2009 MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV light

Never tamper with electronic components
and their software.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
The SRS reduces the risk of occupants com-
ing into contact with the vehicle's interior in
the event of an accident. It can also reduce
the forces to which occupants are subjected
during an accident.
The SRS consists of:
R The + warning lamp
R belt tensioners
R belt force limiters
R airbags
The + + warning lamp The SRS functions are checked regularly
when you turn on the ignition and when the
engine is running. Therefore, malfunctions
can be detected in good time.
The
+ warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out no later than a few seconds
after the engine is started. G
Risk of injury
If SRS is malfunctioning, individual systems
may be activated unintentionally or not be
deployed in the event of an accident with
heavy braking.
A malfunction has occurred if the +warn-
ing lamp:
R does not light up when you switch on the
ignition
R does not go out after the engine has been
running for a few seconds
R lights up again once the engine is running
In this case, have SRS checked immediately
at a qualified specialist workshop. Triggering of belt tensioners, belt force
limiters and airbags In the event of a collision, the airbag control
unit evaluates important physical data such
as duration, direction and force of the vehicle
deceleration or acceleration. Based on the
evaluation of this data and in the event of lon-
gitudinal deceleration in a collision, the airbag
control unit pre-emptively triggers the belt
tensioners, depending on the rate of deceler-
ation, in the first stage.
i
The front belt tensioners can only be trig-
gered if the belt tongue is correctly
engaged in the seat belt buckle.
The front airbags are only deployed if there is
an even higher rate of vehicle deceleration in
a longitudinal direction.
Your vehicle has adaptive, dual stage front
airbags. When the first activation threshold is
reached, the front airbag is filled with enough
propellant gas to reduce the risk of injuries.
The front airbag is only fully inflated if a sec-
ond threshold is reached within a few milli-
seconds, due to the control unit having detec-
ted further deceleration.
Criteria for triggering belt tensioners and
airbags
In the first stage of a collision, the airbag con-
trol unit evaluates the duration and direction
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in
order to determine whether it is necessary to
trigger the belt tensioner and/or airbag.
The belt tensioner and airbag triggering
thresholds are variable and are adapted to the
rate of deceleration of the vehicle. This proc-
ess is pre-emptive in nature as the airbag
must be deployed during – and not at the end
of – the collision.
i Airbags are not deployed in all types of
accidents. They are controlled by complex
sensor technology and evaluation logic.
This process is pre-emptive in nature as
airbag deployment must take place during
the impact and must be adapted to provide Occupant safety
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affect your hearing. The powder that escapes
does not generally constitute a health hazard.
The + warning lamp lights up.
i If the belt buckle tensioners have been
triggered on the front seats, the buckle will
be pulled down and will be almost flush with
the upper edge of the seat. The +warn-
ing lamp comes on. G
Risk of injury
The belt buckle tensioners on the front seats
only function if the belt buckles can be pulled
down without obstruction. They must not be
restricted in any way. For this reason, do not
hold the belt buckles and do not place any
objects under the belt buckles. Otherwise, the
tensioning of the belt by the buckle is restric-
ted or will not function and will not provide
any additional protection. G
Risk of injury
If the seat belt tensioners have been trig-
gered, they provide no additional protection
in the event of another accident. Therefore,
have belt tensioners which have been trig-
gered replaced at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Comply with safety regulations when dispos-
ing of belt tensioners. Any Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre can provide details of these
regulations.
Airbags Airbag deployment slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant.
If the airbags 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 escapes
does not generally constitute a health hazard.
The + warning lamp lights up.
The SRS/AIRBAG identification indicates the
location of the airbags. G
Risk of injury
Airbags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for seat belts.
Observe the following notes to reduce the risk
of serious or even fatal injury if an airbag is
deployed:
R all vehicle occupants ― in particular, preg-
nant women ― must wear their seat belt
correctly at all times and lean back against
the backrest, which should be positioned
as close to the vertical as possible. The
head restraint must support the back of the
head at about eye level.
R always secure children less than 1.50 m tall
or under 12 years of age in suitable child
restraint systems.
R all vehicle occupants must select a seat
position that is as far away from the airbag
as possible. The driver's seat position must
allow the vehicle to be driven safely. The
driver's chest should be as far away from
the middle of the driver's front airbag cover
as possible.
R move the front-passenger seat as far back
as possible, especially if a child is secured
in a child restraint system on the seat.
R vehicle occupants – in particular, children
– must not lean their head into the area of
the window in which the sidebag/window-
bag is deployed.
R rearward-facing child restraint systems
must not be fitted to the front-passenger
seat unless the front-passenger front air-
bag has been disabled. The front-passenger
front airbag of a vehicle fitted with auto-
matic child seat recognition* is only disa-
bled when a child restraint system with
automatic child seat recognition is fitted to
the front-passenger seat. The 4
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning lamp
must be continuously lit.
If the front-passenger seat of your vehicle
does not have automatic child seat recog- Occupant safety
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The windowbags are integrated into the side
of the roof frame They are located between
the front door (A-pillar) and the rear windows
(D-pillar). Windowbags
:are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
lateral direction
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R independently of the front airbags
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R independently of the seat belt use PRE-SAFE
®
* system
PRE-SAFE ®
system takes pre-emptive meas-
ures to protect you in certain hazardous sit-
uations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes in the event of:
R emergency braking situations, e.g. if the
BAS Brake Assist intervenes
R critical situations involving driving dynam-
ics, e.g. if the vehicle oversteers or under-
steers significantly due to physical limits
being exceeded If you are driving faster than approximately
30 km/h,
PRE-SAFE®
may take the following
measures in these situations:
R it tensions the front seat belts.
R on vehicles with memory functions*: it
adjusts the front-passenger seat if this is in
an unfavourable position.
R if the vehicle skids, it closes the sliding/
tilting sunroof* and the side windows so
that only a small gap remains.
if the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pretensioning. You can then reverse
all settings made by PRE-SAFE ®
.
If the seat belts are not released:
X Move the backrest or the seat back slightly
until the belt tension is reduced.
The locking mechanism releases. G
Risk of injury
When adjusting the seat, make sure that
nobody can become trapped.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when adjusting
the seats. You could otherwise damage the
seats and the objects. NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints*
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints are designed to increase pro-
tection of the driver’s and front-passenger’s
head and neck. To this end, the head
restraints on the driver's and front-passenger
seats are moved forwards and upwards in the
event of a rear-end collision when viewed in
the direction of travel. This provides better
head support. G
Risk of injury
Head restraint covers prevent NECK-PRO
head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head 40
Occupant safetySafety
* optional
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restraints from triggering properly. The NECK-
PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraints can therefore not provide the inten-
ded protection. Do not use head restraint cov-
ers.
If NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraints have been triggered in
an accident, you must reset the head
restraints on the driver’s and front-passenger
seat (Y page 252). Head restraints that have
been triggered are tilted forwards. Children in the vehicle
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, secure
the child using a child restraint system which
is appropriate to the size and age of the child
and is recommended for Mercedes-Benz
vehicles. You should fit the restraint system
to a suitable rear seat. Ensure that the child
is secured throughout the trip.
You can obtain information about the correct
child restraint system from any Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products to clean child restraint systems.
Information about this can be obtained
from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. Children could injure them-
selves on parts of the vehicle. They could also
be seriously or even fatally injured by pro-
longed exposure to extreme heat or cold.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. Parts of the child restraint sys-
tem could heat up and the child could burn
herself/himself on them.
If a child opens a door, the child or other per-
sons could be injured as a result. The child
could get out and be injured in the process or
be injured by a passing vehicle. G
Risk of injury
An unsecured or an incorrectly positioned
load increases the risk of injury for the child
and all other occupants, during:
R an accident
R a braking manoeuvre
R a sudden change of direction
Do not carry heavy or hard objects inside the
vehicle unless they are secured. You will find
further information under "Loading guide-
lines" in the index.
Child restraint systems Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use the child restraint systems listed on
(Y
page 46). G
Risk of injury
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of a sudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R children less than 1.50 m tall and under
twelve years of age must always be secured
in special child restraint systems on a suit-
able vehicle seat. This is necessary
because the seat belts are not designed for
children of this size.
R do not secure children less than 1.50 m tall
or under twelve years of age on the front-
passenger seat. Exception: the child is
secured in a vehicle with automatic child
seat recognition on the front-passenger
seat* and is secured in a child restraint
system with automatic child seat recogni-
tion.
R if you secure a forward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat, you must move the front-passenger
seat as far back as possible.
R children must never travel sitting on the lap
of another occupant. Due to the forces
occurring in the event of a sudden change
of direction, heavy braking or an accident, Occupant safety
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the
4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp is not lit.
To alert you to this danger, a corresponding
warning sticker is located on the dashboard
and 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.
Automatic child seat recognition on the
front-passenger seat
If your vehicle does not have automatic child
seat recognition on the front-passenger seat,
this is indicated by a special sticker. The
sticker is affixed to the side of the dashboard
on the front-passenger side. It is visible when
you open the front-passenger door.
The warning lamp 3
is located on the centre
console. The sensors for the automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat detects
whether a special Mercedes-Benz child seat
with automatic child seat recognition has
been fitted. In such cases, 4PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF warning lamp :lights up. The
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. G
Risk of injury
If the 4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp does not light up when the child restraint
system is fitted, the front-passenger front air- bag has not been disabled. If the front-
passenger front airbag is deployed, the child
could be seriously or even fatally injured.
Proceed as follows:
R
do not use a rearward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat.
R fit a rearward-facing child restraint system
on a suitable rear seat.
or
R only use a forward-facing child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat and
move the front-passenger seat to its rear-
most position.
R have the automatic child seat recognition
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
To ensure that the automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat func-
tions correctly, never place objects (such as
a cushion) under the child restraint system.
The entire base of the child restraint system
must always rest on the seat cushion. An
incorrectly fitted child restraint system can-
not perform its intended protective function
in the event of an accident, and could lead to
injuries.
i The windowbag, the sidebag and the belt
tensioner on the front-passenger side are
still active even if the front-passenger front
airbag is disabled by the automatic child-
seat recognition on the front-passenger
seat. G
Risk of injury
Do not place electronic devices on the front-
passenger seat, e.g.:
R laptops, when switched on
R mobile phones
R cards with transponders, e.g. ski passes or
access cards
3 Vehicles without automatic child seat recognition in the front-passenger seat: the warning lamp lights up
briefly when you turn the key to position 2 in the ignition lock. However, it has no function and does not
indicate that there is automatic child seat recognition on the front-passenger seat. Occupant safety
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Signals from electronic equipment can cause
interference in the automatic child seat rec-
ognition sensor system. This could lead to a
system malfunction. This may cause the
4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning lamp
to light up without there being a child seat
with automatic child seat recognition fitted. This means that the front-passenger front air-
bag will not deploy during an accident. It is
also possible that the 6SRS warning lamp
lights up and/or the 4PASSENGER AIR-
BAG OFF warning lamp does not light up
briefly when you turn the key in the ignition
lock to position 2.
Suitable positioning of the child restraint system Weight categories and ages Group 0: up to 10 kg
Up to approximately
9 months Group 0+: up to 13 kg
up to approximately
18 months
Child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat Vehicles with automatic
child seat recognition* on
the front-passenger seat: as
recommended
4 Vehicles with automatic
child seat recognition* on
the front-passenger seat:
as recommended
4 Child restraint system on the
left-hand and right-hand rear
seats and the third row of
seats*. Universal Universal
Child restraint system on the
centre rear seat - -
Weight categories and ages Group I: 9 to 18 kg
between approximately
8 months and 4 years Group II/III: 15 to 36 kg;
between approximately
3½ and 12 years
Child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat As recommended
5 As recommended
5 Child restraint system on the
left-hand and right-hand rear
seats and the third row of
seats*. Universal Universal
Child restraint system on the
centre rear seat Britax-Römer DUO PLUS Britax-Römer KID
4
Only use child restraint systems with automatic child seat recognition.
5 If you are using a child restraint system without automatic child seat recognition, move the front-passenger
seat to its rearmost position. 44
Occupant safetySafety
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X
Hook TopTether hook* Ainto TopTether
anchorage ?.
X Tighten TopTether belt* B. Comply with
the manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
X Move head restraint =back down again
slightly if necessary (Y page 68). Make
sure that you do not interfere with the cor-
rect routing of TopTether belt* B.
Child-proof locks If children are travelling in the vehicle, you can
activate the child-proof locks for the rear
doors.
Child-proof locks for the rear doors
The child-proof locks on the rear doors enable
you to secure each door individually. A locked
door cannot be opened from the inside. The
door can be opened from the outside if the
vehicle is unlocked.
G
Risk of accident and injury
Activate the child-proof locks for the rear
doors and the override switch for the rear
windows if children are travelling in the vehi-
cle. Otherwise, the children could open doors
or windows while the vehicle is in motion and
injure themselves or others. X
To activate: press latch;downwards.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press latch:upwards. Override feature for the rear side win-
dows G
Risk of accident and injury
Activate the child-proof locks for the rear
doors and the override switch for the rear
windows if children are travelling in the vehi-
cle. Otherwise, the children could open doors
or windows while the vehicle is in motion and
injure themselves or others. X
To activate: press button :.
Button :engages. The rear side windows
can only be operated using the switches on
the driver's door.
X To deactivate: press button:.
Button :pops out and is flush with the
other buttons. You can operate the rear
side windows using the switches in the rear
compartment. Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock Braking System)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System)
R Adaptive brake lamps
R ESP ®
( Electronic Stability Program)
R EBV (electronic brake-power distribution) Driving safety systems
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effect. However, braking force is not auto-
matically increased in emergency braking sit-
uations and the stopping distance may
increase. Adaptive brake lamps
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 25 km/ho r if braking is assisted by BAS,
the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way,
traffic travelling behind you is warned in an
even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off
the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning switch button (Y page 81).ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between tyres and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. If necessary, the engine output is also
modified to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within physical limits. ESP ®
assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the dwarning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows: R
do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident if
you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override the
laws of physics.
! Only operate the vehicle briefly (for a max-
imum of ten seconds) on a brake dyna-
mometer. Turn the key in the ignition lock
to position 0or 1. You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a twin-axle dyna-
mometer. If you wish to operate the vehicle
on such a dynamometer, please consult a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre in advance.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation If your trailer begins to lurch, you can only
stabilise the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
In this situation, ESP
®
assists you and can
detect when the trailer begins to lurch.
ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and
limiting the engine output until the vehicle/
trailer combination has stabilised.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 65 km/h. G
Risk of accident
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent Driving safety systems
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