2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350 Owner's Manual

64 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
In this section you will learn the most
important facts about the restraint system
components of the vehicle.

Seat belts (page 76)

Child restraints (page 80)
Additional protection potential provided by

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
with

Air bags (page 66)

Air bag control unit (with crash
sensors)

Emergency Tensioning Device
(ETD) for seat belts (
page 79)Air bag system components with

Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp (
page 74)

Passenger seat with Occupant
C
lassification System (OCS)
(
page 71)
Although independent systems, their
protective functions work in conjunction
with each other.The SRS system conducts a self-test when
the ignition is switched on and in regular
intervals while the engine is running. This
facilitates detection of malfunctions. The
1indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on when the ignition is
switched on and goes out no later than a
few seconds after the engine has been
started.
The SRS components are in operational
readiness if the 1indicator lamp is not
lit when the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been
detected if the 1indicator lamp:

fails to go out after approximately
4 seconds after the engine was started

does not come on at all

comes on after the engine was started
or while driving
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and restraint
systems for infants and children, see “Children
in the vehicle” (
page 79).

65 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
deceleration threshold for air bag deploy-
ment is exceeded. Therefore, never modify
the restraint systems. Do not tamper with
electronic components or their software.
Warning!G
In the event that the 1 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 repair work on the SRS
creates a risk of rendering the SRS inopera-
tive or causing unintended air bag deploy-
ment. Work on the SRS must therefore only
be performed by qualified technicians. Con-
tact 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.

66 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Air bags
Warning!G
Air bags are designed to reduce the poten-
tial of injury in certain frontal impacts (front
air bags, knee bags), or side impacts
(head-thorax air bags) which may cause
significant injuries. However, no system
available today can completely eliminate
injuries and fatalities.
The deployment of the air bags temporarily
releases a small amount of dust from the air
bags. This dust, however, is neither injurious
to your health, nor does it indicate a fire in
the vehicle. The dust might cause some tem-
porary breathing difficulty for people 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 passenger to always be in a prop-
erly seated position and to wear their 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 ensure it is prop-
erly positioned on your body (
page 48).
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 position that is
as upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest.

Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possi-
ble rearward, still permitting proper
operation of vehicle controls. The dis-
tance from the center of the driver’s
breastbone to the center of the air bag
cover on the steering wheel must be at
least 10 inches (25 cm) or more. You
should be able to accomplish this by a
combination of adjustments to the seat
and steering wheel. If you have any
problems, please contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Do not lean your head or chest close to
the steering wheel or dashboard.

Keep hands on the outside of the steer-
ing wheel rim. Placing hands and arms
inside the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when the driver’s front air bag inflates.

Adjust the passenger seat as far as pos-
sible rearward from the dashboard when
the seat is occupied.

67 Safety and Security
Occupant safety

Occupants, especially children, should
always sit as upright as possible, proper-
ly use the seat belts and use an appro-
priately sized infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat recommended
for the size and weight of the child.
Failure to follow these instructions can
result in severe injuries to you or other
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.Warning!G
There is a possibility of a head-thorax air bag
related injury if occupants, especially chil-
dren, are not properly seated or restrained
when next to a head-thorax air bag which
needs to deploy rapidly in a side impact in
order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
head-thorax air bag inflates. This could
result in serious injuries or death should
the head-thorax air bag be deployed.
(2) Always sit as upright as possible,
properly use the seat belts, and for all
children 12 years old or under, use an
appropriately sized infant restraint,
toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of
the child.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of
these guidelines, it would be safer for your
passenger seat occupants to have the pas-
senger side head-thorax air bag deactivated,
then deactivation can be accomplished
upon your written election to do so at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center at an
additional cost.
Please contact your local authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call the Customer
Assistance Center (in the USA) at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372),
or Customer Service (in Canada) at
1-800-387-0100 for details.

68 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
air bagiAir bags are designed to activate only in
certain frontal impacts (front air bags, knee
bags) and in side impacts (head-thorax air bags)
which exceed preset thresholds. Only during
these events will they provide their supplemental
protection.
The driver and passenger should always wear
their seat belts. Otherwise it is not possible for
the air bags to provide their supplemental
protection.
In case of other types of impacts and impacts
below air bag deployment thresholds, air bags
will not deploy. The driver and passenger will
then be protected to the extent possible by a
properly fastened seat belt. A properly fastened
seat belt is also needed to provide the best
possible protection in a rollover.
We caution you not to rely on the presence of the
air bags in order to avoid wearing your seat belt.
It is important to your safety and that of your
passenger that you replace deployed air bags
and repair any malfunctioning air bags to make
sure that the vehicle will continue to provide
supplemental crash protection for occupants.
Warning!G

Damaged seat belts or seat belts 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
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

Air bags and Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contain Perchlorate
material, which may require special han-
dling and regard for the environment.
Check with your local government’s
disposal guidelines. California residents,
see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/Hazard-
ousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm.

Air bags and Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or
ETD that has deployed must be re-
placed.

Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.

Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat
belts.

No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or
removing any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger front air bag
cover, door frame trims, or door trim
panels, 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 bleach or dye seat belts as this
may severely weaken them. In a crash,
they may not be able to provide ade-
quate protection.

Air bag system components will be hot
after an air bag has inflated. Do not
touch.

69 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When you sell your vehicle, we strongly
urge you to give notice to the subsequent
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by
alerting them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.Front air bags
1Driver air bag
2Passenger air bag
3Knee bag (passenger side)
4Knee bag (driver’s side)
Driver and passenger air bags and knee
bags are deployed

in the event of certain frontal impacts

if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold

independently of the head-thorax
air bags

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.

Given the considerable deployment
speed, required inflation volume, and
the textile structure of the air bags,
there is the possibility of abrasions or
other, potentially more serious injuries
resulting from air bag deployment.
Warning!G
Only use seat covers which have been
tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle model. Using other seat covers
may interfere with or prevent the deploy-
ment of the head-thorax air bags. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
availability.

70 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The air bags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protect-
ed by the fastened seat belts.The passenger air bag will only be de-
ployed if

the system, based on OCS weight sen-
sor readings, senses that the front pas-
senger seat is occupied

the 75indicator lamp in
the center console is not lit
(
page 74)

the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment threshold
Knee bags
The driver-side knee bag is located on the
driver’s side lower instrument panel. The
passenger-side knee bag is located on the
passenger side below the glove box. They
are designed to operate together with the
front air bags in certain frontal impacts
exceeding a preset threshold. The knee
bags operate best in conjunction with
properly positioned and fastened seat
belts.Head-thorax air bags
1Head-thorax air bag
The head-thorax air bags are deployed

in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold

on the impacted side of the vehicle

independently of the front air bags
The head-thorax air bags are not deployed
in impacts which do not exceed the
system’s deployment threshold.
iThe front air bags in this vehicle have been
designed to inflate in two stages. This allows
the air bag to have different rates of inflation that
are based on the rate of relevant vehicle deceler-
ation as assessed by the air bag control unit.
On the passenger side, the front air bag
deployment is additionally influenced by the
passenger’s weight category as identified by the
Occupant Classification System (OCS)
(
page 71).
The lighter the passenger side occupant, the
higher the vehicle deceleration rate required for
the second stage inflation of the air bag.

71 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Occupant Classification System
The O
ccupant Classification System (OCS)
automatically turns the passenger front air
bag and passenger-side knee bag on or off
based on the classified occupant weight
category determined by weight sensor
readings from the passenger seat.
Occupants must sit properly belted in a
position that is as upright as possible with
their back against the seat backrest and
feet on the floor to be correctly classified.
If the occupant's weight is transferred to
another object in the vehicle (e.g. by
leaning on armrests), the OCS may not be
able to properly approximate the
occupant’s weight category. Both driver and the passenger should al-
ways use the 75 indicator
lamp as an indication of whether or not the
passenger is properly positioned
(
page 76).
Warning!G
Only use seat covers which have been
tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle model. Using other seat covers
may interfere with or prevent the deploy-
ment of the head-thorax air bags. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
availability.
iThe system does not deactivate the
head-thorax air bag and the emergency tension-
ing device.
iIf the seat, including the trim cover and
cushion needs to be serviced in any way, take
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Only seat accessories approved by
Mercedes-Benz may be used.