Mercedes-Benz E-class 1998 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) - Manual (Page 3)

53
Airbags
1
Driver airbag
2
Front passenger airbag
3
Side impact airbag
The most effective occupant restraint
system yet developed for use in
production vehicles is the seat belt. In
some cases, however, the protective
effect of a seat belt can be further
enhanced by an airbag.
The driver airbag is located in the
steering wheel hub. The passenger front
airbag is located in the dashboard ahead
of the front passenger
The side impact airbags are located in
the doors. In conjunction with wearing
the seat belts with emergency
tensioning retractors, the airbags can
provide increased protection for the
driver and front passenger in certain
major frontal (for front airbags), and
side impacts (for side impact airbags).
The operational readiness of the airbag
system is verified by the indicator lamp
"SRS" in the instrument cluster when
turning the electronic key in steering
lock to position 1 or 2. If no fault is
detected, the lamp will go out after
approximately 4 seconds; after the lamp
goes out, the system continues to monitor the components and circuitry
of the airbag system and will indicate a
malfunction by coming on again.
The following system components are
monitored or undergo a self-check:
crash-sensor(s), airbag ignition circuits,
front seat belt buckles, emergency
tensioning retractors, seat sensor.
Initially, when the electronic key is
turned from steering lock position 0 to
positions 1 or 2, malfunctions in the
crash-sensor are detected and
indicated (the "SRS" indicator lamp
stays on longer than 4 seconds).
In the operational mode, after the
indicator lamp has gone out following