2015 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER warning

triggered independently of the lock status of
the seat belt.
Important safety notes The use of seat belts and child restraint sys-
tems is required by law in:
R all 50 states
R the U.S. territories
R the District of Columbia
R all Canadian provinces
Even where this is not required by law, all
vehicle occupants should correctly fasten
their seat belts before starting the journey. G
WARNING
If the seat belt is incorrectly fastened, it can-
not protect as intended. Furthermore, an
incorrectly fastened seat belt can cause addi- tional injury, for example, in an accident, dur-
ing braking or when abruptly changing direc-
tion. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
Make sure that all vehicle occupants are
seated properly with a correctly fastened seat belt. G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder. G
WARNING
Persons under 5 ft (1.50 m) in heightcannot
fasten the seat belt correctly without an addi- tional suitable restraint system. If the seat belt is incorrectly fastened, it cannot protect
as intended. Furthermore, an incorrectly fas-
tened seat belt can cause additional injury, for example, in an accident, during braking or an
abrupt change of direction. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
For this reason, always secure persons under
5 ft (1.50 m) in height in suitable restraint
systems.
If a child younger than 12 years and under 5 ft
(1.50 m) in height is traveling in the vehicle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this vehicle. The child
restraint system must be appropriate to the
age, weight and size of the child
R always observe the instructions and safety
notes in the "Children in the vehicle" sec-
tion of this Operator's Manual
(Y page 51) in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions G
WARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended protective function if:
R they are damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleach or dyed
R the seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
R the Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
anchorages or inertia reels have been modi-
fied
Seat belts may sustain non-visible damage in an accident, e.g. due to glass splinters. Modi-
fied or damaged seat belts may tear or fail,
e.g. in an accident. Modified Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices could accidentally trigger or
fail to deploy when necessary. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify the seat belts, Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices, belt anchorages or inertia
reels. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, not worn out and clean. Follow-
ing an accident, have the seat belts checked 44
Occupant safetySafety

X
Adjust the seat (Y page 82).
The seat backrest must be in an almost
upright position.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from belt sash
guide 0087and engage belt tongue 0044into
belt buckle 0043.
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body. The shoulder section of the belt must always
run over the center of the shoulder. Adjust the
belt outlet if necessary.
X To raise: slide belt guide 0087upwards.
The belt outlet engages in various posi-
tions.
X To lower: press belt guide release 0085and
slide belt guide 0087downwards.
X Let go of belt guide release 0085in the
desired position and make sure that the
belt guide engages.
All seat belts in the vehicle, except the driv-
er's seat belt, are equipped with a special seat belt retractor to secure child restraint sys-
tems properly. Further information can be
found under "Special seat belt retractor"
(Y page 52).
Releasing 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 fulfill their protective function and must be replaced.
Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
X
Press release button 0043, hold belt
tongue 0044firmly and guide it back towards
belt outlet 0087.
Belt warning for drivers and co-drivers The
0076 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. A warning tone may also
sound.
Regardless of whether the driver has already
fastened their seat belt, the 0076seat belt
warning lamp lights up for 6 second s each
time the ignition is switched on. After the
engine is started, it goes out as soon as the
driver's seat belt had been fastened.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after
the engine is started, an additional warning
tone will sound. This warning tone switches
off after a maximum of 6 seconds or once the
driver's seat belt is fastened.
If a vehicle speed of 15 mph (25 km/h) is
exceeded and the driver has still not fastened their seat belt, a warning tone sounds again.
The warning tone sounds for 60 seconds or
until the driver has fastened their seat belt. 46
Occupant safetySafety

If the driver unfastens their seat belt during
the journey, the belt warning is automatically activated again.
i For more information on the
0076seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster"
(Y page 227). Air bags
Introduction The installation point of an air bag can be rec-
ognized by the SRS/AIR BAG or AIR BAG sym-
bol.
An air bag complements the correctly fas-
tened seat belt. It is no substitute for the seat belt. The air bag provides additional protec-
tion in applicable accident situations.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The different air bag systems function inde-
pendently from one another (Y page 49).
However, no system available today can com- pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to rule out a risk of injury
caused by an air bag due to the high speed at which the air bag must be deployed.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you do not sit in the correct seat position,
the air bag cannot protect as intended and
could even cause additional injury when
deployed. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
To avoid hazardous situations, always make
sure that all of the vehicle's occupants:
R have fastened their seat belts correctly,
including pregnant women
R are sitting correctly and maintain the great-
est possible distance to the air bags
R follow the following instructions Always make sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu-
pants.
R Adjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the
seat is in an almost upright position. The
center of the head restraint must support
the head at about eye level.
R Move the driver's and front-passenger
seats as far back as possible. The driver's
seat position must allow the vehicle to be
driven safely.
R Only hold the steering wheel on the out-
side. This allows the air bag to be fully
deployed.
R Always lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forwards or lean against
the door or side window. You may other-
wise be in the deployment area of the air
bags.
R Always keep your feet in the footwell in
front of the seat. Do not put your feet on the
dashboard, for example. Your feet may oth-
erwise be in the deployment area of the air bag.
R For this reason, always secure persons less
than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable restraint
systems. Up to this height, the seat belt
cannot be worn correctly.
If a child is traveling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
R Always secure children under 12 years of
age and less than 5 ft (1.50 m)in height in
suitable child restraint systems.
R Child restraint systems should be installed
on the rear seats.
R Always secure a child in a rearward-facing
child restraint system on a suitable rear
seat. The front-passenger front air bag can-
not be deactivated.
R Always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 51) and on the "Child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat"
(Y page 55) in addition to the child Occupant safety
47Safety Z

restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may pre-
vent an air bag from functioning correctly.
Before starting your journey and to avoid risks
resulting from the speed of the air bag as it
deploys, make sure that:
R there are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air
bag.
R there are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar.
R no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, hang on
the grab handles or coat hooks.
R no accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deploy-
ment area of an air bag, e.g. to doors or side
windows.
R no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects
are in the pockets of your clothing. Store
such objects in a suitable place. G
WARNING
If you modify the air bag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the air bag can no longer function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an air bag cover or affix objectsto it. G
WARNING
Sensors to control the air bags are located in the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ing, 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 pan-
eling carried out at a qualified specialist work- shop. Front air bags
Driver's air bag
0043deploys in front of the
steering wheel. Front-passenger front air
bag 0044deploys in front of and above the glove
box and the center console.
When deployed, the front air bags offer addi- tional head and thorax protection for the
occupants in the front seats.
Thorax bags G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers may obstruct or even
prevent deployment of the air bags integrated into the seats. The air bags may then fail to
protect the vehicle occupants as intended.
There is an increased risk of injury, possibly
even fatal.
Only use seat cushions that are approved for
your vehicle by the distributor named on the
inside cover page. Thorax bags
0043deploy next to the outer seat
cushions. 48
Occupant safetySafety

Thorax bags are only available in combination
with individual seats on the driver's and co-
driver's side.
When deployed, thorax bag 0043offers addi-
tional thorax protection. However, it does not protect the:
R head
R neck
R arms
The thorax bag is deployed on the side of the impact.
Window curtain air bags Window curtain air bags
0043are integrated
into the side of the roof frame above the front
doors.
When deployed, the window curtain air bag
enhances the level of protection for the head.
However, it does not protect the chest or
arms.
In the event of a side impact, the window cur- tain air bag is deployed on the side on which
the impact occurs.
If the system determines that they can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt, a window curtain air bag may be
deployed in other accident situations
(Y page 49). Deployment of Emergency Tensioning
Devices and air bags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The air bag parts are hot after an air bag has
been deployed. There is a risk of injury.
Do not touch the air bag parts. Have a
deployed air bag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible. G
WARNING
A deployed air bag no longer offers any pro-
tection and cannot provide the intended pro-
tection in an accident. There is an increased
risk of injury.
Have the vehicle towed to a qualified special- ist workshop in order to have a deployed air
bag replaced.
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. G
WARNING
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices
that have been deployed are no longer opera- tional and are unable to perform their inten-
ded protective function. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Therefore, have pyrotechnic Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices which have been triggered
immediately replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If Emergency Tensioning Devices are trig-
gered or air bags are deployed, you will hear a
bang, and a small amount of powder may also be released. The 0075restraint system warn-
ing lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your
hearing. The powder that is released gener-
ally does not constitute a health hazard, but it Occupant safety
49Safety Z

may cause short-term breathing difficulties in
people with asthma or other respiratory prob-
lems. To avoid this, you may wish to get out of
the vehicle or open the windows as soon as it is safe to do so.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tension-
ing Devices (ETDs) contain perchlorate mate- rial, which may require special handling and
regard for the environment. National guide-
lines must be observed during disposal. In
California, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/
index.cfm.
Method of operation During the first stage of a collision, the
restraint system control unit evaluates impor-
tant physical data relating to vehicle deceler- ation or acceleration, such as:
R duration
R direction
R intensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the
Emergency Tensioning Devices during a fron- tal or rear collision.
An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be
triggered, if:
R the ignition is switched on.
R the components of the restraint system are
operational; see "Restraint system warning
lamp" (Y page 42)
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
the respective front-passenger seat
Vehicles with two seats on the front-
passenger side: the Emergency Tensioning
Device on the inner front-passenger seat is
triggered independently of the lock status of
the seat belt. If the restraint system control unit detects a
more severe accident, further components of
the restraint system are activated independ-
ently of each other in certain frontal collision
situations:
R Front air bags
R Window curtain air bag on the side of
impact
The activation threshold of the Emergency
Tensioning Devices and the air bag are deter- mined by evaluating the rate of vehicle decel-
eration or acceleration which occurs at vari-
ous points in the vehicle. This process is pre-
emptive in nature. Deployment should take
place in good time at the start of the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the direction of the force are essen- tially determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the colli-
sion
R the collision angle
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 seen and measured after a collision has occurred do not play a
decisive role in the deployment of an air bag.
Nor do they provide an indication of air bag
deployment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably,
without an air bag being deployed. This is the
case if only parts which are relatively easily
deformed are affected and the rate of decel-
eration is not high. Conversely, air bags may
be deployed even though the vehicle suffers
only minor deformation. This is the case if, for
example, very rigid vehicle parts such as lon- gitudinal body members are hit, and sufficient
deceleration occurs as a result. 50
Occupant safetySafety

If the restraint system control unit detects a
side impact or that the vehicle is rolling over, the relevant restraint system components areactivated independently of one another
depending on the apparent type of accident.
If the system determines a need for additional
protection for the vehicle occupants, the
Emergency Tensioning Devices are triggered.
R Thorax bag on the side of impact, inde-
pendently of the Emergency Tensioning
Device and the use of the seat belt
R Window curtain air bag on the side of
impact, independently of the use of the
seat belt and independently of whether the
front-passenger seat is occupied
i Not all air bags are deployed in an acci-
dent. The different air bag systems work
independently of each other.
How the air bag system works is deter-
mined by the severity of the accident detec- ted, especially the vehicle deceleration or
acceleration and the apparent type of acci-
dent:
R frontal collision
R side impact Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than chil-
dren secured in the front-passenger seat. For this reason, we strongly advise that you install
a child restraint system on a rear seat. Chil-
dren are generally better protected there.
If a child younger than 12 years and under 5 ft
(1.50 m) in height is traveling in the vehicle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this vehicle. The child
restraint system must be appropriate to the
age, weight and size of the child
R be sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes in this section in addition to the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. G
WARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle. G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you, always ensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight. Pro- tect it with a blanket, for example. If the child
restraint system has been exposed to direct
sunlight, let it cool down before securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in the vehicle.
Always ensure that all vehicle occupants have
their seat belts fastened correctly and are sit- ting properly. Particular attention must be
paid to children.
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y page 44) and the notes on correct use of
seat belts (Y page 45). Children in the vehicle
51Safety Z

A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper seat belt positioning for children over
41 lbs (18 kg) or until they reach a height
where a lap/shoulder belt can be fastened
properly without a booster seat. Special seat belt retractor
G
WARNING
If the seat belt is released while driving, the
child restraint system will no longer be
secured properly. The special seat belt retrac- tor is disabled and the inertia real draws in a
portion of the seat belt. The seat belt cannot
be immediately refastened. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Stop the vehicle immediately, paying atten-
tion to road and traffic conditions. Reactivate
the special seat belt retractor and secure the
child restraint system properly.
All seat belts in the vehicle, except the driv-
er's seat belt, are equipped with a special seat belt retractor. When activated, the special
seat belt retractor ensures that the seat belt
cannot slacken once the child seat is secured.
Installing a child restraint system:
X Make sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc- tions.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from the belt
outlet.
X Engage seat belt tongue in belt buckle.
Activating the special seat belt retractor:
X Pull the seat belt out fully and let the inertia
reel retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat
belt retractor is enabled.
X Push the child restraint system down so
that the seat belt is tight and does not
loosen. Removing a child restraint system/deactivat-
ing the special seat belt retractor:
X Make sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc- tions.
X Press the belt buckle release button, hold
the belt tongue and guide it back towards
the belt outlet.
The special seat belt retractor is deactiva-
ted. Child restraint system
The use of seat belts and child restraint sys-
tems is required by law in:
R all 50 states
R the U.S. territories
R the District of Columbia
R all Canadian provinces
You can obtain further information about the correct child restraint system from any
authorized Sprinter Dealer. G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor- rectly on a suitable seat, it cannot protect as
intended. The child cannot then be restrained in the event of an accident, heavy braking or
sudden changes of direction. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Make sure that you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions and the notes on use. Please ensure,
that the base of the child restraint system is
always resting completely on the seat cush-
ion. Never place objects, e.g. cushions, under or behind the child restraint system. Only use
child restraint systems with the original cover
designed for them. Only replace damaged
covers with genuine covers. G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor- rectly or is not secured, it can come loose in
the event of an accident, heavy braking or a 52
Children in the vehicleSafety