of 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 290).
Fastening and adjusting the seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Ypage 46) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage 47).
If the center rear seat belt is being used, also
observe the information about the seat belt for
the center rear seat (
Ypage 48).
Basic illustration
XAdjust the seat (Ypage 99).
The seat backrest must be in an almost
upright position.
XPull the seat belt smoothly from the belt outlet
and engage belt tongue ;into belt
buckle :.
The seat belt on the driver’s seat and the
front-passenger seat may be tightened auto-
matically, see "Belt adjustment"
(
Ypage 48).
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 outlet if necessary.
XTo raise:
slide the belt outlet up.
The belt outlet will engage in various posi-
tions.
XTo lower: hold belt outlet release =and slide
the belt outlet down.
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 60).
Seat belt for the center rear seat
If the left-hand rear seat backrest is folded down
and back up again, the rear center seat belt may
lock. The seat belt can then not be pulled out.
XTo release the rear center seat belt: pull
the seat belt out approximately 1 in (25 mm)
at the belt outlet on the backrest and then
release it again.
The seat belt is retracted and released.
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.
Seat belt adjustment
The belt adjustment is a convenience function
integrated into PRE-SAFE®. With this function,
the driver's and front-passenger seat belts are
adjusted to the upper body of the vehicle occu-
pant.
The seat belt strap will slightly tighten if:
Rthe belt tongue is inserted into the buckle and
Rthe ignition is switched on
48Occupant safety
Safety
The seat belt adjustment will apply a certain
tightening force if any slack is detected between
the vehicle occupant and the seat belt. Do not
grab hold of the seat belt.
You can switch the seat belt adjustment on and
off using the multimedia system. Information on
switching the seat belt adjustment on and off
can be found in the Digital Operating Instruc-
tions.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger
The7 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
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, 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 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 56).
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-
Occupant safety49
Safety
Z
PRE-SAFE®takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detected:
Rthe front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
Rif the vehicle skids, the side windows and the
panorama roof with power tilt/sliding panel
are closed.
Rvehicles with the memory function for the
front-passenger seat: the front-passenger
seat is adjusted if it is in an unfavorable posi-
tion.
If the hazardous situation passes without result-
ing in an accident, PRE-SAFE
®slackens the belt
pre-tensioning. All settings made by PRE-SAFE®
can then be reversed.
If the seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced:
XMove the seat backrest or seat back slightly
when the vehicle is stationary.
The seat belt pre-tensioning is reduced and
the locking mechanism is released.
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE
®convenience function. Informa-
tion about the convenience function can be
found under "Belt adjustment" (
Ypage 48).
PRE-SAFE®PLUS (anticipatory occu-
pant protection system PLUS)
Introduction
PRE-SAFE®PLUS is only available in vehicles
with the Driving Assistance package.
Using the radar sensor system, PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS is able to detect that a head-on or rear-end
collision is imminent. In certain hazardous sit-
uations, PRE-SAFE
®PLUS takes pre-emptive
measures to protect the vehicle occupants.
Important safety notes
The intervention of PRE-SAFE®PLUS cannot
prevent an imminent collision.
The driver is not warned about the intervention
of PRE-SAFE
®PLUS.
PRE-SAFE®PLUS does not intervene:
Rif the vehicle is backing up
Rwhen the vehicle is towing a trailer and there
is a risk of a rear-end collision When driving, or when parking or exiting a park-
ing space with assistance from Parking Pilot,
PRE-SAFE
®PLUS will not apply the brakes.
Function
PRE-SAFE®PLUS intervenes in certain situa-
tions if the radar sensor system detects an
imminent head-on or rear-end collision.
PRE-SAFE
®PLUS takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detected:
Rif the radar sensor system detects that a
head-on collision is imminent, the seat belts
are pre-tensioned.
Rif the radar sensor system detects that a rear-
end collision is imminent:
-the brake pressure is increased if the driver
applies the brakes when the vehicle is sta- tionary.
-the seat belts are pre-tensioned.
The PRE-SAFE®PLUS braking application is can-
celed:
Rif the accelerator pedal is depressed when a
gear is engaged
Rif the risk of a collision passes or is no longer
detected
Rif Distance Pilot DISTRONIC indicates an
intention to pull away
If the hazardous situation passes without result-
ing in an accident, the original settings are
restored.
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 switched on
Rthe emergency lighting is activated
Rthe vehicle doors are unlocked
Rthe front side windows are lowered
Rvehicles with a memory function: the electri-
cally adjustable steering wheel is raised when
the driver's door is opened
Rthe engine is switched off and the fuel supply
is cut off
Rvehicles with mbrace: automatic emergency
call
Occupant safety59
Safety
Z
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in theevent of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
Do not rotate the head restraints of the front and rear seats. Otherwise, you cannot adjust the
height and angle of the head restraints cor-
rectly.
Using the fore-and-aft adjustment, adjust the
head restraint so that it is as close as possible to
your head.
GWARNING
If the driver's seat is not engaged, it could
move unexpectedly while the vehicle is in
motion. This could cause you to lose control of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Always make sure that the driver's seat is
engaged before starting the vehicle.
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.
GWARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
other vehicle occupants could be trapped and
thereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem.
GWARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder.
!To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
Rkeep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
Rif the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat heat-
ing should also not be used to dry the seats.
Rclean the seat covers as recommended;
see "Interior care".
Rdo not transport heavy loads on the seats.
Do not place sharp objects on the seat
cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools. The
seats should only be occupied by passen-
gers, if possible.
Rwhen the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating materi-
als, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat covers,
child seats or booster seats.
!Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when mov-
ing the seats back. There is a risk that the
seats and/or the objects could be damaged.
iThe rear-compartment head restraints can
be removed (Ypage 103).
For more information, contact a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
iRelated topic:
REASY-PACK Quickfold rear bench seat
(Ypage 293)
100Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Steering wheel
Important safety notes
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.
GWARNING
Children could injure themselves if they
adjust the steering wheel. There is a risk of
injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The electrically adjustable steering wheel can
still be adjusted when there is no key in the igni-
tion lock.
Adjusting the steering wheel man-
ually
:Release lever
;Adjusts the steering wheel height
=Adjusts the steering wheel position (fore-
and-aft adjustment)
XPush release lever :down completely.
The steering column is unlocked.
XAdjust the steering wheel to the desired posi-
tion.
XPush release lever :up as far as it will go.
The steering column is locked.
XCheck if the steering column is locked. When
doing so, try to push the steering wheel up or down or try to move it in the fore-and-aft
direction.
Adjusting the steering wheel electri-
cally
:Adjusts the steering wheel height
;Adjusts the steering wheel position (fore-
and-aft adjustment)
iFurther related subjects:
REASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature (Ypage 106)
RStoring settings (Ypage 110)
Steering wheel heating
Switching on/off
Steering wheel105
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z
XTurn the SmartKey to position2in the igni-
tion lock (Ypage 136).
XTo switch on/off: turn the lever in the direc-
tion of arrow :or;.
Indicator lamp =lights up or goes out. If you switch off the ignition, the steering wheel
heating is deactivated.
Problems with the steering wheel heating
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and
MSolutions
The steering wheel heat-
ing has switched off pre-
maturely or cannot be
switched on.The on-board voltage is too low because too many electrical consum-
ers are switched on.
XSwitch off electrical consumers that you do not need, such as the
rear window defroster or interior lighting.
EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature adjusts
the steering wheel, you and other vehicle
occupants – particularly children – could
become trapped. There is a risk of injury.
While the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature is mak-
ing adjustments, make sure that no one has
any body parts in the sweep of the steering
wheel.
Move the steering wheel adjustment lever if
there is a risk of entrapment by the steering
wheel. The adjustment process is stopped.
You can stop the adjustment process by press-
ing one of the memory function's position but-
tons. This function is only available on vehicles
with memory function.
GWARNING
If children activate the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT fea-
ture, they can become trapped, particularly
when unattended. There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
GWARNING
If you drive off while the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT
feature is making adjustments, you could lose
control of the vehicle. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always wait until the adjustment process is
complete before driving off.
The EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature makes getting in
and out of your vehicle easier.
You can activate and deactivate the EASY-
ENTRY/EXIT feature using the multimedia sys-
tem (see the Digital Operator's Manual)
Position of the steering wheel when the
EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature is active
The steering wheel swings up when you:
Rremove the SmartKey from the ignition lock
Rwith KEYLESS-GO or KEYLESS-GO start
function: open the driver's door; the voltage
supply must be switched on
Rwith the SmartKey: open the driver's door;
the SmartKey must be in position gor1 in
the ignition lock (
Ypage 136)
Ropen the driver's door when the ignition is
switched off
iThe steering wheel only tilts up if the driving
position is stored after the steering column
adjustment has been adjusted (
Ypage 110).
The most recent driving position of the steering
wheel is stored if:
Rthe ignition is switched off
Rthe setting is stored using the memory func-
tion (Ypage 110)
106Steering wheel
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Calling up a stored parking position set-
ting
XTurn the SmartKey to position2in the igni-
tion lock (Ypage 136).
XAdjust the exterior mirror on the front-
passenger side using button =.
XEngage reverse gear.
The exterior mirror on the front-passenger
side moves to the stored parking position.
The exterior mirror on the front-passenger side
moves back to its original position:
Ras soon as you exceed a speed of 9 mph
(15 km/ h)
Rabout ten seconds after you have disengaged
reverse gear
Rwhen you use button ?to select the exterior
mirror on the driver's side
Memory function
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you use the memory function on the driver's side while driving, you could lose control of
the vehicle as a result of the adjustments
being made. There is a risk of an accident.
Only use the memory function on the driver's
side when the vehicle is stationary.
GWARNING
When the memory function adjusts the seat or steering wheel, you and other vehicle occu-
pants – particularly children – could become
trapped. There is a risk of injury.
While the memory function is making adjust-
ments, make sure that no one has any body
parts in the sweep of the seat or steering
wheel. If somebody becomes trapped, imme-
diately release the memory function position
button. The adjustment process is stopped.
GWARNING
Children could become trapped if they acti-
vate the memory function, particularly when
unattended. There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The memory function can be used at any time,
e.g. even when the SmartKey is not in the igni-
tion lock.
Storing settings
With the memory function, you can store up to
three different settings, e.g. for three different
people.
The following settings are stored as a single
memory preset:
Rposition of the seat, backrest and head
restraint
Rdriver's side: position of the exterior mirrors
on the driver's and front-passenger sides
Rposition of the head-up display
XAdjust the seat accordingly (Ypage 101).
XOn the driver's side, adjust the steering wheel
(Ypage 105) and the exterior mirrors
(Ypage 107).
XPress memory button Mand then press one of
the memory position buttons 1,2or 3within
three seconds.
The settings are stored in the selected preset
position. A tone sounds when the settings
have been completed.
Calling up a stored setting
XPress and hold the relevant memory position
button 1,2or 3until the following compo-
nents are in the saved position:
110Memory function
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors