airbag MERCEDES-BENZ G500 2003 W463 User Guide

61 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the back-
rest reclined. Sitting in an excessively re-
clined position can be dangerous. You could
slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you
slide under it, the belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause se-
rious or even fatal injuries. The backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in an upright position and the belt
is properly positioned on the body.Warning!
G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re-
strained with a separate seat belt.
Warning!
G
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced
and their anchoring points must also be
checked.
Only use seat belts which have been ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
or to failure.
Have all work carried out only by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Warning!
G
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY

Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this sec-
tion, as that could result in serious inju-
ries in case of an accident.


Each occupant should wear their seat
belt at all times, because seat belts help
reduce the likelihood of and potential
severity of injuries in accidents, includ-
ing rollovers. The integrated restraint
system includes SRS (driver airbag and
front passenger airbag), ETD (seat belt
emergency tensioning device for driv-
er’s seat, passenger seat and the out-
board passenger seats). The system is
designed to enhance the protection of-
fered to properly belted occupants in
certain frontal (front airbags) impacts
which exceed preset deployment
thresholds.

63 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Children in the vehicle
If an infant or child is traveling with you in
the vehicle:

Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint appropriate to the age and
size of the child and recommended for
use by Mercedes-Benz.


Ensure that the infant or child is prop-
erly secured by a belt at all times while
the vehicle is in motion.
Infant and child restraint seats and infor-
mation on choosing an appropriate re-
straint system can be obtained from any
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Infant and child restraint systems
Use only a BabySmart
TM1
compatible child
restraint for the front passenger seat in
this vehicle.We recommend that all infants and
children be properly restrained at all times
while the vehicle is in motion. All lap-shoul-
der belts except the driver’s seat belt have
special seat belt retractors for secure fas-
tening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow manufac-
turer’s instructions for mounting child re-
straints. Then pull shoulder belt out
completely and let it retract. During the
seat belt retraction a ratcheting sound can
be heard to indicate that the special seat
belt retractor is activated. The belt is now
locked. Push down on child restraint to
take up any slack.
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely. The seat
belt can again be used in the usual man-
ner.
Warning!
G
An emergency tensioning device (ETD) that
was activated must be replaced.
When scrapping the emergency tensioning
device, our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These are available at your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.!Do not place objects heavier than
20 lbs (9 kg) on the front passenger
seat. This could cause the front airbag
on the front passenger side to deploy in
a crash which exceeds the system's de-
ployment threshold.
1BabySmartTM
is a trademark of Siemens Automo-
tive Corp.

64 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
iInformation on child seats with mount-
ing fittings for tether anchorages
(page 67).
For information on child seat anchors –
“LATCH” type (
page 68).
Warning!
G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.!The use of infant or child restraints is
required by law in all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, the U.S. territo-
ries and all Canadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be
seated in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system properly secured by a
lap-shoulder belt or, if so equipped,
a child restraint lower anchorage sys-
tem that complies with U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213
and 225 and Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards 213 and 210.2.
A statement by the child restraint man-
ufacturer of compliance with this stan-
dard can be found on the instruction
label on the restraint and in the instruc-
tion manual provided with the restraint.
When using any infant or child restraint
system, be sure to carefully read and
follow all manufacturer’s instructions
for installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels
affixed to inside of vehicle and to infant
or child restraints.
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a Mer-
cedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM com-
patible child seat, which operates with the
BabySmart
TM System installed in the vehi-
cle to deactivate the passenger front airbag
when it is properly installed. Otherwise they
will be struck by the airbag when it inflates
in a crash. If this happens, serious or fatal in-
jury can result.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle's
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er's instructions.

65 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
BabySmart
TM
airbag deactivation
system
Special BabySmart
TM1
compatible child
seats, designed for use with the Mer-
cedes-Benz system and available at any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center are required for use with the
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation system.
With the special child seat properly in-
stalled, the passenger front airbag will not
deploy.
The
7
indicator lamp located in the
center console will be illuminated, except
with the key removed or in the starter
switch position0.
Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
Warning!
G
Children too big for child restraint systems
must ride in back seats using regular seat
belts. Position shoulder belt across chest
and shoulder, not face or neck. A booster
seat may be necessary to achieve proper
belt positioning for children from 41 lbs. un-
til they reach a height where a lap / shoulder
belt fits properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, re-
m o v e i t f r o m t h e v e h i c l e o r s e c u r e i t w i t h t h e
seat belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an ac-
cident.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil-
dren in a child restraint system may use ve-
hicle equipment and may cause serious
personal injury.
1BabySmartTM
is a trademark of Siemens Automo-
tive Corp.

66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetySelf-test BabySmart
TM
without special
child seat installed
After turning key in starter switch to
position1 or2, the
7
indicator lamp
located in the center console lights up for
approximately 6 seconds and then goes
out.
If the indicator lamp should not come on or
is continuously lit, the system is not func-
tioning. You must see an authorized Mer-
cedes-Benz Light Truck Center before
seating any child on the front passenger
seat.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (page 244).
Warning!
G
The BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation sys-
tem will ONLY work with a special child seat
designed to operate with it. It will not work
with child seats which are not BabySmart
TM
compatible.
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the deactivation sys-
tem. The bottom of the child seat must
make full contact with the passenger seat
cushion. An incorrectly mounted child seat
could cause injuries to the child in case of an
accident, instead of protecting the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of special child seats.
When using a BabySmart
TM compatible
child seat on the front passenger side seat,
the front passenger airbag will not deploy
only if the
7
indicator lamp remains il-
luminated.
Warning!
G
Please be sure to check the indicator every
time you use the special system child seat.
Should the light go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation. If the
light remains out, do not use the
BabySmart
TM restraint to transport children
on the passenger seat until the system has
been repaired.
Warning!
G
Do not place powered-on laptops, cell
phones and like electronic devices on the
front passenger seat. Signals from such de-
vices may interfere with the BabySmart
TM
system. Such signal interference may cause
the
7
indicator lamp not to come on
during self-test or be continuously lit, indi-
cating that the system is not functioning.

103 Controls in detail
Lighting
Switching on rear fog lamp
Check that the low beam headlamps
are switched on.

Pull out exterior lamp switch to second
stop.
The yellow indicator lamp
†
in the
lamp switch lights up.
Combination switch
The combination switch is located on the
left side of the steering column.
1High beam
2High beam flasher
Switching on high beams
Turn exterior lamp switch to
position
B
or to
U

(
page 100).

Push the combination switch in
direction1.
The high beam symbol
A
in the
instrument cluster lights up.High beam flasher

Pull the combination switch briefly in
direction2.
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be activat-
ed with the ignition switched on or off. It is
activated automatically when an airbag is
deployed.
The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1Hazard warning flasher switch

185 Controls in detail
Useful features
Emergency calls
An emergency call is initiated automatical-
ly:

following an accident in which the
emergency tensioning devices (ETDs)
or airbags deploy


if the anti-theft alarm or the tow-away
alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds. See anti-theft alarm sys-
tem (
page 79) and tow-away alarm
(
page 80)
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
inside rear view mirror labeled SOS, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See below for instructions on
initiating an emergency call manually.
Once the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp in the SOS button will begin
to flash. The message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CONNECTING CALL
appears in the multifunc-
tion display. When the connection is estab-
lished, the message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CALL CONNECTED
appears in the multifunction display. All information rele-
vant to the emergency, such as the loca-
tion of the vehicle (determined by the GPS
satellite location system), vehicle model,
identification number and color are gener-
ated.
A voice connection between the Response
Center and the occupants of the vehicle
will be established automatically soon af-
ter the emergency call has been initiated.
When a voice connection is established the
audio system mutes and the message
TELE AID – EMERGENCY CALL ACTIVE
ap-
pears in the multifunction display. The Re-
sponse Center will attempt to determine
more precisely the nature of the accident
provided they can speak to an occupant of
the vehicle.The Tele Aid system is available if:


it has been activated and is operation-
al. Activation requires a subscription
for monitoring services, connection
and cellular air time


the relevant cellular phone network
and GPS signals are available and pass
the information on to the response cen-
teriLocation of the vehicle on a map is only
possible if the vehicle is able to receive
signals from the GPS satellite network
and pass the information on to the re-
sponse center.

242 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
3
(Canada only)
;
(USA only)
-
The red brake warning lamp and
the yellow ABS malfunction indi-
cator lamp come on when the
engine is running and you hear a
warning sound for approximately
five seconds.
The EBB has detected a malfunction and has
switched off. You should be prepared for your
vehicle to perform differently than normal
when braking.

Continue driving with added caution.

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Cen-
ter as soon as possible.

Also note the messages in the multi-
function display (
page 246).
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of accidents.
1
The red SRS indicator lamp lights
up while driving.
There is a malfunction in the restraint sys-
tems. The airbags or emergency tensioning
device (ETDs) could deploy unexpectedly or
fail to activate in an accident.

Drive with added caution to the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Warning!
G
In the event a malfunction of the SRS is indi-
cated as outlined above, the SRS may not be
operational.
For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center immediately to have the
system checked; otherwise the SRS may not
be activated when needed in an accident.
This could result in serious or fatal injury, or
it might deploy unexpectedly and unneces-
sarily which could also result in an accident
and/or injury to you or others.

244 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Lamp in center consoleProblem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
The yellow fuel tank reserve warning lamp is
blinking.
The fuel cap is not closed tight.

Check the fuel cap.
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
7
The indicator lamp lights up.
A BabySmart
TM child seat is installed on the
front passenger seat. Therefore the front
passenger airbag is switched off.
The system is malfunctioning when there is
no BabySmart
TM child seat installed on the
front passenger seat.

Have the system checked as soon as
possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

264 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
Category
1
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The system is malfunctioning. The
airbags or emergency tensioning de-
vice (ETDs) could deploy unexpect-
edly or fail to activate in an accident.

Drive with added caution to
the nearest authorized Mer-
cedes-Benz Light Truck Cen-
ter.
1
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
SERVICE
The system is malfunctioning. The
airbags or emergency tensioning de-
vice (ETDs) could deploy unexpect-
edly or fail to activate in an accident.

Drive with added caution to
the nearest authorized Mer-
cedes-Benz Light Truck Cen-
ter.
2
Warning!
G
In the event a malfunction of the SRS is indi-
cated as outlined above, the SRS may not be
operational.
For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center immediately to have the
system checked.
Otherwise the SRS may not be activated
when needed in an accident, which could re-
sult in serious or fatal injury, or it might de-
ploy unexpectedly and unnecessarily which
could also result in injury.