2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA-Class Owner's Manual

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. Fully
retract the seat cushion length. 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 lie as flat as possible
against the backrest of the front-passenger
seat. The child restraint system must not
touch the roof or be subjected to a load 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 outlet to the shoulder belt guide
on the child restraint system. The shoulder
belt strap must be routed forwards and down-
wards from the vehicle belt outlet. If neces-
sary, adjust the vehicle belt outlet and the
front-passenger seat accordingly.
Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Child-proof locks
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are traveling in the vehicle, they
could:
Ropen doors, thus endangering other people
or road users
Rexit the vehicle and be caught by oncoming
traffic
Roperate 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:
Rthe rear doors (Ypage 64)
Rthe rear side windows (Ypage 64)
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart 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.
GWARNING
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.
Children in the vehicle63
Safety
Z

GWARNING
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.
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.
XTo activate: press the child-proof lock
lever up in the direction of arrow :.
XMake sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
XTo deactivate:press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow ;.
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows
XTo activate/deactivate:press button:.
If indicator lamp ;is 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 ;is off, oper-
ation is possible using the switches in the
rear compartment.
Pets in the vehicle
GWARNING
If you leave animals unattended or unsecured
in the vehicle, they could press buttons or
switches, for example.
As a result, they could:
Ractivate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
Ractivate 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.
64Pets in the vehicle
Safety

Drivingsafet ysystems
Overview of drivin gsafet ysystems
In this section ,you will fin dinformation about
th efollowing drivin gsafet ysystems :
RABS (Anti-loc kBrakin gSystem)
(
Ypage 65)
RBA S (B rake Assist System) (Ypage 66)
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLU S
(
Ypage 66 )
RESP®(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(
Ypage 69 )
REBD (Electroni cBrak eforc eDi stribution )
(
Ypage 72)
RADAPTIV EBRAKE (Ypage 73 )
RSTEERCONTROL (Ypage 73)
Important safet ynotes
If you fail to adapt your drivin gstyle or if you
are inattentive ,th edrivin gsafet ysystems can
neither reduce th eris kof an acciden tno r
override th elaws of physics. Driving safet y
systems are merely aids designed to assist
driving. You are responsible fo rmaintainin g
th edistanc eto th evehicle in front, fo rvehicle
speed, fo rbraking in goo dtime, and fo rstay-
in gin lane. Always adapt your drivin gstyle to
suit th eprevailin groad and weather condi-
tion sand maintain asaf edistanc efrom th e
vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The drivin gsafet ysystems described only
wor kas effectively as possible when there is
adequat econtact between th etires and th e
road surface. Please pay special attention to
th enote son tires ,recommended minimum
tire tread depths, etc. (
Ypage 340).
In wintr ydrivin gconditions, always use winte r
tires (M+ Stires )and if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will th edrivin gsafet y
systems described in this section wor kas
effectively as possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information
AB Sregulates brake pressure in suc h away
that th ewheels do no tloc kwhen you brake .
Thi sallow syou to continue steerin gth evehi-
cl e when braking .
The ! ABSwarnin glamp in th einstrumen t
cluster lights up when th eignition is switched
on .It goe sout when th eengin eis running .
AB Sworks from aspeed of about 5mph
(8 km/h), regardles sof road-surfac econdi-
tions. AB Sworks on slipper ysurfaces, eve n
when you only brake gently.
Important safet ynotes
iObserv eth e"Important safet ynotes" sec -
tion (
Ypage 65).
GWARNING
If AB Sis faulty, th ewheels could loc kwhen
braking .The steerability and braking charac -
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition -
ally, further drivin gsafet ysystems are deac -
tivated. There is an increase ddanger of skid-
din gand accidents .
Drive on carefully. Hav eAB Schecke dimme-
diately at aqualified specialis tworkshop .
WhenAB Sis malfunctioning, other systems ,
includin gdrivin gsafet ysystems ,will also
becom einoperative .Observ eth einformation
on th eAB Swarnin glamp (
Ypage 269) and
display message swhic hmay be shown in th e
instrumen tcluster (
Ypage 236).
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes: continue to depress th e
brake peda lvigorousl yuntil th ebraking sit -
uation is over.
XTo make afull brak eapplication:
depress th ebrake peda lwit hfull force.
If AB Sintervenes when braking ,you will feel a
pulsin gin th ebrake pedal.
Driving safety systems65
Safety
Z

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-roadterrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (
Ypage 199).
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
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 65).
GWARNING
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
XKeep 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.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS
General information
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 65).
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS con-
sists of a distance warning function with an
autonomous braking function and adaptive
Brake Assist.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can
help you to minimize the risk of a front-end
collision with a vehicle ahead or reduce the
effects of such a collision.
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically. If you
do not react to the visual and audible collision
warning, autonomous braking can be initiated
in critical situations. If you apply the brake
yourself in a critical situation, the COLLISION
PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS adaptive Brake
Assist assists you.
Important safety notes
Detection of hazardous situations can be par-
ticularly impaired by:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
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
Rnew vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Observe the important safety notes in the
"Breaking-in notes" section (
Ypage 148).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
66Driving safety systems
Safety

sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Switching on/off
The COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
automatically active after switching on the
ignition.
You can activate or deactivate COLLISION
PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS in the on-board
computer (
Ypage 228). When deactivated,
the distance warning function and the auton-
omous braking function are also deactivated.
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
deactivated, the æsymbol appears in the
assistance graphics display.
Distance warning function
General information
The distance warning function can help you to
minimize the risk of a front-end collision with
a vehicle ahead or reduce the effects of such a collision. If the distance warning function
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (
Ypage 65).
GWARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
Thus, the distance warning function cannot
provide a warning in all critical situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and do not rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Function
Starting at a speed of approximately 4 mph
(7 km/h), the distance warning 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 in order to increase the distance from the vehicle in front.
or
XTake evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause the system to display a warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obsta-
cles that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), the distance warning function can
also react to stationary obstacles, such as
stopped or parked vehicles.
Autonomous braking function
If the driver does not react to the distance
warning signal in a critical situation, COLLI-
SION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can assist
with the autonomous braking function.
Driving safety systems67
Safety
Z

The autonomous braking function:
Rgives the driver more time to react to criti-
cal driving situations
Rcan help the driver to avoid an accident or
Rreduces the effects of an accident
Vehicles without DISTRONIC PLUS: the
autonomous braking function is available in
the following speed ranges:
R4 - 65 mph (7 - 105 km/h) for moving
objects
R4 - 31 mph (7 - 50 km/h) for stationary
objects
Vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS: the auton-
omous braking function is available in the fol-
lowing speed ranges:
R4 - 124 mph (7 - 200 km/h) for moving
objects
R4 - 31 mph (7 - 50 km/h) for stationary
objects
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause the Autonomous Brak-
ing Function to intervene.
Adaptive Brake Assist
General information
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 65).
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.
If adaptive Brake Assist detects a risk of col-
lision with the vehicle in front, it calculates
the braking force necessary to avoid a colli-
sion. If you apply the brakes forcefully, adap-
tive Brake Assist will automatically increase
the braking force to a level suitable for the
traffic conditions.
Adaptive Brake Assist provides braking assis-
tance in hazardous situations at speeds
above 4 mph (7 km/h). It uses radar sensor
technology to assess the traffic situation. Up to a speed of approximately 155 mph
(250 km/h), adaptive Brake Assist is capable
of reacting to moving objects that have
already been detected as such at least once
over the period of observation.
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), adaptive Brake Assist reacts to
stationary obstacles.
XKeep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
Ryou release the brake pedal.
Rthere is no longer any danger of a collision.
Rno obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (
Ypage 65).
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
Rintervene unnecessarily
Rnot 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.
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
68Driving safety systems
Safety

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.
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.
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 65).
ESP
®monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and the road surface.
If ESP
®detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP
®assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 65).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®. On vehi-
cles with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part of ESP®.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP
®.
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem)
A 4ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (
Ypage 199).
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 65).
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP
®checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing
your vehicle with the front axle raised, it is
important that you observe the notes on ESP
®
(Ypage 335).
If the å ESP
®OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, ESP®is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP
®warning lamp and the å
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP®is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 271) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 236).
Only use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP
®function properly.
Characteristics of ESP®
General information
If the ÷ ESP
®warning lamp goes out
before beginning the journey, ESP®is auto-
matically active.
If ESP
®intervenes, the ÷ESP®warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
Driving safety systems69
Safety
Z

If ESP®intervenes:
XDo not deactivate ESP®under any circum-
stances.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
XAdapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again.
ESP
®remains in its previously selected sta-
tus. Example: if ESP®was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP®remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®(except
Mercedes‑AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
You can select between the following states
of ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP®in the fol-
lowing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi- cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP
®
You can deactivate or activate ESP®via the
on-board computer (
Ypage 227).
ESP
®deactivated:
The å ESP
®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
ESP
®activated:
The å ESP
®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP
®is deactivated
If ESP
®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP
®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
REngine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
RTraction control is still activated.
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no lon-
ger available; nor is it activated if you brake firmly with assistance from ESP
®.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
(Mercedes‑AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 65).
70Driving safety systems
Safety