rear seat MERCEDES-BENZ CLS550 2007 W219 User Guide

67 Safety and Security
Occupant safety


Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
side impact air bag inflates. This could
result in serious injuries or death should
the air bag be triggered. Always sit near-
ly upright, properly use the seat belts
and use an appropriately sized infant re-
straint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of
the child.


Canada only: Children 12 years old and
under must never ride in the front seat,
except in a Mercedes-Benz authorized
BabySmart
TM compatible child seat,
which operates with the BabySmart
TM
system installed in the vehicle to deacti-
vate the front passenger front air bag
when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the air bag when it
inflates in a crash. If this happens, seri-
ous or fatal injury will result.
Failure to follow these instructions can
result in severe injuries to you or other
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual. Warning!
G
Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in an automobile is in the
rear seat.
It should be noted that with respect to both
front and rear side impact air bags there is a
possibility for a side impact air bag related
injury if occupants, especially children, are
not properly seated or restrained when next
to a side impact air bag which needs to
deploy rapidly in a side impact in order to do
its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
side impact air bag inflates. This could
result in serious injuries or death should
the side impact air bag be deployed.
(2) Always sit as upright as possible, prop-
erly use the seat belts, and for children
12 years old and under, use an appropri-
ately sized infant restraint, toddler re-
straint, or booster seat recommended
for the size and weight of the child.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of
these guidelines, it would be safer for your
rear seat occupants to have the rear mount-
ed side impact air bags deactivated, then
deactivation can be accomplished upon
your written request to do so at your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center at an additional
cost. Please contact your local authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details.

70 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyThe air bags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protect-
ed by the fastened seat belts.The front passenger air bag will only be
deployed if:


the front passenger seat is occupied


the 75indicator lamp in
the center console is not lit
(page 76)


the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment threshold
Knee bag
The knee bag is located on the driver-side
lower instrument panel. It is designed to
operate together with the driver air bag in
certain frontal impacts exceeding a preset
threshold. The knee bag operates best in
conjunction with a properly positioned and
fastened seat belt.Side impact air bags, window curtain
air bags
1Front side impact air bags
2Window curtain air bag
3Rear side impact air bags
i
The front air bags in this vehicle have been
designed to inflate in two stages. This allows the
air bag to have different rates of inflation that are
based on the rate of vehicle deceleration as as-
sessed by the air bag control unit.
USA only:
On the front passenger side, the front air bag de-
ployment is additionally influenced by the pas-
senger’s weight category as identified by the
Occupant Classification System (OCS)
(
page 71).
USA only:
The lighter the front passenger side occupant,
the higher the vehicle deceleration rate required
for the second stage inflation of the air bag.
!
Canada only:
Do not place objects heavier than 20 lb (9 kg) on
the front passenger seat. This could cause the
front or side impact air bag on the front passen-
ger side to deploy in a crash which exceeds the
system’s deployment threshold.

73 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
If the 75 indicator lamp is illu-
minated, the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the 75 indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front passenger front air
bag is activated and will be deployed:

in the event of certain frontal impacts


if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold


independently of the side impact
air bags
If the front passenger front air bag is
deployed, the rate of inflation will be
influenced by:


the rate of relevant vehicle deceleration
as assessed by the air bag control unit


front passenger’s weight category as
identified by the Occupant Classification
System (OCS)
Warning!
G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant or child restraint recom-
mended for the size and weight of the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, the seat
belt and top tether strap, or lower anchors
and top tether strap, fully in accordance
with the child seat manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
Always sit nearly upright, properly use the
seat belts and for children 12 years old and
under, use an appropriately sized infant re-
straint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following im-
portant information when circumstances re-
quire you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:

Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to turn off the front
passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the system senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard appropri-
ate child restraint on the front passen-
ger seat.


A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat will be serious-
ly injured or even killed if the front pas-
senger front air bag inflates in a collision
which could occur under some circum-
stances, even with the air bag technolo-
gy installed in your vehicle. The only
means to completely eliminate this risk
is to never place a child in a rear-facing
child restraint in the front seat. We
therefore strongly recommend that you
always place a child in a rear-facing
child restraint in the back seat.


74 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety

If you must install a rear-facing child re-
straint on the front passenger seat be-
cause circumstances require you to do
so, make sure that the
75indicator lamp is illumi-
nated, indicating that the front passen-
ger front air bag is deactivated. Should
the indicator lamp not illuminate or go
out while the restraint is installed,
please check installation. Periodically
check the indicator lamp while driving to
make sure the lamp is illuminated. If the
75indicator lamp goes out
or remains out, do not transport a child
on the front passenger seat until the
system has been repaired. A child in a
rear-facing child restraint on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured
or even killed if the front passenger front
air bag inflates.


If you have to place a child in a
forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat, move the seat as
far back as possible, use the proper
child restraint recommended for the
age, size and weight of the child, and se-
cure child restraint with the vehicle’s
seat belt according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. For
children larger than the typical
12-month-old child, the front passenger
front air bag may or may not be activat-
ed (
page 72).
i
Deployment of the driver front air bag does
not mean that the front passenger front air bag
also should have deployed.
The Occupant Classification System (
page 71)
may have determined:


that the seat was empty or occupied by the
weight up to or less than that of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint - both instances where the
system suppresses deployment of the front
passenger front air bag even though the im-
pact met the criteria and was of sufficient
severity to deploy the driver front air bag


that the seat was occupied by a small individ-
ual (such as a young teenager or a small
adult) or a child weighing more than the
weight of a typical 12-month-old child in a
standard child restraint - instances where
the system may suppress deployment of the
front passenger front air bag even though
the impact met the criteria and was of suffi-
cient severity to deploy the driver front
air bag


78 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Seat belts
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in all
50 states, the District of Columbia, the
U.S. territories and all Canadian provinces.
Even where this is not the case, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts fas-
tened whenever the vehicle is in motion.
For more information, see “Fastening the
seat belts” (
page 48).
Warning!
G
Do not place powered-on laptops, cell
phones, electronic tags such as those used
in ski passes and like electronic devices on
the front passenger seat. Signals from such
devices may interfere with the BabySmart
TM
system. Such signal interference may cause
the 75indicator lamp not to
come on during self-test or be continuously
lit, indicating that the system is not function-
ing.
i
For information on infants and children trav-
eling with you in the vehicle and restraint sys-
tems for infants and children, see “Children in
the vehicle” (
page 84).
Warning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure all of your passengers
are properly restrained, even those sitting in
the rear.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passengers should
always wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are properly wearing
your seat belt. Air bags can only protect as
they are designed if the occupants are prop-
erly wearing their seat belts.

81 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
If after these 6 seconds the driver’s or the
front passenger’s seat belt (with the front
passenger seat occupied) is not fastened
with front doors closed,

the seat belt telltale< remains illu-
minated for as long as either the driv-
er’s or front passenger’s seat belt is not
fastened.


and if the vehicle speed once exceeds
15 mph (25 km/h), the seat belt
telltale< starts flashing and a
warning chime sounds with increasing
intensity for a maximum of 60 seconds
or until the driver’s and the front pas-
senger’s seat belt are fastened.
If the driver’s or the front passenger’s
seat belt remains unfastened after
60 seconds, the warning chime stops
sounding, the seat belt telltale<
stops flashing but continues to be illu-
minated.The seat belt telltale < will only go out
if both the driver’s and front passenger’s
seat belt (with the front passenger seat oc-
cupied) are fastened, or the vehicle is
standing still and a front door is opened.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 348).
Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter
The seat belts for the front and rear outer
seats are equipped with Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices and belt force limiters.
The ETD is designed to activate in the fol-
lowing cases:


in frontal or rear-end impacts exceed-
ing the system deployment threshold


in certain vehicle rollovers


if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly, see
1indicator lamp (
page 64)In an impact, Emergency Tensioning Devic-
es remove slack from the seat belts. Seat
belt force limiters reduce the peak force
exerted by the seat belts on occupants
during a crash.
i
The ETDs for the front seats will only acti-
vate if the front seat belts are fastened (latch
plate properly inserted into buckle).
The ETDs for the rear outer seats will activate
with or without the respective seat belts fas-
tened.Warning!
G
An Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD) that
was activated must be replaced.
When disposing of the Emergency Tension-
ing Device, our safety instructions must be
followed. These are available at your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.

82 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyAutomatic comfort-fit feature seat belt
An automatic comfort-fit feature for front
seats reduces the retracting force of the
seat belts when they are in normal use.
Preventive occupant safety (PRE-SAFE
®)Your vehicle automatically takes preven-
tive measures to better protect the occu-
pants in the following hazardous
situations:


You execute an emergency braking ma-
neuver and the Brake Assist System
(page 92) is activated.


The PRE-SAFE
® system detects a criti-
cal driving dynamics situation.
In such cases, the following systems are
automatically activated:


The front seat belts are pre-tensioned
electrically.


If the vehicle is in a severe skid or is
spinning, the door windows and the
tilt/sliding sunroof close until a small
gap remains.Vehicles with front passenger seat memo-
ry function*:


If the seat is in an unfavorable position,
it will be adjusted to a better position.
If the seat belts do not release:

Adjust the backrest or seat slightly to
the rear until the seat belt tension is di-
minished.
The locking mechanism releases.
Warning!
G
The PRE-SAFE
® system is intended to re-
duce the effects of a crash on properly
seat-belted vehicle occupants. Despite hav-
ing the PRE-SAFE® system in your vehicle,
the possibility of injuries occurring as a re-
sult of an accident cannot be eliminated.
Therefore, you should always drive carefully
and adjust your driving to the prevailing
road, weather, and traffic conditions.
i
If the closing procedure of the tilt/sliding
sunroof or door window is blocked, the tilt/slid-
ing sunroof or door window will stop and open
slightly.
i
The PRE-SAFE
® system is activated in the
previously described circumstances only at
speeds exceeding 20 mph (30 km/h).
When the critical driving dynamic situation has
passed without an accident occurring, the
pre-tensioning on the seat belts is deactivated.
You can then adjust the seat, the door windows
and the tilt/sliding sunroof to their previous po-
sition.

83 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Active head restraints
The active head restraints offer the driver’s
and front passenger increased protection
from whiplash type injuries. In the event of
a rear-end collision, the active head re-
straints on the driver’s and front passen-
ger’s seats are designed to move forward
in the direction of travel, providing the
head with increased support earlier on in
the collision sequence. The active head re-
straints move forward whether the seat is
occupied or not.For information on resetting the activated
active head restraints, see “Resetting acti-
vated head restraints” (
page 401).
You cannot remove the active head
restraint on the driver’s and front passen-
ger’s seat.
For removal of the active head restraints
we recommend that you contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
For information on head restraint adjust-
ment, see “Seats” (
page 41).
Warning!
G
Do not attach any objects (e.g. hangers) to
the head restraint posts. Otherwise, the ac-
tive head restraints may not be able to func-
tion properly or offer the intended degree of
protection in the event of a collision.
Warning!
G
Only use seat or head restraint covers which
have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model.
Using other seat or head restraint covers
may interfere with or prevent the activation
of active head restraint. Contact your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for availability.
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraints so that it is as close
to the head as possible and the center of the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of
an accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.

85 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The use of infant or child restraints is re-
quired by law in all 50 states, the District
of Columbia, the U.S. territories and all Ca-
nadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be seat-
ed in an appropriate infant or child re-
straint system properly secured in
accordance with the manufacturer's in-
structions for the child restraint, that com-
plies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards 213 and 225 and Canadi-
an Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213
and 210.2.A statement by the child restraint manu-
facturer of compliance with these stan-
dards can be found on the instruction label
on the restraint and in the instruction man-
ual provided with the restraint.
When using any infant or child restraint
system, be sure to carefully read and fol-
low all manufacturer’s instructions for in-
stallation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels af-
fixed to the inside of the vehicle and to in-
fant or child restraints.Warning!
G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.i
Information on child seats with mounting fit-
tings for tether anchorages (
page 87).
For information on LATCH-type child seat
mounts (
page 88).
Warning!
G
Canada only: Children 12 years old and un-
der must never ride in the front seat, except
in a Mercedes-Benz authorized
BabySmart
TM compatible child seat, which
operates with the BabySmart
TM system in-
stalled in the vehicle to deactivate the front
passenger front air bag when it is properly
installed. Otherwise they will be struck by
the air bag when it inflates in a crash. If this
happens, serious or fatal injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriately sized infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat recommended for
the size and weight of the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, the seat
belt and top tether strap, or lower anchors
and top tether strap, fully in accordance
with the child seat manufacturer’s
instructions.
Always sit nearly upright, properly use the
seat belts and use an appropriately sized in-
fant restraint, toddler restraint, or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight
of the child.


86 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyChildren can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following im-
portant information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:

USA only: Your vehicle is equipped with
air bag technology designed to turn off
the front passenger front air bag in your
vehicle when the OCS senses the weight
of a typical 12-month-old child or less
along with the weight of a standard
appropriate child restraint on the front
passenger seat.


A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat will be serious-
ly injured or even killed if the front
passenger front air bag inflates in a
collision which could occur under some
circumstances, even with the air bag
technology installed in your vehicle.
The only means to completely eliminate
this risk is to never place a child in a
rear-facing child restraint in the front
seat. We therefore strongly recommend
that you always place a child in a
rear-facing child restraint in the back
seat.


If you must install a rear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat be-
cause circumstances require you to do
so, make sure that the 59
indicator lamp is illuminated, indicating
that the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated. Should the
59indicator lamp not illu-
minate or go out while the restraint is in-
stalled, please check installation.
Periodically check the 59
indicator lamp while driving to make
sure the lamp is illuminated.
If the 59indicator lamp
goes out or remains out, do not trans-
port a child on the front passenger seat
until the system has been repaired.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat will be serious-
ly injured or even killed if the front pas-
senger front air bag inflates.


If you have to place a child in a for-
ward-facing child restraint on the front
passenger seat, move the seat as far
back as possible, use the proper child
restraint recommended for the age, size
and weight of the child, and secure child
restraint with the vehicle’s seat belt ac-
cording to the child seat manufacturer’s
instructions. For children larger than the
typical 12-month-old child, the front
passenger front air bag may or may not
be activated (
page 72).