MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ESTATE 2012 Workshop Manual

Pelvisbag deployment enhances the level of
protection of the vehicle occupants on the
side of the vehicle on which the impact
occurs.
Pelvisbags
:deploy next to and below the
outer seat cushions. They 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 the use of the seat belt
R independently of the fronta irbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
If the vehicle overturns, the pelvisbags are
generally not deployed. Exception: if the sys-
tem detects high vehicle deceleration or
acceleration in a lateral direction and deter-
mines that deploymen tcan offer additional
protection to that provide dby the seat belt.
i Pelvisbags are only available in certain
countries. Windowbags Front-passenger side windowbags (example:
Saloon)
Windowbags
:enhance the level of protec-
tion fo rthe 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 deployed in the area
from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
Windowbags are deployed:
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 on the side on which an impact occurs
R on the driver's and the front passenger's
side if the vehicle overturns and the system
determines that windowbag deployment
can offer additional protection to that pro-
vided by the seat belt
R independently of the use of the seat belt
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R independently of the front airbags NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Only use head restraint covers which have
been tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz
for your vehicle model. 48
Occupant safetySafety

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.
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.
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 50). 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.
Mercedes-Ben zrecommends having the
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO head
restraints checked at a qualified specialist
workshop after a rear-en dcollision. Resetting
atriggered NECK-PRO head
restraint/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraint NECK-PRO head restraints
NECK-PRO head restraints (example: Saloon)
X
Tilt the top of the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion forwards in the directio nof
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.
i Resetting the NECK-PRO head restraints
requires a lot of strength. If you have diffi-
culty resetting the NECK-PRO head
restraints, have this work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. Occupant safety
49Safety Z

NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
X Remove resetting tool :from the vehicle
document wallet.
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 deployment mech-
anism engage.
X Pull ou tresetting 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.
i If you have difficulty resetting the NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints, have this work
carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop. PRE-SAFE
®
(preventative occupant
protection) 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.
PRE-SAFE ®
takes pre-emptive measures to
protect occupants in certain hazardous sit-
uations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes:
R when BAS activates, e.g. in emergency
braking situations
R when BAS PLUS intervenes powerfully on
vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS
R if, on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS, the
radar sensor system detectsani mminent
dange rofcollision in certain situations
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limits are exceeded and the vehicle
understeers or oversteers severely
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detec-
ted:
R the front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R vehicles with the memory function: the
front-passenger seat is adjusted if it is in an
unfavourable position.
R vehicles with a multicontour seat or active
multicontour seat: the air pressure in the
side bolsters of the seat cushion and back-
rest is increased.
R if the vehicle skids, the sliding sunroof/
panorama sliding sunroof and the side win-
dows are closed so that only a small gap
remains.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pretensioning. The air pressure in the
side bolsters on the multicontour seat/active
multicontour seat is reduced again. All set-
tings 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. 50
Occupant safetySafety

More information about seat belt adjustment,
a convenience function integrated into PRE-
SAFE ®
, can be found under "Seat belt adjust-
ment" (Y page 52). Seat belts
Important safety notes G
WARNING
A seat belt which is not worn correctly, or
which has not been engaged in the seat belt
buckle correctly, cannot provide the intended
level of protection. Under certain circumstan-
ces, this could cause severe or even fatal inju-
ries in the event of an accident.
Therefore, make sure that all occupants —in
particular, pregnan twomen —wear their seat
belts correctly at all times.
R The seat belt must fit snugly on your body
and must not be twisted.Therefore, avoid
wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter coat.
The shoulder section of the belt must be
routed across the centre of your shoulder
—onn o account across your neck or under
your arm —and pulled tight against your
uppe rbody. The lap belt must always pass
across your lap as low down as possible, i.e.
over your hip joints —not across your abdo-
men. If necessary, push the seat belt
slightly downwards and adjust it by pulling
it in the direction the seat belt retracts.
R Do not route the seat belt strap over sharp
or fragile objects. Please make sure that
such objects are not on or in your clothing,
e.g. spectacles, pens or keys etc. The seat
belt strap could become damaged and tear
during 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 another occupant. The
child will not be secured in the event of an
accident, heavy braking or sudden change
of direction .This may result in the child or other occupants being seriously or fatally
injured.
R Persons under 1.50 mtall cannot wear the
seat belts correctly. For this reason secure
persons less than 1.50 m tall in specially
designed, suitable restraint systems.
R Children unde r1.50 mtall and younger
than twelve years of age canno twear the
seat belts correctly. For this reason secure
them in special suitable child restraint sys-
tems installed on a suitable seat. Additional
information can be found in the Operating
Instructions in the chapter "Safety", "Chil-
dren in the Vehicle". Observe the installa-
tion instructions of the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer.
R Do not secure an object 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 one that has
been modified or subjected to a load in an
accident no longer offers the intended level of
protection. Under certain circumstances, this
could cause severe or even fatal injuries in the
event of an accident.
For this reason, chec kregularly that the seat
belts are not damaged or dirty.
Always have damaged seat belts or seat belts
that have been subjected to a load in an acci-
dent replaced at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat belts which have Occupant safety
51Safety
Z

been approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle.
Seat belts are the most effective means of
restraining the movement of vehicle occu-
pants in the event of an accident. This
reduces the risk of vehicle occupants coming
into contact with parts of the vehicle interior.
Fastening seat belts Example: Saloon
X
Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position (Y page 106).
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 pelvis.
X Engage belt tongue ;in buckle =.
Seat belt adjustment :ifnecessary, the driv-
er's and front-passenger seat belts auto-
matically adjust to the upper body
(Y page 52).
X If necessary, adjust the seat belt to the
appropriate height (Y page 52).
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 53).
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. You can switch the belt adjustment
on and off in the on-board computer
(Y page 263).
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. More
information about PRE-SAFE ®
can be found
under "PRE-SAFE ®
(preventative occupant
protection)" (Y page 50).
Belt height adjustment You can adjust the belt height for the front
seats.
Estate: you can also adjust the belt
height on the outer rear seats. Adjust the belt
to a height that allows the upper part of the 52
Occupant safetySafety

seat belt to be 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 :.
X Slide the belt sash guide downwards.
X Let go of belt sash guide release :and
make sure that the belt sash guide has
engaged.
Wearing the rear centre seat belt If the left-hand rear seat backrest is folded
down and back up again, the rear centre seat
belt may lock. The seat belt can then not be
pulled out.
X To release the rear centre seat belt: pull
the seat belt out approximately 20 mm at
the belt outlet on the backrest and then
release it again.
The seat belt is retracted and released.
Releasing the seat belts !
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.
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Example: Saloon
X
Press release button ?on belt buckle =.
X Slide belt tongue ;back to belt sash
guide :.
Belt warning for the 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 front passenger have fastened their seat
belt.
For certain countries only: regardless of
whether the driver and the front passenger
have fastened their seat belts, the 7seat
belt warning lamp lights up for six seconds
after the engine is started. It then goes out if
the driver and the front passenger have fas-
tened their seat belts.
i For more information on the 7seat
belt warning lamp, see "Indicator and warn-
ing lamps in the instrument cluster, seat
belt" (Y page 299). Occupant safety
53Safety Z

Rear seat belt status indicator
Display for securely fastened occupants on right
and left side of rea rcompartmen t(example: vehi-
cles with rear bench seat)
The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator tells you if the rear passengers have
their seat belts fastened. The rear-compart-
ment seat belt status indicato rindicates the
rea rseat on which the belt is fastened. The
ü symbol in the display indicates a fas-
tened seat belt. If a seat belt is not fastened
or if a seat is not occupied, the ýsymbol
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 268).
i The status indicator for the rear-compart-
ment seat belts is only available for certain
countries.
Belt tensioners, belt force limiters 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.
The fron tseat belts and the outer seat belts
in the rear are equipped with belt tensioners
and belt force limiters.
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.
When triggered, seat beltf orce limiters help
to reduce the peak force exerted by the seat
belt on the vehicle occupant.
The belt force limiters for the front seats are
synchronised with the front airbags, which
take on a part of the deceleration force. This
results in the force exerted on the occupant
being distributed over a greater area.
The belt tensioners can only be activated
when:
R the ignition is switched on.
R the restraint systems are operational; see
"SRS warning lamp" (Y page 43).
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the three-point seat belts in front.
R
The belt tensioners on the outside seats in the
rear compartment are triggered independ-
ently of the lock status of the seat belts. 54
Occupant safetySafety

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
R in certain situations where the vehicle over-
turns and the system determines that it can
provide additional protection
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. 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 drive with a child secured in a rear-
ward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat. Exception: if the vehi-
cle is equipped with automatic child seat
recognition 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
child could be seriously or even fatally injured.
For this reason, when fitting a child restraint
system, observe the manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions and the correct use of the
child restraint system.
Child restraint systems should be fitted to the
rear seats. Children are generally better pro-
tected there.
The entire base of the child restraint system
must always rest on the seat cushion. There-
fore, never place objects, e.g. a cushion,
under the child restraint system.
Only use child restraint systems with the orig-
inal cover designed for them. Only replace
damaged covers with genuine Mercedes-Benz
covers.
We recommend the use of child restraint sys-
tems which have been approved for
Mercedes-Ben zvehicles. G
WARNING
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. They could injure them-
selves on parts of the vehicle. They could also
be seriously or even fatally injured by pro-
longed exposure to extreme heat or cold. Children in the vehicle
55Safety
Z

Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. Parts of the child restraint sys-
tem could heat up and the child could burn
herself/himself on them.
If a child opens a door, the child or othe
rper-
sons could be injured as a result. They could
get out and injure themselves or be injured by
a passing vehicle.
Observe the general notes on the HOLD func-
tion, which can be found under the same key-
word. G
WARNING
Unsecured or incorrectly positioned loads
increase the risk of injury for children and all
other occupants in the event of:
R an accident
R sudden braking
R a sudden change of direction
Do not transport heavy or hard objects in the
vehicle interior unless they are secured. You
will find further information under "Loading
guidelines" in the index.
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, secure
the child using a child restraint system which
is recommended for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restraint system must be appropri-
ate to the age, weight and size of the child.
Ideally the child restraint system should be
installed on a suitable rear seat. You can also
secure the child in the integrated child seat
(Y page 61). Make sure that the child is
secured in a child restraint system through-
out the trip.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
the listed child restraint systems
(Y page 67). You can obtain further infor-
mation about the correct child restraint sys-
tem from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products to clean child restraint systems.
You can obtain information about this at
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat G
WARNING
If the front-passenger airbag is not disabled:
R a child secured in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat could be seri-
ously and even fatally injured by the front-
passenger airbag deploying. This is espe-
cially a risk if the child is in the immediate
vicinity of the front-passenger airbag when
it deploys.
R never secure a child on the front-passenger
seat in a rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem. Only secure a rearward-facing child
restraint system on a suitable rear seat.
R always move the front-passenger seat to
the rearmost position if you secure a child
in a forward-facing child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat.
The front-passenger airbag is not disabled:
R on vehicles without automatic child seat
recognition on the front-passenger seat
R in vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition in the front-passenger seat, if no
special child restraint system with trans-
ponders for automatic child seat recogni-
tion in the front-passenger seat has been
fitted
R on vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat, if the
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
4 is not lit.
To make you aware of this danger, a corre-
sponding warning sticker has been affixed on
the dashboard and on both sides of the sun
visor on the front-passenger side.
Information about recommended child
restraint systems is available at any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. 56
Children in the vehicleSafety

Warning notice on the front-passenger sun visor
Warning symbol for a rearward-facing child
restraint system
Do not use a rearward-facing child restraint
system on a seat that is protected by an air-
bag installed in fron tofit.
Automatic chil dseat recognition on the
front-passenger seat G
WARNING
If the 4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indica-
to rlamp does no tlight up when the child
restraint system is fitted, the front-passenger
airbag has not been disabled. If the front-
passenger airbag deploys, the child could be
seriously or even fatally injured.
Proceed as follows:
R do not use a rearward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenge rseat.
R fit a rearward-facing child restraint system
on a suitable rear seat.
or R
only use a forward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat and
move the front-passenger seat to the rear-
most position.
R have the automatic child seat recognition
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
To ensure that the automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat func-
tions/communicates correctly, never place
objects, e.g. a cushion, under the child
restraint system. The entire base of the child
restraint system must always rest on the seat
cushion. An incorrectly fitted child restraint
system cannot perform its intended protec-
tive function in the event of an accident, and
could lead to injuries. G
WARNING
Do not place electronic devices on the front-
passenger seat, e.g.:
R laptops, when switched on
R mobile phones
R cards with transponders, e.g. ski passes or
access cards
Signals from electronic equipment can cause
interference in the automatic child seat rec-
ognition sensor system. This can lead to a
system malfunction. This may cause the
4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp to light up without there being a child
seat with transponders for automatic child
seat recognition fitted. The front-passenger
airbag will not then deploy during an accident.
It is also possible that the 6SRS warning
lamp lights up and/or the 4PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp does not light up
briefly when you turn the key in the ignition
lock to position 2. Children in the vehicle
57Safety Z