
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions
GWARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended protective function if:
Rthey are damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleached or dyed
Rthe seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
Rthe 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
(Ypage 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:
Rthe seat belt buckle tongue is inserted only
into the belt buckle belonging to that seat
Rthe seat belt is pulled tight across your body
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
Rthe seat belt is not twisted Only then can the forces which occur be dis-
tributed over the area of the belt.
Rthe shoulder section of the belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder
The shoulder section of the seat belt should
not touch your neck or be routed under your
arm or behind your back. Where possible,
adjust the seat belt to the appropriate height.
Rthe lap belt is taut and passes across your lap
as low down as possible
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.
Rthe 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.
Ronly one person is using a seat belt
Infants and children must never travel sitting
on the lap of a vehicle occupant. In the eventof an accident, they could be crushed
between the vehicle occupant and seat belt.
Robjects 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.
Seat belts are only intended to secure and
restrain vehicle occupants. Always observe the
"Loading guidelines" for securing objects, lug-
gage or loads (
Ypage 209).
Fastening and adjusting the seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Ypage 40) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage 41).
If the center rear seat belt is being used, also
observe the information about the seat belt for
the center rear seat (
Ypage 42).
Occupant safety41
Safety
Z

Basic illustration
XAdjust the seat (Ypage 74).
The seat backrest must be in an almost
upright position.
XPull the seat belt smoothly out of belt sash
guide =and engage belt tongue ;into belt
buckle :.
XIf necessary, pull up 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 sash guide if necessary.
XTo raise: slide the belt sash guide up.
The belt sash guide engages in various posi-
tions.
XTo lower: pull release button ?and slide the
belt sash guide down.
XLet go of release button ?in the desired
position and make sure that the belt sash
guide 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 50).
Seat belt for the center rear seat
GWARNING
When the three-point seat belt for the center
rear seat is not in use, it may be thrown
around while driving, e.g. when braking or in
an accident. There is a risk of injury.
When the three-point seat belt for the center
rear seat is not in use, always secure both belt buckle tongues in the retainer.
:Bracket for seat belt tongues
;Belt buckle for fixed belt tongue
=Release button for fixed belt tongue
?Fixed belt tongue
ABelt buckle for movable belt tongue
BRelease button for movable belt tongue
CMovable belt tongue
42Occupant safety
Safety

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, the7seat 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 activated again.
Air bags
Introduction
The installation point of an air bag can be rec-
ognized by the AIRBAG marking.
An air bag complements the correctly fastened
seat belt. It is no substitute for the seat belt. The
air bag provides additional protection in appli-
cable accident situations.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident. The
different air bag systems function independ-
ently from one another (
Ypage 47).
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to rule out a risk of injury
caused by an air bag due to the high speed at
which the air bag must be deployed.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you do not sit in the correct seat position,
the air bag cannot protect as intended and
could even cause additional injury when
deployed. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
To avoid hazardous situations, always make
sure that all of the vehicle's occupants:
Rhave fastened their seat belts correctly,
including pregnant women
Rare sitting correctly and maintain the great-
est possible distance to the air bags
Rfollow the following instructions
Always make sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu-
pants.
RAdjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat
is in an almost upright position. The center of
the head restraint must support the head at
about eye level.
RMove the driver's and front-passenger seats
as far back as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven safely.
ROnly hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the air bag to be fully deployed.
RAlways lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forward or lean against the
door or side window. You may otherwise be in
the deployment area of the air bags.
RAlways keep your feet in the footwell in front
of the seat. Do not put your feet on the dash-
board, for example. Your feet may otherwise
be in the deployment area of the air bag.
RFor this reason, always secure persons less
than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable restraint sys-
tems. Up to this height, the seat belt cannot
be worn correctly.
If a child is traveling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
RAlways secure children under twelve years of
age and less than 5 ft (1.50 m)tall in suitable
child restraint systems.
RChild restraint systems should be installed on
the rear seats.
ROnly secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
when the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is permanently lit, the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated
(
Ypage 39).
RAlways observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(
Ypage 50) and on the "Child restraint sys-
44Occupant safety
Safety

tem on the front-passenger seat"
(Ypage 55) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may prevent
an air bag from functioning correctly. Before
starting your journey and to avoid risks resulting
from the speed of the air bag as it deploys, make sure that:
Rthere are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air bag
Rthere are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar
Rthere are no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers,
hanging on the grab handles or coat hooks
Rno accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deploymentarea of an air bag, e.g. to doors, side windows,
rear side trim or side walls
Rno heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects are in
the pockets of your clothing. Store such
objects in a suitable place
GWARNING
If you modify the air bag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the air bag can no longer
function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an air bag cover or affix objects
to it.
GWARNING
Sensors to control the air bags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ing, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the
function of the sensors being impaired. The air
bags might therefore not function properly
anymore. Consequently, the air bags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. There is an increased risk of
injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan-
eling carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Front air bags
!Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. This could cause the system
to identify the seat as being occupied. In the
event of an accident, the restraint systems on
the front-passenger side may be triggered
and have to be replaced.
Driver's air bag :deploys in front of the steer-
ing wheel. Front-passenger front air bag ;
deploys in front of and above the glove box.
When deployed, the front air bags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for the occu-
pants in the front seats.
A permanently lit PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp informs you that the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated
(
Ypage 39).
The front-passenger front air bag will only
deploy if:
Ran occupant is detected on the front-
passenger seat
Rthe PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up (Ypage 53)
Rthe restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity
Side impact air bags
GWARNING
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 functions of
BabySmart™ may be impaired. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Occupant safety45
Safety
Z

Automa tic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, th efollowin g
measures are implemented, depending on th e
typ eand severity of th eimpact :
Rthehazard warning lamp sare activated
Rth eemergenc ylighting is activated
Rth evehicl edoor sare unlocke d
Rthefron tside windows are lowered
Rth eelectrically adjustable steering whee lis
raised when th edriver's door is opened
Rth eengin eis switched off and th efuel supply
is cut off
Rvehicles wit hmbrace :automatic emergenc y
call
Children in the vehicle
Import ant safety notes
Acciden tstatistics sho wthat children secured
in th erear seat sare safer than children secured
in th efront-passenger seat .Fo rthis reason ,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you instal l
a child restrain tsystem on arear seat .Children
are generally bette rprotected there .
If achild younger than twelve years old and
under 5ft (1.50 m) in height is traveling in th e
vehicle:
Ralways secure th echild in achild restrain t
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restrain tsystem mus tbe appropri-
ate to th eage, weigh tand siz eof th echild
Rbe sur eto observ eth einstruction sand safet y
note sin this section in addition to th echild
restrain tsystem manufacturer' sinstallation
instruction s
GWARNING
If you leav echildren unsupervised in th evehi-
cle ,they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease th eparking brake.
Rshif tth eautomatic transmission out of th e
parking position P.
Rstart theengine.
In addition ,they may operate vehicl eequip -
men tand become trapped .There is aris kof
an acciden tand injury.
When leaving th evehicle, always tak eth e
SmartKey wit hyou and loc kth evehicle. Never
leav echildren unsupervised in th evehicle.
GWARNIN G
If persons, particularly children are subjecte d
to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is aris kof injury, possibl yeve n
fatal. Never leav echildren unattended in th e
vehicle.
GWARNIN G
If th echild restrain tsystem is subjecte dto
direc tsunlight, part smay get ver yhot .Chil-
dre nmay burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on th emetal part sof th echild
restrain tsystem. There is aris kof injury.
If you leav eth evehicle, taking th echild wit h
you, always ensur ethat th echild restrain t
system is no texposed to direc tsunlight. Pro -
tect it wit h ablanket, for example. If th echild
restrain tsystem has been exposed to direc t
sunlight, let it cool down before securin gth e
child in it .Never leav echildren unattended in
th evehicle.
Always ensur ethat all vehicl eoccupant shav e
their seat belt sfastene dcorrectl yand are sitting
properly. Particular attention mus tbe paid to
children .
Observ eth esafet ynote son th eseat belt
(
Ypage 40 )and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage 41).
A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper seat belt positioning for children over
41 lb s(18 kg) until they reach a height where a
three-point seat belt can be properly fastened
without a booster seat.
Special seatbelt 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
50Children in the vehicle
Safety

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 in the vehicle, 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 cannot
slacken once the child seat is secured.
Installing a child restraint system:
XMake sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
XPull the seat belt smoothly out of the belt sash
guide.
XEngage seat belt tongue in 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 enabled.
XPush the child restraint system down so that
the seat belt is tight and does not loosen.
Removing the child restraint system and deac-
tivating the special seat belt retractor:
XMake sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
XPress the release button of the seat belt
buckle and route the seat belt tongue back
towards the belt sash guide.
The special seat belt retractor is deactivated.
Child restraint system
The use of seat belts and child restraint systems
is required by law in:
Rall 50 states
Rthe U.S. territories
Rthe District of Columbia
Rall Canadian provinces
You can obtain further information about the
correct child restraint system from any author-
ized Mercedes-Benz Center.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor-
rectly on a suitable seat, it cannot protect as
intended. The child cannot then be restrained
in the event of an accident, heavy braking or
sudden changes of direction. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Make sure that you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions and the notes on use. Please ensure,
that the base of the child restraint system is
always resting completely on the seat cush-
ion. Never place objects, e.g. cushions, under or behind the child restraint system. Only use
child restraint systems with the original cover
designed for them. Only replace damaged
covers with genuine covers.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor-
rectly or is not secured, it can come loose in
the event of an accident, heavy braking or a
sudden change in direction. The child
restraint system could be thrown about, strik-
ing vehicle occupants. There is an increased
risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Always install child restraint systems prop-
erly, even if they are not being used. Make
sure that you observe the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer's installation instructions.
You will find further information on stowing
objects, luggage or loads under "Loading guide-
lines" (
Ypage 209).
GWARNING
Child restraint systems or their securing sys-
tems which have been damaged or subjected
to a load in an accident can no longer protect
as intended. The child cannot then be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even
fatal.
Replace child restraint systems which have
been damaged or subjected to a load in an
accident as soon as possible. Have the secur-
Children in the vehicle51
Safety
Z

ing systems on the child restraint system
checked at a qualified specialist workshop,
before you install a child restraint system
again.
The securing systems of child restraint systems
are:
Rthe seat belt system
Rthe LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing rings
Rthe Top Tether anchorages
iIf it is absolutely necessary to install a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat,
always observe the information on "Child
restraint systems on the front-passenger
seat" (
Ypage 55). There you will also find
information on deactivating the front-
passenger front air bag.
All child restraint systems must meet the fol-
lowing standards:
RU.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 225
RCanadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2
Confirmation that the child restraint system cor-
responds to the standards can be found on an
instruction label on the child restraint system.
This confirmation can also be found in the instal-
lation instructions that are included with the
child restraint system.
Observe the warning labels in the vehicle inte-
rior and on the child restraint system.
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat secur-
ing system
GWARNING
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint systems
do not offer sufficient protection for children
whose weight combined with the child
restraint system is greater than 65 lbs (29 kg) and 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 and the child restraint system
together weigh more than 65 lbs (29 kg), only
use LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint sys-
tems 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.
XInstall the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint system on both LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing
rings :.
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.
52Children in the vehicle
Safety

If the child restraint system is equipped with a
Top Tether belt, this should always be used.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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. Adjust the rear seat
backrests so that they are in an upright posi-
tion.
Make sure that the backrest in the rear com-
partment engages fully. To do so, pull firmly on
the seat backrest.
Top Tether anchorages
Top Tether anchorages ;are on the cargo
compartment floor.
XRemove cargo compartment cover
(Ypage 214).
XMove the head restraint up.
XInstall the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint system with Top Tether. Always comply with
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions when doing so.
XRoute Top Tether belt =under the head
restraint between the two head restraint bars.
XHook Top Tether hook :of Top Tether belt
= into Top Tether anchorage ;.
Make sure that Top Tether belt =is not twis-
ted.
XTension Top Tether belt =. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions when doing so.
XMove head restraint back down again slightly if necessary (Ypage 77). Make sure that
you do not interfere with the correct routing of
Top Tether belt =.
BabySmart™ air bag deactivation sys-
tem
GWARNING
Electronic devices on the front-passenger
seat can affect the function of the Baby-
Smart™ air bag deactivation system, for
example:
RLaptop
RMobile phone
RTransponder cards such as ski passes or
access passes
The front-passenger air bag could deploy acci-
dentally or not function as intended during an
Children in the vehicle53
Safety
Z