2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV belt

Occupant safety
42
i
Airbags are not deployed in all types of
accidents. They are controlled by complex
sensor technology and evaluation logic.
This process is pre-emptive in nature as
airbag deployment must take place during
the impact and must be adapted to provide
calculated, additional protection for the
vehicle occupants. Not all airbags are
deployed in an accident.
The different airbag systems work inde-
pendently of each other. However, the
deployment of each individual system will
depend on the type of accident determined
by the control system in the first stages of
the collision (head-on collision, side impact
and overturn) and the extent of the acci-
dent (in particular, the vehicle's rate of
deceleration or acceleration).
The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the direction of the force are basi-
cally determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the colli-
sion
R the collision angle R
the deformation characteristics of the vehi-
cle
R the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided, e.g. the other vehi-
cle
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a
decisive role in the deployment of an airbag,
nor do they provide an indication of it.
The vehicle may be deformed significantly,
e. g. on the bonnet or the wing, without an
airbag being deployed. This is the case if only
parts which are relatively easily deformed are
affected and the necessary deceleration does
not occur. Conversely, airbags may be
deployed even though the vehicle suffers only
minor deformations. This is the case if, for
example, very rigid vehicle parts such as lon-
gitudinal body members are affected and suf-
ficient deceleration occurs as a result.
Belt tensioners, belt force limiters The front seat belts and the outer seat belts
in the 2nd row are equipped with belt ten-
sioners. The front seat belts are also fitted
with belt buckle tensioners.
!
Do not engage the seat belt tongue in the
buckle on the front-passenger seat if the seat is not occupied. Otherwise the belt
tensioner could be activated in an emer-
gency.
If the seat belt is also equipped with a belt
force limiter, the force exerted by the seat
belt on the seat occupant is reduced.
Belt tensioners tighten the seat belts in an
accident, pulling them close against the body.
i Belt tensioners do not correct incorrect
seat positions or incorrectly fastened seat
belts.
Belt tensioners do not pull occupants back
towards the backrest.
The front belt force limiters are synchronised
with the front airbags, which distribute the
forces exerted by the belt force limiters on
the occupant over a greater area.
The belt tensioners/belt buckle tensioners
are triggered when the ignition is switched
on:
R only if the restraint systems are operational
(the 1 warning lamp lights up after the
ignition is switched on and goes out once
the engine is running)(Y page 41)
R for each three-point seat belt in the front of
the vehicle when the belt tongue is
engaged in the buckle Safety
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Occupant safety
43
R
in the event of a head-on or rear-end colli-
sion if the vehicle decelerates or acceler-
ates rapidly in a longitudinal direction
during the initial stages of impact
R in certain situations if the vehicle over-
turns, and the system determines that it
can provide additional protection
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that escapes
does not generally constitute a health hazard.
The 1 warning lamp lights up.
i If the belt buckle tensioners have been
triggered on the front seats, the buckle will
be pulled down and will be almost flush with
the upper edge of the seat. The 1warn-
ing lamp comes on. G
Risk of injury
The belt buckle tensioners on the front
seats only function if the belt buckles can
be pulled down without obstruction. They
must not be restricted in any way. For this
reason, do not hold the belt buckles and do
not place any objects under the belt buck-
les. Otherwise, the tensioning of the belt by
the buckle is restricted or will not function and will not provide any additional protec-
tion. G
Risk of injury
If the seat belt tensioners have been trig-
gered, they provide no additional protec-
tion in the event of another accident.
Therefore, have belt tensioners which have
been triggered replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Comply with safety regulations when dis-
posing of belt tensioners. Any Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre can provide details of
these regulations.
Airbags Airbag deployment slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant.
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that escapes
does not generally constitute a health hazard.
The 1 warning lamp lights up.
The SRS/AIRBAG identification indicates the
location of the airbags. G
Risk of injury
Airbags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for seat
belts.
Observe the following notes to reduce the
risk of serious or even fatal injury if an air-
bag is deployed:
R all vehicle occupants — in particular preg-
nant women — must wear their seat belt
correctly at all times and lean back
against the backrest, which should be
positioned as close to the vertical as pos-
sible. The head restraint must support
the back of the head at about eye level.
R always secure children less than 1.50 m
tall or under 12 years of age in suitable
child restraint systems.
R all vehicle occupants must select a seat
position that is as far away from the air-
bag as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven
safely. The driver's chest should be as far
away from the middle of the driver's front
airbag cover as possible.
R move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible, especially if a child is Safety
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Occupant safety
45G
Risk of injury
The airbag parts are hot after the airbag has
been deployed. Do not touch them, other-
wise you may burn yourself.
Have the airbags checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Otherwise, occupants
are not protected by the airbags in the
event of another accident.
Front airbags
The front airbags are designed to increase
protection for the driver's and front-
passenger head and chest.
The driver's front airbag and front-passenger
front airbag are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction
R if the system determines that airbag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R if the seat belt is fastened
R independently of other airbags in the vehi-
cle
R if the vehicle overturns, but only if the sys-
tem detects high vehicle deceleration in a
longitudinal direction 1
Driver's front airbag
2 Front-passenger front airbag
Driver's front airbag 1deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front airbag
2 deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment.
On vehicles with automatic child seat recog-
nition in the front-passenger seat*, front-
passenger front airbag 2is only deployed if
the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp in the centre console is not lit
(Y page 50). This means that there is not a
child restraint system with automatic child
seat recognition* fitted to the front-
passenger seat or that a child restraint sys-
tem with automatic child seat recognition*
has been fitted to the front-passenger seat
incorrectly. Driver's knee airbag
i
The driver's knee airbag is only available
in certain countries.
The driver's knee airbag can help reduce the
risk of injury to the knees, thighs and lower
legs. 1
Driver's knee airbag
Driver's knee airbag 1is always deployed
along with the driver's front airbag and
inflates underneath the steering column.
Sidebags G
Risk of injury
If you wish to use seat covers, Mercedes-
Benz recommends that, for safety reasons,
you only use seat covers that have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
46 The seat covers must have a special tear
seam for sidebags. Otherwise, a head/
thorax airbag cannot deploy correctly and
would fail to provide the intended protec-
tion in the event of an accident. Appropriate
seat covers can be obtained from a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
Sensors to control the airbags are located
in the doors. Therefore, do not make any
modifications to the doors or door trims,
e.g. retrofitting loudspeakers. Damage to
the doors can affect operation of the side-
bags.
The purpose of sidebag deployment is to
enhance the level of protection for the thorax
(but not the head, neck or arms) of the vehicle
occupants on the side of the vehicle on which
the impact occurs. 1
Front sidebag
2 Rear sidebag*
The sidebag inflates next to the backrest side
cushions.
Sidebags 1and 2are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R independently of the seat belt use
R independently of the front airbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
R if the vehicle overturns, but only if the sys-
tem detects high vehicle deceleration in a
lateral direction and determines that side- bag deployment can offer additional pro-
tection to that provided by the seat belt
Windowbags
The purpose of the windowbags is to enhance
the level of protection for the head (but not
chest or arms) of the vehicle occupants on
the side of the vehicle on which the impact
occurs.
The windowbags are integrated into the side
of the roof frame and run from the front door
(A-pillar) to the rear door (C-pillar). 1
Windowbag
Windowbags 1are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
lateral direction
R on the side on which an impact occurs Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
47
R
independently of the front airbags
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied PRE-SAFE
®
system
PRE-SAFE ®
system takes pre-emptive meas-
ures to protect you in certain hazardous sit-
uations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes in the event of:
R emergency braking situations, e.g. if BAS
Brake Assist intervenes
R critical situations involving driving dynam-
ics, e.g. if the vehicle oversteers or under-
steers significantly due to physical limits
being exceeded
If you are driving faster than approximately
35 km/h, PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following
measures in the aforementioned situations:
R It tensions the front seat belts.
R Vehicle with memory functions*: it adjusts
the front-passenger seat if this is in an
unfavourable position.
R If the vehicle skids, it closes the sliding/
tilting sunroof* and side windows so that
only a small gap remains. If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE
®
releases
the belt pretensioning. You can then reverse
all settings made by PRE-SAFE ®
again.
If the seat belts are not released:
X Move the backrest or the seat back slightly
until the belt tension is reduced.
The locking mechanism releases. G
Risk of injury
Make sure when adjusting the seat that
nobody can become trapped.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when adjusting
the seats. You could otherwise damage the
seats and the objects. NECK-PRO head restraint
NECK-PRO head restraints are designed to
increase protection to the driver's and front-
passenger's head and neck. To this end, the
head restraints on the driver's and front-
passenger seats are moved forwards and
upwards in the event of a rear-end collision
when viewed in the direction of travel. This
provides better head support. G
Risk of injury
Head restraint covers prevent the NECK-
PRO head restraints from triggering cor-
rectly. Consequently, the NECK-PRO head
restraints cannot provide the intended level
of protection. Do not use head restraint
covers.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints are triggered
in an accident, you must reset the head
restraints on the driver's and front-passenger
seats (Y page 310). Head restraints that have
been triggered are tilted forwards. Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
48 Children in the vehicle
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, secure
the child using a child restraint system which
is appropriate to the size and age of the child
and recommended for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles. You should preferably fit the restraint
system to a suitable rear seat. Ensure that the
child is strapped in throughout the trip.
You can obtain information about the correct
child restraint system from any Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products to clean child restraint systems.
Information about this can be obtained
from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. Children could injure
themselves on parts of the vehicle. They
could also be seriously or even fatally
injured by prolonged exposure to extreme
heat or cold.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The metallic parts of the
child restraint system could heat up and the
child could be burned by them. If a child opens a door, the child or other
persons could be injured as a result. The
child could get out and be injured in the
process or be injured by a passing vehicle. G
Risk of injury
An unsecured or incorrectly positioned load
increases the risk of injury to the child in
the event of:
R an accident
R a braking manoeuvre
R a sudden change of direction
Do not carry heavy or hard objects inside
the vehicle unless they are secured. You
will find further information under "Loading
guidelines" in the index.
Child restraint systems Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use the child restraint systems listed on.
(Y
page 53) G
Risk of injury
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of a sudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R children less than 1.50 m tall and under
twelve years of age must always be
secured in special child restraint systems
on a suitable vehicle seat. This is neces-
sary because the seat belts are not
designed for children of this size.
R do not secure children under twelve
years of age on the front-passenger seat.
Exception: the child is secured in a vehi-
cle with automatic child seat recognition
on the front-passenger seat* and is
secured in a child restraint system with
automatic child seat recognition.
R if you secure a forward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat that is not equipped with automatic
child seat recognition, you must move
the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible.
R children must never travel sitting on the
lap of another occupant. Due to the
forces occurring in the event of a sudden
change of direction, heavy braking or an Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
51move the front-passenger seat to its rear-
most position.
R have the automatic child seat recognition
checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
To ensure that the automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat func-
tions correctly, never place objects (such
as a cushion) under the child restraint sys-
tem. The entire base of the child restraint
system must always rest on the seat cush-
ion. An incorrectly fitted child restraint sys-
tem cannot perform its intended protective
function in the event of an accident, and
could lead to injuries. i
The windowbag, the sidebag and the belt
tensioner on the front-passenger side are
still active even when the front-passenger
front airbag is disabled. G
Risk of injury
Do not place items of electronic equipment
on the front-passenger seat, e.g.:
R laptops, when switched on
R mobile phones
R cards with transponders, e.g. ski passes
or access cards
Signals from electronic equipment can
cause interference in the automatic child
seat recognition sensor system. This could lead to a system malfunction. This may
cause the
5PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
warning lamp to light up without there
being a child seat with automatic child seat
recognition fitted. This means that the
front-passenger airbag does not deploy
during an accident. It is also possible that
the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp will not light up briefly if you turn the
key in the ignition lock to position 2.
Suitable positioning of the child restraint system Weight categories and ages Child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat Child restraint system on the
left-hand and right-hand rear
seats Child restraint system on the
centre rear seat
Group 0: up to 10 kg;
up to approx. 9 months Vehicles with automatic child
seat recognition* on the front-
passenger seat: as recommen-
ded
11 Universal Universal
Group 0+: up to 13 kg;
up to approx. 18 months 11
Only use child restraint systems with automatic child seat recognition. Safety
* optional
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Occupant safety
53
Recommended child restraint systems Weight categories and
ages Manufacturer Type Approval number Daimler order num-
ber Automatic child seat
recognition
Group 0: up to 10 kg;
up to approx. 9 months Britax-Römer BABY SAFE PLUS E1 03 301146 A 000 970 10 00 Yes
Group 0+: up to 13 kg;
up to approx. 18 months Britax-Römer BABY SAFE PLUS E1 03 301146 A 000 970 10 00 Yes
Group I: 9 to 18 kg;
between approx. 8
months and 4 years Britax-Römer DUO PLUS E1 03 301133 A 000 970 11 00 Yes
A 000 970 16 00
No
13 Group II/III: 15 to 36 kg;
between approx. 3½ and
12 years Britax-Römer KID E1 03 301148 A 000 970 12 00 Yes
A 000 970 17 00
No
13 Child seat lock
All seat belts are equipped with a child seat
lock with the exception of those fitted on the
driver's and front-passenger seats. X
Insert the belt tongue into the buckle.
X Pull the belt out completely and let it be
reeled back in by the inertia reel.
The child seat lock ensures that the belt
does not slacken once the child seat is
secured.
X To release the child seat lock: roll up the
belt completely after removing the child
seat. ISOFIX child seat securing system in the
rear compartment ISOFIX is a standardised securing system for
specially-designed child restraint systems on
the rear seats. Securing rings for two child
restraint systems are fitted on the left and
right of the backrest.
13 For child restraint systems without automatic child seat recognition, move the front-passenger seat to the rearmost position. Safety
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