2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GL warning

the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
! If the engine is switched off and equip-
ment on the diagnostics connection is
used, the starter battery may discharge.
Connecting equipment to the diagnostics
connection can lead to emissions monitoring
information being reset, for example. This
may lead to the vehicle failing to meet the
requirements of the next emissions test dur-
ing the main inspection.
Qualified specialist workshop An authorized Mercedes-Benz Center is a
qualified specialist workshop. It has the nec-
essary specialist knowledge, tools and quali-
fications to correctly carry out the work
required on your vehicle. This is especially the
case for work relevant to safety.
Observe the notes in the Maintenance Book-
let.
Always have the following work carried out at
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center: R
work relevant to safety R
service and maintenance work R
repair work R
alterations, installation work and modifica-
tions R
work on electronic components
Correct use
If you remove any warning stickers, you or
others could fail to recognize certain dangers.
Leave warning stickers in position.
Observe the following information when driv-
ing your vehicle: R
the safety notes in this manual R
the vehicle technical data R
traffic rules and regulations R
laws and safety standards pertaining to
motor vehicles
Problems with your vehicle If you should experience a problem with your
vehicle, particularly one that you believe may
affect its safe operation, we urge you to con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately to have the problem diagnosed
and rectified. If the problem is not resolved to
your satisfaction, please discuss the problem
again with a Mercedes-Benz Center or con-
tact us at one of the following addresses.
In the USA
Customer Assistance Center
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350
In Canada
Customer Relations Department
Mercedes-Benz Canada, Inc.
98 Vanderhoof Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M4G 4C9
Reporting safety defects
USA only:
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 Act
of 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. Introduction 29
Z

This data can help provide a better under-
standing of the circumstances in which
crashes and injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data is
recorded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial
crash situation occurs; no data is recorded by
the EDR under normal driving conditions and
no personal data (e.g., name, gender, age,
and crash location) are recorded. However,
other parties, such as law enforcement, can
combine the EDR data with the type of per-
sonal identification data routinely acquired
during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special
equipment is required, and access to the vehi-
cle or the EDR is needed. In addition to the
vehicle manufacturer, other parties that have
the special equipment, such as law enforce-
ment, can read the information by accessing
the vehicle or the EDR.
EDR data may be used in civil and criminal
matters as a tool in accident reconstruction,
accident claims, and vehicle safety. Since the
Crash Data Retrieval CDR tool that is used to
extract data from the EDR is commercially
available, Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
("MBUSA") expressly disclaims any and all lia-
bility arising from the extraction of this infor-
mation by unauthorized Mercedes-Benz per-
sonnel.
MBUSA will not share EDR data with others
without the consent of the vehicle owners or,
if the vehicle is leased, without the consent of
the lessee. Exceptions to this representation
include responses to subpoenas by law
enforcement; by federal, state or local gov-
ernment; in connection with or arising out of
litigation involving MBUSA or its subsidiaries
and affiliates; or, as required by law.
Warning: The EDR is a component of the
Restraint System Module. Tampering with,
altering, modifying or removing the EDR com-
ponent may result in a malfunction of the
Restraint System Module and other systems.
State laws or regulations regarding EDRs that
conflict with federal regulation are pre-emp-
ted. This means that in the event of such con-
flict, the federal regulation governs. As of February 2013, 13 states have enacted laws
relating to EDRs.
Information on copyright
General information Information on license for free and open-
source software used in your vehicle and its
electronic components is available on the fol-
lowing website:
http://www.mercedes-benz.com/
opensource Introduction 31
Z

Warning and indicator lamps
Function Page
C
X Low-beam head-
lamps 131
D
` Parking lamps
131

For more information about children traveling
with you in the vehicle and on child restraint
systems, see "Children in the vehicle"
( Y
page 61).
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Modifications to the restraint system may
cause it to no longer work as intended. The
restraint system may then not perform its
intended protective function and may fail in an
accident or trigger unexpectedly, for example.
This poses an increased risk of injury or even
fatal injury.
Never modify parts of the restraint system.
Never tamper with the wiring, the electronic
components or their software.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
details. USA only: for further information con-
tact our Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1 ‑ 800 ‑ 367 ‑ 6372).
Restraint system warning lamp
The functions of the restraint system are
checked after the ignition is switched on and
at regular intervals while the engine is run-
ning. Therefore, malfunctions can be detec-
ted in good time.
The u restraint system warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up when the igni-
tion is switched on. It goes out no later than a
few seconds after the vehicle is started. The
components of the restraint system are in
operational readiness.
A malfunction has occurred if the u
restraint system warning lamp: R
does not light up after the ignition is
switched on R
does not go out after a few seconds with
the engine running R
lights up again while the engine is running G WARNING
If restraint system is malfunctioning, restraint
system components may be triggered unin-
tentionally or might not be triggered at all in
the event of an accident with a high rate of
vehicle deceleration. This can affect the Emer-
gency Tensioning Device or air bag, for exam-
ple. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired in a qualified specialist workshop as
soon as possible.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp C
is part of the Occupant Classification System
(OCS).
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
informs you about the status of the front-
passenger front air bag.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp: R
is lit : the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated. It will then not be deployed in
the event of an accident. R
does not light up : the front-passenger
front air bag is enabled. If, in the event of an
accident, all deployment criteria are met,
the front-passenger front air bag is
deployed.Occupant safety 45
Safety Z

Depending on the person in the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger front air
bag must either be deactivated or enabled;
see the following points. You must make sure
of this both before and during a journey. R
Children in a child restraint system:
whether the front-passenger front air bag is
enabled or deactivated depends on the
installed child restraint system, and the age
and size of the child. Therefore, be sure to
observe the notes on the "Occupant Clas-
sification System (OCS)" ( Y
page 53) and
on "Children in the vehicle" ( Y
page 61).
There you will also find instructions on rear-
ward and forward-facing child restraint sys-
tems on the front-passenger seat. R
All other persons: depending on the clas-
sification of the person in the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger front
air bag is enabled or deactivated
( Y
page 53). Be sure to observe the notes
on "Seat belts“ ( Y
page 46) and "Air bags"
( Y
page 50). There you can also find infor-
mation on the correct seat position.
Seat belts
Introduction
Seat belts are the most effective means of
restricting the movement of vehicle occu-
pants in the event of an accident or the vehi-
cle rolling over. This reduces the risk of vehi-
cle occupants coming into contact with parts
of the vehicle interior or being ejected from
the vehicle. Furthermore, the seat belt helps
to keep the vehicle occupant in the best posi-
tion in relation to the air bag.
The seat belt system comprises: R
Seat belts R
Emergency Tensioning Devices for the
front seat belts and the outer seat belts in
the second row of seats as well as the seat
belts in the third row R
Belt force limiters for the front seat belts
and the outer seat belts in the second row of seats as well as the seat belts in the third
row
If the seat belt is pulled out of the belt outlet
quickly or with a jerky movement, the belt
retractor locks. The belt strap cannot be
extracted any further.
The Emergency Tensioning Device tightens
the seat belt in an accident, pulling the belt
close against the body. However it does not
pull the vehicle occupant back in the direction
of the backrest.
The Emergency Tensioning Device does not
correct an incorrect seat position or the rout-
ing of an incorrectly fastened seat belt.
W h
en triggered, a belt force limiter helps to
reduce the force exerted by the seat belt on
the vehicle occupant.
The belt force limiters for the front seats are
synchronized with the front air bags, which
absorb part of the deceleration force. This
can reduce the force exerted on the vehicle
occupants during an accident.
! If the front-passenger seat is unoccupied,
do not insert the belt tongue into the buckle
of the front-passenger seat. This may oth-
erwise lead to the triggering of the Emer-
gency Tensioning Device in the event of an
accident, which will then need to be
replaced.
Important safety notes
The use of seat belts and child restraint sys-
tems is required by law in: R
all 50 states R
the U.S. territories R
the District of Columbia R
all Canadian provinces
Even where this is not required by law, all
vehicle occupants should correctly fasten
their seat belts before starting the journey.
G WARNING
If the seat belt is incorrectly fastened, it can-
not protect as intended. Furthermore, an
incorrectly fastened seat belt can cause addi-46
Occupant safety
Safety

tional injury, for example, in an accident, dur-
ing braking or when abruptly changing direc-
tion. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
Make sure that all vehicle occupants are
seated properly with a correctly fastened seat
belt.
G WARNING
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.
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.
G WARNING
Persons under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height cannot
fasten the seat belt correctly without an addi-
tional suitable restraint system. If the seat
belt is incorrectly fastened, it cannot protect
as intended. Furthermore, an incorrectly fas-
tened seat belt can cause additional injury, for
example, in an accident, during braking or an
abrupt change of direction. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
For this reason, always secure persons under
5 ft (1.50 m) in height in suitable restrain t
systems.
If a child younger than twelve years old 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 this Mercedes-Benz
vehicle. The child restraint system must be appropriate to the age, weight and size of
the child R
always observe the instructions and safety
notes in the "Children in the vehicle" sec-
tion of this Operator's Manual
( Y
page 61) in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions R
be sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes on the "Occupant classifica-
tion system (OCS)" ( Y
page 53)
G WARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended
protective function if: R
they are damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleach or dyed R
the seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty R
the Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
anchorages or inertia reels have been modi-
fied
Seat belts may sustain non-visible damage in
an accident, e.g. due to glass splinters. Modi-
fied or damaged seat belts may tear or fail,
e.g. in an accident. Modified Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices could accidentally trigger or
fail to deploy when necessary. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify the seat belts, Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices, belt anchorages or inertia
reels. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, not worn out and clean. Follow-
ing an accident, have the seat belts checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Only use seat belts that have been approved
for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
Proper use of the seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
( Y
page 46).
All vehicle occupants must be wearing the
seat belt correctly before beginning the jour-
ney. Also make sure that all vehicle occu- Occupant safety 47
Safety Z

light up continuously or flash. In addition,
there may be a warning tone.
Regardless of whether the driver's seat belt
has already been fastened, the v seat belt
warning lamp lights up for six seconds each
time the engine is started. If, after
six seconds, the driver or front-passenger
seat belt has not been fastened and the doors
are closed, the v seat belt warning lamp
lights up. As soon as the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are fastened or a front
door is opened again, the v seat belt
warning lamp goes out.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after
the engine is started, an additional warning
tone will sound. This warning tone stops after
six seconds or when the driver's seat belt is
fastened.
If the vehicle's speed exceeds 15 mph
(25 km/h) once and the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are not fastened, a
warning tone sounds. A warning tone also
sounds with increasing intensity for
60 seconds or until the driver or front
passenger have fastened their seat belts.
If the driver or front passenger unfasten their
seat belts during the journey, the seat belt
warning is activated again.
i For more information on the v seat
belt warning lamp, see "Warning and indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster, seat
belts" ( Y
page 325).
Air bags
Introduction
The installation point of an air bag can be rec-
ognized by the AIR BAG symbol.
An air bag complements the correctly fas-
tened seat belt. It is no substitute for the seat
belt. The air bag provides additional protec-
tion in applicable accident situations.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The different air bag systems function inde-
pendently from one another ( Y
page 58). However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to rule out a risk of injury
caused by an air bag due to the high speed at
which the air bag must be deployed.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If you do not sit in the correct seat position,
the air bag cannot protect as intended and
could even cause additional injury when
deployed. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
To avoid hazardous situations, always make
sure that all of the vehicle's occupants: R
have fastened their seat belts correctly,
including pregnant women R
are sitting correctly and maintain the great-
est possible distance to the air bags R
follow the following instructions
Always make sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu-
pants. R
Adjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the
seat is in an almost upright position. The
center of the head restraint must support
the head at about eye level. R
Move the driver's and front-passenger
seats as far back as possible. The driver's
seat position must allow the vehicle to be
driven safely. R
Only hold the steering wheel on the out-
side. This allows the air bag to be fully
deployed. R
Always lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forwards or lean against
the door or side window. You may other-
wise be in the deployment area of the air
bags. R
Always keep your feet in the footwell in
front of the seat. Do not put your feet on the
dashboard, for example. Your feet may oth-50
Occupant safety
Safety

erwise be in the deployment area of the air
bag. R
For this reason, always secure persons less
than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable restraint
systems. Up to this height, the seat belt
cannot be worn correctly.
If a child is traveling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes: R
Always secure children under twelve years
of age and less than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall in
suitable child restraint systems. R
Child restraint systems should be installed
on the rear seats. R
Only secure a child in a rearward-facing
child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat when the front-passenger
front air bag is deactivated. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is
permanently lit, the front-passenger front
air bag is deactivated ( Y
page 45).R
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant Classification Sys-
tem (OCS)" ( Y
page 53) and on "Children
in the vehicle" ( Y
page 61) in addition to
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions.
Objects in the vehicle interior may pre-
vent an air bag from functioning correctly.
Before starting your journey and to avoid risks
resulting from the speed of the air bag as it
deploys, make sure that: R
there are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air
bag. R
there are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar. R
no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, hang on
the grab handles or coat hooks. R
no accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deploy-
ment area of an air bag, e.g. to doors, side
windows, rear side trim or side walls. R
no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects
are in the pockets of your clothing. Store
such objects in a suitable place. G WARNING
If you modify the air bag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the air bag can no longer
function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an air bag cover or affix objects
to it.
G WARNING
Sensors to control the air bags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ing, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the
function of the sensors being impaired. The air
bags might therefore not function properly
anymore. Consequently, the air bags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. There is an increased risk of
injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan-
eling carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Front air bags
Driver's air bag C deploys in front of the
steering wheel. Front-passenger front air
bag D deploys in front of and above the glove
box.
When deployed, the front air bags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for the
occupants in the front seats.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
informs you about the status of the front-
passenger front air bag ( Y
page 45).Occupant safety 51
Safety Z