2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class steering

The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
Rtraction control is still activated.
RESP®still provides support when you
brake.
Off-road ESP®(vehicles with ON&OFF-
ROAD package)
An ESP®system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (
Ypage 258).
Off-road ESP
®intervenes with a delay if there
is oversteering or understeering, thus improv-
ing traction.
ESP®trailer stabilization
General information
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP
®assists you in this situation.
ESP®slows the vehicle down by braking and
limiting the engine output until the vehicle/
trailer combination has stabilized.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP
®can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer
combination) begins to lurch, you can only
stabilize the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
Trailer stabilization is active above speeds of
about 37 mph (60 km/h).
ESP
®trailer stabilization does not work if
ESP®is deactivated or disabled because of a
malfunction.
Crosswind Assist
General information
Strong crosswinds can cause your vehicle to
deviate from a straight course. The crosswind
driving assistance function integrated into
ESP
®significantly reduces these effects.
ESP
®intervenes automatically according to
the direction and intensity of the crosswinds
affecting your vehicle.
ESP intervenes with stabilizing braking to
assist you in keeping the vehicle in the lane.
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle speeds
above 50 mph (80 km/h) when driving
straight ahead or cornering gently.
Important safety notes
Crosswind Assist does not work if ESP
®is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function.
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (
Ypage 68).
GWARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the
risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (
Ypage 327) as well as dis-
play messages (
Ypage 293).
Driving safety systems75
Safety
Z

Rthere are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra 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
XTo activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate PRE-SAFE®Brake in the on-board
computer (
Ypage 282).
If the PRE-SAFE®Brake is not activated, the
æ symbol appears in the multifunction
display.
If you have activated DSR (
Ypage 257), PRE-
SAFE®Brake is deactivated.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
this function warns you if you rapidly
approach a vehicle in front. An intermittent
warning tone will then sound and the ·
distance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster.
XBrake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
XTake evasive action provided it is safe to do so.
PRE-SAFE
®Brake can also brake the vehicle
automatically under the following conditions:
Rthe driver and front-passenger have their
seat belts fastened
and
Rthe vehicle speed is between approx-
imately 4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph
(200 km/h)
iIf there is an increased risk of collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE
®) are activated. If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking,
u

p to the point of full brake application. Auto-
matic emergency braking is not performed
until immediately prior to an imminent acci-
dent.
You can prevent the intervention of the PRE-
SAFE
®Brake at any time by:
Rdepressing the accelerator pedal further.
Ractivating kickdown.
Rreleasing the brake pedal.
The braking action of PRE-SAFE
®Brake is
ended automatically if:
Ryou maneuver to avoid the obstacle.
Rthere is no longer any danger of a collision.
Rthere is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle.
STEER CONTROL
General information
STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a noticeable steering force to the steering
wheel in the direction required for vehicle
stabilization.
This steering assistance is provided in partic-
ular if:
Rboth right wheels or both left wheels are on
a wet or slippery road surface when you
brake.
Rthe vehicle starts to skid.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 68).
No steering support is provided by STEER
CONTROL, if:
RESP®is malfunctioning.
Rthe lighting is faulty.
Driving safet ysystem s77
Safety
Z

Power steering will, however, continue to
function.
Protection against theft
Immobilizer
XTo activate with the SmartKey:remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XTo activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
XTo deactivate: switch on the ignition.
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Any-
one can start the engine if a valid SmartKey
has been left inside the vehicle.
iThe immobilizer is always deactivated
when you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be star-
ted (yet the vehicle's battery is charged),
the system is not operational. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA) or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
ATA (anti-theft alarm system)
XTo arm: lock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp :flashes. The alarm sys-
tem is armed after approximately
15 seconds.
XTo deactivate using the SmartKey:
unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
XTo deactivate using KEYLESS-GO: unlock
the vehicle with KEYLESS-GO.
or
XPress the Start/Stop button on the dash-
board. The SmartKey must be inside the
vehicle.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed and you open:
Ra door
Rthe vehicle with the mechanical key
Rthe tailgate
Rthe hood
XTo turn the alarm off with the SmartKey:
press the %or& button on the
SmartKey.
The alarm is switched off.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
The alarm is switched off.
XTo stop the alarm using KEYLESS-GO:
grasp the outside door handle. The Smart-
Key must be outside the vehicle.
The alarm is switched off.
or
XPress the Start/Stop button on the dash-
board. The SmartKey must be inside the
vehicle.
The alarm is switched off.
The alarm is not switched off, even if you
close the open door that triggered it, for
example.
78Protection against theft
Safety

Useful information............................108
Correct driver's seat position ..........108
Seats .................................................. 109
Steering wheel .................................. 121
Mirrors ............................................... 124
Memory function ............................... 127
107
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip-
ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (
Ypage 29).
Correct driver's seat position
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
XObserve the safety guidelines on seat
adjustment (
Ypage 109).
XCheck whether you have adjusted seat =
properly (
Ypage 110).
Electrical seat adjustment (
Ypage 110)
When adjusting the seat, make sure that:
Ryou are as far away from the driver's air bag
as possible
Ryou are sitting in a normal upright position
Ryou can fasten the seat belt properly
Ryou have moved the backrest to an almost
vertical position
Ryou have set the seat cushion angle so that
your thighs are gently supported
Ryou can depress the pedals properly
XCheck whether the head restraint is adjus-
ted properly (
Ypage 110).
When doing so, make sure that you have
adjusted the head restraint so that the back
of your head is supported at eye level by the
center of the head restraint.
XObserve the safety notes on steering col-
umn adjustment (
Ypage 121).
XMake sure that steering wheel :is adjus-
ted properly.
Adjusting the steering wheel manually
(
Ypage 121)
Adjusting the steering wheel electrically
(
Ypage 122)
When adjusting the steering wheel column,
make sure that:
Ryou can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent
Ryou can move your legs freely
Ryou can see all the displays in the instru-
ment cluster clearly
XObserve the safety guidelines for seat belts
(
Ypage 46).
XCheck whether you have fastened seat
belt ;properly (
Ypage 48).
108Correct driver's seat position
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

The seat belt should:
Rfit snugly across your body
Rbe routed across the middle of your shoul-
der
Rbe routed in your pelvic area across the hip
joints
XBefore starting off, adjust the rear-view mir-
ror and the exterior mirrors in such a way
that you have a good view of road and traf-
fic conditions (
Ypage 124).
XVehicles with a memory function:save
the seat, steering wheel and exterior mirror
settings with the memory function
(
Ypage 127).
Seats
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust
the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is
no SmartKey in the ignition lock.
GWARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
(
Ypage 50) and "Children in the Vehicle"
(
Ypage 61).
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
GWARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
other vehicle occupants could be trapped and
thereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem.
GWARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection as intended. There is an increased risk
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
GWARNING
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.
Seats109
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

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 seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder.
!To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
Rkeep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
Rif the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat
heating should also not be used to dry
the seats.
Rclean the seat covers as recommended;
see "Interior care".
Rdo not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place sharp objects on the
seat cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools. The seats should only be occupied by
passengers, if possible.
Rwhen the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating mate-
rials, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat cov-
ers, child seats or booster seats.
!Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when
moving the seats back. There is a risk that
the seats and/or the objects could be dam- aged.
iIt is not possible to remove the head
res traints fro
m the front seats. The rear-
compartment head restraints, however,
can be removed (
Ypage 112).
For more information, contact a qualified
specialist workshop.
iFurther related subjects:
RCargo compartment enlargement (fold-
ing down the rear bench seat)
(
Ypage 344)
Adjusting the seats electrically
:Head restraint height
;Seat cushion angle
=Seat height
?Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
ABackrest angle
iVehicles with memory function: if PRE-
SAFE®has been triggered, the front-
passenger seat will be moved to a better
position if it was previously in an unfavora-
ble position.
Adjusting the head restraints
Important safety notes
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
GWARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection as intended. There is an increased risk
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the event of an accident or when braking.
110Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
Do not rotate the head restraints of the frontand rear seats. Otherwise, you cannot adjust
the height and angle of the head restraints to
the correct position.
Using the fore-and-aft adjustment, adjust the
head restraint so that it is as close as possible
to your head.
Observe the important safety notes regarding
the seats (
Ypage 109).
Adjusting the head restraints manually
Adjusting the head restraint height
XTo raise: pull the head restraint up to the
desired position.
XTo lower: press release catch :in the
direction of the arrow and push the head
restraint down to the desired position. Adjusting the fore/aft position of the
head restraint
With this function you can adjust the distance
between the head restraint and the back of
the seat occupant's head.
XTo move forwards:
pull the head restraint
forwards in the direction of the arrow until
it engages.
There are several notches.
XTo move backwards: press and hold
release button :and push the head
restraint backwards.
XWhen the head restraint is in the desired
position, release the button and make sure
that the head restraint is engaged in posi-
tion.
iAdjust the head restraint so that the back
of your head is as close to the head
restraint as possible.
Adjusting the head restraints electri-
cally
XTo adjust the head restraint height: slide
the switch for the head restraint adjust-
ment (
Ypage 110) up or down in the direc-
tion of the arrow.
Seats111
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z