MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS SEDAN 2018 Service Manual

When activated, an air bag can provide addi‐
tional pr otection for the respective vehicle
occupant.
AIR BAGP otential pr otection for
…
Knee air bag Thigh, knee and lo wer leg
Driver's air bag,
front passenger
air bag Head and
ribcage
Wi ndow air ba gHead
Side air bag Ribcage, also pelvis for
front seat occupants
The front-passenger air bag can be deploy ed in
an accident only if thePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is off. If the front passenger seat
is occupied, make sure, bo thbefore and during
th e journe y,that thest atus of the front
passenger air bag is cor rect (
→page 43). *
NO
TEImpo rtant points toremember if
th e front passenger seat is unoccupied
In an accident, the components of the
re stra int sy stem may deploy unnecessarily
on the front passenger side if:
RThere are heavy objects on the front
passenger seat.
RThe seat belt tongue is engaged in the
seat belt buckle of the front passenger
seat and the front passenger seat is
unoccupied.
#St ow objects in a suitable place.
#Only one person should use each seat
belt at any one time.
Cushionbag in there clining rear seat
If th e seat backrest inclination is significant, the
cushionbag pr ovides additional occupant pr otec‐
tion in theeve nt of a frontal impact. When acti‐
va ted, the cushionbag deplo ysunder the seat
cushion. This helps pr eventtheve hicle occupant
from slipping off the seat cushion. If
yo u ins tall a child restra int sy stem on the
re clining rear seat, alw ays obser vethe additional
no tes (
→page 47).
Protection po tential of air bags
Depending on the accident situation, an air bag
may supplement the pr otection of fere dby a cor‐
re ctly fastened seat belt.
&
WARNING Risk of injury or death dueto
incor rect seat position
If yo u deviate from the cor rect seat position,
th e air bag cann otper form its intended pro‐
te ctive function and deployment may even
cause fur ther injuries.
To avoid hazardous situations, alw ays make
sure that all vehicle occupants:
RHa ve their seat belt fastened cor rectly,
including pregnant women.
RAre seated proper lyand that dis tance to
th e air bags is as lar geas possible.
RObserv eth efo llowing information.
Occupant saf ety 39

#Always make sure that there are no
objects between the air bag and the
ve hicle occupant.
To avo idtherisks resulting from the deployment
of an air bag, each vehicle occupant must
obser vethefo llowing information:
RBefore starting your journe y,adjust your seat
co rrectly ;th e driver's seat and front
passenger seat should be mo ved as far back
as possible.
When doing so, alw ays obser vethe informa‐
tion on the cor rect driver's seat position
(
→page 88).
ROnly hold thesteering wheel bythesteering
wheel rim. This all owsth e air bag tobe fully
deplo yed.
RAlw ays lean against the seat backrest when
th eve hicle is in motion. Do not lean forw ards
or against the door or side windo w.You may
ot herwise be in the deployment area of the
air bags.
RAlw ayske ep your feet on thefloor. Do not
put your feet on the dashboard, forex ample. Yo
ur feet may otherwise be in the deploy‐
ment area of the air bag.
RIfch ildren are tra veling in theve hicle,
obser vethe additional no tes (→page 47).
RAlw aysstow and secure objects cor rectl y.
Objects in theve hicle interior may pr event an air
bag from functioning cor rectl y.Each vehicle
occupant must alw ays make sure of thefo llow‐
ing:
RThere are no people, animals or objects
between theve hicle occupants and an air
bag.
RThere are no objects between the seat , door
and door pillar (B-pillar).
RThere are no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers,
hanging on the grab handles or coat hooks.
RThere are no accessory parts, such as cup
holders, attached totheve hicle within the
deployment area of an air bag, e.g. on doors,
side windo wsor side paneling.
RThere are no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile
objects in the poc kets of your clo thing. Store
such objects in a suitable place.
Re duced air bag pr otection
&
WARNING Risk of injury from modifica‐
tions tothe airbag co ver
If yo u modify an airbag co ver or af fix objects
such assticke rs to it,the airbag can no lon‐
ge r function cor rectl y.
#Ne ver modify an airbag co ver and do
not af fix objects toit.
The ins tallation location of an air bag is identi‐
fi ed bythe AIRB AGsymbol (→page 38).
&
WARNING Risk of injury or death dueto
th e use of unsuitable seat co vers
Uns uitable seat co vers can obstruct or pre‐
ve nt the deployment of air bags integrated
into the seats.
Consequentl y,the air bags cannot protect
ve hicle occupants as they are designed to
do. In addition, operation of the automatic
front passenger air bag shutoff may be
re stricted.
40
Occupant saf ety

#You should only use seat covers that
ha ve been appr oved forth e cor respond‐
ing seats byMercedes-Benz.
&
WARNING Risk of injury duetomalfunc‐
tions of the sensors in the door paneling
Sensors tocontrol the airbags are located in
th e doors. Modifications or worknot per‐
fo rm ed cor rectly tothe doors or door panel‐
ing, as well as damaged doors, can lead to
th e function of the sensors being impaired.
The airbags might therefore not function
proper lyany more.
Consequent ly,th e airbags cannot protect
ve hicle occupants as they are designed to
do.
#Ne ver modify the doors or parts of the
doors.
#Alw ays ha vewo rkon the doors or door
paneling car ried out at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop.
&
WARNING Risk of injury duetodeplo yed
airbag
A deplo yed airbag no longer has a pr otective
function and cann otprotect as intended in
th eev ent of an accident.
#Ha ve theve hicle towe dto aqu alified
specialist workshop in order tohave the
deplo yed airbag replaced.
Ha ve deplo yed air bags replaced immediately.
St atus of the front passenger airbag
Fu nction of the automatic front passenger
air bag shuto ff
The automatic front passenger air bag shutoff is
able todetect whe ther the front passenger seat
is occupied bya person or a child restra int sys‐
te m. The front passenger air bag is enabled or
deactivated accordingly. When ins
talling a child restra int sy stem on the
front passenger seat, alw ays make sure of the
fo llowing:
REnsure that thech ild restra int sy stem is posi‐
tioned cor rectly (→page 47).
RAlw ays obser vethech ild restra int sy stem
manufacturer's ins tallation instructions.
RNe ver place objects under or behind the
ch ild restra int sy stem, e.g. cushions.
RFu lly retract the seat cushion length adjust‐
ment.
RThe entire base of thech ild restra int sy stem
must alw aysre st on the seat cushion of the
front-passenger seat.
RThe backrest of thefo rw ard-facing child
re stra int sy stem must, as far as possible, be
re sting on the seat backrest of the front
passenger seat.
RThe child restra int sy stem must not touch the
ro of or be put under stra in by the head
re stra ints. Adjust the seat backrest inclina‐
tion and the head restra int setting accord‐
ing ly.
Occupant saf ety 41

&WARNING Risk of injury or death dueto
objects between the sitting sur face and
th ech ild restra int sy stem
Objects between the sitting sur face and the
ch ild restra int sy stem could af fect the func‐
tion of the automatic front passenger airbag
shutoff.
This could result in the front passenger air‐
bag not functioning as intended during an
accident.
#Do not place any objects between the
sitting sur face and thech ild restra int
sy stem.
#The entire base of thech ild restra int
sy stem must alw aysre st on the sitting
sur face of the front passenger seat.
#The backrest of thefo rw ard-facing child
re stra int sy stem must lie as flat as pos‐
sible against the backrest of the front
passenger seat.
#Alw ays comply with thech ild restra int
sy stem manufacturer's ins tallation
instructions.
A person on the front passenger seat must
obser vethefo llowing information:
RFa sten seat belts cor rectl y.
RSit in an almost up right seat position with
th eir back against the seat backrest.
RSit with their feet resting on thefloor, if pos‐
sible.
Otherwise, the front passenger air bag may be
deactivated bymis take ,fo rex ample in thefo l‐
lowing situations:
RThe front passenge r transferstheir weight by
supporting themselves on a vehicle armrest.
RThe front passenger sits in such a wayth at
th eir weight is raised from the sitting sur‐
fa ce.
&
WARNING Risk of injury or death dueto
deactivated front passenger airbag
If th ePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front passenger airbag is disa‐
bled. It will not be deplo yed in theeve nt of
an accident and cannot pe rform its intended
pr otective function.
A person in the front passenger seat could
th en, forex ample, come into con tact wi th
th eve hicle interior, especially if the person is
sitting too close tothe cockpit.
If th e front passenger seat is occupied,
alw ays ensure that:
RThe classification of the person in the
front passenger seat is cor rect and the
front passenger airbag is enabled or disa‐
bled in accordance with the person in the
front passenger seat.
RThe front passenger seat has been mo ved
as far back as possible.
RThe person is seated cor rectl y.
#Ensure , bothbefore and during the jour‐
ne y,that thest atus of the front
passenger airbag is cor rect.
42
Occupant saf ety

PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamp
System self-te st
When the ignition is switched on, a sy stem self-
te st is per form ed during which the two
PA SSENGER AIR BAG ON and OFF indicator
lamps light up simultaneousl y.The
status of the front passenger air bag is dis‐
pla yed af terth e sy stem self-tes t:
RPASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up for
60 seconds, subsequently bo thPASSENGER
AIR BAG ON and OFF indicator lamps are off:
th e front passenger air bag is able todeploy
in theeve nt of an accident.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up continu‐
ously: the front passenger air bag is deactiva‐
te d. It will then not be deplo yed in theeve nt
of an accident.
If th ePA SSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is
off, only thePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp sho wsthest atus of the front passenger air
bag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
If th ePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
and the6 restra int sy stem warning lamp
light up simultaneousl y,the front passenger seat
may not be used. Also in this case, do not ins tall
a ch ild restra int sy stem on the front passenger
seat. Ha vethe automatic front passenger air bag
shutoff checked and repaired immediately at a
qu alified specialist workshop. St
atus display
If th e front passenger seat is occupied, ensure,
bo th before and durin
g
the journe y,that thest a‐
tus of the front passenger air bag is cor rect for
th e pr evailing situation.
Af ter in stalling a rear wa rd-facing child
re stra int sy stem on the front passenger
seat: PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF must be lit con‐
tinuousl y.
&
WARNING Risk of injury or death from
using a rear wa rd-facing child restra int
sy stem when the front passenger air bag
is enabled
If yo u secure a child in a rear wa rd-facing
ch ild restra int sy stem on the front passenger
seat and thePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi‐
cator lamp is off, the front passenger air bag
can deploy in theev ent of an accident.
The child could be stru ck bythe air bag.
Alw ays ensure that the front passenger air
bag is disabled. The PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
Occupant saf ety 43

NEVER use arear wa rdfacing child restra int
on a seat pr otected byan ACTIVE FRONT AIR
BA G in front of it; DE ATH or SERIOUS INJU RY
to thech ild can occur.
When ins talling a child restra int sy stem on the
front passenger seat, observ eth eve hicle-spe‐
cific information in this Operator's Manual.
Depending on thech ild restra int sy stem and the
st ature of thech ild, thePA SSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp may be off. In this case, do
not ins tallth ere ar wa rd-facing child restra int
sy stem on the front passenger seat.
Ins tead, ins tallth ere ar wa rd-facing child
re stra int sy stem on a suitable rear seat.
Af ter in stalling a forw ard-facing child
re stra int sy stem on the front passenger
seat: depending on thech ild restra int sy stem
and thest ature of thech ild, PASSENGER AIR
BA G OFF may be lit continuously or be off.
Alw ays obser vethefo llowing information.
&
WARNING Risk of injury or death dueto
incor rect positioning of thefo rw ard-
fa cing child restra int sy stem
If yo u secure a child in a forw ard-facing child
re stra int sy stem on the front passenger seat
and you position the front passenger seat too
close tothe cockpit, in theeve nt of an acci‐
dent, thech ild could:
RCome into con tact wi th theve hicle inte‐
ri or if thePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi‐
cator lamp is lit, forex ample.
RBe stru ck bythe air bag if the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
is off.
#Alw ays mo vethe front passenger seat
as far back as possible and fully retract
th e seat cushion length adjustment.
Alw ays make sure that the shoulder belt
st ra p is cor rectly routed from the seat
belt outlet on theve hicle tothe shoul‐
der belt guide on thech ild restra int sys‐
te m. The shoulder belt stra p must be
ro uted forw ards and down wards from
th eve hicle belt outlet. If necessar y,
adjustthe seat belt outlet and the front
passenger seat accordingly.
#Alw ays obser vethech ild restra int sys‐
te m manufacturer's ins tallation instruc‐
tions.
When ins talling a child restra int sy stem on the
front passenger seat, observ eth eve hicle-spe‐
cific information in this Operator's Manual.
If a person is sitting in the front passenger
seat: PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF may be lit con‐
tinuously or be off, depending on the person's
st ature.
A person on the front passenger seat must
alw ays obser vethefo llowing information:
RIf th e front passenger seat is occupied with
an adult or a person with a stature cor re‐
sponding tothat of an adult, thePA SSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp must be off. This
indicates that the front passenger air bag is
enabled.
If th ePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit continuousl y,an adult or person
with a build cor responding tothat of an adult
44
Occupant saf ety

should not usethe front passenger seat.
Ins tead, they should use a rear seat.
RIfth e front passenger seat is occupied with a
person of smaller stature (e.g. a teenager or
small adult), thePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp either lights up continuously
or remains out, depending on there sult of
th e classification:
-PA SSENGER AIRB AGOFF is off: mo vethe
front passenger seat as far back as possi‐
ble or a person of smaller stature should
use a rear seat.
-Ifth ePA SSENGER AIRB AGOFF indicator
lamp is lit continuously: a person of
smaller stature should not use the front
passenger seat.
& WARNING Risk of injury or death when
th ePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit
If th ePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit af terth e sy stem self-test,
th e front passenger air bag is deactivated. It
will not be deplo yed in theev ent of an acci‐
dent. In this case, the front passenger air bag
cannot perform its intended pr otective func‐
tion, e.g. when a person is seated in the front
passenger seat.
That person could, forex ample, come into
con tact wi th theve hicle interior, especially if
th e person is sitting too close tothe cockpit.
If th e front passenger seat is occupied,
alw ays ensure that:
RThe classification of the person in the
front passenger seat is cor rect and the
front passenger air bag is enabled or
deactivated in accordance with the per‐
son in the front passenger seat.
RThe person is seated proper lywith a cor‐
re ctly fastened seat belt.
RThe front passenger seat has been mo ved
as far back as possible.
Fu rther related subjects:RChild restra int sy stem on the front passenger
seat (→page 53).
PRE-SAFE®sy stem
Information on PRE- SAFE®(anticipa tory
occupant pr otection)
PRE- SAFE®is able todetect cer tain critical driv‐
ing situations and implement pre-em ptive meas‐
ures toprotect theve hicle occupants.
PRE-SAFE
®can implement thefo llowing meas‐
ures independently of each other:
RTightening the seat belts on the driver's seat
and front passenger seat.
RClosing the side windo ws.
RVehicles with sliding sunroof: Closingthe
sliding sunroof.
RVe hicles with memory function: Moving
th e front passenger seat toa more favo rable
seat position.
RVe hicles with memory function in the
re ar passenger co mpartment: movingthe
outer rear seats toa more favo rable seat
position.
Occupant saf ety 45

RVehicles with multicontour seat: Increas‐
ing the air pressure in the seat side bols ters
of the seat backrest.
RVe hicles with rear seat belt buckle
ex tenders: tightening seat belts on the outer
re ar seats.
RPRE- SAFE®Sound: Pr ovided that the multi‐
media sy stem is switched on, generates a
brief noise signal tostimulate the innate pro‐
te ctive mechanism of a person's heari ng.
* NO
TEDama gecaused byobjects in the
fo ot we ll or behind the seat
The automatic adjustment of the seat posi‐
tion may result in damage tothe seat and/or
th e object.
#St ow objects in a suitable place.
Reversing the PRE- SAFE®system measures
If an accident did not occur, the pre-em ptive
measures that we retak en are reve rsed. Yo
uwill need toper form certain settings your‐
self.
#If th e seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced,
mo vethe seat backrest back slightl y.
The locking mechanism releases.
Information on PRE- SAFE®PLUS (anticipa‐
to ry occupant pr otection plus)
PRE- SAFE®PLUS can de tect cer tain impacts,
particular lyan imminent rear impact, and take
pre-em ptive measures toprotect theve hicle
occupants. These measures cannot necessarily
pr eve nt an imminent impact.
PRE-SAFE
®PLUS can implement thefo llowing
measures independently of each other:
RTightening the seat belts on the driver's seat
and front passenger seat.
RVe hicles with electric rear seats: tighten‐
ing seat belts on the outer rear seats.
RIncreasing brake pressure when theve hicle
is stationar y.This brake application is can‐
celed automatically when theve hicle pulls
aw ay. If an accident did not occur,
the pre-em ptive
measures that we retake n are reve rsed.
Sy stem limitations
The sy stem will not initiate any action in thefo l‐
lowing situations:
Rwhen backing up
The sy stem will not initiate any braking applica‐
tion in thefo llowing situations:
Rwhilst driving
or
Rwhen entering or exiting a parking space
while using Active Parking Assist
46
Occupant saf ety

Children in theve hicle
Note s onthe safe transportation of children
&
WARNING Risk of accident and injury
due tochildren left unatte nded inthe
ve hicle
If yo u lea vechildren unaccompanied in the
ve hicle, they may be able toset theve hicle in
motion, forex ample by:
RRe leasing the parking brake.
RShifting the transmission out of park
position j.
RStarting the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip‐
ment.
#Ne ver lea vechildren and animals unat‐
te nded in theve hicle.
#When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke
th e SmartK eywith you and lock the
ve hicle.
&
WARNING Risk offata l injury due to
ex posure toextreme heat or cold in the
ve hicle
If people – particularly children – are
ex posed toextreme heat or cold over an
ex tended pe riod of time, there is a risk of
injury or evenfa ta l injur y.
#Never lea veanyone – pa rticularly chil‐
dren – unatte nded intheve hicle.
&
WARNING Risk of burn s whenthech ild
seat is exposed todirect sunlight
If th ech ild restra int sy stem is exposed to
direct sunlight or heat, parts could heat up.
Children could suf fer burns from these parts,
particularly on me tallic parts of thech ild
re stra int sy stem.
#Alw ays make sure that thech ild
re stra int sy stem is not exposed to
direct sunlight.
#Pr otect it with a blank et,fo rex ample.
#Ifth ech ild restra int sy stem has been
ex posed todirect sunlight, allow it to
cool before securi ng achild into it.
#Ne ver lea vechildren unatte nded inthe
ve hicle.
The use of seat belts and child restra int sy stems
is requ ired bylaw in:
RAll 50 states
RThe U.S. territories
RThe District of Columbia
RAll Canadian pr ovinces
All child restra int sy stems must meet thefo llow‐
ing standards:
RU. S. Federal Mo torVe hicle Saf etySt andards
21 3 and 225
RCanadian Mo torVe hicle Saf etySt andards
21 3 and 210.2
Yo u can obtain fur ther information about the
cor rect child restra int sy stem from any author‐
ized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Occupant saf ety 47

Toimpr oveprotection forch ildren younger than
12 years old or under 5 ft(1.50 m) in height,
Mercedes-Benz recommends you observ eth e
fo llowing information:
ROnly secure children using a child restra int
sy stem which is suitable and recommended
fo r Mercedes-Benz vehicles, as well as appro‐
priate tothe height, age and weight of the
ch ild. Be sure toobser vethe instructions for
cor rect use of thech ild restra int sy stem.
RAlw ays ins tall a child restra int sy stem on a
re ar seat if possible.
ROnly usethefo llowing securing sy stems for
ch ild restra int sy stems:
-th e seat belt sy stem
-th eLA TC H-type (ISOFIX) mounting brack‐
et s
-th eTo pTe ther anchorages
RThe manufacturer's ins tallation instructions
fo rth ech ild restra int sy stem.
RThe warning labels in theve hicle interior and
on thech ild restra int sy stem.
&
WARNING Risk of injury or death caused
by incor rect ins tallation of thech ild
re stra int sy stem
If th ech ild restra int sy stem is incor rectly
ins talled on a suitable seating position, it
cannot per form its intended pr otective func‐
tion.
The child cannot be restra ined in theeve nt of
an accident, heavy braking or a sudden
ch ange of direction.
#Alw ays comply with the manufacturer's
ins tallation instructions forth ech ild
re stra int sy stem and its cor rect use.
#Make surethat the entire base of the
ch ild restra int sy stem alw aysre sts on
th e sitting sur face of the seat.
#Ne ver place objects under or behind
th ech ild restra int sy stem, e.g. cush‐
ions.
#Alw ays use child restra int sy stems with
th e original co ver designed forth em.
#Alw aysre place damaged co vers with
ge nuine co vers.
&
WARNING Risk of accident caused by
incor rectly ins talled child restra int sys‐
te ms
If th ech ild restra int sy stem is not cor rectly
ins talled or secured, it could release in the
ev ent of an accident, sudden braking or a
sudden change in direction.
The child restra int sy stem could be flung
around and hit vehicle occupants. This poses
an increased risk of injury or even fata l
injur y.
#Always ins tallch ild restra int sy stems
cor rectl y,eve n when not in use.
#Alw ays comply with thech ild restra int
sy stem manufacturer's ins tallation
instructions.
& WARNING Risk of injury or death caused
by the use of damaged child restra int
sy stems
Child restra int sy stems or their retaining sys‐
te ms that ha vebeen subjec tedto a load in
48
Occupant saf ety