Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt force limiters
The front seat belts and the outer seat belts in the rear are equipped with ETDs and seat belt force limiters.
The ETDs on the driver's and front-passenger seat consist of pyrotechnic belt buckle tensioners and belt anchor fitting tensioners that are triggered together. The belt buckle tensioner is mounted on the B-pillar and the belt anchor fitting is mounted on the side of the seat. Always have both tensioners replaced after they have been triggered.
The ETDs tighten the seat belts in an accident, pulling them close against the body.
The ETDs do not correct incorrect seat positions or incorrectly fastened seat belts.
The ETDs do not pull vehicle occupants back towards the backrest.
Seat belt force limiters, when triggered, help to reduce the peak force exerted by the seat belt on the vehicle occupant.
The seat belt force limiters for the front seats are synchronized with the front air bags.
These take on a part of the deceleration force.
Thus, the force exerted on the occupant is distributed over a greater area.
The ETDs can only be activated when:
- the ignition is switched on.
- the restraint systems are operational; see "SRS warning lamp".
- the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on each of the lap-shoulder belts in the front.
- the front-passenger seat is occupied and the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on the front-passenger side.
The ETDs on the outside seats in the rear compartment are triggered independently of the lock status of the seat belts.
The ETDs are triggered depending on the type
and severity of an accident:
- if, in the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision, the vehicle decelerates or
accelerates rapidly in a longitudinal
direction during the initial stages of the
impact
- if, in the event of a side impact, on the side
opposite the impact the vehicle
decelerates or accelerates rapidly in a
lateral direction
- if, in certain situations where the vehicle
overturns, the system determines that it
can provide additional protection
If the air bags are deployed, you will hear a bang, and a small amount of powder may also be released. Only in rare cases will the bang affect your hearing. The powder that is released generally does not constitute a health hazard. The SRS warning lamp lights up.
WARNING
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices
that have been deployed must be renewed.
For your safety, when disposing of Emergency
Tensioning Devices, always observe the
safety instructions. These are available from
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
The PRE-SAFE® system has electrically
operated reversible pre-tensioners that do
not require replacement after activation.
If the front-passenger seat is not occupied, do not engage the seat belt tongue in the buckle on the frontpassenger seat. Otherwise, the Emergency Tensioning Device could be triggered in the event of an accident.
See also:
Distance warning function (vehicleswith DISTRONIC)
This function provides a warning from a speed
of approximately 20 mph(30 km/h), if:
• for a period of several seconds, the
distance to the vehicle in front is too short
for the speed at which you ...
Useful information
This Operator's Manual describes
all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differenc ...
General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the
distance to the vehicle detected in front. It
brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed.
On lo ...