2014 MERCEDES-BENZ GL belt

SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
Introduction
SRS consists of:
RuSRS warning lamp
RAir bags
RThe air bag control unit with crash sensors
REmergency Tensioning Devices for the
front seat belts and the outer seat belts in
the rear
RSeat belt force limiters for the front seat
belts and the outer seat belts in the rear
SRS reduces the risk of vehicle occupants
coming into contact with parts of the
vehicle's interior in the event of an accident.
It can also reduce the forces to which vehicle
occupants are subjected during an accident.
SRS warning lamp
GWARNING
If SRS is malfunctioning, child restraint
system components may be triggered
unintentionally or might not be triggered at all
in the event of an accident with a high rate of
vehicle deceleration. There is an increased
risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Have SRS checked and repaired immediately
at a qualified specialist workshop.
SRS functions are checked regularly when
you switch on the ignition and when the
engine is running. Therefore, malfunctions
can be detected in good time.
TheuSRS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out no later than a few seconds
after the engine is started.
The SRS components are in operational
readiness when theuSRS warning lamp
goes out while the engine is running.
There is a malfunction if:
RtheuSRS warning lamp does not light
up when the ignition is switched on
Rthe engine is running and theuSRS
warning lamp does not go out after a few
seconds
Rthe engine is running and theuSRS
warning lamp lights up again
Safety guidelines for seat belts,
Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs)
and air bags
GWARNING
RDamaged seat belts or seat belts that have
been subjected to stress in an accident
must be replaced. Their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use seat belts
installed or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
RAir bags and pyrotechnic Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) contain
perchlorate material, which may require
special handling and regard for the
environment. Check your national disposal
guidelines. California residents, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm.
RAir bags and ETDs are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or ETD
that has deployed must be replaced. PRE-
SAFE®has electrically operated reversible
belt tensioners in addition to the
pyrotechnic ETDs.
RDo not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
RDo not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat belts.
RDo not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
RNo modifications of any kind may be made
to any components or wiring of the SRS.
RDo not change or remove any component
or part of the SRS.
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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 air bag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
door.
GWARNING
In order to reduce the potential danger of
injuries caused during the deployment of the
front air bags, the driver and front passenger
must always be correctly seated and wear
their seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision, you must always be in the normal
seat position with your back against the
backrest. Fasten your seat belt and make sure
that it is correctly positioned on your body.
As 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:
Rsit with the seat belt fastened correctly and
in a position that is as upright as possible
with your back against the backrest.
Rmove 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). You
should be able to accomplish this by
adjusting the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any difficulties, please contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Rdo not lean your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or dashboard.
Ronly hold the steering wheel on the outside.
Placing hands and arms inside the rim can
increase the risk and potential severity of
hand/arm injury if the driver front air bag
inflates.
Radjust the front-passenger seat as far back
as possible from the dashboard when the
seat is occupied.
Roccupants, 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 or fatal injuries should the side
impact air bag be deployed. 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.
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.
If the air bags 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 there
is a fire in the vehicle. The dust might cause
some temporary breathing difficulty for
people with asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this, you may wish to get out
of 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. TheuSRS
warning lamp lights up.
The air bag installation locations are
identified by the AIR BAG symbol.
The air bags are 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.
If the driver and front passenger do not wear
their seat belts, it is not possible for the air
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bags to provide their supplemental
protection.
In the event of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, the air bags will not deploy. The
driver and passenger 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.
iAfter an air bag has been deployed, have
the vehicle towed to the nearest qualified
specialist workshop, even if your vehicle is
ready to drive.
Front air bags
Driver's air bagCdeploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air
bagDdeploys in front of and above the glove
box.
The front air bags increase protection for the
driver's and front passenger's head and
chest.
They are deployed:
Rat the start of an accident with a high rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction
Rif the system determines that air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
Rindependently of other air bags in the
vehicle
The release time of the front air bags is
dependent upon the use of the seat belt.
If the vehicle rolls over, the front air bags are
generally not 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 front-passenger front air
bagDis also influenced by the weight
category of the front passenger, which is
determined by the Occupant Classification
System (OCS) (Ypage 49).
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.
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Front-passenger front air bagDwill only
deploy if:
Rthe system, based on the OCS weight
sensor readings, has detected that the
front-passenger seat is occupied
Rthe PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp on the center console is not lit
(Ypage 49)
Rthe air bag control unit predicts a high
impact severity
Driver's knee bag
Driver's knee bagCdeploys under the
steering column. The driver's knee bag is
always deployed along with the driver's front
air bag. The driver's knee bag is designed to
operate together with the front air bags in
frontal impacts if certain thresholds are
exceeded. The driver's knee bag operates
best in conjunction with correctly positioned
and fastened seat belts.
The driver's knee bag increases protection of
the driver against:
Rknee injuries
Rthigh injuries
Rlower leg injuries
Side impact air bags
GWARNING
Using unsuitable seat covers could restrict or
even prevent deployment of the air bags
integrated into the seats. Consequently, the
air bags cannot protect vehicle occupants as
they are designed to do. In addition, the
function of the air bag deactivation system
could be restricted. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz.
GWARNING
Sensors to control the air bags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not
performed correctly to the doors or door
paneling, as well as damaged doors, can lead
to the function of the sensors being impaired.
The air bags might therefore not function
properly any more. Consequently, the air bags
cannot protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. There is an increased risk of
injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door
paneling 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 side impact air bags. Otherwise,
the side impact air bags cannot deploy
correctly and therefore cannot provide the
intended protection in the event of an
accident.
Front side impact air bagsCand side impact
air bags in the 2nd row of seatsDinflate next
to the outer seat cushion.
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When deployed, the side impact air bags offer
additional protection for the thorax and, on
the front seats, the pelvis of the vehicle
occupants on the side of the vehicle on which
the impact occurs. However, they do not
protect the:
Rhead
Rneck
Rarms
The side impact air bags are deployed:
Ron the side on which an impact occurs
Rat the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, e.g. in a side impact
Rregardless of whether the seat belt on the
driver's seat and the outer seats of the 2nd
row of seats is used
Rindependently of the front air bags
Rindependently of the ETDs
If the vehicle rolls over, the side impact air
bags are generally not deployed. side impact
air bags are deployed if the system detects
high vehicle deceleration or acceleration in a
lateral direction, or also if the vehicle rolls
over, and the system 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.
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side is not deployed in the
following situations:
Rthe OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is not occupied, and
Rthe 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.
Window curtain air bags
Window curtain air bagsCenhance 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 window curtain air bags are integrated
into the side of the roof frame and deploy in
the area extending from the front door (A-
pillar) to the rear side window (D-pillar).
Window curtain air bags are deployed:
Rat the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, e.g. in a side impact
Ron the side on which an impact occurs
Ron 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
Rindependently of the use of the seat belt
Rregardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
Rindependently of the front air bags
Window curtain air bagsCwill not deploy in
the event of impacts which do not exceed the
system's preset deployment thresholds for
vehicle acceleration/deceleration. You will
then be protected by the fastened seat belt.
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Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
Method of operation
GWARNING
If thestindicator lamp illuminates
when an adult or someone larger than a small
individual is in the front passenger seat, have
the front passenger reposition himself or
herself in the seat until thest
indicator lamp goes out.
In the event of a collision, the air bag control
unit will not allow front passenger front air bag
deployment when the OCS has classified the
front passenger seat 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 empty.
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, thestindicator lamp will
illuminate when the engine is started and
remain illuminated. This indicates that the
front passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat is classified as being empty,
thestindicator lamp will illuminate
when the engine is started and remain
illuminated. This indicates that the front
passenger front air bag is 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 a standard child
restraint or as being a small individual (such
as a young teenager or a small adult), the
stindicator 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. With the
stindicator lamp illuminated, the
front passenger front air bag is deactivated.
With thestindicator lamp out, the
front passenger front air bag is activated.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat occupant is classified as an
adult or someone larger than a small
individual, thestindicator 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 is activated.
If thestindicator lamp is illuminated,
the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed.
If thestindicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front passenger front air bag
is activated and will be deployed
Rin the event of certain frontal impacts
Rif the impact exceeds a predetermined
triggering threshold
Rindependent of the side impact air bag or
pelvis air bag
If the front passenger front air bag is
deployed, the rate of inflation will be
influenced by
Rthe rate of vehicle deceleration as assessed
by the air bag control unit
Rthe front passenger's weight category as
identified by the OCS
GWARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommend that children be
placed in the rear seats whenever possible.
Regardless of seating position, 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, the seat
belt and Top Tether strap, or lower anchors
Occupant safety49
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and Top Tether strap, 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.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front-
passenger seat:
RYour 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.
RA 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. The only means to eliminate
this risk completely is never to place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint in the front-
passenger seat. We therefore strongly
recommend that you always place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint on the rear
seat.
RIf you install a rear-facing child restraint on
the front-passenger seat, make sure the
stindicator lamp is illuminated,
indicating that the front-passenger front air
bag is deactivated. Should thest
indicator lamp not illuminate or go out while
the restraint is installed, please check
installation. Periodically check the
stindicator lamp while driving to
make sure that thestindicator
lamp is illuminated. If thest
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.
RIf 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
RFor children larger than the typical 12-
month-old child, the front-passenger front
air bag may or may not be activated.
GWARNING
If the reduSRS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and thest
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:
RSit with the seat belt properly fastened in a
position that is as upright as possible with
your back against the seat backrest.
RWhen 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.
RRead and observe all warnings in this
chapter.
50Occupant safety
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If the key is removed from the ignition lock or
is in position0, PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lampCdoes not light up.
The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
categorizes the occupant on the front-
passenger seat using a weight sensor. The
front-passenger front air bag is deactivated
automatically for certain weight categories.
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lampC
shows you the current status. If PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF indicator lampCis lit, the front-
passenger front air bag is disabled.
The system does not deactivate:
Rthe side impact air bag
Rthe window curtain air bag
Rthe ETDs
To be classified correctly, the front passenger
must sit:
Rwith the seat belt fastened correctly
Rin a position that is as upright as possible
with their back against the seat backrest
Rwith their feet on the floor
The OCS weight sensor reading is affected if
the occupant's weight is transferred, e.g. by
leaning on the armrest.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or
the seat cushion are damaged, have the
necessary repair work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you only use seat
accessories that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
Both the driver and the front passenger
should always observe the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp as an indication of
whether or not the front passenger is
positioned correctly. Observe also the air bag
display messages that can be displayed in the
instrument cluster (Ypage 301).
If the driver's air bag deploys, this does not
mean that the front-passenger front air bag
will also deploy.
The OCS may have detected that the seat:
Ris empty or occupied by the weight of a
typical child up to twelve months old,
seated in a child restraint system.
Ris occupied by a small individual, such as a
young teenager or a small adult.
Ris occupied by a child in a child restraint
system whose weight is greater than that
of a typical twelve month old child.
These are examples of when the OCS
deactivates the front-passenger front air bag.
Deactivation takes place although the
collision fulfills the criteria for deploying the
driver's air bag.
System self-test
GWARNING
If thestindicator lamp does not
illuminate, the system is not functioning. You
must contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center before seating any child on the front
passenger seat.
GWARNING
Objects between the seat surface and the
child restraint system could affect the
function of the OCS. This could result in the
front-passenger front air bag not functioning
as intended during an accident. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Do not place any objects between the seat
surface and the child restraint system. Make
sure that the bottom and back of the child
restraint system make full contact with the
front-passenger seat cushion and backrest.
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