2019 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS Owners Manual

Restraint system
Protectionbytherestraint system
Therestraint system includesthefollowing com‐ponents:
RSeat belt system
RAirbags
RChildrestraint system
RChild seat securing system
Therestraint system canreducetherisk ofvehi‐cle occupants coming into contact with parts ofthevehicle's interior intheevent of an accident.Therestraint system can alsoreducetheforcestowhichvehicle occupants are subjected intheevent of an accident.
Only a seat belt which isworncorrectly can pro‐videthe intended level of protection. Dependingonthe detected accident situation, EmergencyTensioning Devices and/or airbags supplement acorrectlywornseat belt. EmergencyTensioningDevices and/or airbags are not deployed ineveryaccident.
Fortherestraint systemtoprovide its full protec‐tion, each occupant must observethefollowing:
RFastenthe seat belt correctly.
RBe in an almost upright position withtheirback againstthe seat backrest.
RSit withtheirfeetresting onthefloor, if pos‐sible.
RAlways secure persons under 5ft(1.50 m)tall in an additionalrestraint system suitablefor Mercedes-Benzvehicles.
However,no systemavailabletoday can com‐pletelyeliminate injuries andfatalities ineveryaccident situation. In particular,the seat beltand airbaggenerally do not protect againstobjects penetratingthevehicle fromthe outside.Therisk of an injuryresulting from airbagdeployment also cannot beruled out entirely.
Reducedrestraint system protection
&WARNINGRisk of injuryor death frommodificationstotherestraint system
Therestraint system can no longer functioncorrectly after alterations havebeen made.
Therestraint system maythen not protectthevehicle occupants as intendedbyfailingin an accident or triggering unexpectedly,forexample
#Never alterthe parts oftherestraintsystem.
#Nevertamper withthe wiring or anyelectronic component parts ortheirsoftware.
If it is necessarytomodifythevehicletoaccom‐modate a person with disabilities, contact anauthorized Mercedes-Benz Centerfor details.
USA only:for details, contact our CustomerAssistance Center on 1-800-FOR-MERCedes(1‑800‑367‑6372).
Occupant safety31

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
&WARNINGRisk 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.
32Occupant safety

The components oftherestraint system canbe activated or deployed independently ofeachother:
Component Detected deploy‐ment situation
EmergencyTension‐ing DevicesFrontal impact,rearimpact, side impact,rollover
Driver's airbag, frontpassenger front air‐bag
Frontal impact
Knee airbagFrontal impact
Side airbagSide impact
Window curtain air‐bagSide impact,rollover,frontal impact
Belt airbagFrontal impact
Cushion airbagFrontal impact
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(→page43).
&WARNINGRisk 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 safety33

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.
&WARNINGRisk 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 92).
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(→page121).
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 (→page53).
Ifchildren are traveling inthevehicle, be suretoobservethe instructions and safety notes on"Children inthevehicle" (→page 48).
34Occupant safety

Reduced seat belt protection
&WARNINGRisk 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.
&WARNINGRisk 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.
&WARNINGRisk of injuryor death duetoblocked seat belt buckle or seat beltanchorage
Objects nexttothe front seatthat blocktheseat belt buckle orthe moving seat beltanchorage onthe front seat impairthe func‐tion ofthe EmergencyTensioning Devices.
The EmergencyTensioning Devices can,then, not function as intended andthe seatbelt can no longer providethe intended pro‐tection.
#Beforestartingthe journey,make surethatthere are no objects aroundtheseat belt buckle or betweenthe frontseat and door.
&WARNINGRisk 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.
Occupant safety35

Modified or damaged seat belts maytear orfail, e.g. in an accident.
Modified EmergencyTensioning Devices canaccidentally trigger 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.
Only use seat belts which havebeen approvedforyourvehiclebyMercedes-Benz.
&WARNINGRisk 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.
Information onthe belt airbag intherearseat belt
The BELTBAGidentification indicatesthat arearseat belt is equipped with a belt airbag.
When activated,the belt airbag increasestheprotected area ofthevehicle occupant'sribcage.
&WARNINGRisk of injuryor deaththroughthe use of a non-approvedchildrestraint system
In an accident,the belt air bag may damagea non-approved or non-authorizedchildrestraint system.
As aresult,thechildrestraint system maynot be abletoprovidethe intended level ofprotection.
#Therefore, always useLATCH orLATCH-type (ISOFIX)tofasten achild seatequipped with an integratedrestraintsystem.
#Forvehicles equipped withthe optionalrear seat-belt air bags ("beltbag"), onlyuse a Mercedes-Benz approved boosterseat with integrated backrest.
#Never use an air bag equipped seat belttofasten a front orrear-facingchildseat or a non-approved booster seat.
#Please contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Centerfor information onapprovedchildrestraint systems.
36Occupant safety

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.
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 EmergencyTensioningDevice 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 38).
Occupant safety37

Function oftherear seat belt buckleextender
The seat belt buckleextenderforthe outerrearseats makes it easiertofastenthe seat belt.Always ensurethatthe seat belt buckle can beextended andretracted freely.
Afterthe seat belt isfastened,the seat beltbucklereturnstoits normal position. The seatbeltthen lies tightly acrossthe lap andthoraxareas.
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:
,Vehicle.îVehicle Settings.Belt
Adjustment
#Activatesor deactivateSthe function.
Seat beltwarning functionfor the driver andfront passenger
The