belt MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS 2007 Owner's Manual

63 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
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 or toddler restraint or booster seat rec-
ommended 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
require 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 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 51).

64 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Installation of infant and child restraint
systems
This vehicle is equipped with tether an-
chorages for a top tether strap at each of
the rear seating positions.
1Cover of top anchorage ring
Bring the rear power seat backrest* to
a fully upright position (
page 320).

Remove cover1 from anchorage ring.

Store cover1 in a convenient place
(e.g. glove box).

Guide tether strap between head re-
straint and top of seat back.
Warning!
G
Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint.
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Posi-
tion shoulder belt across chest and shoul-
der, not face or neck. A booster seat may be
necessary to achieve proper belt positioning
for children over 41 lbs until they reach a
height where a lap/shoulder belt fits
properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use,
remove it from the vehicle or secure it with
the seat belt to prevent the child restraint
from becoming a projectile in the event of
an accident.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil-
dren in a child restraint system may use
vehicle equipment and may cause an acci-
dent and/or serious personal injury.

65 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Head restraints must be positioned such
that the top tether strap can pass freely
between the head restraint and top of seat
back.
Make sure the tether strap is not twist-
ed.
2Hook
3Anchorage ring

Securely fasten hook2, which is part
of the tether strap, to anchorage
ring3.Once the top tether anchorage hook is at-
tached, the child restraint itself can be se-
cured. Tighten the top tether strap
according to the child restraint manufac-
turer’s instructions.

Reinstall cover after removing the
tether strap.Child seat anchors – LATCH type
This vehicle is equipped with two LATCH
(L
ower A
nchors and T
ethers for CH
ildren)
type anchors (at each of the rear seats) for
the installation of a LATCH child seat with
the matching anchor fittings.
If you have not installed a child seat, the
LATCH anchor are covered with an uphol-
stery blend.
1Indicates the position of the anchors
2Anchors
3Upholstery blend
4Installation device
i
For safety reasons, make sure hook2 has
attached to ring3 beyond the safety catch, as
illustrated.
Warning!
G
Vehicles with adjustable rear seats/bench*:
Never adjust the rear seat position after in-
stalling the child restraint. Adjusting the rear
seat position after installing the child re-
straint could damage the child restraint
and/or introduce undesirable slack or ten-
sion into the seat belt and loosen or mispo-
sition the child restraint, lessening the
effectiveness of the child restraint and thus
i n c r e a s i n g t h e c h a n c e o r s e v e r i t y o f i n j u r y i n
an accident.


66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Bring the rear power seat backrest* to
its fully upright position (
page 320).

Fold upholstery blend3 upward.

Turn installation device4 to a vertical
position so that upholstery blend3
does not fold down.

Install child seat according to the man-
ufacturer’s instructions.
A rigid connection is established be-
tween the child seat and the body of
the vehicle.
Do not adjust rear power seat*/bench*
position after installing child restraint.
Warning!
G
Vehicles with adjustable rear seats/bench*:
Never adjust the rear seat position after in-
stalling the child restraint. Adjusting the rear
seat position after installing the child re-
straint could damage the child restraint
and/or introduce undesirable slack or ten-
sion into the seat belt and loosen or mispo-
sition the child restraint, lessening the
effectiveness of the child restraint and thus
i n c r e a s i n g t h e c h a n c e o r s e v e r i t y o f i n j u r y i n
an accident.i
The child seat must be firmly attached in the
right and left side anchor fittings.
Make sure the seat belt for the center seat can
operate freely with a child seat installed.
Non-LATCH type child seats may also be used
and can be installed using the vehicle’s seat belt
system. Install child seat according to the manu-
facturer’s instructions.
Warning!
G
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Posi-
tion. Position shoulder belt across chest and
shoulder, not face or neck. A booster seat
may be necessary to achieve proper belt po-
sitioning for children over 41 lbs until they
reach a height where a lap/shoulder belt fits
properly without a booster.
Install child seat according to manufactur-
er’s instructions.
The child seat must be firmly attached in
right and left side anchors2.
An incorrectly mounted child seat may come
loose during an accident which could result
in serious injury or death to the child.
Damaged or impact damaged child seats or
child seat mounting fittings must be re-
placed.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system.


303 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Starter switch positions
Seats
Steering wheel
Mirrors
Memory function
Fastening the seat belts
Lighting
Windshield wipers
Power windowsDriving and parking
Automatic transmission
Instrument cluster
Driving systems
Automatic climate control
Trunk
Power tilt/sliding sunroof
Panorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel*
Loading and storing
Useful features

318 Controls in detailSeatsSeat adjustment
You can adjust the lumbar support, multi-
contour seats for driver and front passen-
ger, as well as drive-dynamic multicontour
seats using COMAND (
page 236).
Warning!
G
All seat, head restraint adjustments, as well
as fastening of seat belts, must be done be-
fore the vehicle is put into motion.Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide un-
der the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a nearly upright position and
belts are properly positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt
(page 339).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the starter
switch or the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle, the power seats
can be operated when the respective door is
open. Therefore, do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
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 toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child. For additional informa-
tion, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 61).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.

320 Controls in detailSeatsRear power seat* adjustment
(rear outer seats)Example rear right door1Seat cushion tilt
2Seat backrest tilt
3Folding down and placing upright head
restraint (
page 326)
4Head restraint tilt (
page 326)
5Seat fore and aft adjustment

Switch on the ignition (
page 315).
or

Open the respective door.

Adjust desired seat using seat
switches1,2 and5.Adjusting front passenger seat from
driver’s seat/rear*
Warning!
G
The seat belt only offers its intended protec-
tion when the seat backrest is in a nearly
vertical position and the occupant is sitting
upright. Avoid sitting in positions that pre-
vent the seat belt from being properly posi-
tioned against the body (
page 339). You
should therefore adjust the backrest to a po-
sition as upright as possible.
Warning!
G
When adjusting the front passenger seat,
make sure the seat, if occupied, is as far
from the passenger front air bag as possi-
ble.
Otherwise, the passenger could be seriously
or even fatally injured in the event of an ac-
cident or braking maneuver.
Make sure no one is caught or injured while
the seat is being adjusted.
Even with the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the starter
switch or the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle, the power seats
can be operated when the respective door is
open. Therefore, do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.!
Do not move the front passenger seat com-
pletely forward if objects are stored in the parcel
net in the front passenger-side footwell. Items in
the net may be damaged.

325 Controls in detailSeats
Adjustment
1Head restraint side cushions
2Adjusting head restraint forward and
backward
You can individually adjust side
cushions1 of the luxury head restraints.
Adjusting side cushions: Pull or push
side cushions1 into desired position.

Adjusting forward or backward: Pull
or push head restraint in direction of
arrow2.Resetting
If the luxury active head restraints have
been triggered in an accident, the luxury
active head restraints must be reset. Oth-
erwise, the luxury active head restraints
cannot offer any additional protection in
the event of another rear-end collision.
Have this work carried out by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
For information on luxury active head re-
straints, see “Luxury active head restraints
(S 600 only)” (
page 59).
Rear head restraintsFolding head restraints back
The rear seat head restraints and the rear
seat power head restraints* can be folded
backward for increased visibility.
1Switch in the front center console
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, always drive with the
rear head restraints in the upright position
when the rear seats are occupied.
Otherwise, the back of the head will not be
supported in the event of a collision. As a re-
sult, rear seat occupants could be injured.
Warning!
G
Keep the area around head restraints clear
of articles (e.g. clothing) to not obstruct the
folding operation of the head restraints.i
You can only fold back the rear seat head re-
straints when no rear seat passenger is wearing
a seat belt.

326 Controls in detailSeats
Switch on the ignition (
page 315).

Press switch1 in the front center con-
sole briefly.
The rear head restraints will fold back-
ward.
Placing head restraints upright

Pull the rear head restraint upright until
it locks into position.Placing power head restraints* upright
(rear outer seats)

Switch on the ignition (
page 315).

Press and hold switch1 in the front
center console and hold.
The rear outer seats head restraints
will place upright.

Pull the rear center seat head restraint
upright manually until it locks into posi-
tion.Rear power head restraints*
(rear outer seats)
1Placing upright head restraint
2Folding down head restraint
3Head restraint tilt
4Head restraint tilt

Switch on the ignition (
page 315) or
open the respective door.

Press switch up in the direction of
arrow1.
The rear outer seats power head re-
straint will place upright.
!
Make sure the head restraints engage when
placing them upright manually. Otherwise their
protective function cannot be ensured.
i
When you fasten your seat belt in the rear,
the respective rear outer seat head restraint
places upright.

336 Controls in detailMemory functionPrior to operating the vehicle, the driver
should check and adjust the seat height,
seat position fore and aft, and seat back-
rest angle if necessary, to ensure adequate
control, reach, and comfort. The head re-
straint should also be adjusted for proper
height. See also the section on air bags
(page 45) for proper seat positioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, operation
and comfort. Both the inside and outside
rear view mirrors should be adjusted for
adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small chil-
dren should be seated in a properly se-
cured restraint system that complies with
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dards 213 and 225 and Canadian Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and 210.2.With the memory function you can store up
to 3 different settings.
The following settings are saved for each
stored position the driver’s door:


Seat position and lumbar support


Multicontour seat*: previously select-
ed setting


Drive-dynamic multicontour seat*: ac-
tivation/deactivation


Steering wheel position


Exterior rear view mirrors position
The following settings are stored when us-
ing the buttons on the front passenger
door:


Seat position and lumbar support


Multicontour seat*: previously select-
ed setting


Drive-dynamic multicontour seat*: ac-
tivation/deactivationThe following settings are stored when us-
ing the buttons* on the rear passenger
doors (Canada only):


Seat position


Multicontour seat*: previously select-
ed settingWarning!
G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.