2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV eco start

Sports Utility Vehicle
GWARNING
Due to the high center of gravity, the vehicle
may start to skid and roll over in the event of
an abrupt steering maneuver and/or when
the vehicle's speed is not adapted to the road
conditions. There is a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your speed and driving style to
the vehicle's driving characteristics and to the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher roll-
over rate than other types of vehicles.
Failure to operate this vehicle safely may result
in an accident, rollover of the vehicle, and severe
or fatal injury.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is signif-
icantly more likely to die than a person wearing
a seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should always
wear your seat belts.
Operating safety
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you do not have the prescribed service/
maintenance work or any required repairs
carried out, this can result in malfunctions or system failures. There is a risk of an accident.
Always have the prescribed service/mainte-
nance work as well as any required repairs
carried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system. There is a risk of fire.
When driving off road or on unpaved roads,
check the vehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammable materials which have become
trapped. In the case of damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
GWARNING
Modifications to electronic components, their software as well as wiring can impair their
function and/or the function of other net-
worked components. In particular, systems
relevant to safety could also be affected. As a
result, these may no longer function as inten-
ded and/or jeopardize the operating safety of
the vehicle. There is an increased risk of an
accident and injury.
Never tamper with the wiring as well as elec-
tronic components or their software. You
should have all work to electrical and elec-
tronic equipment carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop.
!There is a risk of damage to the vehicle if:
Rthe vehicle becomes stuck, e.g. on a high
curb or an unpaved road
Ryou drive too fast over an obstacle, e.g. a
curb, a speed bump or a pothole in the road
Ra heavy object strikes the underbody or
parts of the chassis
In situations like this, the body, the under-
body, chassis parts, wheels or tires could be
damaged without the damage being visible.
Components damaged in this way can unex-
pectedly fail or, in the case of an accident, no
longer withstand the loads they are designed
to.
If the underbody paneling is damaged, com-
bustible materials such as leaves, grass or
twigs can gather between the underbody and
the underbody paneling. If these materials
come in contact with hot parts of the exhaust system, they can catch fire.
In such situations, have the vehicle checked
and repaired immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. If on continuing your jour-
ney you notice that driving safety is impaired,
pull over and stop the vehicle immediately,
paying attention to road and traffic condi-
tions. In such cases, consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Declarations of conformity
USA: "The wireless devices of this vehicle com-
ply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the two following two conditions: 1)
30Operating safety
Introduction

These devices may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and 2) These devices must accept any
interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation. Changes
or modifications not expressly approved by the
party responsible for compliance could void the
user’s authority to operate the equipment."
Canada:"The wireless devices of this vehicle
comply with Industry Canada license-exempt
RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the fol-
lowing two conditions: (1) These devices may
not cause interference, and (2) These devices
must accept any interference, including inter-
ference that may cause undesired operation of
the device."
Diagnostics connection
The diagnostics connection is only intended for
the connection of diagnostic equipment at a
qualified specialist workshop.
GWARNING
If you connect equipment to a diagnostics
connection in the vehicle, it may affect the
operation of vehicle systems. As a result, the
operating safety of the vehicle could be affec-
ted. There is a risk of an accident.
Only connect equipment to a diagnostics con-
nection in the vehicle, which is approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
GWARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
!If the engine is switched off and equipment
on the diagnostics connection is used, the
starter battery may discharge.
Connecting equipment to the diagnostics con-
nection can lead to emissions monitoring infor- mation being reset, for example. This may lead
to the vehicle failing to meet the requirements of
the next emissions test during the main inspec-
tion.
Qualified specialist workshop
An authorized Mercedes-Benz Center is a quali-
fied specialist workshop. It has the necessary
specialist knowledge, tools and qualifications to
correctly carry out the work required on your
vehicle. This is especially the case for work rel-
evant to safety.
Always have the following work carried out at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center:
Rwork relevant to safety
Rservice and maintenance work
Rrepair work
Ralterations, installation work and modifica-
tions
Rwork on electronic components
Correct use
If you remove any warning stickers, you or oth-
ers could fail to recognize certain dangers.
Leave warning stickers in position.
Observe the following information when driving
your vehicle:
Rthe safety notes in this manual
Rthe vehicle technical data
Rtraffic rules and regulations
Rlaws and safety standards pertaining to motor
vehicles
Problems with your vehicle
If you should experience a problem with your
vehicle, particularly one that you believe may
affect its safe operation, we urge you to contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center immedi-
ately to have the problem diagnosed and recti-
fied. If the problem is not resolved to your sat-
isfaction, please discuss the problem again with
the Mercedes-Benz Center or, if necessary, con-
tact us at one of the following addresses.
In the USA
Customer Assistance Center
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
Operating safety31
Introduction
Z

Center console
Center console, upper section
FunctionPage
:Multimedia system; see the
Digital Operator's Manual
;cSeat heating106
=sSeat ventilation107
?cParking Assist
PARKTRONIC192
Aè ECO start/stop func-
tion144
FunctionPage
B£ Hazard warning lamps117
CPASSENGER AIRBAG indica-
tor lamps45
Anti-theft alarm system indi-
cator lamp75
DåESP®70
Center console39
At a glance

Panic alarm
XTo activate:press!button :for at
least one second.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed.
XTo deactivate: press!button :again.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
or
XPress the KEYLESS-GO Start/Stop button.
The KEYLESS-GO key must be in the vehicle.
Occupant safety
Introduction to the restraint system
The restraint system can reduce the risk of vehi- cle occupants coming into contact with parts of
the vehicle's interior in the event of an accident.
The restraint system can also reduce the forces to which vehicle occupants are subjected during
an accident.
The restraint system comprises:
RSeat belt system
RAir bags
RChild restraint system
RChild seat securing systems
The components of the restraint system work in
conjunction with each other. They can only
deploy their protective function if, at all times, all
vehicle occupants:
Rhave fastened their seat belts correctly
(Ypage 47)
Rhave the seat and head restraint adjusted
properly (Ypage 97) As the driver, you also have to make sure that
the steering wheel is adjusted correctly.
Observe the information relating to the correct
driver's seat position (
Ypage 97).
You also have to make sure that an air bag can
inflate properly if deployed (
Ypage 49).
An air bag supplements a correctly worn seat
belt. As an additional safety device, the air bag
increases the level of protection for vehicle
occupants in the event of an accident. For exam-
ple, if, in the event of an accident, the protection
offered by the seat belt is sufficient, the air bags
are not deployed. When an accident occurs, only
the air bags that increase protection in that par- ticular accident situation are deployed. How-
ever, seat belts and air bags generally do not
protect against objects penetrating the vehicle
from the outside.
Information on restraint system operation can
be found under "Triggering of the Emergency
Tensioning Devices and air bags" (
Ypage 56).
See "Children in the vehicle" for information on
children traveling with you in the vehicle as well
as on child restraint systems (
Ypage 59).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Modifications to the restraint system may
cause it to no longer work as intended. The
restraint system may then not perform its
intended protective function and may fail in an
accident or trigger unexpectedly, for example.
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify parts of the restraint system.
Never tamper with the wiring, the electronic
components or their software.
If it is necessary to modify components of the
restraint system to accommodate a person with
disabilities, contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for details. USA only: for further
information contact our Customer Assistance
Center at 1-800 FOR-MERCEDES
(1‑800‑367‑6372).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use
driving aids which have been approved specifi-
cally for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
44Occupant safety
Safety

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.
The6 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:
Rdoes not light up after the ignition is switched
on
Rdoes not go out after a few seconds with the
engine running
Rlights up again while the engine is running
GWARNING
If the restraint system is malfunctioning,
restraint system components may be trig-
gered unintentionally or may not deploy as
intended during an accident. This can affect
for example the Emergency Tensioning
Device or the air bag. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired in a qualified specialist workshop as
soon as possible.
PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamp
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp :and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp ;are
part of the Occupant Classification System
(OCS). The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front air bag.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up for 60 sec-
onds, subsequently both indicator lamps are
off (PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and OFF): the
front-passenger front air bag is able to deploy
in the event of an accident.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated. It will
then not be deployed in the event of an acci-
dent.
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 air bag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
Depending on the person in the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger front air bag must
either be deactivated or enabled; see the fol-
lowing points. You must make sure of this both
before and during a journey.
RChildren in a child restraint system:
whether the front-passenger front air bag is
enabled or deactivated depends on the instal-led child restraint system, and the age and
size of the child. Therefore, be sure to observe
the notes on the "Occupant Classification
System (OCS)" (
Ypage 51) and on "Chil-
dren in the vehicle" (Ypage 59). There you
will also find instructions on rearward and
forward-facing child restraint systems on the
front-passenger seat.
RAll other persons: depending on the classi-
fication of the person in the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger front air bag is ena-
bled or deactivated (
Ypage 51). Be sure to
observe the notes on "Seat
belts“ (
Ypage 45) and "Air bags"
(Ypage 49). There you can also find infor-
mation on the correct seat position.
Seat belts
Introduction
Seat belts are the most effective means of
restricting the movement of vehicle occupants
in the event of an accident or the vehicle rolling over. This reduces the risk of vehicle occupants
coming into contact with parts of the vehicle
interior or being ejected from the vehicle. Fur-
thermore, the seat belt helps to keep the vehicle
Occupant safety45
Safety
Z

occupant in the best position in relation to the
air bag.
The seat belt system comprises:
RSeat belts
REmergency Tensioning Devices for the front
seat belts and the outer seat belts in the sec-
ond row of seats as well as the seat belts in
the third row
RSeat belt force limiters for the front seat belts
and the outer seat belts in the second row of
seats as well as the seat belts in the third row
If the seat belt is pulled out of the belt outlet
quickly or with a jerky movement, the belt
retractor locks. The belt strap cannot be extrac-
ted any further.
The Emergency Tensioning Device tightens the
seat belt in an accident, pulling the belt close
against the body. However it does not pull the
vehicle occupant back in the direction of the
backrest.
The Emergency Tensioning Device does not cor- rect an incorrect seat position or the routing of
an incorrectly fastened seat belt.
When triggered, a seat belt force limiter helps to
reduce the force exerted by the seat belt on the
vehicle occupant.
The seat belt force limiters for the front seats are
synchronized with the front air bags, which
absorb part of the deceleration force. This can
reduce the force exerted on the vehicle occu-
pants during an accident.
!If the front-passenger seat is not occupied,
do not engage the seat belt tongue in the
buckle on the front-passenger seat. Other-
wise, in addition to other systems, the Emer-
gency Tensioning Device could also be trig-
gered in the event of an accident and would
need to be replaced.
Important safety notes
The use of seat belts and child restraint systems
is required by law in:
Rall 50 states
Rthe U.S. territories
Rthe District of Columbia
Rall Canadian provinces
Even where this is not required by law, all vehicle
occupants should correctly fasten their seat
belts before starting the journey.
GWARNING
If the seat belt is not worn correctly, it cannot
perform its intended protective function. An
incorrectly fastened seat belt can also cause
injuries, for example, in the event of an acci-
dent or when braking or changing direction
abruptly. This poses an increased risk of injury
or even fatal injury.
Always ensure that all vehicle occupants have
their seat belts fastened correctly and are sit-
ting properly.
The components of the restraint system work in
conjunction with each other. They can only
deploy their protective function if, at all times, all
vehicle occupants:
Rhave fastened their seat belts correctly
(Ypage 47)
Rhave the seat and head restraint adjusted
properly (Ypage 97)
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.
GWARNING
Persons less than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall cannot
wear the seat belt correctly without an addi-
tional and suitable restraint system. If the
seat belt is not worn correctly, it cannot per-
form its intended protective function. An
incorrectly fastened seat belt can also cause
injuries, for example, in the event of an acci-
dent or when braking or changing direction
abruptly. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
46Occupant safety
Safety

Fastening and adjusting the seat belts
Observeth esafet ynote son th eseat belt
(Ypage 46) and th enote son correct use of seat
belt s (Ypage 47) .
Basic illustration
XAdjustth eseat (Ypage 97).
The seat backrest must be in an almost
upright position .
XPull theseat belt smoothly from th ebelt outlet
and engage belt tongue ;intobelt
buckle :.
The seat belt on th edriver’s seat and th e
front-passenger seat may be tightened auto -
matically, see "Belt adjustment"
(
Ypage 48).
XIf necessary, pull up on th eshoulder section
of th eseat belt to tighten th ebelt across your
body.
The shoulder section of th eseat belt must
always be routed across th ecente rof th eshoul-
der .Adjus tth ebelt outlet if necessary.
XTo raise: slide thebelt outlet up.
The belt outlet will engage in various posi-
tions.
XTo lower :hold belt outlet release =and slide
th ebelt outlet down .
XLet go of belt outlet release =in th edesired
position and mak esure that th ebelt outlet
engages.
All seat belt sexcep tth edriver' sseat belt are
equipped wit h aspecial seat belt retracto rto
securel yfaste nchild restrain tsystems in th e
vehicle. Further information can be foun dunder
"Special seat belt retractor" (
Ypage 60).
Releasing seat belts
!Makesure that th eseat belt is fully rolled up.
Otherwise, th eseat belt or belt tongue will be
trapped in th edoor or in th eseat mechanism .
This could damag eth edoor ,th edoor trim
panel and th eseat belt .Damaged seat belt s
can no longer fulfill their protective function
and must be replaced. Visit aqualified spe-
cialist workshop.
XPress th erelease butto nin th ebelt buckle,
hold th ebelt tongue firmly and guide th ebelt
back.
Seat belt adjustment
The belt adjustmen tis aconvenience function
integrate dint oPRE-SAF E®.Wit hthis function ,
th edriver' sand front-passenger seat belt sare
adjusted to th eupper body of th evehicl eoccu-
pant.
The seat belt strap will slightly tighten if:
Rth ebelt tongue is inserted int oth ebuckle and
Rth eignition is switched on
The seat belt adjustmen twill apply acertai n
tightening force if any slac kis detected between
th evehicl eoccupant and th eseat belt .Do no t
grab hold of th eseat belt .
The belt adjustmen tcan be switched on and off
usin gth eon-board computer (
Ypage 244).
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger
The7 seat belt warning lamp in th einstru-
men tcluste ris areminder that all vehicl eoccu-
pants must wear their seat belts. It may ligh tup
continuously or flash. In addition ,there may be
a warning tone .
Regardles sof whether th edriver' sseat belt has
already been fastened, th e7 seat belt warn -
ing lamp lights up for six seconds eac htime th e
engin eis started. If th efron tdoor sare closed
and th edriver' sor front-passenger seat belt has
no tbeen fastened, th e7 seat belt warning
lamp lights up again after th esix seconds. As
soo nas th edriver' sand front-passenger seat
belt sare fastene dor afron tdoor is opened
again ,th e7 seat belt warning lamp goes out .
If th edriver' sseat belt is no tfastene dafter th e
engin eis started, an additional warning tone will
sound. The warning tone switches off after six
48Occupant safety
Safety

In the following situation, the side impact air bag
and the Emergency Tensioning Device are deac-
tivated:
ROCS has not categorized the person on the
front-passenger seat as an adult or a person
of corresponding stature and
Rthe seat belt buckle tongue of the seat belt is
not inserted into the front-passenger seat belt
buckle
Requirements
To be classified correctly, the front passenger
must sit:
Rwith the seat belt fastened correctly
Rin an almost upright position with their back
against the seat backrest
Rwith their feet resting on the floor, if possible
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, OCS may produce a false classifica-
tion, e.g. because the front passenger:
Rtransfers their weight by supporting them-
selves on a vehicle armrest
Rsits in such a way that their weight is raised
from the seat cushion
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 lie as
flat as possible against the backrest of the front-
passenger seat.
The child restraint system must not touch the
roof or be subjected to a load by the head
restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat backrest
and the head restraint position accordingly.
Only then can OCS be guaranteed to function
correctly. Always observe the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Occupant Classification System opera-
tion (OCS)
:PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
;PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
The indicator lamps inform you whether the
front-passenger front air bag is deactivated or
enabled.
XPress the Start/Stop button once or twice, or turn the SmartKey to position 1or2 in the
ignition lock.
The system carries out self-diagnostics.
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 air bag.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up for 60 sec-
onds, subsequently both indicator lamps are
off (PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and OFF): the
front-passenger front air bag is able to deploy
in the event of an accident.
RPASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated. It will
then not be deployed in the event of an acci-
dent.
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 air bag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
If the status of the front-passenger front air bag
changes while the vehicle is in motion, an air bag
display message appears in the instrument clus-
ter (
Ypage 258). 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
air bag both before and during the journey.
52Occupant safety
Safety