2011 MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS SUV airbag

the centre of the driver's airba
gcover as
possible.
R move the fr ont-passenge rseatasf ar back
as possible. Thi sisespecially important if
yo uh aves ecure dac hild in achild restraint
syste mont he front-passenger seat.
R vehicle occupants –inparticular ,children
–m ust not lean their heads into the area of
the window in which the sidebag/window-
bag is deployed.
R rearward-facing child restraint systems
must not be fit tedtot he front-passenger
seat unless the front-passenger airbag has
been disabled. On the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger airbag is disabled
if ac hild rest raint system with atrans-
ponde rfor automatic child seat recognition
is fit tedtot he front-passenger seat in a
vehicle equipped with automatic chil dseat
recognition. The 4PASSENGE RAIRBAG
OF Findicator lamp must be continuously
lit.
If the front-passenger sea tofyour vehicle
does not have automatic child seat recog-
nition ,oryour rearward-facing child
rest raint system does not have automatic
child seat recognition, children must be
secured in achild rest raint system on a
suitable seat in the rear. 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 possi-
ble.
R make sure there are no heavy or sharp-
edged objects in the pockets of clothing.
R do not lean forwards, e.g. over the cover of
the driver's/front-passenger airbag, partic-
ularly when the vehicle is in motion.
R do not put your feet on the dashboard.
R only hold the steerin gwheel on the outside.
This allow sthe airbag to be fully deployed.
You coul dbeinjured if the airbag is
deploye dand you are holding the inside of
the steerin gwheel. R
do not lean on the doors from insid ethe
vehicle.
R make sur ethat ther eare no people ,ani-
mals or obje ctsb etween the vehicle occu-
pants and the area where the airbags are
deployed.
R do not place any objects between the seat
back rest and the door.
R do not hang any har dobjects, for example,
coat hangers, on the grab handles or coat
hooks.
R do not atta chaccessories, e.g. cup holders,
to the doors.
It is not possible to rule out arisk of injury
being caused by an airbag, due to the high
speed at which the airbag must be deployed. G
WARNING
Airbag functionality can only be assured if the
following parts are not covered and no badges
or stickers are attached to them:
R padded steerin gwheel boss
R kneebag cover below the steerin gcolumn
R front-passenger airbag cover
R outer side of seat bolsters G
WAR
NING
As mall amo untofp owder is released when
an air bagisd eployed. The powder could
cause short-term breathing difficulties in peo-
ple with asthma or other respirator yprob-
lems.
In order to prevent bre athing difficulties ,you
should leave the vehicle as soon as it is safe
to do so. You can also open the window to
allow fresh air to enter the interior .The pow-
der does not constitute ahealth hazar dand
doe snot indicat ethat ther eisaf ire in the
vehicle. G
WARNING
The airbag parts are hot after the airbag has
been deployed. Do not touch them as you
could burn yourself. Occupant safety
43Safety
Z

Have the airbags replaced at
aqualified spe-
cialist workshop .Otherwi se,o ccupants are
not protecte dbythe airbags in the event of
anothe raccident.
Front airbags Th
ef ront airbags increase protection for the
driver's and front-p assenger' sheada nd
chest. Driver'
sairbag :deploy sinfront of the
st ee ring wheel; front-p assenger airbag ;
deploys in front of and above the glove com-
partment.
They are deployed:
R at the start of an acciden twith ahigh rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction
R if the system determines that airbag
deploymen tcan offer additional protec tion
to that provide dbytheseat belt
R if th eseat belt is fastened
R independently of other airbag sinthe vehi-
cle
If the vehicle overturns ,the front airbags are
generally not deployed. If the system detec ts
ah igh rate of vehicle deceleration in alongi-
tudinal direction, the front airbags are
deployed.
Front-passenger airbag ;is only activated if
the system determines that the front-
passenger seat is occupied. The 4
PASSENGER AIRBA GOFF indicato rlamp on
the centre console is not lit (Y page 52).
This means that achild restraint system with- out automatic chil
dseat recognition has been
fitted or that achild restraint system with
automatic chil dseat recognition is incorrectly
fitted.
! Do not place heavy object sonthe front-
passenger seat. The system ma ythen
detec tthat the seat is occupied and if there
is an accident ,the restraint system sonthe
front-passenger side could be deployed.
Hav erestraint system sthat hav ebeen trig-
gered replaced.
Driver' skneebag The driver'
skneebag increases protection of
the driver against:
R knee injuries
R thig hinjuries
R lowe rleg injuries Driver's kneebag
:is always deployed along
with the driver' sairbag and inflates under-
neath the steering column.
Sidebags G
WARNING
If you wish to use seat covers, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that, for safety reasons, you
only use seat cover sthat hav ebeen approved
for Mercedes-Ben zvehicles.
The seat cover smust have aspecial tear seam
for sidebags. Otherwise, the sidebags cannot
deploy correctly and would fail to provide the
intended protection in the event of an acci-
dent .Appropriate seat cover scan be 44
Occupant safetySafety

obtained from
aMercedes-Benz Service
Centre. G
WARNING
Sensor stocontrol the airbags are located in
the doors. Therefore, do not mak eany modi-
fications to the doors or doo rtrim, e.g .retro-
fit ting loudspeakers. Damage to the doors
can affect operation of the sidebags.
Whe ndeployed, the sidebags offer additional
protection for the thora xand the pelvis of the
vehicl eoccupants on the sid eofthe vehicle
on whic hthe impac toccurs. However, they
do not prote ctthe:
R head
R neck
R arms Fron
tsidebags :and rear sidebags ;
deploy nex ttothe outer seat cushions.
The sidebags ar edeployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the star tofanaccident with ahigh rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in aside impact
R independently of seat belt use
R independently of the front airbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
If the vehicle overturns, the sidebags are gen-
erally not deployed. They are deployed if the
system detect shigh vehicle deceleration or
acceleration in alateral direction and deter-
mines that sidebag deployment can offer additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt.
Windowbags The windowbag
senhance the level of protec-
tion for the head, but not ches torarms, of the
vehicl eoccupants on the sid eofthe vehicle
on whic hthe impac toccurs.
Th ew indowbags are integrated into the side
of the roof frame and deploy in the area from
the A-pillar to the C-pillar. Windowbags
:are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with ahigh rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in aside impact
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R independently of seat belt use
R if the vehicle overturns, and the system
determines that it can provide the vehicle
occupant sadditiona lprotectio ntothat
provided by the seat belt
R independen tlyo fthe front airbags PRE-SAFE
®
(preventative occupant
protection)
PRE- SAFE®
take spre-emptive measures to
protect occupants in certain hazardo us sit-
uations. Occupan
tsafety
45Safety Z

cator lamps in the instrument cluster, se
at
belt" (Y page284).
Rear seat belt status indicator Th
er ear-com partment se at 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 üsymbol in the display
indicates afastened seat belt. If aseat belt is
not fastened or if aseat is not occupied, the
ý symbol is displayed.
The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator appear sint he multifunction displa yfor
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.
You can also can celthe rea rseat belt status
indicator immediately (Y page 253).
i The status indicator for the rear- compart-
ment seat belts is onl yavailable for certain
countries.
Bel ttensioners, belt force limiters The fron
tseat belts and the outer seat belts
in the rear are equipped with belt tensioners.
The belt tensioners tighten the seat belts in
an accident, pullin gthem close against the
body.
Belt tensioner sdonot correct incorrect seat
positions or incorrectly faste neds eat belts.
Belt tensioners do not pull vehicle occupants
back towards the back rest.
If the seat belt is also fitted wit habelt for ce
limiter and this is triggered, the forc eexerted
by the sea tbelt on the vehicle occupan tis
red uced. Th
eb elt force limiters on the front seats are
synchroni sedw ith the front airbags .They
tak eonap art of the deceleratio nforce,
resultin ginthe force exerted on the occupant
being distributed over agreater are a.
The belt tensioners can only be activated
when:
R the ignition is switched on.
R the restraint systems are operational; see
"SRS warning lamp" (Y page 41).
R the front-passenger seat is occupied and
the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
the front-passenger side.
The belt tensioners on the outside seats in the
rear compartment are triggered independ-
ently of the lock status of the seat belts.
The belt tensioners 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 even tofaside impact, on the side
opposit ethe impac tthe vehicle deceler-
ates or accelerates rapidly in alateral direc-
tion
R if in certain situations where the 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 th ebang
affect your hearing. The powde rthat is
released generally does not constitute a
healt hhazard. 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. Occupant safety
49Safety
Z

You can obtain informa
tion about this at
any Mercedes-Ben zServic eCentre. G
WAR
NING
Do not leave child renu nsupe rvised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in achild
restraint system. They coul dinjure them-
selves on parts of the vehicle. The ycould also
be seriou slyor even fatally injure dbypro-
longed exposure to extreme heat or cold.
Do not expose th echild restraint system to
direc tsunlight .Part soft he child restraint sys-
te mc ould heat up and the child coul dburn
herself/himself on them.
If ac hild opens adoor, the child or other per-
sons coul dbeinjured as aresult. They could
get out and injure themselves or be injured by
ap assing vehicle.
Also observe the notes on HOLD .Relevant
information can be foun dinthe index. G
WARNING
Unsecured or incorrec tlyp ositioned loads
inc rease the risk of injury for children and all
other occupant sinthe even tof:
R an accident
R ab raking manoeuvre
R as udden change of direction
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the vehi-
cle interior unless they are secured. You will
find further information under "Loading guide-
lines" in the index.
Child seat on the front-passenger seat Warning notice on the front-passenger sun visor Warning symbol for
arearward-facin gchild
rest raint system G
WARNING
If the front-passenger airbag is not disabled:
R ac hild secured in achild rest raint system
on the front-passenger seat could be seri-
ously and even fatally injured by the front-
passenger airbag deploying. This is espe-
cially arisk if the child is in the immediate
vicinit yofthe front-passenger airbag when
it deploys.
R never secur eachild on the front-passenger
seat in arearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem. Only secur earearward-facing child
restraint system on asuitable rear seat.
R alway smove the front-passenger seat to
the rearmost position if you secur eachild
in af orward-facing child rest raint 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 AIRB AGOFF indicator lamp
4 is not lit.
To make you aware of this danger, acorre-
spondin gwarning sticker has been affixed on Children in th
evehicle
51Safety
Z

the dashboard and on both side
softhe sun
visor on the fr ont-passenge rside.
Information about recommended child
restraint system sisavailabl eatany
Mercedes-Ben zServic eCentre.
Automatic child seat recognition on the
front-passenger seat If your vehicle does not have automatic child
seat recognition 1
on the fron t-passenger
seat, this is indicated by aspecial sticker .The
stic kerisa ffixe dtot he side of the dashboard
on the front-passenger side. The stic keris
visible when yo uopen the front-passenger
door. The front-passenger seat sensor system for
child restraint systems detect swhether a
special Mercedes-Ben zchild seat with a
transpo nder for automatic child seat recog-
nition has been fitted. In this case, 4
PASSENGER AIRBA GOFF indicato rlamp : lights up. The front-passenger front 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
mov ethe front-passenger seat to the rear-
most position.
R hav ethe automatic chil dseat recognition
checked at aqualified specialist workshop.
To ensure that the automatic child seat rec-
ognitio nonthe front-passenger seat func-
tions/communicates correc tly, never place
objects, e.g. acushion, under the child
restraint system. The entire base of the child
restraint system must always rest on the seat
cushion. An incorrectly fitted child restraint
system cannot perform its intended protec-
tive function in the event of an accident, and
could lead to injuries.
i If the front-passenger front airbag is dis-
abled by the automatic child seat recogni-
tion, the following remain enabled on the
front-passenger side:
R the sidebag
R the windowb ag
R the belt tensio ner
1 Vehicles withou tautomatic child seat recognition on the front-passenger seat: if you turn the key to position
2int he ignition lock ,the 4 PASSENGER 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. 52
Childre
ninthe vehic leSafety

Problems wit
hchilds eat recognition Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The
4 PASSENGER
AIRB AGOFF indicator
lam ponthe cen trecon-
sole is lit. As
pecial Mercedes-Benz child seat with atransponde rfor auto-
matic child seat recognition has been fit tedtot he front-passenger
seat. The front-passenger airbag has therefor ebeen disabled as
desired. The
4 PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF indicator
lam ponthe centr econ-
sole is lit.
or
SRS warnin glamp
6 lights up and/or
the 4 PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp does not light up
briefly when you switch
the ignition on. G
Risk of injury
There is no child seat fitted to the front-passenger seat. Automatic
child seat recognition is malfunctioning.
X Remove electronic equipment from the front-passenger seat,
e.g.
R
laptop
R mobile phone
R cards with transponde rs,s uch as ski passes or access cards
If the 4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is still lit:
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. Suitable positioning of the child restraint systems
Key to the letter
sused in the table:
XS eat which is unsuitable for children in this weight category.
US uitable for child rest raint systems in th eUnivers al categor ythat ar eapprove dfor use in
this weigh tcategory.
UF Suitable for forward-facing child rest raint systems that belon gtothe "Universal" categ ory
and ar eapproved for use in this weigh tcategory.
LS uitable for child rest raint systems as recommended, see th efollowin gtable of "Recom-
mended child restraint systems "(Ypage 58). 56
Children in th
evehicleSafety

Seat positions
Weigh
tcatego-
ries Front-passenger seat Rear seat
Front-
passenger air-
bag is no
tdisa-
bled: The front-
passenger air-
bag is disa-
bled
2 Left
,right Centre
Grou
p0:upto
10 kg X U, L U U
Group 0+: up
to 13 kg
X U, L U U
Group I:
9to
18 kg UF U, L U U
Group II: 15 to
25 kg UF U, L U U
Group III: 22 to
36 kg UF U, L U U
"Universal" category child restraint systems can be recognised by their orange approval label.
Approval label on the child restrain
tsystem (example)
Key to the letters used in the table:
XI SOFIX position tha tisnot suitable for ISOFI Xchild restraint system sinthis weight cat-
egory and/or size category.
IU FS uitable for forward-facing ISOFIX child seat securing systems that belong to the "uni-
versal" category which are approved for use in this weigh tcategory.
IL Suitable for ISOFI Xchild restraint system sasrecommended; see the following table of
"Recommended child restraint systems" (Y page 58).
2 Vehicles with automatic chil dseat recognition on the front-passenger seat: achild restraint system of the
"Universal" category with atransponde rfor automatic child seat recognition must be fitted. The 4
PASS ENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit. Children in the vehicle
57Safety Z