2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER Owners Manual

specialist workshop, even if your vehicle
can still be driven.
Front airbags !
Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. This could cause the sys-
tem to identify the seat as being occupied.
In the event of an accident, the restraint
systems on the front-passenger side may
be triggered and have to be replaced. Driver's airbag
:deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air-
bag ;deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment.
The front airbags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
chest.
They are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate of
vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction
R if the system determines that airbag
deployment can offer additional protection to that provided by the seat belt
R independently of other airbags in the vehi-
cle
The time within which the front airbag is
deployed is dependent on whether or not a
seat belt is worn.
If the vehicle overturns, the front airbags are
generally not deployed.
Vehicles with automatic child seat recog- nition in the front-passenger seat: front-
passenger front airbag ;is only enabled if the system determines that the front-
passenger seat is occupied.
Exception:if a
child restraint system with transponder is
installed correctly. The PASSENGER AIRBAG
ON indicator lamp lights up for 60 seconds
when the ignition is switched on. The
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp on
the centre console does not light up
(Y page 63).
If a child restraint system is fitted to the front-
passenger seat and the PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp is not on:
R a child restraint system without a trans-
ponder for automatic child seat recognition
has been fitted or
R a child restraint system with a transponder
has been fitted incorrectly
Sidebags G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers may obstruct or even
prevent deployment of the airbags integrated into the seats. The airbags may then fail to
protect the vehicle occupants as intended.
Operation of the automatic child seat recog-
nition may also be impaired. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Use only seat covers which have been specif-
ically approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz. G
WARNING
Sensors to control the airbags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ling, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the function of the sensors being impaired. The
airbags might therefore not function properly any more. Consequently, the airbags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. This poses an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan- 54
Occupant safetySafety

elling carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for your vehicle by Mercedes- Benz. The seat covers must have a special
tear seam for sidebags. Otherwise, the side-
bags cannot deploy correctly and therefore
cannot provide the intended protection in the
event of an accident. Example: sidebag on the driver's side
Sidebags
:deploy next to the outer seat
cushions of the seat backrest.
When deployed, the sidebags offer additional thorax protection for 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
The sidebags are deployed:
R on the side on which an 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 independently of the use of the seat belt
R independently of the front airbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
If the vehicle overturns, the sidebags are gen- erally not deployed. Sidebags are deployed if
the system detects high vehicle deceleration or acceleration in a lateral direction and
determines that sidebag deployment can offer additional protection to that provided by
the seat belts.
Headbags Example: headbag on the front-passenger side
Headbags :deploy in the area of the front
side windows. Headbags enhance the level of protection for the head, but not chest or arms,
of the vehicle occupants on the side of the
vehicle on which the impact occurs.
The headbags are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate of
lateral vehicle deceleration or acceleration,
e.g. in a side impact
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R on the driver's and the front-passenger's
side if the vehicle overturns and the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the
seat belt
R independently of the use of the seat belt
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R independently of the front airbags Roll bars
G
DANGER
If the roll bar has developed a fault, it may not function, e.g. in the event of an accident. The
roll bars may then not protect the vehicle
occupants as intended. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury. Occupant safety
55Safety
Z

Have roll bars checked immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop. G
WARNING
If you place objects or clothing on the roll bar covers, these could impair roll bar extension.
The roll bars may then not protect the vehicle occupants as intended. In addition, objects
could endanger the vehicle occupants when
the roll bar is extending. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Ensure that the movement area of the roll bar covers is kept clear. Always stow all objects in
the vehicle correctly. The roll bars are located in the rear area of the
vehicle under the two outer rear compart-
ment trim covers.
The roll bars are extended automatically if
systems detect that the vehicle is in danger of
overturning. The two rear compartment trim
covers are opened and the roll bars are exten- ded within fractions of a second.
Once the roll bars are extended, you can no
longer lower them. An open roof can no lon-
ger be closed. In this case, visit the nearest
qualified specialist workshop. PRE-SAFE
®
(anticipatory occupant
protection)
Introduction PRE-SAFE
®
takes pre-emptive measures to
protect occupants in certain hazardous sit-
uations. Important safety notes !
Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when moving
the seat back. There is a risk that the seats and/or the objects could be damaged.
Although your vehicle is equipped with a PRE-
SAFE ®
system, the possibility of injury in the
event of an accident cannot be ruled out.
Always adapt your driving style to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions and
maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in
front. Drive carefully.
Function PRE-SAFE
®
intervenes:
R in emergency braking situations, e.g. when
BAS is activated
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limits are exceeded and the vehicle
understeers or oversteers severely
R on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS: if
BAS PLUS brakes hard or the radar sensor
system detects an imminent danger of col- lision in certain situations
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detec-
ted:
R the seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R if the vehicle skids, the side windows are
closed so that only a small gap remains.
R the front-passenger seat is adjusted if it is
in an unfavourable position.
R Vehicles with a multicontour seat or
active multicontour seat: the air pres-
sure in the side bolsters of the backrest is
increased.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pre-tensioning. All settings made by
PRE-SAFE ®
can then be reversed. 56
Occupant safetySafety

If the seat belts are not released:
X Move the backrest or seat back slightly, but
only when the vehicle is stationary.
Seat belt pre-tensioning is reduced and the locking mechanism is released.
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. More
information about seat-belt adjustment can
be found under "Seat-belt adjustment"
(Y page 59). NECK-PRO head restraints
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Only use head restraint covers which have
been tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz
for your vehicle model.
The use of non-approved head restraint cov-
ers may prevent NECK-PRO head restraints
from triggering properly. Consequently, the
NECK-PRO head restraints cannot provide the
intended level of protection.
Consult a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre
regarding availability.
NECK-PRO head restraints reduce the likeli-
hood of head and chest injuries. The NECK-
PRO head restraints on the driver's and front-
passenger seats are moved forwards and
upwards in the event of a rear-end collision of
a certain severity. This provides better head
support.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints have been
triggered in an accident, reset the NECK-PRO head restraints on the driver’s and front-
passenger seat (Y page 57). Otherwise, the
additional protection will not be available in
the event of another rear-end collision. You
can recognise when NECK-PRO head
restraints have been triggered by the fact that they have moved forwards and can no longerbe adjusted.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the NECK-PRO head restraints checked at a qualified specialist workshop after a rear-end
collision.
Resetting triggered NECK-PRO head
restraints X
Tilt the top of the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion forwards in the direction of
arrow :.
X Push the NECK-PRO head restraint cushion
down in the direction of arrow ;as far as
it will go.
X Firmly push the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion back in the direction of arrow =
until the cushion engages.
X Repeat this procedure for the second
NECK-PRO head restraint.
i Resetting the NECK-PRO head restraints
requires a lot of strength. If you have diffi-
culty resetting the NECK-PRO head
restraints, have this work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. Seat belts
Important safety notes G
WARNING
A seat belt which is not worn correctly, or
which has not been engaged in the seat belt
buckle correctly, cannot provide the intended level of protection. Under certain circumstan-
ces, this could cause severe or even fatal inju- ries in the event of an accident. Occupant safety
57Safety
Z

Make sure that all occupants – in particular,
pregnant women – wear their seat belt cor-
rectly at all times.
R the seat belt must fit snugly on your body
and must not be twisted. Therefore, avoid
wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter coat.
The shoulder belt section must be routed
across the centre of your shoulder – on no
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 – not across your abdomen.
If necessary, push down the belt strap
slightly and then retighten it in the roll-up
direction.
R seat belts must not be twisted within the
belt loop on the seat.
R do not route the belt strap across sharp
edges or fragile objects. This is especially
the case if these are located on or in your
clothing, e.g. spectacles, pens, keys, etc.
The seat belt strap could be damaged and
tear in an accident, and you or other vehicle occupants could be injured.
R only one person should use each seat belt
at any one time. Children must never travel
sitting on the lap of other occupants. It
would not be possible to restrain the child
in the event of a sudden 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 m tall 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 m tall and under
twelve years of age cannot wear the seat
belts correctly. Therefore, they should
always be secured in a suitable child
restraint system on the front-passenger
seat. You can find more information under
"Children in the vehicle" in the "Safety" sec- tion of the Owner's Manual. Follow the manufacturer's installation instructions
when fitting a child restraint system.
R Do not secure any objects with a seat 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 if the backrest is not in the
upright position. When braking or in the event
of an accident, you could slide underneath the
seat belt and sustain abdomen or neck inju-
ries, for example. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat
is in the upright position. G
WARNING
Seat belts cannot perform their intended pro- tective function if:
R they are damaged, modified, bleached or
coloured, or are very dirty
R the seat belt buckle is damaged or very
dirty
R modifications have been made to the seat
belt tensioners or belt anchorages
In the event of an accident, seat belts can
sustain damage that is not visible to the naked
eye, e. g. due to glass splinters. Modified or damaged seat belts could tear or fail in the
event of an accident, for example. Modified
belt tensioners could deploy unexpectedly or
fail. There is an increased risk of serious or
even fatal injuries.
Never make modifications to seat belts, belt
tensioners, belt anchorages or seat belt
retractors. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, are not worn and are clean.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use seat belts that have been approved spe-
cifically for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
Seat belts are the most effective means of
restraining the movement of vehicle occu-
pants in the event of an accident. This 58
Occupant safetySafety

reduces the risk of vehicle occupants coming
into contact with parts of the vehicle interior.
Fastening seat belts X
Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position (Y page 112).
X Pull the seat belt smoothly through seat
belt guide :.
X Without twisting it, guide the shoulder sec-
tion of the seat belt across the middle of
your shoulder and the lap section across
your pelvis.
X Engage belt tongue ;in buckle =.
Seat belt adjustment: if necessary, the driv- er's and front-passenger seat belts auto-
matically adjust to the upper body
(Y page 59).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
Information about releasing the seat belt with
release button ?(Ypage 59).
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.
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a certain
tightening force if any slack is detected
between the occupant and the seat belt. Do
not hold on to the seat belt tightly while it is
adjusting. You can switch the belt adjustment
on and off using the on-board computer
(Y page 243).
The seat belt adjustment is a convenience
function integrated in PRE-SAFE ®
(preventa-
tive occupant protection). More information
on PRE-SAFE ®
(Y page 56).
Releasing the seat belts !
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.
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Occupant safety
59Safety Z

X
Press release button ?on belt buckle =.
X Guide belt tongue ;back to seat belt
guide :.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger The
ü seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder for all occupants to
fasten their seat belts. It may light up contin- uously or flash. In addition, a warning tone
may sound.
The ü seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tone ceases when the driver and
the front passenger have fastened their seat
belt.
Only for certain countries: the üseat belt
warning lamp lights up for six seconds after
every engine start. This happens regardless of whether the driver's and front-passenger seatbelts have already been fastened. It then goes
out if the driver and the front passenger have fastened their seat belts.
i For more information on the
üseat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster, seat
belt" (Y page 274).
Belt tensioners, belt force limiters G
WARNING
Pyrotechnic seat belt tensioners that have
been deployed are no longer operational and
are unable to perform their intended protec-
tive function. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Therefore, have pyrotechnic belt tensioners
which have been triggered immediately
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
! If the co-driver's seat is not occupied, do
not engage the seat belt tongue in the
buckle on the co-driver's seat. Otherwise,
the belt tensioner could be triggered in the
event of an accident and would have to be
replaced. i
Vehicles with PRE-SAFE ®
: an electric
motor is used by PRE-SAFE ®
to trigger the
tightening of the seat belt in hazardous sit-
uations. This procedure is reversible.
The seat belts are fitted with belt tensioners.
The belt tensioners tighten the seat belts in an
accident, pulling them close against the body.
Belt tensioners do not correct incorrect seat
positions or incorrectly fastened seat belts.
Belt tensioners do not pull vehicle occupants
back towards the backrest.
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 51)
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the three-point seat belts
The belt tensioners are triggered depending
on the accident type and severity:
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 dur-
ing the initial stages of the impact
R in the event of a side impact if the vehicle
decelerates or accelerates rapidly in a lat-
eral direction on the side opposite to the
impact
R in certain situations where the vehicle over-
turns and the system determines that it canprovide additional protection
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang, and a small 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 and does not indicate that thereis a fire in the vehicle. The powder may causeshort-term breathing difficulties to persons
suffering from asthma or other pulmonary
conditions. In order to prevent potential
breathing 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 60
Occupant safetySafety

enter the vehicle interior. The
6SRS warn-
ing lamp lights up.
If the seat belt is also fitted with a belt force
limiter and this is triggered, the force exerted by the seat belt on the vehicle occupant is
reduced.
The belt force limiters are synchronised with
the front airbags. They take on a part of the
deceleration force, resulting in the force exer- ted on the occupant being distributed over a
greater area. Child restraint systems
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of a sudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R children less than 1.50 m tall and under
twelve years of age must always be secured
in special child restraint systems on the
front-passenger seat. This is necessary
because the seat belts are not designed for
children.
R 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. When doing so,
ensure that the shoulder belt strap from the
belt outlet on the vehicle is routed towards
the front to the shoulder belt guide on the
child restraint system.
R children must never travel sitting on the lap
of another occupant. Due to the forces
which occur in the event of a sudden
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
If the child restraint system is incorrectly fit-
ted on the seat position suitable for this pur- pose, it cannot perform its intended protec-
tive function. In the event of an accident,
sharp braking or a sudden change in direction,
the child may not be held securely. There is an
increased risk of serious or even fatal injuries.
Observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions and the correct use for the child
restraint system. Make sure that the entire
surface of the child restraint system is resting
on the seat surface. Never place objects
under or behind the child restraint system,
e.g. cushions. Only use child restraint sys-
tems with the original cover designed for
them. Only replace damaged covers with gen- uine covers. G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is fitted incor-
rectly or is not secured, it can come loose in
the event of an accident, heavy braking or a
sudden change in direction. The child
restraint system could be thrown about, strik- ing vehicle occupants. There is an increased
risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Always fit child restraint systems properly,
even if they are not being used. Make sure
that you observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation instructions. G
WARNING
Child restraint systems or their securing sys-
tems that have been damaged or subjected to a load in an accident cannot perform their
intended protective function. In the event of
an accident, sharp braking or a sudden
change in direction, the child may not be held securely. There is an increased risk of serious
or even fatal injuries.
Immediately replace child restraint systems
that have been damaged or subjected to a
load in an accident. Have the child restraint
securing systems checked in a qualified spe-
cialist workshop before fitting a child restraint
system again. Child restraint systems
61Safety Z