2021 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV tow

Modi/ed or damaged seat belts could
tear or
fa il in theeve nt of an accident, forex ample.
Modi/ed seat belt tensioners could acciden-
ta lly trigger or failto function as intended. #
Never modify the seat belt system, for
ex ample the seat belt, seat belt buckle,
seat belt tensioner, seat belt anchorage
and seat belt retractor. #
Make sure that the seat belts are undam-
aged, not wornand clean. #
Always ha vethe seat belts checked
immediately aTer an accident at a quali-
/ed specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you use seat
belts which ha vebeen appr ovedfo ryo ur vehicle
by Mercedes-Benz. &
W
W ARNI NG
ARNI NGRisk of injury or dea thfrom
deplo yedpy rotech nic seat belt tensioners
Pyro tech nic seat belt tensioners that ha ve
been deplo yed are no longer operational and
are unable toper form their intended pr otec-
tive function. #
Therefore, ha vedeplo yedpy rotech nic
seat belt tensioners immedia tely
re placed at a quali/ed specialist work-
shop. Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you ha vethe
ve hicle towe dto aqu ali/ed specialist workshop
aTer an accident.
* N
NOOTE
TE Damage caused bytrapping the
seat belt If an unused seat belt is not fully
retracted, it
may become trapped in the door or in the seat
mechanism. #
Always ensu rethat an unused seat belt
is fully retracted. F
F
ast
ast ening and adjus
ening and adjusting seat belts ting seat belts If
th e seat belt is pulled quickly or sharpl y,the
seat belt retractor loc ks. The seat belt strap can-
not be pulled out any fur ther. #
Always engage seat belt tongue 2ofthe seat
belt into seat belt buckle 1ofthe cor re-
sponding seat. #
T To adjus
o adjust t t the seat belt height he seat belt height: :press and hold
th e belt guide release and slide seat belt out-
let 3 into the desired position. #
T To eng
o eng ag
age t
e t he seat belt outlet
he seat belt outlet: :let go of the
belt guide release and ensure that seat belt
outlet 3locksinto position. 46
46
Occupant saf
ety

Inf
Inf
or
ormation on aut
mation on aut omatic fr
omatic front passeng
ont passeng er airbag
er airbag
shut
shut o.
o.
The front passen ger airbag can only be deplo yed
in an accident if thePA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator la mpis o.. If the front passenger seat is
occupied, make sure, bo thbefore and during the
journe y,that the status of the front passenger air-
bag is cor rect (/ page 53).
* NO
NO TE
TEDeployment of components of the
re straint system when the front passenger
seat is unoccupied In an accident,
the components of the
re straint system ma y deployunnecessarily on
th e front passenger side if:
R There are heavy objects on the front
passenger seat.
R The seat belt tongue is engaged in the seat
belt buckle of the front passenger seat and
th e front passenger seat is unoccupied. #
Stow objects in a suitable place. #
Only one person should use each seat
belt at any one time. Depending on
the de tected accident situation, the
wind owairbag on the front passenger side may
deplo y.The airbag is deplo yedre ga rdless of
whe ther the front passenger seat is occupied.
Inf
Inf or
ormation on t
mation on t he cushionbag in t
he cushionbag in t he r
he reclining
eclining
r
r ear seat
ear seat
The cushionbag o.ers additional occupant pr otec-
tion in theev ent of frontal impacts. When ena-
bled, the cushionbag deplo ysunder the seat cush-
ion. This helps pr event theve hicle occupant from
slipping o. the seat cushion.
If yo u install a child restraint system on there clin-
ing rear seat, alw ays obser vethe additional no tes
( / page 58). Pr
ot
Pr otection pro
ection pro vided b
vided by t
y the airbags
he airbags Depending on
the accident situation, an airbag
may supplement the pr otection o.ered bya cor-
re ctly fastened seat belt. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injur y or death due to
an inco rrect seat position
If yo u deviate from the cor rect seat position,
th e airbag cannot per form its intended pr otec-
tive function.
Each vehicle occupant must make sure of the
fo llowing:
R Fasten seat belts co rrectl y.Pregnant
wo men must take particular care toensure
th at the lap belt ne ver lies across the
abdomen.
R Adopt the cor rect seat position and keep
as farawa y as possible from the airbags.
R Obser vethefo llowing information. #
Always make sure that there are no
objects between the airbag and vehicle
occupant. To
avo idtherisks resulting from the deployment
of an airbag, each vehicle occupant must obser ve
th efo llowing information in particular:
R Before starting your journe y,adjust your seat
cor rectl y;the driver's seat and front Occupant saf
ety
49 49

&
W
W ARNI NG
ARNI NGRisk of injury from objects in
th e deployment area of an airbag
Objects in the deployment area of an airbag
can hinder or pr eventthe cor rect deployment
of the airbag.
The airbag may then deploy in an uncontrolled
manner and may even cause additional inju-
ri es totheve hicle occupants bydeploying.
This may be the case in particular if the airbag
is integ rated into the seat. #
Always st owand secure objects cor-
re ctl y. #
Before commencing your journe y,make
sure that no objects are st owed in the
deployment area of an airbag. &
W
W ARNING ARNING Risk of inju ryor death due to
th e use of unsuitable seat co vers
Due tounsuitable seat co vers,th e airbags
cannot pr otect vehicle occupants as intended.
In addition, the operation of the automatic
front passenger airbag shuto. could be
re stric ted. #
You should only use seat co vers that
ha ve been appr oved forth e cor respond-
ing seats byMercedes-Benz. &
W WARNI NG
ARNI NGRisk of injury due tomalfunc-
tioning sensors in the door
The function of the airbags can be impaired
due tomodi/cations or incor rect wo rkper-
fo rm ed on the doors or door trim, or if the
doors are damaged. #
Never modify the doors or parts of the
doors. #
Always ha veworkon the doors or door
trim car ried out at a quali/ed specialist
wo rkshop. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury due todeplo yed
airbag
A depl oyed airbag no longer o.ers any pr otec-
tion. #
Have theve hicle towe dto a quali/ed
specialist workshop in order tohave the
deplo yed airbag replaced. Ha
ve deplo yed airbags replaced immediatel y. S S
t tatus of t
atus of t he fr
he front passeng
ont passeng er fr
er front airbag
ont airbag F
F
unction of t
unction of t he aut
he automatic fr
omatic fr ont passeng
ont passeng er airbag
er airbag
shut
shut o.
o.
The automatic front passen ger airbag shuto. is
able todetect whe ther the front passenger seat is
occupied bya person or a child restraint system.
The front passenger airbag is enabled or disabled
acco rdingl y. &
W WARNI NG
ARNI NGRisk of injury or dea thdue to
objects under the co-driver seat
Objects trapped under the co-driver seat can
inter fere with the function of the automatic
co-driver airbag shuto. or damage the system. #
Do not store any objects under the co-
driver seat. Occupant saf
ety
51
51

R
PRE-SAFE ®
Sound: pr ovided that the multime-
dia system is switched on, generating a brief
noise signal tostimula tethe innate pr otective
mechanism of a person's hearing.
* N
NOOTE
TE Damage caused byobjects in the
fo ot we ll or behind the seat The automatic adjustment of
the seat position
may result in damage tothe seat and/or the
object. #
Stow objects in a suitable place. R
R
e
ev
ver
er sing t
sing t he PRE-S
he PRE-S AFE
AFE®
®
syst
syst em measur
em measur es
es If an accident did not occur,
the pre-em ptive
measures that we re ta ken are reve rsed.
Yo u will need toper form certain settings yourself. #
Ifth e seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced,
mo vethe seat backrest back slightl y.
The locking mechanism releases. F
F
unction of PRE-S
unction of PRE-S AFE
AFE®
®
PL
PL US (anticipat
US (anticipat or
ory occu-
y occu-
pant pr ot
pant pr otection plus)
ection plus) PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS can de tect cer tain impacts, par-
ticular lyan imminent rear impact, and take pre-
em ptive measures toprotect theve hicle occu-
pants. These measures cann otnecessarily pre-
ve nt an imminent impact.
PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS can implement thefo llowing
measures independently of each other:
R Tightening the seat belts on the driver's seat
and front passenger seat.
R Activating there ar hazard warning lights at a
higher 0ashing frequency.
R Increasing brake pressure when theve hicle is
stationar y.This brake application is cancelled
automatically when theve hicle pulls away.
If an accident did not occur, the pre-em ptive
measures that we re ta ken are reve rsed.
Syst
Syst em limits
em limits
The system will not initiate any action in thefo l-
lowing situations:
R when reve rsing or
R when theve hicle is towing a trailer and there
is a risk of a rear impact
The system will not initiate any braking application
in thefo llowing situations:
R whilst driving
or
R when entering or exiting a parking space while
using Active Parking Assist F F
unction of PRE-S
unction of PRE-S AFE
AFE®
®
Im
Im pulse Side
pulse Side If an imminent side impact is de
tected, PRE-
SA FE®
Impulse Side can pre-em ptively mo vethe
front seat vehicle occupant's upper body towa rds
th e centre of theve hicle. It does this by rapidly
in0ating an air cushion in the outer seat side bol-
ster of the seat backrest on the side on which the
impact is anticipated. This increases the distance
between the door and theve hicle occupant.
If PRE-SAFE ®
Impulse Side has been deplo yed or
is faulty, thePRE-SAFE impulse side inoperative 56
56
Occupant saf
ety

#
Replace theke y batter y,if necessary
(/ page 83). #
Use there placement key. #
Use the emer gency keyto lock or unlock
(/ page 88). #
Have theve hicle and keych ecked at a quali-
/ed specialist workshop.
Ther
Ther e is int
e is int erf
erfer
erence fr
ence fr om a pow
om a pow er
erful r
ful r adio signal
adio signal
sour
sour ce
ce
Po ssible causes if the function of KEYLESS-GO is
impaired:
R high voltage po wer lines
R mobile phones
R electronic devices (no tebooks, tablets)
R shielding due tome tal objects or induction
loops for electrical gate systems or automatic
bar riers #
Make sure that there is su1cient distance
between theke y and the po tential sou rce of
inter fere nce. A
A
ctiv
ctiv ating/deactiv
ating/deactiv ating t
ating the aut
he automatic loc
omatic loc king f
king fea-
ea-
ture
ture The
vehicle is loc ked automatically when theve hi-
cle is switched on and the wheels are turning
fa ster than walking pace. #
T
To activ
o activ at
ate:
e: press and hold button 2for
appr oximately /ve seconds until an acoustic
signal sounds. #
T
To deactiv
o deactiv at
ate:
e: press and hold button 1for
appr oximately /ve seconds until an acoustic
signal sounds.
In thefo llowing situations, there is a danger of
being loc ked out when the function is activated:
R while theve hicle is being tow- star ted or
pushed
R ifth eve hicle is being tested on a roller dyna-
mome ter P
P
o
ow
w er closing function
er closing function &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of becoming trapped when
th e doors close automatically
Body parts or objects can become trapped,
causing injuries. #
Ensure that no body parts or objects are
in the closing area. #
Automatic closing of the doors can be
cancelled bypulling the outer or inner
door handle. Opening and closing
87
87

#
Switch on the po wer supply or theve hicle. #
Push remo teoperating switch 1until theta il-
ga te is fully closed. #
Press closing button 1ontheta ilgate.
V
V ehicles wit
ehicles wit h KEYLESS-GO
h KEYLESS-GO #
Press locking button 2ontheta ilgate.
If a key is de tected outside theve hicle, the
ta ilgate will close and theve hicle will be
loc ked. #
Press and hold thep button on thekey
(with theke y in the vicinity of theve hicle). V
V
ehicles wit
ehicles wit h HANDS-FREE A
h HANDS-FREE A CCESS
CCESS #
Make a kicking mo vement with your foot
below the bumper (/ page 93).
A
A ut
ut omatic rev
omatic rever
ersing function f
sing function f or t
or the t
he t ailg
ailgate
ate
The tailgate is equipped with automatic bloc kage
de tection with a reve rsing function. If a solid
object hinders or restricts theta ilgate when it is
closing automaticall y,theta ilgate will automati-
cally open again slightl y.Au tomatic bloc kage
de tection with reve rsing function is only an aid. It
is not a substitute foryo ur attentiveness when you
are closing theta ilgate. #
During the closing process, make sure that no
body parts are in the closing area. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of becoming trapped
despite reve rsing function
The reve rsing function will not react:
R tosoT, light and thin objects, e.g. /n gers
R towa rdsth e end of the closing procedure
In these situations in particular, there ve rsing
function cannot pr event someone being trap-
ped. 92
92
Opening and closing

#
Make sure that theke y is at a minimum
dis tance of 3 m away from theve hicle. When making
the kicking mo vement, make sure
th at you are standing /rmly on thegr ound. Yo u
could otherwise lose your balance, e.g. on ice.
Obser vethefo llowing no tes:
R The key is behind theve hicle.
R Stand at least 30 cm away from theve hicle
while per form ing the kicking mo vement.
R Do not come into contact with the bumper
while making the kicking mo vement.
R Do not car ryout the kicking mo vement too
slo wly.
R The kicking mo vement must be towa rdsthe
ve hicle and back again. 1
Detection range of the sensors
If se veral consecutive kicking mo vements are not
successful, waitte n seconds.
Syst
Syst em limits
em limits
The system may be impai red or may not function
in thefo llowing cases:
R The sensors are dirty, e.g. due toroad salt or
sno w.
R The kicking mo vement is made using a pros-
th etic leg. The
tailgate can open or close unintentionally in
th efo llowing situations:
R A person's arms or legs are moving in the sen-
sor de tection range, e.g. when polishing the
ve hicle or picking up objects.
R Objects are mo ved or placed behind theve hi-
cle, e.g. the hose of a fuel dispenser, a charg-
ing cable, or lug gage
R Clamping straps, tarp aulins or other co verings
are pulled overth e bumper.
R A pr otective mat with a length reaching over
th e boot sill down into the de tection range of
th e sensors is used.
R The pr otective mat is not secured cor rectl y.
R Workis being done on the trailer hitch, trailers
or rear bicycle rack s.
Deacti vate the function of theke y (/ page 82) or
do not car rytheke y about your person in such
situations. 94
94
Opening and closing

If
yo u press or pull button 1beyond the point of
re sis tance, you will start automatic operation in
th e direction in question. You can stop automatic
operation bypushing or pulling the button again.
A
A ut
ut omatic rev
omatic rever
ersing function of t
sing function of t he sliding sun-
he sliding sun-
r
r oof
oof
If an obstacle obstructs the sliding sunroof during
th e closing process, the sliding sunroof will open
again automaticall y.The automatic reve rsing func-
tion is only an aid and is not a substitute foryo ur
attentiveness. #
During the closing process, make sure that no
body parts are in the closing area. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of becoming trapped
despite there ve rsing function being active
In particular, there ve rsing function does not
re act:
R tosoT, light and thin objects, e.g. /n gers.
R towa rdsth e end of the closing procedure.
R during resetting. #
During the closing process, make sure
th at no body parts are in the closing
area. #
Release the button immediately if some-
body becomes trapped.
or #
Brie0y press the button in any direction
during automatic operation.
The closing process will be stopped. A A
ut
ut omatic rev
omatic rever
ersing function of t
sing function of t he r
he r oller sunblind
oller sunblind
If an obstacle obstructs thero ller sunblind during
th e closing process, thero ller sunblind will open
again automaticall y.The automatic reve rsing func-
tion is only an aid and is not a substitute foryo ur
attentiveness. #
When closing thero ller sunblind, make sure
th at no body parts are in thera nge of mo ve-
ment. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of becoming trapped
despite reve rsing function
In particular, there ve rsing function does not
re act tosoT, light and thin objects, e.g. /n-
ge rs. #
When closing thero ller sunblind, make
sure that no body parts are in thera nge
of mo vement. #
Release the button immediately if some-
body becomes trapped.
or #
Brie0y press the button in any direction
during the automatic closing process.
The closing process will be stopped. A
A
ut
ut omatic functions of t
omatic functions of t he sliding sunr
he sliding sunroof
oof %
The term "sliding sunroof" also refers to the
panorama sliding sunroof.
The sliding sunroof will be closed automatically
when theve hicle has been switched o. in thefo l-
lowing situations:
R if it starts torain 102
102
Opening and closing