Sports Utility Vehicle
G
WARNING
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 theprevailing 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
G
WARNING
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. G
WARNING
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 on an unpaved road or off-road,
check the vehicle underside regularly. In par-
ticular, remove trapped plant parts or other
flammable material. Contact a qualified spe-
cialist workshop immediately if damage is
detected. G
WARNING
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:
R the vehicle becomes stuck, e.g. on a high
curb or an unpaved road
R you drive too fast over an obstacle, e.g. a
curb, a speed bump or a pothole in the road
R a 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) 30
Operating safetyIntroduction
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. G
WARNING
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. G
WARNING
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:
R work relevant to safety
R service and maintenance work
R repair work
R alterations, installation work and modifica-
tions
R work 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:
R the safety notes in this manual
R the vehicle technical data
R traffic rules and regulations
R laws and safety standards pertaining to motor
vehicles Information about the REACH decree
The REACH regulation (Regulation (EC) no.
1907/2006, Article 33) lays down an informa-
tion obligation for substances of very high con-
cern (SVHC).
Daimler AG acts in good faith to avoid using
these SVHCs and to allow the customer to han- dle these substances safely. In accordance with
supplier information and internal product infor-
mation from Daimler AG, SVHCs that account
for more than 0.1 percent by weight of individual products in this vehicle are known. Operating safety
31Introduction Z
nance requirements as well as technical events
and malfunctions.
This information generally documents the con-
dition of a component, a module, a system or the
surroundings, such as:
R Operating states of system components (e.g.
fill levels, battery status, tire pressure)
R Status messages concerning the vehicle or its
individual components (e.g. wheel rpm/
speed, deceleration, lateral acceleration, indi- cation of whether seat belts are fastened)
R Malfunctions and defects in important system
components (e.g. lights, brakes)
R Information about events leading to vehicle
damage
R System responses in special driving situa-
tions (e.g. air bag deployment, intervention of
stability control systems)
R Ambient conditions (e.g. temperature, rain
sensor)
In addition to performing the actual control unit
function, this data is used by manufacturers to
detect and rectify malfunctions and to optimize vehicle functions. Most of this data is volatile
and processed only in the vehicle itself. Only a
small part of the data is stored in event or mal-
function memories.
When you use services, the technical data from
the vehicle can be read out by service network
employees (e.g. workshops, manufacturers) or
third parties (e.g. breakdown services). Services
can include repair services, maintenance pro-
cesses, warranty cases and quality assurance
measures. The data are read out via the con-
nection for the diagnostics connection in the
vehicle, which is required by law. The relevant
offices in the service network or third parties
collect, process and use the data. This data
documents the vehicle's technical states, is
used to help in finding malfunctions and improv-
ing quality and is sent to the manufacturer
where necessary. In addition, the manufacturer is subject to product liability. The manufacturerneeds technical data from vehicles for this pur-
pose.
Malfunction memories in the vehicle can be
reset by a service center during repair or service
work.
You can incorporate data into the vehicle's com- fort and infotainment functions yourself as part
of the selected equipment. These include, for example:
R Multimedia data such as music, films or pho-
tos for playback in an integrated multimedia
system
R Address book data for use in conjunction with
an integrated hands-free system or an inte-
grated navigation system
R Navigation destinations that have been
entered
R Data about using Internet services
This data can be saved locally in the vehicle or
located on a device that you have connected to
the vehicle (e.g. smartphone, USB memory stick or MP3 player). If this data is saved in the vehi-
cle, you can delete it at any time. This data is
sent to third parties only at your request, par-
ticularly when you use online services in accord- ance with the settings that you have selected.
You can save and change comfort settings/
customizations in the vehicle at any time.
Depending on the equipment in question, these can include:
R Seat and steering wheel position settings
R Suspension and climate control settings
R Custom settings such as interior lighting
If your vehicle is equipped appropriately, you
can connect your smartphone or another mobile end device to the vehicle. You can control this by
means of the control elements integrated in the vehicle. The smartphone's picture and sound
can be output via the multimedia system. Spe-
cific items of information are also sent to your
smartphone.
Depending on the type of integration, this can
include:
R General vehicle information
R Position data
This allows the use of selected smartphone
apps, such as navigation or music player apps.
There is no additional interaction between the
smartphone and the vehicle, particularly active
access to vehicle data. The type of additional
data processing is determined by the provider of the app being used. Whether you can configure
settings for it and, if so, which ones, depends on
the app and your smartphone's operating sys-
tem. Data stored in the vehicle
33Introduction Z
Online services
Wireless network connection If your vehicle has a wireless network connec-
tion, data can be exchanged between your vehi-
cle and other systems. The wireless network
connection is made possible by the vehicle's
own transmitter and receiver or by mobile devi- ces that you have brought into the vehicle (e.g.
smartphones). Online functions can be used via
this wireless network connection. These include online services and applications/apps providedby the manufacturer or other providers.
Services provided by the manufacturer In the case of the manufacturer's online serv-
ices, the manufacturer describes the functions
in a suitable place (e.g. operating instructions,
manufacturer's website) and provides the asso-
ciated information subject to data protection
legislation. Personal data can be used in order to
provide online services. The exchange of data
for this purpose takes place via a secure con-
nection, e.g. with the manufacturer's IT systems intended for the purpose. Collecting, processing
and using personal data beyond the provision of
services is permitted only on the basis of a stat-
utory permit or declaration of consent.
You can usually activate and deactivate the serv-
ices and functions (sometimes subject to a fee).
In many cases, this also applies to the vehicle's entire data connection. However, this does not
apply in particular to legally prescribed func-
tions and services such as the "eCall" emer-
gency call system.
Services from third parties If it is possible to use online services from other
providers, these services are the responsibility
of the provider in question and subject to that
provider's data protection conditions and terms of use. The manufacturer has no influence over
the content exchanged here.
For this reason, please ask the service provider
for information about the type, extent and pur-
pose of the collection and use of personal data
when services are provided by third parties. COMAND/mbrace
If the vehicle is equipped with COMAND or
mbrace, additional data about the vehicle's
operation, the use of the vehicle in certain sit-
uations, and the location of the vehicle may be
compiled through COMAND or the mbrace sys-
tem.
For additional information please refer to the
COMAND User Manual or the Digital Operator's
Manual and/or the mbrace Terms and Condi-
tions. Event data recorders
USA only:
This vehicle is equipped with an event data
recorder (EDR). This vehicle is equipped with an
event data recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain crash or near
crash-like situations, such as an air bag deploy-
ment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how a vehicle's systems performed. The EDR is designed to record data
relating to vehicle dynamics and safety systemsfor a short period of time, typically 30 seconds
or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record
such data as:
R How various systems in your vehicle were
operating
R Whether or not the driver and passenger
safety belts were buckled/fastened
R How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
R How fast the vehicle was traveling
These data can help provide a better under-
standing of the circumstances in which crashes
and injuries occur. NOTE:EDR data are recor-
ded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial crash
situation occurs; no data are recorded by the
EDR under normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g. name, gender, age and crash
location) are recorded. However, other parties,
such as law enforcement could combine the
EDR data with the type of personally identifying
data routinely acquired during a crash investi-
gation.
Access to the vehicle and/or the EDR is needed to read data that is recorded by an EDR, and
special equipment is required. In addition to the
vehicle manufacturer, other parties that have 34
Data stored in the vehicleIntroduction
Side impact air bags
G
WARNING
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
0043and second row
rear side impact air bags 0044deploy 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:
R head
R neck
R arms
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:
R the OCS system detects that the front
passenger seat is occupied 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 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
0043are 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
(Y page 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:
R the side impact air bag
R the window curtain air bag
R the Emergency Tensioning Devices Occupant safety
51Safety Z
In the following situation, the side impact air bag
and the Emergency Tensioning Device are deac-
tivated:
R OCS has not categorized the person on the
front-passenger seat as an adult or a person
of corresponding stature and
R the 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:
R 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, OCS may produce a false classifica-
tion, 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
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) 0043
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
0044 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
The indicator lamps inform you whether the
front-passenger front air bag is deactivated or
enabled.
X Press the Start/Stop button once or twice, or
turn the SmartKey to position 0047or0048 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.
R PASSENGER 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.
R PASSENGER 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 (Y page 255). 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. 52
Occupant safetySafety
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions 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 of a stature corre-
sponding to that of an
adult. The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is incor-
rect.
X Make sure the conditions for a correct classification of the person
on the front-passenger seat are met (Y page 52).
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the front-
passenger seat may not be used.
X Have OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up and/or
does not stay on.
The front-passenger seatis:
R unoccupied
R occupied by the
weight of a child up to
twelve months old in achild restraint system OCS is malfunctioning.
X Make sure there is nothing between the seat cushion and the child
seat.
X Make sure that the entire base of the child restraint system rests 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. If necessary,
adjust the position of the front-passenger seat.
X When installing the child restraint system, make sure that the seat
belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight using the front-passenger
seat adjustment. This could result in the seat belt and the child
restraint system being pulled too tightly.
X Check for correct installation of the child restraint system.
Make sure that the head restraint does not apply a load to the child restraint system. If necessary, adjust the head restraint accord-
ingly.
X Make sure that no objects are applying additional weight onto 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 child restraint system on the front-passenger seat. It is recom-
mended that you install the child restraint system on a suitable rear
seat.
X Have OCS checked as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. Deployment of Emergency Tensioning
Devices and air bags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The air bag parts are hot after an air bag has
been deployed. There is a risk of injury.
Do not touch the air bag parts. Have a
deployed air bag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible. G
WARNING
A deployed air bag no longer offers any pro-
tection and cannot provide the intended pro-
tection in an accident. There is an increased
risk of injury.
Have the vehicle towed to a qualified special- ist workshop in order to have a deployed air
bag replaced.
It is important for your safety and that of your
passenger to have deployed air bags replaced
and to have any malfunctioning air bags 56
Occupant safetySafety
only parts which are relatively easily deformed
are affected and the rate of deceleration is not
high. Conversely, air bags may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is the case if, for example, very rigid
vehicle parts such as longitudinal body mem-
bers are hit, and sufficient deceleration occurs
as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side impact or if the vehicle rolls over, the applicable
components of the restraint system are
deployed independently of each other depend-
ing on the apparent type of accident.
R Side impact air bags on the side where the
impact takes place, independently of the
Emergency Tensioning Device and the use of
the seat belt on the driver's seat and outer
seats in the second row
The side impact air bag on the front passenger side deploys under the following conditions:
- the OCS system detects that the front
passenger seat is occupied or
- the seat belt buckle tongue is engaged in
the belt buckle of the front passenger seat
R Window curtain air bag on the side of impact,
independently of the use of the seat belt and
independently of whether the front-
passenger seat is occupied
R Emergency Tensioning Devices, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection in this situation
R Window curtain air bags on the driver's and
front-passenger side in certain situations
when the vehicle rolls over, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the seat
belt
i Not all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The different air bag systems work independ- ently of each other.
How the air bag system works is determined
by the severity of the accident detected,
especially the vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration and the apparent type of accident:
R Head-on collision
R Side impact
R Rollover PRE-SAFE
®
(anticipatory occupant
protection system)
Introduction In certain hazardous situations, PRE-SAFE
®
takes pre-emptive measures to protect the vehi- cle occupants.
Important safety notes !
Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats. There is a danger that the seats and/or objects could be dam-
aged when PRE-SAFE ®
is activated.
Although your vehicle is equipped with PRE-
SAFE ®
, the possibility of injury in the event of an
accident cannot be ruled out. Always adapt your
driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
Function PRE-SAFE
®
intervenes:
R in emergency braking situations, e.g. when
BAS is activated
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when physi-
cal limits are exceeded and the vehicle under-
steers or oversteers severely
R on vehicles with the Driving Assistance PLUS
package: when Active Brake Assist intervenes
powerfully or the radar sensor system detects an imminent danger of collision in certain sit- uations
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detected:
R the front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R if the vehicle skids, the side windows and the
sliding sunroof are closed.
R vehicles with the memory function: the front-
passenger seat is adjusted if it is in an unfav-
orable position.
R vehicles with a multicontour seat: the air pres-
sure in the side bolsters of the seat backrest
is increased.
If the hazardous situation passes without result- ing in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens the belt
pre-tensioning. On vehicles with multicontour
seats, the air pressure in the side bolsters is
reduced again. All settings made by PRE-SAFE ®
can then be reversed. 58
Occupant safetySafety