2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV steering

Deactivating/activating ESP
®X
To deactivate: press button:.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp on the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp on 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 situations,
ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels may start to spin
R traction control is still activated
R Active Brake Assist is no longer available; it is
not activated even if you brake firmly with
assistance from ESP ®
R PRE-SAFE ®
is not available; it is not activated
even if you brake firmly with assistance from
ESP ®
R Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
is no longer available; it is not activated even
if you brake firmly with assistance from ESP ®
R ESP ®
continues to provide assistance when
the brakes are firmly applied Off-road ESP
®
(vehicles with Off-Road
Engineering package) An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once an off-
road program is activated.
R Vehicles without the Off-Road Engineering
package (Y page 228)
R Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 229)
Off-road ESP ®
intervenes with a delay if there is
oversteering or understeering, thus improving
traction.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation General notes
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is not available in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, ESP ®
assists you in this situation. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limiting
the engine output until the vehicle/trailer com- bination has stabilised.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high centre 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/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/trailer
combination by depressing the brake firmly.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 60 km/h.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of a malfunc- tion. 74
Driving safety syste
msSafety

Up to a speed of approximately 70 km/h, the
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
assists you with braking in hazardous situations with:
R stationary obstacles in the path of the vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
R stationary pedestrians in the path of the vehi-
cle
R obstacles crossing your path that move in the
detection range of the sensors and are detec- ted.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
You can prevent the intervention of Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function at any time by:
R depressing the accelerator pedal further
R activating kickdown
R releasing the brake pedal
The braking application of Active Brake Assist
with cross-traffic function is ended automati-
cally if:
R you steer to avoid the obstacle
R the risk of collision has passed
R an obstacle is no longer detected in the path
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 stabilisation.
This steering support is provided in particular if:
R both right wheels or both left wheels are on a
wet or slippery road surface when you brake
R the vehicle starts to skid
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68).
No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if: R ESP ®
is deactivated
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning
R the steering is faulty If ESP
®
is malfunctioning, you will be assisted
further by the electrical power steering. Protection against theft
Immobiliser
X To activate with the key: remove the key
from the ignition lock.
X To activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
X To deactivate: switch on the ignition.
The immobiliser prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct key.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Anyone can start
the engine if a valid key has been left inside the vehicle.
i The immobiliser is always deactivated when
you start the engine. ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
X
To prime: lock the vehicle with the key or
KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp :flashes. The alarm system
is primed after approximately 15 seconds.
X To switch off with the key: unlock the vehi-
cle using the key.
or X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
X To switch off with KEYLESS-GO: unlock the
vehicle using KEYLESS-GO.
or
X Press the Start/Stop button on the dash-
board. The key must be inside the vehicle. 78
Protection against theftSafety

Correct driver's seat position
G
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle while
driving if you:
R adjust the driver's seat, steering wheel or
mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirrors and fasten your seat
belt before starting the engine. Observe the following when adjusting steering
wheel
:, seat belt ;and driver's seat =:
R you are as far away from the driver's airbag as
possible
R you are sitting in an upright position
R your thighs are slightly supported by the seat
cushion
R your legs are not entirely stretched and you
can depress the pedals properly
R the back of your head is supported at eye level
by the centre of the head restraint
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent
R you can move your legs freely
R you can see all the displays in the instrument
cluster clearly R
you have a good overview of traffic conditions
R the seat belt is pulled snugly against the body
and must be routed across the centre of your
shoulder and across your hips in the pelvic
area
Further related subjects:
R Electric seat adjustment (Y page 104)
R Adjusting the steering wheel mechanically
(Y page 113) or electrically (Y page 114).
R Fastening the seat belt correctly (Y page 46).
R Adjusting the rear-view mirror and exterior
mirrors (Y page 116).
R Vehicles with memory function: storing the
seat, steering wheel, exterior mirror and
Head-up Display settings with the memory
function (Y page 118). Seats
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If children adjust the seats, they could
become trapped, especially if they are unat-
tended. There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
key in the ignition lock. G
WARNING
When adjusting a seat, you or another vehicle occupant could become trapped by the guiderail of the seat, for instance. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that no one has any part of their
body within the sweep of the seat when
adjusting it.
Observe the safety notes on "Airbags"
(Y page 47) and "Children in the Vehicle"
(Y page 57). 102
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and
mirrors

G
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle while
driving if you:
R adjust the driver's seat, steering wheel or
mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirrors and fasten your seat
belt before starting the engine. G
WARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or other vehicle occupants could be trapped andthereby 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. G
WARNING
The head restraints cannot provide the inten-
ded protection unless they are fitted and
adjusted correctly. There is an increased risk of injury to the head and neck in the event of
an accident or sudden braking, for example.
Always drive with the head restraints fitted.
Ensure that the centre of the head restraints
support the back of each vehicle occupant's
head at eye level before driving off. 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 seatbelt is routed
across the centre of your shoulder.
! To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
R do not spill any liquids on the seats. If liquid
is spilled on the seats, dry them as soon as possible.
R if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat heat-
ing should also not be used to dry the seats.
R clean the seat covers as recommended;
see "Interior care".
R do 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 passen-
gers, if possible.
R when the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating materi-
als, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat covers,
child seats or booster seats.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when mov- ing the seats back. There is a risk that the
seats and/or the objects could be damaged.
i The head restraints cannot be removed from
the front seats. The rear-compartment head
restraints, however, can be removed
(Y page 106).
For more information, contact a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
i Further related subjects:
R Luggage compartment enlargement (fold-
ing down the rear bench seat)
(Y page 315) Seats
103Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Adjusting the seats electrically
:
Head restraint height
; Seat cushion angle
= Seat height
? Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
A Backrest angle
i Vehicles with memory function: if PRE-
SAFE ®
has been triggered, the front-
passenger seat will be moved to a better posi- tion if it was previously in an unfavourable
position.
i Vehicles with memory function: when the
seat is moved forwards or backwards, the
headrest is moved up or down automatically. Adjusting the head restraints
Important safety notes G
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle while
driving if you:
R adjust the driver's seat, steering wheel or
mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirrors and fasten your seat
belt before starting the engine. G
WARNING
The head restraints cannot provide the inten-
ded protection unless they are fitted and
adjusted correctly. There is an increased risk of injury to the head and neck in the event of
an accident or sudden braking, for example.
Always drive with the head restraints fitted.
Ensure that the centre of the head restraints
support the back of each vehicle occupant's
head at eye level before driving off.
Do not interchange the head restraints of the
front and rear seats. Otherwise, you will not be
able to adjust the height and angle of the head
restraints to the correct position.
Adjust the head restraint fore-and-aft position
so that it is as close as possible to the back of
your head.
Observe the important safety guidelines for
seats (Y page 102).
Adjusting the head restraints manually Adjusting the head restraint height
X
To raise: pull the head restraint up to the
desired position.
X To lower: press release catch :in the direc-
tion of the arrow and push the head restraint down to the desired position. 104
SeatsSeats
, steering wheel and mirrors

Adjusting the head restraint fore-and-aft
position This function allows you to adjust the distance
between the head restraint and the back of the
head.
X To move forwards: pull the head restraint
forwards in the direction of the arrow until it
engages.
There are a number of detents.
X To move backwards: press and hold release
button :and push the head restraint back-
wards.
X When the head restraint is in the desired posi-
tion, release the button and make sure that
the head restraint is engaged in position.
i Adjust 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 X
To adjust the head restraint height: slide
the switch for the head restraint adjustment
(Y page 104) up or down in the direction of the
arrow. Adjusting the luxury head restraints The first row of seats has luxury head restraints.
X To adjust the side bolsters: push or pull
right- and/or left-hand side bolster :into
the desired position.
X To adjust the fore-and-aft position of the
head restraint:
push or pull the head
restraint in the direction of arrow ;.
i Adjust the head restraint so that the back of
your head is as close to the head restraint as possible.
Rear seat head restraints Adjusting the rear seat head restraint
height
X
If the head restraint is fully lowered, it is nec-
essary to press release catch :.
X To raise: pull the head restraint up to the
desired height.
X To lower: press release catch :and push
the head restraint down until it is in the
desired position. Seats
105Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Removing and fitting the rear seat head
restraints
X To remove: pull the head restraint up to the
stop.
X Press release catch :and pull the head
restraint out of the guides.
X To refit: insert the head restraint so that the
notches on the bar are on the left-hand side
when viewed in the direction of travel.
X Push the head restraint down until you hear it
engage in position.
Adjusting the rear seat head restraint
angle You can only adjust the two outer head
restraints.
X Using both hands, reach back and grasp the
sides of the head restraint.
X Pull the lower edge of the head restraint for-
wards or back until it is in the desired position. Rear seats (second and third row of
seats)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the seat and seat backrest are not engaged they could fold forwards, e.g. when braking
suddenly or in the event of an accident.
R The seat or seat backrest which is not
engaged will then push the vehicle occu-
pant against the seat belt. The seat belt cannot protect as intended and could result
in additional injury.
R A child restraint system will then no longer
be supported or positioned correctly and
will no longer perform its intended function.
R The seat backrest cannot restrain objects
or loads in the luggage compartment.
This poses an increased risk of injury.
Always ensure that the seat and the seat
backrest are engaged as described:
R before passengers travel on a seat with the
EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature
R after adjusting the seat
R after the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature has
been used
R after you have folded the luggage compart-
ment enlargement forward G
WARNING
The seat does not engage in the entry/exit
position. The seat may fold back suddenly,
e.g. when accelerating, braking, in the event
of a sudden change of direction or an acci-
dent. Persons in the sweep of the seat could
be trapped. There is a risk of injury.
Always fold back a seat that has been folded
forward before pulling away. Make sure that
the seat and the seat backrest are engaged. G
WARNING
If children adjust the seats, they could
become trapped, especially if they are unat-
tended. There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. G
WARNING
When adjusting a seat, you or another vehicle occupant could become trapped by the guiderail of the seat, for instance. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that no one has any part of their
body within the sweep of the seat when
adjusting it. 106
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

Adjusting the backrest angle (second
row of seats)
You can adjust the angle of the backrests in the
second row of seats. There are ten detent posi-
tions.
X Pull the left or right release lever ;upwards
in the direction of the arrow until the relevant
backrest :is fully released.
X Pull backrest :forwards in the direction of
the arrow and allow it to engage.
X To ensure that the backrest has engaged, lean
firmly against backrest :.
Folding the seats up/down (third row of seats) General notes
! Make sure that there is nothing on the fol-
ded-down seats in the luggage compartment.
The luggage compartment must be empty for
the third row of seats to be folded up. The
seats or the objects in the luggage compart-
ment could, otherwise, be damaged.
Make sure that the seats in the third row are
empty and not blocked before folding them
down.
The third row of seats consists of two electrically
foldable individual seats, which can be lowered
into the luggage compartment.
If the seat is not correctly locked into position,
the 3rd seat row, right Not locked 3rd seat row, right Not locked dis-
play message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
When you fold the seat back until it engages, the display message disappears.
To ensure that the seat backrest is fully
engaged, pull firmly on the seat backrest. The switches for folding the left or right-hand
seats up and down are marked:
Lfor the left-
hand seat when viewed in the direction of travel,
R for the right-hand seat when viewed in the
direction of travel.
Folding up/down in the rear compart-
ment Example:
Rswitch
X To fold up: fold the right-hand outer seat in
the second row of seats forwards
(Y page 109).
X Briefly pull switch :.
The seat folds up.
X To stop the automatic folding: briefly pull
switch :again.
X To fold down: briefly press switch :.
The seat folds down.
X To stop the automatic folding: briefly press
switch :again. Seats
107Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z