2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS warning

If ac hild younger than twelve years old and
under 5ft( 1.5 0m)inh eight is travelin gint he
vehicle: R
always secur et he child in ac hild restraint
system suitable for this Mercedes-Ben zv ehi-
cle. The child restraint system must be appro-
priat etot he age, weight and size of the child.R
always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
( Y
page 53) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer' si nstallation and oper-
atin gi nstructionsR
always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" ( Y
page 45)
G WARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended
protective function if: R
the ya re damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleache dord yedR
the seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty R
the Emergency Tensionin gD evices, belt
anchorage sori nertia reels have been modi-
fied.
Seat belts may be damaged in an accident,
althoug ht he damage may not be visible, e.g.
due to splinters of glass. Modifie dord amaged
seat belts may tear or fail, e.g. in an accident.
Modifie dE me rgency Tensionin gD evices
could accidentally trigger or fail to deploy
when necessary. This poses an increased risk
of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modif yt he seat belts ,E me rgency Ten-
sioning Devices, belt anchorage sa nd inertia
reels. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, not worn out and clean .F ollow-
ing an accident ,h ave the seat belts checked
immediately at aq ualified specialist work-
shop.
Only use seat belts that have been approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz. Proper use of th es eat beltsObserve the safet yn otes on the seat belt
( Y
page 40).
All vehicle occupant sm ust be wearin gt he seat
belt correctly befor eb eginnin gt he journey. Also
make sure that all vehicle occupant sa re always
wearing the seat belt correctly while the vehicle
is in motion.
When fastenin gt he seat belt, always make sure
that: R
the seat belt buckle tongue is inserted only
int ot he belt buckle belonging to that seat R
the seat belt is pulled tigh ta cross your body
Avoid wearin gb ulky clothing ,e .g. aw inter
coat. R
the seat belt is not twisted
Only the nc an the forces which occur be dis-
tributed over the area of the belt. R
the shoulder section of the belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder
The shoulder section of the seat belt should
not touc hy our nec korber outed under your
arm or behin dy our back. R
the lap belt is taut and passes across your lap
as low down as possible
The lap belt must always be routed across
your hip joints and not across your abdomen.
This applies particularly to pregnant women.
If necessary, push the lap belt down to your
hip join ta nd pull it tigh tu sing the shoulder
section of the belt. R
the seat belt is not routed across sharp, poin-
ted or fragile objects
If you have such item sl ocated on or in your
clothing ,e .g. pens ,k eys or eyeglasses ,s tore
these in as uitable place. R
only one perso nisu sing as eat belt
Infant sa nd children must never travel sitting
on the lap of av ehicle occupant .Int he event
of an accident ,t he yc ould be crushed
betwee nt he vehicle occupant and seat belt. R
object sa re never secured with as eat belt if
the seat belt is also bein g used by one of the
vehicle's occupants
Also ensure that there are never objects
betwee nap erso na nd the seat, e.g. cushions.
Seat belts are only intended to secur ea nd
restrain vehicle occupants. Always observe the
notes in the "Stowage options/compartments"
section for securing objects, luggage or loads
( Y
page 219).Occupant safety 41
Safety Z

If the driver or front passenger unfasten their
seat belts during the journey, the seat belt warn-
ing is activated again.
Air bags
Introduction The installation point of an air bag can be rec-
ognized by the AIRBAG marking.
An air bag complements the correctly fastened
seat belt. It is no substitute for the seat belt. The
air bag provide sa dditional protection in appli-
cable accident situations.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident. The
different air bag systems function independ-
ently from one another ( Y
page 50).
However, no system available today can com-
pletel ye liminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to rule out ar isk of injury
cause dbyana ir 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 .T his 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
Alway sm ake sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu-
pants. R
Adjust the seats properl yb efore beginning
you rj ourney. Alway sm ake sure that the seat
is in an almos tu pright position. The center of the head restraint must support the head at
abou te ye level. R
Move the driver's and front-passenger seats
as far back as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven safely. R
Only hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the air bag to be full yd eployed.R
Alway sl ea na gainst the backrest whil ed riv-
ing. Do not lea nf orward or lea na gainst the
door or side window .Y ou may otherwise be in
the deployment area of the air bags. R
Alway sk eep you rf eet in the footwell in front
of the seat. Do not put you rf eet on the dash-
board ,f or example .Y our feet may otherwise
be in the deployment area of the air bag. R
For this reason, always secure persons less
than 5f t( 1.5 0m )t all in suitable restraint sys-
tems. Up to this height, the seat belt cannot
be worn correctly.
If ac hil dist raveling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes: R
Alway ss ecure childre nu nder twelve years of
age and less than 5f t( 1.50 m) tal lins ui table
child restraint systems. R
Onl ys ec ur eac hild in ar earward-facing child
restraint syste mont h e front-passenge rs e a t
when the front-passenge rf ront ai rb ag is
deactivated .Ift he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is permanentl yl it ,t he front-
passenge rf ront ai rb ag is deactivated
( Y
page 39). R
Alway so bser ve the instructions and safety
note sont he "Occupant Classification System
(OCS) "( Y
page 45) and on "Children in the
vehicle" ( Y
page 53 )i na ddit io ntot he child
restraint syste mm an ufacturer's installation
and operating instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may prevent
an air bag fro mf unctionin gc or rectly. Before
startin gy ou rj ourney and to avoi dr isks resulting
fro mt he spee doft he ai rb ag as it deploys, make
sure that: R
there ar enop eople, animals or objects
between the vehicl eo ccupants and an ai rb agR
there ar enoo bj ects between the seat, door
and B-pillar R
no accessories, such as cup holders, are
attache dtot he vehicl ew it hi nt he deploymentOccupant safety 43
Safety Z

area of an air bag, e.g .tod oor sors ide win-
dows R
no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile object sa re in
th ep ockets of your clothing .S to re such
object sinas uitable place
G WARNING
If you modify th ea ir bag cover or affix objects
suc hass ti ckers to it, th ea ir bag can no longer
function correctly. Ther eisani ncreased risk
of injury.
Never modify an air bag cover or affix objects
to it.
G WARNING
Sensor stoc ontrol th ea ir bags are locate di n
th ed oors. Modification sorw ork no tp er-
formed correctly to th ed oor sord oor panel-
ing ,asw ell as damage dd oors, can lead to the
function of th es ensor sb ein gi mpaired. The air
bags migh tt he refore no tf unction properly
anymore .C onsequently, th ea ir bags cannot
protect vehicle occupant sast he ya re
designed to do. Ther eisani ncreased risk of
injury.
Never modify th ed oor sorp art soft he doors.
Always have work on th ed oor sord oor pan-
elin gc arried out at aq ualified specialist work-
shop.
Fron ta ir bags
! Do no tp lace heav yo bject sont he front-
passenger seat .T his coul dc aus et he system
to identif yt he seat as bein go ccupied. In the
even tofana ccident, th er estraint systems on
th ef ront-pa ssenger side may be triggered
and have to be replaced. Driver's air bag C deploys in fron toft he steer-
ing wheel. Front-passenger fron ta ir bag D
deploys in fron tofa nd abov et he glov eb ox.
When deployed, th ef ront air bags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for th eo ccu-
pant sint he driver' sa nd front-passenger seats.
The PASSENGER AI RB AG OF Fi ndicator lamp
inform sy ou about th es ta tus of th ef ront -
passenger fron ta ir bag ( Y
page 39).
The front-passenger fron ta ir bag will only
deplo yi f: R
th es ystem, based on th eO CS weigh ts ensor
readings, detect st ha tt he front-passenger
seat is occupied ( Y
page 45). The
PASSENGER AI RB AG OF Fi ndicator lamp is
no tl it ( Y
page 46) R
th er estraint system control unit predict sa
high acciden ts everity
Knee bags
Driver's knee bag C deploys unde rt he steering
column and front-passenger knee bag D under
th eg lov eb ox .T he driver' sa nd front-passenger
knee bags are triggered together with th ef ront
air bags.
The driver' sa nd front-passenger knee bags
offer additional thigh, knee and lower leg pro-
tection.
Sid ei mpact air bags
G WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers can obstruc torp re-
ven td eploymen toft he air bags integrated
int ot he seats. Consequently, th ea ir bags
canno tp rotect vehicle occupant sast he ya re
designed to do. In addition ,t he operatio no f
th eo ccupant classification system (OCS)44
Occupant safety
Safety

G WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenge rf ront air bag is
disabled. It wil ln ot be deploye dint he event of
an accident and cannot perform its intended
protective function. Ap erso nint he front-
passenger seat coul dt hen, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, espe-
cially if the perso niss itting too close to the
dashboard. This pose sani ncreased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenge rs eat is occupied,
alway se nsure that:R
the classification of the perso nint he front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
ble dina ccordance with the perso nint he
front-passenge rs eatR
the front-passenge rs eat has been moved
back as far back as possible. R
the perso niss eated correctly.
Make sure ,b oth before and during the jour-
ney, that the status of the front-passenger
front air bag is correct.
G WARNING
If you secure ac hild in ar earward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenge rs eat
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is off, the front-passenge rf ront air bag
can deploy in the event of an accident. The
child coul dbes truck by the air bag .T his poses
an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenge rf ront air
bag has been deactivated. The PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
NEVER use ar earward-facing child restraint
on as eat protected by an ACTIVE FRONT AIR-
BAG in front of it; DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY
to the child can occur.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
stays off, do not instal lar earward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenge rs eat.
You can find more information on OCS under
"Problems with the Occupant Classification Sys-
tem" ( Y
pag e4 9). G WARNING
If you secure ac hild in af orward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenge rs eat
and you position the front-passenge rs eat too
close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could: R
come into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example R
be struck by the air bag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off
This poses an increased risk of injury or even
fatal injury.
Move the front-passenge rs eat as far back as
possible .A lways make sure that the shoulder
bel ts trap is correctly routed from the vehicle
bel tg uide to the shoulde rb el tg uide on the
child restraint system. The shoulde rb el ts trap
must be routed forwards and downwards
from the vehicl eb el tg uide. Always observe
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions.
If OCS determines that: R
The front-passenge rs eat is unoccupied ,t he
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. R
The front-passenge rs eat is occupied by a
child of up to twelve months old, in as tandard
child restraint system, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up after the
system self-test and remains lit. This indi-
cates that the front-passenge rf ront air bag is
deactivated.
But even in the case of at welve-month-old
child ,inas tandard child restraint system, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp can
go out after the system self-test. This indi-
cates that the front-passenge rf ront air bag is
activated. The result of the classification is
dependent on, among other factors, the child
restraint system and the child's stature. Make
sure that the conditions for ac orrect classi-
ficatio na re met. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp remains off, do not install
ac hild restraint system on the front-
pa ss
enger seat.Occupant safety 47
Safety Z

R
The front-passenger seat is occupied by a
person of smaller stature (e.g. at eenager or
small adult), the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the result
of the classification or, alternatively, goes out. -
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is off, move the front-passenger seat
as far back as possible. -
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, ap erson of smaller stature
should not use the front-passenger seat. R
The front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or ap erson of adult stature, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
goes out after the system self-test. 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 vehicle"
( Y
page 53).
When the Occupant Classification System
(OCS) is malfunctioning, the red u restraint
system warning lamp on the instrument cluster
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp light up simultaneously. The front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated in this
case and does not deploy during an accident.
Have the Occupant Classification System (OCS)
checked and repaired immediately at aq ualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for this purpose.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or the
seat cushion are damaged, have the necessary
repair work carried out at aq ualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for this purpose.
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 Sys-
tem (OCS) categorizes the occupant on the
front-passenger seat. Dependin gont hat result,
the front-passenger front air bag is either ena-
bled or deactivated. System self-test
G DANGER
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 ac hild restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the Occu-
pant Classification System (OCS) checked
and repaired immediately at aq ualified spe-
cialist workshop.
G WARNING
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 .I n
this case, the front-passenger front air bag
cannot perform its intended protective func-
tion, e.g. when ap erson is seated in the front-
passenger seat.
That person could, for example, come into
contact with the vehicle's interior, especially
if the person is sittin gt oo close to the dash-
board. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
alway se nsure that: R
the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correc ta nd the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordanc ew ith the person in the
front-passenger seat R
the person is seated properly with ac or-
rectly fastened seatbelt R
the front-passenger seat has been moved
as far back as possible
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit when it should not ,t he front-48
Occupant safety
Safety

passenger seat may not be used. Do not
install ac hild restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. Have the Occupant Classifi-
cation System (OCS) checked and repaired
immediately at aq ualified specialist work-
shop.
G WARNING
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- facin gc hild 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
BA GO FF or PASSENGER AIR BA GONi ndicator
lamp displays the status of the front-passenger
fron ta ir bag ( Y
page 46). If the front-passenger
fron ta ir bag is enabled, the PASSENGER AIR
BA GONi ndicator lamp lights up for 60 seconds
and then goes out.
If the PASSENGER AIR BA GONi ndicator lamp is
off, only the PASSENGER AIR BA GO FF indicator
lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
fron ta ir bag. The PASSENGER AIR BA GO FF
indicator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
For more information about the OCS, see "Prob-
lems with the Occupant Classification System"
( Y
page 49).
Problems with the Occupant Classification System (OCS) Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" ( Y
page 48).Occupant safety 49
Safety Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up and remains lit,
even though the front-
passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult or ap er-
son of as tature corre-
sponding to that of an
adult. The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is incor-
rect. X
Make sure the condition sf or ac orrect classification of the person
on the front-passenger seat are met ( Y
page 46).X
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the front-
passenger seat may not be used. X
Have OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center.
The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up and/or
does not stay on.
The front-passenger seat
is: R
unoccupied R
occupied by the
weight of ac hild up to
twelve months old in a
child restraint system OCS is malfunctioning. X
Make sure there is nothin gb etween the seat cushion and the child
seat. X
Make sure that the entire base of the child restraint system rests 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. If necessary,
adjust the position of the front-passenger seat. X
When installing the child restraint system, make sure that the seat
belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight using the front-passenger
seat adjustment .T his could result in the seat belt and the child
restraint system being pulled too tightly. X
Check for correct installation of the child restraint system.
Make sure that the head restraint does not apply al oad to the child
restraint system. If necessary, adjust the head restraint accord-
ingly. X
Make sure that no object sa re applying additional weight onto the
seat. X
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off and/or
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not install
ac hild restraint system on the front-passenger seat. X
Have OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center.
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 ar isk of injury.
Do not touch the air bag parts. Have a
deploye da ir bag replaced at aq ualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible. G WARNING
Ad eploye da ir 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 aq ualified special-
ist workshop in order to have ad eploye da ir
bag replaced.
For your own safety and that of your front
passenger, it is important that you have
deploye da ir bags replaced and faulty air bags
repaired. This will help to make sure the air bags50
Occupant safety
Safety

continu etop erform thei rp rotective function for
the vehicle occupants in the event of ac rash.
G WARNING
Emergency Tensioning Devices that have
deployed pyrotechnicall ya re no longer opera-
tiona la nd are unabl etop erform thei ri nten-
ded protective function. Thi sp oses an
increase dr is kofi njury or eve nf ata li njury.
Have pyrotechnicall yt riggere dE mergency
Tensioning Devices replaced immediatel yata
qualified specialist workshop.
An electri cm otor is used by PRE-SAFE ®
to trig-
ger the tightening of the sea tb el tinh az ardous
situations. Thi sp rocedure is reversible.
If Emergency Tensioning Devices are triggered
or ai rb ag sa re deployed, yo uw il lh ea rab an g,
and some powder may also be released .T he
u restraint system warning lamp lights up.
Only in rar ec ase sw il lt he bang affect your hear-
ing. The powder that is released generally does
not constitute ah ealth hazard ,b ut it may cause
short-term breathing difficulties in peopl ew it h
asthma or othe rr espiratory problems. Provided
it is saf etodos o, yo us houl dl ea ve the vehicle
immediatel yoro pe nt he window in order to pre-
vent breathing difficulties.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contai np erchlorate material,
which may require specia lh an dling and regard
for the environment. National guidelines must
be observe dd ur ing disposal .InC alif ornia, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm .
Metho dofo perationDuring the firs ts tag eofac ollision, the restraint
system control uni te valuates important physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as: R
duration R
direction R
intensity
Base dont he evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control uni tt riggers the Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices during af ronta lo r
rea rc ollision. An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be
triggered, if: R
the ignition is switched on R
the components of the restraint system are
operational .Y ou can find further information
under "Restraint system warning lamp"
( Y
page 38) R
the sea tb el tb uc kle tongu eh as engaged in
the bel tb uc kle of the respectiv es eat
If the restraint system control uni td etects a
more severe accident, further components of
the restraint system are activate di ndepend-
ently of each othe rinc ertain fronta lc ollision
situations: R
Front ai rb ag sasw el lasd river' sa nd front-
passenger knee bags
The front-passenger front ai rb ag is activate do r
deactivated depending on the person on the
front-passenger seat. The front-passenger front
ai rb ag can only deploy in an accident if the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off.
Observe the information on the PASSENGER AIR
BAG indicator lamps ( Y
page 39).
You rv ehicle ha st wo-stage front ai rb ag s. In the
firs td eployment stage, the front ai rb ag is filled
with propellant gas. The front ai rb ag is fully
deployed with the maximum amount of prop el-
l
ant ga sifas econd deployment threshol di s
reached within af ew milliseconds.
The activation threshol doft he Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices and the ai rb ag sisd etermined
by evaluating the rate of vehicle deceleration or
acceleration which occurs at variou sp oints in
the vehicle .T hi sp rocess is pre-emptive in
nature. Deployment shoul dt ake place in good
time at the star toft he collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determine db y: R
the distribution of force sd ur ing the collisionR
the collision angle R
the deformation characteristics of the vehicle R
the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle ha sc ollided
Factor sw hich can only be see na nd measured
afte rac ollision ha so ccurred do not play ad eci-
siv er ol eint he deployment of an ai rb ag .N or do
they provid eani ndication of ai rb ag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle can be deforme dc onsiderably ,w it h-
ou tana ir ba gb eing deployed. Thi sist he case if
only parts which are relativel ye as il yd eformedOccupan ts afety 51
Safety Z