2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350 belt

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 seat belt is fastened
R independently of other air bags in the
vehicle
If the vehicle overturns, the fronta ir bags are
generally not deployed. If the system detects
high vehicle deceleration in alongitudinal
direction, the front air bags are deployed.
Your vehicle has adaptive, two-stage front air
bags. In the event of a collision, the air bag
control unit evaluates the vehicle
deceleration. In the first deployment stage,
the front air bag is filled with enough
propellant gas to reduce the risk of injuries.
The front air bag is fully deployed if a second
deployment threshold is exceeded within a
few milliseconds.
The deployment of the front-passenger front
air bag is also influenced by the weight
category of the front passenger, which is
determined by the Occupant Classification
System (OCS) (Y page 42).
The lighter the passenger-side occupant, the
higher the vehicle deceleration rate required
(predicted at the start of the impact) for
second stage inflation of the front-passenger
front air bag. In the second stage, the front
air bags are inflated with the maximum
amount of propellant gas available.
The front air bags are not deployed in
situations where a low impact severity is
predicted. You will then be protected by the
fastened seat belt. The front-passenger front air bag will only
deploy if:
R
the system, based on the OCS weight
sensor readings, detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied.
R the 00030005 indicator lamp in the center
console is not lit, (Y page 42).
R the air bag control unit predicts a high
impact severity.
Knee bags G
WARNING
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y page 38).
Knee bags provide increased protection for
the driver and front passenger against the risk
of:
R knee injuries
R thigh injuries
R lower leg injuries
Driver's knee bag 0022(Ypage 39) deploys
underneath the steering column and front-
passenger knee bag 0023(Ypage 39)
underneath the glove box. They deploy
together with the front air bags. They are
designed to operate together with the front
air bags in frontal impacts if certain
thresholds are exceeded. The knee bags
operate at best in conjunction with correctly
positioned and fastened seat belts.
Side impact air bags 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 create a risk of rendering the side
impact air bags inoperative or causing
unintended air bag deployment. Work on the 40
Occupant safetySafety

doors must therefore only be performed by
qualified technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. G
WARNING
Only use seat covers which have been tested
and approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle model. Using other seat covers may
interfere with or prevent the deployment of
the side impact air bags. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center 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
0002deploy nex tto the
outer seat cushions.
Side impact air bags 0002are 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 aside impact
R depending on whether the seat belt is being
used
R independently of the front air bags
R independently of the ETDs
If the vehicle overturns, the side impac tair
bags are generally not deployed. Exception: if the system detects high vehicle deceleration
or acceleration in a lateral direction and
determines that deploymen
tcan offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt.
Side impac tair bags will not deploy in side
impacts which do not exceed the system's
prese tdeployment thresholds for lateral
acceleration/deceleration .You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belt.
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side will not deploy under the
following conditions:
R the OCS detects that the front-passenger
seat is not occupied.
R the front-passenger seat belt is not
fastened.
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side will deploy if the front-
passenger seat belt is fastened, regardless of
whether the front-passenger seat is occupied
or not.
Head bags G
WARNING
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y page 38).
Head bags enhance the level of protection for
the head, but not the chest or arms, of the
vehicle occupants in the front of the vehicle
on the side on which the impact occurs. Head bags
0002deploy in the area of the side
windows at the front.T hey are deployed: Occupant safety
41Safety Z

R
at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleratio nor
acceleration, e.g .inaside impact
R on the side on which an impac toccurs
R on the driver's side and passenger side, in
the event of a vehicle rollover and if the
system determines that ai rbag deployment
can offer the vehicle occupants additional
protection to that provided by the seat belt
R independently of the use of the seat belt
R independently of the fron tair bags
Head bags 0002will not deploy in side impacts
which do not exceed the system's preset
deploymen tthresholds for lateral
acceleration/deceleration. You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belt.
The head bag on the front-passenger side will
not deploy under the following conditions:
R the OCS detects that the front-passenger
seat is not occupied.
R the front-passenger seat belt is not
fastened.
The head bag on the front-passenger side will
deploy if the front-passenger seat belt is
fastened, regardless of whether the front-
passenger seat is occupied or not. Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
How the Occupant Classification
System works The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
categorizes the occupant on the front-
passenger seat using a weight sensor. The
front-passenger front air bag and the front-
passenger knee bag are deactivated
automatically for certain weight categories.
The 00030005 indicator lamp shows you the
current status. When the 00030005indicator
lamp is illuminated, the front-passenger front
air bag and the front-passenger knee bag are
deactivated. The system does not deactivate:
R
the side impact air bag
R the front-passenger head bag
R the Emergency Tensioning Devices
To be classified correctly, the front passenger
must sit:
R with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in a position that is as upright as possible
with their back against the seat backrest
R with their feet on the floor
If the front-passenger's weight is transferred
to another object in the vehicle (e.g. by
leaning on armrests), OCS may not be able to
approximate the occupant's weight category.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or
the seat cushion are damaged, have the
necessary repair work carried out at an
authorized Mercedes-Ben zCenter.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you only use seat
accessories that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
Both the driver and the fron tpassenger
should always use the 00030005indicator
lamp as an indication of whether or no tthe
front passenger is properly positioned. G
WARNING
If the 0015 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp illuminates when an adultor
someone larger than a small individual is in
the front-passenger seat, have the front
passenger reposition himself or herself in the
seat until the 0015PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp goes out.
In the event of a collision, the air bag control
unit will not allow front-passenger front air
bag and front-passenger knee bag
deployment when the OCS has classified the
front-passenger occupant as weighing as
much as or less than a typical 12 month old
child in a standard child restraint or if the
front-passenger seat is classified as being
unoccupied. 42
Occupant safetySafety

When the OCS senses that the front-
passenger seat occupant is classified as
being up to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child
restraint, the 0015PASSENGE RAIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp will illuminate when the engine
is started and remain illuminated .This
indicates that the front-passenger front air
bag and the front-passenger knee bag are
deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front-
passenger seat is classified as being empty,
the 0015 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp will illuminate when the engine is started
and remain illuminated. This indicates that
the front-passenger front air bag and the
front-passenger knee bag are deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front-
passenger seat occupant is classified as
being heavier than the weight of a typical 12-
month-old child seated in astandard child
restraint or as being a small individual (such
as a young teenager or asmall adult), the
0015 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp will illuminate for approximately 6
seconds when the engine is started.
Depending on occupant weight sensor
readings from the seat, it will then remain
illuminated or go out. If the 0015PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is illuminated, the
front-passenger front air bag and the front-
passenger knee bag are deactivated. If the
0015 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is not illuminated, the front-passenger
front air bag and the front-passenger knee
bag are activated.
When the OCS senses that the front-
passenger seat occupant is classified as an
adult or someone larger than a small
individual, the 0015PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp will illuminate for
approximately six seconds when the engine is
started and then go out. This indicates that
the front-passenger front air bag and the
front-passenger knee bag are activated. If the
0015 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is illuminated, the front-
passenger front air bag and the front-
passenger knee bag are deactivated and are
not deployed.
If the 0015 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is not illuminated, the front-
passenger front air bag and the front-
passenger knee bag are activated and are
deployed:
R in certain front impacts
R independently of the side impact air bag
and head bag
R if the impact has exceeded a
predetermined threshold value for
deployment
If the front-passenger front air bag is
deployed, the rate of inflation will be
influenced by:
R the rate of vehicle deceleratio nas assessed
by the air bag control unit
R the front passenger's weight category as
determined by the OCS
For further information, see "Air bag display
messages" (Y page 211). G
WARNING
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 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. Occupant safety
43Safety
Z

00030005
indicator lamp 0002does not light
up.
The 00040003 indicator lamp has no
function. It lights up briefly when the ignition
is switched on and then goes out again. G
WARNING
If the red 0019SRS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and the 0015PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp light up
simultaneously, the OCS is malfunctioning.
The front-passenger front air bag and the
front-passenger knee bag will be deactivated
in this case. Have the system checked as soon
as possible by qualified technicians. Consult
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only have the seat repaired at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
In order to ensure correct operation of the air
bag system and OCS:
R sit with the seat belt fastened correctly and
in a position that is as upright as possible
with your back against the backrest.
R while seated, an occupant should not
position themselves in such away as to
cause their weigh tto be lifted from the seat
cushion as this may result in OCS being
unable to correctly assess the occupant's
weight category.
R read and observe all warnings in this
section.
System self-test The
00030005 indicator lamp illuminates
when you:
R turn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock
R press the KEYLESS-GO Start/Stop button
once or twice
If an adult occupant is sitting properly on the
front-passenger seat and the OCS classifies
the occupant as an adult, the 00030005
indicator lamp will illuminate and go out again
after approximately six seconds. If the seat is not occupied and the OCS
classifies the front passenger seat as being
unoccupied, the
00030005indicator lamp
will illuminate and not go out. G
WARNING
If the 0015 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp does not illuminate, the system
is not functioning. Consult an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center before seating a child
on the front-passenger seat.
For more information, see "Problems with the
Occupant Classification System"
(Y page 46). G
WARNING
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. a pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the OCS. The underside
and rear side child restraint system must be
placed entirely on the seat cushion and the
backrest of the front-passenger seat
backrest.
If necessary, adjust the tilt of the passenger
seat backrest.
An incorrectly mounted child seat could cause
injuries to the child in case of an accident,
instead of increasing protection for the child.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for
installation of child restraint systems. Occupant safety
45Safety Z

PRE-SAFE
®
(preventative occupant
protection)
i AMG vehicles do not include the PRE-
SAFE ®
system. G
WARNING
The PRE-SAFE ®
system reduces the impact of
an accident on vehicle occupants, as long as
their seat belts have been fastened correctly.
Although your vehicle is equipped with a PRE-
SAFE ®
system, the possibility of injury in the
event of an accident cannot be ruled out. You
should therefore always drive carefully and
adapt your driving style to the prevailing road,
weather and traffic conditions.
PRE-SAFE ®
takes preemptive measures to
protect occupants in certain hazardous
situations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes:
R if BAS intervenes, e.g. in emergency
braking situations
R if BAS PLUS intervenes powerfully on
vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS
R if, on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS, the
radar sensor system detectsani mminent
dange rofcollision in certain situations
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when
physical limits are exceeded and the
vehicle understeers or oversteers severely
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation
detected:
R the seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R on vehicles with memory function for the
front-passenger seat: the front-passenger
seat is adjusted if it is in an unfavorable
position.
R if the vehicle skids, the side windows are
closed so that only a small gap remains.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pretensioning. 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 pretensioning is reduced and the
locking mechanism is released. G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody can become trapped
as you adjust the seat.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when resetting
the seats. There is a risk that the seats
and/or the objects could be damaged.
More information about seat-belt
adjustment, a convenience function
integrated into PRE-SAFE ®
, can be found in
the "Seat-belt adjustment" section
(Y page 51). NECK-PRO head restraints
The NECK-PRO head restraints increase
protection to the driver's and front
passenger's head and neck.T o this end, 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. G
WARNING
Do not secure any objects (e.g. coat hangers)
on the NECK-PRO head restraints. Otherwise,
the NECK-PRO head restraints may not
function properly, or in the event of a rear-end
collision may not be able offer the level of
protection they are designed to provide. G
WARNING
Seat or head restraint covers can cause a
malfunction when the NECK-PRO head
restraints are activated or when the side
impact air bags are deployed, or they can
prevent this completely. The NECK-PRO head
restraints or side impact air bags can Occupant safety
47Safety
Z

therefore not provide the intended protection.
Do not use any seat or head restraint covers.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints have been
triggered in an accident, reset the NECK-PRO
head restraints on the driver’s and front-
passenge rseat (Y page 48). Otherwise, the
additional protection will not be available in
the event of another rear-end collision. You
can recognize when NECK-PRO head
restraints have been triggered by the fact that
they have moved forwards and can no longer
be adjusted. G
WARNING
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint so that it is as close
to the head as possible and the center of the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of an
acciden torsimilar situation. Resetting triggered NECK-PRO head
restraints
G
WARNING
For safety reasons, have the NECK-PRO head
restraints checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center after a rear-end
collision. G
WARNING
When pushing back the NECK-PRO head
restraint cushion, make sure your fingers do
not become caught betwee nthe head
restraint cushion and the cover. Failure to
observe this could result in injuries.
i Resetting the NECK-PRO head restraints
requires a lot of strength. If you have
difficulty resetting the NECK-PRO head
restraints, have this work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop, e.g. an
authorized Mercedes-Ben zCenter. X
Tilt the top of the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion forwards in the direction of
arrow 0002.
X Push the NECK-PRO head restraint cushion
down in the direction of arrow 0003as far as
it will go.
X Firmly push the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion back in the direction of arrow 0023
until the cushion engages.
X Repeat this procedure for the second
NECK-PRO head restraint. Seat belts
Important safety notes The use of seat belts and infan
tand child
restraint systems is required by law in all 50
states, the District of Columbia, the U.S.
territories and all Canadia nprovinces.
Even where this is not the case, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts
fastened when the vehicle is in motion.
i For further information on infants and
children traveling in the vehicle and on
infant and child restraint systems, see
"Children in the vehicle" (Y page 53). G
WARNING
Always fasten yours eat belt before driving off.
Always make sure your passenger is properly
restrained. You and your passenger should
always wear seat belts.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and
position your seat belt considerably increases 48
Occupant safetySafety

your ris
kofinjuries and thei rlikely severity in
an accident.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
could be considerably more severe if you have
not fastened your seat belt correctly. If you do
not fasten your seat belt, you are much more
likely to collide with part softhe vehicle
interior or be ejected from it. This may result
in serious or fatal injury.
In the same crash, the possibility of serious or
fatal injury is considerably reduced if you wear
your seat belt properly. The air bags can only
offer the intended protection if the occupants
are wearing their seat belts properly. G
WARNING
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide under
the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under
it, the seat belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck.T hat could cause serious
or even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a position that is as upright as
possible and the seat belt is properly
positioned on the body. G
WARNING
Never let more people ride in the vehicle than
there are seat belts available. Make sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly
restrained with a separate seat belt. Never
use a seat belt for more than one person at a
time. G
WARNING
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 approved
by Mercedes-Benz.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation of the ETDs or to their failure to activate when
necessary.
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.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Correct use of the seat belts G
WARNING
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY
R Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any other
way than as described in this section, as
that could result in serious injuries in the
event of an accident.
R Each occupant should wear their seat belt
at all times, because seat belts help reduce
the likelihood of and potential severity of
injuries in accidents, including rollovers.
The integrated restraint system includes
SRS (driver front air bag, knee bags, front-
passenger front air bag, side impact air
bags, head air bags), Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) and seat belt
force limiters. The system is designed to
enhance the protection offered to properly
belted occupants in certain frontal (front air
bags, knee bags and ETDs) and side (side
impact air bags, head air bags and ETDs)
impacts which exceed preset deployment
thresholds.
R Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, across your neck or off your shoulder.
In a frontal crash, your body would move
too far forward. That would increase the
chance of head and neck injuries. The seat
belt would also apply too much force to the
ribs or abdomen, which could severely
injure internal organs such as your liver or
spleen.
Adjust the seat belt so that the shoulder
section is located as close as possible to Occupant safety
49Safety
Z