2000 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS airbag off

23 Instruments and controls
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index 1Side air outlet, adjustable, see page 91
2Level control switch and wheel change switch,
see page 196
3Exterior lamp switch, see page 86
4Parking brake release, see page 175
5Hood lock release, see page 219
6Parking brake pedal, see page 175
7Combination switch, see page 86
8Cruise control switch, see page 185
9Horn
10Airbag, see page 60
11Voice recognition system switch, see separate
operating instructions
12Instrument cluster, see page 74
13Steering lock with ignition/starter switch,
see page 165
14Center air outlets adjustable, see page 91
15Heated air supply button - center air outlet,
see page 9116Non-heated/cooled air supply button - center air
outlet, see page 91
17Storage/eyeglasses compartment, see page 124
18Air volume control for left air outlet, see page 91
19Air volume control for center air outlets, see page 91
20Air volume control for right air outlet, see page 91
21Airbag off indicator lamp, see page 213
22Automatic climate control, see page 90
Rear window defroster switch, see page 95
23Audio system, see page 98
24Trunk lid release switch, see page 40
25Switch for tow-away alarm, see page 43
Indicator lamp for antitheft alarm system,
see page 42
26Central locking switch, see page 37
27Hazard warning f lasher switch, see page 89
28Adaptive damping system adjustment switch,
see page 199
29ESP control switch, see page 194
30Roll bar operation switch, see page 118

56 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Caution!
For safety reasons, avoid adjusting the seat or backrest
into positions which could affect the correct seat belt
positioning.
Unfastening of seat belts
Push the release button (3) in the belt buckle (2).
Allow the retractor to completely rewind the seat belt by
guiding the latch plate (1).
Wa r n i n g !
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY.• Each occupant should wear their seat belt at all
times, because seat belts help reduce the
likelihood of and potential severity of injuries
in accidents, including rollovers. The
integrated restraint system includes "SRS"
(driver airbag, passenger airbag, door mounted
side impact airbags), "ETR" (seat belt
emergency tensioning retractors), and front
seat knee bolsters. The system is designed to
enhance the protection offered to properly
belted occupants in certain frontal (front
airbags) and side (side impact airbags) impacts
which exceed preset deployment thresholds.• Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as these might
cause injuries.• Position the lap belt as low as possible on your
hips and not across the abdomen. If the belt is
positioned across your abdomen, it can cause
serious injuries in a crash.

57 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens Automotive Corp.
• Never wear the shoulder belt under your arm,
against you neck or off your shoulder. In a
crash, your body would move too far forward.
That would increase the chance of head and
neck injuries. The belt would also apply too
much force to the ribs or abdomen, which
could severely injure internal organs such as
your liver or spleen.• Each seat belt must never be used for more
than one person at a time. Do not fasten a seat
belt around a person and another person or
other objects.• Belts should not be worn twisted. In a crash,
you wouldn’t have the full width of the belt to
manage impact forces. The twisted belt against
your body could cause injuries.• Pregnant women should also use a lap-
shoulder belt. The lap belt portion should be
positioned as low as possible on the hips to
avoid pressure on the abdomen.• Never place your feet on the instrument panel
or on the seat. Always keep both feet on the
floor in front of the seat.
Wa r n i n g !
USE CHILD RESTRAINTS PROPERLY.
Children 12 years old and under must never ride in
this vehicle, except in a Mercedes-Benz authorized
BabySmart
TM compatible child seat, which operates
with the BabySmart
TM system installed in the
vehicle to deactivate the passenger side front
airbag wh en it is properly installed. Otherwise they
will be struck by the airbag when it inflates in a
crash. If this happens, serious or fatal injury will
result.
Infants and small children must be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system, which
is properly secured with the vehicle’s seat belt,
fully in accordance with the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions.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.Adjust the passenger seat as far as possible
rearward from the dashboard when the seat is
occupied.

206 Malfunction and indicator lamps
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Seat belt warning lamp
With the key in steering lock position 2, the
seat belt warning lamp comes on, and a
warning sounds for a short time if the
drivers seat belt is not fastened.
If a backrest is not engaged in its lock, a warning will
sound intermittently for up to approx. 20 seconds.
After starting the engine, the seat belt warning lamp
blinks for a brief period to remind the driver and
passengers to fasten seat belts before driving off.
If the warning lamp does not go out after blinking
brief ly, but is instead lit continuously, then a backrest is
not engaged in its lock.
The warning lamp goes out as soon as the backrest is
engaged in its lock.
If the backrest is locked and the warning lamp does not
go out, have the system checked at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.Supplemental restraint system (SRS) indicator lamp
The operational readiness of the airbag
system is verified by the indicator lamp
“SRS” in the instrument cluster when
turning the key in steering lock to position 1 or 2. If no
fault is detected, the lamp will go out after
approximately 4 seconds; after the lamp goes out, the
system continues to monitor the components and
circuitry of the airbag system and will indicate a
malfunction by coming on again.
See page 60 for notes on airbags, see page 59 for belt
tensioners and page 67 for infant and child seat
restraint.
Wa r n i n g !
In the event a malfu nction of th e “SRS” is indic ated
as outlined above, the “SRS” may not be
operational. For your safety, we strongly
recommend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have the
system checked; otherwise the “SRS” may not be
activated when needed in an accident, which could
result in serious or fatal injury, or it might deploy
unexpectedly and unnecessarily which could also
result in injury.

213 Malfunction and warning messages
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index High beam indicator lamp
High beam indicator lamp, see page 86
Additional function indicator lamps
(in the odometer display)
FSS indicator (distance, Service A),
seepage80.
FSS indicator (distance, Service B),
seepage80.
FSS indicator (days, Service A),
seepage80.
FSS indicator (days, Service B),
seepage80.
Start lock-out malfunction, see page 34.Malfunction and indicator lamp
(in the dashboard)
Passenger airbag indicator lamp
üPassenger airbag automatically switched off,
see page 60.

285
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car careIndex
Index
AABS (Antilock brake system) ....................................... 190
Malfunction indicator lamp .....................................208
Adj usting steering c ol umn
Storing steering column position in memory ........ 70
ADS indicator lamp ....................................................... 212
ADS warning lamp ......................................................... 212
Air conditioner refrigerant ...........................................278
Airbags .............................................................................. 60
Airbag OFF indicator lamp ...................................... 213
SRS indicator lamp ...................................................206
Antenna ........................................................................... 151
Antilock brake system (ABS) ....................................... 190
Antitheft alarm system ................................................... 42
Aquaplaning ................................................................... 180
Armrest ........................................................................... 127
Ashtrays .................................................................. 130, 131
Audio system
Anti-theft system ...................................................... 100
Button and soft key operation ................................. 101
Cassette mode ........................................................... 106
CD changer .................................................................110CD mode ..................................................................... 109
Operating and display elements ...............................99
Operating safety ..........................................................98
Operation ............................................................. 98, 102
Radio mode ................................................................ 104
Telephone operation ................................................. 113
Automatic climate control ..............................................90
Air distribution ............................................................95
Air recirculation ..........................................................96
Air volume .................................................................... 95
Basic setting - automatic mode ................................. 93
Defogging windows .....................................................94
Defrosting .....................................................................94
Display and controls ...................................................92
Dust filter .....................................................................97
Rear window defroster ............................................... 95
Residual engine heat utilization ...............................96
Automatic transmission ................................................ 168
Emergency operation ............................................... 174
Fluid level ...................................................................221
Maneuvering ..............................................................172
Program mode selector switch ................................173
Selector lever positions ............................................ 169