Page 48 of 473

Ad
vantage of a rear wa rd-facing child
re stra int sy stem
It is preferable totranspo rta baby or a small
ch ild in a suitable rear wa rd-facing child restra int
sy stem. In this case, thech ild sits in the oppo‐
site direction tothe direction of tra vel and faces
ba ckwa rds.
Babies and small children ha vecompa ratively
we ak neck muscles in relation tothe size and
we ight of their head. The risk of injury tothe cer‐
vical spine during an accident can be reduced in
a re ar wa rd-facing child restra int sy stem.
Alw ays secure a child restra int sy stem cor‐
re ctly &
WARNING Risk of inju ryor death caused
by incor rect ins tallation of thech ild
re stra int sy stem
If th ech ild restra int sy stem is incor rectly
ins talled on a suitable seating position, it
cannot per form its intended pr otective func‐
tion. The
child cannot be restra ined in theeve nt of
an accident, heavy braking or a sudden
ch ange of direction. #
Alw ays comply with the manufacturer's
ins tallation instructions forth ech ild
re stra int sy stem and its cor rect use. #
Makesure that the entire base of the
ch ild restra int sy stem alw aysre sts on
th e sitting sur face of the seat. #
Never place objects under or behind
th ech ild restra int sy stem, e.g. cush‐
ions. #
Alw ays use child restra int sy stems with
th e original co ver designed forth em. #
Alw aysre place damaged co vers with
ge nuine co vers. &
WARNING Risk of inju ryor death from
unsecured child restra int sy stems in the
ve hicle
If th ech ild restra int sy stem is not cor rectly
ins talled or secured, it could release in the ev
ent of an accident, sudden braking or a
sudden change in direction.
The child restra int sy stem could be flung
around and hit vehicle occupants. #
Alw aysfit ch ild restra int sy stems cor‐
re ctly, even when not in use. #
Alw ays comply with thech ild restra int
sy stem manufacturer's ins tallation
instructions. R
Alw ays obser vethech ild restra int sy stem
manufacturer's ins tallation and operating
instructions as well as theve hicle-specific
information:
- Secure thech ild restra int sy stem with the
seat belt on the front passenger seat
(/ page 59). Obser vethe specific
instructions forth ere ar wa rd-facing and
fo rw ard-facing child restra int sy stems
(/ page 57).
If th e front passenger seat is occupied,
ensure, bo thbefore and during the jour‐
ne y,that thest atus of the front Occupant saf
ety45
Page 62 of 473

Securing
thech ild restra int sy stem with the
seat belt on the front passenger seat
When fitting a belt-secu redch ild restra int sys‐
te m on the front passenger seat, alw ays obser ve
th efo llowing:
O Obser
vethech ild restra int sy stem manufac‐
turer's ins tallation and operating instruc‐
tions.
O Fo
r a child restra int sy stem in the "Univer‐
sal" or "Semi-Universal" categor y,make
sure that the sy stem has been appr oved for
th eve hicle seat.
Obser vethe no tes under "Suitability of
seats for attaching belt-secu redch ild
re stra int sy stems" (/ page54).
O The backrest of
thefo rw ard-facing child
re stra int sy stem must, as far as possible, be
re sting on the seat backrest of the front
passenger seat.
O Fo
r cer tain child restra int sy stems in weight
group II or III, there may be restrictions in
th e maximum size setting, e.g. due topossi‐
ble con tact wi th thero of. O
The
child restra int sy stem must not be put
under stra in between thero of and the seat
cushion and/or be fitted facing the wrong
direction. Adjust the seat backrest inclina‐
tion accordingly.
O The
child restra int sy stem must not be put
under stra in by the head restra ints. Adjust
th e head restra ints according ly.
O Ne
ver place objects under or behind the
ch ild restra int sy stem, e.g. cushions. #
Set the front passenger seat as far back as
possible and mo vethe seat into the highest
position. #
Set the seat backrest toan almost vertical
position. #
Fitthech ild restra int sy stem.
The entire base of thech ild restra int sy stem
must alw aysre st on the sitting sur face of the
front passenger seat. #
Alw ays make sure that the shoulder belt
st ra p is cor rectly routed from the seat belt outlet of
theve hicle tothe shoulder belt
guide on thech ild restra int sy stem.
The shoulder belt stra p must be routed for‐
wa rds and down wards from the seat belt out‐
let. #
If necessar y,adjust the front passenger seat
accordingly. Note
s on pets in theve hicle &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
due toanimals left unsecured or unat‐
te nded in theve hicle
If yo u lea veanimals in theve hicle unatten‐
ded or unsecured, they could possib lypress
down buttons or switches.
Thereby an animal may:
R activate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, forex ample
R swit chsystems on or off and endanger
ot her road users Occupant saf
ety59
Page 358 of 473

R
Vehicles with a tyre pressure monitoring
sy stem: allfitted wheels mu stbe equipped
with functioning sensors forth e tyre pres‐
sure monitoring sy stem.
R Attemp eratures below 7 °C, use winter tyres
or all-season tyres mar ked M+S for all
wheels.
Wi nter tyres bearing thei snowflake
symbol in addition tothe M+S marking pro‐
vide the best possible grip in wintry road
conditions.
R For M+S tyres, only use tyres with the same
tread.
R Obser vethe maximum permissible speed for
th e M+S tyres fitted.
If th is is below theve hicle's maximum speed,
th is must be indicated byan appropriate
label in the driver's field of vision.
R Run in new tyres at moderate speeds forthe
fi rs t10 0 km.
R Replace the tyres af ter six years at the latest,
re ga rdless of wear. R
When replacing with tyres that do not
fe ature run-flat characteristics: vehicles
with MOExtended tyres are not equipped
with a TIREFIT kit at thefa ctor y.Equip the
ve hicle with a TIREFIT kit af terre placing with
tyres that do not feature run-flat characteris‐
tics, e.g. winter tyres.
% You can permanently limit the maximum
ve hicle speed for driving with winter tyres
(/ page 146).
Fo r more information on wheels and tyres, con‐
ta ct a qualified specialist workshop.
Be sure toalso obse rveth efo llowing fur ther
re lated subjects:
R Notes on tyre pressure (/ page 345)
R Tyre pressure table (/ page 346) Note
s on inter changing wheels &
WARNING Risk of inju rythro ugh dif fer‐
ent wheel sizes
Inter changing the front and rear wheels if the
wheels or tyres ha vediffere nt dimensions
may se verely impair the driving characteris‐
tics.
The disk brakes or wheel suspension compo‐
nents may also be damaged. #
Rotate front and rear wheels on lyifthe
wheels and tyres are of the same
dimensions. Inter
changing the front and rear wheels if the
wheels or tyres ha vediffere nt dimensions can
re nder thege neral operating pe rmit in valid.
The wear pat tern s on the front and rear wheels
dif fer:
R Front wheels wear more on the shoulder of
th e tyre
R Rear wheels wear more in the cent reofthe
tyre Wheels and tyres
355