2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG COUPE Owners Manual

possible, wear the seat belt properly and
use an appropriately sized infant restraint,
toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
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.GWARNING
There is a possibility of a head bag- or side
impact air bag-related injury if occupants,
especially children, are not properly seated or
restrained when next to a head bag or side
impact air bag that 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 or the seat where the head
bag or side impact air bag inflates.
This could result in serious injuries
or death should the head bag or
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
infant restraint, toddler restraint
or booster seat recommended for
the size and weight of the child.(3)Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of these
guidelines, it would be safer for your
passenger seat occupants to have the
passenger side head bag or side impact air
bag deactivated, then deactivation can be
carried out upon your written request at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center at an
additional cost.
Please contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call the Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372), or Customer Service (in
Canada) at 1-800-387-0100 for details.
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 the
air bags 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 additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for 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
passenger 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
The front air bags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
chest.
Occupant safety39SafetyZ

Driver's air bag : deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air
bag ; 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 depending on whether the seat belt is being
used
R independently of other air bags in the
vehicle
If the vehicle overturns, the front air bags are
generally not deployed. If the system detects
high vehicle deceleration in a longitudinal
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. When the first deployment
threshold is reached, 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 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 45 indicator lamp in the center
console is not lit.
R the air bag control unit predicts a high
impact severity.
Driver's/front-passenger knee bag
The driver and front-passenger knee bags
enhance the level of protection against:
R knee injuries
R thigh injuries
R lower leg injuries
Driver's knee bag : deploys below the
steering wheel. Front-passenger knee
bag ; deploys below the glove box. If the
system determines that deployment of the
knee bags can offer additional protection to
that provided by the seat belt in the event of
a frontal impact, the system will deploy them
together with the front air bags. The knee
bags operate best in conjunction with
correctly positioned and fastened seat belts.
Side impact air bags
GWARNING
The pressure sensors for side impact air bag
control are located in the doors. Do not
modify any components of the doors or door
40Occupant safetySafety

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
doors must therefore only be performed by
qualified technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.GWARNING
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
Example: Coupe
Side impact air bags : deploy next to the
outer seat cushions.
The side impact air bags 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 air bags
R independently of the ETDs
If the vehicle overturns, the side impact air
bags are generally not deployed. They are
deployed if the system detects high vehicle
deceleration or acceleration in a lateral
direction and determines that side impact air
bag deployment can offer additional
protection to that provided by the seat belt.
Side impact air bags will not deploy in side
impacts which do not exceed the system's
preset deployment thresholds for lateral
acceleration/deceleration. You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belt.
If the OCS detects that the front-passenger
seat is not occupied and the front-passenger
seat belt is not fastened (the belt tongue is
not engaged in the seat belt buckle), the side
impact air bag on the front-passenger side
will not deploy. 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
The head bags 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.
Occupant safety41SafetyZ

Example: Coupe
Head bags : deploy in the area of the side
window.
They 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 if the system determines that the vehicle
occupants are offered additional
protection to that provided by the seat belt
R independently of the use of the seat belt
R independently of the ETDs
R on the driver's side and passenger side, in
the event of a vehicle rollover and if the
system determines that air bag deployment
can offer the vehicle occupants additional
protection to that provided by the seat belt
R independently of the front air bags
Head bags : will not deploy in side impacts
which do not exceed the system's preset
deployment thresholds for lateral
acceleration/deceleration. You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belt.
If the OCS has classified the front-passenger
seat as unoccupied and the front-passenger
seat belt is not fastened, the head bag on the
passenger side will not deploy. 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 45 indicator lamp shows you the
current status. When the 45 indicator
lamp is illuminated, the front-passenger front
air bag and the front-passenger knee bag are
deactivated.
The system does not deactivate:
R the front-passenger 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.
To establish whether the front passenger is
being properly detected, both the driver and
the front passenger should pay attention to
the 45 indicator lamp.
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-Benz Center.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you only use seat
accessories that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
42Occupant safetySafety

GWARNING
If the 45 indicator lamp lights up when
the front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a larger person, ask the passenger to
reposition themselves on the seat so that the
45 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.
If OCS has detected that the front passenger
weighs the same as or less than a typical 12-
month-old child in a standard child restraint
system, the 45 indicator lamp lights
up when the engine is started and remains lit.
This indicates that the front-passenger front
air bag is deactivated.
If OCS determines that the front-passenger
seat is unoccupied, the 45 indicator
lamp lights up once the engine has been
started and remains lit. This shows that the
front-passenger front air bag and front-
passenger knee bag are deactivated.
If OCS determines that the front passenger
weighs more than a typical 12 month old child
in a standard child restraint system and
classifies this as a small person (e.g. a
teenager or small adult), the 45
indicator lamp lights up 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 45
indicator lamp is illuminated, the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated. With
the 45 indicator lamp out, the front-
passenger front air bag and front-passenger
knee bag are deactivated.
If OCS has determined that the front
passenger is an adult or medium sized person,
the 45 indicator lamp lights up for
approximately 6 seconds when the engine is
started and then goes out. This shows that the
front-passenger front air bag and front-
passenger knee bag are activated.
If the 45 indicator lamp is illuminated,
the front-passenger front air bag and the
front-passenger knee bag are deactivated and
are not deployed.
If the 45 indicator lamp does not light
up, the front-passenger air bag is enabled and
will be deployed:
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
R independently of the other air bags
If the front-passenger air bag is deployed, the
rate of inflation is influenced by:
R the rate of vehicle deceleration as 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 171).GWARNING
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an appropriate
infant restraint, toddler restraint, or booster
seat recommended 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, especially children, should always
sit as upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
Occupant safety43SafetyZ

Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information:
R Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to deactivate the
front-passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the system senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard appropriate
child restraint on the front-passenger seat.
R A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the
front-passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the front-passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology installed
in your vehicle.
R If you install a rear-facing child restraint on
the front-passenger seat, make sure the
45 indicator lamp is illuminated,
indicating that the front-passenger front air
bag is deactivated. Should the 45
indicator lamp not illuminate or go out while
the restraint is installed, please check
installation. Periodically check the
45 indicator lamp while driving to
make sure the 45 indicator lamp is
illuminated. If the 45 indicator lamp
goes out or remains out, do not transport a
child on the front-passenger seat until the
system has been repaired.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the
front-passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the front-passenger
front air bag inflates.R If you place a child in a forward-facing child
restraint on the front-passenger seat:
- move the seat as far back as possible
- use the proper child restraint
recommended for the age, size and
weight of the child
- secure child restraint with the vehicle's
seat belt according to the child seat
manufacturer's instructions
R For children larger than a typical 12-month-
old child, the front-passenger front air bag
may or may not be activated.
If the driver's air bag deploys, this does not
mean that the front-passenger front air bag
also has to deploy.
The OCS may have detected that the seat:
R is empty or occupied by a person with a
weight of up to or less than that of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint
R is occupied by a small individual, such as a
young teenager or a small adult
R is occupied by a child in a child restraint
system whose weight is greater than that
of a typical 12-month-old child.
These are examples of when the OCS
deactivates the front-passenger front air bag
and front-passenger knee bag. Deactivation
takes place although the collision fulfills the
criteria for deploying the driver's air bag.
If the SmartKey has been removed from the
ignition lock or has been set to position 0 with
44Occupant safetySafety

the Start/Stop button, 45 indicator
lamp : does not light up.GWARNING
If the red 6 SRS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and the 45
indicator lamp light up simultaneously, the
OCS is malfunctioning. The front passenger
front air bag will be deactivated in this case.
Have the system checked by qualified
technicians as soon as possible. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only have the seat repaired or replaced at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
In order to ensure proper operation of the air
bag system and OCS:
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 When seated, a passenger should not
position him/herself in such a way as to
cause the passenger's weight to be lifted
from the seat cushion as this may result in
the OCS being unable to correctly
approximate the passenger's weight
category.
R Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.
System self-test
The 45 indicator lamp illuminates
when you:
R turn the SmartKey to position 1 or 2 in the
ignition lock
R press the Start/Stop button once or twice
If an adult occupant is properly sitting on the
passenger seat and the OCS classifies the
occupant as an adult, the 45 indicator
lamp illuminates and goes out again after
approximately 6 seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the OCS
classifies the front passenger seat as being
unoccupied, the 45 indicator lamp
will illuminate and not go out.
GWARNING
If the 4 5 indicator lamp does not
illuminate, the system is not functioning. You
must contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center before seating any child on the
passenger seat.
For more information, see "Problems with the
Occupant Classification System"
( Y page 46).
GWARNING
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 safety45SafetyZ

Problems with the occupant classification systemProblemPossible causes/consequences and M SolutionsThe 45
indicator lamp
illuminates and
remains illuminated.
The person on the
front-passenger seat:
R has the weight of a
typical adult
R has been determined
by the system not to
be a child.The OCS is malfunctioning.XHave the OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction
display ( Y page 171).GWARNING
If the 45 indicator lamp illuminates and remains illuminated when the weight of a typical
adult or someone larger than a small individual has been detected on the passenger seat, do not
allow any occupant to use the passenger seat until the system has been repaired.
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and M SolutionsThe 45
indicator lamp does not
illuminate and/or does
not remain illuminated.
The front-passenger
seat is:
R unoccupied
R occupied with a
weight up to or less
than a typical 12-
month-old child in a
standard child
restraint systemThe OCS is malfunctioning.XMake sure there is nothing between the seat cushion and the
child seat.XCheck the installation of the child restraint system.XMake sure that no objects are applying additional weight onto
the seat.XIf the 45 indicator lamp does not illuminate, have the
OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. Do not transport a child on the front-passenger
seat as long as the OCS is not functioning.XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction
display ( Y page 171).GWARNING
If the 45 indicator lamp does not illuminate or remains out with the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child restraint or less, or is unoccupied, on the front-passenger
seat, do not transport a child on the front-passenger seat until the system has been repaired.
46Occupant safetySafety