2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK ROADSTER warning

Occupant safet
y 39In particular, work relevant to safety or on
safety-related systems must be carried out
at a qualified specialist workshop. If this
work is not carried out correctly, the oper-
ating safety of your vehicle may be affec -
ted. There is a risk of an accident and injury .SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
The SRS reduces the risk of occupants com-
ing into contact with the vehicle's interior in
the event of an accident. It can also reduce
the forces to which occupants are exposed
during an accident.
The SRS consists of:
R 1 warning lamp
R belt tensioner s
R belt force limiters
R Airbag s
11 warning lam p The SRS functions are checked regularly
when you turn on the ignition and when the
engine is running. Malfunctions can therefore
be detected in good time. The
1 warning lamp in the instrumen t
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out no later than a few seconds
after the engine is started. G
Risk of injury
If SRS is malfunctioning, individual systems
may be activated unintentionally or not be
triggered in the event of an accident with
heavy braking.
A malfunction has occurred if the 1
warning lamp:
R does not light up when you switch on the
ignition
R does not go out after the engine has been
running for a few seconds
R lights up again once the engine is running
In this case, have SRS checked immedi-
ately at a qualified specialist workshop.
Triggering of belt tensioners, belt force
limiters and airbags In the event of a collision, the sensor in the
airbag control unit evaluates important phys-
ical data such as duration, direction and force
of the vehicle deceleration or acceleration.
Based on the evaluation of this data anddepending on the vehicle's rate of longitudi-
nal deceleration in a collision, in the firs
t
stage the airbag control unit pre-emptively
triggers the belt tensioners.
i The belt tensioners can only be triggered
if the belt tongue is correctly engaged in the
seat belt buckle.
The front airbags are only deployed if there is
an even higher rate of vehicle deceleration in
a longitudinal direction .
Vehicles fitted with adaptive, dual-stage front
airbags: when the first deployment threshold
is reached, the front airbag is filled with
enough gas to reduce the risk of injuries. The
front airbag is only fully inflated if a second
threshold is reached within a few millisec-
onds due to the control unit having detected
further deceleration.
Criteria for triggering belt tensioners and
airbags
In the first stage of a collision, the airbag con-
trol unit evaluates the duration and direction
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in
order to determine whether it is necessary to
trigger the belt tensioner and/or airbag.
The belt tensioner and airbag triggering
thresholds are variable and are adapted to the
rate of deceleration of the vehicle. This proc- Safety
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Occupant safet
y40
ess is pre-emptive in nature as the airbag
must be deployed during – and not at the end
of – the collision
.
i Airbags are not deployed in all types of
accidents. They are controlled by comple x
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, each
individual system depends on the type of
accident determined by the control system
in the first stages of the collision (head-on
collision, side impact, rear-end collision
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 the collision has taken place 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 happens 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 limiter s The seat belts are fitted with belt 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 sea t
belts.
Belt tensioners do not pull occupants back
towards the backrest.
The belt force limiters are synchronised with
the front airbags, which spread the forces
exerted by the belt force limiters on the occu-
pant over a greater area.
When the ignition is switched on, the belt ten -
sioner is triggered:
R only if the restraint systems are operational
(the 1 warning lamp lights up after th e
ignition is switched on and goes out onc e
the engine is running)( Ypage 39)
R for each three-point seat belt in the front of
the vehicle when the belt tongue is
engaged in the buckle
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 the collision Safety
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Occupant safet
y 41
R
In certain situations if the vehicle over-
turns, if the system determines that it can
provide additional protection
R on the front-passenger side only if the
front-passenger seat is occupied and the
belt tongue is engaged in the buckle
When the belt tensioners are triggered, you
will hear a bang, which will not cause any
harm to your hearing, and a small amount of
powder may also be released. The 1warn-
ing lamp lights up. 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.
Airbag s Airbag deployment slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant. When the airbags are deployed, you will hear
a bang, which will not cause any harm to your
hearing, and a small amount of powder ma y
also be released. The 1warning lamp
lights up.
The SRS/AIRBAG symbol indicates the loca-
tion of the airbags . G
Risk of injury
Airbags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for the sea t
belts.
Observe the following notes to reduce the
risk of serious or even fatal injury if an air-
bag is deployed:
R Vehicle occupants — in particular preg-
nant woman — must wear their seat belt
correctly at all times and lean back
against their backrest, which should be
positioned as close to the vertical as pos-
sible. The head restraint must support
the back of the seat occupant's head at
about eye level.
R Always secure children less tha n
1.50 mtall or under 12 years of age in
suitable child restraint systems.
R All vehicle occupants must select a sea t
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 fron
t
airbag cover as possible.
R Move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible, in particular, if a child
is secured in a child restraint system on
the seat.
R Vehicle occupants – in particular, chil-
dren – must not lean their head on the
area of the window from which a head/
thorax airbag is deployed.
R Rearward-facing child restraint systems
must not be fitted to the front-passenger
seat unless the front-passenger front air-
bag has been disabled. The front-
passenger front airbag is deactivated if a
child restraint system with automatic
child seat recognition is fitted to the
front-passenger seat. The
5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp must be lit constantly.
If you secure a forward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat, you must move the front-passenger
seat as far back as possible. Safety
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Occupant safet
y 431
Driver's front airbag
2 Front-passenger front airba g
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.
Front-passenger front airbag 2is only
deployed if the front-passenger seat is occu-
pied or if the 5PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
warning lamp in the centre console is not lit
( Y page 46). This means that a child
restraint system with automatic child seat
recognition* has not been fitted to the front-
passenger seat or has been fitted incorrectly.
! Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. The system might errone-
ously interpret this as a person occupying the seat and the restraint systems on the
front-passenger seat may then be triggered
in the event of an accident and would have
to be replaced.
Head/thorax airbags 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. Th e
seat covers must be equipped with a spe-
cial tear seam for head/thorax airbags.
Otherwise, a head/thorax airbag may not
deploy correctly and could fail to provid e
the intended protection in the event of an
accident. Appropriate seat covers can be
obtained from a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre .
Head/thorax airbags are intended to offe r
additional protection for the head and thorax
when deployed. However, they do not protect
the arms. 1
Head/thorax airba g
Head/thorax airbags 1inflate next to the
outer seat cushions.
Head/thorax airbags 1are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rat e
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
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 the front airbags
R independently of the belt tensioner s
R on the front-passenger side only if the
front-passenger seat occupancy recogni- Safety
* optional
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Occupant safet
y 45not perform its protective function. The
child cannot be restrained in the event of
a
sudden change of direction, heavy braking
or an accident. This may lead to serious or
even fatal injuries. For this reason, when
fitting a child restraint system observe the
manufacturer's installation instructions
and correct use of the child restraint sys-
tem.
The entire base of the child restraint system
must always be resting on the seat cushion.
Never place objects, e.g. a cushion, under
the child restraint system.
Only use child restraint systems with their
original covers. Only replace damaged cov-
ers with genuine Mercedes-Benz covers.
For safety reasons, you should only use
child restraint systems which have been
approved for use in Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles. Child seat on the front-passenger seat Warning on the front-passenger sun visor
Warning symbol for a rearward-facing child
restraint system G
Risk of injury
If the front-passenger front airbag is not
disabled :
R a child secured in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat can be seri-
ously and even fatally injured by the
front-passenger airbag deploying. This is
especially likely if the child is in the imme-
diate vicinity of the front-passenger front
airbag when it is deployed.
R a child must never be secured on the
front-passenger seat in a rearward-facin g
child restraint system .
R always move the front-passenger seat to
the rearmost position if you secure a
child in a forward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat.
The front-passenger front airbag is not dis-
abled if:
R no child restraint system with automati c
child seat recognition is fitte d
R if the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
warning lamp on the centre console is
not lit
To draw attention to this danger, there is an
appropriate warning sticker on the dash- Safety
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Occupant safet
y46 board as well as on both sides of the sun
visor on the front-passenger side.
Information about recommended child
restraint systems is available at any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Automatic child seat recognition on the
front-passenger seat 1
5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp
The front-passenger seat sensor system for
child restraint systems detects whether a
special Mercedes-Benz child seat with auto-
matic child seat recognition has been fitted.
In such cases, the 5PASSENGER AIRBA G
OFF indicator lamp 1lights up. The front -
passenger airbag is deactivated. G
Risk of injury
If the 5PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warn-
ing lamp does not light up when the child
restraint system is fitted, the front-
passenger front airbag has not been disa-
bled. If the front-passenger front airbag is
deployed, the child could be seriously or
even fatally injured.
Proceed as follows:
R Do not use a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenge r
seat.
or
R Only use a forward-facing child seat on
the front-passenger seat and move the
front-passenger seat to its rearmost
position.
R Have the automatic child seat recogni-
tion checked at a qualified specialist
workshop .
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 be resting on the seat
cushion. An incorrectly fitted child restraint system cannot perform its intended pro-
tective function in the event of an accident
,
and could even lead to injuries .
i The head/thorax airbag and the belt ten-
sioner on the front-passenger side are still
active even if the front-passenger front air-
bag is disabled. G
Risk of injury
Do not place items of electronic equipment
on the front-passenger seat, e.g.:
R laptops, if switched on
R mobile phones
R cards with transponders, e.g. ski passe s
or access passes
Signals from electronic equipment can
cause interference in the automatic child
seat recognition sensor system. This can
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 the front-
passenger airbag is not deployed during an
accident. It is also possible that the
5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning Safety
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Driving safety sys
tems 51G
Risk of accident
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking sys-
tem remains available with full brake boost-
ing effect. However, braking force is not
automatically increased in emergency
braking situations and the stopping dis-
tance may increase. ES
P®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ES P®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviatin g
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified, if
necessary, to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within the scope of the laws of phys-
ics. ESP ®
assists the driver when pulling away
on wet or slippery roads. ES P®
can also sta-
bilise the vehicle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the vwarning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrumen t
cluster flashes, proceed as follows: R
Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any cir -
cumstances .
R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R Adapt your driving style to suit the pre -
vailing road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot overrid e
the laws of physics .
! The ignition must be switched off (key in
position 0or Iin the ignition lock) if:
R the vehicle is being towed with the front
or rear axle raised
R you are having the handbrake checke d
on the brake dynamometer
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
could
otherwise destroy the brake system on the
front or rear axle.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly . To deactivate/activate ES
P® ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is running.
It may be best to deactivate ES P®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chain s
R in deep sno w
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ES P®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi -
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R Engine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning
wheels produce a cutting effect for better
traction.
R traction control is still activated .
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake. Safety
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Anti-theft syste
ms52
i
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or mor e
wheels start to spin, the vwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster flashes. ES P®
does not, stabilise the vehicle. 1
To deactivate/activate ESP ®
X To deactivate :press button 1until th e
v warning lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster. G
Risk of acciden
t
ESP ®
is deactivated if the vwarnin g
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up
continuously when the engine is running.
The risk of your vehicle skidding is then
increased in certain situations. You should therefore always adapt your
driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions.
X To activate :press button 1until th e
v warning lamp goes out in the instru-
ment cluster. Anti-theft systems
Immobiliser
The immobiliser prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct key.
X To activate :remove the key from the igni -
tion lock.
X To deactivate :turn the key to position 2
in the ignition lock . ATA* (anti-theft alarm system)
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if th e
alarm system is primed and you open :
R a door
R a door using the emergency key elemen t
R the boot li d
R the bonne t
R the glove compartment
R the stowage space under the armrest
The alarm is not switched off even if you clos e
an open door again. Safety
* optional
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