Pit-Pony

Just took delivery. I notice that the "Pass Air Bag Off" light, comes on briefly on startup than goes out with no one sitting in the pass seat. The manual indicates it should stay on when the seat is empty. No other messages on the display.

Anyone else have this? I guess I have to go in for service 3 days after I got the car. bummer.

wblynch

I wish mine would go out like yours. I find it very annoying, especially at night.

Maybe there's a behavior option? Let us know if you find out.

Pit-Pony

Ya, I'm just worried that the system may be in trouble and the pass air bags may not be functional. I'll be at the dealer this week and see about it.

Pit-Pony

At the dealer today. We looked at three other cars on the lot and they all behave exactly like mine, so it looks like in the Canadian cars the light does not stay on.

The tech is going to ask up the line about the discrepancy in the manual. US cars may have the weight determination feature and Canadian cars may not or it's turned off at the Autoport on arrival.

My W203 had the light on when the seat was empty.

I'll wait and see what they tell me when they find out more. For now I'm good to go as it is ( if a warning doesn't appear in the messages area ) and the manual may be wrong for Canada. Strange, so I'll follow up in a while out of curiosity if nothing else.

Diesel Benz

This was interesting. I had a look at the US manual for a W221 and it had the same text as the US W204 manual, the light would remain on.

Then I had a look at the Euro manual and it looks all different. This must be a US feature, perhaps this time the Canadian behaviour should be like that for Europe (and the manual does not take this into account) or for some odd reason the Canadian cars were delivered like European even if perhaps they should not.

I believe this is the closest corresponding section from the Euro manual:

Risk of injury If the front-passenger front airbag is not disabled:

• a child secured in a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat could be seriously and even fatally injured by the front-passenger front airbag deploying. This is especially a risk if the child is in the immediate vicinity of the front-passenger front airbag when it deploys.
• a child must never be secured on the front-passenger seat in a rearward-facing child restraint system. Only secure a rearward-facing child restraint system on a suitable rear seat.
• always move the front-passenger seat to the rearmost position if you secure a child in a forward-facing child restraint system on the front-passenger seat.

The front-passenger front airbag is not disabled:

• on vehicles without automatic child seat recognition in the front-passenger seat*.
• on vehicles without automatic child seat recognition on the front-passenger seat*, if no special child restraint system with automatic child seat recognition has been fitted to the front-passenger seat.
• on vehicles with automatic child seat recognition on the front-passenger seat*, if the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning lamp is not lit.

To draw attention to this danger, there is an appropriate warning sticker on the dashboard as well as on both sides of the sun visor on the front-passenger side.
Information about recommended child restraint systems is available at any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.

Pit-Pony

Well the dealer doesn't know so I think I'll call the mercedes cutomer relations and ask.

Pit-Pony

Well, MB can't answere me either. They will have to investigate as they belive the manual is correct.

At my dealer we looker at three W204s and they all behave like mine, wrong!

Would any other Canadian owners please check theire cars and report how this indicator behaves?

UPDATE: MB called me bacjk and Canadian cars don't have that feature, so the light does not stay on when the seat is empty. The manual is wrong for Canada.