air condition MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 2017 User Guide

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 C and second row
rear side impact air bags D 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: R
head R
neck R
arms
In the event of 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 belt 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 C 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.
In the event of 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 53).
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 Devices48
Occupant safety
Safety

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 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)
C
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp D
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 1 or 2 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 254). 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.Occupant safety 49
Safety Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
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 49).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 seat
is: R
unoccupied R
occupied with the
weight of a child up to
twelve months old in a
child 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 bagsOccupant safety 53
Safety Z

sive role in the deployment of an air bag. Nor do
they provide an indication of air bag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably, with-
out an air bag being deployed. This is the case if
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 activa-
ted independently of each other depending 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 belt 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
Frontal 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 pack-
age: if BAS PLUS intervenes powerfully or the
radar sensor system detects an imminent
danger of collision in certain situations
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.Occupant safety 55
Safety Z

Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems: R
ABS ( A nti-lock B raking S ystem)
( Y
page 63) R
BAS ( B rake A ssist S ystem) ( Y
page 64)R
Active Brake Assist ( Y
page 64)R
ESP ®
( E lectronic S tability P rogram)
( Y
page 67) R
EBD ( E lectronic B rake force D istribution)
( Y
page 69) R
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ( Y
page 69)R
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
( Y
page 69) R
STEER CONTROL ( Y
page 72)
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-
ther 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 maintaining the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time, and for staying in lane. 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.
The driving safety systems described only work
as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quate contact between the tires and the road
surface. Pay particular attention to the informa-
tion regarding tires, recommended minimum
tire tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and tires"
section ( Y
page 346).
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 vehicle when
braking.
The % ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface conditions.
ABS works on slippery surfaces, even when you
only brake gently.
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 63).
G WARNING
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 277) and dis-
play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster ( Y
page 245).
Braking 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.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions, and functions as a
reminder to take extra care while driving.Driving safety systems 63
Safety Z

Exterior mirror pushed out of position If an exterior mirror has been pushed out of
position, proceed as follows: X
Vehicles without electrically folding exte-
rior mirrors: move the exterior mirror into
the correct position manually. X
Vehicles with electrically folding exterior
mirrors: press and hold mirror-folding but-
ton C until you hear a click and the mirror
engages in position audibly.
The mirror housing is engaged again and you
can adjust the exterior mirrors as usual
( Y
page 107).
Automatic anti-glare mirrors
G WARNING
Electrolyte may escape if the glass in an auto-
matic anti-glare mirror breaks. The electrolyte
is harmful and causes irritation. It must not
come into contact with your skin, eyes, res-
piratory organs or clothing or be swallowed.
There is a risk of injury.
If you come into contact with the electrolyte,
observe the following: R
Rinse off the electrolyte from your skin
immediately with water. R
Immediately rinse the electrolyte out of
your eyes thoroughly with clean water. R
If the electrolyte is swallowed, immediately
rinse your mouth out thoroughly. Do not
induce vomiting. R
If electrolyte comes into contact with your
skin or hair or is swallowed, seek medical
attention immediately. R
Immediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with electrolyte. R
If an allergic reaction occurs, seek medical
attention immediately. The rear-view mirror and the exterior mirror on
the driver's side automatically go into anti-glare
mode if the following conditions are met simul-
taneously: R
the ignition is switched on and R
incident light from headlamps strikes the sen-
sor in the rear-view mirror
The mirrors do not go into anti-glare mode if
reverse gear is engaged or if the interior lighting
is switched on.
Parking position for the exterior mir-
ror on the front-passenger side
Setting and storing the parking position You can position the front-passenger side exte-
rior mirror in such a way that you can see the
rear wheel on that side as soon as you engage
reverse gear. You can store this position.
Using reverse gear
C
Button for the driver's side exterior mirror D
Button for the front-passenger side exterior
mirror

The blue W indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when the high-beam
headlamps are switched on. X
To switch off the high-beam head-
lamps: move the combination switch back to
its normal position.
The blue W indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Vehicles with Adaptive Highbeam Assist: if
Adaptive Highbeam Assist is activated, it auto-
matically controls activation and deactivation of
the high-beam headlamps ( Y
page 115).
Hazard warning lamps
X
To switch on the hazard warning
lamps: press button C .
All turn signals flash. If you now switch on a
turn signal using the combination switch, only
the turn signal lamp on the corresponding
side of the vehicle will flash. X
To switch off the hazard warning lamps:
press button C .
The hazard warning lamps automatically switch
on if: R
an air bag is deployed or R
the vehicle decelerates rapidly from a speed
of above 45 mph (70 km/h) and comes to a
standstill
The hazard warning lamps switch off automati-
cally if the vehicle reaches a speed of above
6 mph (10 km/h) again after a full brake appli-
cation.
i The hazard warning lamps still operate if the
ignition is switched off. Intelligent Light System
General notes The Intelligent Light System is a system that
adjusts the headlamps automatically to suit the
prevailing driving and weather conditions. It
offers advanced functions for improved illumi-
nation of the road surface, e.g. depending on the
vehicle speed or weather conditions. The sys-
tem includes the active light function, cornering
light function, highway mode and extended
range fog lamps. The system is only active when
it is dark.
You can activate or deactivate the "Intelligent
Light System" using the on-board computer
( Y
page 239).
Active light function The active light function is a system that moves
the headlamps according to the steering move-
ments of the front wheels. In this way, relevant
areas remain illuminated while driving. This
allows you to identify pedestrians, cyclists and
animals.
Active: when the lights are switched on.
Cornering light function The cornering light function improves the illu-
mination of the road over a wide angle in the
direction you are turning, enabling better visi-
bility in tight bends, for example. It can only be
activated when the low-beam headlamps are
switched on.
Active: R
if you are driving at speeds below 25 mph
(40 km/ h) and switch on the turn signal or
turn the steering wheel R
if you are driving at speeds between 25 mph
(40 km/h) and 45 mph (70 km/h) and turn
the steering wheel
The cornering lamp may remain lit for a short
time, but is automatically switched off after no
more than three minutes.
Highway mode
Highway mode increases the range of the beam.
Active: if you are driving at a speed above
110 km/h and do not make any large steering
movements for at least 1,000 m or if you are
driving at a speed above 130 km/h.114
Exterior lighting
Lights and windshield wipers

Not active: if you are driving at speeds below
80 km/h following activation.
Extended range fog lamps The extended range fog lamps reduce the glare
experienced by the driver and improve the illu-
mination of the edge of the road.
Active: if you are driving at speeds below
40 mph (70 km/h) and you switch on the rear
fog lamp.
Not active: if, following activation, you are driv-
ing at speeds above 60 mph (100 km/h) or if you
switch off the rear fog lamp
Off-road lights The off-road lights facilitate the early recogni-
tion of objects/obstacles when driving off-road
thanks to a symmetrical, wider and brighter dis-
tribution of light from the low-beam headlamps.
Active: when driving at speeds no faster than
30 mph (50 km/h) and the off-road program
selector wheel is in position 1 or 2.
Not active: when driving at speeds above
30 mph (50 km/h).
When the off-road lights are switched on, the
cornering light function is permanently activa-
ted, the active light function is deactivated and
the headlamp range control is set to static
mode.
Cornering light function The cornering light function improves the illu-
mination of the road over a wide angle in the
direction you are turning, enabling better visi-
bility in tight bends, for example. It can only be
activated when the low-beam headlamps are
switched on.
Active: R
if you are driving at speeds below 25 mph
(40 km/h) and switch on the turn signal or
turn the steering wheel R
if you are driving at speeds between 25 mph
(40 km/h) and 45 mph (70 km/h) and turn
the steering wheel
The cornering lamp may remain lit for a short
time, but is automatically switched off after no
more than three minutes. Adaptive Highbeam Assist
General notes You can use this function to set the headlamps
to change between low beam and high beam
automatically. The system recognizes vehicles
with their lights on, either approaching from the
opposite direction or traveling in front of your
vehicle, and consequently switches the head-
lamps from high beam to low beam.
The system automatically adapts the low-beam
headlamp range depending on the distance to
the other vehicle. Once the system no longer
detects any other vehicles, it reactivates the
high-beam headlamps.
The system's optical sensor is located behind
the windshield near the overhead control panel.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Adaptive Highbeam Assist does not recognize
road users: R
who have no lights, e.g. pedestrians R
who have poor lighting, e.g. cyclists R
whose lighting is blocked, e.g. by a barrier
On very rare occasions, Adaptive Highbeam
Assist may fail to recognize other road users
that have lights, or may recognize them too
late. In this, or in similar situations, the auto-
matic high-beam headlamps will not be deac-
tivated or will be activated regardless. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always carefully observe the traffic conditions
and switch off the high-beam headlamps in
good time.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist is only an aid. You are
responsible for adjusting the vehicle's lighting
to the prevailing light, visibility and traffic con-
ditions.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if: R
poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow R
dirt on the sensors or the sensors are
obscuredExterior lighting 115
Lights and windshield wiper s Z

Overview of climate control systems
General notes Observe the settings recommended on the fol-
lowing pages. The windows could otherwise fog
up.
To prevent the windows from fogging up: R
switch off climate control only briefly R
switch on air-recirculation mode only briefly R
switch on the cooling with air dehumidifica-
tion function R
switch on the defrost windshield function
briefly, if required
Climate control regulates the temperature and
the humidity in the vehicle interior and filters
undesirable substances out of the air.
The residual heat function can only be activated
or deactivated with the ignition switched off
( Y
page 133).
i Ventilate the vehicle for a brief period during
warm weather, e.g. using the convenience
opening feature ( Y
page 87).
This will speed up the cooling process and the
desired interior temperature will be reached
more quickly. If you start the engine using your smartphone,
the last selected climate control setting is reac-
tivated ( Y
page 140).
i The integrated filter filters out most parti-
cles of dust and soot and completely filters
out pollen. It also reduces gaseous pollutants
and odors. A clogged filter reduces the
amount of air supplied to the vehicle interior.
For this reason, you should always observe
the interval for replacing the filter, which is
specified in the Maintenance Booklet. As it
depends on environmental conditions, e.g.
heavy air pollution, the interval may be
shorter than stated in the Maintenance Book-
let.
i Vehicles with AIR-BALANCE package: in
addition to ionization, the vehicle has an air
filter with anti-allergenic properties that con-
tribute to improved air filtration.
i It is possible that under certain circumstan-
ces the residual heat function may be activa-
ted automatically an hour after the SmartKey
has been removed in order to dry the auto-
matic climate control. The vehicle is then ven-
tilated for 30 minutes.
Control panel for dual-zone automatic climate control
USA only
Front control panel
C
Sets the temperature, left ( Y
page 131)
D
Defrosts the windshield ( Y
page 132)Overview of climate control systems 123
Climate control

Aut oma tic engine startThe engin e start s automatically if:R
you switch off th e ECO start/sto p function by
pressing th e ECO butto nR
in transmission position D or N th e brak e
pedal is release d and th e HOLD function is no t
active R
you depress th e accelerato r pedalR
you engage revers e gear RR
you mov e th e transmission out of position PR
you switch to th e Sport Plu s or Sport drive
program (Mercedes-AM G vehicles)R
you activat e manual gearshifting (Mercedes-
AM G vehicles)R
you switch to th e Offroa d drive program
(vehicles without Off-Road Engineering pack-
age) R
you switch to th e Offroa d or Offroa d Plu s
drive program (vehicles wit h Off-Road Engi-
neering package) R
you unfasten your seat belt or open th e driv-
er' s doorR
th e vehicl e start s to rol lR
th e brak e system require s thisR
th e temperature in th e vehicl e interior devi-
ate s from th e set rangeR
th e system detects moisture on th e wind-
shield when th e air-conditioning system is
switched on R
th e battery's condition of charge is to o low
Shifting th e transmission to position P does no t
start th e engine. Deactivating or activating the ECO
start/stop function All vehicles (excep t Mercedes-AM G veh i-
cles) X
To deactivate: press ECO butto n C .
Indicato r lamp D goe s out .X
To activate: press ECO butto n C .
Indicato r lamp D lights up.
If indicator lamp D is off , th e ECO start/sto p
function has been deactivated manually or as
th e result of a malfunction .
Mercedes-AM G veh icles
X
To deactivate: in th e Comfor t drive pro -
gram , press ECO butto n C .
or X
Activat e manual gearshifting ( Y
page 150).
or X
Switc h to th e Sport Plu s or Sport drive pro -
gram ( Y
page 145).
Indicato r lamp D goes out .X
To activate: press ECO butto n C .
Indicato r lamp D lights up. When th e
Sport Plu s or Sport drive program is activa-
ted, th e automatic transmission switches to
th e Comfor t drive program .Driving 143
Driving and parking Z