2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class ABS

Window curtain air bags
Window curtain air bags
0043are integrated
into the side of the roof frame and deploy in
the area extending from the front door (A-pil-
lar) to the rear side window (D-pillar).
When deployed, the window curtain air bag
offers additional protection for the head.
However, it does not protect your chest or
arms.
In the event of a side impact, the window cur-
tain air bag is deployed on the side on which
the impact occurs.
If the system determines that window curtain
air bag deployment can offer additional pro-
tection to that provided by the seat belt, a
window curtain air bag may deploy in other
accident situations (Y page 58).Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
Introduction The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
categorizes the person in the front-passenger
seat. Depending on that result, the front-
passenger front air bag is either enabled or
deactivated.
The system does not deactivate:
R the side impact air bag
R the window curtain air bag
R the Emergency Tensioning Devices
In the following situation, the side impact air
bag and Emergency Tensioning Device are disabled: the OCS system detects that the
front-passenger seat is occupied, but the seat
belt tongue is not inserted in the belt buckle
of the front-passenger seat.
Prerequisites To be classified correctly, 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, OCS may produce a false classi-
fication, 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
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. The entire base of the
child restraint system must always rest on the
seat cushion of the front-passenger seat. The
backrest of the forwards-facing child restraint
system must, as far as possible, be resting on the backrest of the front-passenger seat.
The child restraint system must not touch the roof or be put under strain by the head
restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat back-
rest and the head restraint position accord-
ingly.
Only then can OCS be guaranteed to function
correctly. Always observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions. Occupant safety
53Safety Z

You will find further information on stowing
objects, luggage or loads under "Loading
guidelines" (Y page 342). G
WARNING
Child restraint systems or their securing sys-
tems which have been damaged or subjected to a load in an accident can no longer protect
as intended. The child cannot then be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even
fatal.
Replace child restraint systems which have
been damaged or subjected to a load in an
accident as soon as possible. Have the secur-
ing systems on the child restraint system
checked at a qualified specialist workshop,
before you install a child restraint system
again.
If it is absolutely necessary to carry a child on the front-passenger seat, be sure to observe
the information on the "Occupant Classifica-
tion System (OCS)" (Y page 53). There you
will also find information on deactivating the
front-passenger front air bag.
All child restraint systems must meet the fol- lowing standards:
R U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand-
ards 213 and 225
R Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2
Confirmation that the child restraint system
corresponds to the standards can be found
on an instruction label on the child restraint
system. This confirmation can also be found
in the installation instructions that are inclu-
ded with the child restraint system.
Observe the warning labels in the vehicle inte-
rior and on the child restraint system. LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat secur-
ing system G
WARNING
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint systems
do not offer sufficient protective effect for
children whose weight is greater than 48 lbs
(22 kg) who are secured using the safety belt integrated in the child restraint system. In the
event of an accident, a child might not be
restrained correctly. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
If the child weighs more than 48 lbs (22 kg),
only use LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
systems with which the child is also secured
with the vehicle seat belt. Also secure the
child restraint system with the Top Tether
belt, if available.
Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation and operating instructions for the child restraint system used.
Before every trip, make sure that the LATCH- type (ISOFIX) child restraint system is
engaged correctly in both LATCH-type (ISO-
FIX) securing rings
To ensure that the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system can perform its protective
function as intended, the backrest of the
respective outer seat in the second row must be in the upright position.
! When installing the child restraint system,
make sure that the seat belt for the middle
seat does not get trapped. The seat belt
could otherwise be damaged. Children in the vehicle
63Safety Z

Top Tether anchorage points
The Top Tether anchorages for the second
row of seats are fitted on the rear of the rear
seat backrests. For the third row of seats, use
the lashing eyelets in the luggage compart-
ment floor. X
Move head restraint 0087upwards.
X Fit the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
system with Top Tether. Make sure you
observe the child restraint system manu-
facturer's installation instructions.
X Route Top Tether belt 0084under head
restraint 0087between both head restraint
bars.
X Guide Top Tether belt 0084downward
between cargo compartment cover 0043and
rear seat backrests 0044.
X Hook Top Tether hook 0083of Top Tether belt
0084 into Top Tether anchorage 0085.
Make sure that:
R Top Tether hook 0083is hooked into Top
Tether anchorage 0085, as shown
R Top Tether belt 0084is not twisted R
when cargo compartment cover 0043is
installed, Top Tether belt 0084, runs
between rear seat backrests 0044and
cargo compartment cover 0043
R when the safety net is installed, Top
Tether belt 0084runs between rear seat
backrests 0044and the safety net.
X Tension Top Tether belt 0084. Make sure you
observe the child restraint system manu-
facturer's installation instructions.
X If necessary, push head restraint 0087back
down slightly (Y page 110). Make sure you
do not interfere with the correct routing of
Top Tether belt 0084. 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.
If it is absolutely necessary to install a child
restraint system to the front-passenger seat,
be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system (OCS)" (Y page 53).
You can thus avoid the risks that could arise
as a result of:
R an incorrectly categorized person in the
front-passenger seat
R the unintentional deactivation of the front-
passenger front air bag
R the unsuitable positioning of the child
restraint system, e.g. too close to the dash-
board
Rearward-facing child restraint system If it is absolutely necessary to install a rear-
ward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat, always make sure that Children in the vehicle
65Safety Z

the front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted. Only if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is permanently lit (Y page 45)
is the front-passenger front air bag deactiva-
ted.
Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Forward-facing child restraint system If it is absolutely necessary to install a
forward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat, always move the front-
passenger seat as far back as possible. The
entire base of the child restraint system must always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the child
restraint system must, as far as possible, lie
flat against the backrest of the front-
passenger seat. The child restraint system
must not touch the roof or be put under strain
by the head restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat backrest and the head restraint position
accordingly. Always make sure that the shoul-
der belt strap is correctly routed from the
vehicle belt sash guide to the shoulder belt
guide on the child restraint system. The shoul- der belt strap must be routed forwards and
downwards from the vehicle belt sash guide.
If necessary, adjust the vehicle belt sash
guide and the front-passenger seat accord-
ingly.
Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions. Child-proof locks
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If children are traveling in the vehicle, they
could:
R open doors, thus endangering other people
or road users
R exit the vehicle and be caught by oncoming
traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always activate the child-proof locks and
override feature if children are traveling in the vehicle. When leaving the vehicle, always take
the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unattended in the vehicle.
Override feature for: R the rear doors (Y page 67)
R the rear side windows (Y page 67) G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. G
WARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle. 66
Children in the vehicleSafety

Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about the following driving safety systems:
R ABS (Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Y page 68)
R BAS (Brake Assist System) (Y page 69)
R BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System Plus)
(Y page 69)
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST (distance
warning function and adaptive Brake
Assist) (Y page 70)
R ESP ®
(E lectronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 73)
R EBD (Electronic Brake forceDistribution)
(Y page 75)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 76)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 76)
R STEER CONTROL (Y page 77)Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or
become distracted, the driving safety sys-
tems can neither reduce the risk of accident
nor override the laws of physics. Driving
safety systems are merely aids designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and for braking in good time. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road
and weather conditions and maintain a safe
distance 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 tires and
the road surface. Please pay special atten- tion to the notes on tires, recommended
minimum tire tread depths, etc.
(Y page 406).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tires (M+S tires) 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 information 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 0025 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 (Y page 68). 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.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 328) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 293).
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/ h), regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently. 68
Driving safety systemsSafety

Braking
X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit- uation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions, and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving.
Off-road ABS An ABS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (Y page 259).
At speeds below 20 mph (30 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking. The dig-
ging-in effect achieved in the process reduces the stopping distance on off-road terrain. This
limits steering capability. BAS (Brake Assist System)
General information BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68). 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. Braking 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. BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS)
General information i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68).
BAS PLUS is only available in vehicles equip-
ped with DISTRONIC PLUS.
For BAS PLUS to assist you, the radar sensor system must be operational.
With the help of the radar sensor system, BAS
PLUS can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time.
If the radar sensor system is malfunctioning,
BAS PLUS will not be available. The brake
system is still available with complete brake
boosting effect and BAS.
BAS PLUS can help you to minimize the risk of a collision with a vehicle or reduce the effects
of such a collision. If BAS PLUS detects a
danger of collision, you are assisted when
braking.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
BAS PLUS cannot always clearly identify
objects and complex traffic situations.
In such cases, BAS PLUS may:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. Driving safety systems
69Safety Z

G
WARNING
BAS PLUS does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, BAS PLUS may not intervene in all
critical situations. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, the rec-
ognition can be impaired.
Recognition by the radar sensor system is
also impaired in the event of:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R there is interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Function To avoid a collision, BAS PLUS calculates the
brake force necessary if:
R you approach an obstacle, and
R BAS PLUS has detected a risk of collision
When driving at a speed under 20 mph
(30 km/h): if you depress the brake pedal,
BAS PLUS is activated. The increase in brake pressure will be carried out at the last possi-
ble moment. When driving at a speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h): if you depress the brake pedal
sharply, BAS PLUS automatically raises the
brake pressure to a value adapted to the traf-
fic situation.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in haz-
ardous situations with vehicles in front within a speed range between 4 mph (7 km/h) and
155 mph (250 km/h).
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h), BAS PLUS can also react to sta-
tionary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
i If BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger pro-
tection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are activa-
ted simultaneously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes func- tion as usual again, if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer a risk of collision.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
If you have activated DSR (Y page 258), BAS
PLUS is likewise deactivated. COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
General notes COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST consists of
Adaptive Brake Assist and the distance warn-
ing function, which are described in the fol-
lowing.
Distance warning function Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68). 70
Driving safety systemsSafety

sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68). 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.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R to stationary obstacles
R when cornering
As a result, Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause Brake Assist to inter-
vene.
Adaptive Brake Assist aids you in braking dur-
ing hazardous situations at speeds above
4 mph (7 km/h) and uses the radar sensor
system to evaluate the traffic situation.
With the help of Adaptive Brake Assist, the
distance warning signal can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time. Should you approach an obstacle and Adap-
tive Brake Assist has detected a risk of colli-
sion, Adaptive Brake Assist calculates the
braking force necessary to avoid a rear-end
collision. Should you apply the brakes vigo-
rously, Adaptive Brake Assist will automati-
cally increase the braking force to a level suit- able for the traffic conditions.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if: R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer any danger of a collision.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated.
Vehicles with PRE-SAFE ®
:if adaptive Brake
Assist requires particularly high brake pres-
sure, preventive passenger protection meas-
ures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are deployed simultane-
ously.
Up to vehicle speeds of around 155 mph
(250 km/h), adaptive Brake Assist is capable
of reacting to moving objects that have
already been recognized as such at least once
over the period of observation. Adaptive
Brake Assist does not react to stationary
obstacles.
If Adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to
a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the brake system remains available with full
brake boosting effect and BAS.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R there is snow or heavy rain
R there is interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike 72
Driving safety systemsSafety