2019 MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS warning

Restraint system functionality
Whenthe ignition is switched on, a self-test isperformed, during whichtheurestraint sys‐temwarning lamp lights up. It goes out no laterthan afew seconds afterthevehicle isstarted.The components oftherestraint system arethenfunctional.
Malfunctioningrestraint system
A malfunction has occurred intherestraint sys‐tem if:
Rtheurestraint systemwarning lamp doesnot light up whenthe ignition is switched on
Rtheurestraint systemwarning lamplights up continuously orrepeatedly during ajourney
\nWARNINGRisk of injuryorfatal injuryduetoa malfunction intherestraint sys‐tem
Iftherestraint system is malfunctioning,restraint system components may be trig‐
gered unintentionally or might not be trig‐gered at all intheevent of an accident. Thismay affectthe EmergencyTensioning Deviceor airbag,forexample.
Havetherestraint systemchecked andrepaired immediately at aqualified spe‐cialistworkshop.
Function oftherestraint system in an acci‐dent
Howtherestraint systemworks is determinedbythe severity ofthe impact detected andthe typeof accident anticipated:
RFrontal impact
RRear impact
RSide impact
RRollover
The activationthresholdsforthe components oftherestraint system are determined based ontheevaluation ofthe sensorvalues measured atvarious points inthevehicle. This process is pre-emptive in nature. The triggering/deployment of
the components oftherestraint system musttakeplace in good time atthestart ofthe colli‐sion.
Factors whichcan only be seen and measuredafter a collision has occurred do not play a deci‐siverole inthe deployment of an airbag.Nordotheyprovide an indication of airbag deployment.
Thevehicle may be deformed significantly with‐out an airbag being deployed. This isthe case ifonly parts which arerelatively easily deformedare affected andtherateofvehicle decelerationis not high. Conversely, an airbag may bedeployedeventhoughthevehicle suffersonlyminor deformation. Ifveryrigidvehicle partssuch as longitudinal members are hit,forexam‐ple,this mayresult in sufficiently high levels ofvehicle deceleration.
34Occupant safety

The components oftherestraint system canbe activated or deployed independently ofeachother:
Component Detected deploy‐ment situation
Front EmergencyTen‐sioning DevicesFrontal impact,rearimpact, side impact,rollover
Rear EmergencyTen‐sioning DevicesFrontal impact,rearimpact,rollover
Driver's airbag, frontpassenger front air‐bag
Frontal impact
Knee airbagFrontal impact
Side airbagSide impact
Window curtain air‐bagSide impact,rollover,frontal impact
The front passenger front airbag can only bedeployed in an accident ifthePASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is off. Ifthe front
passenger seat is occupied, make sure, bothbefore and duringthe journey,thatthestatus ofthe front passenger front airbag is correct(page44).
\nWARNINGRisk of burns from hot air bagcomponents
The air bag parts are hot after an air bag hasbeen deployed.
Do nottouchthe air bag parts.
Havea deployed air bagreplaced at aqualified specialistworkshop as soonas possible.
Mercedes-Benzrecommendsthatyou havethevehicletowedtoaqualified specialistworkshopafter an accident.Takethis into account, partic‐ularly if an EmergencyTensioning Device is trig‐gered or an airbag deployed.
Ifthe EmergencyTensioning Devices are trig‐gered or an airbag is deployed,you will hear abang, and a small amount of powder may also bereleased:
RThe bang will notgenerally affectyour hear‐ing.
RIngeneral,the powderreleased is not haz‐ardoustohealth but may cause short-termbreathing difficultiestopersons sufferingfrom asthma orother pulmonary conditions.
Provided it is safetodo so, leavethevehicleimmediately or openthe window in ordertoprevent breathing difficulties.
Airbags andpyrotechnic EmergencyTensioningDevices contain perchlorate material, which mayrequire special handling or environmental pro‐tection measures.National guidelinesregardingwaste disposal must be observed. In California,see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm.
Occupant safety35

Seat belts
Protection providedbythe seat belt
Alwaysfastenyour seat belt correctlybeforestarting a journey.A seat belt can only providethe best level of protection if it isworncorrectly.
\nWARNINGRisk of injuryor death duetoincorrectlyfastened seat belt
Ifthe seat belt is notworncorrectly, it can‐not performits intended protective function.
In addition, an incorrectlyfastened seat beltcan also cause injuries,forexample, intheevent of an accident or when braking orchanging direction suddenly.
Always ensurethat allvehicle occu‐pants havetheir seat beltsfastenedcorrectly and are sitting properly.
Always observethe instructions aboutthe cor‐rect driver's seat position and adjustingthe seat(page 90).
In orderforthe correctlywornseat belttopro‐videthe intended level of protection, eachvehi‐cle occupant must observethefollowing infor‐mation:
RThe seat belt must not be twisted and mustfit tightly and snugly acrossthe body.
RThe seat belt must berouted acrossthe cen‐ter ofthe shoulder and as low down acrossthe hips as possible.
RThe shoulder section ofthe seat belt shouldnottouchyour necknor berouted underyour arm or behindyour back.
RAvoidwearing bulky clothing, e.g. a wintercoat.
RPushthe lap belt down asfar as possibleacrossyour hips and pull tight withthe shoul‐der section ofthe belt. Neverroutethe lapbelt acrossyour abdomen.
RNeverroutethe seat belt across sharp, poin‐ted, abrasive or fragile objects.
ROnly one person should use each seat belt atany one time. Never allowbabies andchil‐drentotravel sitting onthe lap of anothervehicle occupant.
RNever secure objects with a seat belt iftheseat belt is also being usedbyone ofthevehicle's occupants. Always observetheinstructionsfor loadingthevehicle whensecuring objects, luggage or loads(page104).
Also ensurethat no objects, e.g. a cushion,areever placed between a person andtheseat.
The seat belts onthefollowing seats are equip‐ped with a special seat beltretractor:
Rfront-passenger seat
RRear seats
Activate or deactivatethe special seatbeltretractor (page54).
Ifchildren are traveling inthevehicle, be suretoobservethe instructions and safety notes on"Children inthevehicle" (page 49).
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Reduced seat belt protection
\nWARNINGRisk of injuryor death duetoincorrect seat position
The seat belt does not offerthe intendedlevel of protection ifyou havenot movedtheseat backresttoan almostvertical position.
When braking or intheevent of an accident,you could slide underneaththe seat belt andsustain abdominal or neck injuries,forexam‐ple.
Adjustthe seat properlybefore begin‐ningyour journey.
Always ensurethatthe seat backrest isin an almostvertical position andthatthe shoulder section ofyour seat belt isrouted acrossthe center ofyour shoul‐der.
\nWARNINGRisk of injuryor death whenadditionalrestraint systems are not usedfor persons with a smaller build
Persons under 5ft(1.50 m)tall cannotwearthe seat belt correctly without a suitableadditionalrestraint system.
Ifthe seat belt is notworncorrectly, it can‐not performits intended protective function.In addition, an incorrectlyfastened seat beltcan also cause injuries,forexample, intheevent of an accident or when braking orchanging direction suddenly.
Always secure persons under 5ft(1.50 m)tall in a suitablerestraint sys‐tem.
\nWARNINGRisk of injuryor death duetodamaged or modified seat belts
Seat belts cannotprovide protection inthefollowing situations:
RIfthe seat belts are damaged, modified,extremelydirty, bleached or dyed
RIfthe seat belt buckle is damaged orextremelydirty
RIfthe EmergencyTensioning Devices,seat belt anchorages or seat beltretrac‐torshavebeen modified
Seat belts may be damaged in an accident,althoughthe damage may not be visible, e.g.duetosplinters ofglass.
Modified or damaged seat belts maytear orfail, e.g. in an accident.
Modified EmergencyTensioning Devices canaccidentallytrigger orfailtofunction asintended.
Never modifythe seat belts, EmergencyTensioning Devices, seat belt ancho‐rages or seat beltretractors.
Makesurethatthe seat belts areundamaged, notwornand clean.
Always havethe seat beltscheckedimmediately after an accident at aqualified specialistworkshop.
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Only use seat belts which havebeen approvedforyourvehiclebyMercedes-Benz.
\nWARNINGRisk of injuryor death fromdeployedpyrotechnic EmergencyTen‐sioning Devices
Pyrotechnic EmergencyTensioning Devicesthat havebeen deployed are no longer opera‐tional and are unabletoperformtheir inten‐ded protective function.
Therefore, havedeployedpyrotechnicEmergencyTensioning Devices immedi‐atelyreplaced at aqualified specialistworkshop.
Mercedes-Benzrecommendsthatyou havethevehicletowedtoaqualified specialistworkshopafter an accident.
NOTEDamagecausedbytrappingtheseat belt
If an unused seat belt is not fullyretracted, itmay become trapped inthe door or intheseat mechanism.
Always ensurethat an unused seat beltis fullyretracted.
Releasingtherear passenger compartmentcenter seat belt
Ifthe left-handrear seat backrest isfolded downand back up again, it may not be possibletopullouttherear passenger compartment center seatbelt. The seat belt must bereleased.
Pullthe seat belt out approximately 1 in(25 mm) atthe seat belt outlet onthe seatbackrest andthenrelease it again.The seat belt isretracted andreleased.
Fastening and adjustingthe seat belts
Ifthe seat belt is pulledquickly or sharply,theseat beltretractor locks. The seat beltstrap can‐not be pulled out any further.
Always engage seat belttongue2oftheseat belt into seat belt buckle1ofthe cor‐responding seat.
Press and holdthe seat belt outletreleaseand slide seat belt outlet3intothe desiredposition.
Let go ofthe seat belt outletrelease andensurethat seat belt outlet3locksintoposition.
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Vehicles with automatic front passengerfront airbag shutoff:
NOTEDeployment ofthe EmergencyTensioning Device and side air bag whenthe front passenger seat is unoccupied
Ifthe seat belttongue is engaged inthe seatbelt buckle ofthe unoccupied frontpassenger seat,the EmergencyTensioningDevice andthe side air bag may also deployintheevent of an accident along withothersystems.
Only one person should use each seatbelt at any one time.
Vehicles without automatic front passengerfront airbag shutoff:
NOTEDeployment ofthe EmergencyTensioning Device whenthe front-passenger seat is unoccupied
Ifthe seat belttongue is engaged inthe seatbelt buckle ofthe unoccupied front-passenger seat,the EmergencyTensioning
Device may also deployintheevent of anaccident along withother systems.
Only one person should use each seatbelt at any one time.
Seat belt adjustment function
Vehicles with PRE-SAFE®:Ifthe front seat beltis not pulled tight acrossyour body,the seat beltadjustment may automatically apply a certaintighteningforce. Do not holdthe seat belt tightlywhile it is adjusting.
You can activate and deactivatethe seat beltadjustment function usingthe multimedia sys‐tem (page 39).
Releasing seat belts
Presstherelease button inthe seat beltbuckle and guidethe seat belt back withtheseat belttongue.
Activating/deactivating seat belt adjustmentvia the multimedia system
Multimedia system:
VehicleîVehicle SettingsBelt Adjustment
Activatesor deactivateSthe function.
Seat beltwarning functionfor the driver andfront passenger
The

Inthefollowing cases,the seat beltwarninglights up during a journey if:
RThevehicle speedexceeds15mph(25 km/h) andthe driver's or frontpassenger seat belt is notfastened.
RThe driver or front passenger unfastenstheirseat belt whilethevehicle is in motion.
Airbags
Overview of airbags
1Knee airbag
2Driver's airbag
3Front passenger front airbag
4Window curtain airbag
5Side airbag
The installation location of an airbag is identifiedbythe AIRBAGsymbol.
When activated, an airbag can provide additionalprotectionfortherespectivevehicle occupant.
Potential protection from each airbag:
AirbagPotential protectionfor…
Knee airbag Thigh, knee and lower leg
Driver's airbag,front passengerfront airbag
Head andribcage
Window curtainairbagHead
Side airbag Ribcage, also pelvisforfront seat occupants
The front passenger front airbag can only bedeployed in an accident ifthePASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp is off. Ifthe frontpassenger seat is occupied, make sure, bothbefore and duringthe journey,thatthestatus ofthe front passenger front airbag is correct(page44).
NOTEImportant pointstoremember ifthe front passenger seat is unoccupied
In an accident,the components oftherestraint system may deploy unnecessarilyonthe front passenger side if:
RThere are heavy objects onthe frontpassenger seat.
RThe seat belttongue is engaged intheseat belt buckle ofthe front passengerseat andthe front passenger seat isunoccupied.
Stowobjects in a suitable place.
Only one person should use each seatbelt at any one time.
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Protectionbythe airbags
Depending onthe accident situation, an airbagmay supplementthe protection offeredbya cor‐rectlyfastened seat belt.
\nWARNINGRisk of injuryor death duetoincorrect seat position
Ifyou deviate fromthe correct seat position,the air bag cannotperformits intended pro‐tective function and deployment mayevencause further injuries.
Toavoid hazardous situations, always makesurethat allvehicle occupants:
RHavetheir seat beltfastened correctly,including pregnantwomen.
RAre seated properly andthat distancetothe air bags is as large as possible.
RObservethefollowing information.
Always make surethatthere are noobjects betweenthe air bag andthevehicle occupant.
Toavoidtherisksresulting fromthe deploymentof an airbag, eachvehicle occupant mustobservethefollowing information:
RBeforestartingyour journey,adjustyour seatcorrectly;the driver's seat and front-passenger seat should be moved asfar backas possible.
When doing so, always observethe informa‐tion onthe correct driver's seat position(page90).
ROnly holdthesteering wheelbythesteeringwheelrim. This allowsthe airbagtobe fullydeployed.
RAlways lean againstthe seat backrest whenthevehicle is in motion. Do not leanforwardsor againstthe door or side window.You mayotherwise be inthe deployment area oftheairbags.
RAlwayskeepyourfeetonthefloor. Do notputyourfeetonthe cockpit,forexample.Yourfeetmayotherwise be inthe deploy‐ment area ofthe airbag.
RIfchildren are traveling inthevehicle,observethe additional notes(page 49).
RAlwaysstowand secure objects correctly.
Objects inthevehicle interior may prevent anairbag from functioning correctly.Eachvehicleoccupant must always make sure ofthefollow‐ing:
RThere are no people, animals or objectsbetweenthevehicle occupants and an air‐bag.
RThere are no objects betweenthe seat, doorand door pillar (B-pillar).
RThere are no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers,hanging onthe grab handles or coat hooks.
RThere are no accessory parts, such as PNDs(PersonalNavigation Devices), mobilephones or cup holders attachedtothevehi‐cle withinthe deployment area of an airbag,e.g. onthe cockpit, on doors, side windowsor side paneling.
In addition, no connecting cable,tensioningstrap orretainingstrap may berouted
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