2013 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class lights

The restraint system consists of:
R
seat belts
R child restraint systems
R LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat anchors
Additional protection is provided by:
R SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
R NECK-PRO head restraints
R Air bag system components with:
-The 45 indicator lamp
- Front-passenger seat with BabySmart™
air bag deactivation system
The different air bag systems work
independently of each other. The protective
functions of the system work in conjunction
with each other. Not all air bags are always
deployed in an accident.
i Observe the additional information on
infants and children traveling with you in
the vehicle and restraint systems for
infants and children (Y page 54). SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
Introduction SRS reduces the risk of occupants coming
into contact with the vehicle's interior in the
event of an accident. It can also reduce the
effect of the forces to which occupants are
subjected during an accident.
SRS consists of:
R
The 6 SRS warning lamp
R Air bags
R Air bag control unit (with crash sensors)
R Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD) for
seat belts
R Seat belt force limiter SRS warning lamp G
WARNING
The SRS self-check has detected a
malfunction if the 6 SRS indicator lamp:
R does not light up at all
R does not go out after approximately four
seconds after the engine is started
R lights
up after the engine is started or while
the vehicle is in motion
For your safety, Mercedes-Benz strongly
recommends that you have the system
checked as soon as possible at a qualified
specialist workshop. SRS may otherwise fail
to activate when it is needed in the event of
an accident, which could lead to serious or
fatal injuries. SRS might also be activated
unexpectedly and unnecessarily, which could
also result in injury.
In addition, work carried out improperly on
SRS may render SRS inoperative or cause
unintended air bag deployment. Work on the
SRS system should only be carried out by
qualified specialist personnel. Consult a
qualified specialist workshop.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system
to accommodate a person with disabilities,
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for details. USA only: for further information,
contact our Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372).
SRS functions are checked regularly when
you switch on the ignition and when the
engine is running. Therefore, malfunctions
can be detected in good time.
The 6 SRS 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.
The SRS components are in operational
readiness when the SRS 6 indicator lamp
goes out while the engine is running. Occupant safety
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Safety Z

child seat, which operates with the
BabySmart™ air bag deactivation system
installed in the vehicle to deactivate the
front passenger front air bag when it is
installed properly. Otherwise they will be
struck by the air bag when it inflates in a
crash.
If this happens, serious or fatal injury
will result.
Failure to follow these instructions can result
in severe injuries to you or other occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that you
make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator's Manual. G
WARNING
Accident research shows that the safest place
for
children in an automobile is in a rear seat.
Should you choose to place a child 12 years
old or under in the front passenger seat of
your vehicle, you must properly use a
BabySmart TM
child restraint which will turn off
the front passenger front air bag.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Always sit as upright as possible, wear
the seat belt properly, and for
children 12 years old and under,
use an appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the
size and weight of the child.
(2) Always wear seat belts properly.
If the air bags 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 is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The 6 SRS warning lamp
lights up.
The air bags are deployed if the air bag control
unit detects the need for deployment. Only in
the event of such a situation will the air bags
provide their supplemental protection. If the driver and front passenger do not wear
their seat belts, it is not possible for the air
bags to provide their supplemental
protection.
In the event of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, the air bags will not deploy. The
driver and passengers will then be protected
to

the extent possible by a properly fastened
seat belt. A properly fastened seat belt is also
needed to provide the best possible
protection if the vehicle rolls over.
Air bags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for seat belts.
All vehicle occupants must fasten their seat
belts regardless of whether your vehicle is
equipped with air bags or not.
It is important for your safety and that of your
passengers to have deployed air bags
replaced and to have any malfunctioning air
bags repaired. This will help to make sure the
air bags continue to perform their protective
function for the vehicle occupants in the
event of an accident.
Front air bags G
WARNING
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y page 41). G
WARNING
Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology which disables the front-
passenger air bag if the system recognizes
that the front-passenger seat is empty .
If the front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or young person and the 4/
indicator

lamp is lit up, the front-passenger air
bag is disabled. If the front-passenger seat is
recognized as empty, the air bag control unit
will not deploy the front-passenger air bag in
the event of a collision.
Ask your passenger to sit correctly on the
front-passenger seat in an upright position
until the 4/ indicator lamp goes out. 42
Occupant safety
Safety

If the
4/ indicator lamp does not go
out, please consult an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. Driver's air bag
: deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air
bag ;
deploys in front of and above the glove
box.
The front air bags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head, neck and
chest.
They are deployed:
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the system determines that air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R independently of other air bags in the
vehicle
R depending on whether the seat belt is being
used
If the vehicle rolls over, the front air bags are
generally not deployed. If the system detects
high vehicle deceleration in a longitudinal
direction, the front air bags are deployed.
Your vehicle is equipped with a dual-stage
driver's air bag and a single-stage front-
passenger front air bag. In the event of a
collision, the air bag control unit evaluates the
vehicle deceleration. In the first deployment
stage, the driver's air bag is filled with enough
propellant gas to reduce the risk of injuries.
The front-passenger front air bag, however, is
immediately filled with the maximum amount
of propellant gas. The driver's air bag is fully deployed if a second deployment threshold is
exceeded within a few milliseconds.
The

lighter the front passenger, the higher the
vehicle deceleration rate required (predicted
at the start of the impact) for triggering the
front-passenger front air bag.
The front air bags will not deploy in impacts
with vehicle deceleration or acceleration
rates which do not exceed the system’s
preset deployment thresholds for vehicle
deceleration or acceleration. You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belt.
Front-passenger front air bag ; will only
deploy if:
R the front-passenger seat is occupied.
R the 45 indicator lamp on the center
console is not lit (Y page 44)
R the impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
The front-passenger air bag is automatically
activated and deactivated. Both driver and
passenger should always check whether the
front-passenger air bag is activated or
deactivated.
The deployment of the driver's air bag does
not mean that the front-passenger air bag will
also deploy. If the system recognizes that the
front-passenger seat is empty, the front-
passenger air bag does not deploy even if the
impact fulfills the criteria and the driver's air
bag has deployed.
If the system detects that the front-passenger
seat is occupied, the 45 indicator
lamp lights up for approximately six seconds
if:
R you turn the SmartKey to position 1 or 2 in
the ignition lock.
R the engine is running and then you switch
it off.
This indicates the operational readiness of
the front-passenger air bag.
Note that objects placed on the front-
passenger seat may cause the system to
recognize the seat as occupied. This can
result in the deployment of the front- Occupant safety
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Safety Z

passenger air bag if the impact fulfills the
specified criteria. If the 45 indicator
lamp lights up, the front-passenger front air
bag is disabled and will not be deployed in
certain situations. If the 45 indicator
lamp does not light up, the front-passenger
front
air bag is enabled and can be deployed.
Window curtain air bags G
WARNING
Observe "Important safety notes"
(Y page 41). Window curtain air bags
:
enhance the level
of protection for the head, but not chest or
arms, of the vehicle occupants on the side of
the vehicle on which the impact occurs.
Window curtain air bags : are integrated
into the side of the roof frame and deploy in
the area extending from the front door (A-
pillar) to the rear door (C-pillar).
Window curtain air bags : 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
acceleration, 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 rolls over and the system
determines that window curtain air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R independently of the front air bags Window curtain air bags will not deploy in
impacts which do not exceed the system's
preset deployment thresholds for lateral
acceleration/deceleration. You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belt.
BabySmart™ air bag deactivation
system
How the air bag deactivation system
works G
WARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
position. Thus, we strongly recommend that
children

be placed in the rear seats whenever
possible. Regardless of seating position,
children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an appropriate
infant restraint, toddler restraint, or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight of
the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle's seat belt, the seat
belt and top tether strap, or lower anchors and
top tether strap, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer's instructions.
Occupants, especially children, should always
sit as upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:
R Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a Mercedes-
Benz authorized BabySmart™ compatible
child seat, which operates with the
BabySmart™ system installed in the vehicle
to deactivate the front passenger front air44
Occupant safety
Safety

Your vehicle is equipped with a BabySmart™
system.
Special child restraint systems which are
compatible with BabySmart™ are necessary
for deactivating the front-passenger air bag.
When the special BabySmart™-compatible
child restraint system is installed correctly
and
is recognized by the sensor system in the
front-passenger seat, the front-passenger air
bag is deactivated. In this case, 45
indicator lamp : lights up. If you have any
questions regarding the special BabySmart™-
compatible child restraint systems, consult
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If the SmartKey has been removed from the
ignition lock or is in position 0, 45
indicator lamp : does not light up.
The system does not disable:
R the window curtain air bag
R the Emergency Tensioning Device
System self-test G
WARNING
Do not leave any switched on notebooks,
mobile phones, electronic tags (e.g. a ski
pass) or similar electronic devices on the
front-passenger seat. Signals emitted from
such devices can interfere with the
BabySmart™ air bag deactivation system.
Such interference can lead to the 45
indicator

lamp not lighting up during the self-
test.
If the + SRS warning lamp and the
4/ indicator lamp light up simultaneously in the instrument cluster, the
system is malfunctioning. The front-
passenger

air bag could deploy without cause,
or may fail to deploy in the event of an
accident.
Have the system checked as soon as possible
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
The 45 indicator lamp lights up when
the SmartKey is turned to position 1 or 2 in
the ignition lock.
The 45 indicator lamp goes out after
approximately six seconds.
If the 45 indicator lamp does not light
up or is always lit, then the system is
malfunctioning. Have the BabySmart™
system checked at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center before transporting a child on
the front-passenger seat.
For further information, see "Problems with
air bag deactivation system" ( Y page 47).46
Occupant safety
Safety

the door trim panel and the seat belt.
Damaged seat belts can no longer fulfill
their protective function and must be
replaced. Visit a qualified specialist
workshop.
X
Press release button ? of buckle = and
guide belt tongue ; back towards belt
sash guide :.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger The 7 seat belt warning lamp in the
instrument cluster is a reminder for all
occupants to fasten their seat belts.
Regardless
of whether the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts have already been
fastened, the 7 seat belt warning lamp
lights up for six seconds each time the engine
is started. It then goes out once the driver and
the front passenger have fastened their seat
belts.
If the driver and/or front passenger have not
fastened their seat belts after the engine has
been started, an additional warning tone
sounds. This warning tone switches off after
approximately six seconds or once the
driver's seat belt is fastened. If after six seconds, the driver or front
passenger have not fastened their seat belts
and the doors are closed:
R
the 7 seat belt warning lamp remains
illuminated

as long as either the driver's or
front-passenger seat belt is not fastened
R and if vehicle speed once exceeds
15 mph (25 km/h), the 7 seat belt
warning lamp lights up. A warning tone also
sounds with increasing intensity for a
maximum of 60 seconds or until the driver
or front-passenger seat belt has been
fastened.
If the driver or front-passenger seat belt is
unfastened while the vehicle is in motion, the
7 seat belt warning lamps light up and a
warning tone sounds again.
The warning tone ceases even if the driver or
front-passenger seat belt has still not been
fastened after 60 seconds. The 7 seat belt
warning lamp stops flashing but remains
illuminated.
After the vehicle comes to a standstill, the
warning tone is reactivated and the 7 seat
belt warning lamp flashes again if the vehicle
speed again exceeds 15 mph (25 km/h).
The 7 seat belt warning lamp only goes
out if:
R both the driver and the front passenger
have fastened their seat belts.
or
R the vehicle is stationary and a door is open.
i Further information about the 7 seat
belt warning lamp (Y page 248).
Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
force limiters G
WARNING
Pyrotechnic ETDs that were activated must be
replaced.
For your safety, when disposing of the
pyrotechnic ETDs always follow our safety
instructions. These are available at any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. Occupant safety
53
Safety Z

!
If the front-passenger seat is not
occupied, do not engage the seat belt
tongue in the buckle on the front-
passenger
seat. Otherwise, the Emergency
Tensioning Device could be triggered in the
event of an accident.
X In order to ensure that the pyrotechnic
Emergency Tensioning Devices have not
been triggered, always have the seat belts
checked after an accident.
If the Emergency Tensioning Devices have
been triggered, they must be replaced.
The seat belts for the front seats and rear
outer
seats are equipped with ETDs and seat
belt force limiters.
The ETDs on the driver's and front-passenger
seat consist of pyrotechnic belt buckle
tensioners and belt anchor installation
tensioners that are triggered together. The
belt buckle tensioner is mounted on the B-
pillar and the belt anchor installation is
mounted on the side of the seat. After
deploying, both tensioners must always be
replaced.
The ETDs tighten the seat belts in an accident,
pulling them close against the body.
The ETDs do not correct incorrect seat
positions or incorrectly fastened seat belts.
The ETDs do not pull vehicle occupants back
towards the backrest.
When triggered, seat belt force limiters help
to reduce the peak force exerted by the seat
belt on the vehicle occupant.
The front seat belt force limiters are
synchronized with the front air bags, which
take on a part of the deceleration force. Thus,
the force exerted on the occupant is
distributed over a greater area.
The ETDs can only be activated when:
R the SmartKey is in position 1 or 2 in the
ignition lock.
R the restraint systems are operational; see
"SRS warning lamp" ( Y page 39). R
the
belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the lap-shoulder belts in the front.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied and
the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
the front-passenger side
The Emergency Tensioning Devices are
triggered depending on the type and severity
of an accident, if:
R in the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision, the vehicle decelerates or
accelerates rapidly in a longitudinal
direction during the initial stages of the
impact
R if, in the event of a side impact, on the side
opposite the impact the vehicle
decelerates or accelerates rapidly in a
lateral direction
R in certain situations where the vehicle
overturns and the system determines that
it can provide additional protection
If the ETDs 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 is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The 6 SRS warning lamp
lights up. Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
Important safety notes G
WARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
position. Thus, we strongly recommend that
children

be placed in the rear seats whenever
possible. Regardless of seating position,
children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an appropriate
infant restraint, toddler restraint, or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight of
the child. 54
Children in the vehicle
Safety

ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Y page 60). G
WARNING
If the ABS malfunctions, other driving systems
such as the BAS or the ESP ®
are also switched
off. Observe indicator and warning lamps that
may come on as well as messages in the
multifunction display that may appear.
If the ABS malfunctions, the wheels may lock
during hard braking, reducing the steering
capability and extending the braking distance. G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking
characteristics may be severely impaired.
Additionally, further driving safety systems
are

deactivated. There is an increased danger
of skidding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked
immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the
vehicle when braking.
Provided that the differential locks are not
active, ABS works from a speed of about
5 mph (8 km/h) upwards, regardless of road-
surface conditions. ABS works on slippery
surfaces, even if you only brake gently.
The yellow ! ABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running.
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 vigorously until the braking
situation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an
indication of hazardous road conditions, and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.
Off-road ABS If the
LOW RANGE
shift range is selected by
the transfer case, (Y page 199), an ABS
system specifically suited to off-road terrain
is automatically activated.
At speeds below 37 mph (60 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking. The
digging-in effect achieved in the process
reduces the stopping distance on off-road
terrain. This limits steering capability. BAS (Brake Assist System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Y page 60). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
BAS operates in emergency braking
situations. 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. Driving safety systems
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Safety Z