system to display a warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obsta-
cles that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended 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
stopped or parked vehicles.
Autonomous braking function
If the driver does not react to the distance
warning signal in a critical situation, COLLI-
SION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can assist
with the autonomous braking function.
Driving safety systems67
Safety
Z
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-uation and be ready to brake.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause Brake Assist to inter-
vene.
If adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to
a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system remains available with full
brake boosting effect and BAS.
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 65).
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 vehicle 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 65).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®. On vehi-
cles 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 trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP
®.
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem)
A 4ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (
Ypage 199).
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 65).
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.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing
your vehicle with the front axle raised, it is
important that you observe the notes on ESP
®
(Ypage 335).
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 271) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 236).
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 auto-
matically active.
If ESP
®intervenes, the ÷ESP®warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
Driving safety systems69
Safety
Z
You can select between the following states
of ESP®:
RESP®is activated.
RSPORT handling mode is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit-
uations described in the following.
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.
In the following situations, it may be better to activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP
®:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Ron specially designated roads when the
vehicle's own oversteering and understeer-
ing characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP
®requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle 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
®
XTo activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button
:.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode
message
appears in the multifunction display.
XTo deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
XTo deactivate ESP®: press button :until
the å ESP®OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF
message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
XTo activate ESP®: briefly press button :.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷
ESP
®ONmessage appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP
®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP®only stabilizes the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
RESP®only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
RTraction control is still activated.
Driving safety systems71
Safety
Z
Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip-
ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (
Ypage 25).
Correct driver's seat position
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten 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 engine.
XObserve the safety guidelines on seat
adjustment (
Ypage 103).
XMake sure that seat =is adjusted prop-
erly.
Manual seat adjustment (
Ypage 104)
Electrical seat adjustment (
Ypage 105)
When adjusting the seat, make sure that:
Ryou are as far away from the driver's air
bag as possible
Ryou are sitting in a normal upright posi-
tion
Ryou can fasten the seat belt properly
Ryou have moved the backrest to an
almost vertical position
Ryou have set the seat cushion angle so
that your thighs are gently supported
Ryou can depress the pedals properly
XCheck whether the head restraint is adjus-
ted properly (
Ypage 105).
When doing so, make sure that you have
adjusted the head restraint so that the back
of your head is supported at eye level by the
center of the head restraint.
XObserve the safety notes on steering col-
umn adjustment (
Ypage 108).
XMake sure that steering wheel :is adjus-
ted properly.
Adjusts the steering wheel (
Ypage 108)
When adjusting the steering wheel, make
sure that:
Ryou can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent
Ryou can move your legs freely
Ryou can see all the displays in the instru-
ment cluster clearly
XObserve the safety guidelines for seat belts
(
Ypage 44).
XCheck whether you have fastened seat
belt ;properly (
Ypage 46).
102Correct driver's seat position
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors