2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-Class Owner's Manual

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.
Basic illustration
XPress release button :, hold belt
tongue ;firmly and guide back towards
belt guide =.
Seat belt adjustment
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE®convenience function. This
function adjusts the driver's and front-
passenger seat belt to the upper body of the
occupants.
The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
Rthe belt tongue is engaged in the buckle
and
Rthe ignition is switched on
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a certain
retraction force if any slack is detected
between the vehicle occupant and the seat
belt. Do not hold on to the seat belt tightly
while it is adjusting. You can switch the seat-belt adjustment on
and off in the on-board computer
(
Ypage 235).
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger
The
7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder that all vehicle
occupants must wear their seat belts. It may
light up continuously or flash. In addition,
there may be a warning tone.
Regardless of whether the driver's seat belt
has already been fastened, the 7seat belt
warning lamp lights up for six seconds each
time the engine is started. If, after
six seconds, the driver or front-passenger
seat belt has not been fastened and the doors
are closed, the 7seat belt warning lamp
lights up. As soon as the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are fastened or a front
door is opened again, the 7seat belt
warning lamp goes out.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after
the engine is started, an additional warning
tone will sound. This warning tone stops after
six seconds or when the driver's seat belt is
fastened.
If the vehicle's speed exceeds 15 mph
(25 km/h) once and the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are not fastened, a
warning tone sounds. A warning tone also
sounds with increasing intensity for
60 seconds or until the driver or front
passenger have fastened their seat belts.
If the driver or front passenger unfasten their
seat belts during the journey, the seat belt
warning is activated again.
iFor more information on the 7seat
belt warning lamp, see "
Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster, seat belts" (
Ypage 271).
Occupant safety55
Safety
Z

Air bags
Introd uction
The installation poin tof an air bag can be rec -
ognized by th eAI R BA Gsymbol.
An air bag complements th ecorrectl yfas -
tene dseat belt .It is no substitut efor th eseat
belt .The air bag provide sadditional protec-
tion in applicable acciden tsituations.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The differen tair bag systems function inde-
pendentl yfrom on eanother (
Ypage 64) .
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injurie sand fatalities.
It is also no tpossible to rule out aris kof injury
caused by an air bag due to th ehigh spee dat
whic hth eair bag mus tbe deployed.
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If you do no tsit in th ecorrec tseat position ,
th eair bag canno tprotect as intended and
could eve ncaus eadditional injury when
deployed. This poses an increased ris kof
injury or eve nfatal injury.
To avoi dhazardous situations, always mak e
sur ethat all of th evehicle's occupants:
Rhav efastene dtheir seat belt scorrectly,
includin gpregnant women
Rare sitting correctl yand maintai nth egreat-
est possibl edistanc eto th eair bags
Rfollow th efollowin ginstruction s
Always mak esur ethat there are no objects
between th eair bag and th evehicle's occu-
pants .
RAdjus tth eseat sproperly before beginning
your journey. Always mak esur ethat th e
seat is in an almost upright position .The
center of th ehead restrain tmus tsupport
th ehead at about eye level.
RMov eth edriver' sand front-passenger
seat sas far bac kas possible .The driver' s
seat position mus tallow th evehicl eto be
driven safely.
ROnly hold th esteering whee lon th eout -
side .This allows th eair bag to be fully
deployed.
RAlways lean again stthebackrest while driv -
ing .Do no tlean forwards or lean against
th edoor or side window. You may other -
wise be in th edeploymen tarea of th eair
bags .
RAlways keep your fee tin th efootwell in
fron tof th eseat .Do no tput your fee ton th e
dashboard, for example. Your fee tmay oth-
erwi sebe in th edeploymen tarea of th eair
bag.
RFo rthis reason ,always secure person sless
than 5ft (1.5 0m) 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:
RAlways secure children under twelve years
of age and less than 5 ft (1.50 m)tall in
suitable child restraint systems.
ROnly secure a child in a rearward-facing
child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat when the front-passenger
front air bag is deactivated. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is permanently lit, the front-passenger front
air bag is deactivated (
Ypage 51).
RAlways observe the instructions and safetynotes on the "Occupant Classification Sys-
tem (OCS)" (
Ypage 59) and on "Children
in the vehicle" (
Ypage 68) in addition to
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may pre-
vent an air bag from functioning correctly.
Before starting yo ur jo
urney and to avoid risks
resulting from the speed of the air bag as it
deploys, make sure that:
Rthere are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air
bag.
Rthere are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar.
56Occupant safety
Safety

Rno hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, hang on
the grab handles or coat hooks.
Rno 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.
Rno heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects
are in the pockets of your clothing. Store
such objects in a suitable place.
GWARNING
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 objects
to it.
GWARNING
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
anymore. 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 :deploys in front of the
steering wheel. Front-passenger front air
bag ;deploys in front of and above the glove
box.
When deployed, the front air bags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for the
occupants in the driver's and front-passenger seats.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps
inform you of the status of the front-
passenger front air bag (
Ypage 51).
The front-passenger front air bag will only
deploy if:
Rthe system, based on the OCS weight sen-
sor readings, detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied (
Ypage 59).
The PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp is lit (
Ypage 59)
Rthe restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity
Knee bags
Driver's knee bag :deploys under the steer-
ing column and front-passenger knee bag ;
under the glove box. The driver's and front-
passenger knee bags are triggered together
with the front air bags.
The driver's and front-passenger knee bags
offer additional thigh, knee and lower leg pro-
tection.
Occupant safety57
Safety
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Side impact air bags
GWARNING
Unsuitable seat covers could restrict or even
prevent the deployment of the air bags inte-
grated into the seats. Consequently, the air
bags cannot protect vehicle occupants as
they are designed to do. In addition, the func- tion of the Occupant Classification System
(OCS) 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.
Side impact air bags :deploy next to the
outer bolster of the seat backrest.
When deployed, the side impact air bag offers
additional thorax protection. However, it does
not protect the:
Rhead
Rneck
Rarms
In the event of a side impact, the side impact
air bag is deployed on the side on which the
impact occurs.
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side deploys under the following
conditions:
Rthe OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
Rthe belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat
If the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle, the side impact air bag on the front- passenger side deploys if an appropriate acci-
dent situation occurs. In this case, deploy-
ment is independent of whether the front-
passenger seat is occupied or not.
Head bags
Head bags :deploy in the area of the side
windows at the front.
When deployed, the headbag enhances the
level of protection for the head. However, it
does not protect the:
Rchest
Rarms
In the event of a side impact, the headbag 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 headbag may be deployed in other
accident situations (
Ypage 64).
The headbag on the front-passenger side
does not deploy under the following condi-
tions:
ROCS has detected that the front-passenger
seat is unoccupied.
Rthe front-passenger seat belt is not fas-
tened.
If the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle, the headbag on the front-passenger
side deploys if an appropriate accident situa-
tion occurs. In this case, deployment is inde-
pendent of whether the front-passenger seat
is occupied or not.
58Occupant safety
Safety

Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
Introduction
The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
categorizes the person in the front-passenger
seat. Depending on that result, the front-
passenger front air bag and front-passenger
knee bag are either enabled or deactivated.
The system does not deactivate:
Rthe side impact air bag
Rthe front-passenger head bag
Rthe Emergency Tensioning Devices
Prerequisites
To be classified correctly, the front passenger
must sit:
Rwith the seat belt fastened correctly
Rin an almost upright position with their
back against the seat backrest
Rwith their feet resting on the floor, if possi-
ble
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, OCS may produce a false classi-
fication, e.g. because the front passenger:
Rtransfers their weight by supporting them-
selves on a vehicle armrest
Rsits in such a way that their weight is raised from the seat cushion
If you install a child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat, be sure to observe the
correct positioning of the child restraint sys-
tem. Never place objects under or behind the
child restraint system, e.g. cushions. Fully
retract the seat cushion length. The entire
base of the child restraint system must
always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the forward- facing child restraint system must lie as flat as
possible against the backrest of the front-
passenger seat.
The child restraint system must not touch the roof or be subjected to a load by the head
restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat back- rest and the head restraint position accord-
ingly.
Only then can OCS be guaranteed to function
correctly. Always observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
Occupant Classification System opera-
tion (OCS)
:PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
;PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
The indicator lamps inform you whether the
front-passenger front air bag is deactivated or
enabled.
XPress the Start/Stop button once or twice,
or turn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in
the ignition lock.
The system carries out self-diagnostics.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps
must light up simultaneously for approx-
imately six seconds.
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front air bag.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is enabled. If,
in the event of an accident, all deployment
criteria are met, the front-passenger front
air bag is deployed.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the
front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted. It will then not be deployed in the event of an accident.
Occupant safety59
Safety
Z

If the status of the front-passenger front air
bag changes while the vehicle is in motion, an
air bag display message appears in the instru-
ment cluster (
Ypage 251). When the front-
passenger seat is occupied, always pay atten-
tion to the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamps. Be
aware of the status of the front-passenger
front air bag both before and during the jour-
ney.
GWARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenger front air bag is
disabled. It will not be deployed in the event of
an accident and cannot perform its intended
protective function. A person in the front-
passenger seat could then, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, espe-
cially if the person is sitting too close to the
dashboard. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensure that:
Rthe classification of the person in the front- passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
Rthe front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible.
Rthe person is seated correctly.
Make sure, both before and during the jour-
ney, that the status of the front-passenger
front air bag is correct.
GWARNING
If you secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp is lit up, the front-passenger front air bag may deploy in an accident. The child could be
struck by the air bag. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenger front air
bag has been disabled. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains off and/or the PASSENGER AIR
BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not install
a rearward-facing child restraint system on
the front-passenger seat. You can find more
information on OCS under "Problems with the
Occupant Classification System"
(
Ypage 63).
GWARNING
If you secure a child in a forward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and you position the front-passenger seat too close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could:
Rcome into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
Rbe struck by the air bag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON is lit up
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Always move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible and fully retract the seat
cushion length. Always make sure that the
shoulder belt strap is correctly routed from
the vehicle belt guide to the shoulder belt
guide on the child restraint system. The shoul-
der belt strap must be routed forwards and
downwards from the belt guide. Always
observe the child restraint system manufac-
turer's installation instructions.
If OCS determines that:
Rthe front-passenger seat is unoccupied, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up after the system self-test and
remains lit. This indicates that the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Rthe front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child of up to twelve months old, in a stand-
ard child restraint system, the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up after
60Occupant safety
Safety

the system self-test and remains lit. This
indicates that the front-passenger front airbag is deactivated.
But even in the case of a twelve-month-old
child, in a standard child restraint system,
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON can light up
permanently after the system self-test. This
indicates that the front-passenger front airbag is activated. The result of the classifi-
cation is dependent on, among other fac-
tors, the child restraint system and the
child's stature. Make sure that the condi-
tions for a correct classification are met. If
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp is still lit, do not install a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat.
Rthe front-passenger seat is occupied by a
person of smaller stature (e.g. a teenager
or small adult), either the PASSENGER AIR
BAG ON or PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the
result of the classification.
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicatorlamp lights up, move the front-passenger
seat as far back as possible.
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, a person of smaller stature
should not use the front-passenger seat.
Rthe front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a person of a stature correspond-
ing to that of an adult, the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up after the
system self-test and remains lit. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front air bag
is activated.
If children are traveling in the vehicle, be sure
to observe the notes on "Children in the vehi- cle" (
Ypage 68).
When OCS is malfunctioning, the red 6
restraint system warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster and the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp light up simultaneously.
The front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted in this case and does not deploy during an accident. Have the system checked by quali- fied technicians as soon as possible. Consult
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. The
front-passenger seat should only be repaired
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or
the seat cushion is damaged, have the nec-
essary repair work carried out at an author-
ized Mercedes-Benz Center.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat accessories
that have been approved by
Mercedes
-Benz.
If the driver's air bag deploys, this does not
mean that the front-passenger front air bag
will also deploy. The Occupant Classification
System (OCS) categorizes the occupant in the
front-passenger seat. Depending on that
result, the front-passenger front air bag is
either enabled or deactivated.
System self-test
GDANGER
If both the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps do
not light up during the system self-test, the
system is malfunctioning. The front-
passenger front air bag might be triggered
unintentionally or might not be triggered at all
in the event of an accident with high deceler-
ation. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may not
be used. Do not install a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the Occu-
pant Classification System (OCS) checked
and repaired immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
GDANGER
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the
front-passenger front air bag is disabled. It will
not be deployed in the event of an accident. In
this case, the front-passenger front air bag
cannot perform its intended protective func-
tion, e.g. when a person is seated in the front-
passenger seat.
Occupant safety61
Safety
Z

That person could, for example, come into
contact with the vehicle's interior, especially
if the person is sitting too close to the dash-
board. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensure that:
Rthe classification of the person in the front-passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
Rthe person is seated properly with a cor-
rectly fastened seatbelt
Rthe front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit when it should not, the front-
passenger seat may not be used. Do not
install a child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. Have the Occupant Classifi-
cation System (OCS) checked and repaired
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
GWARNING
Objects between the seat surface and the
child restraint system could affect OCS oper- ation. This could result in the front-passenger
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. The
entire base of the child restraint system must
always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the forward-
facing child restraint system must, as far as
possible, be resting on the backrest of the
front-passenger seat. Always comply with the
child restraint system manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions.
After the system self-test, the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF or PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp display the status of the front-
passenger front air bag (
Ypage 59).
For more information about the OCS, see
"Problems with the Occupant Classification
System" (
Ypage 63).
62Occupant safety
Safety