2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS-Class SUV steering wheel

It may be best to deactivate ESP®in the follow-
ing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Spinning the wheels results in a cutting action
which provides better grip.
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehicle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
XTo deactivate: press button:.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
XTo activate: press button :.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP®is deactivated
If ESP®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
REngine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
RTraction control is still activated.
RActive Brake Assist is no longer available; nor
is it activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP
®
RPRE-SAFE®is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP®inter-
venes.
RActive Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
is no longer available; it is not activated even
if you brake firmly with assistance from ESP
®
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Offroad ESP®(vehicles with Offroad
Engineering package)
An ESP®system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated on:
RVehicles without the Offroad Engineering
package (Ypage 217)
RVehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Ypage 218)
Offroad ESP®intervenes with a delay if there is
oversteering or understeering, thus improving
traction.
ESP®trailer stabilization
General information
ESP®trailer stabilization is not available in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP
®assists you in this situation. ESP®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limiting
the engine output until the vehicle/trailer com-
bination has stabilized.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP
®can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer com-
bination) begins to lurch, you can only stabilize
the vehicle/trailer combination by depressing
the brake firmly.
68Driving safety systems
Safety

Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h) the Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function assists you with braking in haz-
ardous situations with:
Rstationary obstacles in the path of the vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
Rstationary pedestrians in the path of the vehi-
cle
Robstacles crossing your path that move in the
detection range of the sensors and are detec-
ted
XKeep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
You can prevent the intervention of Active Brake
Assist with cross-traffic function at any time by:
Rdepressing the accelerator pedal further
Ractivating kickdown
Rreleasing the brake pedal
The braking application of Active Brake Assist
with cross-traffic function is ended automati-
cally if:
Ryou maneuver to avoid the obstacle
Rthere is no longer a risk of collision
Rthere is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle
STEER CONTROL
General information
STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering wheel
in the direction required for vehicle stabilization.
This steering assistance is provided in particular
if:
Rboth right wheels or both left wheels are on a wet or slippery road surface when you brake
Rthe vehicle starts to skid
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 63). No steering assistance is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if:
RESP®is deactivated
RESP®is malfunctioning
Rthe steering is malfunctioning
If ESP®is malfunctioning, you will be assisted
further by the electrical power steering.
Protection against theft
Immobilizer
XTo activate with the SmartKey: remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XTo activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
XTo deactivate: switch on the ignition.
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Anyone
can start the engine if a valid SmartKey has been
left inside the vehicle.
iThe immobilizer is always deactivated when
you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be started
(yet the vehicle's battery is charged), the sys-
tem is not operational. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA) or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
ATA (anti-theft alarm system)
72Protection against theft
Safety

Correct driver's seat position
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
Observe the following when adjusting steering
wheel :, seat belt ;and driver's seat =:
Ryou are as far away from the driver's air bag as
possible.
Ryou are sitting in a normal upright position.
Ryour thighs are slightly supported by the seat
cushion.
Ryour legs are not entirely stretched and you
can depress the pedals properly.
Rthe back of your head is supported at eye level
by the center of the head restraint.
Ryou can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
Ryou can move your legs freely.
Ryou can see all the displays in the instrument
cluster clearly.
Ryou should have a good overview of traffic
conditions.
Rthe seat belt is pulled snugly against the bodyand is routed across the center of your shoul-
der and across your hips in the pelvic area.
Further related subjects:
RElectrical seat adjustment (Ypage 96)
RAdjusting the steering wheel mechanically
(Ypage 105) or electrically (Ypage 106)
RFastening the seat belt correctly (Ypage 44).
RAdjusting the rear-view mirror and exterior
mirrors (Ypage 107).
RVehicles with memory function: storing the
seat, steering wheel, exterior mirror and
Head-up Display settings with the memory
function (
Ypage 110)
Seats
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust
the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
GWARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
(
Ypage 46) and "Children in the Vehicle"
(Ypage 57).
94Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
GWARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
other vehicle occupants could be trapped and
thereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem.
GWARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection as intended. There is an increased risk
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
GWARNING
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 seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder.
!To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
Rkeep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
Rif the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat heat-
ing should also not be used to dry the seats.
Rclean the seat covers as recommended;
see "Interior care".
Rdo not transport heavy loads on the seats.
Do not place sharp objects on the seat
cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools. The
seats should only be occupied by passen-
gers, if possible.
Rwhen the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating materi-
als, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat covers,
child seats or booster seats.
!Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when mov-
ing the seats back. There is a risk that the
seats and/or the objects could be damaged.
iIt is not possible to remove the head
restraints from the front seats. The rear-com-
partment head restraints, however, can be
removed (
Ypage 98).
For more information, contact a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
iFurther related subjects:
RCargo compartment enlargement (folding
down the rear bench seat) (Ypage 297)
Seats95
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

Adjusting the seats electrically
:Headrestrain theight
;Seat cushion angle
=Seat height
?Seat fore-and-af tadjustmen t
ABackrest angle
iVehicles wit hmemory function :if PRE -
SAFE®has been triggered ,th efront-
passenger seat will be moved to abette rposi-
tion if it was previously in an unfavorable posi-
tion .
iVehicles wit hmemory function :when th e
seat is moved forward sor backwards ,th e
headres tis moved up or down automatically.
Adjusting the head restraints
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
You could lose control of your vehicl eif you do
th efollowin gwhile driving:
Radjust th edriver's seat ,head restraint,
steering whee lor mirror s
Rfastenth eseat belt
There is aris kof an accident.
Adjus tth edriver's seat ,head restraint, steer -
ing whee land mirror and faste nyour seat belt
before starting th eengine.
GWARNIN G
If th ehead restraints are no tinstalled or no t
adjusted correctly, they canno tprovid epro -
tection as intended. There is an increased ris k
of injury in thehead and neck area, e.g. in th e
event of an acciden tor when braking .
Always drive wit hth ehead restraints instal -
led. Befor edrivin goff ,mak esur efor every
vehicl eoccupant that th ecenter of th ehead
restrain tsupport sth ebac kof th ehead at
about eye level.
Do no trotate th ehead restraints of th efron tand
rear seats. Otherwise ,you canno tadjust th e
height and angle of th ehead restraints to th e
correc tposition .
Using th efore-and-af tadjustment, adjust th e
head restrain tso that it is as close as possibl eto
your head .
Observ eth eimportant safet ynote sregarding
th eseat s (
Ypage 94).
Adjusting the head restraints manually
Adjusting th ehea drestrain theight
XTo raise: pull thehead restrain tup to th e
desired position .
XTo lower:press release catch :in th edirec -
tion of th earrow and push th ehead restrain t
down to th edesired position .
96Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Adjusting the fore/aft position ofthe
head restraint
Wit hthis function you can adjust th edistanc e
between th ehead restraint and th ebac kof th e
seat occupant's head.
XTo mov e forwards :pull th ehead restraint
forwards in th edirection of th earrow until it
engages .
Ther eare several notches .
XTo movebackwards :press and hold release
butto n: and push th ehead restraint back-
wards .
XWhen th ehead restraint is in th edesired posi -
tion, release th ebutto nand mak esure that
th ehead restraint is engaged in position.
iAdjus tth ehead restraint so that th ebac kof
your head is as close to th ehead restraint as
possible.
Adjusting the head restraints electri-
cally
XTo adjust th ehea drestrain theight :slide
th eswitch for th ehead restraint adjustmen t
(
Ypage 96) up or down in th edirection of th e
arrow.
Adjusting the luxury head restraints
XTo adjust th esid ebolsters of th ehea d
restraint: push or pull right and/o rleft-hand
side bolste r: intoth edesired position.
XTo adjust th e fore/aftposition of th ehea d
restraint: push or pull th ehead restraint in
th edirection of arrow ;.
iAdjustth ehead restraint so that th ebac kof
your head is as close to th ehead restraint as
possible.
Rear seat head restraints
Adjusting the rear seat head res traint
height
XOnce th ehead restraint is fully lowered, press
release catch :.
XTo raise:pull thehead restraint up to th e
desired position.
XTo lower :press release catch :and push
th ehead restraint down until it is in th e
desired position.
Seats97
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

Removing and installing the rear seat
head restraints
XTo remove:pull the head restraint up to the
stop.
XPress release catch :and pull the head
restraint out of the guides.
XTo re-install: insert the head restraint so that
the notches on the bar are on the left when
viewed in the direction of travel.
XPush the head restraint down until you hear it
engage in position.
Rear seats (second and third row of
seats)
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the seat and backrest are not engaged, they can fold forwards, e.g. in the event of sudden
braking or an accident.
RThis will cause the vehicle occupants to be
forced into the seat belt by a seat or back-
rest which is not engaged. The seat belt can no longer offer the intended level of pro-
tection and could even cause injuries.
RA child restraint system would no longer be
anchored or positioned correctly and would
not be able to perform its required function.
RThe seat backrests cannot restrain objects
or loads in the cargo compartment.
There is an increased risk of injury.
Always make sure that the seat and backrest
are engaged as described:
Rbefore traveling with a passenger on a seat with the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature
Rafter you have adjusted the seat
Rafter the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature has
been used
Rafter the cargo compartment enlargement
has been folded forwards
GWARNING
The seat does not engage in the entry/exit
position. The seat could fold back suddenly,
e.g. when accelerating, braking, changing
direction suddenly or in the event of an acci-
dent. Persons in the sweep of the seat could
become trapped. There is a risk of injury.
Always fold back a seat which has been folded
forwards before you pull away. Make sure that
the seat and backrest engage fully.
GWARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust
the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
GWARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Adjusting the backrest angle (second
row of seats)
You can adjust the angle of the backrests in the
second row of seats. There are ten detent posi-
tions to choose from.
XPull the left or right release lever ;upwards
in the direction of the arrow until relevant
backrest :is fully released.
XPull backrest :forwards in the direction of
the arrow and allow it to engage.
XTo ensure that the backrest has engaged, lean
firmly against backrest :.
98Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Folding the seats up/down (third row of
seats)
General notes
!Makesure that there is nothing on th efol -
ded-down seat sin th ecargo compartment.
The cargo compartmen tmust be empty for
th ethird row of seat sto be folded up. The
seat sor th eobject sin th ecargo compart-
men tcould otherwise be damaged.
Mak esure that th eseat sin th ethird row are
empty and no tblocke dbefore foldin gthem
down .
The 3r drow of seat sconsist sof two electrically
foldable individual seats, whic hcan be lowered
int oth ecargo compartment.
If th eseat is no tcorrectly locke din position ,th e
display message :3rd
Sea tRow,RightNotLockedappear sin th emultifunction display.
If you fol dth eseat bac kuntil it engages, th e
display message disappears.
Pull th ebackrest firmly to ensure that it is fully
engaged.
The switches for foldin gth elef tor right-hand
seat sup and down are marked: Lfor th eleft-
han dseat when viewed in th edirection of travel ,
R for th eright-hand seat when viewed in th e
direction of travel .
Folding forwards/back in the rear com-
partment
Example: RswitchXTo fold down :fol dth eright-hand outer seat
in th esecon drow of seat sforwards
(
Ypage 100).
XBriefly pull switch :.
The seat folds up.
XTo stop th eautomatic folding: briefly pull
switch :again .
XTo fold down :briefly press switch :.
The seat folds down .
XTo stop theautomatic folding: briefly press
switch :again .
Folding down/up in the cargo compar t-
ment
Example: LswitchXTo fold down :fol dth eright-hand outer seat
in th esecon drow of seat sforwards
(
Ypage 100).
XBriefly press switch :.
The seat folds up.
XTo stop th eautomatic folding: briefly press
switch :again .
XTo fold down :briefly pull switch :.
The seat folds down .
XTo stop theautomatic folding: briefly pull
switch :again .
Detachable panel (third row of seats)
!If there are object sunderneat hth eseat ,th e
seat can no longer be folded up or down fully.
The seat could be damaged.
Only driv ewit hth epanel completely installed.
Seats99
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z