2001 MERCEDES-BENZ E430 airbag

74 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Your vehicle was originally equipped with airbags
which are designed to activate in certain impacts
exceeding a preset threshold to reduce the potential
and severity of injury. It is important to your safety
and that of your passenger that you replace deployed
airbags and repair any malfunctioning airbags to
ensure the vehicle will continue to provide crash
protection for occupants.
Wa r n i n g !
Airbags are designed to reduce the potential of
injury in certain frontal (front airbags) impacts, or
side (side impact and head protection window
curtain airbags) impacts which may cause
significant injuries, however, no system available
today can totally eliminate injuries and fatalities.The activation of the “SRS” temporarily releases a
small amount of dust from the airbags. This dust,
however, is neither injurious to your health, nor
does i t indi cate a fire in th e vehi cle. Th e du st migh t
cause some temporary breathing difficulty for
people with asthma or other breathing trouble. To
avoid this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any breathing
difficulty but cannot get out of the vehicle after the
airbag inflates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or door.
Wa r n i n g !
To reduce the risk of injury when the front airbags
inflate, it is very important for the driver and front
passenger to always be in a properly seated
position and to wear their seat belts.For maximum protection in the event of a collision
always be in normal seated position with your back
against the backrest. Fasten your seat belt and
ensure that it is properly positioned on your body.Since the airbag inflates with considerable speed
and force, a proper seating and hands on steering
wheel position will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the airbag. Occupants who are
unbelted, out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured by an airbag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:

75 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
• Sit properly belted in an upright position with
your back against the backrest.• Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper operation of
vehicle controls. The distance from the center
of the driver’s breastbone to the center of the
airbag cover on the steering wheel must be at
least ten i nch es (25 cm ) or m ore. You shou ld be
able to accomplish this by a combination of
adjustments to the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any problems, please see your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.• Do not lean wit h your h ead or chest close to th e
steering wheel or dashboard.• Keep hands on the outside of steering wheel
rim. Placing hands and arms inside the rim
can increase the risk and potential severity of
hand / arm injury when driver front airbag
inflates.• Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard when
the seat is occupied.
• Occupants, especially children, should never
lean their heads in the area of the door where
the side airbag inflates. This could result in
serious injuries or death should the airbag be
triggered. Always sit upright, properly use the
seatbelts and appropriate size infant or child
restraint system• Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a Mercedes-
Benz authorized Baby Smart
TM compatible
child seat, which operates with the
BabySmart
TM system installed in the vehicle to
deactivate the passenger front airbag when it
is properly installed. Otherwise they will be
struck by th e airbag w hen it inf lates i n a crash.
If this happens, serious or fatal injury can
result.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in
severe injuries to you or other occupants.

76 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Safety guidelines for the seat belt, emergency
tensioning retractor and airbag
Wa r n i n g !
Accident research shows that the safest place for
children in an automobile is in the rear seat.
Should you choose to place a child 12 years old or
under in the front passenger seat of your vehicle,
you m ust properly use a BabySmart
TM child
restraint which will turn off the passenger side
front airbag. BabySmart
TM will not, however, turn
off the vehicle’s side impact airbag.
It should be noted that with respect to both front
and rear side impact airbags there is a possibility
for a side airbag related injury if occupants,
especially children, are not properly seated or
restrained when next to a side airbag which needs
to deploy rapidly in a side impact in order to do its
job.To help avoid the possibility of injury, please follow
these guidelines: (1) occupants, especially
children, should never place their bodies or lean
their heads in the area of the door where the side
airbag inflates. This could result in serious
injuries or death should the side airbag be
activated; (2) always sit upright, properly use the
seat belts and use an appropriately sized infant or
child restraint system for all children 12 years old
or under; and (3) always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of these
guidelines, it would be safer for your rear seat
occupants to have both rear door mounted side
airbags deactivated, then deactivation can be
a c c o mp l i sh e d u p o n you r w r i t te n e le c t i o n t o d o s o at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center at an
additional cost. Please contact your local
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Client
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details.Wa r n i n g !
• Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced and
their anchoring points must also be checked.
Use only belts installed or supplied by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.• Do not pass belts over sharp edges.• Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the belts.

77 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care IndexWhen you sell the vehicle we strongly urge you to give
notice to the subsequent owner that it is equipped with
an “SRS” by a lerting him to th e applicabl e section in t he
Operator’s Manual.
• Airbags and “ETR’s” are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An airbag or
emergency tensioning retractor (ETR) that was
activated must be replaced.• No modifications of any kind may be made to
any components or wiring of the “SRS”. This
includes changing or removing any component
or part of the “SRS”, the installation of
additional trim material, badges etc. over the
steering wheel hub, front passenger airbag
cover, door trim panels, or door frame trims,
and installation of additional electrical /
electronic equipment on or near “SRS”
components and wiring. Keep area between
airbags and occupants free of objects (e.g.
packages, purses, umbrellas, etc.).• Do not use handles above doors for placing
such items as coat hangers etc..• An airbag system component within the
steering wheel gets hot after the airbag has
inflated. Do not touch.
• Improper work on the system, including
incorrect installation and removal, can lead to
possible injury through an unintended
activation of the “SRS”.• In addition, through improper work there is
the risk of rendering the “SRS” inoperative or
causing unintended deployment. Work on the
“SRS” must therefore only be performed by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.• For your protection and the protection of
others, when scrapping the airbag unit or
emergency tensioning retractor, our safety
instructions must be followed. These
instructions are available at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.• Given the considerable deployment speed and
the textile structure of the airbags, there is the
possibility of abrasions or other injuries
resulting from airbag deployment.

79 Restraint systems
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Wa r n i n g !
Children 12 years old and under must never ride in
the front seat, 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
front airbag when it is properly installed.
Otherwise t hey will be stru ck by t he airbag wh en it
inflates in a crash. If this happens, serious or fatal
injury can result.
According to accident statistics, children are safer
when properly restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating positions.
Infants and small children must ride in back seats
and 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.
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.Children too big for child restraint systems must
ride in back seats using regular seat belts. Position
shou lder belt across ch est and shou lder, not fac e or
neck. A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper belt positioning for children from 41 lbs. to
the point where a lap / shoulder belt fits properly
without one.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.

88 Instrument cluster
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
High beam
ABS malfunction, see page 237
Brake f luid low (except Canada).
Parking brake engaged, see page 202
Brake f luid low (Canada only).
Parking brake engaged, see page 202
BAS malfunction, see page 237
ESP malfunction, see page 237
Fasten seat belts, see page 60
ESP. Adjust driving to road condition,
see page , see page 237Engine malfunction indicator lamp. If the
“CHECK ENGINE” malfunction indicator
lamp comes on when the engine is running,
it indicates a malfunction of the fuel
management system, emission control
system, systems which impact emissions, or
the fuel cap is not closed tight. In all cases,
we recommend that you have the
malfunction checked as soon as possible, see
page 234
SRS malfunction, see page 236
Function indicator lamp on the center console
Front passenger airbag automatically
switched off, see page 238
ABSBRAKE
CHECK
ENGINESRS

179 Tele Aid
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Important!
Always make sure that the indicator lamps in the
“SOS” button, in the “Roadside Assistance” button and
in the “Information” button do not remain illuminated
constantly in red and the message “TELE AID – VISIT
WORKSHOP” is not displayed in the multifunction
display after the system self check.
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined above, have the
system checked at the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
Emergency calls
An emergency call is initiated automatically:
•following an accident in which the Emergency
Tensioning Retractors (ETR’s) or airbags deploy,
•if the antitheft alarm or the tow away alarm stays on
for more than 20 seconds, see pages 43 and 45.
An emergency call can also be initiated manually by
opening the cover next to the inside rear view mirror
labeled “SOS”, then pressing the button (for longer than
2 seconds) located under the cover. See below for
instructions on initiating an emergency call manually.Once the emergency call is in progress, the indicator
lamp in the “SOS” button will begin to f lash. The
message “EMERGENCY CALL – CONNECTING CALL”
appears in the multifunction display. When the
connection is established, the message “EMERGENCY
CALL – CALL CONNECTED” appears in the
multifunction display. All information relevant to the
emergency, such as the location of the vehicle
(determined by the GPS satellite location system),
vehicle model, identification number and color are
generated.
A voice connection between the Response Center and
the occupants of the vehicle will be established
automatically soon after the emergency call has been
initiated. When a voice connection is established the
audio system mutes and the message “TELE AID –
EMERGENCY CALL ACTIVE” appears in the
multifunction display. The Response Center will attempt
to determine more precisely the nature of the accident
provided they can speak to an occupant of the vehicle.

233 Contents - Instrument cluster display
Technical
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Instrument cluster displayMalfunction and
indicator lamps in the
instrument cluster ....................234
On-board diagnostic system .....234
Check engine malfunction
indicator lamp .............................234
Brake warning lamp ..................235
Supplemental restraint
system (SRS)
indicator lamp .............................236
Fuel reserve and fuel cap
placement warning ....................236
Electronic stability program
(ESP) — warning lamp ...............237BAS / ESP malfunction
indicator lamp ............................ 237
ABS malfunction
indicator lamp ............................ 237
Seat belt warning lamp ............. 238
Malfunction and indicator lamp
in the center console ............... 238
AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp ............................ 238
Malfunction and warning
messages in the
multifunction display .............. 239
DISPLAY DEFECTIVE ................ 240
BATTERY / ALTERNATOR ........ 241
ABS-SYSTEM .............................. 242
BRAKE ASSIST ........................... 242BRAKE LINING WEAR ..............243
BRAKE FLUID .............................243
PARKING BRAKE .......................244
ENGINE FAN ...............................244
COOLANT (coolant level) ..........245
COOLANT TEMP. ........................246
LIGHTING SYSTEM ....................247
LIGHT SENSOR ...........................248
REMOVE KEY .............................248
TELE AID .....................................249
STEERING GEAR OIL .................249
ENGINE OIL LEVEL ...................250
WASHER FLUID ......................... 251
ELEC. STABIL. PROG.
(Electronic stability program) ..252