Page 49 of 298

GWARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenge rfront air bag is
disabled. It wil lnot be deploye dinthe event of
an accident and cannot perform its intended
protective function. Apersonint he front-
passenger seat coul dthen, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, espe-
cially if the personiss itting too close to the
dashboard. This posesani ncreased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenge rseat is occupied,
alway sensure that:
Rthe classification of the personint he front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bledina ccordance with the personint he
front-passenge rseat
Rthe front-passenge rseat has been moved
back as far back as possible.
Rthe personiss eated 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 achild in arearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenge rseat
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is off, the front-passenge rfront air bag
can deploy in the event of an accident. The
child coul dbestruck by the air bag .This poses
an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenge rfront air
bag has been deactivated. The PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
NEVER use arearward-facing child restraint
on aseat protected by an ACTIVE FRONT AIR-
BAG in front of it; DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY
to the child can occur.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
stays off, do not instal larearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenge rseat.
You can find more information on OCS under
"Problems with the Occupant Classification Sys-
tem" (
Ypage4 9).
GWARNING
If you secure achild in aforward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenge rseat
and you position the front-passenge rseat 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 OFF indicator lamp is off
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Move the front-passenge rseat as far back as
possible.A lways make sure that the shoulder
belts trap is correctly routed from the vehicle
beltg uide to the shoulderb eltguide on the
child restraint system. The shoulderb eltstrap
must be routed forwards and downwards
from the vehicleb eltguide. Always observe
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions.
If OCS determines that:
RThe front-passenge rseat is unoccupied,t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up after the system self-test and
remains lit. This indicates that the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
RThe front-passenge rseat is occupied by a
child of up to twelve months old, in astandard
child restraint system, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up after the
system self-test and remains lit. This indi-
cates that the front-passenge rfront air bag is
deactivated.
But even in the case of atwelve-month-old
child ,inas tandard child restraint system, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp can
go out after the system self-test. This indi-
cates that the front-passenge rfront air bag is
activated. The result of the classification is
dependent on, among other factors, the child
restraint system and the child's stature. Make
sure that the conditions for acorrect classi-
ficatio nare met. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp remains off, do not install
ac hild restraint system on the front-
pa
ssenger seat.
Occupant safety47
Safety
Z
Page 50 of 298

RThe front-passenger seat is occupied by a
person of smaller stature (e.g.ateenager or
small adult), the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the result
of the classification or, alternatively, goes out.
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is off, move the front-passenger seat
as far back as possible.
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, aperson of smaller stature
should not use the front-passenger seat.
RThe front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or aperson of adult stature, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
goes out after the system self-test. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front air bag is
activated.
If children are traveling in the vehicle, be sure to observe the notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(
Ypage 53).
When the Occupant Classification System
(OCS) is malfunctioning, the red 6restraint
system warning lamp on the instrument cluster
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp light up simultaneously. The front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated in this
case and does not deploy during an accident.
Have the Occupant Classification System (OCS)
checked and repaired immediately at aqualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for this purpose.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or the seat cushion are damaged, have the necessary
repair work carried out at aqualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for this purpose.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat accessories that
have been approved by Mercedes-Benz.
If the driver's air bag deploys, this does not
mean that the front-passenger front air bag will
also deploy. The Occupant Classification Sys-
tem (OCS) categorizes the occupant on the
front-passenger seat. Dependin gonthat result,
the front-passenger front air bag is either ena-
bled or deactivated.
System self-test
GDANGER
If both the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps do
not light up during the system self-test, the
system is malfunctioning. The front-
passenger front air bag might be triggered
unintentionally or might not be triggered at all
in the event of an accident with high deceler-
ation. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may not
be used. Do not install achild restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the Occu-
pant Classification System (OCS) checked
and repaired immediately at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop.
GWARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the
front-passenger front air bag is disabled. It will
not be deployed in the event of an accident .In
this case, the front-passenger front air bag
cannot perform its intended protective func-
tion, e.g. when aperson is seated in the front-
passenger seat.
That person could, for example, come into
contact with the vehicle's interior, especially
if the person is sittin gtoo close to the dash-
board. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
alwayse nsure that:
Rthe classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correcta nd the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordanc ewith the person in the
front-passenger seat
Rthe person is seated properly with acor-
rectly fastened seatbelt
Rthe front-passenger seat has been moved
as far back as possible
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit when it should not,t he front-
48Occupant safety
Safety
Page 51 of 298

passenger seat may not be used. Do not
installachild restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. Have the Occupant Classifi-
cation System (OCS) checked and repaired
immediately at aqualified specialist work-
shop.
GWARNING
Objects between the seat surface and the
child restraint system could affect OCS oper- ation. This could result in the front-passenger
air bag not functioning as intended during an
accident. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Do not place any objects between the seat
surface and the child restraint system. The
entire base of the child restraint system must
always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the forward-
facingc hild restraint system must, as far as
possible, be resting on the backrest of the
front-passenger seat. Always comply with the
child restraint system manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions.
After the system self-test, the PASSENGER AIR
BAGO FF or PASSENGER AIR BAGONi ndicator
lamp displays the status of the front-passenger
fronta ir bag (
Ypage 46). If the front-passenger
fronta ir bag is enabled, the PASSENGER AIR
BAGONi ndicator lamp lights up for 60 seconds
and then goes out.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAGONi ndicator lamp is
off, only the PASSENGER AIR BAGO FF indicator
lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
fronta ir bag. The PASSENGER AIR BAGO FF
indicator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
For more information about the OCS, see "Prob-
lems with the Occupant Classification System"
(
Ypage 49).
Problems with the Occupant Classification System (OCS)
Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Ypage 48).
Occupant safety49
Safety
Z
Page 52 of 298

ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up and remains lit,
even though the front-
passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult oraper-
son of astature corre-
sponding to that of an
adult.The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is incor-
rect.
XMake sure the conditionsf orac orrect classification of the person
on the front-passenger seat are met (Ypage 46).
XIf the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the front-
passenger seat may not be used.
XHave OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes- Benz Center.
The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up and/or
does not stay on.
The front-passenger seat
is:
Runoccupied
Roccupied by the
weight of achild up to
twelve months old in a
child restraint system
OCS is malfunctioning.
XMake sure there is nothin gbetween the seat cushion and the child
seat.
XMake sure that the entire base of the child restraint system rests on
the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat. The backrest of the
forward-facing child restraint system must lie as flat as possible
against the backrest of the front-passenger seat. If necessary,
adjust the position of the front-passenger seat.
XWhen installing the child restraint system, make sure that the seat belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight using the front-passenger
seat adjustment .This could result in the seat belt and the child
restraint system being pulled too tightly.
XCheck for correct installation of the child restraint system.
Make sure that the head restraint does not apply aload to the child
restraint system. If necessary, adjust the head restraint accord-
ingly.
XMake sure that no object sare applying additional weight onto the
seat.
XIf the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off and/or
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not install ac hild restraint system on the front-passenger seat.
XHave OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center.
Deployment of Emergency Tensioning
Devices and air bags
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The air bag parts are hot after an air bag has
been deployed. There is arisk of injury.
Do not touch the air bag parts. Have a
deployeda ir bag replaced at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible.
GWARNING
Ad eployeda ir bag no longer offers any pro-
tection and cannot provide the intended pro-
tection in an accident. There is an increased
risk of injury.
Have the vehicle towed to aqualified special-
ist workshop in order to have adeployeda ir
bag replaced.
For your own safety and that of your front
passenger, it is important that you have
deployeda ir bags replaced and faulty air bags
repaired. This will help to make sure the air bags
50Occupant safety
Safety
Page 53 of 298

continuetoperform theirp rotective function for
the vehicle occupants in the event of acrash.
GWARNING
Emergency Tensioning Devices that have
deployed pyrotechnicall yare no longer opera-
tiona land are unabletop erform theirinten-
ded protective function. Thisp oses an
increase driskofi njury or evenf atalinjury.
Have pyrotechnicall ytriggeredE mergency
Tensioning Devices replaced immediatel yata
qualified specialist workshop.
An electri cmotor is used by PRE-SAFE
®to trig-
ger the tightening of the seatb eltinh azardous
situations. Thisp rocedure is reversible.
If Emergency Tensioning Devices are triggered
or ai rbagsa re deployed, yo uwillh earab ang,
and some powder may also be released .The
6 restraint system warning lamp lights up.
Only in rar ecase swillt he bang affect your hear-
ing. The powder that is released generally does
not constitute ahealth hazard ,but it may cause
short-term breathing difficulties in peoplew ith
asthma or otherr espiratory problems. Provided
it is saf etodos o, youshoul dleave the vehicle
immediatel yoropenthe window in order to pre-
vent breathing difficulties.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contai nperchlorate material,
which may require specia lhan dling and regard
for the environment. National guidelines must
be observedd uring disposal .InCalifornia, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm.
Metho dofoperation
During the firs tstag eofac ollision, the restraint
system control uni tevaluates important physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
Rduration
Rdirection
Rintensity
Base dont he evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control uni ttriggers the Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices during afrontalo r
rearc ollision. An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be
triggered, if:
Rthe ignition is switched on
Rthe components of the restraint system are
operational
.You can find further information
under "Restraint system warning lamp"
(
Ypage 38)
Rthe seatb eltb uckle tongueh asengaged in
the bel tbuckle of the respectiv eseat
If the restraint system control uni tdetects a
more severe accident, further components of
the restraint system are activate dindepend-
ently of each otherinc ertain frontalcollision
situations:
RFront ai rbagsasw ellasd river'sa nd front-
passenger knee bags
The front-passenger front ai rbag is activate dor
deactivated depending on the person on the
front-passenger seat. The front-passenger front
ai rb ag can only deploy in an accident if the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off.
Observe the information on the PASSENGER AIR
BAG indicator lamps (
Ypage 39).
You rvehicle hast wo-stage front ai rbags. In the
firs tdeployment stage, the front ai rbag is filled
with propellant gas. The front ai rbag is fully
deployed with the maximum amount of prop
el-
lant gasifas econd deployment thresholdi s
reached within afew milliseconds.
The activation thresholdoft he Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices and the ai rbagsisd etermined
by evaluating the rate of vehicle deceleration or
acceleration which occurs at variousp oints in
the vehicle .Thisp rocess is pre-emptive in
nature. Deployment shoul dtake place in good
time at the star tofthe collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determine dby:
Rthe distribution of forcesd uring the collision
Rthe collision angle
Rthe deformation characteristics of the vehicle
Rthe characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle hasc ollided
Factor swhich can only be seena nd measured
afte rac ollision haso ccurred do not play adeci-
siv eroleint he deployment of an ai rbag.N or do
they provid eanindication of ai rbag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle can be deformedc onsiderably,with-
outana irbagb eing deployed. Thisist he case if
only parts which are relativelye asilyd eformed
Occupan tsafety51
Safety
Z
Page 54 of 298

are affected and therateofd eceleratio nisnot
high.C onversely, air bags may be deployed even
though th evehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is th ecasei f, for example, ver yrigid
vehicle part ssuchasl ongitudinal body mem-
bers are hit,a nd sufficient deceleratio noccurs
as aresult.
If th erestraint system control unit detect saside
impac torift hevehicle roll sover, th eapplicable
component softherestraint system are
deployed independently of each other depend-
ing on th eapparent type of accident.
RSid eimpacta ir bag on th eside of impact,
independently of th eEme rgenc yTensioning
Devic eand th euse of th eseat belt on the
driver'ss eat
The side impac tair bag on th efront -
passenger side deploys unde rthe following
conditions:
-th eO CS system detect sthatthe front-
passenger seat is occupied or
-th es eat belt buckle tongue is engaged in
th eb elt buckle of th efront-pa ssenger seat
RHead bag on th eside of impact, independ-
ently of th euse of th eseat belt and inde-
pendently of whether th efront-pa ssenger
seat is occupied
REmergenc yTensioning Devices, if th esystem
determine sthatd eploymen tcan offer addi-
tional protection in this situation
RHead bags on th edriver'sa nd front-
passenger side in certain situations when the
vehicle roll sover, if t
h
esystem determines
that deploymen tcan offer additional protec-
tio ntot hatp rovided by th eseat belt
iNot all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The differenta ir bag systems work independ-
ently of each other.
How th eair bag system worksisd etermined
by th eseverityoft heaccidentd etected,
especially th evehicle deceleratio noraccel-
eration and th eapparent type of accident:
RFrontal collision
RSid eimpact
RRollover
NECK-PROh eadr estraints
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The function of th ehead restraint may be
impaired if you:
Rattach object ssuchasc oat hangerstot he
head restraints, for example
Ruse head restraint covers
If you do so, th ehead restraint scanno tfulfill
their intended protective function in th eevent
of an accident. In addition,o bjectsattached
to th ehead restraint scoul de ndanger other
vehicle occupants. Thereisani ncreased risk
of injury.
Do no tattach any object stothehead
restraint sand do no tuse head restraint cov-
ers.
Method of operation
NECK-PRO head restraint sreduc ethe likelihood
of head and chest injuries.T he NECK-PRO head
restraint sonthedriver'sa nd front-passenger
seatsa re moved forwards and upwards in the
eventofar ear-endcollision of acertain severity.
This provides bette rhead support.
If th eNECK-PRO head restraint shave been trig-
gered in an accident, you must reset th eNECK-
PRO head restraint sonthedriver’s and front-
passenger seat (
Ypage 53) .Otherwise, the
additional protection will no tbeavailabl einthe
eventofa nother rear-en dcollision.Y ou can rec-
ognize when NECK-PRO head restraint shave
been triggered by th efacttha tthe yh ave moved
forwards and can no longer be adjusted.
Mercedes-Ben zrecommend sthaty ou have the
NECK-PRO head restraint schecked for func-
tionalit yataq ualified specialist workshop after
ar ear-en dcollision.
52Occupant safety
Safety
Page 55 of 298

Resetting triggeredNECK-PRO head
restraints
Do not insert your finger between the upholstery of the headr estraint and the seat. Payp articular
attention whil eresetting the NECK-PROh ead
restraints.
XTilt the top of the NECK-PROh eadrestraint
cushio nforward sinthe direction of arrow :.
XPush the NECK-PROh eadrestraint cushion
dow nasfar as it will go in the direction of
arrow ;.
XFirmly push the NECK-PROh eadrestraint
cushio nbackint he direction of arrow =until
the cushio nengages.
XRepea tthis procedure for the second NECK-
PROh eadrestraint.
iResetting the NECK-PROh eadrestraints
requires alot of strength. If yo uhaved ifficulty
resetting the NECK-PROh eadrestraints, have
this work carrie doutataq uali fied specialist
workshop.
PRE-SAFE®(anticipatory occupant
protection system)
PRE-SAFE®informs yo uofcertain critical driving
situations and take spre-emptive measures to
protect the vehicl eoccupants.
PRE-SAFE
®can take the following measures
independentl yofeacho ther:
Rpre-tensioning the driver'sa nd front-
passenger seatbelt.
Rclosing the sid ewindows.
Rvehicles with amemory function: setting a
more favorabl eseatp osition for the front-
passenger seat.
!Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats. There is adanger
that the seats and/or objects could be dam-
aged when PRE-SAFE
®is activated.
Should an accident not occur, the preventative
measures take nare reversed. Certai nsettings
mus tbem adey ourself.
XIf the seatb eltp re-tensioning is not reduced,
move the seatb ackrest back slightly.
Seatb eltp re-tensioning is released.
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately afte ranaccident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on the
typ eand severity of the impact:
Rthe hazard warning lamps are switched on
Rthe emergency lighting is activated
Rthe vehicl edoors are unlocked
Rthe front sid ewindow sare lowered
Rvehicles with amemory function: the electri-
cally adjustabl esteering wheel is raised when
the driver'sd ooriso pened
Rthe engine is switched off and the fue lsuppl y
is switched off
Rvehicles with mbrace: automatic emergency
call
Childrenint he vehicle
Important safety notes
Ifac hild younger than twelve years olda nd
under 5ft(1.50 m) in height is traveling in the
vehicle:
Ralways secur ethe child in achild restraint
systems uitabl efor Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restraint systemm ustbea ppropri-
ate to the age, weight and size of the child.
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and safety
notesint hissectio nina dditiontot he child
restraint systemm anufacturer's installation
instructions.
Ralways observe the instructions and safety
notesont he "Occupant classification system
(OCS)". (
Ypage 45)
Children in the vehicle53
Safety
Z
Page 56 of 298

GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they coul dset 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 vehiclee quip-
ment and become trapped. There is arisk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, alway stake the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
GWARNING
If persons, particularl ychildren are subjected
to prolonged exposure to extreme heato r
cold, there is arisk 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,
particularl yonthe metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is arisk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you ,alway sensure that the child restraint
system is not exposedtod irect sunlight. Pro-
tect it with ablanket, for example. If the child
restraint system has been exposedtod irect
sunlight, let it cool downb efore securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in
the vehicle.
Always ensure that all vehicleo ccupants have
their seat belts fastened correctly and are sitting
properly.P articular attention must be paidt o
children.
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(
Ypage4 0) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage4 1).
Ab ooster seat may be necessary to achieve
propers eat beltp ositioning for children over
40 lbs (18 kg )until they reach aheight where a three-point seat beltc
an be properly fastened
without abooster seat.
Special seatbelt retractor
GWARNING
If the seat beltisr eleased while driving, the
child restraint system wil lnolonger be
secure dproperly.T he special seat beltr etrac-
tor is disableda nd the inertia real draw sina
portion of the seat belt. The seat beltc annot
be immediatel yrefastened. There is an
increased risk of injury,p ossibly even fatal.
Stop the vehiclei mmediately, paying atten-
tion to road and traffic conditions. Reactivate
the special seat beltr etractor and secure the
child restraint system properly.
The seat beltont he front-passenger's side is
equipped with aspecial seat beltr etractor.
When activated, the special seat beltr etractor
ensure sthat the seat beltc annot slacken once
the child seat is secured.
Installing achild restraint system:
XMake sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
XPul lthe seat belts moothly out of the belt
loop.
XEngage seat beltt ongue in beltbuckle.
Activating the special seat beltr etractor:
XPullthe seat belto ut fullyand let the inertia
reel retract it again.
Whilet he seat beltisr etracting, you should
hear aratcheting sound .The special seat belt
retractor is enabled.
XPush the child restraint system downsot hat
the seat beltist ight and does not loosen.
Removing the child restraint system and deac-
tivating the special seat beltr etractor:
XMake sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
XPress the release button of the seat belt
buckle,hold the beltt ongue and guide it back
toward sthe beltl oop.
The special seat beltr etractor is deactivated.
54Children in the vehicle
Safety