62 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetySafety guidelines for the seat belt, 
emergency tensioning device and 
airbag
When you sell your vehicle, we strongly 
urge you to give notice to the subsequent 
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by 
alerting them to the applicable section in 
the Operator’s Manual.Warning!
G
Damaged seat belts or belts that were 
highly stressed in an accident must be 
replaced and their anchoring points 
must also be checked. Only use belts in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Airbags and ETDs are designed to func-
tion on a one-time-only basis. An airbag 
or emergency tensioning device (ETD) 
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 re-
moving any component or part of the 
SRS, the installation of additional trim 
material, seat covers, badges, etc. over 
the steering wheel hub, passenger front 
airbag cover, front seat backrests or 
rear side trim panels, and installation of
additional electrical/electronic equip-
ment on or near SRS components and 
wiring. Keep area between airbags and 
occupants free from objects (e.g. pack-
ages, purses, umbrellas, etc.).
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. 
They could tear.
Do not make any modification that could 
change the effectiveness of the belts.
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 unin-
tended activation of the SRS.
In addition, through improper work 
there is a risk of rendering the SRS inop-
erative or causing unintended airbag de-
ployment. Work on the SRS must 
therefore only be performed by qualified 
technicians. Contact your authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center.
For your protection and the protection 
of others, when disposing of the airbag 
unit or emergency tensioning device, 
our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These instructions are available 
from your authorized Mercedes-Benz 
Center.
Given the considerable deployment 
speed and the textile structure of the 
airbags, there is the possibility of abra-
sions or other injuries resulting from air-
bag deployment. 
280 OperationDriving instructionsStanding water
Passenger compartment
Driving abroad
Abroad, there is an extensive 
Mercedes-Benz service network at your 
disposal. If you plan to drive into areas 
which are not listed in the index of your 
Mercedes-Benz Center directory, you 
should request pertinent information from 
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!Do not drive through flooded areas or 
water of unknown depth. Before driving 
through water, determine its depth. 
Never accelerate before driving into 
water. The bow wave could force water 
into the engine and auxiliary equip-
ment, thus damaging them.
If you must drive through standing wa-
ter, drive slowly to prevent water from 
entering the passenger compartment 
or the engine compartment. Water in 
these areas could cause damage to 
electrical components or wiring of the 
engine or transmission, or could result 
in water being ingested by the engine 
through the air intake, causing severe 
internal engine damage. Any such dam-
age is not covered by the 
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
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Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown 
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury 
to vehicle occupants unless the items are 
securely fastened in the vehicle.
The trunk is the preferred place to carry ob-
jects.