2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA-Class App

If the status of the front-passenger front air
bag changes while the vehicle is in motion, an
air bag display message appears in the instru-
ment cluster (Y page 233). 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 air bag both before and during the jour- ney. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenger front air bag is disabled. It will not be deployed in the event of
an accident and cannot perform its intended
protective 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 ensure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible.
R the person is seated correctly.
Make sure, both before and during the jour-
ney, that the status of the front-passenger
front air bag is correct. G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp is lit up, the front-passenger front air bag may deploy in an accident. The child could be
struck by the air bag. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury. Make sure that the front-passenger front air
bag has been disabled. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
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. You can find more
information on OCS under "Problems with the Occupant Classification System"
(Y page 55). G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a forward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and you position the front-passenger seat too close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could:
R come into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
R be struck by the air bag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON is lit up
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Move the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible. Always make sure that the shoulder belt strap is correctly routed from the vehicle
belt outlet to the shoulder belt guide on the
child restraint system. The shoulder belt strap
must be routed forwards and downwards
from the vehicle belt outlet. If necessary,
adjust the vehicle belt outlet and the front-
passenger seat accordingly. Always observe
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions.
If OCS determines that:
R the front-passenger seat is unoccupied, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up after the system self-test and
remains lit. This indicates that the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child of up to 12 months old in a standard
child restraint system, the PASSENGER AIR 52
Occupant safetySafety

BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up after the
system self-test and remains lit. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front air bag
is deactivated.
But in the case of a 12-month-old child in a
standard child restraint system, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON can light up per-
manently after the system self-test. This
indicates that the front-passenger front air bag is activated. The result of the classifi-
cation is dependent on, among other fac-
tors, the child restraint system and the
child's stature. It is recommended that you
install the restraint system on a suitable
rear seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
person of smaller stature (e.g. a teenager
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 of smaller stature can siton a rear seat.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, a person of smaller stature
should not use the front-passenger seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a person of a stature 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 air bag
is activated.
If children are traveling in the vehicle, be sure to observe the notes on "Children in the vehi-
cle" (Y page 58).
When OCS is malfunctioning, the red 0075
restraint system warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster and the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp light up simultaneously.
The front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted in this case and does not deploy during an accident. Have the system checked by quali-
fied technicians as soon as possible. Consult
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. The
front-passenger seat should only be repaired
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or the seat cushion is damaged, have the nec-
essary repair work carried out at an author-
ized Mercedes-Benz Center.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat accessories
that have been approved by Mercedes-Benz.
If the driver's air bag deploys, this does not
mean that the front-passenger front air bag
will also deploy. The Occupant Classification
System (OCS) categorizes the occupant in the
front-passenger seat. Depending on that
result, the front-passenger front air bag is
either enabled or deactivated.
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 air bag 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 Occu-
pant Classification System (OCS) checked
and repaired immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. G
DANGER
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the front-passenger front air bag is disabled. It willnot be deployed in the event of an accident. In
this case, the front-passenger front air bag
cannot perform its intended protective func- Occupant safety
53Safety
Z

Problems with the Occupant Classification System (OCS)
Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Y
page 53).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 51).
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 forward-facing child restraint system must lie as flat as pos- sible against the backrest of the 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 using the front-
passenger seat adjustment. This could result in the seat belt and the child restraint system being pulled too tightly.
X Check for correct 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 and/
or the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, 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
55Safety Z

If the restraint system control unit detects a
more severe accident, further components of the restraint system are activated independ-
ently of each other in certain frontal collision
situations:
R Front air bags as well as driver's and front-
passenger knee bags
R Window curtain air bag, if the system deter-
mines that deployment can offer additional protection to that provided by the seat belt
The front-passenger front air bag is activated
or deactivated depending on the person on
the front-passenger seat. The front-
passenger front air bag can only deploy in an accident if the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indi-
cator lamp is lit. Observe the information on
the PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamps
(Y page 43).
Your vehicle has two-stage front air bags.
During the first deployment stage, the front
air bag is filled with propellant gas to reduce
the risk of injuries. The front air bag is fully
deployed with the maximum amount of pro-
pellant gas if a second deployment threshold
is reached within a few milliseconds.
The deployment threshold of the Emergency
Tensioning Devices and the air bag are deter-
mined by evaluating the rate of vehicle decel-
eration or acceleration which occurs at vari-
ous points in the vehicle. This process is pre- emptive in nature. Deployment should take
place in good 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 the distribution of forces during the colli-
sion
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the vehi-
cle
R the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a
decisive role in the deployment of an air bag, nor do they provide an indication of air bag
deployment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably,
without an air bag being deployed. This is the
case if only parts which are relatively easily
deformed are affected and the rate of decel-
eration is not high. Conversely, air bags may
be deployed even though the vehicle suffers
only minor deformation. This is the case if, for
example, very rigid vehicle parts such as lon- gitudinal body members are hit, and sufficient
deceleration occurs as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a
side impact or that the vehicle is rolling over, the relevant restraint system components areactivated independently of one another
depending on the apparent type of accident.
If the system determines a need for additional
protection for the vehicle occupants, the
Emergency Tensioning Devices are deployed.
R Side impact air bags on the side of impact,
independently of the Emergency Tension-
ing Device and the use of the seat belt on
the driver's seat and outer seats in the sec-
ond row
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side (front) deploys in the fol-
lowing situations:
- the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
- the belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle of the front-passenger seat
R Window curtain air bag on the side of
impact, independently of the use of the
seat belt and independently of whether the
front-passenger seat is occupied
R Window curtain air bags on the driver's and
front-passenger side in certain situations
when the vehicle rolls over, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the
seat belt
i Not all air bags are deployed in an acci-
dent. The different air bag systems work
independently of each other. Occupant safety
57Safety 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 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 the hazard warning lamps are activated
R the emergency lighting is activated
R the vehicle doors are unlocked
R the front side windows are lowered
R the engine is switched off
R the fuel supply is cut off
R vehicles with mbrace: automatic emer-
gency call Children in the vehicle
Important safety 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. Children are generally better pro-
tected there.
If a child younger than 12 years and under 5 ft
(1.50 m) in height is traveling in the vehicle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles. 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 in this section in addition to the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions
R be sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes on the "Occupant classifica-
tion system (OCS)" (Y page 51) 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. G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you, always ensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight. Pro- tect it with a blanket, for example. If the childrestraint system has been exposed to direct
sunlight, let it cool down before securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in the vehicle.
Always ensure that all vehicle occupants have
their seat belts fastened correctly and are sit- ting properly. Particular attention must be
paid to children. 58
Children in the vehicleSafety

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 64)
R the rear side windows (Y page 64) 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. G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you, always ensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight. Pro- tect it with a blanket, for example. If the child
restraint system has been exposed to direct
sunlight, let it cool down before securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. Children in the vehicle
63Safety Z

Child-proof locks for the rear doors
You secure each door individually with the
child-proof locks on the rear doors. A door
secured with a child-proof lock cannot be
opened from inside the vehicle. When the
vehicle is unlocked, the door can be opened
from the outside.
X To activate: press the child-proof lock
lever up in the direction of arrow 0043.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow 0044.
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows X
To activate/deactivate: press button0043.
If indicator lamp 0044is lit, operation of the
rear side windows is disabled. Operation is
only possible using the switches in the driv- er's door. If indicator lamp 0044is off, oper-
ation is possible using the switches in the
rear compartment. Pets in the vehicle
G
WARNING
If you leave animals unattended or unsecured in the vehicle, they could press buttons or
switches, for example.
As a result, they could:
R activate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
R activate or deactivate systems, thereby
endangering other road users
Unsecured animals could also be flung around
the vehicle in the event of an accident or sud- den steering or braking, thereby injuring vehi-
cle occupants. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box. 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 65)
R BAS (Brake AssistSystem) (Y page 65)
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
(distance warning function and adaptive
Brake Assist) (Y page 66)
R ESP ®
(E lectronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 68)
R EBD (Electronic Brake forceDistribution)
(Y page 72)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 72)
R STEER CONTROL (Y page 72) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or
become distracted, the driving safety sys- 64
Driving safety systemsSafety

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,
weather and traffic conditions and maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive
carefully.
i The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there
is adequate contact between the tires and
the road surface. Pay particular attention to
the information regarding tires, recommen- ded minimum tire tread depths etc. in the
"Wheels and tires" section (Y page 324).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tires (M+S tires ) and ifnecessary,
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 for driving safety systems (Y page 64).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 254) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 222).
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery roads, even if
you only brake gently.
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 186).
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. Driving safety systems
65Safety Z