2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class air condition

When driving off road or on unpaved roads,
check the vehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammable materials which have become
trapped. In the case of damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
Modifications to electronic components, their software as well as wiring can impair their
function and/or the function of other net-
worked components. In particular, systems
relevant to safety could also be affected. As a
result, these may no longer function as inten-
ded and/or jeopardize the operating safety of
the vehicle. There is an increased risk of an
accident and injury.
Never tamper with the wiring as well as elec-
tronic components or their software. You
should have all work to electrical and elec-
tronic equipment carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop.
If you make any changes to the vehicle elec-
tronics, the general operating permit is ren-
dered invalid.
! There is a risk of damage to the vehicle if:
R the vehicle becomes stuck, e.g. on a high
curb or an unpaved road
R you drive too fast over an obstacle, e.g. a
curb or a hole in the road
R a heavy object strikes the undercarriage
or parts of the chassis
In situations like this, the body, the under-
carriage, chassis parts, wheels or tires
could be damaged without the damage
being visible. Components damaged in this way can unexpectedly fail or, in the case of
an accident, no longer withstand the strain
they are designed to.
If the underbody paneling is damaged,
combustible materials such as leaves,
grass or twigs can gather between the
underbody and the underbody paneling. If
these materials come in contact with hot parts of the exhaust system, they can catch
fire.
In such situations, have the vehicle
checked and repaired immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop. If on con-
tinuing your journey you notice that driving
safety is impaired, pull over and stop the
vehicle immediately, paying attention to
road and traffic conditions. In such cases,
visit a qualified specialist workshop. Declarations of conformity
Vehicle components which receive
and/or transmit radio waves USA:
"The wireless devices of this vehicle
comply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Oper-
ation is subject to the following two condi-
tions: 1) These devices may not cause harm-
ful interference, and 2) These devices must
accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired oper-
ation. Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for com-
pliance could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment."
Canada: "The wireless devices of this vehicle
comply with Industry Canada license-exempt
RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) These devices
may not cause interference, and (2) These
devices must accept any interference, includ- ing interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device." Diagnostics connection
The diagnostics connection is only intended
for the connection of diagnostic equipment at a qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
If you connect equipment to the diagnostics
connection in the vehicle, it may affect the
operation of the vehicle systems. As a result, 28
Introduction

The following text is published as required of
manufacturers under Title 49, Code of U.S.
Federal Regulations, Part 575 pursuant to the "National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Actof 1966".
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause
injury or death, you should immediately
inform the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notify-
ing Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a
safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it
may order a recall and remedy campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you, your
dealer, or Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at
1-888-327-4236(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go
to http://www.safercar.gov; or write to:
Administrator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street,
SW., Washington, DC 20590.
You can also obtain other information about
motor vehicle safety from
http://www.safercar.gov Limited Warranty
! Follow the instructions in this manual
about the proper operation of your vehicle
as well as about possible vehicle damage.
Damage to your vehicle that arises from
culpable contraventions against these
instructions is not covered either by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty or by the
New or Used-Vehicle Warranty. Data stored in the vehicle
Data recording
This vehicle is capable of recording diagnostic information relating to vehicle operation, mal-functions, and user settings. This may include information about the performance or status
of various systems, including but not limited
to, engine, throttle, steering or brake sys-
tems, that is stored and can be read out with
suitable devices, particularly when the vehi-
cle is serviced. The data obtained is used to
properly diagnose and service your vehicle or to further optimize and develop vehicle func-
tions. COMAND/mbrace (Canada: TELEAID)
If the vehicle is equipped with COMAND or
mbrace, additional data about the vehicle’s
operation, the use of the vehicle in certain
situations, and the location of the vehicle may be compiled through COMAND or the mbrace
system.
For additional information please refer to the COMAND User Manual and/or the mbrace
Terms and Conditions. Event data recorders
This vehicle is equipped with an event data
recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR
is to record data that will assist in under-
standing how a vehicle’s systems performed
in certain crash or near crash-like situations,
such as during air bag deployment or when
hitting a road obstacle. The EDR is designed
to record data related to vehicle dynamics
and safety systems for a short period of time, typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record
such data as:
R how various systems in your vehicle are
operating
R whether or not the driver and passenger
seat belts are fastened
R how far (if at all) the driver is depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal and
R how fast the vehicle is traveling
This data can help provide a better under-
standing of the circumstances in which 30
Introduction

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

Problems with the Occupant Classification System (OCS)
Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Y
page 56).Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions 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 of a stature 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 53).
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the
front-passenger seat may not be used.
X Have OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator
lamp does not light up
and/or does not stay
on.
The front-passenger
seat is:
R unoccupied
R occupied by the
weight of a child up
to 12 months old in a
child restraint sys-
tem OCS is malfunctioning.
X Make sure there is nothing between the seat cushion and the
child seat.
X Make sure that the entire base of the child restraint system rests
on the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat. The backrest of
the forwards-facing child restraint system must, as far as pos-
sible, be resting on the backrest of front-passenger seat. If nec- essary, adjust the position of the front-passenger seat.
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 the installation of the child restraint system.
Make sure that the head restraint does not apply a load to the
child restraint system. If necessary, adjust the head restraint
accordingly.
X Make sure that no objects are applying additional weight onto
the seat.
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off, do
not install a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat. It is recommended that you install the restraint system on a
suitable rear seat.
X Have OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. Occupant safety
57Safety Z

If the restraint system control unit detects a
high accident severity, additional compo-
nents of the restraint system are activated
independently of one another in certain fron- tal collision situations:
R Front air bags and driver's knee bag
R Windowbag, if the system determines that
it can offer additional protection to that
provided by the seat belt
Depending on the person occupying the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger air bag is activated or deactivated. The front-passenger front air bag can only be deployed in an acci-
dent if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indica-
tor lamp is off. Observe the information on the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
(Y page 45).
Your vehicle has two-stage front air bags.
During the first deployment stage, the front
air bag fills with propellant gas which reduces
the risk of injury. The second stage is then
triggered within milliseconds, filling the front
air bag with the maximum amount of propel-
lant gas.
The deployment thresholds for the Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices and air bags are
calculated on the basis of the vehicle decel-
eration or acceleration occurring at various
points in the vehicle. This process is pre-emp- tive in nature. The air bag must be deployed
on time, at the start of the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the direction of the force are essen-
tially determined by:
R distribution of the force during the impact
R collision angle
R deformation characteristics of the vehicle
R characteristics of the object with which the
vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after the collision has occurred do not play a
decisive role in the deployment of an airbag,
nor do they provide an indication of air bag
deployment. The vehicle may be considerably deformed
without an air bag being deployed. This is the
case if only relatively easily deformable parts
have been hit and a high rate of deceleration
has not been reached. Conversely, an air bag may be deployed even though the vehicle suf-
fers only minor deformation. This is the case
if, for example, very rigid vehicle parts such as
the longitudinal body members are hit in an
accident and the rate of deceleration is suffi-
cient.
If the restraint system control unit detects a
side impact or an overturn situation, the rel-
evant restraint system components are acti-
vated independently of one another depend-
ing on the apparent type of accident. If addi-
tional protection for the vehicle occupants is determined in this situation, the belt tension-
ers are also triggered.
R Side impact air bags on the side of the col-
lision, regardless of Emergency Tensioning
Device and use of the seat belt on the driv-
er's side and the outer seats on the second row
The sidebag on the front-passenger side
deploys under the following conditions:
- the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
- the belt tongue has engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat.
R Window curtain air bag on the side of the
collision, regardless of seat belt use and
whether front-passenger seat is occupied
R Windowbags on the driver's and front-
passenger sides in certain overturn situa-
tions if the system determines that they
can offer additional protection to that pro-
vided by the seat belt
i Not all air bags are deployed in an acci-
dent. The various air bag systems work
independently of each other. Occupant safety
59Safety Z

How the air bag system works is deter-
mined by the severity of the accident detec- ted, especially the vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, and the apparent type of acci- dent:
R frontal collision
R side impact
R rollover PRE-SAFE
®
(anticipatory occupant
protection system)
Introduction In certain hazardous situations, PRE-SAFE
®
takes pre-emptive measures to protect the
vehicle occupants.
Important safety notes !
Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats. There is a dan- ger that the seats and/or objects could be
damaged when PRE-SAFE ®
is activated.
Although your vehicle is equipped with PRE-
SAFE ®
, the possibility of injury in the event of
an accident cannot be ruled out. Always
adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions and maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive
carefully.
Function PRE-SAFE
®
intervenes:
R in emergency braking situations, e.g. when
BAS is activated
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when phys-
ical limits are exceeded and the vehicle
understeers or oversteers severely
R on vehicles with the Active Driving Assis-
tance package: if BAS PLUS intervenes
powerfully or the radar sensor system
detects an imminent danger of collision in
certain situations PRE-SAFE
®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detec-
ted:
R the front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R if the vehicle skids, the sliding sunroof and
the side windows are closed so that only a
small gap remains. The panorama roof with power tilt/sliding panel is completely
closed.
R vehicles with the memory function: the
front-passenger seat is adjusted if it is in an
unfavorable position.
R vehicles with a multicontour seat: the air
pressure in the side bolsters of the seat
backrest is increased.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pre-tensioning. On vehicles with mul-
ticontour seats, the air pressure in the side
bolsters is reduced again. All settings made
by PRE-SAFE ®
can then be reversed.
If the seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced:
X Move the seat backrest or seat back
slightly when the vehicle is stationary.
The seat belt pre-tensioning is reduced and
the locking mechanism is released.
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. Infor-
mation about the convenience function can
be found under "Belt adjustment"
(Y page 49). Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on
the type and severity of the impact:
R by activating the hazard warning lamps
R the emergency lighting is activated
R the vehicle doors are unlocked
R the front side windows are lowered 60
Occupant safetySafety

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

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