2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class Owner's Manual

Outer seat head restraints in the second row of
seats
Outer seat head restraints in the third row of seats
XUsing both hands, reach backwards and
grasp the sides of the head restraint.XPull the lower edge of the head restraint
forwards or backwards until it is in the
desired position.
Removing and installing rear head
restraints
GWARNING
Occupants should only travel sitting on seats
which have the head restraints installed. In
the event of an accident, this reduces the risk
of injury for passengers seated in the rear
compartment.
Second row of seats: if you wish to remove/
install the outer seat head restraints, you
must fold the respective seat backrest
forwards ( Y page 104).
Third row of seats: if you wish to remove/
install the head restraints, you must fold the
respective seat backrest forwards
( Y page 104).
Outer seat head restraints in the second row of
seats
Outer seat head restraints in the third row of seats
XTo remove: pull the head restraint up to
the stop.XPress release catch : and pull the head
restraint out of the guides.XSecond row of seats: fold back the seat
backrest until it engages.
Third row of seats: fold the seat up or down
( Y page 104).XTo re-install: insert the head restraint so
that the notches on the bar are on the left
when viewed in the direction of travel.XPush the head restraint down until you hear
it engage in position.XSecond row of seats: fold back the seat
backrest until it engages.
Third row of seats: fold the seat up or down
( Y page 104).Seats103Seats, steering wheel and mirrorsZ

Adjusting the seats in the second and
third rows
Important safety notesGWARNING
Never travel in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide under
the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under
it, the seat belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck. This could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat belt
provide the best restraint when the wearer is
in a position that is as upright as possible and
the seat belt is properly positioned on the
body.
Your seat belt must be adjusted so that you
can correctly fasten your seat belt.
Never place hands under the seat or near any
moving parts while a seat is being adjusted.
After adjusting the seat, always ensure that
the seat and the backrest are correctly
engaged. The backrest must be in an upright
position.
Test the stability of the latch by pushing and
pulling the backrest. If the seat and backrest
are not correctly latched, the seat could move
forward and the backrest could fold down.
While braking, changing direction, or in an
accident, you could slide out from under the
seat belt. The child seat would no longer be
correctly supported or correctly positioned
and would no longer carry out its intended
function. This could cause serious or fatal
injuries.
Adjusting the backrest angle (2nd row
of seats)
GWARNING
The seat belt only offers its intended
protection when the seat backrest is in a
nearly vertical position and the occupant is
sitting upright. The seat backrest and seat
belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a position that is as upright as
possible and the seat belt is properly
positioned on the body.
You should therefore adjust the seat backrest
to a position as upright as possible.
The backrest angle can be adjusted to five
positions.XPull backrest release ; in the direction of
the arrow and hold it in this position.
Backrest : folds forwards.XAdjust the backrest angle as desired.XRelease backrest release ;.XLean back firmly against the backrest to
ensure that it is engaged.
Folding the seats up/down (3rd row of
seats)
The 3rd row of seats consists of two
electrically foldable individual seats, which
can be lowered into the cargo compartment.
If the seat is not correctly locked in position,
the display message: 3rd row of seats,
right-hand side not locked appears in
the multifunction display.
! Make sure that there is nothing on the
folded-down seats in the cargo
compartment. The cargo compartment
must be empty for the third row of seats to
be folded up. The seats or the objects in the
cargo compartment could otherwise be
damaged.
Make sure that the seats in the third row
are empty and not blocked before folding
them down.
104SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

The switches for folding the left or right seats
up and down are marked: L for the left seat
when viewed in the direction of travel, R for
the right seat when viewed in the direction of
travel.
If the right-hand rear door is open
XTo fold up: fold the right-hand outer seat
in the 2nd row of seats forwards
( Y page 105).XBriefly press switch :.
The seat folds up.XTo fold down: briefly press switch ;.
The seat folds down.
If the tailgate is open
XTo fold up: briefly press switch :.
The seat folds up.XTo fold down: briefly press switch ;.
The seat folds down.
Detachable panel (3rd row of seats)
If you drop objects underneath the seats in
the 3rd row, you can remove the panel in
order to reach beneath the seat.
! If there are objects underneath the seat,
the seat can no longer be folded up or down
fully. The seat could be damaged.
Only drive with the panel completely
installed.XTo open: fold the corresponding seat up or
down ( Y page 104).XWhen the seat is halfway folded up or down,
lock the backrest manually.XGrasp the panel recess.XPull the panel in the direction of the arrow
and remove it.XTo close: fold the corresponding seat up or
down ( Y page 104).XWhen the seat is halfway folded up or down,
lock the backrest manually.XAttach the panel using the guide pins.XPush the panel downwards until it engages.XFold the seat up and down fully to check
that the panel is seated correctly.
EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature (third row
of seats)
Important safety notes
GWARNING
To help avoid personal injury, the second-row
seat backrests must be properly locked either
in the upright position or, when using the
expanded cargo volume, in the fully folded
position while the vehicle is in motion.
Seats105Seats, steering wheel and mirrorsZ

If the right outer seat in the 2nd row of seats
is in the entry/exit position, the display
message: 2nd row of seats, right-
hand side not locked appears in the
multifunction display.
When you fold the seat and backrest back
until they engage, the display message
disappears.
For further information on enlarging the cargo
compartment (folding the 2nd row of seats
forwards), see ( Y page 270), and for
information on folding the seats in the 3rd row
up and down, see ( Y page 104).
EASY-ENTRY feature
The release handle for the EASY-ENTRY
feature is located on the side at the back of
the right outer seat in the 2nd row of seats.
XMove the head restraint to the lowest
position ( Y page 102).XPull release handle : in the direction of
the arrow to the pressure point and hold it
in this position.
The backrest folds forwards.XPull release handle : again in the direction
of the arrow to the pressure point and hold
it in this position.XLift up the seat until it folds forwards.
i Vehicles with memory function:
The right-hand front seat moves slightly
forwards.
Entry position
EASY-EXIT feature
The release loop for the EASY-EXIT feature is
located at the bottom on the back of the right
outer seat in the 2nd row of seats.
XPull release loop : in the direction of the
arrow and hold it in this position.
The backrest folds forwards.XPull release loop : again in the direction
of the arrow and hold it in this position.XLift up the seat until it folds forwards.
i Vehicles with memory function:
The right-hand front seat moves slightly
forwards.
106SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

Exit position
Vehicles with memory function: call up the
saved setting ( Y page 114), to move the
right-hand front seat to the saved position.
Moving the outer seats in the 2nd row
back to the normal position
GWARNING
When occupants have entered or exited the
vehicle using the easy-entry/exit feature,
before driving off make sure
R the seats are properly locked
R the seat backrests are in an upright position
and are properly locked
If a seat and seat backrest are not properly
locked, the seat could move forward and the
seat backrest could fold. You could slide
under the seat belt during braking, vehicle
maneuvers, or in an accident. If you slide
under it, the seat belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck. That could cause serious
or even fatal injuries.
XTo lock the seat: fold back the seat until
it engages.XFold back the backrest until it engages.
Lean back firmly against the backrest to
ensure that it is engaged.
Emergency exit for the 3rd row of seats
i In an emergency, you can fold the
backrest of the left outer seat in the 2nd
row of seats forwards and open the left-
hand rear door.
This may be required, for example, in the
event of an accident or similar situation if
you cannot leave the vehicle using the
EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature (3rd row of
seats).GWARNING
To help avoid personal injury when folding the
seat backrest forward, make sure you move
both feet and legs all the way back and out of
the way to avoid them contacting the seat as
it pivots forward.
In order to prevent an accident or any other
potentially dangerous situations when
opening the rear door and exiting the vehicle,
make sure you are aware of the traffic
situation at all times.
XMove the head restraint to the lowest
position ( Y page 102).XPull release handle : in the direction of
the arrow.
Fold backrest ; forwards.XOpen the left-hand rear door.XGet out of the vehicle.
Adjusting the multicontour seat
You can adjust the contour of the front seats
individually so as to provide optimum support
for your back and sides.
Seats107Seats, steering wheel and mirrorsZ

XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.XUse switch : to move the thigh cushion
into the desired position.XPress the W or X button to adjust the
contour of the backrest to suit your back.XPress button ? to move the point of
greatest backrest curvature downwards to
the lumbar region and press button = to
move it upwards to the upper back region.XUse button ; to adjust the side bolsters
for optimum lateral support.
Adjusting the four-way lumbar
support
You can adjust the contour of the driver's seat
backrests individually to provide optimum
support for your back.
:To raise the backrest contour;To soften the backrest contour=To lower the backrest contour?To harden the backrest contourSwitching the seat heating on/off
Switching on/off
The three red indicator lamps in the button
indicate the heating level you have selected.
i If the battery voltage is too low, the seat
heating may switch off.
One or more of the indicator lamps in the
seat heating button are flashing.
Driver's and front-passenger seat
Rear seats
The system automatically switches down
from level 3 to level 2 after approximately five
minutes.
The system automatically switches down
from level 2 to level 1 after approximately ten
minutes.
The system automatically switches off
approximately 20 minutes after it is set to
level 1.
108SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.XTo switch on: press button : repeatedly
until the desired heating level is set.XTo switch off: press button : repeatedly
until all the indicator lamps go out.
Problems with the seat heating
If one or all of the indicator lamps in the seat
heating button are flashing, the seat heating
has switched off automatically. The vehicle's
electrical system voltage is too low because
too many electrical consumers are switched
on.
XSwitch off electrical consumers which you
do not need, such as the rear window
defroster or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the
seat heating will switch back on
automatically.
Switching the seat ventilation on/off
Switching on/off
The three blue indicator lamps in the buttons
indicate the ventilation level you have
selected.
i If the battery voltage is too low, the seat
ventilation may switch off.
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.XTo switch on: press button : repeatedly
until the desired ventilation level is set.
i You can open the side windows and the
sliding sunroof using the "Convenience
opening" feature ( Y page 91). The seat
ventilation of the driver's seat
automatically switches to the highest level.
XTo switch off: press button : repeatedly
until all the indicator lamps go out.
Problems with the seat ventilation
If one or all of the indicator lamps in the seat
ventilation button are flashing, the seat
ventilation has switched off automatically.
The vehicle's electrical system voltage is too
low because too many electrical consumers
are switched on.
XSwitch off electrical consumers which you
do not need, such as the rear window
defroster or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the
seat ventilation will switch back on
automatically.
Steering wheel
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel while driving, or
driving without the steering wheel adjustment
feature locked could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.
The electrical steering wheel adjustment
feature can be operated at any time.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. A child's unsupervised access to a
vehicle could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.
Steering wheel109Seats, steering wheel and mirrorsZ

Adjusting the steering wheel
manually
This function is only available in vehicles in
the USA.:Release handle;To adjust the steering wheel height=To adjust the steering wheel position
(fore-and-aft adjustment)XPull release handle : out completely.
The steering column is unlocked.XAdjust the steering wheel to the desired
position.XPush release handle : in completely until
it engages fully.
The steering column is locked.XCheck if the steering column is locked.
When doing so, try to push the steering
wheel up or down or try to move it in the
fore-and-aft direction.Adjusting the steering wheel
electrically:To adjust the steering wheel position
(fore-and-aft adjustment);To adjust the steering wheel height
i Other topics:
R EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature
( Y page 111)
R storing settings ( Y page 114)
Steering wheel heating
Switching on/off
The steering-wheel heating heats the leather
areas of the steering wheel.
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.XTo switch on/off: turn the lever in the
direction of arrow : or ;.
Indicator lamp = lights up or goes out.110Steering wheelSeats, steering wheel and mirrors