2011 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET light

G
WARNING
Modifications to or work performe dincor-
rectly on the following parts can result in the
restraint systems not functioning as intended:
R the restraint system, consisting of seat
belts and their anchorage points, beltt en-
sioners, belt forc elimiters and airbags
R the wiring
R networked electronic systems
Airbags and belt tensioners could fail to
deploy or be triggered in an acciden tdespite
the deceleration forc ebeing sufficien ttotrig-
ger the systems, or could be triggered unin-
tentionally. For this reason, never make any
modifications to the restraint systems.
Therefore, you must not tamper with elec-
tronic components or their software. SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
Introduction SRS consist
sof:
R the 6 SRS warning lamp
R airbags
R airbag control unit (with crash sensors)
R belt tensioners
R belt force limiters
SRS reduces the risk of occupant scoming
into contact with the vehicle's interior in the
event of an accident .Itcan also reduce the
effect of the forces to which occupant sare
subjected during an accident.
SRS warning lamp SRS functions are checked regularly when
you switch on the ignition and when the
engine is running. Therefore, malfunctions
can be detected in good time.
The 6 SRS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out no later than afew seconds
after the engine is started. G
WARNING
If SRS is malfunctioning, individual systems
may be activated unintentionally or may not
be triggered in the event of an accident with
ah igh rate of vehicle deceleration.
Am alfunction has occurred if:
R the 6 SRS warning lamp does not light
up when the ignition is switched on.
R the engine is runnin gand the 6SRS
warning lamp does not go out after afew
seconds.
R the engine is runnin gand the 6SRS
warning lamp lights up again.
In this case, have SRS checked immediately
at aq ualified specialist workshop. Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you use aMercedes-
Benz Service Centre for this purpose.
In particular, work relevant to safety or on
safety-related systems must be carried out at
aq ualified specialist workshop.
Triggering of belt tensioners, belt force
limiters and airbags During the first stage of
acollision, the airbag
control unit evaluates important physical
data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
R duration
R direction
R magnitude
Based on the evaluation of this data, the air-
bag control unit pre-emptively triggers the
belt tensioners in the first stage.
i The belt tensioners can only be triggered
if the seat belt tongues are correctly
engaged in the seat belt buckles.
If there is an even higher rate of vehicle decel-
eration or acceleration in alongitudinal direc-
tion, the front airbags are also deployed.
Your vehicle has adaptive, two-stage front air-
bags. The airbag control unit evaluates vehi-
cle deceleration or acceleration in the event
of ac ollision. In the first deployment stage, Occupant safety
39Safety Z

the front airba
gisfilledwith enoug hpropel-
lant ga storeducethe risk of injuries .The
front airbag is fully deployed if asecond
deployment threshold is exceeded within a
few milliseconds.
The belt tensioner and airbag triggering
thresholds are variable and are adapted to the
rate of deceleration or acceleration of the
vehicle. This process is pre-emptive in nature.
The triggering process must take place in
good time at the start of the collision.
i Airbags are not deployed in all types of
accidents. Also, not all airbags are
deployed together in an accident. The dif-
ferent airbag systems work independently
of each other.
How the airbag system works is deter-
mined by the severity of the collision detec-
ted, especiallyt he vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, and the apparent type of acci-
dent:
R head-on collision
R side impact
R rear impact
R Cabriolet: overturn
The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the direction of the force are essen-
tially 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
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after acollision has occurred do not play a
decisive role in the deployment of an airbag,
nor do they provide an indication of airbag
deployment.
The vehicle may be deformed significantly,
e.g. the bonnet or the wing, without an airbag
being deployed. This is the case if only parts
which are relatively easily deformed are affec- ted and the rate of deceleration is not high.
Conversely, airbags may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor defor-
mation. This is the case if, for example, very
rigid vehicle parts such as longitudinal body
members are hit, and sufficient deceleration
occurs as
aresult. Airbags
Important safety notes Airbag deployment slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant.
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang and asmall amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The 6SRS warning lamp
lights up.
The airbag installation locations are identified
by the AIRBAG symbol. G
WARNING
Airbags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, asubstitute for seat belts.
Observe the following notes to reduce the risk
of serious or even fatal injury caused by airbag
deployment:
R All vehicle occupants –inparticular ,preg-
nan twome n–m ust wear their seat belt
correctly at all times and lean back against
th eb ackrest, whic hshoul dbep ositioned
as close to th evertical as possible. The
head restraint must support th eback of the
head at about eye level.
R Always secure childre nless than 1.50mt all
and unde r12years of age in suitable child
restraint systems.
R All vehicle occupant smust select aseat
position that is as far away from the airbag
as possible. The driver's seat position must
allow the vehicle to be driven safely. The
driver's chest should be as far away from 40
Occupant safetySafety

When the roll bars are extended, the rear
head restraints also extend automatically.
Oncet he roll bars are extended, you can no
longer lower the rear head restraints. The soft
top can no longer be operated. In this case,
visit the nearest qualified specialist work-
shop. G
WARNING
If the roll bar is malfunctioning, the A
Malfunction Consult workshop message
appears in the multifunction display. The roll
bars will then not be extended in the event of
an accident .This could result in severe or
even fatal injuries to you and other occupants.
In this case, visit aqualified specialist work-
shop immediately and have the roll bar
checked. PRE-SAFE
®
(preventative occupant
protection)
PRE-SAFE ®
takes pre-emptive measures to
protect occupants in certain hazardous sit-
uations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes:
R in emergency braking situations, e.g. if BAS
is activated or for vehicles with DISTRONIC
PLUS, BAS PLUS intervenes powerfully
R if the radar sensor system detects an immi-
nent danger of collision in certain situa-
tions (on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS)
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limits are exceed and the vehicle under-
steers or oversteers severely
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detec-
ted:
R the front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R vehicles with the memory function: it
adjusts the front-passenger seat if it is in
an unfavourable position. R
vehicles with amulticontour seat: the air
pressure in the seat side cushions and in
the backrest side bolsters is increased.
R if the vehicle skids, the front side windows
and, on the Coupé,t he panorama sliding
sunroof, are closed so that only asmall gap
remains.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pretensioning. The air pressure in the
side bolsters on the multicontour seat is
reduced again. All settings made by PRE-
SAFE ®
can then be reversed.
If the seat belts are not released:
X Move the backrest or seat back slightly, but
only when the vehicle is stationary.
The belt pretensionin gisreduced and the
locking mechanism is released. G
WARNING
When adjusting the seat, make sure that
nobody can become trapped.
! Make sure that there are no objectsint he
footwell or behind the seats when moving
the seat back. There is arisk that the seats
and/or the objectsc ould be damaged.
More information about seat-belt adjust-
ment, aconvenience function integrated into
PRE-SAFE ®
,c an be found in the "Seat-belt
adjustment" section (Y page 49). NECK-PRO head restraints
The NECK-PRO head restraints increase pro-
tection to the driver's and front passenger's
head and neck.Tot his end, the NECK-PRO
head restraints on the driver's and front-
passenger seats are moved forwards and
upwards in the event of arear-end collision of
ac ertain severity. This provides better head
support. Occupant safety
45Safety Z

wearin
gbulky clothing, e.g .awinter coat.
The shoulde rbelt section must be routed
across the centre of your shoulder –onno
account across your neck or under your
arm –and pulled tight against your upper
body .The lap belt must always pass across
your lap as low down as possible, i.e. over
your hip joints–n ot across your abdomen.
If necessary, push down the belt strap
slightly and then retighten it in the roll-up
direction.
R Do not route the belt strap across sharp
edges or fragile objects, especially if these
are located on or in your clothing, e.g. spec-
tacles, pens, keys, etc. The seat belt strap
could be damaged and tear in an accident,
and you or other vehicle occupant scould
be injured.
R Only one person should use each seat belt
at any one time. Children must never travel
sittin gont he lap of other occupants. It
would not be possible to restrain the child
in the event of asudden change in direc-
tion, braking or an accident .This could
result in severe or even fatal injuries to the
child and other occupants.
R Persons less than 1.50 mtall cannot wear
the seat belts correctly. For this reason,
secure persons less than 1.50 mtall in spe-
cially designed ,suitable restraint systems.
R Children less than 1.50 mtall or unde r12
years of age canno twear the seat belts
properly. Therefore, they should alway sbe
secured in asuitable child restraint system
on asuitable vehicle seat. You can find
more information under "Children in the
vehicle" in the "Safety" section of the Own-
er's Manual. Follow the manufacturer's
installation instructions when fitting achild
restraint system.
R Do not secure any objects with aseat belt
if the seat belt is also being used by one of
the vehicle's occupants. G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level
of protection unless the backrest is almost
vertical. Under certain circumstances, this
could cause severe or even fatal injuries in the
event of an accident.
Befor estarting ajourney, make sure that the
seat is properly adjusted and that the back-
rest is almost vertical. G
WARNING
Ad irtyord amaged seat belt or aseat belt that
has been subjected to aload in an accident
or which has been modified no longer offers
the intended level of protection. Under certain
circumstances, this could cause sever eor
even fatal injuries in the even tofanaccident.
For this reason, check regularly that the seat
belts are not damaged or dirty.
Alway shaved am aged sea tbelts or seat belts
that have been subjected to aload in an acci-
dent replaced at aqualified specialist work-
shop. Consult aqualified specialist workshop
which has the necessary specialist knowledge
and tools to carry out the work required.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centr efor this pur-
pose.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat belts which have
been approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle.
Fastening seat belts The seat-belt extender for the driver and front
passenger helps you fasten your seat belt. Occupant safety
47Safety Z

seat belt and guide the belt tongue to the belt
sash guide.
For more information aboutr eleasing the seat
belt with release button ?,see "Releasing
seat belts" (Y page 49).
Seat belt adjustment The seat-belt adjustment function adjusts the
driver's and front-passenger seat belt to the
upper body of the occupants.
The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
R you engage the belt tongue in the belt
buckle and you then turn the key to position
2 in the ignition lock.
R the key is in position 2in the ignition lock
and you then engage the belt tongue in the
buckle oncet he seat-belt extender has
retracted.
The seat-belt adjustment will apply acertain
tightening forc eifany slack is detected
between the occupan tand the sea tbelt. Do
not hold on to the seat belt tightly while it is
adjusting. You can switch the seat-belt
adjustment on and off in the on-board com-
puter (Y page 230).
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function .More
information about PRE-SAFE ®
can be found
in the "PRE-SAFE ®
(preventativ eoccupant
protection)" section (Y page 45).
Releasing seat belts X
Press release button ?(Ypage 47) and
guide belt tongue ;back towards seat
belt extender :.
! Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled
up. Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue
will be trapped in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This could damage the door,
the door trim panel and the seat belt. Dam-
aged seat belts can no longer fulfil their
protective function and must be replaced.
Consult aMercedes-BenzS ervice Centre. Belt warning for driver and front
passenger The
7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is areminder for all occupants
to fasten their seat belts. It may light up con-
tinuously or flash. In addition, ther emay be a
warning tone.
The 7 seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tonec eases when the driver and
the fron tpassenger have fastened their seat
belt.
For certain countries only: regardless of
whether th edriver or th efront passenger
have fastened their seat belts, the 7seat
beltw arning lamp light supfor six seconds
after th eengineiss tarted. It then goes out if
th ed river and th efront pa ssenger have fas-
tene dtheir seat belts.
i For mor einformatio nonthe7 seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in th einstrumen tcluster, seat
belt" (Y page 255).
Rea rseat belt statu sindicator The rear-compartmen
tseat belt status indi-
cator tells you if the rear passengers have
their seat belts fastened.
The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator indicates the rear seat on which the belt
is fastened.
The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator appears in the multifunction display for
around 30 seconds if:
R you drive off and reach aspeed of approx-
imately 10 km/h.
R the rear passengers fasten or unfasten
their seat belts while the vehicle is in
motion.
R someon egets in or out of the vehicle and
the vehicle drives off again. Occupant safety
49Safety Z

Example: the passenge
ronthe right rear seat has
their seat belt fastened.
You can also cancel the rear seat belt status
indicator immediately (Y page 232).
i The status indicator for the rear-compart-
ment seat belts is only available for certain
countries.
Belt tensioners, belt force limiters The seat belts are fitted with belt tensioners.
The belt tensionerst ighten the seat belts in
an accident, pulling them close against the
body.
Belt tensionersdon ot correct incorrects eat
positions or incorrectly fastened seat belts.
Belt tensionersdon ot pull vehicle occupants
back towards the backrest.
If the seat belt is also fitted with abelt force
limiter and this is triggered, the force exerted
by the seat belt on the vehicle occupant is
reduced.
The belt force limiters for the front seats are
synchronised with the front airbags. These
take on apart of the deceleration force. Thus,
the force exerted on the occupant is distrib-
uted over agreater area.
The belt tensionersc an only be activated
when:
R the ignition is switched on.
R the restraint systems are operational; see
"SRS warning lamp" (Y page 39).
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the three-point seat belts in the
front.
The belt tensionersont he seats in the rear
compartmenta re triggeredindependently of
the lock status of the seat belts. The beltt
ensioners are triggered depending
on the type and severit yofanaccident:
R if, in the event of ahead-on or rear-en dcol-
lision, the vehicle decelerates or acceler-
ates rapidly in alongitudinal direction dur-
ing the initial stages of the impact
R if, in the event of aside impact, on the side
opposite the impact the vehicle deceler-
ates or accelerates rapidly in alateral direc-
tion
R Cabriolet: in certain situation sifthe vehicle
overturns and the system determines that
it can provide additional protection.
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang, and asmall amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The 6SRS warning lamp
lights up. G
WARNING
If the seat belt tensioners have been trig-
gered, they provide no additional protection
in the event of another accident. Therefore,
have belt tensioners which have been trig-
gered replaced at aqualified specialist work-
shop.
Comply with safety regulations when dispos-
ing of belt tensioners .Any Mercedes-Benz
Service Centr ecan provide details of these
regulations.
! If the front-passenger seat is not occu-
pied, do not engage the seat belt tongue in
the buckle on the front-passenger seat.
Otherwise, the belt tensioner could be trig-
gered in the event of an accident. 50
Occupant safetySafety

Children in th
evehicle Child restraint systems
Important safety notes G
WARNING
To reduc ethe riskofs erious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of asudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R children less than 1.50mt all and under
twelve years of age must alway sbesecured
in special child restraint systems on asuit-
able vehicle seat. This is necessary
because the seat belts are not designed for
children.
R do not secure children less than 1.50mt all
or unde rtwelve years of age on th efront-
passenger seat .Exception: the vehicl eis
equipped with automatic child sea trecog-
nition on the front-passenger seat and the
child is secured in achild restraint system
with transponders for automatic child seat
recognition.
R if you secure aforward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat, 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
which occur in the event of asudden
change of direction, heavy braking or an
accident, it would not be possible to
restrain the child. The child could be thrown
against parts of the vehicle interior and be
seriously or even fatally injured. G
WARNING
The child restraint system cannot perform its
protective function if it is not correctly fitted
to as uitable vehicle seat. The child cannot be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. The
child could be seriously or even fatally injured.
For this reason, when fitting achild restraint
system, observe the manufacturer's installa- tion instructions and the correct use of the
child restraint system.
Child restraint systems should be fitted to the
rear seats. Children are generally better pro-
tected there.
The entire base of the child restraint system
must alway
srest on the seat cushion. There-
fore, never place objects, e.g. acushion,
under the child restraint system.
Only use child restraint systems with the orig-
inal cover designed for them. Only replace
damaged cover swith genuine Mercedes-Benz
covers.
We recommend the use of child restraint sys-
tems which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
If ac hild is travellin ginyour vehicle, secure
the child using achild restraint system which
is appropriate to the size, age and weight of
the child and recommended for Mercedes-
Benz vehicles. You should preferably fit the
restraint system to asuitable rear seat. Make
sure that the child is secured in achild
restraint system throughout the trip.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use the child restraint systems listed at
(Y page 59).
You can obtain further information about the
correct child restraint system from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
product stoclean child restraint systems.
You can obtain information about this at
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
WARNING
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in achild
restraint system. They could injure them-
selves on parts of the vehicle. They could also
be seriously or even fatally injured by pro-
longed exposure to extreme heat or cold.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. Parts of the child restraint sys- Children in the vehicle
51Safety
Z

tem. Onl
ysecurear earward-facing child
restraint syste monasuitablerear seat.
R always move the front-passenger seat to
the rearmost position if you secure achild
in af orward-facing child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat.
The front-passenger airbag is not disabled:
R on vehicles without automatic child seat
recognition on the front-passenger seat
R in vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition in the front-passenger seat, if no
special child restraint system with trans-
ponders for automatic child seat recogni-
tion in the front-passenger seat has been
fitted
R on vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat, if the
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
4 is not lit.
To make you aware of this danger, acorre-
sponding warning sticker has been affixed on
the dashboard and 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-passengers eatIf your vehicle does no
thave automatic child
seat recognition 2
on th efront-pa ssenger seat
,thisisi ndicated by aspecial sticker. The
sticker is affixe dtotheside of th edashboard
on th efront-pa ssenger side. The sticker is
visible when you open th efront-pa ssenger
door. The front-passenger seat sensor system for
child restraint systems detect swhether a
special Mercedes-Ben zchild seat with a
transponder for automatic child seat recog-
nition has been fitted. In such cases,
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
4: lights up. The front-passenger airbag
is disabled. G
WARNING
If the 4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indica-
tor lamp does not light up when the child
restraint system is fitted, the front-passenger
airbag has not been disabled. If the front-
passenger airbag deploys, the child could be
seriously or even fatally injured.
Proceed as follows:
R do not use arearward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat.
R fit arearward-facing child restraint system
on asuitable rear seat.
or
R only use aforward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat and
2 Vehicles without automatic child seat recognition on the front-passenger seat: if you turn the key to position
2int he ignition lock, the 4PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp lights up briefly but has no function.
It does not indicate that there is automatic child seat recognition on the front-passenger seat. Children in the vehicle
53Safety
Z