2004 MERCEDES-BENZ S430 pre safe

58 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Occupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are:

Seat belts


Emergency tensioning device


Airbags


Child seats


Child seat recognition


Lower anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH)
As independent systems, their protective
effects work in conjunction with each oth-
er.The 1 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on


for about four seconds when you turn
the SmartKey in the starter switch to
position1 or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button once. It then goes
out briefly, comes on again and re-
mains lit until you start the engine.


for about four seconds when you start
the engine by turning the SmartKey or
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button.The restraint systems are fully operational
if the 1 indicator lamp is not lit when
the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been de-
tected if the1 indicator lamp:


fails to extinguish after approximately
four seconds.


does not come on at all.


comes on after the engine was started
or while driving.
For safety reasons, we strongly recom-
mend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to
have the system checked.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 303).
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 69).
iThe 1 indicator lamp remains lit if
the SmartKey is turned to position 2
and left there or the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button is pressed twice. The
indicator lamp will go out when you
start the engine.

61 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
serious injuries or death should the side
airbag be activated.
(2) Always sit nearly upright, properly use
the seat belts and use an appropriately
sized infant or child restraint system for
all children 12 years old or under.
(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 the rear mount-
ed side airbags deactivated, then deactiva-
tion can be accomplished upon your written
request to do so at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center at an additional cost.
Please contact your local authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details.
iAirbags are designed to activate only in
certain frontal (front airbags) impacts,
side impacts (side impact and head
protection window curtain airbags)
which exceed preset thresholds, and in
certain rollovers (head protection win-
dow curtain airbags). Only during these
events will they provide their supple-
mental protection.
The driver and passengers should al-
ways wear their seat belts. Otherwise it
is not possible for airbags to provide
their supplemental protection.
In case of other types of impacts and
impacts below airbag deployment
thresholds, airbags will not be activat-
ed. The driver and passengers will then
be protected to the extent possible by
a properly fastened seat belt. A proper-
ly fastened seat belt is also needed to
provide the best possible protection in
a rollover.
We caution you not to rely on the pres-
ence of the airbags in order to avoid
wearing your seat belt.
Your vehicle was originally equipped
with airbags that are designed to acti-
vate in certain impacts exceeding a
preset threshold to reduce the poten-
tial and severity of injury. It is important
for your safety and that of your passen-
gers that you replace deployed airbags
and repair any malfunctioning airbags
to ensure that the vehicle will continue
to provide supplemental crash protec-
tion for occupants.

62 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetySafety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
airbagWarning!
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 in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Airbags and pyrotechnic emergency ten-
sioning devices (ETDs) are designed to
function on a one-time only basis. An
airbag or ETD that was activated must
be replaced. PRE-SAFE has electrically
operated reversible pre-tensioners in
addition to the pyrotechnic ETDs.


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, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger front airbag
cover, door trim panels, or door frame
trims, and installation of additional elec-
trical/electronic equipment on or near
SRS components and wiring. Keep area
between airbags and occupants free
from objects (e.g. packages, 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.


Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this
may severely weaken them. In a crash
they may not be able to provide ade-
quate protection.


Do not hang items such as coat hangers
from the coat hooks or handles over the
door. These items may turn into projec-
tiles and cause head and other injuries
when curtain airbag is deployed.


Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.


An airbag system component within the
steering wheel gets hot after the airbag
has inflated. Do not touch.


In addition, improper repair work on the
SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS
inoperative or causing unintended air-
bag deployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


For your protection and the protection
of others, when scrapping 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.

63 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
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.
Front airbags
1Driver airbag
2Passenger front airbagDriver and passenger front airbags are de-
ployed:


in the event of a frontal impact


if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold


independently of the side impact air-
bags
The airbags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protect-
ed by the fastened seat belts.
The passenger front airbag will only be de-
ployed if:


the front passenger seat is occupied


the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp in the center console is not lit
(page 71)


the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment thresholdSide impact airbags, window curtain
airbags
1Window curtain airbag
2Side impact airbags
!Do not place objects heavier than
20 lbs (9 kg) on the front passenger
seat. This could cause the front or side
impact airbag on the front passenger
side to deploy in a crash which exceeds
the system's deployment threshold.

64 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyThe side impact airbags and window cur-
tain airbags are deployed:

on the impacted side of the vehicle


in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold


independently of the front airbags
In addition, the window curtain airbags are
deployed:


in certain vehicle rollovers
The side impact airbags and window cur-
tain airbags are not deployed in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment threshold.
The front passenger side impact airbag will
only deploy if the system senses that the
front passenger seat is occupied.
Seat belts
When the engine is started, the seat belt
telltale< illuminates to remind you and
your passengers to fasten your seat belts.
If the driver’s seat belt is not fastened be-
fore the engine is started, the seat belt
telltale< illuminates and a warning
chime sounds for approximately
six seconds when the engine is started.
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in all
50 states, the District of Columbia, the
U.S. territories and all Canadian provinces.
Even where this is not the case, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts fas-
tened whenever the vehicle is in motion.
For more information, see “Fastening the
seat belts” (
page 40).
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 69).
Warning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even those sitting in the
rear and pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passengers should
always wear seat belts.

66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyWarning!
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 sec-
tion, as that could result in serious inju-
ries in case of an accident.


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, includ-
ing rollovers. The integrated restraint
system includes SRS (driver airbag, pas-
senger front airbag, side impact airbags,
head protection window curtain airbags
for side windows), ETD (seat belt emer-
gency tensioning device), and front seat
knee bolsters. The system is designed
to enhance the protection offered to
properly belted occupants in certain
frontal (front airbags and ETD) and side
(side impact, window curtain airbags
and ETD) impacts which exceed preset
deployment thresholds and in certain
rollovers (window curtain airbags and
ETD).


Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your shoul-
der. 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 se-
verely 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 abdo-
men. If the belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries
in a crash.


Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat
belt around a person and another per-
son 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 any possible pres-
sure on the abdomen.


Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.

67 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Emergency tensioning device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter
The seat belts for the front and rear outer
seats are equipped with emergency ten-
sioning devices and belt force limiters.
The ETD is designed to activate in the fol-
lowing cases:

in frontal or rear-end impact exceeding
a preset severity level


in certain vehicle rollovers


if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly, see
1indicator lamp (
page 58)In an impact, emergency tensioning devic-
es remove slack from the belts in such a
way that the seat belts fit more snugly
against the body. Belt force limiters reduce
the force exerted by the seat belts on oc-
cupants during a crash.
Automatic comfort-fit feature seat belt
An automatic comfort-fit feature for front
seats and for the rear outer seats (only for
vehicles with electrically adjustable rear
bench seat* or with individual seats* in the
rear) reduces the retracting force of the
seat belts when they are in normal use.
iThe ETDs for the front seats will only
activate if the respective front seat belt
is fastened (latch plate properly insert-
ed into buckle).
The ETDs for the rear outer seats will
activate with or without the respective
seat belt fastened.
Warning!
G
A pyrotechnic emergency tensioning device
(ETD) that was activated must be replaced.
When disposing of the pyrotechnic emer-
gency tensioning device, our safety instruc-
tions must be followed. These are available
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
PRE-SAFE has electrically operated revers-
ible pre-tensioners that do not require
replacement after activation.
!Do not place objects heavier than 20
lbs (9 kg) on the front passenger seat.
This could cause the front or side im-
pact airbag on the front passenger side
to deploy in a crash which exceeds the
system's deployment threshold.

68 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyPreventive occupant safety (PRE-SAFE)
Your vehicle automatically takes preven-
tive measures to better protect the occu-
pants in the following hazardous
situations:

You execute an emergency braking ma-
neuver and the Brake Assist System
(page 78) is activated.


The PRE-SAFE system detects a critical
driving dynamics situation.In such cases, the following systems are
automatically activated:


A front seat belt with the seat belt
buckled is pre-tensioned electrically.


If the occupied front passenger seat or
rear seats are in an unfavorable posi-
tion, they are adjusted to a better posi-
tion. Rear seat adjustment occurs only
in vehicles with individual seats* in the
rear.


The sliding/pop-up roof closes if the
vehicle is in a severe skid or is spin-
ning.
If the seat belts do not release:

Adjust the backrest or seat slightly to
the rear until the seat belt tension is di-
minished.
The locking mechanism releases.
Warning
G
The PRE-SAFE system is intended to reduce
the effects of an accident on properly seat
belted vehicle occupants. Despite having
the PRE-SAFE systems in your car, the pos-
sibility of injuries occurring as a result of an
accident cannot be totally eliminated.
Therefore you should always drive carefully
and adjust your driving to the prevailing
road, weather, and traffic conditions.
iThe PRE-SAFE systems are activated in
the previously described circumstanc-
es only at speeds exceeding 22 mph
(35 km/h).
When the driving dynamic situation has
passed without an accident occurring,
the pre-tensioning on the seat belts is
deactivated.
You can then adjust the seats and the
sliding sunroof to their previous posi-
tion.