Mercedes-Benz 380 SL 1985 Owner's Manual page 21

In cases of less severe frontal
impacts, such as roll-overs, side or
rear collisions, or other accidents
without severe frontal forces, the
airbag will not be activated. The
driver and passenger will then be
protected by the fastened seat
belts.
The activation of the "SRS" tempo­
rarily releases a small amount of
dust from the driver airbag and all
of the seat belt emergency tension­
ing retractors. This dust, however,
is neither injurious to your health,
nor does it indicate a fire in the
vehicle.
The service life of the airbag
extends to the date indicated on
the glove compartment sticker. To
provide continued reliability after
that date, it should be inspected by
an authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer at that time.
Safety Guidelines for the
Supplemental Restraint System -
Seat Belts, Emergency Tensioning
Retractor and Airbag
Damaged belts or belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must
be replaced and their anchoring
points must also be checked. Use
only belts installed or supplied by
MERCEDES-BENZ.
Do not pass belts over sharp
edges.
Do not make any modification that
could change the effectiveness of
the belts.
An airbag or tensioning retractor
that was activated must be
replaced.
No modifications of any kind may
be made to any components or wir­
ing of the "SRS". This includes the
installation of additional trim mate­
rial, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub and installation of additi­
onal electrical/electronic equipment
on or near "SRS" components and
wiring.
Supplemental Restraint System
Improper work on the system, in­
cluding incorrect installation and
removal, can lead to possible injury
through an uncontrolled activation
of the "SRS". In addition, through
improper work there is the risk of
rendering the "SRS" inoperative.
Work on the "SRS" must therefore
only be performed by an authorized
MERCEDES-BENZ dealer.
When scrapping the airbag unit or
tensioning retractor, it is mandatory
to follow our safety instructions.
These instructions are available at
every authorized MERCEDES-BENZ
dealer.
When you sell the vehicle we
strongly urge you to give notice to
the subsequent owner if it is
equipped with an "SRS" by alerting
him to the applicable section in the
Owner's Manual.