2008 Mercedes SL-Class Owner's Manual - Page 72

Safety and Security Occupant safety In case of other types of impacts and impacts below air bag deployment thresholds, air bags will not deploy. The driver and passenger will then be protected to the extent possible by a properly fastened seat belt. A properly fastened seat belt is also needed to provide the best possible protection in a rollover. We caution you not to rely on the presence of the air bags in order to avoid wearing your seat belt. It is important to your safety and that of your passenger that you replace deployed air bags and repair any malfunctioning air bags to make sure that the vehicle will continue to provide supplemental crash protection for occupants. Air bags and Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs) contain Perchlorate material, which may require special handling and regard for the environment. Check with your local government's disposal guidelines. California residents, see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm. Air bags and Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs) are designed to function on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or ETD that has deployed must be replaced. Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges. They could tear. Do not make any modification that could change the effectiveness of the seat belts. Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may severely weaken them. In a crash, they may not be able to provide adequate protection. No modifications of any kind may be made to any components or wiring of the SRS. This includes changing or removing any component or part of the SRS, the installation of additional trim material, badges, etc. over the steering wheel hub, passenger front air bag cover, door frame trims, or door trim panels, and installation of additional electrical/electronic equipment on or near SRS components and wiring. Keep area between air bags and occupants free from objects (e.g. packages, purses, umbrellas, etc.). Air bag system components will be hot after an air bag has inflated. Do not touch. Never place your feet on the instrument panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always keep both feet on the floor in front of the seat. Safety guidelines for the seat belt, emergency tensioning device and air bag Warning! G Damaged seat belts or seat belts that were highly stressed in an accident must be replaced and their anchoring points must also be checked. Only use seat belts installed or supplied by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. 72