Page 42 of 761

41 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!G
Modifications to or work improperly con-
ducted on restraint systems (such as seat 
belts and anchors, emergency tensioning 
devices, seat belt force limiters or air bags) 
or their wiring, as well as tampering with in-
terconnected electronic systems, can lead 
to the restraint systems no longer function-
ing as intended. 
Air bags or emergency tensioning devices, 
for example, could deploy inadvertently or 
fail to deploy in accidents although the de-
celeration threshold for air bag deployment 
is exceeded. Therefore, never modify the re-
straint systems. Do not tamper with elec-
tronic components or their software.
Warning!G
In the event that the =indicator lamp 
comes on during driving or does not come 
on at all, the SRS self-check has detected a 
malfunction. For your safety, we strongly 
recommend that you contact an authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have 
the system checked; otherwise the SRS may 
not deploy when needed in an accident, 
which could result in serious or fatal injury, 
or it might deploy unexpectedly and unnec-
essarily which could also result in injury.
In addition, improper work on the SRS cre-
ates a risk of rendering the SRS inoperative 
or causing unintended air bag deployment. 
Work on the SRS must therefore only be per-
formed by qualified technicians. Contact an 
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system 
to accommodate a person with disabilities, 
contact your local authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer 
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes 
(1-800-367-6372) for details. 
     
        
        Page 45 of 761

44 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt, 
emergency tensioning device and 
air bag
Warning!G
Damaged seat belts or seat belt that 
were highly stressed in an accident 
must be replaced and their anchoring 
points must also be checked. Only use 
seat belts installed or supplied by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Air bags and pyrotechnic emergency 
tensioning devices (ETDs) are designed 
to function on a one-time-only basis. An 
air bag or ETD that is deployed must be 
replaced. PRE-SAFE
® has electrically 
operated reversible pre-tensioners in 
addition to the pyrotechnic ETDs.
Do not pass seat belt over sharp edges. 
They could tear.
Do not make any modification that could 
change the effectiveness of the seat 
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.
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, front passenger front air bag 
cover, outboard sides of the seat back-
rests, door trim panels, or door frame 
trims, and installation of additional 
electrical/electronic equipment on or 
near SRS components and wiring. Keep 
area between air bags and occupants 
free from objects (e.g. packages, purs-
es, umbrellas, etc.).
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 the window curtain air bag is 
deployed.
Air bag system components will be hot 
after an air bag has inflated. Do not 
touch.
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.
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 air bag 
unit or emergency tensioning device, 
our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These instructions are available 
from any authorized Mercedes-Benz 
Center. 
     
        
        Page 535 of 761

534 Operation
Driving instructions
For more information on winter driving, see 
“Winter driving” (
page 580).
Standing water
Warning!G
Make sure not to endanger any other road 
users when carrying out these braking ma-
neuvers.
Warning!G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make 
sure that snow is kept clear of the exhaust 
pipe and from around the vehicle with the 
engine running. Otherwise, deadly carbon 
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior resulting in unconsciousness and 
death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation, 
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the wind.
Warning!G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and 
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. In-
dicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road 
surface is free of ice.!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 wa-
ter into the engine and auxiliary equipment, thus 
damaging them.
If you must drive through standing water, drive 
slowly to prevent water from entering the pas-
senger compartment or the engine compart-
ment. Water in these areas could cause damage 
to electrical components or wiring of the engine 
or transmission, or could result in water being in-
gested by the engine through the air intake caus-
ing severe internal engine damage. Any such 
damage is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz 
Limited Warranty.