Page 49 of 298

The driver's and front-passenger knee bags
offer additional thigh, knee and lower leg pro-
tection.
Side impact air bags G
WARNING
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 operation of
the occupant classification system (OCS)
could be adversely affected. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz. Side impact air bags
0043deploy next to the outer
bolster of the seat backrest.
When deployed, the side impact air bag offers
additional thorax protection. However, it does
not protect the:
R Head
R Neck
R Arms
Increased pelvis protection is also offered on
vehicles with AMG Performance seat.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side
impact, the side impact air bag is deployed on
the side on which the impact occurs.
The side impact air bag on the front-passenger
side deploys under the following conditions:
R the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
R the seat belt buckle tongue is engaged in the
belt buckle of the front-passenger seat If the belt tongue is engaged in the belt buckle,
the side impact air bag on the front-passenger
side deploys if an appropriate accident situation
occurs. In this case, deployment is independent of whether the front-passenger seat is occupied
or not.
Head air bags Head bags
0043deploy in the area of the side win-
dows at the front.
When deployed, the head bag enhances the
level of protection for the head. However, it does
not protect the:
R chest
R arms
If the restraint system control unit detects a side impact, the head bag is deployed on the side on
which the impact occurs.
If the system determines that they can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt, a head bag may be deployed in other
accident situations (Y page 52).
The head bag on the front-passenger side
deploys under the following conditions:
R the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
R the seat belt buckle tongue is engaged in the
belt buckle of the front-passenger seat
If the belt tongue is engaged in the belt buckle,
the head bag on the front-passenger side
deploys if an appropriate accident situation
occurs. In this case, deployment is independent of whether the front-passenger seat is occupied
or not. Occupant safety
47Safety Z
Page 50 of 298

Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
Introduction The Occupant Classification System (OCS) cat-
egorizes the person in the front-passenger seat.
Depending on that result, the front-passenger
front air bag and front-passenger knee bag are
either enabled or deactivated.
The system does not deactivate:
R the side impact air bag
R the headbag
R the Emergency Tensioning Devices
In vehicles with the AMG Performance seat, the sidebag and the seat belt tensioner are deacti-
vated in the following situation:
R OCS has not categorized the person on the
front-passenger seat as an adult or a person
of corresponding stature and
R the seat belt buckle tongue of the seat belt is
not inserted into the front-passenger seat beltbuckle
Requirements To be classified correctly, the front passenger
must sit:
R with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in an almost upright position with their back
against the seat backrest
R with their feet resting on the floor, if possible
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, OCS may produce a false classifica- tion, e.g. because the front passenger:
R transfers their weight by supporting them-
selves on a vehicle armrest
R sits in such a way that their weight is raised
from the seat cushion
If you install a child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat, be sure to observe the
correct positioning of the child restraint system. Never place objects under or behind the child
restraint system, e.g. a cushion. 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-facing child
restraint system must lie as flat as possible
against the backrest of the front-passenger
seat. The child restraint system must not touch the
roof or be subjected to a load by the head
restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat backrest
and the head restraint position accordingly.
Only then can OCS be guaranteed to function
correctly. Always observe the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Occupant Classification System opera-
tion (OCS) 0043
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
0044 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
The indicator lamps inform you whether the
front-passenger front air bag is deactivated or
enabled.
X Press the Start/Stop button once or twice, or
turn the SmartKey to position 0047or0048 in the
ignition lock.
The system carries out self-diagnostics.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON indicator lamps must light up simul- taneously for approximately six seconds.
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front air bag.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up for 60 sec-
onds, subsequently both indicator lamps are
off (PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and OFF): the
front-passenger front air bag is able to deploy
in the event of an accident.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated. It will
then not be deployed in the event of an acci-
dent.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is off, only the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
front air bag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp may be lit continuously or be off. 48
Occupant safetySafety
Page 51 of 298

If the status of the front-passenger front air bag
changes while the vehicle is in motion, an air bag display message appears in the instrument clus-
ter (Y page 184). When the front-passenger
seat is occupied, always pay attention to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp. Be
aware of the status of the front-passenger front air bag both before and during the journey. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenger front air bag is disabled. It will not be deployed in the event of
an accident and cannot perform its intended
protective function. A person in the front-
passenger seat could then, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, espe-
cially if the person is sitting too close to the
dashboard. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible.
R the person is seated correctly.
Make sure, both before and during the jour-
ney, that the status of the front-passenger
front air bag is correct. G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is off, the front-passenger front air bag
can deploy in the event of an accident. The
child could be struck by the air bag. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenger front air
bag has been deactivated. The PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
NEVER use a rearward-facing child restraint
on a seat 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 install a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat.
You can find more information on OCS under
"Problems with the Occupant Classification Sys-
tem" (Y page 51). G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a forward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and you position the front-passenger seat too close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could:
R come into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
R be 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-passenger seat as far back as
possible. Always make sure that the shoulder belt strap is correctly routed from the vehicle
belt guide to the shoulder belt guide on the
child restraint system. The shoulder belt strap
must be routed forwards and downwards
from the vehicle belt guide. Always observe
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions.
If OCS determines that:
R The front-passenger seat is unoccupied, the
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.
R The front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child of up to twelve months old, in a standard
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-passenger front air bag is deactivated.
But even in the case of a twelve-month-old
child, in a standard child restraint system, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp can
go out after the system self-test. This indi- Occupant safety
49Safety Z
Page 52 of 298

cates that the front-passenger front 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 a correct classi-
fication are met. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp remains off, do not install
a child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat.
R The front-passenger seat is occupied by a
person of smaller stature (e.g. a teenager 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, a person of smaller stature
should not use the front-passenger seat.
R The front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a person 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"
(Y page 55).
When the Occupant Classification System
(OCS) is malfunctioning, the red 0075restraint
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 a qualified 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 a qualified 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. Depending on that result, the front-passenger front air bag is either ena-
bled or deactivated.
Self-check G
DANGER
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps do
not both light up during the self-test, the sys-
tem is malfunctioning. The front-passenger
front air bag might be triggered unintention-
ally or might not be triggered at all in the event of an accident with high deceleration. 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 a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the Occu-
pant Classification System (OCS) checked
and repaired immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit after the self-test, the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated. 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 a person 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 sitting too close to the dash-
board. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or deac- 50
Occupant safetySafety
Page 53 of 298

tivated in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
R the person is seated properly with a cor-
rectly fastened seatbelt
R the 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, the front-
passenger seat must not be used. Do not
install a child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. Have the Occupant Classifi-
cation System (OCS) checked and repaired
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop. G
WARNING
Objects between the seat surface and the
child restraint system could affect OCS oper- ation. This could result in the front-passengerair 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-
facing child restraint system must, as far as
possible, be resting on the backrest of the
front-passenger seat. Always comply with thechild restraint system manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions.
After the self-test, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
or the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
displays the status of the front-passenger front
air bag (Y page 48). If the front-passenger front
air bag is enabled, the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON
indicator lamp lights up for 60 seconds and then
goes out.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is off, only the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp displays the status of the front-passenger front air bag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
For more information about the OCS, see "Prob-
lems with the Occupant Classification System"
(Y page 51).
Problems with the Occupant Classification System (OCS) Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Y
page 50). Occupant safety
51Safety Z
Page 54 of 298

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up and remains lit,
even though the front-
passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult or a per-
son of a stature corre-
sponding to that of an
adult. The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is incor-
rect.
X Make sure the conditions for a correct classification of the person
on the front-passenger seat are met (Y page 48).
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the front-
passenger seat may not be used.
X Have 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 seatis:
R unoccupied
R occupied by the
weight of a child up to
twelve months old in achild restraint system OCS is malfunctioning.
X Make sure there is nothing between the seat cushion and the child
seat.
X Make 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.
X When 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.
X Check for correct installation of the child restraint system.
Make sure that the head restraint does not apply a load to the child restraint system. If necessary, adjust the head restraint accord-
ingly.
X Make sure that no objects are applying additional weight onto the
seat.
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off and/or
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not install a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat.
X Have OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. Deployment of Emergency Tensioning
Devices and air bags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The air bag parts are hot after an air bag has
been deployed. There is a risk of injury.
Do not touch the air bag parts. Have a
deployed air bag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible. G
WARNING
A deployed air 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 a qualified special- ist workshop in order to have a deployed air
bag replaced.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have the
vehicle transported to a qualified specialist
workshop after an accident. Observe the notes
on towing the vehicle away (Y page 258).52
Occupant safetySafety
Page 55 of 298

For your own safety and that of your front
passenger, it is important that you have
deployed air bags replaced and faulty air bags
repaired. This will help to make sure the air bags
continue to perform their protective function for the vehicle occupants in the event of a crash. G
WARNING
Emergency Tensioning Devices that have
deployed pyrotechnically are no longer opera- tional and are unable to perform their inten-
ded protective function. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Have pyrotechnically triggered Emergency
Tensioning Devices replaced immediately at a qualified specialist workshop.
An electric motor is used by PRE-SAFE ®
to trig-
ger the tightening of the seat belt in hazardous
situations. This procedure is reversible.
If Emergency Tensioning Devices are triggered
or air bags are deployed, you will hear a bang,
and some powder may also be released. The
0075 restraint system warning lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your hear-
ing. The powder that is released generally does
not constitute a health hazard, but it may cause short-term breathing difficulties in people with
asthma or other respiratory problems. Provided
it is safe to do so, you should leave the vehicle
immediately or open the window in order to pre- vent breathing difficulties.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contain perchlorate material,
which may require special handling and regard
for the environment. National guidelines must
be observed during disposal. In California, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm.
Method of operation During the first stage of a collision, the restraint
system control unit evaluates important physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
R duration
R direction
R intensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the Emer- gency Tensioning Devices during a head-on or
rear-end collision.
An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be
triggered, if:
R the ignition is switched on
R the components of the restraint system are
operational. You can find further information
under "Restraint system warning lamp"
(Y page 41)
R the seat belt buckle tongue has engaged in
the belt buckle of the respective seat
If the restraint system control unit detects a
more severe accident, further components of
the restraint system are activated independ-
ently of each other in certain frontal collision
situations:
R Front air bags as well as driver's and front-
passenger knee bags
R Side impact air bag and head bag, if the sys-
tem determines that deployment can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt
Depending on the person in the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger front air bag is either
disabled or enabled. The front-passenger front
air bag can be deployed in an accident only if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off.
Observe the information on the PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamps (Y page 41).
Your vehicle has two-stage front air bags. At the
first deployment threshold the front air bag fills with gas. If the second deployment threshold isthen reached within a few milliseconds, the front
air bag is filled with the maximum quantity of
gas.
The activation threshold of the Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices and the air bags is determined
by evaluating the rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration which occurs at various points in
the vehicle. This process is pre-emptive in
nature. Deployment should take place in good
time at the start of the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the collision
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the vehicle
R the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a deci- Occupant safety
53Safety Z
Page 56 of 298

sive role in the deployment of an air bag. Nor do
they provide an indication of air bag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably, with-
out an air bag being deployed. This is the case if only parts which are relatively easily deformed
are affected and the rate of deceleration is not
high. Conversely, air bags may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is the case if, for example, very rigid
vehicle parts such as longitudinal body mem-
bers are hit, and sufficient deceleration occurs
as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side
impact or if the vehicle rolls over, the applicable components of the restraint system are
deployed independently of each other depend-
ing on the apparent type of accident.
R Side impact air bag on the side of impact,
independently of the Emergency Tensioning
Device and the use of the seat belt on the
driver's seat
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side deploys under the following
conditions:
- the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
- the seat belt buckle tongue is engaged in
the belt buckle of the front-passenger seat
R Head bag on the side of impact, independ-
ently of the use of the seat belt and inde-
pendently of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R Emergency Tensioning Devices, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection in this situation
R Head 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 additional protec-
tion to that provided by the seat belt
i Not 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:
R Head-on collision
R Side impact
R Rollover PRE-SAFE
®
(anticipatory occupant
protection system)
Introduction In certain hazardous situations, PRE-SAFE
®
takes pre-emptive measures to protect the vehi- cle occupants.
Important safety notes !
Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats. There is a danger that the seats and/or objects could be dam-
aged when PRE-SAFE ®
is activated.
Despite your vehicle being equipped with the
PRE-SAFE ®
system, the possibility of personal
injuries occurring as a result of an accident can- not be eliminated. 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.
Function PRE-SAFE
®
intervenes:
R in emergency braking situations, e.g. when
BAS is activated
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when physi-
cal limits are exceeded and the vehicle under- steers or oversteers severely
R on vehicles with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC:
when active, Brake Assist intervenes power-
fully
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detected:
R the front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R if the vehicle skids, the side windows are
closed.
R vehicles 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. 54
Occupant safetySafety