airbag MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS HATCHBACK 2015 User Guide

cause additional injuries in the event of an
accident, sudden braking or abrupt changes
of direction. There is an increased risk of
injury, possibly even fatal.
Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
are wearing their seat belt properly and are
seated correctly. 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 seatbelt is routed
across the centre of your shoulder. G
WARNING
Persons under 1.50 mtall cannot wear the
seat belts correctly without a suitable, addi-
tional restraint system. The seat belt cannot
perform its intended protective function if it is not fastened correctly. Also, an improperly
fastened seat belt can cause additional inju-
ries in the event of an accident, sudden brak-
ing or abrupt changes of direction. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Secure persons less than 1.50 mtall in a suit-
able restraint system.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 1.50 m in height is travelling in the
vehicle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this Mercedes-Benz
vehicle. The child restraint system must be appropriate to the age, weight and size of
the child.
R always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation system
(Y
page 49)
R always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle" in this
Owner's Manual (Y page 57) in addition
to the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions G
WARNING
Seat belts cannot protect as intended, if:
R they are damaged, have been modified, are
extremely dirty, bleached or dyed
R the seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
R modifications have been made to the belt
tensioners, belt anchorages or inertia reels
Seat belts may sustain non-visible damage in an accident, e.g. due to glass splinters. Modi-
fied or damaged seat belts can tear or fail, for example in the event of an accident. Modified
seat belt tensioners may be deployed unin-
tentionally or fail to be deployed when
required. There is an increased risk of injury,
possibly even fatal.
Never modify safety belts, seat belt tension-
ers, seat belt anchorages and inertia reels.
Ensure that seat belts are not damaged or
worn and are clean. After an accident, have
the seat belts checked immediately at a quali- fied specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use seat belts which have been approved
specifically for your vehicle by Mercedes-
Benz. Otherwise, your vehicle's general oper- ating permit could be invalidated.
Sports seat or AMG Performance seat: this
seat is designed for the standard three-point
seat belt. If you fit another multipoint seat
belt, e.g. sport or racing seat belts, the
restraint system cannot provide the best level of protection. G
WARNING
If you feed seat belts through the opening in
the seat backrest, the seat backrest may be
damaged or may even break in the event of an Occupant safety
43Safety
Z

light up continuously or flash. A warning tone
may also sound.
The 7 seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tone stops as soon as the driver's
and the co-driver's seat belts have been fas-
tened.
i For more information on the
7seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster, seat
belt" (Y page 292).
Rear seat belt status indicator The seat belts on the left and centre rear
seats, when viewed in the direction of travel,
are not fastened. (Example)
The rear seat belt status indicator is only
available for certain countries.
For approximately 30 seconds, the rear seat
belt status indicator informs you which rear
seat belt is not fastened.
The rear seat belt status indicator appears 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
you pull away again
You can also cancel the rear seat belt status
indicator immediately (Y page 257).Airbags
Introduction The installation location of an airbag is iden-
tified by the AIRBAG symbol. An airbag supplements a correctly worn seat
belt. It is not a replacement for the seat belt.
The airbag offers additional protection in
applicable accident situations.
Not all airbags are deployed in an accident.
The different airbag systems work independ-
ently of each other (Y page 55).
However, no system available today can com- pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to completely rule out a
risk of injury caused by an airbag due to the
speed at which the airbag must be deployed.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you deviate from the correct seat position,
the airbag cannot perform its intended pro-
tective function and can even cause addi-
tional injuries when deployed. There is an
increased risk of serious or even fatal injuries.
In order to avoid such risks, always ensure
that all vehicle occupants:
R fasten their seatbelts correctly, including
pregnant women
R are seated correctly and maintain the fur-
thest possible distance from the airbags
R observe the following notes
Always ensure that there are no objects loca-
ted between the airbag and the vehicle occu-
pant.
R Adjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the
seat is in an almost upright position. The
centre of the head restraint must support
the head at about eye level.
R Move the driver's and front-passenger
seats as far back as possible. The driver's
seat position must allow the vehicle to be
driven safely.
R Only hold the steering wheel on the out-
side. This allows the airbag to be fully
deployed.
R Always lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forwards or lean against 46
Occupant safetySafety

the door or side window. You may other-
wise be in the deployment area of the air-
bags.
R Always keep your feet in the footwell in
front of the seat. Do not put your feet on the
dashboard, for example. Your feet may oth-
erwise be in the deployment area of the
airbag.
R Always secure persons less than 1.50 mtall
in suitable restraint systems. Up to this
height, the seat belt cannot be worn cor-
rectly.
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
R Always secure children under twelve years
of age and less than 1.50 mtall in suitable
child restraint systems.
R Child restraint systems should be fitted to
the rear seats.
R Only secure a child to the front-passenger
seat when the front-passenger front airbag
is disabled, and only then in a rearward-
facing child restraint system. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is
permanently lit, the front-passenger front
airbag is disabled (Y page 41).
R Always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system
(Y page 49) and on "Children in the vehi-
cle" (Y page 57) in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may pre-
vent the airbag from functioning cor-
rectly. Before starting your journey and to
avoid risks resulting from the speed of the
airbag as it deploys, make sure that:
R there are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air-
bag.
R there are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar.
R no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, are
hanging on the grab handles or coat hooks. R
no accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deploy-
ment area of an airbag, e.g. to doors, side
windows, rear side trim or side walls.
R no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects
are in the pockets of your clothing. Store
such objects in a suitable place. G
WARNING
If you modify an airbag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the airbag can no longer function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an airbag cover or affix objects
to it. G
WARNING
Sensors to control the airbags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ling, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the function of the sensors being impaired. The
airbags might therefore not function properly any more. Consequently, the airbags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. This poses an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan-
elling carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Front airbags !
Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. This could cause the sys-
tem to identify the seat as being occupied.
In the event of an accident, the restraint
systems on the front-passenger side may
be triggered and have to be replaced. Occupant safety
47Safety Z

Driver's airbag
:deploys in front of the
steering wheel. Front-passenger front air-
bag ;deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment.
When deployed, the front airbags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for the
occupants in the front seats.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps
inform you about the status of the front-
passenger front airbag (Y page 41).
The front-passenger front airbag will only
deploy if:
R the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system has detected that the
front-passenger seat is occupied
(Y page 49). The PASSENGER AIR BAG
ON indicator lamp is lit (Y page 50)
R the restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity
Driver's kneebag Driver's kneebag
:deploys under the steer-
ing column. The driver's kneebag is triggered
together with the front airbags.
The driver's kneebag offers additional thigh,
knee and lower leg protection for the occu-
pant in the driver's seat.
i The driver's kneebag is only available in
certain countries.
Sidebags G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers can obstruct or pre-
vent the deployment of the airbags integrated into the seats. Consequently, the airbags can-
not protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. In addition, the function of the automatic front-passenger front airbag deac-
tivation system could be restricted. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal
injury.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for the corresponding seats by Mercedes-Benz. Front sidebags
:and rear sidebags ;
deploy next to the outer bolster of the seat
backrest.
When deployed, the sidebag offers additional thorax protection. It also offers additional pel-
vis protection for occupants in the front
seats. However, it does not protect the:
R head
R neck
R arms 48
Occupant safetySafety

In the event of a side impact, the sidebag is
deployed on the side on which the impact
occurs.
Vehicles with the automatic front-passenger
airbag deactivation system: the sidebag on
the front-passenger side deploys under the
following conditions:
R an occupant is detected on the front-
passenger seat or
R the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat
If the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle, the sidebag on the front-passenger
side deploys if an appropriate accident situa- tion occurs. In this case, deployment is inde- pendent of whether the front-passenger seat
is occupied or not.
Windowbags Windowbags
:are integrated into the side
of the roof frame and deploy in the area from
the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
When deployed, the windowbag enhances the level of protection for the head. However, it
does not protect the chest or arms.
In the event of a side impact, the windowbag
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 windowbag may be deployed in
other accident situations (Y page 55). Automatic front-passenger front air-
bag deactivation
Introduction In order to recognise a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat, the automatic
front-passenger front airbag deactivation sys- tem categorises the person in the front-
passenger seat. Depending on that result, the
front-passenger front airbag is either enabled or disabled. If a rearward-facing child
restraint system is fitted to the front-
passenger seat, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp must light up after the
system self-test and remain lit. The front-
passenger front airbag is disabled.
The system does not disable:
R the sidebag
R the windowbag
R the seat belt tensioner
Make sure that your vehicle is equipped with
the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system (Y page 61). If this is
not the case, always install a child restraint
system on a suitable rear seat (Y page 62).
If it is absolutely necessary to install a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat,
be sure to observe the correct positioning of
the child restraint system. Never place
objects under or behind the child restraint
system, e.g. a cushion. Fully retract the seat
cushion length. The entire base of the child
restraint system must always rest on the seat
cushion of the front-passenger seat. The
backrest of the forward-facing child restraint system must, as far as possible, be resting onthe backrest of the front-passenger seat. The
child restraint system must not touch the roof or be put under strain by the head restraint.
Adjust the angle of the seat backrest and the
head restraint position accordingly. Only then is the correct function of the automatic front- passenger front airbag deactivation system
guaranteed. Always observe the information
on suitable positioning of the child restraint
system (Y page 62) in addition to the child Occupant safety
49Safety Z

restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions.
Operation of automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation :
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
; PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
The indicator lamps inform you whether the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled or
enabled.
X Press the Start/Stop button once or twice,
or turn the key to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock.
The system carries out a self-diagnosis.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps
must light up simultaneously for approx-
imately six seconds.
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front airbag:
R PASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up: the
front-passenger front airbag is enabled. If,
in the event of an accident, all deployment
criteria are met, the front-passenger front
airbag is deployed.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. It
will then not be deployed in the event of an accident.
If the status of the front-passenger front air-
bag changes while the vehicle is in motion, an
airbag display message appears in the instru-
ment cluster (Y page 270). When the front-
passenger seat is occupied, always pay atten- tion to the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamps. Be
aware of the status of the front-passenger
front airbag both before and during the jour-
ney.
If a person sits in the passenger seat, they
must be:
R seated with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in an almost upright position with their
back against the seat backrest
R with their feet resting on the floor, if possi-
ble
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system may be influ-
enced, e.g. because the front passenger:
R transfers their weight by supporting them-
selves on a vehicle armrest
R sits in such a way that their weight is raised
from the seat cushion
The front-passenger front airbag may be dis-
abled by mistake as a result of these or similar actions. In this case, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up perma-
nently. The front-passenger front airbag doesnot then deploy during an accident. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is lit, the front-passenger front airbag is disa-
bled. It will not be deployed in the event of an
accident and cannot perform its intended pro-
tective function. A person in the front-
passenger seat could then, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, espe-
cially if the person is sitting too close to the
dashboard. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always make sure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and that the front-
passenger front airbag is enabled or disa- 50
Occupant safetySafety

bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat.
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible.
R the person is seated correctly.
Make sure, both before and during the jour-
ney, that the status of the front-passenger
front airbag is correct. G
WARNING
If you secure a child on the co-driver's seat in a rearward-facing child restraint system and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
lights up, the co-driver's airbag could be
deployed in the event of an accident. The childcould be struck by the airbag. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
In this case, always ensure that the co-driver's
airbag is disabled. The PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp must light up.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains off and/or the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not install
a rearward-facing child restraint system on
the front-passenger seat. Further information can be found under "Problems with the auto-matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva-
tion system" (Y page 54). G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a forward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and you position the front-passenger seat too close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could:
R come into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
R be struck by the airbag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is lit
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Always move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible and fully retract the seat
cushion length. Always make sure that the shoulder belt strap is correctly routed from
the vehicle belt outlet to the shoulder belt
guide on the child restraint system. The shoul-
der belt strap must be routed forwards and
downwards from the vehicle belt outlet. If
necessary, adjust the vehicle belt outlet and
the front-passenger seat accordingly. Always
observe the information about suitable posi-
tioning of the child restraint system in this
Owner's Manual as well as the child restraint system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
If the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system detects that:
R the front-passenger seat is unoccupied, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up after the system self-test and
remains lit. This indicates that the front-
passenger front airbag is disabled.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child in a rearward-facing child restraint
system, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp lights up after the system self-
test and remains lit. This indicates that the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled.
But in the case of a child in a rearward-
facing child restraint, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG ON indicator lamp can light up after
the system self-test and remain lit. This
indicates that the front-passenger front air-
bag is enabled. The result of the classifica- tion is dependent on, among other factors, the child restraint system and the child's
build. It is recommended that you fit the
child restraint system to a suitable rear
seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child in a forward-facing child restraint sys-
tem, either the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON or
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up and remains lit after the system
self-test depending on the result of the
classification. The result of the classifica-
tion is dependent on, among other factors,
the child restraint system and the child's
build. Occupant safety
51Safety Z

Move the front-passenger seat as far back
as possible. Always observe the informa-
tion in "Child restraint systems on the front- passenger seat" (Y page 61) and in "Suit-
able positioning of the child restraint sys-
tem" (Y page 62). Alternatively, you can
fit the child restraint system to a suitable
rear seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
person with a smaller build (e.g. a teenager
or small adult), either the PASSENGER AIR
BAG ON or PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi- cator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the
result of the classification.
- if the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp lights up, move the front-passenger seat as far back as possible. Alterna-
tively, a person with a small build can sit
on a rear seat.
- if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, a person with a smaller build
should not use the front-passenger seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a person with a build correspond-
ing to that of an adult, the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up after the
system self-test and remains lit. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front airbag
is enabled.
If children are travelling in the vehicle, be sure to observe the notes on "Children in the vehi-
cle" (Y page 57).
If the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system is malfunctioning, the
red 6 restraint system warning lamp in
the instrument cluster and the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp light up simulta-
neously. The front-passenger front airbag is
disabled in this case and does not deploy dur- ing an accident. Have the system checked as
soon as possible by qualified technicians.
Consult a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. The
front-passenger seat should only be repaired at a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or
the seat cushion is damaged, have the nec-
essary repair work carried out at a Mercedes- Benz Service Centre.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use a child restraint sys-
tem which has been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz in combination with the auto- matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva-
tion system.
System self-test G
DANGER
If both the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps do
not light up during the system self-test, the
system is malfunctioning. The front-
passenger front airbag might be triggered
unintentionally or might not be triggered at all in the event of an accident with high deceler-
ation. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may notbe used. Do not install a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the auto-
matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva-
tion system checked and repaired immedi-
ately at a qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. It willnot be deployed in the event of an accident. In
this case, the front-passenger front airbag
cannot perform its intended protective func-
tion, e.g. when a person is seated in the front- passenger seat.
That person could, for example, come into
contact with the vehicle's interior, especially
if the person is sitting too close to the dash-
board. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury. 52
Occupant safetySafety

When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front airbag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat.
R the person is seated properly with a cor-
rectly fastened seat belt.
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
as far back as possible.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit when it should not, the front-
passenger seat may not be used. Do not
install a child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. Have the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system
checked and repaired immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop. G
WARNING
Objects between the seat surface and the
child restraint system could affect the func-
tion of the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system. This could result
in the front-passenger front airbag not func-
tioning as intended during an accident. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Do not place any objects between the seat
surface and the child restraint system. The
entire base of the child restraint system must always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the forwards-
facing child restraint system must, as far as
possible, be resting on the backrest of the
rear reclining seat. Always comply with the
child restraint system manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions.
After the system self-test, the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF or PASSENGER AIR BAG ON
indicator lamp then shows the status of the
co-driver's front airbag (Y page 50).
Further information can be obtained under
"Problems with the automatic co-driver's front airbag deactivation system"
(Y
page 54). Occupant safety
53Safety Z

Problems with automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation
Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Y
page 52).Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lamp lights up and
remains lit, even
though the front-
passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult or a
person with a build cor-responding to that of an
adult. The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is
false.
X Make sure the conditions for a correct classification of the per-
son on the front-passenger seat are met (Y page 50).
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the
front-passenger seat may not be used.
X Have the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation
system checked as soon as possible at a Mercedes-Benz Ser-
vice Centre. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lamp does not light up
and/or does not stay
on.
The front-passenger
seat is:
R empty
R occupied with a rear-
ward-facing child
restraint system The automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation system is
malfunctioning.
X Make sure there is nothing between the seat and the child
restraint system.
X Make sure that the entire base of the child restraint system rests
on the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat.
X Make sure that the seat cushion length is fully retracted.
X When installing the child restraint system, make sure that the
seat belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight with the front-
passenger seat adjustment. This could result in the seat belt and the child restraint system being pulled too tightly.
X Check that the child restraint system is installed correctly.
X Make sure that no objects are applying additional weight to the
seat.
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off and/
or the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not
install a rearward-facing child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. It is recommended that you fit the child
restraint system to a suitable rear seat.
X Have the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation
system checked as soon as possible at a Mercedes-Benz Ser-
vice Centre. 54
Occupant safetySafety