WARNING  
The pressure sensors for side impact air bag control are located in the doors. Do not modify any components of the doors or door trim panels including, for example, the addition of door speakers.
Improper repair work on the doors or the modification or addition of components to the doors create a risk of rendering the side impact air bags inoperative or causing unintended air bag deployment. Work on the doors must therefore only be performed by qualified technicians. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

WARNING  
Only use seat covers which have been tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model. Using other seat covers may interfere with or prevent the deployment of the side impact air bags. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for availability.

When deployed, the side impact air bags offer additional protection for the thorax of the vehicle occupants on the side of the vehicle on which the impact occurs. However, they do not protect the:

• head
• neck
• arms

Front side impact air bags 1 and rear side impact air bags 2 deploy next to the outer seat cushions.

The side impact air bags are deployed:

• on the side on which an impact occurs
• at the start of an accident with a high rate of lateral vehicle deceleration or acceleration, e.g. in a side impact
• independently of seat belt use
• independently of the front air bags
• independently of the ETDs/beat buckle tensioners

If the vehicle overturns, the side impact air bags are generally not deployed. They are deployed if the system detects high vehicle deceleration or acceleration in a lateral direction and determines that side impact air bag deployment can offer additional protection to that provided by the seat belt.

Side impact air bags will not deploy in side impacts which do not exceed the system's preset deployment thresholds for lateral acceleration/deceleration. You will then be protected by the fastened seat belt.

Vehicles with OCS (USA only): if OCS detects that the front-passenger seat is not occupied and the front-passenger seat belt is not fastened (the belt tongue is not engaged in the seat belt buckle), the side impact air bag on the front-passenger side will not deploy.

The side impact air bag on the frontpassenger side will deploy if the frontpassenger seat belt is fastened, regardless of whether the front-passenger seat is occupied or not.

Vehicles with BabySmart™ (Canada only):

do not place any objects which weigh more than 20 lb (9 kg) on the front-passenger seat. This could cause the system to identify the seat as being occupied. In the event of an accident, the restraint systems on the front-passenger side are triggered.

Have restraint systems that have been triggered replaced.

• Window curtain air bags