2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV Owners Manual

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 231).
Seat belt warning for the driver and
front-passenger The
7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder that all vehicle occu-
pants must wear their seat belts. It may light up
continuously or flash. In addition, a warning tone may sound.
The 7 seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tone ceases when the driver and the
front passenger have fastened their seat belts.
Rear seat belt status indicator The seat belts on the left and centre rear seats,
when viewed in the direction of travel, are not
fastened. (Example)
The rear seat belt status indicator is only avail-
able for certain countries.
The rear seat belt status indicator informs you
which rear seat belt is not fastened.
Hiding the rear seat belt status indicator imme- diately (Y page 234). Airbags
Introduction The installation location of an airbag is identified
by the AIRBAG symbol.
An airbag supplements a correctly worn seat
belt. It is not a replacement for the seat belt. The
airbag offers additional protection in corre-
sponding accident situations.
Not all airbags are deployed in an accident. The
different airbag systems work independently of
each other (Y page 53).
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities. It is also not possible to completely rule out a
risk of injury caused by an airbag due to the
speed at which the airbag must be deployed.
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 Hold the steering wheel only by the rim. 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. 46
Occupant safetySafety

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 preferably be
fitted to the rear seats.
R Secure a child to the front-passenger seat
only when the front-passenger front airbag is disabled, and then only in a rearward-facing
child restraint system. If the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp is permanently lit, the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled
(Y page 42).
R Be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system"
(Y page 49) and on "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 56) 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 there are no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers,
hanging 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 42).
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 Occupant safety
47Safety Z

(Y
page 49). The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is not lit (Y page 49)
R the restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity
Driver's kneebag Driver's kneebag
:deploys under the steering
column. The driver's kneebag is triggered
together with the front airbags.
The driver's kneebag offers additional thigh,
knee and lower leg protection for the occupant
in the driver's seat.
i The driver's kneebag is only available in cer-
tain 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 rear sidebags ;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
When the restraint system control unit detects 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 seat belt buckle 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. 48
Occupant safetySafety

Windowbags
Windowbags
:are integrated in the side of the
roof frame and deploy in the area from the A-
pillar to the C-pillar.
When deployed, the windowbag enhances the
level of protection for the head. However, it does
not protect the chest or arms.
When the restraint system control unit detects a side impact, the windowbag is deployed on the
side on which the impact occurs.
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 53).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
Make sure that your vehicle is equipped with the automatic front-passenger front airbag deacti-
vation system (Y page 60). If this is not the case, always install a child restraint system on a
suitable rear seat (Y page 61).
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. Fully retract the seat cushion length.
The entire base of the child restraint system
must always rest on the seat cushion of the
front-passenger seat. The backrest of a forward-
facing child restraint system must, as far as
possible, rest flat against the backrest of the
front-passenger seat. The child restraint system must not touch the roof or be put under strain bythe 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 61) in addition to the
child restraint system manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions.
Operation of automatic front-passenger
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 1or2 in the igni-
tion 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. Occupant safety
49Safety Z

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.
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 244). 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 front-passenger seat, they
must be:
R seated with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in an almost upright position with their back
against the seat backrest
R with their feet resting on the floor, if possible
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 their weight by supporting them-
selves on a vehicle armrest
R sits in such a way that their 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 front-passenger seat
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is off, the front-passenger front airbag
can deploy in the event of an accident. The
child could be struck by the airbag. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenger front air-
bag 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 AIRBAG in
front of it; DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the
child can occur.
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 53).50
Occupant safetySafety

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.
Always move the front-passenger seat as far
back as possible and fully retract the seat
cushion length. 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 strap must be routed forwards
and downwards from the vehicle belt sash
guide. If necessary, adjust the vehicle belt
sash guide and the front-passenger seat
accordingly. Always observe the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions.
Always observe the vehicle-specific information for the correct positioning of the child restraint
system (Y page 61).
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 build. It is recommended
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 build.
Move the front-passenger seat as far back aspossible. Always observe the information in
"Child restraint systems on the front-
passenger seat" (Y page 60) and in "Suita-
ble positioning of the child restraint system"
(Y page 61). Alternatively, you can fit the
child restraint system to a suitable rear seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a per-
son with a smaller build (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 build can sit on a rear seat.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, a person with a smaller build
should not use the front-passenger seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a person with the build 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 56).
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 Occupant safety
51Safety Z

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 system
that has been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz in combination with the auto-
matic front-passenger front airbag deactivation
system.
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 will not 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 displays the status of the front-passenger
front airbag (Y page 49). If the front-passenger
front airbag is enabled, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG ON indicator lamp lights up for 60 seconds and then goes out. 52
Occupant safetySafety

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 53).
Problems with the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation system Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Y
page 52).Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M MSolutions The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up and remains lit,
even though the front-
passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult or a per-
son with a build corre-
sponding to that of an
adult. The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is false.
X Make sure the conditions for a correct classification of the person
on the front-passenger seat are met (Y page 49).
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the front-
passenger seat may not be used.
X Have the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation sys-
tem checked immediately at a qualified specialist workshop. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up and/or
does not stay on.
The front-passenger seatis:
R empty
R occupied with a rear-
ward-facing child
restraint system The automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation system is
malfunctioning.
X Make sure there is nothing between the seat and the child restraint
system.
X Make sure that the entire base of the child restraint system rests on
the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat.
X Make sure that the seat cushion length is fully retracted.
X When installing the child restraint system, make sure that the seat
belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight with the front-passenger
seat adjustment. This could result in the seat belt and the child
restraint system being pulled too tightly.
X Check that the child restraint system is installed correctly.
X Make sure that no objects are applying additional weight to the
seat.
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off and/or
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not install
a rearward-facing child restraint system on the front-passenger
seat. It is recommended that you fit the child restraint system to a suitable rear seat.
X Have the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation sys-
tem checked immediately at a qualified specialist workshop. Deployment of belt tensioners and air-
bags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
After the airbag deploys, the airbag parts are
hot. There is a risk of injury. Do not touch the airbag parts. Have a
deployed airbag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible.
G
WARNING
Pyrotechnical belt tensioners which have
been triggered are no longer operational and Occupant safety
53Safety
Z