Ads MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 2018 User Guide

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 the
prevailing 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 off road or on unpaved roads,
check the vehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammable materials which have become
trapped. In the case of damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop. 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 safety
Introduction

For this reason, always secure persons under
5 ft (1.50 m) tall in suitable additional restraint
systems.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height is traveling in the
vehicle: R
always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for this Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cle. The child restraint system must be appro-
priate to the age, weight and size of the child R
always observe the instructions and safety
notes on "Children in the vehicle"
( Y
page 59) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation and oper-
ating instructions R
always observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" ( Y
page 51)
G WARNING
The seat belts may not perform their intended
protective function if: R
they are damaged, modified, extremely
dirty, bleached or dyed R
the seat belt buckle is damaged or
extremely dirty R
the Emergency Tensioning Devices, belt
anchorages or inertia reels have been modi-
fied.
Seat belts may be damaged in an accident,
although the damage may not be visible, e.g.
due to splinters of glass. Modified or damaged
seat belts may tear or fail, e.g. in an accident.
Modified Emergency Tensioning Devices
could accidentally trigger or fail to deploy
when necessary. This poses an increased risk
of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify the seat belts, Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices, belt anchorages and inertia
reels. Make sure that the seat belts are
undamaged, not worn out and clean. Follow-
ing an accident, have the seat belts checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Only use seat belts that have been approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz. Proper use of the seat belts Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
( Y
page 46).
All vehicle occupants must be wearing the seat
belt correctly before beginning the journey. Also
make sure that all vehicle occupants are always
wearing the seat belt correctly while the vehicle
is in motion.
When fastening the seat belt, always make sure
that: R
the seat belt buckle tongue is inserted only
into the belt buckle belonging to that seat R
the seat belt is pulled tight across your body
Avoid wearing bulky clothing, e.g. a winter
coat. R
the seat belt is not twisted
Only then can the forces which occur be dis-
tributed over the area of the belt. R
the shoulder section of the belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder
The shoulder section of the seat belt should
not touch your neck or be routed under your
arm or behind your back. Where possible,
adjust the seat belt to the appropriate height. R
the lap belt is taut and passes across your lap
as low down as possible
The lap belt must always be routed across
your hip joints and not across your abdomen.
This applies particularly to pregnant women.
If necessary, push the lap belt down to your
h ip joint and pull it tight using the shoulder
section of the belt. R
the seat belt is not routed across sharp, poin-
ted or fragile objects
If you have such items located on or in your
clothing, e.g. pens, keys or eyeglasses, store
these in a suitable place. R
only one person is using a seat belt
Infants and children must never travel sitting
on the lap of a vehicle occupant. In the event
of an accident, they could be crushed
between the vehicle occupant and seat belt. R
objects are never secured with a seat belt if
the seat belt is also being used by one of the
vehicle's occupants
Also ensure that there are never objects
between a person and the seat, e.g. cushions.
Seat belts are only intended to secure and
restrain vehicle occupants. Always observe the
"Loading guidelines" for securing objects, lug-
gage or loads ( Y
page 300).Occupant safety 47
Safety Z

Activating the special seat belt retractor: X
Pull the seat belt out fully and let the inertia
reel retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should
hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat belt
retractor is enabled. X
Push the child restraint system down so that
the seat belt is tight and does not loosen.
Removing the child restraint system and deac-
tivating the special seat belt retractor: X
Make sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions. X
Press the release button of the seat belt
buckle and guide the seat belt tongue back
towards the belt sash guide.
The special seat belt retractor is deactivated.
Child restraint system The use of seat belts and child restraint systems
is required by law in: R
all 50 states R
the U.S. territories R
the District of Columbia R
all Canadian provinces
If you install a rearward-facing child restraint
system on the center rear seat, the rear arm rest
must be folded back as far as possible.
You can obtain further information about the
correct child restraint system from any author-
ized Mercedes-Benz Center.
G WARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor-
rectly on a suitable seat, it cannot protect as
intended. The child cannot then be restrained
in the event of an accident, heavy braking or
sudden changes of direction. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Make sure that you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions and the notes on use. Please ensure,
that the base of the child restraint system is
always resting completely on the seat cush-
ion. Never place objects, e.g. cushions, under
or behind the child restraint system. Only use
child restraint systems with the original cover designed for them. Only replace damaged
covers with genuine covers.
G WARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor-
rectly or is not secured, it can come loose in
the event of an accident, heavy braking or a
sudden change in direction. The child
restraint system could be thrown about, strik-
ing vehicle occupants. There is an increased
risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Always install child restraint systems prop-
erly, even if they are not being used. Make
sure that you observe the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer's installation instructions.
You will find further information on stowing
objects, luggage or loads under "Loading guide-
lines" ( Y
page 300).
G WARNING
Child restraint systems or their securing sys-
tems which have been damaged or subjected
to a load in an accident can no longer protect
as intended. The child cannot then be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. There
is an increased risk of injury, possibly even
fatal.
Replace child restraint systems which have
been damaged or subjected to a load in an
accident as soon as possible. Have the secur-
ing systems on the child restraint system
checked at a qualified specialist workshop,
before you install a child restraint system
again.
The securing systems of child restraint systems
are: R
the seat belt system R
the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing rings R
the Top Tether anchorages
If it is absolutely necessary to carry a child on
the front-passenger seat, be sure to observe the
information on the "Occupant Classification
System (OCS)" ( Y
page 51). There you will also
find information on deactivating the front-
passenger front air bag.Children in the vehicle 61
Safety Z

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 vehi-
cle 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) 4ETS traction control 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 transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
In appropriate driving situations, activate the
offroad program: X
Vehicles without the Offroad Engineering
package ( Y
page 219)X
Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age ( Y
page 220)
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) An ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once an off-
road program is activated: R
Vehicles without the Offroad Engineering
package ( Y
page 219)R
Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age ( Y
page 220)
Important safety notes
G WARNING
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. ! Only operate the vehicle for a maximum of
ten seconds on a brake test dynamometer.
Switch off the ignition.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a two-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

G WARNING
If objects, luggage or loads are not secured or
not secured sufficiently, they could slip, tip
over or be flung around and thereby hit vehicle
occupants. There is a risk of injury, particu-
larly in the event of sudden braking or a sud-
den change in direction.
Always store objects so that they cannot be
flung around. Secure objects, luggage or
loads against slipping or tipping before the
journey.
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the rear
when opened. Therefore, make sure that
there is sufficient clearance above and behind
the tailgate.
The opening dimensions of the tailgate can be
found in the "Vehicle data" section
( Y
page 392).
You should preferably place luggage or loads in
the cargo compartment. Observe the loading
guidelines ( Y
page 300).
Do not leave the SmartKey in the cargo com-
partment. You could otherwise lock yourself
out.
You can: R
close the tailgate manually from outside R
open and close the tailgate automatically
from outside R
open and close the tailgate automatically
from inside R
limit the opening angle of the tailgate R
unlock the tailgate from inside with the emer-
gency release
Tailgate reversing feature On vehicles with the tailgate remote closing fea-
ture, the tailgate is equipped with automatic
obstacle recognition with a reversing feature. If
a solid object blocks or restricts the tailgate
when automatically opening or closing, this pro-
cedure is stopped. If the tailgate is stopped dur-
ing the closing procedure, it will open again
automatically. The automatic obstacle recogni-
tion with reversing feature is only an aid. It is not
a substitute for your attentiveness when open-
ing and closing the tailgate. G WARNING
The reversing feature does not respond: R
to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. fingers R
over the last

G WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do
the following while driving: R
adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors R
fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt
before starting the engine.
G WARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
other vehicle occupants could be trapped and
thereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem.
G WARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection as intended. There is an increased risk
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the
event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
G WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level
of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal
injury. Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder.
! To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information: R
keep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible. R
if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat heat-
ing should also not be used to dry the seats. R
clean the seat covers as recommended;
see "Interior care". R
do not transport heavy loads on the seats.
Do not place sharp objects on the seat
cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools. The
seats should only be occupied by passen-
gers, if possible. R
when the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating materi-
als, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat covers,
child seats or booster seats.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when mov-
ing the seats back. There is a risk that the
seats and/or the objects could be damaged.
i Further related subjects: R
Cargo compartment enlargement (folding
down the rear bench seat) ( Y
page 303)
Adjusting the seats electrically
C
Head restraint height
D
Seat cushion angle

Adjusting the head restraints elect ri -
cally X
To adjust th e hea d restrain t height : slid e
th e switch for th e head restrain t adjustmen t
( Y
page 98) up or down in th e direction of th e
arrow.
Adjusting the luxury head restraints X
To adjust th e sid e bolsters : push or pull
right-hand and/o r left-han d side bolste r C
int o th e desired position .X
To adjust th e fore-and-aft position of th e
hea d restraint: push or pull th e head
restrain t in th e direction of arrow D .
i Adjus t th e head restrain t so that th e bac k of
your head is as close to th e head restrain t as
possible.
Rear seat head restraints
Adjusting th e rea r sea t hea d restrain t
height X
Once th e head restrain t is fully lowered, press
release catch C . X
To raise: pull th e head restrain t up to th e
desired position . X
To lower : press release catch C and push
th e head restrain t down until it is in th e
desired position .
Removin g and installing th e rea r sea t
hea d restraints X
To remove: pull th e head restrain t up to th e
stop. X
Press release catch C and pull th e head
restrain t out of th e guides.X
To re-install : insert th e head restrain t so that
th e notches on th e bar are on th e lef t when
viewed in th e direction of travel .X
Push th e head restrain t down until you hear it
engage in position .
Rear seats (second and third row of
seats)
Import ant safety notes
G WARNIN G
If th e seat and backrest are no t engaged, they
can fol d forwards, e.g. in th e event of sudde n
braking or an accident. R
This will caus e th e vehicl e occupant s to be
force d int o th e seat belt by a seat or back-
res t whic h is no t engaged. The seat belt can
no longer offer th e intended level of pro -
tection and could eve n caus e injuries.R
A child restrain t system would no longer be
anchored or positioned correctl y and would
no t be able to perfor m it s require d function .R
The seat backrest s canno t restrain objects
or loads in th e cargo compartment.
There is an increased ris k of injury.
Always mak e sur e that th e seat and backrest
are engage d as described: R
before traveling wit h a passenger on a seat
wit h th e EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature R
after you hav e adjusted th e seat100
Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Folding down the seats in the second
row manually Import ant safety notes
G WARNIN G
If th e seat and backrest are no t engaged, they
can fol d forwards , e.g. in th e event of sudde n
braking or an accident. R
This will caus e th e vehicl e occupant s to be
forced int o th e seat belt by a seat or back-
res t whic h is no t engaged. The seat belt can
no longer offer th e intended leve l of pro -
tection and could eve n caus e injuries.R
A child restrain t system would no longer be
anchored or positioned correctly and would
no t be able to perfor m it s require d function .R
The seat backrest s canno t restrain object s
or loads in th e cargo compartment.
Ther e is an increased ris k of injury.
Always mak e sure that th e seat and backrest
are engage d as described:R
before traveling wit h a passenger on a seat
wit h th e EASY-ENTRY/EXIT featureR
after you have adjusted th e seatR
after th e EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature has
been used R
after th e cargo compartmen t enlargement
has been folded forwards
G WARNIN G
The seat does no t engage in th e entry/exit
position . The seat could fol d bac k suddenly,
e.g. when accelerating , braking , changing
direction suddenly or in th e event of an acci-
dent. Person s in th e swee p of th e seat could
become trapped . Ther e is a ris k of injury.
Always fol d bac k a seat whic h has been folded
forwards before you pull away. Mak e sure that
th e seat and backrest engage fully.
General notes
Getting int o or out of th e third row of seats: you
can fol d forward th e right outer seat in th e sec -
on d row of seats. If th e right outer rear seat in th e secon d row of
seat s is in th e entry/exit position : th e display
message : 2nd Sea t Row , Right Not Locked
appear s in th e multifunction display, for exam-
ple.
If you fol d th e seat bac k until it engages, th e
display message disappears.
Pull th e backrest firmly to ensure that it is fully
engaged.
i Further relate d subjects: R
Cargo compartmen t enlargement (foldin g
th e secon d row of seat s forwards )
( Y
page 303) R
Foldin g th e seat s in th e third row forwards /
bac k ( Y
page 101)
Ent ry positi on
X
Mov e th e head restraint to th e lowes t position
( Y
page 100). X
Pull release handle D in th e direction of th e
arrow to th e pressur e poin t and hold it in this
position .
The backrest folds forwards .
You have two option s for foldin g th e seat down
fully. X
Pull release handle D again in th e direction of
th e arrow to th e pressur e poin t and hold it in
this position .
or X
Pull on release loop C in th e direction of th e
arrow and hold in this position .X
Lif t up th e seat until it folds forwards .
i Vehicles wit h memory function : th e fron t
seat s mov e forwards slightly.Seats 103
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Entry position
Exit position
G WARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the
seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
i Further related subjects: R
Important safety notes on air bags
( Y
page 49) R
Securing children in the vehicle
( Y
page 59)
If you wish to exit the third row of seats, fold
down the outer seat on the right-hand side as
follows.
The release loop for the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT fea-
ture is located at the bottom on the back of the
right outer seat in the second row of seats. X
Pull on release loop C in the direction of the
arrow and hold in this position.
The backrest folds forwards. X
Pull on release loop C again in the direction
of the arrow and hold in this position. X
Lift up the seat until it folds forwards.
i Vehicles with memory function: the front
seats move forwards slightly.
Exit position
i Vehicles with memory function: in order to
return the front seats to the saved position,
call up the saved seat setting using the mem-
ory buttons.
Moving the outer seats back to the normal
position (second row of seats)
G WARNING
If the seat and backrest are not engaged, they
can fold forwards, e.g. in the event of sudden
braking or an accident. R
This will cause the vehicle occupants to be
forced into the seat belt by a seat or back-
rest which is not engaged. The seat belt can
no longer offer the intended level of pro-
tection and could even cause injuries. R
A child restraint system would no longer be
anchored or positioned correctly and would
not be able to perform its required function. R
The seat backrests cannot restrain objects
or loads in the cargo compartment.
There is an increased risk of injury.104
Seats
Seats, steering wheel an d mirrors

Always make sure that the seat and backrest
are engaged as described: R
before traveling with a passenger on a seat
with the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature R
after you have adjusted the seat R
after the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature has
been used R
after the cargo compartment enlargement
has been folded forwards
G WARNING
The seat does not engage in the entry/exit
position. The seat could fold back suddenly,
e.g. when accelerating, braking, changing
direction suddenly or in the event of an acci-
dent. Persons in the sweep of the seat could
become trapped. There is a risk of injury.
Always fold back a seat which has been folded
forwards before you pull away. Make sure that
the seat and backrest engage fully. X
To lock the seat: fold back the seat until it
engages. X
Fold back the backrest until it engages.
Folding down the seats in the second
row electrically
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If the seat and backrest are not engaged, they
can fold forwards, e.g. in the event of sudden
braking or an accident. R
This will cause the vehicle occupants to be
forced into the seat belt by a seat or back-
rest which is not engaged. The seat belt can
no longer offer the intended level of pro-
tection and could even cause injuries. R
A child restraint system would no longer be
anchored or positioned correctly and would
not be able to perform its required function. R
The seat backrests cannot restrain objects
or loads in the cargo compartment.
There is an increased risk of injury. Always make sure that the seat and backrest
are engaged as described: R
before traveling with a passenger on a seat
with the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature R
after you have adjusted the seat R
after the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature has
been used R
after the cargo compartment enlargement
has been folded forwards
G WARNING
The seat does not engage in the entry/exit
position. The seat could fold back suddenly,
e.g. when accelerating, braking, changing
direction suddenly or in the event of an acci-
dent. Persons in the sweep of the seat could
become trapped. There is a risk of injury.
Always fold back a seat which has been folded
forwards before you pull away. Make sure that
the seat and backrest engage fully.
General notes To enter or exit the third row of seats: the outer
left and right seats of the second row can be
folded down electrically.
One of the outer seats of the second row is in the
entry/exit position: the multifunction display
shows, e.g. the 2nd Seat Row, Right Not
Locked display message.
If you fold the seat back until it engages, the
display message disappears.
Pull the backrest firmly to ensure that it is fully
engaged.
i Further related subjects: R
Cargo compartment enlargement (folding
the second row of seats forwards)
( Y
page 303) R
Folding the seats in the third row forwards/
back ( Y
page 101)
Folding down the seats
The seats can be folded down electrically if the
vehicle is stationary and the respective rear
door is open. Seats 105
Seats, steering wheel an d mirrors Z