MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS ESTATE 2011 Workshop Manual

of a collision. In the first deployment stage,
the front airbag is filled with enough propel-
lant gas to reduce the risk of injuries. The
front airbag is fully deployed if a second
deployment threshold is exceeded within a
few milliseconds.
The belt tensioner and airbag triggering
thresholds are variable and are adapted to the
rate of deceleration or acceleration of the
vehicle. This process is pre-emptive in nature.
The triggering process must take place in
good time at the start of the collision.
i Airbags are not deployed in all types of
accidents. Also, not all airbags are
deployed together in an accident .The dif-
ferent airbag systems work independently
of each other.
How the airbag system works is deter-
mined by the severity of the collision detec-
ted, especially the vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, and the apparent type of acci-
dent:
R head-on collision
R side impact
R rear impact
The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the direction of the force are essen-
tially determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the colli-
sion
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the vehi-
cle
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
decisive role in the deployment of an airbag,
nor do they provide an indication of airbag
deployment.
The vehicle may be deformed significantly,
e.g. the bonnet or the wing, without an airbag
being deployed. This is the case if only parts
which are relatively easily deformed are affec- ted and the rate of deceleration is not high.
Conversely, airbags may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor defor-
mation. This is the case if, for example, very
rigid vehicle parts such as longitudinal body
members are hit, and sufficient deceleration
occurs as a result.
Airbags
Important safety notes Airbag deployment slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant.
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The
6SRS warning lamp
lights up.
The airbag installation locations are identified
by the AIRBAG symbol. G
WARNING
Airbags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for seat belts.
Observe the following notes to reduce the risk
of serious or even fatal injury caused by airbag
deployment:
R all vehicle occupants –inparticular, preg-
nant women – must wear their seat belt
correctly at all times and lean back against
the backrest, which should be positioned
as close to the vertical as possible. The
head restraint must support the back of the
head at about eye level.
R always secure childre nless than 1.50mt all
and unde r12years of age in suitable child
restraint systems.
R all vehicle occupants must select a seat
position that is as far away from the airbag
as possible. The driver's seat position must
allow the vehicle to be driven safely. The
driver's chest should be as far away from 48
Occupant safetySafety

the centre of the driver's airbag cover as
possible.
R move the front-passenger seat as far back
as possible. This is especially important if
you have secured a child in a child restraint
syste mont he front-passenger seat.
R vehicle occupants –inparticular, children
–m ust no tlean their heads into the area of
the window in which the sidebag/window-
bag is deployed.
R rearward-facing child restraint systems
must not be fitted to the front-passenger
seat unless the front-passenger airbag has
been disabled. On the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger airbag is disabled
if a child restraint system with a trans-
ponder for automatic child seat recognition
is fitted to the front-passenger seat in a
vehicle equipped with automatic child seat
recognition. The 4PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp must be continuously
lit.
If the front-passenger seat of your vehicle
does not have automatic child seat recog-
nition, or your rearward-facing child
restraint system does not have automatic
child seat recognition, children must be
secured in a child restraint system on a
suitable seat in the rear. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint system to the
front-passenger seat, you must move the
front-passenger seat as far back as possi-
ble.
R make sure there are no heavy or sharp-
edged objects in the pockets of clothing.
R do not lean forwards, e.g. over the cover of
the driver's/front-passenger airbag, partic-
ularly when the vehicle is in motion.
R do not put your feet on the dashboard.
R only hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the airbag to be fully deployed.
You could be injured if the airbag is
deployed and you are holding the inside of
the steering wheel. R
do not lean on the doors from inside the
vehicle.
R make sure that there are no people, ani-
mals or objects between the vehicle occu-
pants and the area where the airbags are
deployed.
R do not place any objects between the seat
backrest and the door.
R do not hang any hard objects, for example,
coat hangers, on the grab handles or coat
hooks.
R do not attach accessories, e.g. cup holders,
to the doors.
It is not possible to rule out a risk of injury
being caused by an airbag, due to the high
speed at which the airbag must be deployed. G
WARNING
Airbag functionality can only be assured if the
following parts are not covered and no badges
or stickers are attached to them:
R padded steering wheel boss
R kneebag cover below the steering column
R front-passenger airbag cover
R outer side of fron tseat bolsters
R side trim next to the rear seat backrest
R roof frame cover between the fron tA-pillar
and the C-pillar in the rear compartment G
WARNING
As mall amount of powder is released when
an airbag is deployed. The powder could
cause short-term breathing difficulties in peo-
ple with asthma or other respiratory prob-
lems.
In order to prevent breathing difficulties, you
should leave the vehicle as soon as it is safe
to do so. You can also open the window to
allow fresh air to enter the interior. The pow-
der does not constitute ahealth hazard and
does not indicate that there is a fire in the
vehicle. Occupant safety
49Safety Z

G
WARNING
The airbag parts are hot after the airbag has
been deployed. Do not touch them as you
could burn yourself.
Have the airbags replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Otherwise, occupants are
not protected by the airbags in the event of
another accident.
Fron tairbags The fron
tairbags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
chest. Driver's airbag
:deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger airbag ;
deploys in front of and above the glove com-
partment.
They are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction
R if the system determines that airbag
deploymen tcan offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R if the seat belt is fastened
R independently of other airbag sinthe vehi-
cle
Front-passenger airbag ;is only activated if
the system determines that the front-
passenger seat is occupied. The 4
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp on
the centre console is not lit (Y page 59).
This means that a child restraint system with- out automatic child seat recognition has been
fitted or that a child restraint system with
automatic child seat recognition is incorrectly
fitted.
!
Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. The system may then
detect that the seat is occupied and if there
is an accident, the restraint systems on the
front-passenger side could be deployed.
Have restraint systems that have been trig-
gered replaced.
Driver's kneebag i
The driver's kneebag is only available in
certain countries.
The driver's kneebag increases protection of
the driver against:
R knee injuries
R thigh injuries
R lower leg injuries Driver's kneebag
:is always deployed along
with the driver's airbag and inflates under-
neath the steering column.
Sidebags G
WARNING
If you wish to use seat covers, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that, for safety reasons, you
only use seat covers that have been approved
for Mercedes-Ben zvehicles.
The seat covers must have a special tear seam
for sidebags. Otherwise, the sidebags cannot
deploy correctly and would fail to provide the 50
Occupant safetySafety

intended protection in the event of an acci-
dent. Appropriate seat covers can be
obtained from a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
When deployed, the sidebags offer additional
protection for the thorax of the vehicle occu-
pants on the side of the vehicle on which the
impact occurs. However, they do not protect
the:
R head
R neck
R arms Example: Saloon
Front sidebags
:and rear sidebags ;
deploy nex tto the outer seat cushions.
The sidebags are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R independently of seat belt use
R independently of the front airbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
Windowbags The windowbags enhance the level of protec-
tion for the head, but not chest or arms, of the
vehicle occupants on the side of the vehicle
on which the impact occurs.
The windowbags are integrated into the side
of the roof frame and deploy in the area from
the A-pillar to the C-pillar. Saloon (example)
Windowbags
:are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R independently of seat belt use
R independently of the front airbags PRE-SAFE
®
(preventative occupant
protection)
PRE-SAFE ®
takes pre-emptive measures to
protec toccupants in certain hazardous sit-
uations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes:
R in emergency braking situations, e.g. if BAS
is activated or for vehicles with DISTRONIC
PLUS, BAS PLUS intervenes powerfully
R if the radar sensor system detects an immi-
nent danger of collisio nincertain situa-
tions (on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS)
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limits are exceed and the vehicle under-
steers or oversteers severely Occupant safety
51Safety Z

PRE-SAFE
®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detec-
ted:
R the fronts eat belts are pre-tensioned.
R vehicles with the memory function :it
adjusts the front-passenger seat if it is in
an unfavourable position.
R if the vehicle skids, the sliding sunroof/
panorama sliding sunroo fand the side win-
dows are closed so tha tonly a small gap
remains.
If the hazardous situatio npasses without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pretensioning .The air pressure in the
side bolsters on the multicontour seat is
reduced again. All settings made by PRE-
SAFE ®
can then be reversed.
If the seat belts are not released:
X Move the backrest or seat back slightly, but
only when the vehicle is stationary.
The belt pretensioning is reduced and the
locking mechanism is released. G
WARNING
When adjusting the seat, make sure that
nobody can become trapped.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when moving
the seat back. There is a risk that the seats
and/or the objects could be damaged.
More information about seat-belt adjust-
ment,ac onvenience function integrated into
PRE-SAFE ®
, can be found in the "Seat-belt
adjustment" section (Y page 55).NECK-PRO head restraint/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraint (except AMG
vehicles)
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints increase protection of the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
neck.Int he event of a rear collision of a cer-
tain severity, the NECK-PRO head restraints/ NECK-PRO luxury head restraints on the driv-
er's and front-passenger seats are moved for-
wards and upwards. This provides better
head support. G
WARNING
Only use head restraint covers which have
been tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz
for your vehicle model.
The use of non-approved head restraint cov-
ers may prevent NECK-PRO head restraints/
NECK-PRO luxury head restraints from trig-
gering properly. The NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
can therefore not provide the intended pro-
tection.
Consult a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre
regarding availability.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraints have been triggered in
an accident, reset the NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
on the driver's and front-passenger seats
(Y page 52). Otherwise, the additional pro-
tection will not be available in the event of
another rear-end collision. NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
that have been triggered are moved forwards
and can no longer be adjusted. Resetting
atriggered NECK-PRO head
restraint/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraint
Important safety notes Mercedes-Benz recommends tha
tyou have
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre, if your vehicle is involved in a
rear-end collision. 52
Occupant safetySafety

NECK-PRO head restraints
i
Resetting the NECK-PRO head restraints
requires a lo tofstrength. If you have diffi-
culty resetting the NECK-PRO head
restraints, have this work carried ou tata
qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. X
Tilt the top of the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion forwards in the direction of
arrow :.
X Push the NECK-PRO head restraint cushion
down in the direction of arrow ;as far as
it will go.
X Firmly push the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion back in the direction of arrow =
until the cushion engages.
X Repeat this procedure for the second
NECK-PRO head restraint.
NECK-PRO luxury head restraints i
If you have difficulty resetting the NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints, have this work
carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre. X
Remove resetting tool :from the vehicle
documen twallet.
X Slide resetting tool :into guide ;
between the NECK-PRO luxury head
restraint and the rear cover of the head
restraint.
X Push resetting tool :downwards until you
hear the head restraint deploymen tmech-
anism engage.
X Pull out resetting tool :.
X Firmly press the NECK-PRO luxury head
restraint cushion back =until it engages.
X Repeat this procedure for the second
NECK-PRO luxury head restraint.
X Put resetting tool :back into the vehicle
documen twallet. Seat belts
Important safety notes Seat belts are the most effective means of
restraining the movement of vehicle occu-
pants in the event of an accident. This
reduces the ris
kofvehicle occupants coming
into contact with parts of the vehicle interior. G
WARNING
A seat belt which is not worn correctly, or
which has not been engaged in the seat belt
buckle correctly, cannot perform its intended
protective function. Under certain circum-
stances, this could cause severe or even fatal
injuries in the event of an accident. Occupant safety
53Safety
Z

Make sure that all occupants
–inparticular,
pregnant women – wear their seat belt cor-
rectly at all times.
R The seat belt must fit snugly on your body
and must no tbe twisted. Therefore, avoid
wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter coat.
The shoulder belt section must be routed
across the centre of your shoulder – on no
account across your neck or under your
arm –and pulled tight against your upper
body .The lap belt must always pass across
your lap as low down as possible, i.e. over
your hip joints –not across your abdomen.
If necessary, push down the belt strap
slightly and then retighten it in the roll-up
direction.
R Do not route the belt strap across sharp
edges or fragile objects, especially if these
are located on or in your clothing, e.g. spec-
tacles, pens, keys, etc. The seat belt strap
could be damaged and tear in an accident,
and you or other vehicle occupants could
be injured.
R Only one person should use each seat belt
at any one time. Children must never travel
sitting on the lap of other occupants. It
would not be possible to restrain the child
in the event of a sudden change in direc-
tion, braking or an accident .This could
result in severe or even fatal injuries to the
child and other occupants.
R Persons less than 1.50 m tall cannot wear
the seat belts correctly. For this reason,
secure persons less than 1.50 mtall in spe-
cially designed, suitable restraint systems.
R Children less than 1.50 m tall or under 12
years of age canno twear the seat belts
properly. Therefore, they should always be
secured in a suitable child restraint system
on a suitable vehicle seat. You can find
more information under "Children in the
vehicle" in the "Safety" section of the Own-
er's Manual. Follow the manufacturer's installation instructions when fitting a child
restraint system.
R Do not secure any objects with a seat belt
if the seat belt is also being used by one of
the vehicle's occupants. G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level
of protection unless the backrest is almost
vertical. Under certain circumstances, this
could cause severe or even fatal injuries in the
event of an accident.
Before starting a journey, make sure that the
seat is properly adjusted and that the back-
rest is almost vertical. G
WARNING
Ad irty or damaged seat belt or a seat belt that
has been subjected to a load in an accident
or which has been modified no longer offers
the intended level of protection. Under certain
circumstances, this could cause severe or
even fatal injuries in the even tofanaccident.
For this reason, check regularly that the seat
belts are not damaged or dirty.
Always have damaged sea tbelts or seat belts
that have been subjected to a load in an acci-
dent replaced at a qualified specialist work-
shop. Consult a qualified specialist workshop
which has the necessary specialist knowledge
and tools to carry out the work required.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this pur-
pose.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat belts which have
been approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle. 54
Occupant safetySafety

Fastening seat belts
Example: Saloon
X
Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position (Y page 104).
X Pull the seat belt smoothly through belt
sash guide :.
X Without twisting it, guide the shoulder sec-
tion of the seat belt across the middle of
your shoulder and the lap section across
your hips.
X Engage belt tongue ;in buckle =.
Seat-belt adjustment: if necessary, the
driver's and front-passenger seat belts
automatically adjust to th eupper body
(Y page 55).
X If necessary, adjust the seat belt to the
appropriate height (Y page 55).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
For more information about releasing the seat
belt with release button ?, see "Releasing
seat belts" (Y page 56).
Seat belt adjustment The seat-belt adjustment function adjusts the
driver's and front-passenger seat belt to the
upper body of the occupants. The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
R
you engage the belt tongue in the belt
buckle and you then turn the key to position
2in the ignition lock.
R the key is in position 2in the ignition lock
and you then engage the belt tongue in the
buckle.
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a certain
tightening force if any slack is detected
between the occupant and the seat belt. Do
not hold on to the seat belt tightly while it is
adjusting. On vehicles with a luxury multi-
function steering wheel (12 buttons), you can
switch the seat-belt adjustment on and off
using the on-board computer (Y page 244).
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. More
information about PRE-SAFE ®
can be found
in the "PRE-SAFE ®
(preventative occupant
protection)" section (Y page 51).
Belt height adjustment You can adjust the seat belt height on the
driver's seat and the front-passenger seat.
Adjust the height so that the upper part of the
seat belt is routed across the centre of your
shoulder.
X
To raise: slide the belt sash guide upwards.
The belt sash guide engages in various posi-
tions.
X To lower: press and hold belt sash guide
release :. Occupant safety
55Safety Z

X
Slide the belt sash guide downwards.
X Release belt sash guide release :and
make sure tha tthe belt sash guide has
engaged.
Releasing seat belts X
Press release button ?(Ypage 55) and
guide belt tongue ;back towards belt
sash guide :.
! Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled
up. Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue
will be trapped in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This could damage the door,
the door trim panel and the seat belt. Dam-
aged seat belts can no longer fulfil their
protective function and must be replaced.
Consult a Mercedes-Ben zService Centre.
Belt warning for driver and front
passenger The
7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder for all occupants
to fasten their seat belts. It may light up con-
tinuously or flash. In addition, there may be a
warning tone.
The 7 seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tone ceases when the driver and
the fron tpassenger have fastened their seat
belt.
For certain countries only: regardless of
whether the driver or th efront passenger
have fastened their seat belts, the 7seat
beltw arning lamp lights up for six seconds
after the engine is started. It then goes out if
the driver and the fron tpassenger have fas-
tened their seat belts.
i For more information on the 7seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrumen tcluster, seat
belt" (Y page 291). Rear seat belt status indicator The rear-compartmen
tseat belt status indi-
cator tells you if the rear passengers have
their seat belts fastened.
The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator indicates the rear seat on which the belt
is fastened. The üsymbol in the display
indicates a fastened seat belt. If a seat belt is
not fastened or if a seat is not occupied, the
ý symbol is displayed.
The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator appears in the multifunction display for
around 30 seconds if:
R you drive off and reach a speed of approx-
imately 10 km/h.
R the rear passengers fasten or unfasten
their seat belts while the vehicle is in
motion.
R someone gets in or out of the vehicle and
the vehicle drives off again.
You can also cancel the rear seat belt status
indicator immediately (Y page 248).
i The status indicator for the rear-compart-
ment seat belts is only available for certain
countries.
Belt tensioners, belt force limiters The fron
tseat belts and the outer seat belts
in the rear are equipped with belt tensioners.
The belt tensioners tighten the seat belts in
an accident, pulling them close against the
body.
Belt tensioners do not correct incorrect seat
positions or incorrectly fastened seat belts.
Belt tensioners do not pull vehicle occupants
back towards the backrest.
If the seat belt is also fitted with a belt force
limiter and this is triggered, the force exerted
by the seat belt on the vehicle occupan tis
reduced.
The belt force limiters on the front seats are
synchronised with the front airbags. They
take on a part of the deceleration force, 56
Occupant safetySafety

resulting in the force exerted on the occupant
being distributed over a greater area.
The beltt ensioners can only be activated
when:
R the ignition is switched on.
R the restraint systems are operational; see
"SRS warning lamp" (Y page 47).
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the three-poin tseat belts in the
front.
The belt tensioners on the outside seats in the
rear compartment are triggered independ-
ently of the lock status of the seat belts.
The belt tensioners are triggered depending
on the type and severity of an accident:
R if, in the event of a head-on or rear-end col-
lision, the vehicle decelerates or acceler-
ates rapidly in a longitudinal direction dur-
ing the initial stages of the impact
R if, in the event of a side impact, on the side
opposite the impact the vehicle deceler-
ates or accelerates rapidly in a lateral direc-
tion
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang, and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The 6SRS warning lamp
lights up. G
WARNING
If the seat belt tensioners have been trig-
gered, they provide no additional protection
in the event of another accident. Therefore,
have belt tensioners which have been trig-
gered replaced at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Comply with safety regulations when dispos-
ing of belt tensioners. Any Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre can provide details of these
regulations.
! If the front-passenger seat is not occu-
pied, do not engage the seat belt tongue in
the buckle on the front-passenger seat. Otherwise, the belt tensioner could be trig-
gered in the event of an accident. Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
Important safety notes G
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of a sudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R children less than 1.50 m tall and under
twelve years of age must always be secured
in special child restraint systems on a suit-
able vehicle seat. This is necessary
because the seat belts are not designed for
children.
R do not secure children less than 1.5 0mtall
or under twelve years of age on the front-
passenger seat .Exception: the vehicle is
equipped with automatic child sea trecog-
nition on the front-passenger seat and the
child is secured in a child restraint system
with transponders for automatic child seat
recognition.
R if you secure a forward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat, you must move the front-passenger
seat as far back as possible.
R children must never travel sitting on the lap
of another occupant. Due to the forces
which occur in the event of a sudden
change of direction, heavy braking or an
accident, it would not be possible to
restrain the child. The child could be thrown
against parts of the vehicle interior and be
seriously or even fatally injured. G
WARNING
The child restraint system cannot perform its
protective function if it is not correctly fitted
to a suitable vehicle seat. The child cannot be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. The Children in the vehicle
57Safety
Z