70 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyAir bagsWarning!
G
Air bags are designed to reduce the poten-
tial of injury and fatality in certain frontal im-
pacts (front air bags), side impacts (side
impact air bags and window curtain air bags)
or rollovers (window curtain air bags). How-
ever, no system available today can totally
eliminate injuries and fatalities.
The activation of the air bags temporarily re-
leases a small amount of dust from the
air bags. This dust, however, is neither inju-
rious to your health, nor does it indicate a
fire in the vehicle. The dust might cause
some temporary breathing difficulty for peo-
ple 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 air bag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
door.
Warning!
G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear their
respective seat belts.
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 make sure that it is prop-
erly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag 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 air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the air bag can be seriously
injured or killed by an air bag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:
Sit properly belted in a nearly upright
position with your back against the seat
backrest.
Adjust the driver seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper opera-
tion of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the air bag cover
on the steering wheel must be at least
10 in (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any prob-
lems, please contact your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Do not lean 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 driver front air bag inflates.
Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.
502 IndexGear selector lever 52, 187
Cleaning 374
Gearshift pattern 187
Lock 52
Position 188, 189
Position indicator 52
Shifting procedure 188
Unlocking in an emergency 437
Gear selector lever one-touch gearshifting
Automatic transmission 194
Glove box 280
Good visibility 200
Gross Axle Weight Rating see GAWR
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating see GVWR
Gross Vehicle Weight see GVW
GVW 359
GVWR 359
H
Halogen headlamps see Headlamps
Hard plastic trim items, cleaning 374
Hazard warning flasher 148Head restraints 128
Comfort head restraint, Adjusting 44
Folding back 130
Front seat, Adjusting 43
Rear seat, Removing and
installing 128
Removing and installing 130
Headlamp cleaning system* 200
Headlamp shut-off delay see Delayed
shut-off, Exterior lamps
Headlamps
Active Bi-Xenon headlamps* 141
Automatic headlamp mode 142
Bi-Xenon* 141
Cleaning lenses 371
Cleaning system* 200
Halogen 444
High beam see High beam flasher
High beam see High beam headlamps
Low beam see Low beam headlamps
Manual headlamp mode 142
Replacing bulbs 444
Switch 56
Headliner and shelf below rear window,
Cleaning and care of 374
Heated seats* 132Heated steering wheel (Canada
only) 288
Height adjustment
Vehicle level control 262
High beam flasher 146
High beam headlamps
Indicator lamp 27, 146
Replacing bulbs 443
Switching on 146
High mounted brake lamp 443
High-performance brake system
(E 63 AMG only) 312
Hood 324
Message in display 428
Horn 25
HVAC see Climate control system
Hydroplaning 314
I
Identification labels 476
Identification Number, Vehicle (VIN) 477
Ignition 38, 52
Immobilizer 106
Indicator lamps see Lamps, indicator and
warning
Infant and child restraint systems see Chil-
dren in the vehicle
