2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV lights

The seat belts on the following seats have belt
tensioner
sand bel tforc elimiters:
R driver's and front-passenger seat
R the outer seats in the second row
R the seats in the third row
The belt tensioners tighten the seat belts in
an accident ,pulling them close against the
body.
Belt tensioners do not correc tincorrect seat
positions or incorrectly fastened sea tbelts.
Belt tensioners do not pull vehicle occupants
back towards the backrest.
If the seat belt is also fit tedw ithabelt force
limiter and this is triggered, the force exer ted
by the seat belt on the vehicle occupant is
reduced.
The belt force limiters for the fron tseats are
synchronised with the fron tairbags, which
tak eona part of the deceleration force. This
result sinthe force exerted on the occupant
being distributed over agrea tera rea.
Th eb elt tensioners can only be activa ted
when:
R the ignition is switched on.
R the restraint system sare opera tional; see
"SR Swarnin glamp" (Y page 41).
The belt tensioners on the outside seats in the
second row and on the seats in the thir drow
ar et riggere dindependently of the lock status
of the sea tbelts.
The belt tensioners are triggere ddepending
on the type and severity of an accident:
R if, in the even tofahead-on or rear-end col-
lision, the vehicle decelerates or acceler-
ates rapidly in alongitudinal direction dur-
ing the initial stages of the impact
R if, in the even tofaside impact, on the side
opposit ethe impac tthe vehicle deceler-
ates or accelerates rapidly in alateral direc-
tion
R in certain situations where the vehicle over-
turns and the system determines that it can
provide additional protection If the airbags are deplo
yed,you will hear a
bang, and asmall amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will th ebang
affect your hearing. The powde rthat is
released generally does not constitute a
healt hhazard. The 6SRS warning lamp
lights up. Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
Important safety notes G
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of asudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R children less than 1.50 mtall and under
twelve years of age must always be secured
in special child restraint systems on asuit-
able vehicle seat. This is necessary
because the seat belts are not designed for
children.
R Do not drive with achild secured in arear-
ward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat. Exception: if the vehi-
cle is equipped with automatic child seat
recognition on the front-passenger seat
and the child is secured in achild restraint
system with transponders for automatic
chil dseat recognition
R if you secur eaforward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat, you must mov ethe front-passenger
seat as fa rback as possible.
R children must never travel sitting on the lap
of another occupant. Due to the forces
which occur in the event of asudden
change of direction, heavy braking or an
accident, it would not be possible to
restrain the child. The child could be thrown
against parts of the vehicle interior and be
seriously or even fatally injured. 50
Children in the vehicleSafety

Warning notice on the front-passenger sun visor
Warning symbol for
arearward-facin gchild
rest raint system
Do not use arearward-facin gchild rest raint
system on aseat that is protected by an air-
bag installed in fron tofit.
Automatic chil dseat recognition on the
front-passenger seat G
WARNING
If the 4 PASSENGE RAIRBA GO FF indica-
tor lamp does not light up whe nthe child
restraint system is fitted, the fr ont-passenger
airbag has not been disabled. If the fr ont-
pa ssenger airbag deploys, the chil dcould be
seriou slyor even fatally injured.
Proceed as follows:
R do not use arearward-facin gchild restraint
system on the fr ont-passengers eat.
R fit arearward-facing child restraint system
on asuitable rear seat.
or R
only use aforward-facing child rest raint
system on the front-passenger seat and
move the front-passenger seat to the rear-
most position.
R have the automatic child seat recognition
checked at aqualified specialist workshop.
To ensure that the automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat func-
tions/communicates correctly, never place
objects, e.g. acushion, under the child
restraint system. The entire base of the child
restraint system must alway srest on the seat
cushion. An incorrec tlyf itted child restraint
system cannot perfor mits intended protec-
tive function in the event of an accident, and
could lead to injuries. G
WARNING
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
Signals from electronic equipment can cause
interference in the automatic child seat rec-
ognition sensor system. Thi scan lead to a
system malfunc tion. This may cause the
4 PASSENGER AIRBA GOFF indicator
lamp to light up without there being achild
seat with transponder sfor automatic child
seat recognition fit ted. The front-passenger
airba gwill not then deploy during an accident.
It is also possible that the 6SRS warning
lamp lights up and/or the 4PASSENGER
AIRB AGOFF indicator lam pdoes not light up
briefly when you tur nthe key in the ignition
lock to position 2.52
Children in th
evehicleSafety

If th
efront-passenger seat of yo urvehicle
does no thave automatic child seat recogni-
tion, this is indicated by aspecial sticker. The
sticker is affixed to the side of the dashboard
on the front-passenger side. The sticker is
visible when you open the front-passenger
door.
Vehicles without automatic child seat recog-
nition on the front-passenger seat: if you turn
the key to position 2inthe ignition lock ,the
PAS SENG ER AIRBAG OFF 4indicator
lamp lights up briefly. It has no function, how-
ever, and doe snot indicate that the front-
passenger seat is equipped with automatic
child seat recognition. The front-passenger seat sensor system for
child restraint system
sdetect swhether a
special Mercedes-Ben zchild seat with a
transpo nder for automatic child seat recog-
nition has been fitted. In this case, 4
PASSENGER AIRBA GOFF indicato rlamp :
lights up. The front-passenger front airbag is
disabled. i
If the front-passenger front airbag is dis-
abled by the automatic child seat recogni-
tion, the following remain enabled on the
front-passenger side:
R the sidebag
R the windowbag
R the belt tensioner
ISOFI Xchilds eat securing system for
the rear seats G
WARNING
Ac hild restraint system secured by the ISOFIX
chil dseat securing system does not provide
sufficien tprotection for children weighing
more than 22 kg. For this reason, do not
secure children weighing more than 22 kg in
ac hild restraint system secured by the ISOFIX
chil dseat securing system. If the child weighs
mor ethan 22 kg, secur ethe chil drestraint
system with the vehicle seat belt as well. In
addition ,when fittin gachild restraint system,
be sur etoobservethe manufacturer' sinstal-
latio ninstructions and the instructions for
correct use of the child restraint system. G
WARNING
The child restraint system cannot perform its
protective function if it is not correctly fitted
to as uitable vehicle seat. The child cannot be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudde nchanges of direction. The
chil dcould be seriously or even fatally injured.
For this reason, when fittin gachild restraint
system ,besure to observe the manufactur-
er's installatio ninstructions and the instruc-
tions for correct use of the child restraint sys-
tem.
For safety reasons, whe ninstalling child
restraint systems on the outer rear seats, only
use child restraint systems with the ISOFIX
child sea tsecuring system, which are spe-
ciall ytested and approved for Mercedes-Benz
vehicles.
An incorrectly fitted child restraint system
could com eloose and seriously or even fatally Children in the vehicle
53Safety
Z

Problems wit
hautomatic chil dseat recognition Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The
4 PASSENGER
AIRB AGOFF indicator
lam ponthe cen trecon-
sole is lit. As
pecial Mercedes-Benz child seat with atransponde rfor auto-
matic child seat recognition has been fit tedtot he front-passenger
seat. The front-passenger fron tairbag has therefore been disabled
as desired. The
4 PASSENGER
AIRBA GOFF indi cator
lamp on the centr econ-
sole is lit.
or
The 6 warnin glamp
lights up and/or the
4 PASSENGER AIR-
BA GO FF indi cator
lamp doe snot light up
briefly when you switch
the ignition on. G
WARNING
There is no child seat fitted to the fr ont-passengerseat .Automatic
child seat recognition is malfunctioning.
There is arisk of injur y.
X Remove electronic equipment from the front-passenger seat,
e.g.:
R
laptop
R mobil ephone
R card switht ransponders, such as sk ipasses or accessc ards
If the 4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is still lit:
X Vis itaq uali fieds pecialist workshop. Suitable positioning of the child
restraint syste
ms X
Ifyou fit achild restraint system to the
front-passenger seat, position the front-
passenger seat in its rearmos tposition.
X If you install achild rest raint system on the
rear seat on the second row, move the rear
seat backrest sinthe secon drow to an
upright position.
Key to the letters used in the following table:
XS eat which is unsuitable for children in
this weight category.
US uitable for child rest raint systems in the
"Universal" categor ythat ar eapproved
for use in this weigh tcategory.
LS uitable for child rest raint systems as rec-
ommended; see th efollowin gtable of
"Recommended child restraint systems"
(Y page 58). Front-passenger seat Weight cat-
egories Front-
passenger
front air-
bag is not
disabled. Front-
passenger
front air-
bag is disa-
bled.
Categor
y0:
up to 10 kg X U
Cate
gory
0+: up to
13 kg X U
Category I:
9to18kg
L U
Category II:
15 to 25 kg
L L
Category
III: 22 to
36 kg
L L56
Children in the vehicleSafety

Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or
become distracted, th edriving sa fetysys-
tems ca nneith er reduce th erisk of accident
no ro verri dethe law sofphysics. Driving
safety system sare mere ly aids desig nedto
assis tdrivi ng.You ar eresponsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in fr ont, forvehicle speed
and for braking in good time. Alway sadapt
your drivin gstyle to suit the prevailing road
and weather condition sand maintain asafe
distance from the vehicle in front .Drive care-
fully.
i Thed riving safet ysystems described only
work as effectively as possibl ewhen there
is adequate con tact betwee nthe tyres and
the roa dsurface. Pleas epay special atten-
tion to the notes on tyres, recommended
minimum tyre tread depths ,etc.
(Y page 396).
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. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page61). G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking .The steerability and brakin gcharac-
teristics ma ybeseverely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safet ysystems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diatel yata qualified specialist workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the infor mation on the ABS warning lamp (Y
page 326) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 291).
ABS regulate sbrake pressure in such away
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from aspeed of about 8km/h
upwards, regardless of road-surfac econdi-
tions. AB Sworksons lippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently.
The yellow !ABS warnin glamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running.
Brakes X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To mak eafull brake application:
depress th ebrake peda lwith full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
ap ulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions, and func-
tions as areminder to take extr acare while
driving.
Off-road ABS An ABS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated on:
R
Vehicles without the ON&OFFROAD pack-
age (Y page 252)
R Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package
(Y page 253)
At speeds below 30 km/h, the front wheels
lock cyclically during braking. The digging-in
effect achieved in the process reduces the
stopping distance when driving off-road. This
limits steering capability. Driving safety systems
61Safety Z

When the distan
cewarning function is acti-
vated, the multifunction display shows the
Ä symbol as long as the HOLD function is
not activated (Y page 211). On vehicles with
Active Parking Assist, the Äsymbol is dis-
played when position Pis engaged or you are
driving faster than 35 km/h.
The distanc ewarning function can help you
to minimise the risk of acollision with the
vehicle in fron torreduce the effects of such
ac ollision .Ifthe distanc ewarning function
detect sthat ther eisar isk of acollision ,you
will be warned visually and acoustically .The
distanc ewarning function cannot preven ta
collision without your inte rvention.
The distan cewarning function will issue a
warning at speed sofaround 30 km/h or
more if:
R thed istanc etothe vehicle in fron tist oo
short for the speed you ar edriving at for
severa lseconds. The ·distan cewarn-
ing lamp then lights up in the instrument
cluster.
R you are rapidly approaching the vehicle in
front. An intermittent warning ton ewill
then sound and the ·distanc ewarning
lamp will light up in the instrument cluster.
X Brak eimmediatel yinordertoi ncreas ethe
distanc efrom th evehicle in front.
or
X Take evasiv eactio nprovide ditiss afe to do
so.
For the distanc ewarning function to assist
you when driving, the function must be acti-
vated in the on-board computer and be opera-
tional (Y page 278).
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving conditions may cause the
system to display an unnecessary warning.
With the help of the radar senso rsystem, the
distanc ewarning function can detect obsta-
cles that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
At speeds up to approximately 70 km/h, the
distance warning fun ction may also detect stationary obstacles, for example, stopped or
parked vehicles.
If you approach an obstacle and the distance
warnin gfunction detects arisk of acollision,
the system will initially aler tyou both visually
and acoustically.
In particular ,the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if ther eis:
R dir tont he sensors or anythin gelse cover-
ing the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interferenc ebyother radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example, in multi-storey car parks
R an arro wvehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorcycle
R av ehicle travelling in fron tonadifferent
line
Following damage to the fron tend of the vehi-
cle ,havet he configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applie stoc olli-
sions at slow speeds where ther eisnovisible
damage to the fron tofthe vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist i
Observ ethe "Importan tsafety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61). G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions. In these cases, Adaptive Brake Assist
may not intervene. There is arisk of an acci-
dent.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brak eAssist does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncomi ng vehicles
R to crossing traffic 64
Driving safety systemsSafety

ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes i
Observ ethe "Important safety notes "sec-
tio n(Ypage 61). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is mal functioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilis ethe vehicle. In addition, othe rdriving
safety systems are switche doff. This increa-
se st he risk of skiddi ngand an accident.
Driv eonc arefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialis tworkshop.
! Only operat ethe vehicle for amaximum
of ten seconds on abrake dynamometer.
Switch off th eignition.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
ma yoth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Afunction or performanc etest should
only be carried out on atwin-axle dyna-
mometer .Before you operate th evehicle
on such adynamometer, pleas econsult a
qualified workshop. You coul dotherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ousl ywhen the engin eisrunning.
If the ÷ warning lamp and the åwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to amalfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 329 )and display message swhich
ma ybes hown in the inst rument cluster
(Y page 291).
If ESP ®
detects that th evehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or mor ewheels ar ebrake dtos tabilise the
vehicle .The engin eoutput is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehicle during braking.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. If ESP
®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X When pulling away ,only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather condi tions.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyr es izes. Only then will ESP ®
func tion
properly.
4ETS (Electronic Traction System) Traction con
trol is par tofESP®
.
Tractio ncontrol brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slipper ysurfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side .Ina ddition, mor edrive torqu eistrans-
ferre dtot he wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction con trol remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
.
In appropriate drivin gsituations, activate the
off-road program:
X Vehicles without the ON&OFFROAD pack-
age (Y page 252)
X Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package
(Y page 253)
Off- road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) A4
ETS syste mspecifically suited to off -road
ter rain is activated automatically onc ethe off-
roa dprogram is acti vated on:
R Vehicle swithout the ON&OFFROA Dpack-
age (Y page 252)
R Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package
(Y page 253) 66
Driving safety systemsSafety

Deactivating/activating ESP
®G
WARNING
If you deactivat eESP®
,E SP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivat eESP®
in th esituation sdescri-
bed in th efollowing. X
To switch off: press button:.
The å ESP®
OF Fw arnin glamp in the
instrumen tcluster lights up.
X To switch on: press button:.
The å ESP®
OFF warnin glamp in the
instrumen tcluster goes out.
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engin eisstarted.
The ECO start/stop fun ction switches the
engin eoff automaticall yifthe vehi cles tops
moving. When pulling away again, the engine
start sautomatically. ESP ®
remain sinits pre-
viousl yselected status. Example: if ESP ®
was
deactiva tedb efor ethe engine was switched
off ,ESP ®
remains deactivated when the
engine is switched on again.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
th ei nstrumen tcluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise th evehicle. It may be best to deact
ivateESP®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using sno wchains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longe rimproves driving stab ility.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
R engine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are abl etospin. The spinnin gofthe
wheels resu ltsinac utting action for better
traction.
Off-roa dESP® An ESP
®
syste mspecif icall ys uited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road progra misactivate don:
R Vehicles without the ON&OFFROAD pack-
age (Y page252)
R Vehicles wit hthe ON&OFFROAD package
(Y page 253)
Off-road ESP ®
intervenes with adelay if there
is oversteerin gorundersteering ,thus improv-
ing traction.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation G
WARNING
If roa dand weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilis ation will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with ahigh centre of gravit ycan
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
ar isk of an accident.
Always adap tyour driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/
trailer combination by depressin gthe brake
firmly. Driving safety systems
67Safety Z