
REmergency Tensioning Devices, if the systemdetermines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection in this situation
RWindow curtain air bags on the driver's and
front-passenger side in certain situations
when the vehicle rolls over, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the seat
belt
iNot all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The different air bag systems work independ- ently of each other.
How the air bag system works is determined
by the severity of the accident detected,
especially the vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration and the apparent type of accident:
RFrontal collision
RSide impact
RRollover
Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured
in the front-passenger seat. For this reason, we
strongly advise that you install a child restraint
system on a rear seat. Children are generally
better protected there.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height istraveling in the
vehicle:
Ralways secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this vehicle. The child
restraint system must be appropriate to the
age, weight and size of the child
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes in this section in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions
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.
Always ensure that all vehicle occupants have
their seat belts fastened correctly and are sitting
properly. Particular attention must be paid to
children.
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(
Ypage 42) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage 43).
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
Children in the vehicle49
Safety
Z

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.
If the child restraint system is equipped with a
Top Tether belt, this should always be used.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the Top Tether belt has been incorrectly
secured, e.g. to an eyelet in the cargo com-
partment, the child restraint system is not
correctly kept in place. It therefore cannot
perform its intended protective function in the
event of an accident. There is an increased
risk of injury.
Only secure the Top Tether hook to the Top
Tether anchorage intended for this purpose.
Top Tether anchorages
Example: rear bench seat with three seats
Top Tether anchorages ;are on the bench seat
legs on the rear side of the respective rear bench
seat.
XMove 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 head
restraint :between the two head restraint
bars.
XHook Top Tether hook =into Top Tether
anchorage ;.
Make sure that:
RTop Tether hook =is hooked into Top
Tether anchorage ;as shown.
RTop Tether belt ?is not twisted
XTension Top Tether belt ?. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions when doing so.
XIf necessary, move the head restraint back
down again slightly (Ypage 78). Make sure
that you do not interfere with the correct rout-
ing of Top Tether belt ?.
Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes
Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured
in the front-passenger seat. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install
the child restraint system on a rear seat.
Rearward-facing child restraint system
The front-passenger front air bag cannot be
deactivated. Always install a rearward-facing
child restraint system on a suitable rear seat.
Always observe the child restraint system man-
52Children in the vehicle
Safety

ufacturer's installation and operating instruc-
tions.
Forward-facing child restraint system
If it isabsolute lynecessary to install a forward-
facing ch ildrestraint system on the front-
passenger seat, always move the front-
passenger seat as far back as possible. The
entire base of the ch ildrestraint system must
always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the ch ild
restraint system must lieas flat as possible
against the backrest of the front-passenger
seat. The ch ildrestraint system must not be
subjected to a load bythe head restraint. Adjust
the head restraint position accordingly. Always
make sure that the shoulder beltstrap iscor-
rectly routed from the veh icle beltoutlet to the
shoulder beltguide on the ch ildrestraint sys-
tem. The shoulder beltstrap must berouted
forward and downfrom the veh icle beltoutlet.If
necessary, adjust the veh icle beltoutlet and the
front-passenger seat accordingly.
Alwa ys observe the ch ildrestraint system man-
ufacturer's installation and operating instruc-
tions.
Override features/Child-proof locks
Important safety notes
GWAR NING
If ch ildr en are traveling inthe veh icle, they
co uld:
Ropen doors, thus endangering other people
or road users
Rexit the veh icleand becaught byoncoming
traff ic
Roperate veh icle equipment and become
trapped
There isa risk of an acc ident and injury.
Alwa ys activate the ch ild-proof locks and
overr idefeature ifch ildr en are traveling inthe
veh icle. When leaving the veh icle, always take
the key with you and lock the veh icle. Never
leave ch ildren unattended inthe veh icle.
Child- proof locks for rear doors (
Ypage 54).
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it inmotion 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
Sm artKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave ch ildren unsupervised in the vehicle.
GWARNING
If persons, particularly ch ildren 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 issubjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn thems elves on these parts,
particular lyon 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 isnot exposed to direct sunlight. Pro-
tect it wit h 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.
Children in the vehicle53
Safety
Z

Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems will also
fail, including driving safety systems. Observe
the information relating to the !warning
lamp (
Ypage 196).
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.
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.
The yellow !warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. The lamp goes out when the engine starts
running.
Braking
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsating 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.
XIf ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
XTo make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.
ASR (acceleration skid control)
General notes
Important safety notes
Observe the important safety guidelines for the
driving safety system (Ypage 54).
ASR can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor suspend the laws of physics if the driver
does not pay attention when pulling away or
accelerating. ASR is only an aid. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions.
If you activate or deactivate the all-wheel drive
in a vehicle with this option, ASR will be deacti- vated for the duration of the activation/deacti-
vation process. Vehicles without steering wheel buttons: if ASR
is malfunctioning, the
:indicator lamp lights
up while the engine is running and the engine
power may be reduced (
Ypage 196).
ASR significantly improves traction, i.e. the
transmission of power from the tires to the road surface, and thus increases the vehicle's driving
stability. If the driving wheels start to spin, ASR
brakes individual drive wheels and limits the
engine torque. ASR thus significantly assists you
when pulling away and accelerating, especially
on wet or slippery roads.
If traction on the road surface is not sufficient,
even ASR will not allow you to pull awa
y without
difficulty. The type of tires and total weight of the
vehicle as well as the gradient of the road also
play a crucial role.
If ASR intervenes, the dwarning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes.
Activating/deactivating ASR
GWARNING
If deactivated, ASR will not attempt to stabi-
lize the vehicle during pulling away and accel- eration. There is an increased risk of skidding
and of an accident.
Only deactivate ASR in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
!If you deactivate ASR, ESP®will still inter-
vene to stabilize the vehicle. Frequent braking
automatically triggered by ESP
®can damage
the brake system.
For this reason, deactivate ASR only briefly
and when absolutely necessary.
When ESP®is intervening and the dwarning
lamp in the instrument cluster is flashing, leave
Driving safet ysystem s55
Safety
Z

ASR on. In this case, only depress the acceler-
ator pedal as far as required when pulling away.
XPress theàbutton.
If ASR is deactivated, the dwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up.
ASR is automatically activated when the engine
is started.
It may be best to deactivate ASR briefly in the
following situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
If you deactivate ASR:
Rengine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning wheels
will then achieve a cutting effect for better
traction.
Rtraction control remains active through brake
intervention. If a drive wheel attains its tire
traction limit because one side of the road is
slippery, for example, that wheel is braked.
The traction is then increased in this situation.
Ractive brake intervention by ESP®to increase
driving stability remains active. The d
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes when ESP
®is intervening.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
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.
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons: if the
BAS driving safety system is malfunctioning,
the : warning lamp lights up while the
engine is running (
Ypage 196).
BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If you depress the brake quickly, BAS automat-
ically increases the brake pressure, thereby
reducing the stopping distance.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated.
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
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.
EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
to the rear wheels. This enables EBD to improve
handling during braking.
Observe the information on warning and indica-
tor lamps (
Ypage 196).
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning it will not provide
any vehicle stabilization. There is an increased
risk of skidding or of an accident.
Exercise caution when continuing to drive.
Have ESP
®checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
!Do not run the vehicle on a roller dynamom-
eter (e.g. for performance tests). If you must
operate the vehicle on a roller dynamometer,
please consult a qualified specialist workshop
in advance. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
If you activate or deactivate the all-wheel drive
in a vehicle with this option, ESP
®will be deac-
tivated for the duration of the activation/deac-
tivation process.
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, the hindicator
lamp lights up while the engine is running and
the engine power may be reduced
(
Ypage 195).
iOnly use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP®function properly.
56Driving safety systems
Safety

XTo unlock the driver's or rear door:press
the key release button on the remote control.
The key folds out.
XInsert the key fully into the door lock and turn it to position 2.
The door is unlocked.
XTo lock the vehicle: lock all doors except the
driver's door and, if necessary the rear door,
from inside. To do this, press down the door
locking buttons.
XPress the key release button on the remote
control.
The key folds out.
XInsert the key fully into the driver's door lock
and turn it to position 1.
The driver's door is locked.
Remote control battery
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Batteries contain toxic and corrosive substan- ces. If batteries are swallowed, it can result in
severe health problems. There is a risk of fatalinjury.
Keep batteries out of the reach of children. If
a battery is swallowed, seek medical attention immediately.
HEnvironmental note
Batteries contain dangerous
substances. It is against the
law to dispose of them with
the household rubbish. They
must be collected separatelyand recycled to protect the
environment.
Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally friendly
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop or a special
collection point for used bat-
teries.
The key batteries contain perchlorate material,
which may require special handling and regard for the environment. Check with your local gov-
ernment’s disposal guidelines. California resi-
dents, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm .
We recommend that you have batteries
changed at a qualified specialist workshop.
Checking the batteries
XPress the %or& button for longer than
two seconds.
If battery indicator lamp (
Ypage 61 )lights up
briefly, the batteries in the remote control still
have sufficient charge. Otherwise, change the
batteries immediately.
iIf the remote control is checked within the
signal reception range of the vehicle, pressing
the & or% button:
Rlock or
Runlock the vehicle
Changing batteries
You need a CR 2025 2 3 V cell battery, which can
be obtained from any qualified specialist work-
shop.
When changing the batteries, do not press any
of the buttons on the remote control.
XPress release button ;.
The key folds out.
XRemove battery compartment cover :in the
direction of the arrow.
Key63
Opening and closing
Z

ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The engine cannot be
started using the key.The on-board voltage is too low.
XSwitch off all non-essential consumers, such as interior lighting, and
try to start the engine again.
If this does not work:
XCheck the starter battery and charge it if necessary (Ypage 233).
or
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 243).
or
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
You have lost a key.XHave the key deactivated at a qualified specialist workshop.
XReport the loss immediately to the vehicle insurers.
XIf necessary, have the mechanical locks replaced.
Central locking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart the engine.
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 or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
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.
You can open a locked front door from the inside
at any time. You can open a locked sliding door
or rear door from the inside if it has been previ-
ously unlocked from inside.
Locking and unlocking manually
Central locking buttons
Use the central locking buttons to centrally
lock/unlock either the entire vehicle or just the sliding doors and rear doors from the inside.
Central locking65
Opening and closing
Z

Electrical closing assist
If your vehicle is equipped with electrical closing
assist, you will require less force to close the
sliding door.
Electrical step
Important safety notes
!
Always observe the ground clearance of the
vehicle and avoid obstacles. On vehicles with a step, ground clearance is further restricted.
Obstacles can damage the vehicle.
If you must drive over obstacles, drive espe-
cially slowly and carefully. If necessary, have
another person direct you.
If you do not use the grab handle and the step,
you could injure yourself when getting in and out
of the vehicle.
In order to reduce risks:
Rdraw the passengers' attention to the electri-
cal step. Wait until the electrical step is fully
extended.
Rdo not jump out of the vehicle.
Ronly use the grab handle and step. Only they
are designed for such a load.
Rkeep grab handles, access steps and entry
sills free from dirt, e.g. mud, clay, snow and
ice.
Operation and obstacle detection
Electrical step
The sliding door of your vehicle can be equipped
with an electrical step.
XWhen getting in and out of the vehicle, use the grab handles and electrical step :.Electrical step
:automatically extends when
the sliding door is opened and retracts when it is
closed.
Electrical step :is equipped with an obstruc-
tion detection device on the front side. If the
step comes into contact with an obstacle while
it is extending, it stops.
After you have removed the obstacle, you must
first close the sliding door and open it once
again so that the step can extend completely.
iIf the electrical step obstructs loading, you
can prevent the step from extending when
opening the sliding door via obstacle detec-
tion. The electrical step can then remain
retracted and a forklift or other lifting equip-
ment can be moved nearer to the cargo com-
partment.
Vehicles without steering-wheel buttons: if
the 1 indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up and a warning tone sounds, elec-
trical step :is malfunctioning (
Ypage 204).
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons: if the
Electrical
Stepmessage is shown in the dis-
play and a warning tone sounds, electrical
step :is malfunctioning (
Ypage 194).
If electrical step :is malfunctioning, the step
may only partially extend/retract or may not
extend/retract at all. If a malfunction does
occur, you will have to retract and lock electrical
step :manually before continuing the journey
(
Ypage 68).
Before passengers get out of the vehicle, let
them know that electrical step :might not be
extended.
Emergency release
!
Driving with the step extended may result in
it being damaged.
If the electrical step does not retract auto-
matically, you will have to push it in and lock it
into place manually before continuing your
journey.
68Electrical step
Opening and closing