Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children securedin the rear seats are safer than children securedin the front-passenger seat. For this reason,Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you installa child restraint system on a rear seat. Childrenare generally better protected there.
If a child younger than twelve years old andunder 5 ft (1.50 m) in height is traveling in thevehicle:
Ralways secure the child in a child restraintsystem suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.The child restraint system must be appropri-ate to the age, weight and size of the child.
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and safetynotes in this section in addition to the childrestraint system manufacturer's installationinstructions.
Ralways observe the instructions and safetynotes on the "Occupant classification system(OCS)". (Ypage 51)
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 positionP.
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 havetheir seat belts fastened correctly and are sittingproperly. Particular attention must be paid tochildren.
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt(Ypage 45)and the notes on correct use of seatbelts (Ypage 46).
A booster seat may be necessary to achieveproper seat belt positioning for children over40 lbs(18 kg) until they reach a height where athree-point seat belt can be properly fastenedwithout a booster seat.
Special seatbelt retractor
GWARNING
If the seat belt is released while driving, the
child restraint system will no longer be
secured properly. The special seat belt retrac-
tor is disabled and the inertia real draws in a
portion of the seat belt. The seat belt cannot
be immediately refastened. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Stop the vehicle immediately, paying atten-
tion to road and traffic conditions. Reactivate
the special seat belt retractor and secure the
child restraint system properly.
All seat belts in the vehicle, except the driver'sseat belt, are equipped with a special seat beltretractor. When activated, the special seat beltretractor ensures that the seat belt cannotslacken once the child seat is secured.
Children in the vehicle59
Safety
Z
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.
Child-proof locks for the rear doors
You secure each door individually with the child-proof locks on the rear doors. A door securedwith a child-proof lock cannot be opened frominside the vehicle. When the vehicle is unlocked,the door can be opened from the outside.
XTo activate:press the child-proof lock leverup in the direction of arrow C.
XMake sure that the child-proof locks are work-ing properly.
XTo deactivate:press the child-proof locklever down in the direction of arrow D.
Child-proof locks for the rear side win-
dows
XTo enable/disable:press button D.If indicator lamp Cis lit, operation of the rearside windows is disabled. Operation is onlypossible using the switches in the driver'sdoor. If indicator lamp Cis off, operation ispossible using the switches in the rear com-partment.
Pets in the vehicle
GWARNING
If you leave animals unsupervised or unse-
cured in the vehicle, they may press buttons
or switches, for instance.
In this way, animals may:
Ractivate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
Rswitch systems on or off and thereby
endanger other road users
Furthermore, unsecured animals may be flung
around inside the vehicle in the event of an
accident or abrupt steering or braking maneu-
ver, and thereby injure vehicle occupants.
There is a risk of accident and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle.
Always secure animals properly when driving,
for instance with a suitable pet carrier.
64Pets in the vehicle
Safety
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information aboutthe following driving safety systems:
RABS (Anti-lockBrakingSystem)(Ypage 65)
RBAS (BrakeAssistSystem) (Ypage 66)
RActive Brake Assist (Ypage 66)
RESP®(ElectronicStabilityProgram)(Ypage 68)
REBD (ElectronicBrake forceDistribution)(Ypage 72)
RADAPTIVE BRAKE (Ypage 72)
RActive Brake Assist with cross-traffic function(Ypage 72)
RSTEER CONTROL (Ypage 75)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you areinattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-ther reduce the risk of an accident nor overridethe laws of physics. Driving safety systems aremerely aids designed to assist driving. You areresponsible for maintaining the distance to thevehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking ingood time, and for staying in lane. Always adaptyour driving style to suit the prevailing road andweather conditions and maintain a safe distancefrom the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The driving safety systems described only workas effectively as possible when there is ade-quate contact between the tires and the roadsurface. Pay particular attention to the informa-tion regarding tires, recommended minimumtire tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and tires"section (Ypage 330).
In wintry driving conditions, always use wintertires (M+S tires)and if necessary, snow chains.Only in this way will the driving safety systemsdescribed in this section work as effectively aspossible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way thatthe wheels do not lock when you brake. Thisallows you to continue steering the vehicle whenbraking.
The %ABS warning lamp in the instrumentcluster lights up when the ignition is switchedon. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface conditions.ABS works on slippery surfaces, even when youonly brake gently.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-tion (Ypage 65).
GWARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,including driving safety systems, will alsobecome inoperative. Observe the informationon the ABS warning lamp (Ypage 259) and dis-play messages which may be shown in theinstrument cluster (Ypage 228).
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes:continue to depress thebrake pedal vigorously until the braking sit-uation is over.
XTo make a full brake application:depressthe brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel apulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indicationof hazardous road conditions, and functions as areminder to take extra care while driving.
Driving safety systems65
Safety
Z
multimedia system; see the Digital Operator'sManual.
You will receive visual and acoustic locking con-firmation if all components were able to belocked.
When the locator lighting is activated via themultimedia system, it lights up when it is darkafter the vehicle is unlocked with the SmartKey;see the Digital Operator's Manual.
XTo open the tailgate automatically fromoutside the vehicle:press and hold the Tbutton until the tailgate opens.
XTo close the tailgate automatically fromoutside the vehicle:if the SmartKey is loca-ted in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle,press the Tbutton on the SmartKey.When the tailgate closes you can then releasethe button.
KEYLESS-GO
General notes
Bear in mind that the engine can be started byany of the vehicle occupants if there is a Smart-Key in the vehicle (Ypage 133).
Locking/unlocking centrally
You can start, lock or unlock the vehicle usingKEYLESS-GO. To do this, you only need carry theSmartKey with you. You can combine the func-tions of KEYLESS-GO with those of a conven-tional SmartKey. Unlock the vehicle by usingKEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it using the 7button on the SmartKey.
The driver's door and the door at which the han-dle is used, must both be closed. The SmartKeymust be outside the vehicle. When locking orunlocking with KEYLESS-GO, the distancebetween the SmartKey and the correspondingdoor handle must not be greater than 3 ft (1 m).
A brief radio connection between the vehicleand the SmartKey determines whether a validSmartKey is in, or in the direct vicinity of, thevehicle. This occurs, for example:
Rwhen starting the engine
Rwhile driving
Rwhen using HANDS-FREE ACCESS
Rwhen the external door handles are touched
Rduring convenience closing
XTo unlock the vehicle:touch the inner sur-face of the door handle.
XTo lock the vehicle:touch sensor surface Cor D.
Make sure that you do not touch the innersurface of the door handle.
XConvenience closing feature:touchrecessed sensor surface Dfor an extendedperiod.
Further information on the convenience clos-ing feature (Ypage 91).
XTo unlock the tailgate:push the top of staron the tailgate.
Deactivating and activating
If you do not intend to use a SmartKey for anextended period of time, you can deactivate theKEYLESS-GO function of the SmartKey. TheSmartKey will then use very little power, therebyconserving battery power. For the purposes ofactivation/deactivation, the vehicle must not benearby.
XTo deactivate:press the 7button on theSmartKey twice in rapid succession.The battery check lamp (Ypage 80) of theSmartKey flashes twice briefly and lights uponce, then KEYLESS-GO is deactivated.
XTo activate:press any button on the Smart-Key.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.KEYLESS-GO and all of its associated featuresare available again.
78SmartKey
Opening and closing
SmartKey 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 fatal
injury.
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 separately
and 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 SmartKey batteries contain perchloratematerial, which may require special handlingand regard for the environment. National guide-lines must be observed during disposal. In Cal-ifornia, seewww.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have thebatteries replaced at a qualified specialist work-shop.
Checking the battery
XPress the 7or 6button.The battery is working properly if batterycheck lamp Clights up briefly.
The battery is discharged if battery checklamp Cdoes not light up briefly.
XChange the battery (Ypage 80).
If the SmartKey battery is checked within thesignal reception range of the vehicle, pressingthe 7or 6button:
Rlocks or
Runlocks the vehicle
iYou can get a battery at any qualified spe-cialist workshop.
Replacing the battery
You require a CR 2025 3 V cell battery.
XTake the mechanical key out of the SmartKey(Ypage 79).
XPress mechanical key Dinto the SmartKeyopening in the direction of the arrow until bat-tery compartment cover Copens. Do nothold battery compartment cover Cclosedwhile doing so.
XRemove battery compartment cover C.
80SmartKey
Opening and closing