2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV Airbag enabled

Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use only
driving aids that have been approved specifi-
cally for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz. 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 running.
Therefore, malfunctions can be detected in
good time.
The 6 restraint system warning lamp on the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition is
switched on. It goes out no later than a few sec- onds after the vehicle is started. The compo-
nents of the restraint system are in operational
readiness.
A malfunction has occurred if the 6restraint
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 the restraint system is malfunctioning,
restraint system components may be trig-
gered unintentionally or may not deploy as
intended during an accident. This may affect
the seat belt tensioner or airbag, for example. This poses an increased risk of injury or even
fatal injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamp
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
:and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp ;are
part of the automatic deactivation system of the front-passenger front airbag.
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front airbag.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up for 60 sec-
onds, then both indicator lamps are off
(PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and OFF): the front-
passenger front airbag is able to deploy in the event of an accident.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the front-
passenger front airbag is disabled. It will then
not be deployed in the event of an accident.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is off, only the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
front airbag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
Depending on the person in the front-passenger seat, the front-passenger front airbag must be
either disabled or enabled; see the following
points. You must make sure of this both before
and during a journey.
R Children in a rearward-facing child
restraint system: the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp must be lit. The front-
passenger front airbag is disabled. It is imper-
ative to observe the notes on the "Automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation sys-
tem" (Y page 50) and on "Children in the
vehicle" (Y page 57).
R Children in a forward-facing child
restraint system: depending on the installed
child restraint system and the age and size of the child, the front-passenger front airbag is
either disabled or enabled. Therefore, it is
imperative to observe the notes on the "Auto-
matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva- Occupant safety
43Safety Z

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

If the system determines that it can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the seat
belt, a windowbag may be deployed in other
accident situations (Y page 54).Automatic front-passenger front air-
bag deactivation
Introduction In order to recognise a child restraint system on
the front-passenger seat, the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system cat- egorises the person in the front-passenger seat.Depending on that result, the front-passenger
front airbag is either enabled or disabled. If a
rearward-facing child restraint system is fitted
to the front-passenger seat, the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp must light up after
the system self-test and remain lit. The front-
passenger front airbag is disabled.
The system does not disable:
R the sidebag
R the windowbag
R the seat belt tensioner
In the following situation, the sidebag and the
seat belt tensioner are deactivated:
R the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system has not categorised the
person in the front-passenger seat as an adult or a person of corresponding stature and
R the seat belt tongue of the seat belt is not
inserted into the front-passenger seat belt
buckle
Make sure that your vehicle is equipped with the
automatic front-passenger front airbag deacti-
vation system (Y page 61). If this is not the
case, always install a child restraint system on a
suitable rear seat (Y page 62).
If it is absolutely necessary to install a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat, be
sure to observe the correct positioning of the
child restraint system. Never place objects
under or behind the child restraint system, e.g. a
cushion. 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 accord-
ingly. Only then is the correct function of the
automatic front-passenger front airbag deacti-
vation system guaranteed. Always observe the
information on suitable positioning of the child
restraint system (Y page 62) in addition to the
child restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions.
Operation of automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation :
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
; PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
The indicator lamps inform you whether the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled or ena-
bled.
X Press the Start/Stop button once or twice, or
turn the key to position 1or 2in the ignition
lock.
The system carries out a self-diagnosis.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON indicator lamps must light up simul- taneously for approximately six seconds.
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front airbag:
R PASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up for 60 sec-
onds, then both indicator lamps are off
(PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and OFF): the front-
passenger front airbag is able to deploy in the
event of an accident.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the front-
passenger front airbag is disabled. It will then
not be deployed in the event of an accident.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is
off, only the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
front airbag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp may be lit continuously or be off. 50
Occupant safetySafety

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

System self-test
G
DANGER
If both the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps do
not light up during the system self-test, the
system is malfunctioning. The front-
passenger front airbag might be triggered
unintentionally or might not be triggered at all in the event of an accident with high deceler-
ation. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may notbe used. Do not install a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the auto-
matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva-
tion system checked and repaired immedi-
ately at a qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. It willnot be deployed in the event of an accident. In
this case, the front-passenger front airbag
cannot perform its intended protective func-
tion, e.g. when a person is seated in the front- passenger seat.
That person could, for example, come into
contact with the vehicle's interior, especially
if the person is sitting too close to the dash-
board. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front airbag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat.
R the person is seated properly with a cor-
rectly fastened seat belt.
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
as far back as possible. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit when it should not, the front-
passenger seat may not be used. Do not
install a child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. Have the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system
checked and repaired immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop. G
WARNING
Objects between the seat surface and the
child restraint system could affect the func-
tion of the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system. This could result
in the front-passenger front airbag not func-
tioning as intended during an accident. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Do not place any objects between the seat
surface and the child restraint system. The
entire base of the child restraint system must always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the forwards-
facing child restraint system must, as far as
possible, be resting on the backrest of the
rear reclining seat. Always comply with the
child restraint system manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions.
After the system self-test, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF or PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
front airbag (Y page 50). If the front-passenger
front airbag is enabled, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG ON indicator lamp lights up for 60 seconds
and then goes out.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is
off, only the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
front airbag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
Further information can be found under "Prob-
lems with the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system" (Y page 54). Occupant safety
53Safety Z

An electric motor is used by PRE-SAFE
®
to trig-
ger the tightening of the seat belt in hazardous
situations. This procedure is reversible.
If the belt tensioners are triggered or an airbag is
deployed, you will hear a bang, and a small
amount of powder may also be released. The
6 restraint system warning lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your hear-
ing. In general, the powder released is not haz-
ardous to health but may cause short-term
breathing difficulties to persons suffering from
asthma or other pulmonary conditions. Provided it is safe to do so, you should leave the vehicle
immediately or open the window in order to pre-
vent breathing difficulties.
Operation During the first stage of a collision, the restraint
system control unit evaluates important physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
R duration
R direction
R intensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the seat
belt tensioners in the event of a head-on or rear
collision.
A seat belt tensioner can be triggered only if:
R the ignition is switched on
R the components of the restraint system are
operational. You can find further information
under: "Restraint system warning lamp"
(Y page 43)
R the belt tongue has engaged in the belt buckle
of the respective front seat
The seat belt tensioners in the rear compart-
ment are triggered independently of the lock
status of the seat belts.
If the restraint system control unit detects a
high-severity accident, in certain head-on colli-
sions, additional components of the restraint
system are deployed independently of each
other:
R front airbags and driver's kneebag
R windowbag, if the system determines that
deployment can offer additional protection to
that provided by the seat belt
On vehicles with the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system: depending on the person in the front-passenger seat, the front-passenger front airbag is either disabled or
enabled. The front-passenger front airbag can
be deployed in an accident only if the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off.
Observe the information on the PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamps (Y page 43).
Your vehicle has two-stage front airbags. In the
first deployment stage, the front airbag is filled
with propellant gas to reduce the risk of injuries. The front airbag is fully deployed if the second
deployment stage is activated within a few mil-
liseconds.
The activation threshold for the seat belt ten-
sioners and airbags is determined based on the
evaluation of the vehicle's rate of deceleration
or acceleration at various points in the vehicle.
This process is pre-emptive in nature. The trig-
gering/deployment process should take place
in good time at the start of the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the collision
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the vehicle
R the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors that can be seen and measured only
after a collision has occurred do not play a deci-
sive role in the deployment of an airbag, nor do
they provide an indication of airbag deployment.
The vehicle may be deformed significantly with-out an airbag being deployed. This is the case if
only parts that are relatively easily deformed are
affected and the rate of deceleration is not high. Conversely, an airbag may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is the case if, for example, very rigid
vehicle parts such as longitudinal body mem-
bers are hit, and sufficient deceleration occurs
as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side
impact or if the vehicle overturns, the applicable components of the restraint system are activa-
ted independently of each other depending on
the apparent type of accident.
R Sidebags on the side on which an impact
occurs, independently of the seat belt ten-
sioner and seat belt usage
Vehicles with the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system: the sidebag Occupant safety
55Safety Z

ment cover
:if luggage compartment
cover :is fitted
R Top Tether belt Bis routed between rear
seat backrest ;and the safety net if the
safety net is fitted
X Tension Top Tether belt B. Always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions when doing so.
X If necessary, move head restraint =back
down again slightly (Y page 105). Make sure
that you do not interfere with the correct rout-
ing of Top Tether belt B. Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
General notes Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured
in the front-passenger seat. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install a child restraint system on a rear seat.
Vehicles with the automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system: if it is abso-
lutely necessary to fit a child restraint system to the front-passenger seat, always observe the
information on the "Automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system" (Y page 50).
You can thus avoid the risks that could arise as
a result of:
R a child restraint system that is not detected
by the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system
R unintentional disabling of the front-passenger
front airbag
R unsuitable positioning of the child restraint
system, e.g. too close to the dashboard Please observe the warning notice on the
front-passenger sun visor; see illustration. 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.
NEVER use a rearward-facing child restraint on a
seat protected by an ACTIVE FRONT AIRBAG;
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the child can
occur.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
goes out, the front-passenger front airbag is
enabled (Y page 43).
Vehicles without the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation
system Children in the vehicle
61Safety Z