2002 MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS COUPE reset

67
Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
Wa r n i n g !
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY.• Seat belts can only work when used properly.
Never wear seat belts in any other way than as
described in this section, as that could result
in serious injuries in case of an accident.• E ach occupan t s houl d wear t hei r s ea t bel t a t al l
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, front passenger airbag, side
impact airbags, head protection window
curtain airbags for side windows), “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 and
window curtain airbags) impacts which exceed
preset deployment thresholds.
• Never wear the shoulder belt under your arm, against your 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.• 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 could cause
serious injuries in a crash.• Each seat belt should 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.

70
Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Airbags are intended as a supplement to seat belts.
Airbags alone cannot protect as well as airbags plus
seat belts in impacts for which the airbags were
designed to operate, and do not afford any protection
whatsoever in crashes for which the airbags are not
designed to deploy.
The SRS uses two crash severity levels (thresholds) to
activate either the emergency tensioning retractor (ETR)
or front airbag or both. Activation depends on the
direction and severity of the impact exceeding the
preset thresholds and whether the seat belt is fastened. Seat belt fastened
• first threshold exceeded: ETR activates
• second threshold exceeded: airbag also activates
Seat belt not fastened
Front seats: • first threshold exceeded: airbag activates, not ETR
Rear seats: • first threshold exceeded: ETR activates
Driver and front passenger and rear seat systems
operate independently of each other.

72
Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
Airbags
Front airbags
1 Driver airbag
2 Front passenger airbag The most effective occupant restraint system yet
developed for use in production vehicles is the seat belt.
In some cases, however, the protective effect of a seat
belt can be further enhanced by an airbag.
In conjunction with wearing the seat belts, the driver
and front passenger airbags can provide increased
protection for the driver and front passenger in certain
frontal impacts exceeding preset thresholds.
Side impact and head protection window curtain airbags
can provide increased protection to belted occupants on
the impacted side of the vehicle in side impacts
exceeding its preset threshold.

74
Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
The driver and passenger front airbags are designed to
activate only in certain frontal impacts exceeding a
preset threshold. The front passenger airbag deploys
only if the front passenger seat is occupied and the
ü indicator lamp in the center console is not
illuminated. Note:
Heavy objects on the front passenger seat can appear to
the “SRS” to indicate the presence of an occupant in
that seat which causes the passenger front airbag to
deploy in a crash exceeding the appropriate threshold.

75
Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
Side impact airbags, window curtain airbags
3 Side impact airbags
4 Window curtain airbags Side impact airbags
The side impact airbags are designed to activate only in
certain side impacts exceeding a preset threshold. Only
the side impact airbags on the impacted side of the
vehicle deploy.
The side impact airbag for the front passenger deploys
only if the front passenger seat is occupied.
The side impact airbag for the right rear passenger
deploys only if a preset threshold is exceeded. The side
impact airbag for the left rear passenger deploys
together with the side impact airbag for the driver.
Side impact airbags operate best in conjunction with a
properly positioned and fastened seat belt.
Note:
Heavy objects on front passenger seat can cause the
front passenger side impact airbag to deploy in a crash.

76
Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
Window curtain airbag
The head protection window curtain airbags afford
greater protection against injuries to the head and
upper body. They fill up in the area between the A and
C pillars (see arrows) between the side windows and an
occupant’s head.
The window curtain airbags are designed to activate
only in certain side impacts exceeding a preset
threshold. Only the head protection window curtain
airbag on the impacted side of the vehicle deploys. Important!
Airbags are designed to activate only in certain
frontal (front airbags) impacts, or side (side impact
and head protection window curtain airbags)
impacts which exceed preset thresholds.
Only during these types of impacts, if of sufficient
severity to meet the deployment thresholds, will
they provide their supplemental protection.
The driver and passenger should always wear their
seat belts, otherwise it is not possible for the airbags
to provide their supplemental protection.
In cases of other frontal impacts, angled impacts,
roll-overs, other side impacts, rear collisions, or
other accidents, the airbags will not be activated.
The driver and passengers will then be protected by
the fastened seat belts.
We caution you not to rely on the presence of the
airbags in order to avoid wearing your seat belt.

77
Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care IndexYour 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 it indicate a fire in the vehicle. The dust might
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 your seat belt.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:

97
Instrument cluster
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
1
Knob for instrument cluster illumination,
seepage99
Reset knob for trip odometer, see page 101 and
individual settings, see page 121
2 Tachometer
3 Speedometer
4 Left turn signal indicator lamp, see combination
switch on page 148
5 Electronic stability program (ESP) warning lamp,
see page 288
6 Indicator lamp without function. It illuminates with
the electronic key in starter switch position 2. It
should go out when the engine is running.
7 Right turn signal indicator lamp, see combination
switch on page 148
8 Indicator lamp without function. It illuminates with
the electronic key in starter switch position 2. It
should go out when the engine is running. 9
Multifunction display, see page 102
Malfunction and warning messages in the
multifunction display, see page 290
10 Trip odometer, see page 101 and 106
11 Main odometer, see page 106
12 Display for program mode and gear range
indicators, page 249
13 Malfunction/warning message memory,
seepage119
14 Outside temperature indicator, see page 100
15 Digital clock
To set the time, see individual settings on page 121
16 Fuel gauge with reserve warning lamp, see page 286