
XPull both seat belt tongues?and Cfrom
bracket :.
XPull the seat belt smoothly from the belt outlet
and engage fixed belt tongue ?in belt
buckle ;.
XTo fasten the seat belt: pull the seat belt
smoothly from the belt outlet and engage
movable belt tongue Cin belt buckle A.
XIf necessary, pull up on the shoulder section
of the seat belt to tighten the belt across your
body.
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 the front doors are closed
and the driver's or front-passenger seat belt has
not been fastened, the 7seat belt warning
Occupant safety43
Safety
Z

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

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

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.
Child-proof locks for the rear side doors
and rear door
Each rear side door and rear door is secured
individually with the child-proof locks. A door
secured with a child-proof lock cannot be
opened from inside the vehicle. When the vehi-
cle is unlocked, the door can be opened from the
outside.
Child-proof locks for the rear side doors
XTo activate: press the child-proof lock lever
down in the direction of arrow ;.
XMake sure that the child-proof locks are work-
ing properly.
XTo deactivate:press the child-proof lock
lever up in the direction of arrow :.
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows
XTo enable/disable:press button:.
If indicator lamp ;is lit, operation of the rear
side windows is disabled. Operation is only
possible using the switches in the driver's
door. If indicator lamp ;is off, operation is
possible using the switches in the rear com-
partment.
Pets in the vehicle
GWARNING
If you leave animals unattended or unsecured
in the vehicle, they could press buttons or
switches, for example.
Pets in the vehicle57
Safety
Z

As a result, they could:
Ractivate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
Ractivate or deactivate systems, thereby
endangering other road users
Unsecured animals could also be flung around
the vehicle in the event of an accident or sud-
den steering or braking, thereby injuring vehi- cle occupants. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
RABS ( Anti-lock Braking System)
(Ypage 58)
RBAS ( Brake Assist System) (Ypage 59)
RESP®(E lectronic StabilityProgram)
(Ypage 59)
REBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(Ypage 61)
RADAPTIVE BRAKE (Ypage 61)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor override
the laws of physics. Driving safety systems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for maintaining the distance to the
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. Pay particular attention to the informa-
tion regarding tires, recommended minimum tire tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and tires"
section (
Ypage 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 yellow !ABS warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when the ignition is
switched on. It goes out when the engine is run- ning.
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 58).
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 194) and dis-
play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (
Ypage 175).
58Driving safety systems
Safety

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.
Off-road ABS
ESP®automatically activates the ABS system
specifically suited to off-road terrain.
At speeds below 37 mph (60 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking. The dig-
ging-in effect achieved in the process reduces
the stopping distance on off-road terrain. This
limits steering capability.
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
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 58).
GWARNING
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
XKeep 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.
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 58).
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.
4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 58).
4ETS traction control 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 58).
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 systems59
Safety
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!Only operate the vehicle for a maximum of
ten seconds on a brake test dynamometer.
Switch off the ignition.
Application of the brakes by ESP
®may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
!A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a two-axle dynamometer.
Before you operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified
workshop. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
If the å ESP
®OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, ESP®is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®warning lamp lights up contin-
uously, ESP®is not available due to a malfunc-
tion.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 196) and display messages which may
be displayed in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 175).
Only use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP
®function properly.
If differential locks are switched on, ABS, BAS
and ESP
®switch off automatically.
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, e.g. if
ESP®was deactivated before the engine was
automatically switched off.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 58).
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.
It may be best to deactivate ESP
®in the follow-
ing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Roff-road
Spinning the wheels results in a cutting action
which provides better grip.
Activate ESP
®as soon as the situations descri-
bed 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®
60Driving safety systems
Safety

XTo deactivate:press button:.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
XTo activate: press button :.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument 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.
RTraction control is still activated.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
RMercedes-AMG vehicles: and are driving a
speed at above 62 mph (100 km/h), ESP®still
intervenes when one wheel reaches its grip
limit even though it is deactivated.
RAll other models: and are driving at a speed
above 37 mph (60 km/h), ESP®still inter-
venes when one wheel reaches its grip limit
even though it is deactivated.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: if ESP
®is deactiva-
ted, it is reactivated automatically if you are
driving at a speed above 62 mph (100 km/h) or
you exceed a certain lateral acceleration.
All other models: if ESP
®is deactivated, it is
re
activated automatically if you are driving at a
speed above 37 mph (60 km/h) or you exceed a
certain lateral acceleration.
Trailer stabilization
General information
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP®assists you in this situation. ESP®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limiting
the engine output until the vehicle/trailer com-
bination has stabilized.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP
®can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer com-
bination) begins to lurch, you can only stabilize
the vehicle/trailer combination by depressing
the brake firmly.
ESP
®trailer stabilization is active above speeds
of approximately 37 mph (60 km/h).
ESP
®trailer stabilization does not work if ESP®
is deactivated or malfunctioning.
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information
EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
on the rear wheels to improve driving stability
while braking.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 58).
GWARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the
risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (
Ypage 194) as well as display
messages (Ypage 176).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE provides increased braking
safety. In addition to the braking function,
ADAPTIVE BRAKE also has the HOLD function
(
Ypage 142) and hill start assist (Ypage 107).
Driving safety systems61
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