2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R500 airbag

50 Getting startedDrivingFastening the seat beltsWarning!
G
Do not lay any objects in the driver’s foot-
well. Be careful that floor mats or carpets in
the driver’s footwell have sufficient clear-
ance for the pedals.
During sudden driving or braking maneu-
vers, the objects could get caught between
the pedals. You could then no longer brake
or accelerate.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.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are wearing your
seat belt. The airbags can only provide the
protection they were designed to afford if
the occupants are using their seat belts
(page 77).
Warning!
G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats. Re-
gardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriate infant or
toddler restraint, or booster seat recom-
mended for the size and weight of the child.
For additional information, see “Children in
the vehicle” (
page 82).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.

423 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display message
Possible
cause/consequence
Possible solution
Front passenger airbag
enabled
see Operator’s Manual
Front passenger front
air bag is activated
while driving even
though a child, small
individual, or object
below the system’s
weight threshold is on
the front passenger
seat, or the front pas-
senger seat is empty.
Objects on the seat or
forces acting on the
seat may make the
system sense supple-
mental weight.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as possible and check the front passen-
ger seat for the following:
Turn off the ignition (
page 38).

Remove child and child restraint from front passenger seat and properly secure
the child in rear seat employing the child restraint if necessary.

Remove any other items from on and around the front passenger seat and
make sure the storage bag on the back of the front passenger seat is empty.

Make sure that no objects which apply forces to the seat are present (e.g. ob-
jects such as books, briefcases etc. lodged behind or around the seat, head re-
straints pushing against roof etc.). The system may recognize such forces as
supplemental weight and sense that an occupant on the front passenger seat
is of a heavier weight than actually present.

Keep the seat unoccupied, close the front passenger door and turn on the igni-
tion (
page 38).
(Continued on next page)

424 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display message
Possible
cause/consequence
Possible solution
Front passenger airbag
enabled
see Operator’s Manual
Monitor the 59indicator lamp on the center console (
page 89) and
the multifunction display in the instrument cluster (
page 24) for the following:
With the seat unoccupied and the ignition turned on,


the 59indicator lamp on the center console should illuminate and
remain illuminated, indicating that the OCS (
page 85) has deactivated the air
bag.


the message
Front passenger airbag enabled see Operator’s Manual
or the
message
Front passenger airbag disabled see Operator’s Manual
should
not appear in the multifunction display at any time the seat is unoccupied. Wait
at last 60 seconds for the system to complete the necessary check cycles and
to make sure neither message appears in the multifunction display.
If above conditions are met, you can occupy the front passenger seat again.
Depending on the front passenger classification sensed by the OCS (
page 85),
the 59indicator lamp will remain illuminated or go out.
If above conditions are not met, the system is not working properly. Have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Cen-
ter.
Warning!
G
If the 59indicator lamp re-
mains out even after performing the above
corrective steps, do not have any children
12 years old and under and other small
individuals use the front passenger seat
until the system has been repaired.

425 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display message
Possible
cause/consequence
Possible solution
Front passenger airbag
disabled
see Operator’s Manual
Front passenger front
air bag is deactivated
while driving even
though an adult or
someone larger than a
small individual is oc-
cupying the front pas-
senger seat. Forces
acting on the seat may
make the system
sense a decrease in
weight.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as possible and check the front passen-
ger seat for the following:
Turn off the ignition (
page 38).

Have the front passenger vacate the seat and exit the vehicle.

Adjust the seat in a height position (
page 43).

Make sure that no objects which apply forces to the seat are present (e.g. ob-
jects such as books, briefcases etc. lodged underneath, behind or around the
seat). Such forces may cause the system to sense that an occupant of a lesser
weight than actually present is on the front passenger seat.

Keep the seat unoccupied, close the front passenger door and switch on the
ignition (
page 38).
(Continued on next page)

426 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display message
Possible
cause/consequence
Possible solution
Front passenger airbag
disabled
see Operator’s Manual
Monitor the 59indicator lamp on the center console (
page 89) and
the multifunction display in the instrument cluster (
page 24) for the following:
With the seat unoccupied and the ignition turned on,


the 59indicator lamp on the center console should illuminate and
remain illuminated, indicating that the OCS (
page 85) has deactivated the air
bag.


the message
Front passenger airbag enabled see Operator’s Manual
or the
message
Front passenger airbag disabled see Operator’s Manual
should
not appear in the multifunction display at any time the seat is unoccupied. Wait
at last 60 seconds for the system to complete the necessary check cycles and
to make sure neither message appears in the multifunction display.
If above conditions are met, you can occupy the front passenger seat again.
Depending on the front passenger classification sensed by the OCS (
page 85),
the 59indicator lamp will remain illuminated or go out.
If above conditions are not met, the system is not working properly. Have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Cen-
ter.
Warning!
G
If the 59indicator lamp re-
mains out even after performing the above
corrective steps, do not have any children
12 years old and under and other small
individuals use the front passenger seat
until the system has been repaired.