2009 MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV Owners Manual

Weight category
I: 9 to 18 kg
Rear bench
seat, left and
right
IUF
8 IUF
8 IUF
8 IUF
8 IUF
8 third row of
seats* left and
right
X
9 X
9 IUF
8 IUF
8 IUF
8 Recommended child restraint systems
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
Manufacturer
Britax-Römer Britax-Römer
Type
BABY SAFE PLUS BABY SAFE PLUS
Approval number
E1 03 301146
E1 04 301146 E1 03 301146
E1 04 301146
Daimler order number
A 000 970 10 00 A 000 970 10 00
Automatic child seat recognition
Yes Yes
Weight categories and ages Group I: 9 to 18 kg
between approx-
imately 8 months and
4 years Group II/III: 15 to
36 kg;
between approx-
imately 3½ and
12 years
Manufacturer
Britax-Römer Britax-Römer
Type
DUO PLUS KID
Approval number
E1 03 301133
E1 04 301133 E1 03 301148
E1 04 301148
Daimler order number
A 000 970 11 00 A 000 970 12 00
Automatic child seat recognition
Yes Yes
8
IUF: suitable for forward-facing ISOFIX child seat securing systems that belong to the Universal category and
are approved for use in this weight category.
9 X: this position is unsuitable. 46
Occupant safetySafety
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Weight categories and ages Group I: 9 to 18 kg
between approx-
imately 8 months and
4 years Group II/III: 15 to
36 kg;
between approx-
imately 3½ and
12 years
Daimler order number
A 000 970 16 00 A 000 970 17 00
Automatic child seat recognition
No
10 No
10 Child seat lock*
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the
seat belts on the rear bench seats may be fit-
ted with a child seat lock.
X Insert the seat belt tongue into the buckle.
X Pull the belt out completely and let it be
reeled back in by the inertia reel.
The child seat lock ensures that the belt
does not slacken once the child seat is
secured.
X To release the child seat lock: roll up the
belt completely after removing the child
seat.
ISOFIX child seat securing system in
the rear compartment ISOFIX is a standardised securing system for
specially-designed child restraint systems on
the rear seats. Securing rings for two child
restraint systems are fitted on the left and
right of the rear seat backrests.
On vehicles with a third row of seats*, the
third row of seats is also fitted with securing
rings. G
Risk of injury
A child restraint system secured by the ISOFIX
child seat securing system does not provide
sufficient protection for children weighing
more than 22 kg. For this reason, do not
secure children weighing more than 22 kg in
a child restraint system secured by the ISOFIX
child seat securing system. If the child weighs more than 22 kg, secure the child restraint
system using a lap-shoulder belt.
G
Risk of injury
The child restraint system cannot perform its
protective function if it is not correctly fitted
to a suitable vehicle seat. The child cannot be
restrained in the event of a sudden change of
direction, heavy braking or an accident. This
may lead to serious or even fatal injuries. For
this reason, when fitting a child restraint sys-
tem, observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions and the correct use of the child
restraint system.
On the rear seats, only use child restraint sys-
tems with an ISOFIX child seat securing sys-
tem which have been recommended for use
in Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
An incorrectly fitted child restraint system
could come loose and seriously or even fatally
injure the child or other vehicle occupants.
When fitting the child restraint system, make
sure that it is engaged in the securing rings
on both sides. G
Risk of injury
Please note that if child restraint systems, or
their retaining systems, are damaged or sub-
jected to a load in an accident, they may not
be able to provide their protective function.
This could result in serious or even fatal inju-
ries to the secured child in the event of an
accident, heavy braking or a sudden change
in direction.
10 For child restraint systems without automatic child seat recognition, move the front-passenger seat to the
rearmost position. Occupant safety
47Safety
* optional
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For this reason, have child restraint systems
and their anchorages which have been dam-
aged or subjected to a load in an accident
checked immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
! When fitting the child restraint system,
make sure that the seat belt for the centre
seat does not become trapped. Otherwise,
it could be damaged. X
Remove covers :. ;
Securing rings
TopTether
TopTether provides an additional connection
between the child restraint system secured
with ISOFIX and the rear seat. It helps reduce
the risk of injury even further.
The TopTether anchorages are located on the
rear side of the rear seat backrests.
For the third row of seats*, use the lashing
eyelets in the luggage compartment floor. X
Remove respective covering cap :of the
TopTether anchorage. X
Move head restraint =upwards.
X Fit the ISOFIX child restraint system with
TopTether*. Comply with the manufactur-
er's installation instructions.
X Guide TopTether belt* Bunder head
restraint =between the two head restraint
rods.
X Guide TopTether belt* Bdownwards
between luggage compartment cover :
and rear seat backrest ;.48
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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R
4ETS ( Electronic Traction Support)
R Distance warning function* (vehicles with
Distronic*)
i In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tyres (M+S tyres) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv-
ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible. G
Risk of accident
The risk of an accident is significantly
increased by driving too fast. This is particu-
larly the case when cornering as well as on
wet or slippery roads or when driving too close
to the vehicle in front.
The driving safety systems described in this
section can neither reduce this risk nor over-
ride the laws of physics.
For this reason, always adapt your driving
style to suit prevailing road and weather con-
ditions. Maintain sufficient distance from
other road users and objects on the road. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently. G
Risk of accident
Do not depress the brake pedal several times
in quick succession (pumping). Depress the
brake firmly and evenly. Pumping the brake
pedal reduces the braking effect.
Braking If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal. X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force. G
Risk of accident
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. This limits the steerability of the vehi-
cle when braking and the braking distance
may increase.
If ABS is deactivated due to a malfunction,
then BAS and ESP are also deactivated. There
is an increased risk of your vehicle skidding in
certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit prevailing road and weather conditions.
Off-road ABS An ABS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically if the LOW
RANGE (Y
page 114) off-road gear is selec-
ted.
At speeds below 30 km/h, the front wheels
lock cyclically under braking. The resulting
digging-in effect reduces the stopping dis-
tance on off-road terrain. This limits steering
capability. BAS (Brake Assist)
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. G
Risk of accident
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting 50
Driving safety systemsSafety
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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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the trailer from swerving and will thus be
unable to reduce the risk of an accident. Trail-
ers with a high centre of gravity can tip over
before ESP ®
can detect this.
Trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function.
Activating/deactivating ESP ®ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is running.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels can spin. Spinning of the
wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides better grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
i If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more
wheels start to spin, the dwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehi-
cle. X
To deactivate: press button:.
The d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up. G
Risk of accident
If the d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster is continuously lit when the engine is
running, ESP ®
is deactivated or not available
due to a malfunction. There is an increased
risk of your vehicle skidding in certain situa-
tions.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit prevailing road and weather conditions.
X To activate: press button :.
The d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Off-road ESP ® An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically if the LOW
RANGE off-road gear (Y page 114) is selec-
ted. It intervenes with a delay if there is over-
steering or understeering, thus improving
traction. EBV (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
EBV monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability when braking. 52
Driving safety systemsSafety
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G
Risk of accident
If EBV is malfunctioning, the brake system is
still available with full brake boosting effect.
However, the rear wheels can still lock, e.g.
under full braking. This could cause you to
lose control of your vehicle and cause an acci-
dent. You should therefore adapt your driving
style to the different handling characteristics. 4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
4ETS makes it possible to pull away or accel-
erate on a slippery surface. It brakes the
wheels individually if they start to spin.
The d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up briefly when the engine is
started. This indicates that the warning lamp
is operational.
X Activate the LOW RANGE off-road gear
(Y page 114) if appropriate to driving con-
ditions.
The d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes at any speed if at least one tyre
has exceeded its tyre grip limit. G
Risk of accident
If the d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R accelerate less when driving.
R adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could skid.
If you drive too fast, 4ETS cannot reduce the
risk of an accident. 4ETS 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 If the brakes are subjected to heavy loads,
4ETS switches off automatically for a brief
period so that the brakes do not heat up
further. If, for this reason, 4ETS does not
engage, the dwarning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. The message
ABS, ESP unavailable see Owner's
Manual also appears in the multi-function
display.
! The engine must be off when the parking
brake is being checked on the brake dyna-
mometer. Application of the brakes via
4ETS may otherwise destroy the braking
system.
Off-road terrain-4ETS (Electronic Trac-
tion System) A 4ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically if the LOW
RANGE* off-road gear is selected
(Y page 114). Distance warning function* (vehicles
with Distronic*)
This function will issue a warning at speeds of
around 30 km/h or more if:
R for a period of several seconds, the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front is too short for
the speed at which you are travelling. The
· distance warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster will light up.
R you are approaching the vehicle in front too
rapidly. An intermittent warning tone will
then sound and the ·distance warning
lamp will light up in the instrument cluster. Driving safety systems
53Safety
* optional
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