2011 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER warning

For your safety, we strongly recommend
having the system checked by an authorized
Sprinter Dealer immediately. Otherwise SRS
may not be activated when it is needed in an
accident, which
could
result in serious or fatal
injury. SRS might also deploy unexpectedly
and unnecessarily which could also result in
injury.
In addition, improper work on SRS creates a
risk of rendering SRS inoperative or causing
unintended air bag deployment. Work on SRS
must therefore be performed by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized Sprinter
Dealer.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system
to accommodate a person with disabilities,
contact an authorized Sprinter Dealer for
details.
USA only: for detailed information, please
consult our Customer Assistance Center at
1-877-762-8267.
Safety guidelines for the seat belts, the
Emergency Tensioning Devices and the
air bags G
Warning
R Damaged seat belts

or seat belts that have
been subjected to stress in an accident
must be replaced and their anchoring
points must also be checked. Only use seat
belts which have been installed or supplied
by an authorized Sprinter Dealer.
R Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) contain
perchlorate material, which may require
special handling and regard for the
environment. Check with your local
government’s disposal guidelines.
California residents, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm.
R Air bags and ETDs are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or ETD
that has deployed must be replaced. R
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
R Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat belts.
R Do
not bleach

or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
R No modifications of any kind may be made
to any components or wiring of the SRS.
R Do not change or remove any component
or part of the SRS.
R Do not install additional paneling, seat
covers, badges etc. over the steering wheel
hub, co-driver's front air bag cover,
outboard sides of the seat backrests, door
trim panels, or door frame trims.
R Do not install additional electrical/
electronic equipment on or near SRS
components and wiring.
R Keep the area between air bags and
occupants free of objects (e.g. packages,
purses, umbrellas etc.).
R Do not hang items such as coat hangers
from the coat hooks or handles over the
door. These items may be thrown around in
the vehicle and cause head and other
injuries when the window curtain air bag is
deployed.
R Air bag system components will be hot after
an air bag has inflated. Do not touch them.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel or on the seat. Always keep both feet
on the floor in front of the seat.
R Improper repair work 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 Sprinter Dealer.
R For your protection and the protection of
others, when scrapping the air bag unit or
ETD, our safety instructions must be Occupant safety
37
Safety
Z

followed. These instructions are available
from any authorized Sprinter Dealer.
R Given the considerable
deployment speed,
required inflation volume, and the material
of the air bags, there is the possibility of
abrasions or other, potentially more serious
injuries resulting from air bag deployment.
If you sell your vehicle, we strongly
recommend that you inform the subsequent
owner that the vehicle is equipped with SRS.
Also refer them to the applicable section in
the Operator's Manual. Air bags
Important safety notes G
Warning
Air bags
are designed to reduce the incidence
of injuries and fatalities in certain situations:
R frontal impacts (driver's and front-
passenger front air bags)
R side impacts (side impact air bags and
window curtain air bags)
R rollover (window curtain air bags)
However, no system available today can
completely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
When the air bags are deployed, a small
amount of powder is released. The powder
generally does not

constitute a health hazard
and does not indicate that there is a fire in the
vehicle. In order to prevent potential
breathing difficulties, you should leave 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 airbag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
door. G
Warning
To reduce
the risk of injury when the front air
bags inflate, it

is very important for the driver
and co-driver to always be in a properly seated position and to wear their respective seat
belt.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the seat backrest.
Fasten your seat belt and make sure it is
properly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating position
and correct positioning of the hands on the
steering wheel
will

help to keep you at a safe
distance from the air bag. Occupants who are
not wearing their seat belt, are not seated
properly or are too close to the air bag can be
seriously injured or killed by an air bag as it
inflates with great force instantaneously:
R Sit with the seat belt properly fastened in a
position that is as upright as possible with
your back against the seat backrest.
R Move the driver’s seat as far back as
possible, still permitting proper operation
of vehicle controls. The distance from the
center of the driver’s chest 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
adjusting the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any difficulties, please contact an
authorized Sprinter Dealer.
R Do not lean your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or instrument panel.
R Keep hands on the outside of the steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms inside
the rim can increase the risk and potential
severity of hand/arm injury when the driver
front air bag inflates.
R Move the co-driver's seat as far as possible
away from the instrument panel when the
seat is occupied.
R Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their heads
in the area of the door where the side
impact air bag inflates. This could result in
serious injuries or death should the side
impact air bag be deployed. Always sit as
upright as possible, wear the seat belt38
Occupant safety
Safety

properly and use an appropriately sized
infant restraint, toddler restraint, or
booster seat
recommended
for the size and
weight of the child.
R Children twelve years old and under must
never travel on the co-driver's seat. They
will otherwise be struck by the co-driver's
front air bag when it inflates in a crash. This
could result in serious or fatal injury.
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. G
Warning
Accident research
shows that the safest place
for children in

an automobile is in a rear seat.
A side impact air bag related injury may occur
if occupants, especially children, are not
properly seated or restrained when next to a
side impact 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 side impact air bag
inflates. This could result in
serious injuries or death should
the side impact air bag be
deployed.
(2) Always sit as upright as possible and use the seat belts properly.
Make sure that children 12 years
old and under

use an appropriately
sized child restraint, infant
restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and
weight of the child.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
The air bags are only deployed if the air bag
control unit detects

the need for deployment. Only in the event of such a situation 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 the event of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, air bags will not deploy. The driver
and passengers 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.
Air bags provide supplemental protection, but
are not a substitute for the seat belts. All
vehicle occupants must fasten their seat
belts regardless of whether your vehicle is
equipped with air bags or not.
It is important for your safety and that of your
passengers to have deployed air bags
replaced and to have any malfunctioning air
bags repaired. This will help to make sure the
air bags continue to perform their protective
function for the vehicle occupants in the
event of a crash.
Front air bags G
Warning
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y
page 38).
The front air bags increase the degree of
protection afforded to

the driver and co-driver
against head and chest injuries. Occupant safety
39
Safety Z

Driver's front air bag 0046 deploys in front of
the steering wheel; co-driver's front air
bag
0047 deploys in front of and above the glove
box. They are deployed:
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the system determines that air bag
deployment can
offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R if the respective seat belt is fastened
R independently of other air bags in the
vehicle
If the event of a rollover, the front air bags are
generally not deployed unless the system
detects high vehicle deceleration in a
longitudinal direction.
The air bags will not deploy in impacts which
do not exceed the system's preset
deployment thresholds. You will then be
protected by the seat belt, provided that it is
fastened.
Side impact air bags G
Warning
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y page 38). G
Warning
If you wish to use seat covers, we recommend
for safety reasons that you use only those
approved for Sprinter vehicles.
The seat covers must feature a special tear
seam for the side impact air bags. The side
impact air bag may otherwise not deploy
correctly and may fail to provide the intended
degree of protection in the event of a collision.
Suitable seat covers can be obtained from any
authorized Sprinter Dealer. G
Warning
The pressure sensors for side impact air bag
control are located in the doors. Do not
modify any components of the doors or door
trim panels including, for example, the
addition of door speakers. Improper repair work on the doors or the
modification or addition of components to the
doors creates a risk of rendering the side
impact air bags inoperative or causing
unintended air bag deployment. Work on the
doors must therefore only be performed by
qualified technicians. Contact an authorized
Sprinter Dealer.
G
Warning
Only use seat covers which have been tested
and approved for your vehicle type by the
distributor named on the inside of the front
cover. Using other seat covers may interfere
with or prevent the deployment of the front
side impact air bags. Contact an authorized
Sprinter Dealer for availability.
When deployed, the side impact air bags offer
additional protection for the thorax of the
vehicle occupants on the side of the vehicle
on which the impact occurs. However, they
do not protect the:
R head
R neck
R arms Side impact air bags
0046
deploy next to the
outer seat cushions.
Side impact air bags 0046 are deployed:
R on the side on which the impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, e.g. in a side impact
R whether or not the seat belt is fastened40
Occupant safety
Safety

R
independently of the front air bags
R independently of the Emergency
Tensioning Devices
The side impact air bags are generally not
deployed in the
event of a rollover, unless the
system detects high vehicle deceleration or
acceleration in a lateral direction and
determines that they can offer additional
protection to that provided by the seat belt.
The side impact air bags are not deployed in
side impacts which do not exceed the
system's deployment threshold.
Window curtain air bags G
Warning
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y page 38).
The window curtain air bags enhance
protection for the head (but not the chest or
arms) of the

vehicle occupants on the side of
the vehicle on which the impact occurs.
The window curtain air bags are installed in
the side of the roof frame above the front
doors. Window curtain air bags
0046 are deployed:
R on the side on which the impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, e.g. in a side impact
R regardless of whether the co-driver's seat
is occupied
R whether or not the seat belt is fastened R
in the event
of a rollover where the system
determines that air bag deployment can
offer additional protection to that provided
by the seat belt
R independently of the front air bags
R independently of the Emergency
Tensioning Devices
The window curtain air bags will not deploy in
impacts which do not exceed the system's
preset thresholds. You will then be protected
by the seat belt, provided that it is fastened. Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes If an infant or child is traveling in the vehicle:
X
Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint system appropriate

to the age and
weight of the child.
X Make sure that the infant or child is
properly secured at all times while the
vehicle is in motion. G
Warning
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the

ignition lock. Always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, even if
they are secured in a child restraint system,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle. A
child's unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Children could injure themselves on parts of
the vehicle or could suffer severe or fatal
injury due to extreme heat or cold.
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. This could cause, for example,
metal parts of the child restraint system to
become very hot. Touching these parts could
cause burns. Occupant safety
41
Safety Z

G
Warning
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment unless they are
firmly secured in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child's risk of injury in the event
of:
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
Child restraint systems Important safety notes
G
Warning
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y page 41).
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained using the child restraint
systems at all times while the vehicle is in
motion.
The use of

infant or child restraints is required
by law in all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, the U.S. territories and all
Canadian provinces.
Infants and small children should always be
seated in an infant or child seat restraint
system appropriate for the size and weight of
the child. They must be properly secured in
accordance with the manufacturer's
installation instructions for the infant or child
seat restraint system. All infant and child seat
restraint systems must comply with the US
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213
and 225 and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 210.2.
A statement by the child restraint
manufacturer of compliance with these
standards can be found on the instruction
label on the child restraint system. You will
also find the statement in the instruction
manual provided with the child restraint
system. When using any infant restraint, child
restraint or booster seat, make sure to
carefully read and follow all manufacturer's
instructions for installation and use.
Please read the warning labels affixed to the
interior
of the

vehicle or to the infant restraint
system or child restraint system. G
Warning
Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than
children secured in the co-driver's seat. For
this reason, we strongly advise that you
always secure children in the rear seats.
Regardless of the seat position, children
under 12 years must be secured correctly in
a suitable infant or child restraint system or
booster seat suitable for the size and weight
of the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, the seat
belt and Top Tether strap, or lower anchors
and Top Tether

strap, fully in accordance with
the child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Occupants, in particular children, must sit as
upright as possible, fasten the seat belt
correctly and use a suitable infant restraint
system, child restraint system or booster seat
suitable for the size and weight of the child.
Children can be seriously or even fatally
injured by an air bag deploying. Observe the
following important information if it is
absolutely necessary to carry a child on the
co-driver's seat:
R The co-driver's front air bag is not
deactivated.
R Never secure your child in a rearward-
facing child restraint system on the co-
driver's seat. Only install a rearward-facing
child restraint system on a suitable rear
seat.
R Where permitted by law, if you secure your
child in a forward-facing child restraint
system on the co-driver's seat, move the
co-driver's seat as far back to the rear as
possible.42
Occupant safety
Safety

R
Never place anything between the seat
cushion and child seat (e.g. pillow). The
bottom of the child seat must make full
contact with the vehicle seat cushion. An
incorrectly mounted child

seat could cause
injuries to the child in the event of an
accident, instead of protecting the child.
R Observe the manufacturer's instructions
when installing special child restraint
systems. G
Warning
Infants and
small children should never share
a seat belt with another occupant. During an
accident, they could

be crushed between the
occupant and seat belt.
A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and/
or the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Position
the shoulder belt across the chest and
shoulder, not face or neck. A booster seat
may be necessary to achieve proper seat belt
positioning for children over 41 lb (18 kg) until
they reach a height where a lap/shoulder belt
fits properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, remove
it from the vehicle or secure it with the seat
belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an
accident.
Special seat belt retractor G
Warning
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y
page 41).
All seat belts in the vehicle, except the
driver's seat belt,

are equipped with a special
seat belt retractor. When activated, the
special seat belt retractor ensures that the
seat belt cannot slacken once the child seat
is secured. Installing a child restraint system:
X
Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from the inertia
reel.
X Engage the seat belt tongue in the belt
buckle.
Activating the special seat belt retractor:
X Pull the seat belt out fully and let the inertia
reel retract it again.
While the seat

belt is retracting, you should
hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat
belt retractor function is enabled.
X Push down on the child restraint system to
take up any slack.
Removing a child restraint system/
deactivating the special seat belt retractor:
X Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Press the seat belt release button and
guide the belt tongue to the belt outlet.
The special seat belt retractor function is
deactivated. G
Warning
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in

motion, since the special seat belt
retractor will be deactivated.
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat securing
system in the rear compartment G
Warning
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y
page 41).
G
Warning
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats

using regular seat belts. Position
the shoulder belt across the chest and
shoulder, not face or neck.
In order to attain the correct seating position
for children weighing over 41 lb (18 kg), it may
be necessary to use a booster seat until they
reach a height where a normal lap/shoulder Occupant safety
43
Safety
Z

seat belt lies properly across their bodies
without the need for a booster seat.
Install the
child
restraint system according to
the manufacturer's instructions.
The child restraint system must be installed
firmly on both brackets.
An incorrectly installed child restraint system
can come loose in the event of an accident,
causing the child to be severely or fatally
injured.
Child restraint systems/child restraint
retaining brackets that are damaged or have
suffered damage due to an impact must be
replaced.
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) is a standardized
securing system for special child restraint
systems on the rear seats.
The securing rings for two LATCH-type
(ISOFIX) child restraint systems are located
between the seat cushions and the backrest:
R on the left and right outer sides on a narrow
rear bench seat with three seats
R on the outer left side on a rear bench seat
with two seats
Install child restraint systems without the
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing system using
the vehicle's seat belts. Follow the
manufacturer's instructions for installation of
child restraint systems.
! When installing the child restraint system,
make sure that the seat belt for the center
seat does not get trapped. Otherwise, the
seat belt could be damaged. 0046
Securing rings
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system. Comply with the
manufacturer's instructions when
installing the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system.
Top Tether G
Warning
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y
page 41).
Top Tether provides

an additional attachment
point between the "LATCH" type child seat
mount (ISOFIX) child restraint system and the
rear seat. It helps reduce even further the risk
of injury.
The Top Tether anchorages are located on the
feet at the rear of the rear bench seats. 44
Occupant safety
Safety