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. Front side impact air bags
0043and rear side
impact air bags 0044deploy next to the outer bol-
ster of the seat backrest.
When deployed, the side impact air bag offers
additional thorax protection. It also offers addi-
tional pelvis protection for occupants in the
front seats. However, it does not protect the:
R head
R neck
R arms
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.
Window curtain air bags Window curtain air bags
0043are integrated into
the side of the roof frame and deployed in the
area from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
When deployed, the window curtain air bag
enhances the level of protection for the head.
However, it does not protect the chest or arms.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side impact, the window curtain air 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 window curtain air bag may be
deployed in other accident situations
(Y page 54). 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 is either enabled or deactivated.
The system does not deactivate:
R the side impact air bag
R the window curtain air bag
R the Emergency Tensioning Devices Occupant safety
49Safety Z
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 bags on the side where the
impact takes place, independently of the
Emergency Tensioning Device and the use of
the seat belt on the driver's seat and outer
seats in the second row
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 Window curtain air bag on the side of impact,
independently of the use of the seat belt and
independently 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 Window 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
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.
Although your vehicle is equipped with PRE-
SAFE ®
, the possibility of injury in the event of an
accident cannot be ruled out. 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 the Driving Assistance PLUS
package: when Active Brake Assist intervenes
powerfully or the radar sensor system detects an imminent danger of collision in certain sit- uations
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 and the
sliding sunroof are closed.
R vehicles with the memory function: the front-
passenger seat is adjusted if it is in an unfav-
orable position.
R vehicles with a multicontour seat: the air pres-
sure in the side bolsters of the seat backrest
is increased.
If the hazardous situation passes without result- ing in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens the belt
pre-tensioning. On vehicles with multicontour
seats, the air pressure in the side bolsters is
reduced again. All settings made by PRE-SAFE ®
can then be reversed. 56
Occupant safetySafety
If the seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced:
X Move the seat backrest or seat back slightly
when the vehicle is stationary.
The seat belt pre-tensioning is reduced and
the locking mechanism is released.
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. Informa-
tion about the convenience function can be
found under "Belt adjustment" (Y page 46).PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS (anticipatory occu-
pant protection system PLUS)
Introduction PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS is only available in vehicles
with the Driving Assistance PLUS package.
Using the radar sensor system, PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS is able to detect that a head-on or rear-end
collision is imminent. In certain hazardous sit-
uations, PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS takes pre-emptive
measures to protect the vehicle occupants.
Important safety notes The intervention of PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS cannot
prevent an imminent collision.
The driver is not warned about the intervention
of PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS.
PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS does not intervene if the vehi-
cle is backing up.
When driving, or when parking or exiting a park-
ing space using Active Parking Assist, PRE-
SAFE ®
PLUS will not apply the brakes.
Function PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS intervenes in certain situa-
tions if the radar sensor system detects an
imminent head-on or rear-end collision. PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detected:
R if the radar sensor system detects that a
head-on collision is imminent, the seat belts
are pre-tensioned.
R if the radar sensor system detects that a rear-
end collision is imminent:
- the brake pressure is increased if the driver
applies the brakes when the vehicle is sta- tionary.
- the seat belts are pre-tensioned.
The PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS braking application is can-
celed:
R if the accelerator pedal is depressed when a
gear is engaged
R if the risk of a collision passes or is no longer
detected
R if Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC indicates
an intention to intervene
If the hazardous situation passes without result- ing in an accident, the original settings are
restored. Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on the
type and severity of the impact:
R the hazard warning lamps are switched on
R the emergency lighting is activated
R the vehicle doors are unlocked
R the front side windows are lowered
R vehicles with a memory function: the electri-
cally adjustable steering wheel is raised when
the driver's door is opened
R the engine is switched off and the fuel supply
is cut off
R vehicles with Mercedes me connect: auto-
matic emergency call 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,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install Children in the vehicle
57Safety Z
All child restraint systems must meet the fol-
lowing standards:
R U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 225
R Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2
Confirmation that the child restraint system cor- responds to the standards can be found on an
instruction label on the child restraint system.
This confirmation can also be found in the instal-
lation instructions that are included with the
child restraint system.
Observe the warning labels in the vehicle inte-
rior and on the child restraint system. LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat secur-
ing system G
WARNING
For LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint sys-
tems in which the child is secured using the
safety belt integrated in the child restraint
system, the maximum permissible weight of
the child and child restraint system together
is 73 lbs (33 kg).
If the child and the child restraint system
together weigh more than 73 lbs (33 kg), the
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint system
with integrated safety belt no longer offers
sufficient protection. The LATCH-type (ISO-
FIX) child seat securing system may be over-
loaded, and the child may not be restrained in
an accident, for example. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
If the child and the child restraint system
together weigh more than 73 lb s(33 kg), use
only a LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint sys-
tem in which the child is also secured with the vehicle seat belt. Also secure the child
restraint system with the Top Tether belt, if
available.
Regularly check that the permissible gross
weight of the child together with the child
restraint system is still maintained.
Always comply with the manufacturer's instal-
lation and operating instructions for the child
restraint system used. Before every trip, make sure that the LATCH-
type (ISOFIX) child restraint system is engaged
correctly in both LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing
rings
! When installing the child restraint system,
make sure that the seat belt for the middle
seat does not get trapped. The seat belt could
otherwise be damaged. X
Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
system on both LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing
rings 0043.
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) is a standardized securing system for specially designed child restraint
systems on the rear seats. LATCH-type (ISOFIX)
securing rings for two LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint systems are installed on the left and
right of the rear seats.
Non-LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seats may also
be used and can be installed using the vehicle's seat belt system. Install the child seat according
to the manufacturer's instructions. 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 G
WARNING
If the rear seat backrests are not locked, they
could fold forwards in the event of an acci-
dent, heavy braking or sudden changes of 60
Children in the vehicleSafety
direction. As a result, child restraint systems
cannot perform their intended protective
function. Rear seat backrests that are not
locked can also cause additional injuries, e.g. in the event of an accident. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Always lock rear seat backrests after instal-
ling a Top Tether belt. Adjust the rear seat
backrests so that they are in an upright posi-
tion.
Make sure that the backrest in the rear com-
partment engages fully. To do so, pull firmly on
the seat backrest.
Top Tether anchorages Top Tether anchorages
0085are located on the
rear side of the seat backrests. X
Move head restraint 0087upwards
(Y page 97).
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
system with Top Tether. Always comply with
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions when doing so.
X Route Top Tether belt 0084under head restraint
0087 between the two head restraint bars. X
Guide Top Tether belt 0084down between cargo
compartment cover 0043and seat backrest 0044.
X Hook Top Tether hook 0083of Top Tether belt
0084 into Top Tether anchorage 0085.
Make sure that:
R Top Tether hook 0083is hooked into Top
Tether anchorage 0085as shown.
R Top Tether belt 0084is not twisted.
R Top Tether belt 0084is routed between seat
backrest 0044and cargo compartment
cover 0043if cargo compartment cover 0043is
installed.
R Top Tether belt 0084is routed between seat
backrest 0044and the cargo net if the cargo
net is installed.
X Tension Top Tether belt 0084. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions when doing so.
X If necessary, move head restraint 0087back
down again slightly. Make sure that you do
not interfere with the correct routing of Top
Tether belt 0084. 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.
If it is absolutely necessary to install a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat,
always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant Classification System
(OCS)" (Y page 49).
You can thus avoid the risks that could arise as a result of:
R an incorrectly categorized person in the front-
passenger seat
R deactivating the front passenger front air bag
unintentionally
R the unsuitable positioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board Children in the vehicle
61Safety Z
Correct driver's seat position
G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine. Observe the following when adjusting steering
wheel
0043, seat belt 0044and driver's seat 0087:
R you are as far away from the driver's air bag as
possible
R you are sitting in a normal upright position
R your thighs are slightly supported by the seat
cushion
R your legs are not entirely stretched and you
can depress the pedals properly
R the back of your head is supported at eye level
by the center of the head restraint
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent
R you can move your legs freely
R you can see all the displays in the instrument
cluster clearly R
you should have a good overview of traffic
conditions
R the seat belt is pulled snugly against the body
and is routed across the center of your shoul-
der and across your hips in the pelvic area
Further related subjects:
R Electrical seat adjustment (Y page 95)
R Adjusting the steering wheel mechanically
(Y page 99) or electrically (Y page 100)
R Fastening the seat belt correctly (Y page 46).
R Adjusting the rear-view mirror and exterior
mirrors (Y page 102).
R Vehicles with memory function: storing the
seat, steering wheel, exterior mirror and
Head-up display settings with the memory
function (Y page 105) Seats
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Neverleave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
SmartKey in the ignition lock. G
WARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
When adjusting a seat, make sure that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
(Y page 47) and "Children in the Vehicle"
(Y page 57). 94
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and
mirrors
G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine. G
WARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or other vehicle occupants could be trapped andthereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem. G
WARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection as intended. There is an increased risk
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level. G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury. Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder.
! To prevent damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following notes:
R Do not spill liquids onto the seats. Dry the
seats as soon as possible if liquid does get
spilled on the seats.
R If the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. Also, do not use
the seat heating to dry the seats.
R Clean the seat covers as recommended;
see keyword "Care".
R Do not transport heavy loads on the seats.
Do not place pointed objects on the seat
cushions such as knives, nails or tools.
Where possible, use the seats only for car-
rying passengers.
R When operating the seat heating, do not
cover the seats with insulating materials,
e.g. blankets, coats, bags, protective cov-
ers, child seats or booster seats.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when mov-
ing the seats back. There is a risk that the
seats and/or the objects could be damaged.
i Further related subjects:
R Cargo compartment enlargement (folding
down the rear bench seat) (Y page 275) Adjusting the seats electrically
0043
Head restraint height
0044 Seat cushion angle
0087 Seat height Seats
95Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z
0085
Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
0083 Backrest angle
i Vehicles with memory function: if PRE-
SAFE ®
has been triggered, the front-
passenger seat will be moved to a better posi- tion if it was previously in an unfavorable posi-
tion.
i Vehicles with memory function: when the
seat is moved forwards or backwards, the
headrest is moved up or down automatically. Adjusting the head restraints
Important safety notes G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine. G
WARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection as intended. There is an increased risk
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
Do not swap the head restraints of the front and
rear seats. Otherwise, you cannot adjust the
height and angle of the head restraints to the
correct position.
Using the fore-and-aft adjustment, adjust the
head restraint so that it is as close as possible to your head.
Observe the important safety notes regarding
the seats (Y page 94). Adjusting the front head restraints fore-
and-aft position With this function you can adjust the distance
between the head restraint and the back of the
seat occupant's head.
X To move forwards: pull the head restraint
forwards in the direction of the arrow until it
engages.
There are several notches.
X To move backwards: press and hold release
button 0043and push the head restraint back-
wards.
X When the head restraint is in the desired posi-
tion, release the button and make sure that
the head restraint is engaged in position.
i Adjust the head restraint so that the back of
your head is as close to the head restraint as possible.
Adjusting the height of the head
restraints electrically X
To adjust the head restraint height: slide
the switch for head restraint adjustment
(Y page 95) up or down in the direction of the
arrow. 96
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors