warning light MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON 2011 User Guide

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 overturn
The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the directio nofthe 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 or unde r12years of age in suit-
able 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
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
system on the 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 44
Occupant safetySafety

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.
Saloo
n(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 if the vehicle overturns, and the system
determines that it can provide the vehicle
occupants additional protection to that
provided by the seat belt
R independently of the fron tairbags PRE-SAFE
®
(preventative occupant
protection)
PRE-SAFE ®
takes pre-emptive measure sto
protect occupants in certain hazardous sit-
uations. PRE-SAFE
®
intervenes:
R when BAS PLUS intervenes powerfully on
vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS.
R if, on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS, the
radar senso rsystem detects an imminent
danger of collision 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 fron tseat 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. 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. 48
Occupant safetySafety

ces, this could cause severe or eve
nfatal 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
been approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle. 50
Occupant safetySafety

X
Slide the belt sash guide downwards.
X Release belt sash guide release :and
make sure tha tthe 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 seat belts X
Press release button ?(Ypage 51) 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.
Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
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 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 "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrumentc luster, seat
belt" (Y page 280).
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 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. Example: vehicles with
arear bench seat: the pas-
sengers on the left and right rear seats have their
seat belts fastened
You can also cancel the rear seat belt status
indicato rimmediately (Y page 253).
i The status indicator for the rear-compart-
ment seat belts is only available for certain
countries. 52
Occupant safetySafety

Bel
ttensioners, 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,
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 43).
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
R if in certain situations where the vehicle
overturns 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. 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
and under twelve years of age on the front-
passenge rseat. Exception :ifthe vehicle is
equipped with automatic child seat recog-
nition on the front-passenger seat and the Children in the vehicle
53Safety
Z

child is secured in a chil
drestrain tsystem
with transponders for automati cchild 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.
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, secure
the child using a child restraint system which
is appropriate to the size, age and weight of
the child and recommended for Mercedes- Benz vehicles. You should preferably fit the
restraint system to a suitable rear seat. You
can also secure the child in the integrated
child seat (Y
page 60). Make sure that the
child is secured in a child restraint system
throughout the trip.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use the child restraint systems listed at
(Y page 67).
You can obtain further information about the
correct child restraint system 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. 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.
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 other per-
sons could be injured as a result. They could
get out and injure themselves or be injured by
a passing vehicle.
Also observe the notes on HOLD .Relevant
information can be found in the index. 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 a braking manoeuvre
R a sudden change of direction
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the vehi-
cle interior unless they are secured. You will 54
Children in the vehicleSafety

Automatic child sea
trecognition on the
front-passenger seat If your vehicle does no
thave automatic child
seat recognition 1
on the front-passenger
seat, this is indicated by a special sticker. The
sticker is affixed to the side of the dashboard
on the front-passenger side. The sticker is
visible when you open the front-passenger
door. The front-passenger seat sensor system for
child restraint systems detects whether a
special Mercedes-Ben
zchild seat with a
transponder for automatic child seat recog-
nition has been fitted. In this case, the 4
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp :
lights up. The front-passenger front airbag is
disabled. G
WARNING
If the 4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indica-
tor lamp does not light 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-passenger seat.
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.
i If the front-passenger front airbag is dis-
abled by the automatic child seat recogni-
tion, the following remain enabled on the
front-passenger side:
R the sidebag
R the pelvisbag
R the windowbag
R the belt tensioner
1 Vehicles without automatic child seat recognition on the front-passenger seat: if you turn the key to position
2int he ignition lock, the 4PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp lights up briefly but has no function.
It does not indicate that there is automatic child seat recognition on the front-passenger seat. 56
Children in the vehicleSafety

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-
ognitio nsensor 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.
ISOFIX child seat securing system for
the rear seats ISOFIX is a standardised securing system for
specially designed child restraint systems on
the rear seats. Securing rings for two ISOFIX
child restraint systems are fitted on the left
and right of the rear seats. G
WARNING
Ac hild restraint system secured by the ISOFIX
child seat securing system does not provide
sufficient protection for children weighing
more than 22 kg. For this reason, do not
secure children weighing more than 22 kg in
a child restraint system secured by the ISOFIX
child seat securing system. If the child weighs
more than 22 kg, secure the child restraint
system using a three-point seat belt. 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.
For reasons of safety, only use child restraint
systems with the ISOFIX child seat securing
system on the rear seats.
We recommend that you use the ISOFIX child
restraint systems that have been recommen-
ded for Mercedes-Benz.
An incorrectly fitted child restraint system
could come loose and seriously or even fatally
injure the child or other vehicle occupants.
When fitting the child restraint system, always
make sure that it is engaged correctly in the
securing rings on both sides.
G
WARNING
Please note that if child restraint systems, or
their retaining systems, are damaged or sub-
jected to a load in an accident, they may not
be able to provide their protective function.
This could result in serious or even fatal inju-
ries to the secured child in the event of an
accident, heavy braking or a sudden change
in direction.
For this reason, have child restraint systems
and their anchorages which have been dam-
aged or subjected to a load in an accident
checked immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
! When fitting the child restraint system,
make sure that the seat belt for the centre
seat does not get trapped. Otherwise, the
seat belt could be damaged. Children in the vehicle
57Safety Z

Problems with child seat recognition
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The
4 PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp on the centre con-
sole is lit. As
pecial Mercedes-Benz child seat with a transponder for auto-
matic child seat recognition has been fitted to the front-passenger
seat. The front-passenger airbag has therefore been disabled as
desired. G
Risk of injury
There is no child seat fitted to the front-passenger seat. Automatic
child seat recognition is malfunctioning.
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 switch the ignition on.
X Remove electronic equipment from the front-passenger seat,
e.g.
R
laptop
R mobile phone
R cards with transponders, such as ski passes or access cards
If the 4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is still lit:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Integrated child seat
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 you must follow the manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions for the child seat when
fitting the integrated child seat (ICS) pad-
ded play table and side head restraint and
when fastening the seat belt.
R do not modify the integrated child seat, the
ICS padded play table or the side head
restraint. Do not use protective covers.
R make sure that the ICS padded play table
and the side head restraints do not become trapped or damaged. This could happen
when you
-
close the doors
- adjust the seat
- store the ICS padded play table and the
side head restraints
- transport heavy objects
R replace the integrated child seat, the pad-
ded play table and the side head restraints
if these were damaged or subjected to
heavy loads during an accident.
R note: children who weigh less than
12.5 kg require a different child restraint
system. Information about other child
restraint systems is available from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
R the vehicle's rear seat backrest must be
locked in position. 60
Children in the vehicleSafety

Weight
catego-
ries Size cate-
gory Manufac-
turer Type Approval
number
(E1 ...) Order
number Auto-
matic
chil
dseat
recogni-
tion Group 0:
up to
10 kg
E – – – – –
Group 0+:
up to
13 kg
E Britax
Römer BABY SAFE
ISOFIX
PLUS 04 301146 B6 6 86
8224 No
D – – – – –
C – – – – –
Group I:
9to 18 kg
D – – – – –
C – – – – –
B – – – – –
B1 Britax
Römer DUO PLUS 03 301133
04 301133 A000 970
11 00 Yes
A – – – – –
Child-proof locks
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Activate the child-proof locks for the rear
doors and the override switch for the rear
windows when children are travelling in the
vehicle. Otherwise, the children could open
doors or side windows while th evehicle is in
motion and injure themselves or others. 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. 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 other per-
sons could be injured as a result. They could
get out and injure themselves or be injured by
a passing vehicle.
Also observe the notes on HOLD .Relevant
information can be found in the index.
Child-proof locks for the rear doors You secure each door individually with the
child-proof locks on the rear doors.
Adoor
secured with a child-proof lock cannot be
opened from inside the vehicle. When the
vehicle is unlocked, the door can be opened
from the outside. 68
Children in the vehicleSafety