2013 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV lights

or small adult), either the PASSENGER AIR
BAG ON or PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi- cator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the
result of the classification.
- if the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp lights up, move the front-passenger seat as far back as possible. Alterna-
tively, a person with a small build can sit on a rear seat.
- if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, a person with a smaller build
should not use the front-passenger seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a person with a build correspond-
ing to that of an adult, the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up after the
system self-test and remains lit. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front airbag
is enabled.
If children are travelling in the vehicle, be sure to observe the notes on "Children in the vehi-
cle" (Y page 59).
If the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system is malfunctioning, the
red 6 restraint system warning lamp in
the instrument cluster and the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp light up simulta-
neously. The front-passenger front airbag is
disabled in this case and does not deploy dur- ing an accident. Have the system checked as
soon as possible by qualified technicians.
Consult a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. The
front-passenger seat should only be repaired at a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or the seat cushion is damaged, have the nec-
essary repair work carried out at a Mercedes- Benz Service Centre.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use a child restraint sys-
tem which has been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz in combination with the auto- matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva-
tion system. System self-test G
DANGER
If both the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps do
not light up during the system self-test, the
system is malfunctioning. The front-
passenger front airbag might be triggered
unintentionally or might not be triggered at all in the event of an accident with high deceler-
ation. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may notbe used. Do not install a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the auto-
matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva-
tion system checked and repaired immedi-
ately at a qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. It willnot be deployed in the event of an accident. In
this case, the front-passenger front airbag
cannot perform its intended protective func-
tion, e.g. when a person is seated in the front- passenger seat.
That person could, for example, come into
contact with the vehicle's interior, especially
if the person is sitting too close to the dash-
board. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front airbag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat.
R the person is seated properly with a cor-
rectly fastened seat belt.
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
as far back as possible.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit when it should not, the front- 54
Occupant safetySafety

Problems with automatic front-passenger airbag deactivation
Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Y
page 54).Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lamp lights up and
remains lit, even
though the front-
passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult or a
person with a build cor-responding to that of an
adult. The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is
incorrect.
X Make sure the conditions for a correct classification of the per-
son on the front-passenger seat are met (Y page 52).
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the
front-passenger seat may not be used.
X Have the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation
system checked as soon as possible at a Mercedes-Benz Ser-
vice Centre. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lamp does not light up
and/or does not stay
on.
The front-passenger
seat is:
R empty
R occupied with a rear-
ward-facing child
restraint system The automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation system is
malfunctioning.
X Make sure there is nothing between the seat and the child
restraint system.
X Make sure that the base of the child restraint system rests on
the seat cushion.
X When installing the child restraint system, make sure that the
seat belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight with the front-
passenger seat adjustment. This could result in the seat belt and the child restraint system being pulled too tightly.
X Check that the child restraint system is installed correctly. Make
sure that the head restraint does not apply a load to the child
restraint system. If necessary, adjust the head restraint accord-
ingly.
X Make sure that no objects are applying additional weight to the
seat.
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off and/
or the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not
install a rearward-facing child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. It is recommended that you fit the restraint
system to a suitable rear seat.
X Have the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation
system checked as soon as possible at a Mercedes-Benz Ser-
vice Centre. 56
Occupant safetySafety

Deployment of belt tensioners and air-
bags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
After the airbag deploys, the airbag parts are
hot. There is a risk of injury.
Do not touch the airbag parts. Have a
deployed airbag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible. G
WARNING
Pyrotechnic seat belt tensioners that have
been deployed are no longer operational and
are unable to perform their intended protec-
tive function. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Therefore, have pyrotechnic belt tensioners
which have been triggered immediately
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the vehicle towed to a qualified specialist
workshop after an accident. Take this into
account, particularly if a seat belt tensioner
was triggered or an airbag was deployed.
An electric motor is used by PRE-SAFE ®
to
trigger the tightening of the seat belt in haz-
ardous situations. This procedure is reversi-
ble.
If the belt tensioners are triggered or an air-
bag is deployed, you will hear a bang, and a
small amount of powder may also be
released. The 6restraint system warning
lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your
hearing. In general, the powder released is
not hazardous to health but may cause short- term breathing difficulties to persons suffer-
ing from asthma or other pulmonary condi-
tions. Provided it is safe to do so, you should
leave the vehicle immediately or open the
window in order to prevent breathing difficul- ties. Operation During the first stage of a collision, the
restraint system control unit evaluates impor-
tant physical data relating to vehicle deceler-
ation or acceleration, such as:
R duration
R direction
R intensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the seat
belt tensioners in the event of a head-on or
rear collision.
A seat belt tensioner can only be triggered if:
R the ignition is switched on.
R the components of the restraint system are
operational; see "Restraint system warning
lamp" (Y page 43)
R the belt tongue has engaged in the belt
buckle of the respective front seat
The seat belt tensioners in the rear compart-
ment are triggered independently of the lock
status of the seat belts.
If the restraint system control unit detects a
high severity of an accident, in certain head-
on collisions, additional components of the
restraint system are deployed independently
of each another:
R front airbags and driver's kneebag
R windowbag, if the system determines that
deployment can offer additional protection to that provided by the seat belt
On vehicles with the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system:
depending on the person in the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger front air-
bag is either disabled or enabled. The front-
passenger front airbag can only be deployed
in an accident if the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is lit. Observe the information
on the PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamps
(Y page 43).
Your vehicle has two-stage front airbags. In
the first deployment stage, the front airbag is
filled with propellant gas to reduce the risk of Occupant safety
57Safety Z

partment cover if the luggage compart-
ment cover is fitted.
X Tension Top Tether belt ?. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions when doing so.
Vehicles with adjustable head restraints: X If necessary, move head restraint :back
down again slightly (Y page 112). Make
sure that you do not interfere with the cor-
rect routing of Top Tether belt ?.Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than chil-
dren secured in the front-passenger seat. For this reason, Mercedes-Benz strongly advises
that you install a child restraint system on a
rear seat.
Vehicles with the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system: if it is abso- lutely necessary to fit a child restraint system
to the front-passenger seat, always observe
the information on "Automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system"
(Y page 51).
You can thus avoid the risks that could arise
as a result of:
R a child restraint system that is not detected
by the automatic front-passenger front air- bag deactivation system
R the unintentional disabling of the front-
passenger front airbag
R the unsuitable positioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board Please observe the warning notice on the
front-passenger sun visor, see the illustra-
tion.
G
WARNING
If you secure a child on the co-driver's seat in a rearward-facing child restraint system and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
lights up, the co-driver's airbag could be
deployed in the event of an accident. The childcould be struck by the airbag. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
In this case, always ensure that the co-driver's
airbag is disabled. The PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp must light up.
NEVER use a rearward facing child restraint
on a seat protected by an ACTIVE AIRBAG in
front of it, DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the
CHILD can occur.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
is lit, the front-passenger front airbag is ena-
bled (Y page 43). Children in the vehicle
63Safety Z

Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In this section, you will find information about the following driving safety systems:
R ABS (Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Y page 72)
R BAS (Brake Assist System) (Y page 73)
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST (distance
warning function and adaptive Brake
Assist) (Y page 73)
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
(Y page 73)
R Adaptive brake lamps (Y page 76)
R ESP ®
(E lectronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 76)
R EBD (electronic brake forcedistribution)
(Y page 80)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 80)
R STEER CONTROL (Y page 81)Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you
are inattentive, the driving safety systems can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics. Driving safety sys-
tems are merely aids designed to assist driv- ing. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and forbraking in good time. Always adapt your driv- ing style to suit the prevailing road, weather
and traffic conditions and maintain a safe dis-
tance from the vehicle in front. Drive care-
fully.
i The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there
is adequate contact between the tyres and
the road surface. Pay particular attention to the information regarding tyres, recom-
mended minimum tyre tread depths etc. inthe "Wheels and tyres" section
(Y page 352). 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)
General notes ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi- cle when braking.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched on. It goes out when the engine is running.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 72). G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid- ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 289) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 255).
ABS works from a speed of about
8 km/hupwards, regardless of road-surface
conditions. ABS works on slippery surfaces,
even when you only brake gently. 72
Driving safety syste
msSafety

Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation; do not rely on the distance warning
function alone.
Function X To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate the distance warning function in the
on-board computer (Y page 244).
When the distance warning function is deac-
tivated, the æsymbol appears in the mul-
tifunction display in the assistance graphic
display.
The distance warning function can help you to minimise the risk of a collision with a vehicle
ahead or reduce the effects of such a colli-
sion. If the distance warning function detects
that there is a risk of a collision, you will be
warned visually and acoustically. Without
your intervention, the distance warning func- tion cannot prevent a collision.
The distance warning function issues a warn-
ing at speeds:
R of around 30 km/h or more, if, over several
seconds, the distance maintained to the
vehicle travelling in front is insufficient. The · distance warning lamp then lights up
in the instrument cluster.
R of around 7 km/h or higher, if you very
quickly approach a vehicle in front. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound,
and the ·distance warning lamp will
light up in the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause the system to display a
warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the distance warning function can detect obsta-
cles that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time. Up to a speed of about 70 km/h, the distance
warning function can also react to stationaryobstacles, such as stopped or parked vehi-
cles.
If you approach an obstacle and the distance
warning function detects a risk of a collision,
the system will alert you both visually and
acoustically.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired in the case of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example, in
multi-storey car parks
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorcycle
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line
R new vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Please observe the information in the sec-
tion on running-in the vehicle
(Y page 158).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi- cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at slow speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 72). G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist may:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident. 74
Driving safety systemsSafety

COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
General notes
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
only available on vehicles with DISTRONIC.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
extends the functionality of COLLISION PRE-
VENTION ASSIST with an automatic braking
function. COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS can help you to minimise the risk of a
front-end collision with a vehicle ahead or
reduce the effects of such a collision. If COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS detects
that there is a risk of a collision, you will be
warned visually and acoustically. In critical
situations COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS also initiates automatic braking.
Function X To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS in the on-board computer
(Y page 244).
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
deactivated, the æsymbol appears in the
assistance graphics display.
If the driver's seat belt is fastened, COLLI-
SION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can brake
automatically within a speed range of
between 7 km/h and 200 km/h.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can
also react to stationary obstacles with auto-
matic braking within a speed range of
between 7 km/h and 30 km/h.
Vehicles with PRE-SAFE ®
:if the automatic
braking function of COLLISION PREVENTION
ASSIST PLUS intervenes powerfully, preven-
tive passenger protection measures (PRE-
SAFE ®
) are deployed simultaneously.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired in the case of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources R
strong radar reflections, for example, in
multi-storey car parks
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorcycle
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line
R new vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Please observe the information in the sec-
tion on running-in the vehicle
(Y page 158).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at slow speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle. Adaptive brake lamps
The adaptive brake lights warn following traf- fic in an emergency braking situation:
R by means of flashing brake lamps
R the hazard warning lamps are activated
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS
or BAS PLUS, the brake lamps flash rapidly. In
this way, traffic travelling behind you is
warned in an even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn- ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off
the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning button (Y page 123). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 72). 76
Driving safety systemsSafety

ESP
®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output 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.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 72).
ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.
ETS brakes the drive wheels individually if
they spin. This enables you to pull away and
accelerate on slippery surfaces, for example
if the road surface is slippery on one side. In
addition, more drive torque is transferred to
the wheel or wheels with traction.
ETS remains active when you deactivate
ESP ®
.
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) A 4ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (Y page 205).
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! When testing the electric parking brake
on a braking dynamometer, switch off the
ignition. Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may otherwise destroy the brake system. !
Vehicles with 4MATIC: switch off the igni-
tion when the electric parking brake is
being tested using a dynamometer.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on
a 2-axle dynamometer. Before operating
the vehicle on such a dynamometer, please
consult a qualified specialist workshop.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system.
! Do not tow vehicles with 4MATIC with the
front or rear axle raised.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicle with the front axle raised, it is impor-
tant that you observe the notes on ESP ®
(Y page 346).
Vehicles with 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicle with both axles on the ground, it is
important that you observe the notes on ESP ®
(Y page 347).
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åESP®
OFF
warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights up continuously when the engine is running.
If the ÷ ESP®
warning lamp and the å
ESP ®
OFF warning lamp are lit continuously,
ESP ®
is not available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 291) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 255).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
Characteristics of ESP ® General notes
If the
÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. Driving safety systems
77Safety Z