2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK ROADSTER ECU

How the airbag system works is deter-
mined by the severity of the collision detec-
ted, especially the vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, and the apparent type of acci-
dent:
R
head-on collision
R side impact
R rea rimpact
R overturn
The rate of vehicle deceleratio noraccelera-
tion and the direction of the force are essen-
tially determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the colli-
sion
R the collisio nangle
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 see nand measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a
decisive role in the deployment of an airbag,
nor do they provide an indicatio nofairbag
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 sufficien tdeceleration
occurs as a result. 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 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. 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, a substitute 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-
nant women – must wear their seat belt
correctly at all times and lean back against
the backrest, which should be positioned
as close to the vertical as possible. The
head restraint must support the back of the
head at about eye level.
R always secure childre nless than
1.50mt all or unde r12years of age in suit-
able child restraint systems.
R all vehicle occupants must select a seat
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
the centre of the driver's airbag cover as
possible.
R move the front-passenger seat as far back
as possible. This is especially important if
you have secured a child in a child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat.
R vehicle occupants –inparticular, children
–m ust no tlean their heads into the area of
the window in which the sidebag/headbag
is deployed.
R rearward-facing child restraint systems
must not be fitted to the front-passenger
seat unless the front-passenger fron tair-
bag has been disabled. The front-passenger
front airbag is disabled if a child restraint
system with transponders for automatic
child seat recognition is fitted to the front-
passenger seat. The 4PASSENGER 40
Occupant safetySafety

AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp must be con-
tinuously lit.
If you secure a forward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat, you must move the front-passenger
sea tas far back as possible.
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 front airbag,
particularly when the vehicle is in motion.
R do not put your feet on the dashboard.
R only hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the airbag to be fully deployed.
You could be injured if the airbag is
deployed and you are holding the inside of
the steering wheel.
R do not lean on the doors from inside the
vehicle.
R make sure that there are no people, ani-
mals or objects between the vehicle occu-
pants and the area where the airbags are
deployed.
R do not place any objects between the seat
backrest and the door.
R do not hang any hard objects, for example,
coat hangers, on the grab handles or coat
hooks.
R do not attach accessories, e.g. cup holders,
to the doors.
It is not possible to rule out a risk 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 steering wheel boss
R front-passenger airbag cover
R door trim
R outer side of seat bolsters G
WARNING
When an airbag deploys, a small amount of
powder is released.T he powder may cause
short-term breathing difficulties to persons
suffering from asthma or other pulmonary
conditions.
In order to prevent potential breathing diffi-
culties, 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 vehicle
interior. The powder does not constitute a
health hazard and does not indicate that there
is a fire 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.
Have the airbags replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Otherwise, occupants are
not protected by the airbags in the event of
another accident.
Front airbags The front airbags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
chest.
Driver's airbag
:deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air-
bag ;deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment. Occupant safety
41Safety Z

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 canno twear 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 unless the backrest is almost
vertical. Under certain circumstances, this
could cause severe or even fatal injuries in the
event of an accident.
Before starting a journey, make sure that the
seat is properly adjusted and that the back-
rest is almost vertical. G
WARNING
Ad irty or damaged seat belt or one that has
been modified or subjected to a load in an
accident no longer offers the intended level of
protection. Under certain circumstances, this
could cause severe or even fatal injuries in the
event of an accident.
For this reason, chec kregularly that the seat
belts are not damaged or dirty.
Always have damaged seat belts or seat belts
that have been subjected to a load in an acci-
dent replaced at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
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 Occupant safety
45Safety Z

Bel
ttensioners do not pull vehicle occupants
back towards the backrest.
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 occupan tis
reduced.
The beltf orce 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.
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 39).
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the three-point seat belts.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied and
the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
the front-passenger side.
The belt tensioners are triggered depending
on the type and severity of an accident:
R if, in the event of a head-on or rear-end col-
lision, the vehicle decelerates or acceler-
ates rapidly in a longitudinal direction dur-
ing the initial stages of the impact
R if, in the event of a side impact, the vehicle
is subjected to high lateral acceleration/
deceleration
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 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. 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 a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Comply with safety regulations when dispos-
ing of belt tensioners. Any Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre can 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. Children in the vehicle
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 you must move the front-passenger seat as
far back as possible if you secure a forward-
facing child restraint system without trans-
ponder for automatic child seat recognition
to the front-passenger seat.
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. Children in the vehicle
47Safety Z

G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is not properly fit-
ted to the front-passenge rseat, it cannot pro-
vide its protective function. 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 a child
restraint system, observe the manufacturer's
installation instructions and the correct use
of the child restraint system.
The entire base of the child restraint system
must always rest on the seat cushion. There-
fore, never place objects, e.g. a cushion,
under the child restraint system.
Only use child restraint systems with the orig-
inal cover designed for them. Only replace
damaged covers with genuine Mercedes-Benz
covers.
When possible, only use child restraint sys-
tems which have been approved for use in
Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, secure
the child using a child restraint system which
is appropriate to the size, age and weight of
the child and recommended for Mercedes-
Benz vehicles. Make sure that the child is
secured in a child restraint system through-
out the trip.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use the child restraint systems listed at
(Y page 52).
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
products to clean 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 a child
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-
tem could heat up and the child could burn
herself/himself on them.
If a child opens a door, the child or other per-
sons could be injured as a result. They could
get out and injure themselves or be injured by
a passing vehicle. G
WARNING
Unsecured or incorrectly positioned loads
increase the risk of injury for children and all
other occupants in the event of:
R an accident
R a braking manoeuvre
R a sudden change of direction
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the vehi-
cle interior unless they are secured. You will
find further information in the index under
"Practical tips".
Child seat on the front-passenger seat Warning notice on the front-passenger sun visor48
Children in the vehicleSafety

Warning symbol for a rearward-facing child
restraint system G
WARNING
If the front-passenger front airbag is not dis-
abled:
R a child secured in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat could be seri-
ously and even fatally injured by the front-
passenger fron tairbag deploying .This is
especially a risk if the child is in the imme-
diate vicinity of the front-passenger front
airbag when it deploys.
R never secure a child on the front-passenger
seat in a rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem.
R always move the front-passenger seat to
the rearmost position if you secure a child
in a forward-facing child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat.
The front-passenger front airbag is not disa-
bled:
R if no child restraint system with a trans-
ponder for automatic child seat recognition
is fitted to the front-passenger seat. In
order to make use of the automatic child
seat recognition, a Mercedes-Benz
approved child seat with a transponder is
necessary.
R if the _ PASSENGER AIRBAG ON indi-
cator lamp lights up for 60 seconds after
the ignition is switched on and the 4
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up.
To make you aware of this danger, a corre-
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.
Do not use a rearward-facing child restraint
system for a child on aseat which is already
protected by an airbag.
Automatic child seat recognition on the
front-passenger seat The front-passenger seat sensor system for
child restraint systems detects whether a
special Mercedes-Benzc
hild seat with a
transponder for automatic child seat recog-
nition has been fitted. If so, the _
PASSENGER AIRBAG ON indicator lamp ;
lights up briefly when the ignition is switched
on, and the aPASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp :remains lit. 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 a rearward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat.
or Children in the vehicle
49Safety
Z

Seat positions
Front-passenger seat
Weight categories Front-passenger airbag is
not disabled: The front-passenger air-
bag is disabled
1 Group 0: up to 10 kg
X
U
2
, L 2 Group 0+: up to 13 kg
X
U
2
, L 2 Group I: 9 to 18 kg
UF
2
, L 2 U
2
, L 2 Group II: 15 to 25 kg
UF
2
, L 2 U
2
, L 2 Group III: 22 to 36 kg
UF
2
, L 2 U
2
, L 2 "Universal" category child restraint systems can be recognised by their orange approval label.
Example: approval label on the child restraint system
Recommended child restraint systems If you secure a forward-facing child restraint system without transponder for automatic child
seat recognition to the front-passenger seat:
X Move the front-passenger seat to its highest and rearmost position.
1 Vehicles with automatic child seat recognition in the front-passenger seat: a child restraint system of the
"Universal" category with a transponder for automatic child seat recognition must be fitted. The 4
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
2 Move the front-passenger seat to the rearmost and highest position. 52
Children in the vehicleSafety

Never leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle. Always take the key with you when leaving
the vehicle, even if you are only leaving it for
a short time.
G
WARNING
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. The children could:
R be seriously or even fatally injured on parts
of the vehicle
R be seriously or even fatally injured by pro-
longed exposure to extremely high or
extremely low temperatures
If children open a door, they could:
R seriously or even fatally injure other people
R get out of the vehicle and injure them-
selves, or be seriously or even fatally
injured by a passing vehicle Opening and closing the side win-
dows in the front
The switches for the front side windows are
located on the driver's door. There is also a
switch for the front-passenger side window
on the front-passenger door.
The switches on the driver's door take prec-
edence. :
Left
; Right X
Turn the key to position 1or 2in the ignition
lock.
i You can continue to operate the side win-
dows after you switch off the engine. This
function remains active for five minutes or
until the driver's or front-passenger door is
opened.
X To open: press the corresponding switch.
X To close: pull the corresponding switch.
X Automatic operation: press or pull the
corresponding switch beyond the point of
resistance.
The side window opens or closes fully.
X To interrupt automatic operation: press
or pull the corresponding switch again. Opening and closing all side windows
Using the switch on the centre console You can use the button on the centre console
to open or close all side windows simultane-
ously.
X Open the cover on the lower centre con-
sole.
The switch for all side windows is under the
cover. X
To open all side windows: press
switch :to the point of resistance.
X To open all side windows fully: press
switch :beyond the point of resistance.
i If, after opening the windows, you then
close a side window using the switch on the
door control panel, the other side windows 76
Side windowsOpening and closing