2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK SUV Owners Manual

suffering from asthma or other pulmonary
conditions.
In order to prevent potential breathing diffi-
culties, you should leave the vehicle as soon
as it is safe to do so. You can also open the
window to allow fresh air to enter the vehicle
interior. The powder does not constitute a
health hazard and does not indicate that there
is a fire in the vehicle. G
WARNING
The airbag parts are hot after the airbag has
been deployed. Do not touch them as you
could burn yourself.
Have the airbags replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Otherwise, occupants are
not protected by the airbags in the event of
another accident.
Front airbags The front airbags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
chest.
Driver's airbag
:deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air-
bag ;deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment.
They are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction
R if the system determines that airbag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt R
if the seat belt is fastened
R independently of other airbags in the vehi-
cle
If the vehicle overturns, the front airbags are
generally not deployed. The front airbags are
deployed if the system detects high vehicle
deceleration in a longitudinal direction.
Front-passenger airbag ;is only activated if
the system determines that the front-
passenger seat is occupied. The 4
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp on
the centre console does not light up
(Y page 56). This either means that a child
restraint system without automatic child seat
recognition has been fitted to the front-
passenger seat or that a child restraint sys-
tem with automatic child seat recognition has
been fitted incorrectly.
! Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. The system may then
detect that the seat is occupied and if there
is an accident, the restraint systems on the
front-passenger side could be deployed.
Have restraint systems that have been trig-
gered replaced.
Driver's kneebag i
The driver's kneebag is only available in
certain countries.
The driver's kneebag increases protection of
the driver against:
R knee injuries
R thigh injuries
R lower leg injuries 46
Occupant safetySafety

Driver's kneebag
:is always deployed along
with the driver's airbag and inflates under-
neath the steering column.
Sidebags G
WARNING
If you wish to use seat covers, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that, for safety reasons, you
only use seat covers that have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The seat covers must have a special tear seam
for sidebags/pelvisbags. Otherwise, the side-
bag/pelvisbag cannot deploy correctly and
would fail to provide the intended protection
in the event of an accident. Appropriate seat
covers can be obtained, for example, from a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
When deployed, the sidebags offer additional
protection for the thorax of the vehicle occu-
pants on the side of the vehicle on which the
impact occurs. However, they do not protect
the:
R head
R neck
R arms Front sidebags
:and rear sidebags ;
deploy next to the outer seat cushions.
The sidebags are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R independently of the use of the seat belt R
independently of the front airbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
If the vehicle overturns, the sidebags are gen-
erally not deployed. Exception: if the system
detects high vehicle deceleration or acceler-
ation in a lateral direction and determines
that deployment can offer additional protec-
tion to that provided by the seat belt.
Pelvisbags i
Pelvisbags are only available in certain
countries. G
WARNING
If you wish to use seat covers, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that, for safety reasons, you
only use seat covers that have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The seat covers must have a special tear seam
for sidebags/pelvisbags. Otherwise, the side-
bag/pelvisbag cannot deploy correctly and
would fail to provide the intended protection
in the event of an accident. Appropriate seat
covers can be obtained, for example, from a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Pelvisbag deployment enhances the level of
protection of the vehicle occupants on the
side of the vehicle on which the impact
occurs. Pelvisbags
:deploy next to and below the
outer seat cushions. They are deployed: Occupant safety
47Safety Z

R
on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R independently of the use of the seat belt
R independently of the front airbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
If the vehicle overturns, the pelvisbags are
generally not deployed. Exception: if the sys-
tem detects high vehicle deceleration or
acceleration in a lateral direction and deter-
mines that deployment can offer additional
protection to that provided by the seat belt.
Windowbags The windowbags enhance the level of protec-
tion for the head (but not chest or arms), of
the vehicle occupants on the side of the vehi-
cle on which the impact occurs.
The windowbags are integrated into the side
of the roof frame and deployed in the area
from the A-pillar to the C-pillar. Windowbags
:are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied
R independently of seat belt use
R if the vehicle overturns and the system
determines that windowbag deployment can offer additional protection to that pro-
vided by the seat belt
R independently of the front airbags PRE-SAFE
®
(preventative occupant
protection)
PRE-SAFE ®
takes pre-emptive measures to
protect occupants in certain hazardous sit-
uations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes:
R when BAS PLUS intervenes powerfully on
vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS
R if, on vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS, the
radar sensor system detects an imminent
danger of collision in certain situations
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limits are exceeded and the vehicle
understeers or oversteers severely
If you are driving faster than approximately
30 km/h, PRE-SAFE®
may take the following
measures in these situations:
R the front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R vehicles with the memory function: the
front-passenger seat is adjusted if it is in an
unfavourable position.
R if the vehicle skids, the panorama sliding
sunroof and the side windows are closed so
that only a small gap remains.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pretensioning. All settings made by
PRE-SAFE ®
can then be reversed.
If the seat belts are not released:
X Move the backrest or seat back slightly, but
only when the vehicle is stationary.
The belt pretensioning is reduced and the
locking mechanism is released. G
WARNING
When adjusting the seat, make sure that
nobody can become trapped. 48
Occupant safetySafety

!
Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when moving
the seat back. There is a risk that the seats
and/or the objects could be damaged.
More information about seat belt adjustment,
a convenience function integrated into PRE-
SAFE ®
, can be found in the "Seat belt adjust-
ment" section (Y page 51). NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints increase protection of the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
neck. In the event of a rear collision of a cer-
tain severity, the NECK-PRO head restraints/
NECK-PRO luxury head restraints on the driv-
er's and front-passenger seats are moved for-
wards and upwards. This provides better
head support. G
WARNING
Only use head restraint covers which have
been tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz
for your vehicle model.
The use of non-approved head restraint cov-
ers may prevent NECK-PRO head restraints/
NECK-PRO luxury head restraints from trig-
gering properly. The NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
can therefore not provide the intended pro-
tection.
Consult a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre
regarding availability.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraints have been triggered in
an accident, reset the NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
on the driver's and front-passenger seats
(Y page 49). Otherwise, the additional pro-
tection will not be available in the event of
another rear-end collision. NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
that have been triggered are moved forwards
and can no longer be adjusted. Resetting a triggered NECK-PRO head
restraint/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraint
Important safety notes Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre, if your vehicle is involved in a
rear-end collision.
NECK-PRO head restraints
i
Resetting the NECK-PRO head restraints
requires a lot of strength. If you have diffi-
culty resetting the NECK-PRO head
restraints, have this work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. X
Tilt the top of the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion forwards in the direction of
arrow :.
X Push the NECK-PRO head restraint cushion
down in the direction of arrow ;as far as
it will go.
X Firmly push the NECK-PRO head restraint
cushion back in the direction of arrow =
until the cushion engages.
X Repeat this procedure for the second
NECK-PRO head restraint. Occupant safety
49Safety Z

NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
i
If you have difficulty resetting the NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints, have this work
carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre. X
Remove resetting tool :from the vehicle
document wallet.
X Slide resetting tool :into guide ;
between the NECK-PRO luxury head
restraint and the rear cover of the head
restraint.
X Push resetting tool :downwards until you
hear the head restraint deployment mech-
anism engage.
X Pull out resetting tool :.
X Firmly press the NECK-PRO luxury head
restraint cushion back =until it engages.
X Repeat this procedure for the second
NECK-PRO luxury head restraint.
X Put resetting tool :back into the vehicle
document wallet. Seat belts
Important safety notes Seat belts are the most effective means of
restraining the movement of vehicle occu-
pants in the event of an accident. This
reduces the risk of vehicle occupants coming
into contact with parts of the vehicle interior. G
WARNING
A seat belt which is not worn correctly, or
which has not been engaged in the seat belt
buckle correctly, cannot provide the intended
level of protection. Under certain circumstan-
ces, this could cause severe or even fatal inju-
ries in the event of an accident.
Therefore, make sure that all occupants — in
particular, pregnant women — wear their seat
belts correctly at all times.
R The seat belt must fit snugly on your body
and must not be twisted.Therefore, avoid
wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter coat.
The shoulder section of the belt must be
routed across the centre of your shoulder
— on no account across your neck or under
your arm — and pulled tight against your
upper body. The lap belt must always pass
across your lap as low down as possible, i.e.
over your hip joints — not across your abdo-
men. If necessary, push the seat belt
slightly downwards and adjust it by pulling
it in the direction the seat belt retracts.
R Do not route the seat belt strap over sharp
or fragile objects. Please make sure that
such objects are not on or in your clothing,
e.g. spectacles, pens or keys etc. The seat
belt strap could become damaged and tear
during an accident and you or other vehicle
occupants could be injured.
R Only one person should use each seat belt
at any one time. Children must never travel
sitting on the lap of another occupant. The
child will not be secured in the event of an
accident, heavy braking or sudden change
of direction. This may result in the child or
other occupants being seriously or fatally
injured.
R Persons under 1.50 mtall cannot wear the
seat belts correctly. For this reason secure
persons less than 1.50 m tall in specially
designed, suitable restraint systems.
R Children under 1.50 m tall and younger
than twelve years of age cannot wear the
seat belts correctly. For this reason secure
them in special suitable child restraint sys- 50
Occupant safetySafety

tems installed on a suitable seat. Additional
information can be found in the Operating
Instructions in the chapter "Safety", "Chil-
dren in the Vehicle". Observe the installa-
tion instructions of the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer.
R Do not secure an object with a seat belt if
the seat belt is also being used by one of
the vehicle's occupants. G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level
of protection unless the backrest is almost
vertical. Under certain circumstances, this
could cause severe or even fatal injuries in the
event of an accident.
Before starting a journey, make sure that the
seat is properly adjusted and that the back-
rest is almost vertical. G
WARNING
A dirty or damaged seat belt or one that has
been modified or subjected to a load in an
accident no longer offers the intended level of
protection. Under certain circumstances, this
could cause severe or even fatal injuries in the
event of an accident.
For this reason, check regularly that the seat
belts are not damaged or dirty.
Always have damaged seat belts or seat belts
that have been subjected to a load in an acci-
dent replaced at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat belts which have
been approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle. Fastening seat belts
X
Adjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position (Y page 96).
X Pull the seat belt smoothly through belt
sash guide :.
X Without twisting it, guide the shoulder sec-
tion of the seat belt across the middle of
your shoulder and the lap section across
your pelvis.
X Engage belt tongue ;in buckle =.
Seat belt adjustment: if necessary, the driv-
er's and front-passenger seat belts auto-
matically adjust to the upper body
(Y page 51).
X If necessary, adjust the seat belt to the
appropriate height (Y page 52).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
For more information about releasing the seat
belt with release button ?, see "Releasing
seat belts" (Y page 52).
Seat belt adjustment The seat-belt adjustment function adjusts the
driver's and front-passenger seat belt to the
upper body of the occupants. Occupant safety
51Safety Z

The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
R you engage the belt tongue in the belt
buckle and you then turn the key to position
2 in the ignition lock.
R the key is in position 2in the ignition lock
and you then engage the belt tongue in the
buckle.
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a certain
tightening force if any slack is detected
between the occupant and the seat belt. Do
not hold on to the seat belt tightly while it is
adjusting. On vehicles with a luxury multi-
function steering wheel (12 buttons) you can
switch the seat-belt adjustment on and off
using the on-board computer (Y page 243).
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. More
information about PRE-SAFE ®
can be found
in the "PRE-SAFE ®
(preventative occupant
protection)" section (Y page 48).
Belt height adjustment You can adjust the seat belt height on the
driver's seat and the front-passenger seat. Adjust the height so that the upper part of the
seat belt is routed across the centre of your
shoulder.
X To raise: slide the belt sash guide upwards.
The belt sash guide engages in various posi-
tions.
X To lower: press and hold belt sash guide
release :. X
Slide the belt sash guide downwards.
X Let go of belt sash guide release :and
make sure that the belt sash guide has
engaged.
Wearing the rear centre seat belt If the left-hand rear seat backrest is folded
down and back up again, the rear centre seat
belt may lock. The seat belt can then not be
pulled out.
X
To release the rear centre seat belt: pull
the seat belt out approximately 20 mm at
the belt outlet on the backrest and then
release it again.
The seat belt is retracted and released.
Releasing the seat belts X
Press release button ?(Ypage 51) and
guide belt tongue ;back towards belt
sash guide :.
! Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled
up. Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue
will be trapped in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This could damage the door,
the door trim panel and the seat belt. Dam-
aged seat belts can no longer fulfil their
protective function and must be replaced.
Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger The
7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder for all occupants
to fasten their seat belts. It may light up con-
tinuously or flash. In addition, there may be a
warning tone.
The 7 seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tone ceases once the driver and
the front passenger have fastened their seat
belt.
For certain countries only: regardless of
whether the driver and the front passenger
have fastened their seat belts, the 7seat 52
Occupant safetySafety

belt warning lamp lights up for six seconds
after the engine is started. It then goes out if
the driver and the front passenger have fas-
tened their seat belts.
i For more information on the 7seat
belt warning lamp, see "Indicator and warn-
ing lamps in the instrument cluster, seat
belt" (Y page 284).
Rear seat belt status indicator Rear seat belt status indicator (illustrated example:
vehicle with 12-button multifunction steering
wheel)
The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator tells you if the rear passengers have
their seat belts fastened. The rear-compart-
ment seat belt status indicator indicates the
rear seat on which the belt is fastened. In the
example, the passengers on the left and right
rear seats have their seat belts fastened.
The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator appears in the multifunction display for
around 30 seconds if:
R you drive off and reach a speed of approx-
imately 10 km/h.
R the rear passengers fasten or unfasten
their seat belts while the vehicle is in
motion.
R someone gets in or out of the vehicle and
the vehicle drives off again.
You can also cancel the rear seat belt status
indicator immediately (Y page 245).
i The status indicator for the rear-compart-
ment seat belts is only available for certain
countries. Belt tensioners, belt force limiters The front seat belts and the outer seat belts
in the rear are equipped with belt tensioners.
The belt tensioners tighten the seat belts in
an accident, pulling them close against the
body.
Belt tensioners do not correct incorrect seat
positions or incorrectly fastened seat belts.
Belt tensioners do not pull vehicle occupants
back towards the backrest.
If the seat belt is also fitted with a belt force
limiter and this is triggered, the force exerted
by the seat belt on the vehicle occupant is
reduced.
The belt force limiters on the front seats are
synchronised with the front airbags. They
take on a part of the deceleration force,
resulting in the force exerted on the occupant
being distributed over a greater area.
The belt tensioners can only be activated
when:
R the ignition is switched on.
R the restraint systems are operational; see
"SRS warning lamp" (Y page 43).
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the three-point seat belts in front.
The belt tensioners on the outside seats in the
rear compartment are triggered independ-
ently of the lock status of the seat belts.
The belt tensioners are triggered depending
on the type and severity of an accident:
R in certain situations where the vehicle over-
turns and the system determines that it can
provide additional protection
R if, in the event of a head-on or rear-end col-
lision, the vehicle decelerates or acceler-
ates rapidly in a longitudinal direction dur-
ing the initial stages of the impact
R if, in the event of a side impact, on the side
opposite the impact the vehicle deceler-
ates or accelerates rapidly in a lateral direc-
tion
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang, and a small amount of powder may also Occupant safety
53Safety Z