2013 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV belt

deactivation system" (Y
page 51) and on
"Children in the vehicle" (Y page 59).
R Children in a forward-facing child
restraint system: depending on the instal-
led child restraint system, the age and size of the child the front-passenger front airbag
is either disabled or enabled. Therefore,
always observe the information on the
"Automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system" (Y page 51) and on
"Children in the vehicle" (Y page 59).
R All other persons: the PASSENGER AIR
BAG ON indicator lamp must be lit. The
front-passenger front airbag is enabled.
Depending on the build of the person on the front-passenger seat, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp may light up. The
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. It
will then not be deployed in the event of an
accident. In this case, the front-passenger
seat should not be used.
Always observe the information on the
"Automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system" (Y page 51) as well
as on "Seat belts" (Y page 44) and "Air-
bags" (Y page 48). There you can also find
information on the correct seat position. Seat belts
Introduction A correctly worn seat belt is the most effec-
tive means of restraining the movement of
vehicle occupants in the event of a collision or
if the vehicle overturns. This reduces the risk of vehicle occupants coming into contact with
parts of the vehicle interior or being ejected
from it. The seat belt also helps to keep the
vehicle occupants in the best position in rela-
tion to the airbag being deployed. The seat belt system consists of:
R seat belts
R belt tensioners for the front seat belts and
the outer seat belts in the rear
R belt force limiters for the front seat belts
and the outer seat belts in the rear
If the seat belt is pulled quickly or sharply
from the belt outlet, the inertia reel locks. The
belt strap cannot be pulled out any further.
The belt tensioner tightens the seat belt in the event of a collision so that it fits tightly across
your body. However, it does not pull the vehi- cle occupants back in the direction of the seat
backrest.
The belt tensioner does not, however, correct an incorrect seat position or correct the rout-
ing of a seat belt that is worn incorrectly.
When triggered, seat belt force limiters help
to reduce the peak force exerted by the seat
belt on the vehicle occupant.
The belt force limiters on the front seats are
synchronised with the front airbags, which
take on a part of the deceleration force. This
can reduce the forces to which the vehicle
occupants are subjected during an accident.
! If the co-driver's seat is not occupied, do
not engage the seat belt tongue in the
buckle on the co-driver's seat. Otherwise,
the belt tensioner could be triggered in the
event of an accident and would have to be
replaced.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The seat belt cannot perform its intended pro- tective function if it is not fastened correctly. Also, an improperly fastened seat belt can
cause additional injuries in the event of an
accident, sudden braking or abrupt changes
of direction. There is an increased risk of
injury, possibly even fatal.
Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
are wearing their seat belt and positioned cor-
rectly. 44
Occupant safetySafety

G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seatbelt is routed
across the centre of your shoulder. G
WARNING
Persons under 1.50 mtall cannot wear the
seat belts correctly without a suitable, addi-
tional restraint system. The seat belt cannot
perform its intended protective function if it is not fastened correctly. Also, an improperly
fastened seat belt can cause additional inju-
ries in the event of an accident, sudden brak-
ing or abrupt changes of direction. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Secure persons less than 1.50 mtall in a suit-
able restraint system.
If a child younger than 12 years old and under 1.50 m in height is travelling in the vehicle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this Mercedes-Benz
vehicle. The child restraint system must be appropriate to the age, weight and size of
the child.
R be sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes on the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system
(Y page 51)
R always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle" in this
Owner's Manual (Y page 59) in addition
to the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions G
WARNING
Seat belts cannot protect as intended, if:
R they are damaged, have been modified, are
extremely dirty, bleached or dyed
R the seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
R modifications have been made to the belt
tensioners, belt anchorages or inertia reels
Damage caused to safety belts in an accident may not be visible, e.g. by splinters of glass.
Modified or damaged seat belts can tear or
fail, for example in the event of an accident.
Modified seat belt tensioners may be
deployed unintentionally or fail to be deployed
when required. There is an increased risk of
injury, possibly even fatal.
Never modify safety belts, seat belt tension-
ers, seat belt anchorages and inertia reels.
Ensure that seat belts are not damaged or
worn and are clean. After an accident, have
the seat belts checked immediately at a quali- fied specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use seat belts which have been approved
specifically for your vehicle by Mercedes-
Benz.
Vehicles with sports seats or AMG Per-
formance Seats: these seats are equipped
with the standard three-point seat belt. If you
fit a different multi-point seat belt, e.g. sports
or racing seat belts, the restraint system can-
not offer maximum protection. G
WARNING
If you feed seat belts through the opening in
the seat backrest, the seat backrest may be
damaged or may even break in the event of an accident. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Only use the standard three-point seat belt.
Never modify the seat belt system. Occupant safety
45Safety Z

Correct seat belt use
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y
page 44).
All vehicle occupants must be wearing the
seat belt correctly before beginning the jour- ney. Also make sure that all vehicle occu-
pants are always wearing the seat belt cor-
rectly while the vehicle is in motion.
When fastening the seat belt, always make
sure that:
R the seat belt tongue is only inserted to the
belt buckle belonging to that seat.
R the seat belt is tight across your body.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
R the seat belt is not twisted.
Only then can forces which occur be dis-
tributed across the surface of the seat belt.
R the shoulder section of the belt is always
routed across the centre of your shoulder.
The shoulder section of the seat belt should
not touch your neck nor be routed under
your arm. If possible, adjust the seat belt to the appropriate height.
R the lap belt passes across your lap as
tightly and as low down as possible.
The lap must always be routed across your hip joints and never across your abdomen.
This applies particularly to pregnant
women. If necessary, press the lap belt
down into your hip joints and pull tight with the shoulder section of the belt.
R the seat belt is not routed across sharp,
pointed or fragile objects.
If you have such items located on or in your
clothing, e.g. pens, keys or spectacles,
store these in a suitable place.
R only one person is using a seat belt.
Infants and children must never travel sit-
ting on the lap of a vehicle occupant. In the
event of an accident, they could be crushed between the vehicle occupant and seat
belt.
R objects are never secured with a seat belt if
the seat belt is also being used by one of the vehicle's occupants.
Seat belts are only intended to secure and
restrain vehicle occupants. Always observe
the "Loading guidelines" for securing objects,
luggage or loads (Y page 300).
Fastening and adjusting the seat belts Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y
page 44) and the information on the cor-
rect use of the seat belt (Y page 46). X
Adjust the seat (Y page 108).
The seat backrest must be in an almost
vertical position.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from belt outlet
= and engage belt tongue ;in belt
buckle :.
Pull the seat belt out smoothly from belt
outlet =.
X Engage belt tongue ;in belt buckle :.
The seat belt of the driver's and front-
passenger seat is pulled tight automati- 46
Occupant safetySafety

cally, if necessary; see "Belt adjustment"
(Y
page 47).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body. The shoulder section of the belt must always
be routed across the centre of your shoulder.
If necessary, adjust the belt outlet.
X To raise: slide the belt guide upwards.
The belt guide will engage in various posi-
tions.
X To lower: hold belt guide release :and
slide the belt guide downwards.
X Let go of belt guide release :in the
desired position and make sure that the
belt guide engages.
Releasing the seat belts !
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. X
Press release button :, hold belt
tongue ;firmly and guide it back towards
belt outlet =.
Seat belt adjustment The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. This
function adjusts the driver's and front-
passenger seat belt to the upper body of the
occupants.
The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
R the seat belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle and
R the ignition is switched on
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a certain
tightening force if any slack is detected
between the vehicle occupant and the seat
belt. Do not hold on to the seat belt tightly
while it is adjusting.
You can switch the seat-belt adjustment on
and off in the on-board computer
(Y page 250).
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger The
7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder that all vehicle
occupants must wear their seat belts. It may Occupant safety
47Safety Z

light up continuously or flash. In addition, a
warning tone may sound.
The 7 seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tone ceases when the driver and
the front passenger have fastened their seat
belts.
i For more information on the
7seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster, seat
belt" (Y page 288).
Rear seat belt status indicator The seat belts on the left and centre rear seats,
when viewed in the direction of travel, are not fas-
tened. (Example)
The status indicator for the rear-compart-
ment seat belts is only available for certain
countries.
For approximately 30 seconds, the rear seat
belt status indicator informs you which rear
seat belt is not fastened.
The rear seat belt status indicator appears 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
you pull away again.
You can also cancel the rear seat belt status
indicator immediately (Y page 254).Airbags
Introduction The installation location of an airbag is iden-
tified by the AIRBAG symbol. An airbag supplements a correctly worn seat
belt. It is not a replacement for the seat belt.
The airbag offers additional protection in
applicable accident situations.
Not all airbags are deployed in an accident.
The different airbag systems work independ-
ently of each other (Y page 57).
However, no system available today can com- pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to completely rule out a
risk of injury caused by an airbag due to the
speed at which the airbag must be deployed.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you deviate from the correct seat position,
the airbag cannot perform its intended pro-
tective function and can even cause addi-
tional injuries when deployed. There is an
increased risk of serious or even fatal injuries.
In order to avoid such risks, always ensure
that all vehicle occupants:
R fasten their seatbelts correctly, including
pregnant women
R are seated correctly and maintain the fur-
thest possible distance from the airbags
R observe the following notes
Always ensure that there are no objects loca-
ted between the airbag and the vehicle occu-
pant.
R Adjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the
seat is in an almost upright position. The
centre of the head restraint must support
the head at about eye level.
R Move the driver's and front-passenger
seats as far back as possible. The driver's
seat position must allow the vehicle to be
driven safely.
R Only hold the steering wheel on the out-
side. This allows the airbag to be fully
deployed.
R Always lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forwards or lean against 48
Occupant safetySafety

the door or side window. You may other-
wise be in the deployment area of the air-
bags.
R Always keep your feet in the footwell in
front of the seat. Do not put your feet on the
dashboard, for example. Your feet may oth-
erwise be in the deployment area of the
airbag.
R Always secure persons less than 1.50 mtall
in suitable restraint systems. Up to this
height, the seat belt cannot be worn cor-
rectly.
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
R Always secure children under 12 years of
age and less than 1.50 m tall in suitable
child restraint systems.
R Child restraint systems should be fitted to
the rear seats.
R Only secure a child to the front-passenger
seat when the front-passenger front airbag
is disabled, and only then in a rearward-
facing child restraint system. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is
permanently lit, the front-passenger front
airbag is disabled (Y page 43).
R Always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system
(Y page 51) and on "Children in the vehi-
cle" (Y page 59) in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may pre-
vent the airbag from functioning cor-
rectly. Before starting your journey and to
avoid risks resulting from the speed of the
airbag as it deploys, make sure that:
R there are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air-
bag.
Do not place any objects on the dashboard
e.g. above the front-passenger front airbag.
R there are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar. R
no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, are
hanging on the grab handles or coat hooks.
R no accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deploy-
ment area of an airbag, e.g. to doors, side
windows, rear side trim or side walls.
R no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects
are in the pockets of your clothing. Store
such objects in a suitable place. G
WARNING
If you modify an airbag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the airbag can no longer function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an airbag cover or affix objects
to it. G
WARNING
Sensors to control the airbags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ling, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the function of the sensors being impaired. The
airbags might therefore not function properly any more. Consequently, the airbags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. This poses an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan-
elling carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Front airbags !
Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. This could cause the sys-
tem to identify the seat as being occupied.
In the event of an accident, the restraint
systems on the front-passenger side may
be triggered and have to be replaced. Occupant safety
49Safety Z

In the event of a side impact, the sidebag is
deployed on the side on which the impact
occurs.
Vehicles with automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation: the sidebag on the
front-passenger side deploys under the fol-
lowing conditions:
R an occupant is detected on the front-
passenger seat or
R the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat
If the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle, the sidebag on the front-passenger
side deploys if an appropriate accident situa- tion occurs. In this case, deployment is inde-
pendent of whether the front-passenger seat is occupied or not.
Windowbags Windowbags
:are integrated into the side
of the roof frame and deployed in the area
from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
When deployed, the windowbag offers addi-
tional protection for the head. However, it
does not protect your chest or arms.
In the event of a side impact, the windowbag
is deployed on the side on which an impact
occurs.
If the system determines that windowbag
deployment can offer additional protection to
that provided by the seat belt, a windowbag
may deploy in other accident situations
(Y page 57). Automatic front-passenger front air-
bag deactivation
Introduction In order to recognise a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat, the automatic
front-passenger front airbag deactivation sys- tem categorises the person in the front-
passenger seat. Depending on that result, the
front-passenger front airbag and front-
passenger knee-bag are either enabled or dis- abled. If a rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem is fitted to the front-passenger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
must light up after the system self-test and
remain lit. The front-passenger front airbag
and front-passenger kneebag are disabled.
The system does not disable:
R the sidebag
R the windowbag
R the seat belt tensioner
Make sure that your vehicle is equipped with
the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system (Y page 63). If this is
not the case, always install a child restraint
system on a suitable rear seat (Y page 64).
If it is absolutely necessary to install a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat,
be sure to observe the correct positioning of
the child restraint system. Never place
objects under or behind the child restraint
system, e.g. cushions. Only then is the cor-
rect function of the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system
guaranteed. Always observe the information
on suitable positioning of the child restraint
system (Y page 64) in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions. Occupant safety
51Safety Z

Operation
:
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
; PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
The indicator lamps inform you whether the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled or
enabled.
X Press the Start/Stop button once or twice,
or turn the key to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock.
The system carries out a self-diagnosis.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps
must light up simultaneously for approx-
imately six seconds.
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front airbag.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG ON :lights up: the
front-passenger front airbag is enabled. If,
in the case of an accident, all deployment
criteria are met, the front-passenger front
airbag is deployed.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ;lights up: the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. It
will then not be deployed in the event of an accident.
If the status of the front-passenger front air-
bag changes while the vehicle is in motion, an
airbag display message appears in the instru-
ment cluster (Y page 267). When the front-
passenger seat is occupied, always pay atten-
tion to the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamps. Be aware of the status of the front-passenger front airbag both before and during the jour-
ney.
If there is no child restraint system fitted to
the front-passenger seat, the front-passenger
must sit:
R with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in an almost upright position with their
back against the seat backrest
R with their feet resting on the floor, if possi-
ble
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system may be influ- enced, e.g. because the front passenger:
R transfers their weight by supporting them-
selves on a vehicle armrest
R sits in such a way that their weight is raised
from the seat cushion
The front-passenger front airbag may be dis-
abled by mistake as a result of these or similar
actions. In this case, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up perma-
nently. The front-passenger front airbag does not then deploy during an accident. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is lit, the front-passenger front airbag is disa-
bled. It will not be deployed in the event of an
accident and cannot perform its intended pro-
tective function. A person in the front-
passenger seat could then, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, espe-
cially if the person is sitting too close to the
dashboard. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always make sure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and that the front-
passenger front airbag is enabled or disa- 52
Occupant safetySafety