Vehicle Equipment; Introduction - Mercedes-Benz 2011 M-Class Operator's Manual

Occupant safety
36

Vehicle equipment

i This manual describes all the standard
and optional equipment of your vehicle
which was available at the time of
purchase. Country-specific differences are
possible. Bear in mind that your vehicle
may not feature all functions described
here. This also refers to safety-related
systems and functions.
Occupant safety
Overview of occupant safety
In this section you will learn the most
important facts about the restraint system
components of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are:
Seat belts
R
Child restraint systems
R
"LATCH" type child seat mountings
R
Additional protection is provided by:
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
R
NECK-PRO head restraints
R
®
PRE-SAFE
R
Air bag system components with:
R
PASSENGER air bag OFF indicator lamp
-
USA only: front-passenger seat with
-
Occupant Classification System (OCS)
Canada only: front-passenger seat with
-
BabySmart™ air bag deactivation system
The protective functions of the systems work
in conjunction with each other. The systems
are, however, autonomous.
G
Warning!
Modifications to or work improperly
conducted on restraint system components
or their wiring, as well as tampering with
interconnected electronic systems, can lead
to the restraint systems no longer functioning
as intended.
Air bags or Emergency Tensioning Devices/
belt buckle tensioners, for example, could
deploy inadvertently or fail to deploy.
Therefore, never modify the restraint
systems. Do not tamper with electronic
components or their software.
i More information on the subject of
children in the vehicle and child restraint
systems can be found under the "Children
in the vehicle" chapter (
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)

Introduction

SRS reduces the risk of occupants coming
into contact with the vehicle's interior in the
event of an accident. It can also reduce the
effect of the forces to which occupants are
subjected during an accident.
SRS consists of:
+ SRS warning lamp
R
air bags
R
air bag control unit (with crash sensors)
R
ETDs/belt buckle tensioners
R
belt force limiters
R
SRS warning lamps
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.
The + SRS 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 the + indicator lamp goes
out while the engine is running.
Y page 58).