2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV Owners Manual

If the front-passenger seat of your vehicle is not
equipped with the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system, this is indica-
ted by a special sticker. The sticker is affixed to
the side of the dashboard on the front-
passenger side. The sticker is visible when you
open the front-passenger door.
If you turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps light
up briefly. However, they have no function and
do not indicate that there is an automatic front- passenger front airbag deactivation system.
In this case, never fit a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front passenger seat
(Y page 62).
Observe the following information under "Rear-
ward-facing child restraint system"
(Y page 62) and "Forward-facing child
restraint system" (Y page 62) as well as infor-
mation on the suitable positioning of the child
restraint system (Y page 62).
Rearward-facing child restraint system If it is absolutely necessary to fit a rearward-
facing child restraint system to the front-
passenger seat, always make sure that the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. Only if
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is lit continuously (Y page 43) is the front-
passenger front airbag disabled.
Always observe the information on suitable
positioning of the child restraint system
(Y page 62) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and operat-
ing instructions.
Forward-facing child restraint system If it is absolutely necessary to fit a forward-
facing child restraint system to the front-
passenger seat, always move the front-
passenger seat as far back as possible. 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, as far as possible, lie flat against the backrest of the front-passenger
seat. The child restraint system must not touch the roof or be put under strain by the head
restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat backrest
and the head restraint position accordingly.
Always make sure that the shoulder 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 downwards from the vehicle belt
outlet. If necessary, adjust the vehicle belt out-
let and the front-passenger seat accordingly.
Always observe the information on suitable
positioning of the child restraint system
(Y page 62) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and operat-
ing instructions. Suitable positioning of the child
restraint system
Introduction Only child restraint systems that are approved in
accordance with ECE standard ECE R44 are per-
mitted for use in the vehicle.
"Universal"-category child restraint systems can
be recognised by their orange approval label and the text "Universal". Approval label for child restraint systems in
accordance with the ECE-R44 standard
Child restraint systems of the following "Univer-
sal" category can be used on seats marked U, UF or IUF in accordance with the tables "Suitabilityof seats for the attaching of belt-secured child
restraint systems" or "Suitability of seats for the
attaching of an ISOFIX child restraint system".
Semi-universal child restraint systems are indi-
cated by the text "semi-universal" on the
approval label. These can be used if the vehicle
and the seat are listed in the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer's vehicle model list. For more information, contact the child restraint system
manufacturer or visit the manufacturer's web-
site. 62
Children in the vehicleSafety

Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat –
if it is absolutely necessary to
secure a child in a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat:
X Always pay attention to the instructions under
"Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat" (Y page 61).
There, you will also find instructions on how to
correctly route the shoulder belt strap from
the vehicle belt outlet to the shoulder belt
guide on the child restraint system
(Y page 62).
X Move the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible.
X Move the backrest to an almost upright posi-
tion.
The entire base of the child restraint system
must always rest on the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat. The backrest of the
forward-facing child restraint system must, as far as possible, be resting on the backrest of
the front-passenger seat. The child restraint
system must not touch the roof or be put
under strain by the head restraint. Adjust the
angle of the seat backrest and the head
restraint position accordingly. Also observe
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Move the seat cushion angle to the highest,
most vertical position.
Installing a child restraint system on a rear
seat in the second row
X Move the backrest of the rear seat in the sec-
ond row to an almost vertical position
(Y page 107).
Suitability of the seats for attaching a belted child restraint system If you use a baby car seat of category 0 or 0+ or a rearward-facing child restraint system of category
I on a rear seat, you must adjust the driver's or front-passenger seat so that the seat does not touch the child restraint system.
If you use a forward-facing child restraint system of category I, you must remove the head restraint
from the respective seat, if possible (Y page 104). The backrest of the child restraint system must,
as far as possible, rest flat against the backrest of the seat.
Make sure that the child's feet do not touch the front seat. If necessary, move the front seat forwards
slightly (Y page 104).
For certain child restraint systems in weight categories II or III, this can mean that the area of use
is restricted. The maximum size setting of the child restraint system may not be possible due to
possible contact with the roof.
In addition, always observe the information in the "Child restraint system" section (Y page 58) and
the child restraint system manufacturer's installation instructions.
When you remove the child restraint system, you must replace the head restraints again immedi-
ately (Y page 104). All vehicle occupants must adjust their head restraints correctly before the
journey.
Legend for the table:
XS eat that is unsuitable for children in this weight category.
US uitable for child restraint systems in the "Universal" category that are approved for use in this
weight category.
UF Suitable for forward-facing child restraint systems that belong to the "Universal" category and are approved for use in this weight category.
LS uitable for child restraint systems as recommended; see "Recommended child restraint sys-
tems" (Y page 65). Children in the vehicle
63Safety Z

Front-passenger seat
Weight category Front-passenger
front airbag enabled Front-passenger
front airbag disa-
bled1 0
up to 10 kg X U, L
0+
up to 13 kg X U, L
I
9 kg to 18 kg UF U, L
II
15 kg to 25 kg UF U, L
III
22 kg to 36 kg UF U, L
Rear seats
Weight category Left, right and third
row of seats Centre
2 0
up to 10 kg U U
0+
up to 13 kg U U
I
9 kg to 18 kg U U
II
15 kg to 25 kg U U
III
22 kg to 36 kg U U
Suitability of the seats for attaching an ISOFIX child restraint system
If you use a baby car seat of category 0 or 0+ or a rearward-facing child restraint system of category
I on a rear seat, you must adjust the driver's or front-passenger seat so that the seat does not touch the child restraint system.
If you use a forward-facing child restraint system of category I, you must remove the head restraint
from the respective seat, if possible (Y page 104). The backrest of the child restraint system must,
as far as possible, rest flat against the backrest of the seat.
In addition, always observe the information in the "Child restraint system" section (Y page 58) and
the child restraint system manufacturer's installation instructions.
When you remove the child restraint system, you must replace the head restraints again immedi-
ately (Y page 104). All vehicle occupants must adjust their head restraints correctly before the
journey.
Make sure that the child's feet do not touch the front seat. If necessary, move the front seat forwards
slightly (Y page 104).
For certain child restraint systems in weight categories II or III, this can mean that the area of use
is restricted. The maximum size setting of the child restraint system may not be possible due to
possible contact with the roof.
The information applies to the second and third rows of seats. If you put a child restraint system on a seat in the third row, move the backrests of the seats in the second row as far forward as possible
(Y page 107).
1 The vehicle is equipped with an automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation system. The PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
2 Child restraint systems with supporting bracket are not suitable for this seat. 64
Children in the vehicleSafety

Legend for the table:
XI
SOFIX position that is not suitable for ISOFIX child restraint systems in this weight category
and/or size category.
IUF Suitable for forward-facing ISOFIX child restraint systems that belong to the "Universal" cat- egory and are approved for use in this weight category.
IL Suitable for ISOFIX child restraint systems as recommended; see the "Recommended child restraint systems" table (Y page 65).
The manufacturer will also recommend a suitable ISOFIX child restraint system. For this, your
vehicle and the seat must be listed in the child restraint system manufacturer's vehicle model list. For more information, contact the child restraint system manufacturer or visit the manu-facturer's website. Weight category Size category Equipment Rear seat, left,
right Carry cot
F ISO/L1 X
G ISO/L2 X
0
up to 10 kg
up to approximately 6 months E ISO/R1 IL
0+
up to 13 kg
up to approximately 15 months E ISO/R1 IL
D ISO/R2 IL
C ISO/R3
IL
3 I
9 kg to 18 kg
between approximately 9 months
and 4 years D ISO/R2 IL
C ISO/R3
IL
3 B ISO/F2 IUF
B1 ISO/F2X IUF
A ISO/F3 IUF
The child restraint system must not touch the roof or be put under strain by the head restraint.
Adjust the angle of the seat backrest and the head restraint position accordingly. Also observe the
child restraint system manufacturer's installation instructions. Recommended child restraint systems
General notes Always observe the information in "Child restraint systems on the front-passenger seat" (Y
page 61)
and in "Suitable positioning of the child restraint system" (Y page 62).
You can obtain further information about the correct child restraint system from any Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
3 If you are using a child restraint system of size category C (ISO/R3), move the front seat to the highest position
and move the backrest to an upright position. Make sure that the front seat backrest does not rest against the
child restraint system. Children in the vehicle
65Safety Z

Recommended child restraint systems for attaching with the vehicle seat belt
Weight categories Manufac-
turer Type Approval num-
ber(E1 ...) Order number
(A 000 ...)
4 Category 0:
up to 10 kg
up to approximately
6 months
Britax Römer BABY SAFE
plus II 04 301146 970 20 00
970 36 00
Category 0+:
up to 13 kg
up to approximately
15 months
Britax Römer BABY SAFE
plus II 04 301146 970 20 00
970 36 00
Category I:
9 kg to 18 kg
between approx-
imately 9 months and
4 years Britax Römer DUO plus 04 301133 970 16 00
970 21 00
970 37 00
Category II/III:
15 kg to 36 kg
between approx-
imately 4 years and
12 years
Britax Römer KIDFIX 04 301198 970 19 00
970 22 00
970 38 00
Britax Römer KIDFIX XP 04 301304 970 61 00
Recommended "Universal"/"Semi-Universal" category ISOFIX child restraint sys-
tems Weight cate-
gories Size
cate-
gory Manufacturer Type Approval
number
(E1 ...)
Order number
4 Category 0+:
up to 13 kg
E Britax Römer BABY SAFE
plus 04 301146 B6 6 86 8224
Category I:
9 kg to 18 kg
B1 Britax Römer DUO plus 04 301133 A 000 970 16 00
A 000 970 21 00
A 000 970 37 00
4
Colour code 9H95. 66
Children in the vehicleSafety

Child-proof locks
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If children are travelling in the vehicle, they
could:
R open doors, thus endangering other people
or road users
R exit the vehicle and be caught by oncoming
traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always activate the child-proof locks and
override feature if children are travelling 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:
R the rear doors (Y page 67)
R the rear side windows (Y page 68)
Observe the important safety notes on the dou- ble-lock function (Y page 81). G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position P
R start 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 key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. G
WARNING
If persons (particularly children) are exposed
to heat or cold for a prolonged period, there is a risk of serious or even fatal injuries. Never leave persons (particularly children) unatten-
ded in the vehicle.
G
WARNING
If the child restraint system is placed in direct sunlight, the parts could become very hot.
Children could be suffer burns by touching
these parts, in particular on the metallic parts
of the child restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you and your child leave the vehicle, always
make sure that the child restraint system is
not in direct sunlight. Cover it with a blanket, for example. If the child restraint system has
been exposed to direct sunlight, leave it to
cool down before securing the child in it.
Never leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle.
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.
X To activate: press the child-proof lock lever
up in the direction of arrow :.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are work-
ing properly.
X To deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow ;. Children in the vehicle
67Safety Z

Override feature for the rear side win-
dows X
To 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 driver's
door. If indicator lamp ;is off, operation is
possible using the switches in the rear com-
partment. Pets in the vehicle
G
WARNING
If you leave animals unsupervised or unse-
cured in the vehicle, they may push a button
or a switch, for example.
They could:
R activate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
R switch vehicle systems on or off, thus
endangering other road users
In the event of an accident, sudden braking or
abrupt changes of direction, unsecured ani-
mals could be flung around the vehicle, injur-
ing the vehicle occupants. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals correctly during a
journey, e.g. in an animal transport box. Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS (A nti-lock Braking System)
(Y page 69)
R BAS (Brake AssistSystem) (Y page 69)
R Active Brake Assist (Y page 70)
R Adaptive brake lights (Y page 72)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 73)
R EBD (e lectronic brake force distribution)
(Y page 75)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 75)
R Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
(Y page 75)
R STEER CONTROL (Y page 78) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor override the laws of physics. Driving safety systems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for maintaining the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time, and for staying in lane. Always adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The driving safety systems described only work
as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quate contact between the tyres and the road
surface. Pay particular attention to the informa- tion regarding tyres, recommended minimum
tyre tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and tyres" section (Y page 361).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tyres (M+S tyres) and, if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will the driving safety
systems described in this section work as effec-
tively as possible. 68
Driving safety systemsSafety

ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General notes ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that
the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steering the vehicle when braking.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h,
regardless of road-surface conditions. ABS
works on slippery surfaces, even when you only
brake gently.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68). G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid- ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems, includ-
ing driving safety systems, will also become
inoperative. Observe the information on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 293) and display mes-
sages which may be shown in the instrument
cluster (Y page 259).
Braking X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions; this serves as a
reminder to take extra care while driving. Off-road ABS An ABS 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)
At speeds below 30 km/h the front wheels lock cyclically during braking. The digging-in effect
achieved in the process reduces the stopping
distance when driving off-road. This limits steer- ing capability. BAS (Brake Assist System)
General notes BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If you depress the brake pedal quickly, BAS
automatically boosts the braking force, thus
shortening the stopping distance.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
Braking X
Keep the brake pedal depressed firmly 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. Driving safety systems
69Safety Z