2002 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 rear seat

59 Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical 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
• first threshold exceeded:
airbag activates, but not ETR
Driver and passenger systems operate independently of
each other.Emergency tensioning retractor (ETR)
The seat belts are equipped with emergency tensioning
retractors. These tensioning retractors are located in
each belt’s inertia reel and become operationally ready
with the key in steering lock position 1 or 2.
The emergency tensioning retractors are designed to
activate only when the seat belts are fastened during
frontal and front-angled impacts and rear impacts
exceeding the first threshold of the SRS and in rear
impacts exceeding a preset severity level. They remove
slack from the belts in such a way that the seat belts fit
more snugly against the body restricting its forward
movement as much as possible.
In cases of other frontal impacts, rollovers, certain side
impacts, rear collisions or other accidents without
sufficient frontal or rear impact forces, the emergency
tensioning retractors will not be activated. The driver
and passenger will then be protected by the fastened
seat belts and inertia reel in the usual manner.
For seat belt and emergency tensioning retractor safety
guidelines see page 67.

63 Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index In cases of other frontal impacts, angled impacts,
roll-overs, other side impacts, rear collisions, or
other accidents in which the airbags are not
designed to deploy, the airbags will not be activated.
The driver and passenger 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.
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
protections for occupants.
Wa r n i n g !
Airbags are designed to reduce the potential of
injury in certain frontal (front airbags) impacts,
and side (side impact 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.
The service life of the airbags extends to the date
indicated on the label located on the driverside
door latch post. To provide continued reliability
after that date, they should be inspected by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center at that time and
replaced when necessary.

64 Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
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 w ith your back
against the backrest. Fasten your seat belt and
ensure that it is properly positioned on your body.For unobstructive inflation of door side impact
airbags, keep door pocket lids closed.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:• 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. 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 inches (25 cm) or
more. You should 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 with your head or chest close to the
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 the driver front airbag
inflates.• Do not lean against doors.

65 Restraint systems
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
• 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, use the seatbelts,
and appropriate size infant or child restraint
system.• Adjust the passenger seat as far as possible
rearward from the dashboard when the seat is
occupied.
• 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 front airbag when 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 can result.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in
severe or fatal injuries to you or other occupants.

70 Adjusting steering column
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Adju st in g steerin g c olu mn
Turn key in steering lock to position 1 or 2 (with either
door open, the steering column can be operated with the
key removed or in steering lock position 0).
To extend or retract:
Move switch (1) in desired direction.
To raise or lower:
Move switch (1) in desired direction.Storing steering column position in memory
The steering column position is stored in memory
together with the seat/head restraint/exterior rear view
mirror position and can be recalled when necessary,
see memory recalling on page 46.
Wa r n i n g !
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel while driving, or
driving without the telescoping adjustment locked
could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

73 Rear view mirrors
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Important!
Electrolyte drops coming into contact with the vehicle
paint finish can only be completely removed while in
their liquid state, by applying plenty of water.Storing mirror positions in memory
The exterior rear view mirror positions are stored in
memory with the seat/head restraint/steering column
position and can be recalled when necessary,
see memory recalling on page 46.
Wa r n i n g !
In the case of an accident liquid electrolyte may
escape the mirror housing when the mirror glass
breaks.Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not allow the
liquid come into contact with eyes, skin, clothing,
or respiratory system. In cases it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek medical
help if necessary.

119 Interior equipment
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Items being transported in the area behind the seats
should be placed in such a manner as not to affect the
movement of the roll bar when being raised.Note:
If the indicator lamps in the switch are blinking or if the
warning lamp in the instrument cluster comes on, then
a malfunction has been detected.
In this case, drive only with the roll bar raised until the
problem has been corrected. Raise the roll bar by
pressing the upper half of the roll bar switch. The
indicator lamps in the switch will go out, however, the
warning lamp in the instrument cluster will stay on.
Have the system checked at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Important!
The roll bar is intended to be a safety enhancement to
the other features designed into the vehicle. No system
in any vehicle can eliminate the possibility of serious
injury or fatality in an accident. Properly fastened seat
belts and child restraints must be used!
Wa r n i n g
This vehicle is a two occupant vehicle. The rear
storage area should never be used by any persons.
Raising or lowering of the roll bar could injure rear
seated occupants.Before operating the roll bar switch make sure that
the roll bar’s path is clear and no persons due to
inattention are injured by the moving roll bar.For your own safety we recommend to drive with
the roll bar raised, if• the outside temperature is below +5°F (-15°C)
• the soft top is closed and pets are placed in the
rear storage area.

150 Wind screen
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Setting up
Push top of wind screen fully forward against internal
stop.Removal
1. Fold down top of wind screen.
2. Raise roll bar using switch on center console.
3. Disconnect attachment strap latches by squeezing
latch.
4. Lower roll bar partially.
Wa r n i n g !
The rear storage area should never be occupied by
passengers since the vehicle is a 2 seater.
Furthermore, with the wind screen in place there
is a risk of injury, should the roll bar be deployed.
P65.00-0292-26