Every year NOT every 2 years, LOL. thats how bad they are. Everything dries out, doesnt stick, etc.

I am in RROC (Rolls Royce Owners Club), but am not familar with the first aid kits, I have heard that a lot of them came with a real good tool kit though, not sure on those, good question though.

Perhaps they were expecting the cars to get into more accidents therefore requiring more use of the first aid kit. :)

The reason the cars have first aid kits is because it is a German law that cars have first aid kits in them. Also all cars are required to have emergency triangle. When I bought my car, I was very surprised to find a first aid kit sitting in the first aid compartment. It was still sealed, however I knew it could not be the original one from 1980. The case is black nylon with a zipper and says Mercedes-Benz on it. I suspect that in 1980 the kit would of been in a metal or plastic box. This kit and the one in my father's '85 300D were made for Mercedes, by a company here in the USA.
My 1999 VW Passat wagon has a compartment labeled with a green cross. This is where the first aid kit is meant to go. I say meant because VW did not put the kits in the cars bound for the USA. I was able to buy the kit at the dealer. This kit has enough burn dressing, gauze, thermal blanket, and surgical scissors for cutting. Everything in the kit is written in German, English (UK), and French.
Just as side note about German car safety laws. It is also required that cars have one rear, red fog light on the driver's side.

My car doesn't have a triangle? In the trunk lid, on the inside, right? Maybe this was discontinued on later models as I don't remember seeing them on new cars.

Your right, they dont have the triangle. I think the triangle is only in European cars and were not put in the US cars.

I am not sure of this, but from all the MBs i have, none of them have a triangle although the instruction manual says they do.

And the nylon bags are with the newer cars/production, the old ones ARE in a metal box or plastic box (my 84 300D)

The pictures I have seen of Benzes in German show the triangle to be mounted in the trunk lid. Like the tool kits on BMWs. So when you break down on the side of the road, the triangle is displayed to on coming motorist when you open the trunk to get to the spare tire.

All our MBs come with the triangle fixed at the trunk lid. I don't know whether its intended to face at an angle when the lid is open though.

In the US, they don't come with the triangles on the inside of the trunk-lid, atleast not anymore, I think they might at one time (?). I see a slight molding in the interior trim of the trunk lid where a triangle COULD go; must be for the ones elsewhere.

I've been driving the 280SEL this week, as my 300D is in the shop, and the 280 does have the triangle under the trunk. Of course, the 280SEL is the European version, and it spent its first 50,000 miles in Germany. My 300SD did not have the triangle, but it did have the mounting areas. I'm relatively sure that all W126 sedans will at least have the mounting area.

The aid kit in my '82 300D Turbo is the original one, and it looks like it didn't see much use. In fact the Asprin has an expiry date of something like August 1982! I should really replace that.


My dad told me that in Europe all cars are required by law to have the first aid kit, emergency triangle, and a fire extinguisher. I wish my Benz had the triangle, but like most North American models it doesn't. I asked my dad to buy me one when he was in Europe last summer, but he could only find metal ones that where too heavy as it would have taken a large chunk of the allowed baggage weight limit.

My 98 C-Class has the warning triangle mounted in the bootlid and the first aid kit in the parcel shelf.

The law as to what must be carried varies throughout Europe. The previous posts about German legislation are correct. In France and most other European countries you must carry a spare bulb kit, too. In fact this is a very useful piece of kit and I'd recommend carrying one. In Spain, if the driver wears spectacles, he must carry a spare pair.

Some European countries require the driver to have his driving licence, insurance documentation and certificate of ownership available in the car at all times which is a bit draconian (France is like this, but then in France one gets the feeling that the cops are more dodgy than the crims).

When my wife looked in the first aid kit in my 83-300D, she told me not "to use that old first aid kit on any of our grandchildren". I wonder if she meant that I could use it on myself? LOL After looking at it myself, I put some fresh first aid supplies in the glove box. Are these old kits valuable?

I've never used it but my 7-year-old grandson loves to dig into it. The first aid kit and the wheels are his two favorite things about MBs!

Robby,
I am glad you are teaching your grandson well!! Good to hear! ;)