2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV Owner's Manual

For this reason, always secure persons under
5 ft (1.50m)tall in suitable additional restraint
systems.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height istraveling in the
vehicle:
Ralways secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cle. The child restraint system must be appro-
priate to the age, weight and size of the child
Ralways observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(
Ypage 59) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions
Ralways observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" (
Ypage 51)
GWARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended protective function if:
Rthey are damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleached or dyed
Rthe seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty
Rthe Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
anchorages or inertia reels have been modi-
fied.
Seat belts may be damaged in an accident,
although the damage may not be visible, e.g.
due to splinters of glass. Modified or damaged
seat belts may tear or fail, e.g. in an accident.
Modified Emergency Tensioning Devices
could accidentally trigger or fail to deploy
when necessary. This poses an increased risk
of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify the seat belts, Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices, belt anchorages and inertia
reels. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, not worn out and clean. Follow-
ing an accident, have the seat belts checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Only use seat belts that have been approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
Proper use of the seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Ypage 46).
All vehicle occupants must be wearing the seat
belt correctly before beginning the journey. Also
make sure that all vehicle occupants are always
wearing the seat belt correctly while the vehicle
is in motion.
When fastening the seat belt, always make sure
that:
Rthe seat belt buckle tongue is inserted only
into the belt buckle belonging to that seat
Rthe seat belt is pulled tight across your body
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat.
Rthe seat belt is not twisted
Only then can the forces which occur be dis-
tributed over the area of the belt.
Rthe shoulder section of the belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder
The shoulder section of the seat belt should
not touch your neck or be routed under your
arm or behind your back. Where possible,
adjust the seat belt to the appropriate height.
Rthe lap belt is taut and passes across your lap as low down as possible
The lap belt must always be routed across
your hip joints and not across your abdomen.
This applies particularly to pregnant women.
If necessary, push the lap belt down to you
r
hip joint and pull it tight using the shoulder
section of the belt.
Rthe seat belt is not routed across sharp, poin-
ted or fragile objects
If you have such items located on or in your
clothing, e.g. pens, keys or eyeglasses, store
these in a suitable place.
Ronly one person is using a seat belt
Infants and children must never travel sitting
on the lap of a vehicle occupant. In the event
of an accident, they could be crushed
between the vehicle occupant and seat belt.
Robjects are never secured with a seat belt if
the seat belt is also being used by one of the
vehicle's occupants
Also ensure that there are never objects
between a person and the seat, e.g. cushions.
Seat belts are only intended to secure and
restrain vehicle occupants. Always observe the
"Loading guidelines" for securing objects, lug-
gage or loads (
Ypage 300).
Occupant safety47
Safety
Z

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

seconds or once the driver's seat belt is fas-
tened.
If the vehicle's speed exceeds 15 mph
(25 km/h) once and the driver's and front-
passenger seat belts are not fastened, a warning
tone sounds. A warning tone also sounds with
increasing intensity for 60 seconds or until the
driver or front passenger have fastened their
seat belts.
If the driver or front passenger unfasten their
seat belts during the journey, the seat belt warn-
ing is activated again.
Air bags
Introduction
The installation point of an air bag can be rec-
ognized by the AIRBAG marking.
An air bag complements the correctly fastened
seat belt. It is no substitute for the seat belt. The
air bag provides additional protection in appli-
cable accident situations.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident. The
different air bag systems function independ-
ently from one another (
Ypage 56).
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to rule out a risk of injury
caused by an air bag due to the high speed at
which the air bag must be deployed.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you do not sit in the correct seat position,
the air bag cannot protect as intended and
could even cause additional injury when
deployed. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
To avoid hazardous situations, always make
sure that all of the vehicle's occupants:
Rhave fastened their seat belts correctly,
including pregnant women
Rare sitting correctly and maintain the great-
est possible distance to the air bags
Rfollow the following instructions
Always make sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu-
pants.
RAdjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat
is in an almost upright position. The center of
the head restraint must support the head at
about eye level.
RMove 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.
ROnly hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the air bag to be fully deployed.
RAlways lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forward or lean against the
door or side window. You may otherwise be in
the deployment area of the air bags.
RAlways 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 air bag.
RFor this reason, always secure persons less
than 5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable restraint sys- tems. Up to this height, the seat belt cannot
be worn correctly.
If a child is traveling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
RAlways secure children under twelve years of age and less than 5 ft (1.50 m)tall in suitable
child restraint systems.
RChild restraint systems should be installed on
the rear seats.
ROnly secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
when the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is permanently lit, the front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated
(
Ypage 45).
RAlways observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant Classi fication System
(OCS)" (Ypage 51) and on "Children in the
vehicle" (Ypage 59) in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
and operating instructions.
Occupant safety49
Safety
Z

Objects in the vehicle interior may prevent
an air bag from functioning correctly.Before
starting your journey and to avoid risks resulting from the speed of the air bag as it deploys, make
sure that:
Rthere are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air bag
Rthere are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar
Rthere are no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers,
hanging on the grab handles or coat hooks
Rno accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deployment
area of an air bag, e.g. to doors, side windows,
rear side trim or side walls
Rno heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects are in
the pockets of your clothing. Store such
objects in a suitable place
GWARNING
If you modify the air bag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the air bag can no longer
function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an air bag cover or affix objects
to it.
GWARNING
Sensors to control the air bags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ing, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the
function of the sensors being impaired. The air
bags might therefore not function properly
anymore. Consequently, the air bags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. There is an increased risk of
injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan-
eling carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Front air bags
!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 air bag
:deploys in front of the steer-
ing wheel. Front-passenger front air bag ;
deploys in front of and above the glove box.
When deployed, the front air bags 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 air bag (
Ypage 45).
The front-passenger front air bag will only
deploy if:
Rthe system, based on the OCS weight sensor
readings, detects that the front-passenger
seat is occupied (
Ypage 51). The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is
not lit (
Ypage 52)
Rthe restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity
Driver's knee bag
Driver's knee bag :deploys under the steering
column. The driver's knee bag is deployed
together with the front air bag.
50Occupant safety
Safety

The driver's knee bag offers additional thigh,
knee and lower leg protection for the occupant
in the driver's seat.
Side impact air bags
GWARNING
Unsuitable seat covers can obstruct or pre-
vent deployment of the air bags integrated
into the seats. Consequently, the air bags
cannot protect vehicle occupants as they are designed to do. In addition, the operation of
the occupant classification system (OCS)
could be adversely affected. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz.
Front side impact air bags :and second row
rear side impact air bags ;deploy next to the
outer bolster of the seat backrest.
When deployed, the side impact air bag offers
additional thorax protection. It also offers addi-
tional pelvis protection for occupants in the
front seats. However, it does not protect the:
RHead
RNeck
RArms
If the restraint system control unit detects a side impact, the side impact air bag is deployed on
the side on which the impact occurs.
The side impact air bag on the front-passenger
side deploys under the following conditions:
Rthe OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or
Rthe 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 side impact air bag 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.
Window curtain air bags
Window curtain air bags
:are integrated into
the side of the roof frame and deploy in the area extending from the front door (A-pillar) to the
rear side window (D-pillar).
When deployed, the window curtain air bag
enhances the level of protection for the head.
However, it does not protect the chest or arms.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side impact, the window curtain air bag is deployed
on the side on which the impact occurs.
If the system determines that they can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt, a window curtain air bag may be
deployed in other accident situations
(
Ypage 56).
Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
Introduction
The Occupant Classification System (OCS) cat-
egorizes the person in the front-passenger seat. Depending on that result, the front-passenger
front air bag is either enabled or deactivated.
The system does not deactivate:
Rthe side impact air bag
Rthe window curtain air bag
Rthe Emergency Tensioning Devices
Occupant safety51
Safety
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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

GWARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, the front-passenger front air bag is
disabled. It will not be deployed in the event of
an accident and cannot perform its intended
protective 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 ensure that:
Rthe classification of the person in the front- passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
Rthe front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible.
Rthe person is seated correctly.
Make sure, both before and during the jour-
ney, that the status of the front-passenger
front air bag is correct.
GWARNING
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 air bag
can deploy in the event of an accident. The
child could be struck by the air bag. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that the front-passenger front air
bag has been deactivated. 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 AIR-
BAG 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.
You can find more information on OCS under
"Problems with the Occupant Classification Sys-
tem" (
Ypage 55).
GWARNING
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, the child could, in the
event of an accident:
Rcome into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
Rbe struck by the air bag 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
strap must be routed forwards and down-
wards from the vehicle belt sash guide. If nec- essary, adjust the vehicle belt sash guide and
the front-passenger seat accordingly. Always
observe the child restraint system manufac-
turer's installation instructions.
If OCS determines that:
RThe 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 air bag is deactivated.
RThe front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child of up to twelve months old, in a standard
child restraint system, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp lights up after the
system self-test and remains lit. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated.
But even in the case of a twelve-month-old
child, in a standard child restraint system, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp can
go out after the system self-test. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front air bag is
activated. The result of the classification is
dependent on, among other factors, the child
restraint system and the child's stature. It is
recommended that you install the child
restraint sy
stem on a suitable rear seat.
Occupant safety53
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RThe front-passenger seat is occupied by a
person 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 of smaller stature can sit on a rear seat.
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, a person of smaller stature
should not use the front-passenger seat.
RThe front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a person of adult stature, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
goes out after the system self-test. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front air bag is
activated.
If children are traveling in the vehicle, be sure to
observe the notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(
Ypage 59).
When the Occupant Classification System
(OCS) is malfunctioning, the red 6restraint
system warning lamp on the instrument cluster
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp light up simultaneously. The front-
passenger front air bag is deactivated in this
case and does not deploy during an accident.
Have the Occupant Classification System (OCS)
checked and repaired immediately at a qualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center 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 an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for this purpose.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use seat accessories that
have been approved by Mercedes-Benz.
If the driver's air bag deploys, this does not
mean that the front-passenger front air bag will
also deploy. The Occupant Classification Sys-
tem (OCS) categorizes the occupant on the
front-passenger seat. Depending on that result,
the front-passenger front air bag is either ena-
bled or deactivated.
System self-test
GDANGER
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 air bag 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 not
be used. Do not install a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the Occu-
pant Classification System (OCS) checked
and repaired immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
GWARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the
front-passenger front air bag is disabled. It will
not be deployed in the event of an accident. In
this case, the front-passenger front air bag
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:
Rthe classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front air bag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat
Rthe person is seated properly with a cor-
rectly fastened seatbelt
Rthe 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-
54Occupant safety
Safety