2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV warning

tion system" (Y
page 50) and on "Children in
the vehicle" (Y page 57).
R All other persons: the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp must be off. The front-
passenger front airbag is enabled. Depending
on the stature of the person on the front-
passenger seat, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp may light up. The front-
passenger front airbag is disabled. It will then
not be deployed in the event of an accident. In this case, the front-passenger seat should not
be used.
It is imperative to observe the notes on the
"Automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system" (Y page 50) as well as
on "Seat belts" (Y page 44) and "Airbags"
(Y page 47). There, you can also find infor-
mation on the correct seat position. Seat belts
Introduction A correctly worn seat belt is the most effective
means of restraining the movement of vehicle
occupants in the event of a collision or if the
vehicle overturns. This reduces the risk of vehi-
cle occupants coming into contact with parts of
the vehicle interior or being ejected from it. The seat belt also helps to keep the vehicle occu-
pants in the best position in relation to the air-
bag being deployed.
The seat belt system consists of:
R seat belts
R belt tensioners for the front seat belts and
outer seat belts of the second row of seats
and the seats in the third row of seats
R belt force limiters for the front seat belts and
outer seat belts of the second row of seats, as
well as for the seat belts in the third row of
seats
If the seat belt is pulled quickly or sharply from
the belt outlet, the inertia reel locks. The belt
strap cannot be pulled out any further.
The belt tensioner tightens the seat belt in the
event of a collision so that it fits tightly across
your body. However, it does not pull the vehicle occupants back in the direction of the seat
backrest.
The belt tensioner does not, however, correct an
incorrect seat position or correct the routing of
a seat belt that is worn incorrectly. If the seat belt is also fitted with a belt force
limiter and this is triggered, the force exerted by the seat belt on the vehicle occupant is reduced.
The belt force limiters on the front seats are
synchronised with the front airbags, which take
on a part of the deceleration force. This can
reduce the forces to which the vehicle occu-
pants are subjected during an accident.
! If the co-driver's seat is not occupied, do not
engage the seat belt tongue in the buckle on
the co-driver's seat. Otherwise, the belt ten-
sioner could be triggered in the event of an
accident and would have to be replaced.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the seat belt is worn incorrectly, it cannot
perform its intended protective function. Fur- thermore, an incorrectly worn seat belt can
cause additional injuries, e.g. in the event of
an accident, heavy braking or sudden
changes of direction. There is an increased
risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Always ensure that all vehicle occupants havetheir seat belts fastened correctly and are sit-
ting properly. 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. G
WARNING
Persons under 1.50 mtall cannot wear the
seat belts correctly without an additional suit- able restraint system. If the seat belt is worn
incorrectly, it cannot perform its intended 44
Occupant safetySafety

protective function. Furthermore, an incor-
rectly worn seat belt can cause additional
injuries, e.g. in the event of an accident, heavy braking or sudden changes of direction. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even
fatal.
Always secure persons less than 1.50 mtall in
additional suitable restraint systems.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 1.50 min height is travelling in the vehi-
cle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cle. The child restraint system must be appro- priate to the age, weight and size of the child.
R always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system"
(Y page 50)
R always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 57) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions. G
WARNING
Seat belts cannot protect as intended, if:
R they are damaged, have been modified, are
extremely dirty, bleached or dyed
R the seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
R modifications have been made to the belt
tensioners, belt anchorages or inertia reels
Seat belts may sustain non-visible damage in an accident, e.g. due to glass splinters. Modi-
fied or damaged seat belts can tear or fail, for example in the event of an accident. Modified
seat belt tensioners may be deployed unin-
tentionally or not function as intended. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even
fatal.
Never modify seat belts, seat belt tensioners,
seat belt anchorages and inertia reels. Ensure that seat belts are not damaged or worn and
are clean. After an accident, have the seat
belts checked immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use
seat belts which have been approved specifi-
cally for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz. Other-
wise, your vehicle's general operating permit
could be invalidated.
Correct seat belt use Pay attention to the safety notes about the seat
belt (Y page 44).
All vehicle occupants must fasten their seat
belts correctly before you start driving. You
must also make sure that all vehicle occupants
have fastened their seat belts correctly during
the journey.
When fastening your seat belt, always make
sure that:
R the seat belt tongue is inserted into the belt
buckle that belongs to the seat.
R the seat belt is tightened across your body.
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
R the seat belt is not twisted.
Only then can the forces which occur be dis-
tributed over the area of the belt.
R the shoulder section of the belt is always
routed across the centre of your shoulder.
The shoulder section of the belt must not
come into contact with your neck or be routed under your arm. Adjust the seat belt to the
appropriate height as necessary.
R The lap belt must be taut and as low as pos-
sible over your lap.
The lap belt must always be routed across
your hip joints and not across your abdomen.
Pregnant women must take particular care
with this. If necessary, push the lap belt down to your hip joint and pull it tight using the
shoulder section of the belt.
R The seat belt is not routed over sharp, pointed
or fragile objects.
If such objects are located on or in your cloth- ing, e.g. pens, keys, spectacles, etc. stow
these in a suitable location.
R Only one person should use each seat belt at
any one time.
Babies and children must never travel sitting
on the lap of another vehicle occupant. In the Occupant safety
45Safety Z

event of an accident, they could be crushed
between the vehicle occupant and seat belt.
R Do not secure any objects with a seat belt if
the seat belt is being used by one of the vehi- cle's occupants.
You must also make sure that objects, e.g.
cushions, are never placed between a person
and the seat.
Seat belts are solely intended to secure and
restrain persons. To secure objects, luggage or
loads, always observe the "Loading guidelines"
(Y page 312).
Fastening and adjusting the seat belts Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y
page 44) and the information on the correct
use of the seat belt (Y page 45).Basic illustration
X Adjust the seat (Y page 102).
The seat backrest must be in an almost ver-
tical position.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from the belt outlet
and engage belt tongue ;into belt
buckle :.
The seat belt on the driver's seat and the
front-passenger seat may be tightened auto-
matically; see "Belt adjustment"
(Y page 46).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body. The shoulder section of the seat belt must
always be routed across the centre of the shoul-
der. Adjust the belt outlet if necessary.
X To raise: slide the belt outlet upwards.
The belt outlet will engage in various posi-
tions.
X To lower: hold belt outlet release =and slide
belt outlet downwards.
X Let go of belt outlet release =in the desired
position and make sure that the belt outlet
engages.
Releasing seat belts !
Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled up.
Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue will be
trapped in the door or in the seat mechanism. This could damage the door, the door trim
panel and the seat belt. Damaged seat belts
can no longer fulfil their protective function
and must be replaced. Visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
X Press release button in belt buckle, hold belt
tongue firmly and guide the seat belt back.
Seat belt adjustment The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE
®
convenience function. This func-
tion adjusts the driver's and front-passenger
seat belt to the upper body of the occupants.
The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
R the seat belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle and
R the ignition is switched on
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a certain
tightening force if any slack is detected between
the vehicle occupant and the seat belt. Do not
hold on to the seat belt tightly while it is adjust-
ing.
You can switch the seat-belt adjustment on and
off in the on-board computer (Y page 254).
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger The
7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster reminds you that all vehicle occu-
pants must fasten their seat belts. It may light up continuously or flash. A warning tone may also
sound. 46
Occupant safetySafety

The
7 seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tone stops as soon as the driver's
and the co-driver's seat belts have been fas-
tened.
Rear seat belt status indicator The seat belt on the centre rear seat of the sec-
ond row of seats is not fastened. (Example)
The rear seat belt status indicator is available
only in certain countries.
Outside Europe: the rear seat belt status indi-
cator is available only on Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles.
The rear seat belt status indicator informs you
which rear seat belt is not fastened.
Cancelling the rear seat belt status indicator
immediately (Y page 258). Airbags
Introduction The airbag installation location is identified by
the label AIRBAG.
An airbag supplements a correctly fastened seat belt. It is not a substitute for seat belts. The air-bag provides additional protection in the corre-
sponding accident situations.
Not all airbags are deployed in an accident. The
various airbag systems work independently of
one another (Y page 54).
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
Due to the required speed of the airbag after
deployment, it is also not possible to entirely
rule out the risk of injuries caused by the airbag.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you deviate from the correct seat position,
the airbag cannot perform its intended pro- tective function and can even cause addi-
tional injuries when deployed. There is an
increased risk of serious or even fatal injuries.
In order to avoid such risks, always ensure
that all vehicle occupants:
R fasten their seatbelts correctly, including
pregnant women
R are seated correctly and maintain the fur-
thest possible distance from the airbags
R observe the following notes
Always ensure that there are no objects loca-
ted between the airbag and the vehicle occu-
pant.
R Adjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat
is in an almost upright position. The centre 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 posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven safely.
R Only hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the airbag 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 otherwise be in
the deployment area of the airbags.
R Always keep your feet in the footwell in front
of the seat. Do not put your feet on the dash-
board, for example. Your feet may otherwise
be in the deployment area of the airbag.
R Always secure persons less than 1.50 mtall in
suitable restraint systems. Up to this height,
the seat belt cannot be worn correctly.
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
R Always secure children under twelve years of
age and less than 1.50 mtall in suitable child
restraint systems.
R Child restraint systems should be fitted to the
rear seats.
R Only secure a child to the front-passenger
seat when the front-passenger front airbag is
disabled, and only then in a rearward-facing
child restraint system. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is permanently lit, the Occupant safety
47Safety Z

front-passenger front airbag is disabled
(Y
page 43).
R Always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system"
(Y page 50) and on "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 57) in addition to the manufactur-
er's operating and installation instructions for the child restraint system.
Objects in the vehicle interior may prevent
the airbag from functioning correctly. Before
starting your journey and to avoid risks resulting from the speed of the airbag as it deploys, make
sure that:
R there are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an airbag.
R there are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar.
R no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, are hang-
ing on the grab handles or coat hooks.
R no accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deployment
area of an airbag, 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 an airbag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the airbag can no longer function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an airbag cover or affix objects
to it. G
WARNING
Sensors to control the airbags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ling, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the function of the sensors being impaired. The
airbags might therefore not function properly any more. Consequently, the airbags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. This poses an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan- elling carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Front airbags !
Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. This could cause the system
to identify the seat as being occupied. In the
event of an accident, the restraint systems on the front-passenger side may be triggered
and have to be replaced. Driver's airbag
:deploys in front of the steer-
ing wheel. Front-passenger front airbag ;
deploys in front of and above the glove com-
partment.
When deployed, the front airbags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for the occu-
pants in the front seats.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
informs you about the status of the front-
passenger front airbag (Y page 43).
The front-passenger front airbag will deploy only if:
R the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system has detected that the
front-passenger seat is occupied
(Y page 50). The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is not lit (Y page 50)
R the restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity 48
Occupant safetySafety

Driver's kneebag
Driver's knee airbag
:deploys under the steer-
ing column. The driver's knee airbag is triggered
together with the front airbags.
The driver's knee airbag offers additional thigh,
knee and lower leg protection for the occupant
in the driver's seat.
i The driver's knee airbag is available only in
certain countries.
Sidebags G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers may obstruct or even
prevent deployment of the airbags integrated into the seats. The airbags may then fail to
protect the vehicle occupants as intended.
Operation of the automatic co-driver's front
airbag deactivation system may also be
impaired. There is an increased risk of injury,
possibly even fatal.
Use only seat covers which have been specif- ically approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz. Front sidebags
:and second row rear side-
bags ;deploy next to the outer bolster of the
seat backrest.
When deployed, the sidebag offers additional
thorax protection. It also offers additional pelvis
protection for occupants in the front seats.
However, it does not protect the:
R head
R neck
R arms
In the event of a side impact, the sidebag is
deployed on the side on which the impact
occurs.
Vehicles with the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system: the sidebag on the front-passenger side deploys under the fol-
lowing conditions:
R an occupant is detected in the front-
passenger seat or
R the belt tongue is engaged in the belt buckle
of the front-passenger seat
If the belt tongue is engaged in the belt buckle,
the sidebag on the front-passenger side deploys
if an appropriate accident situation occurs. In
this case, deployment is independent of
whether the front-passenger seat is occupied or not.
Windowbags Windowbags
:are integrated into the side of
the roof frame and deploy in the area extending
from the front door (A-pillar) to the rear side
window (D-pillar).
When deployed, the windowbag offers addi-
tional head protection. However, it does not
protect the thorax or arms.
In the event of a side impact, the windowbag is
deployed on the side on which the impact
occurs. Occupant safety
49Safety Z

If the status of the front-passenger front airbag
changes while the vehicle is in motion, an airbag display message appears on the instrument
cluster (Y page 268). When the front-passenger
seat is occupied, always pay attention to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp. Be
aware of the status of the front-passenger front airbag both before and during the journey.
If a person sits in the passenger seat, he/she
must be:
R seated with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in an almost upright position with his/her
back against the seat backrest
R with his/her feet resting on the floor, if pos-
sible
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system may be influenced,
e.g. because the front passenger:
R transfers his/her weight by supporting him-
self/herself on a vehicle armrest
R sits in such a way that his/her weight is raised
from the seat cushion
The front-passenger front airbag may be disa-
bled by mistake as a result of these or similar
actions. In this case, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp lights up permanently. The
front-passenger front airbag then does not
deploy during an accident. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is lit, the front-passenger front airbag is disa-
bled. It will not be deployed in the event of an
accident and cannot perform its intended pro-
tective 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 make sure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and that the front-
passenger front airbag 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 airbag is correct. G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the co-driver's seat and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
is off, the co-driver's front airbag can deploy in the event of an accident. The child could be
struck by the airbag. There is an increased risk
of injury, possibly even fatal.
In this case, always make sure that the co-
driver's front airbag has been disabled. The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
must be lit.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
stays off, do not install a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat.
Further information can be found under "Prob-
lems with the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system" (Y page 54). 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 airbag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off
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 sash guide to the shoulder belt guide on
the child restraint system. The shoulder belt Occupant safety
51Safety
Z

strap must be routed forwards and down-
wards from the vehicle belt sash guide. If nec-
essary, adjust the vehicle belt sash guide andthe front-passenger seat accordingly. Always
observe the information about suitable posi-
tioning of the child restraint system in this
Owner's Manual as well as the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions.
Always observe the vehicle-specific information
for the correct positioning of the child restraint
system (Y page 62).
If the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system detects 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 airbag is disabled.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child in a rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp lights up after the system self-test and
remains lit. This indicates that the front-
passenger front airbag is disabled.
But in the case of a child in a rearward-facing
child restraint system, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp can also go out after
the system self-test. This indicates that the
front-passenger front airbag is enabled. The
result of the classification is dependent on,
among other factors, the child restraint sys-
tem and the child's stature. It is recommen-
ded that you fit the child restraint system to a
suitable rear seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child in a forward-facing child restraint sys-
tem, either the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the result
of the classification, or it goes out. The result of the classification is dependent on, among
other factors, the child restraint system and
the child's stature.
Move the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible. Always observe the information in
"Child restraint systems on the front-
passenger seat" (Y page 61) and in "Suita-
ble positioning of the child restraint system"
(Y page 62). Alternatively, you can fit the
child restraint system to a suitable rear seat. R
the front-passenger seat is occupied by a per-
son of smaller stature (e.g. a teenager or
small adult), the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the result
of the classification or, alternatively, goes out.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is off, move the front-passenger seat
as far back as possible. Alternatively, a per-
son with a small stature can sit on a rear
seat.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, a person with a smaller stature
should not use the front-passenger seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a person with the stature of an adult,
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
goes out after the system self-test. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front airbag is enabled.
If children are travelling in the vehicle, be sure to
observe the notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 57).
If the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system is malfunctioning, the red
6 restraint system warning lamp on the
instrument cluster and the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp light up simultaneously.
The front-passenger front airbag is disabled in
this case and does not deploy during an acci-
dent. Have the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system checked and
repaired immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this purpose.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or the
seat cushion are damaged, have the necessary
repair work carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this purpose.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use only a child restraint systemthat has been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz in combination with the auto-
matic front-passenger front airbag deactivation
system. 52
Occupant safetySafety