ESP MERCEDES-BENZ GLK-CLASS SUV 2015 Owner's Manual

Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information aboutthe following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock Braking System)
( Y page 68)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) ( Y page 69)
R BAS PLUS ( Brake Assist System Plus)
( Y page 69)
R ESP ®
(E lectronic Stability Program)
( Y page 70)
R EBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
( Y page 73)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ( Y page 73)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you
are inattentive, the driving safety systems can
neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. Driving safety
systems are merely aids designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the distance
to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and
for braking in good time. Always adapt your
driving style to suit the prevailing road,
weather and traffic conditions and maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive
carefully.
The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there is
adequate contact between the tires and the
road surface. Please pay special attention to
the notes on tires, recommended minimum
tire tread depths, etc. ( Y page 332).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will the driving safety
systems described in this section work as
effectively as possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi- cle when braking.
The yellow ! ABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y page 68).
GWARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information on the ABS warning lamp ( Y page 262) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster ( Y page 236).
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even if
you only brake gently.
Brakes
X If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a pulsing in the brake pedal.
68Driving safety systems
Safety

Recognition by the radar sensor system is
also impaired in the event of:R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R there is interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Function
To avoid a collision, BAS PLUS calculates the
brake force necessary if:
R you approach an obstacle, and
R BAS PLUS has detected a risk of collision
When driving at a speed under 20 mph
(30 km/h) : if you depress the brake pedal,
BAS PLUS is activated. The increase in brake pressure will be carried out at the last possi-
ble moment.
When driving at a speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h) : if you depress the brake pedal
sharply, BAS PLUS automatically raises the
brake pressure to a value adapted to the traf-
fic situation.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in haz-
ardous situations with vehicles in front within a speed range between 4 mph (7 km/h) and
155 mph (250 km/h).
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h), BAS PLUS can also react to sta-
tionary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
iIf BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger pro- tection measures (PRE-SAFE
®
) are activa-
ted simultaneously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes func- tion as usual again, if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer a risk of collision.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
ESP® (Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y page 68).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y page 68).
ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
. On vehi-
cles with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
70Driving safety systems
Safety

Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y page 68).
GWARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv- ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! If you test the parking brake using a brake
dynamometer, switch the ignition off.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: observe the notes
on ESP ®
(Y page 327) when towing the vehi-
cle with a raised rear axle.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on
a 2-axle dynamometer. Before you operate the vehicle on such a dynamometer, please
consult a qualified workshop. You could
otherwise damage the drive train or the
brake system.
ESP ®
is only deactivated if the å warning
lamp is lit continuously.
If the ÷ warning lamp and the å warn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
( Y page 264) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
( Y page 236).
iOnly use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
Characteristics of ESP®
General information
If the ÷ ESP®
warning lamp goes out
before beginning the journey, ESP ®
is auto-
matically active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously selected sta-
tus. Example: if ESP®
was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y page 68).
You can select between the following sta-
tuses of ESP:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
Driving safety systems71
Safety
Z

It may be best to deactivate ESP®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
iActivate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
X
To switch off: press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To switch on: press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to
spin. The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP ®
intervenes.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available, it
is also not activated if you brake firmly and
ESP ®
intervenes.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
ESP® trailer stabilization
GWARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail- ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer
combination) begins to lurch, you can only
stabilize the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
In this situation, ESP ®
assists you and can
detect if the vehicle/trailer combination
begins to lurch. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down
by braking and limiting the engine output until
the vehicle/trailer combination has stabi-
lized.
Trailer stabilization is active above speeds of
about 40 mph (65 km/h).
Trailer stabilization does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated because of a malfunction.
72Driving safety systems
Safety

EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y page 68).
GWARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the
risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Havethe brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps ( Y page 262) as well as dis-
play messages ( Y page 237).
PRE-SAFE® Brake
General information
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y page 68).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
For PRE-SAFE ®
Brake to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system must be opera-
tional.
With the help of the radar sensor system,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can detect obstacles that
are in front of your vehicle for an extended
period of time.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimize
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead, and reduce the effects of such a collision. If PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake has detected a risk of collision,
you will be warned visually and acoustically as well as by automatic braking. PRE-SAFE
®
Brake cannot prevent a collision without your
intervention.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake will initially brake your vehi-
cle by a partial application of the brakes if a
danger of collision is detected. There may be
a collision unless you also brake. Automatic
emergency braking cannot prevent a colli-
sion. There is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action.
GWARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot always clearly iden-
tify objects and complex traffic conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R not give a warning or intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake, especially if
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake warns you. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a col- lision, you must apply the brakes yourself.
GWARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may neither
give warnings nor intervene in all critical sit-
uations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
Driving safety systems73
Safety
Z

The turn signals flash once when unlocking
and three times when locking.
When it is dark, the surround lighting also
comes on if it is activated in the on-board
computer (Y page 231).
You can also set an audible signal to confirm that the vehicle has been locked. The audiblesignal can be activated and deactivated using
the on-board computer ( Y page 232).
X To unlock centrally: press the % but-
ton.
If you do not open the vehicle within approx-
imately 40 seconds of unlocking:
R the vehicle is locked again
R protection against theft is reactivated.
X To lock centrally: press the & button.
KEYLESS-GO
General notes
Bear in mind that the engine can be started by any of the vehicle occupants if there is a KEY-LESS-GO key in the vehicle.
Locking/unlocking centrally
You can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using
KEYLESS-GO. To do this, you only need carry the SmartKey with you. You can combine the
functions of KEYLESS-GO with those of a con- ventional SmartKey. Unlock the vehicle by
using KEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it
using the & button on the SmartKey.
When locking or unlocking with KEYLESS-GO,
the distance between the SmartKey and the
corresponding door handle must not be
greater than 3 ft (1 m). KEYLESS-GO checks whether a valid Smart-
Key is in the vehicle by periodically establish-
ing a radio connection between the vehicle
and the SmartKey. This happens:
R when the external door handles are
touched
R when starting the engine
R while the vehicle is in motion
X To unlock the vehicle: touch the inner
surface of the door handle.
X To lock the vehicle: touch sensor sur-
face :.
X Convenience closing feature: touch
recessed sensor surface ; for an exten-
ded period.
Further information on the convenience clos-
ing feature ( Y page 94).
If you pull on the handle of the tailgate, only
the cargo compartment of the vehicle is
unlocked.
Deactivating and activating
If you do not intend to use the vehicle for a
longer period of time, you can deactivate KEY-
LESS-GO. The SmartKey will then use very lit-
tle power, thereby conserving battery power.
For the purposes of activation/deactivation,
the vehicle must not be nearby.
SmartKey79
Opening and closing
Z

GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R Start the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
Side window reversing feature
The side windows are equipped with an auto-
matic reversing feature. If a solid object
blocks or restricts a side window during the
closing process, the side window opens again automatically. However, the automatic
reversing feature is only an aid and does not
relieve you of the responsibility of paying
attention when closing a side window.
GWARNING
The reversing feature does not react:
R to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. small fin-
gers
R over the last 1/6 in(4 mm) of the closing
movement
R during resetting
R when closing the side window again man-
ually immediately after automatic reversing
This means that the reversing feature cannot
prevent someone being trapped in these sit-
uations. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure. If
someone becomes trapped, press the switch to open the side window again.
Opening and closing the side win-
dows
:Front left
;Front right
=Rear right
?Rear left
The switches for all side windows are located on the driver's door. There is also a switch on
each door for the corresponding side window.
The switches on the driver's door take prec-
edence.
iThe side windows cannot be operated
from the rear when the override feature for
the side windows is activated ( Y page 67).
X Turn the SmartKey to position 1 or 2 in the
ignition lock.
X To open: press the corresponding switch.
X To close: pull the corresponding switch.
iIf you press/pull the switch beyond the
point of resistance, automatic operation is
started in the corresponding direction. You
can stop automatic operation by pressing/ pulling the switch again.
iYou can continue to operate the side win-
dows after you switch off the engine or
remove the SmartKey. This function is
92Side windows
Opening and closing

XTo interrupt convenience closing:
release the & button.
Using KEYLESS-GO
The KEYLESS-GO key must be outside the
vehicle. All the doors must be closed.
X
Touch recessed sensor surface : on the
door handle until the side windows and the panorama roof with power tilt/sliding
panel are fully closed.
iMake sure you only touch recessed sen-
sor surface :.
X Make sure that all the side windows and the
panorama roof with power tilt/sliding
panel are closed.
On vehicles with a panorama roof with power tilt/sliding panel:
X Touch recessed sensor surface : on the
door handle again until the roller sunblinds of the panorama roof with power tilt/slid-
ing panel close.
X To interrupt convenience closing:
release recessed sensor surface : on the
door handle.
Resetting the side windows
You must reset each side window if a side
window can no longer be closed fully.
X Close all the doors.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 1 or 2 in the
ignition lock. X
Pull the corresponding switch on the door
control panel until the side window is com-
pletely closed ( Y page 92).
X Hold the switch for an additional second.
If the side window opens again slightly: X Immediately pull the corresponding switch
on the door control panel until the side win-
dow is completely closed ( Y page 92).
X Hold the switch for an additional second.
X If the corresponding side window remains
closed after the button has been released,
the side window has been reset correctly. If
this is not the case, repeat the steps aboveagain.
Problems with the side windows
Problem: a side window cannot be closed
because it is blocked by objects, e.g.
leaves in the window guide.
X Remove the objects.
X Close the side window.
Problem: a side window cannot be closed
and you cannot see the cause.
GWARNING
If you close a side window again immediately
after it has been blocked or reset, the side
window closes with increased or maximum
force. The reversing feature is then not active. Parts of the body could be trapped in the clos-
ing area in the process. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Make sure that no parts of the body are in the closing area. To stop the closing process,
release the switch or push the switch again toreopen the side window.
If a side window is obstructed during closing
and reopens again slightly: X Immediately after the window blocks, pull
the corresponding switch again until the
side window has closed.
The side window is closed with increased
force.
94Side windows
Opening and closing

If a side window is obstructed again during
closing and reopens again slightly:
X Immediately after the window blocks, pull
the corresponding switch again until the
side window has closed.
The side window is closed without the anti-
entrapment feature.
Sliding sunroof
Important safety notes
In the following section, the term "sliding sun-
roof" refers to the panorama roof with power tilt/sliding panel.
GWARNING
While opening and closing the sliding sunroof, body parts in close proximity could become
trapped. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the opening and closing pro-cedures.
If somebody becomes trapped:
R release the switch immediately, or
R during automatic operation, push the
switch briefly in any direction
The opening or closing procedure will be stop- ped.
GWARNING
If children operate the sliding sunroof they
could become trapped, particularly if they are left unsupervised. There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
! Only open the sliding sunroof if it is free of
snow and ice. Otherwise, malfunctions may
occur.
Do not allow anything to protrude from the sliding sunroof. Otherwise, the seals could
be damaged.
! The weather can change abruptly. It could
start to rain or snow. Make sure that the
sliding sunroof is closed when you leave the
vehicle. The vehicle electronics can be
damaged if water enters the vehicle inte-
rior.
iResonance noises can occur in addition to
the usual airflow noises when the sliding
sunroof is open. They are caused by minor
pressure fluctuations in the vehicle interior.
Change the position of the sliding sunroof
or open a side window slightly to reduce or
eliminate these noises.
Sliding sunroof reversing feature
The sliding sunroof is equipped with an auto- matic reversing feature. If a solid object
blocks or restricts the sliding sunroof during
the closing process, the sliding sunroof opensagain automatically. However, the automatic
reversing feature is only an aid and does not
relieve you of the responsibility of paying
attention when closing the sliding sunroof.
GWARNING
The reversing feature does not react:
R to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. small fin-
gers
R over the last 1/6 in(4 mm) of the closing
movement
R during resetting
R when closing the sliding sunroof again man-
ually immediately after automatic reversing
This means that the reversing feature cannot
prevent someone being trapped in these sit-
uations. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure.
If somebody becomes trapped:
R release the switch immediately, or
R during automatic operation, push the
switch briefly in any direction
The closing process is stopped.
Sliding sunroof95
Opening and closing
Z

Operating the sliding sunroof
Overhead control panel :
To raise
;To open
=To close/lower
The sliding sunroof can only be operated
when the roller sunblinds are open. X Turn the SmartKey to position 1 or 2 in the
ignition lock.
X Press or pull the 3 switch in the corre-
sponding direction.
iIf you press the 3 switch beyond the
point of resistance, an automatic opening/ closing process is started in the corre-
sponding direction. You can stop automatic
operation by pressing/pulling the switch
again.
Automatic operation for raising is available only when the sliding sunroof is closed.
Operating the roller sunblinds for the
sliding sunroof
General notes
The roller sunblinds shield the vehicle interior from sunlight. The two roller sunblinds can
only be opened and closed together when the
sliding sunroof is closed.
GWARNING
When opening or closing the roller sunblind,
parts of the body could be trapped between
the roller sunblind and the frame or sliding
sunroof. There is a risk of injury.
When opening or closing make sure that no
parts of the body are in the sweep of the roller sunblind.
If somebody becomes trapped:
R release the switch immediately, or
R during automatic operation, push the
switch briefly in any direction
The opening or closing procedure will be stop-
ped.
Roller sunblind reversing feature
The roller sunblinds are equipped with an
automatic reversing feature. If an object
blocks or restricts the roller sunblind during
the closing process, the roller sunblind opens again automatically. However, the automatic
reversing feature is only an aid and does not
relieve you of the responsibility of paying
attention when closing the roller sunblinds.
GWARNING
The reversing feature does not react:
R to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. small fin-
gers
R when closing the roller sunblind again man-
ually immediately after automatic reversing
This means that the reversing feature cannot
prevent someone being trapped in these sit-
uations. There is a risk of injury.
When closing make sure that no parts of the
body are in the sweep of the roller sunblind.
If somebody becomes trapped:
R release the switch immediately, or
R during automatic operation, push the
switch briefly in any direction
The closing process is stopped.
96Sliding sunroof
Opening and closing