ESP MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV 2016 Owner's Manual

Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat –
if it is absolutely necessary to
secure a child in a child restraint system on the front-passenger seat:
X Always pay attention to the instructions under
"Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat" (Y page 61).
There, you will also find instructions on how to
correctly route the shoulder belt strap from
the vehicle belt outlet to the shoulder belt
guide on the child restraint system
(Y page 62).
X Move the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible.
X Move the backrest to an almost upright posi-
tion.
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, as far as possible, be resting on the backrest of
the front-passenger seat. The child restraint
system must not touch the roof or be put
under strain by the head restraint. Adjust the
angle of the seat backrest and the head
restraint position accordingly. Also observe
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Move the seat cushion angle to the highest,
most vertical position.
Installing a child restraint system on a rear
seat in the second row
X Move the backrest of the rear seat in the sec-
ond row to an almost vertical position
(Y page 107).
Suitability of the seats for attaching a belted child restraint system If you use a baby car seat of category 0 or 0+ or a rearward-facing child restraint system of category
I on a rear seat, you must adjust the driver's or front-passenger seat so that the seat does not touch the child restraint system.
If you use a forward-facing child restraint system of category I, you must remove the head restraint
from the respective seat, if possible (Y page 104). The backrest of the child restraint system must,
as far as possible, rest flat against the backrest of the seat.
Make sure that the child's feet do not touch the front seat. If necessary, move the front seat forwards
slightly (Y page 104).
For certain child restraint systems in weight categories II or III, this can mean that the area of use
is restricted. The maximum size setting of the child restraint system may not be possible due to
possible contact with the roof.
In addition, always observe the information in the "Child restraint system" section (Y page 58) and
the child restraint system manufacturer's installation instructions.
When you remove the child restraint system, you must replace the head restraints again immedi-
ately (Y page 104). All vehicle occupants must adjust their head restraints correctly before the
journey.
Legend for the table:
XS eat that is unsuitable for children in this weight category.
US uitable for child restraint systems in the "Universal" category that are approved for use in this
weight category.
UF Suitable for forward-facing child restraint systems that belong to the "Universal" category and are approved for use in this weight category.
LS uitable for child restraint systems as recommended; see "Recommended child restraint sys-
tems" (Y page 65). Children in the vehicle
63Safety Z

Front-passenger seat
Weight category Front-passenger
front airbag enabled Front-passenger
front airbag disa-
bled1 0
up to 10 kg X U, L
0+
up to 13 kg X U, L
I
9 kg to 18 kg UF U, L
II
15 kg to 25 kg UF U, L
III
22 kg to 36 kg UF U, L
Rear seats
Weight category Left, right and third
row of seats Centre
2 0
up to 10 kg U U
0+
up to 13 kg U U
I
9 kg to 18 kg U U
II
15 kg to 25 kg U U
III
22 kg to 36 kg U U
Suitability of the seats for attaching an ISOFIX child restraint system
If you use a baby car seat of category 0 or 0+ or a rearward-facing child restraint system of category
I on a rear seat, you must adjust the driver's or front-passenger seat so that the seat does not touch the child restraint system.
If you use a forward-facing child restraint system of category I, you must remove the head restraint
from the respective seat, if possible (Y page 104). The backrest of the child restraint system must,
as far as possible, rest flat against the backrest of the seat.
In addition, always observe the information in the "Child restraint system" section (Y page 58) and
the child restraint system manufacturer's installation instructions.
When you remove the child restraint system, you must replace the head restraints again immedi-
ately (Y page 104). All vehicle occupants must adjust their head restraints correctly before the
journey.
Make sure that the child's feet do not touch the front seat. If necessary, move the front seat forwards
slightly (Y page 104).
For certain child restraint systems in weight categories II or III, this can mean that the area of use
is restricted. The maximum size setting of the child restraint system may not be possible due to
possible contact with the roof.
The information applies to the second and third rows of seats. If you put a child restraint system on a seat in the third row, move the backrests of the seats in the second row as far forward as possible
(Y page 107).
1 The vehicle is equipped with an automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation system. The PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp must be lit.
2 Child restraint systems with supporting bracket are not suitable for this seat. 64
Children in the vehicleSafety

Override feature for the rear side win-
dows X
To activate/deactivate: press button:.
If indicator lamp ;is lit, operation of the rear
side windows is disabled. Operation is only
possible using the switches in the driver's
door. If indicator lamp ;is off, operation is
possible using the switches in the rear com-
partment. Pets in the vehicle
G
WARNING
If you leave animals unsupervised or unse-
cured in the vehicle, they may push a button
or a switch, for example.
They could:
R activate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
R switch vehicle systems on or off, thus
endangering other road users
In the event of an accident, sudden braking or
abrupt changes of direction, unsecured ani-
mals could be flung around the vehicle, injur-
ing the vehicle occupants. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals correctly during a
journey, e.g. in an animal transport box. Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS (A nti-lock Braking System)
(Y page 69)
R BAS (Brake AssistSystem) (Y page 69)
R Active Brake Assist (Y page 70)
R Adaptive brake lights (Y page 72)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 73)
R EBD (e lectronic brake force distribution)
(Y page 75)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 75)
R Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
(Y page 75)
R STEER CONTROL (Y page 78) 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 tyres and the road
surface. Pay particular attention to the informa- tion regarding tyres, recommended minimum
tyre tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and tyres" section (Y page 361).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tyres (M+S tyres) and, if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will the driving safety
systems described in this section work as effec-
tively as possible. 68
Driving safety systemsSafety

In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause Brake Assist to intervene.
If Adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to a malfunctioning radar sensor system, the brake
system remains available with full brake boost-
ing effect and BAS. Adaptive brake lights
The adaptive brake lights warn following traffic
in an emergency braking situation by:
R flashing brake lamps
R switching on the hazard warning lamps
If you brake sharply from a speed of more than
50 km/h or are assisted by the Brake Assist, the
brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way, traffic
travelling behind you is warned in an even more
noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more than
70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warning
lamps are activated automatically. If the brakes are applied again, the brake lamps light up con-
tinuously. The hazard warning lamps switch off
automatically if you travel faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off the hazard warning lamps using the hazard warning button
(Y
page 122). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction, i.e.
power transmission between the tyres 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 stabilise 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 stabilise
the vehicle during braking.
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 if you deactivate
ESP ®
.
In appropriate driving situations, activate the
off-road programs:
X Vehicles without the Off-Road Engineering
package (Y page 228)
X Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 229)
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 Off-Road Engineering
package (Y page 228)
R Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 229) 72
Driving safety systemsSafety

Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses 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 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 twin-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.
When ESP ®
is deactivated, the åESP®
OFF
warning lamp lights up continuously.
If the ÷ warning lamp and the åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not available
due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 295) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 259).
i Only use wheels with the recommended tyre
sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function properly.
Characteristics of ESP ®General notes
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
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 When pulling away, only depress the acceler-
ator pedal as far as is necessary.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions. ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle stops
moving. When pulling away again, the engine
starts automatically. ESP ®
remains in its previ-
ously selected status, e.g. if ESP ®
was deacti-
vated before the engine was automatically
switched off.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68).
You can select between the following ESP ®
sta-
tuses:
R ESP ®
is activated
R ESP ®
is deactivated G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
In the following situations, it may be better to
deactivate ESP ®
:
R when snow chains are used
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
Spinning the wheels results in a cutting action,
which enhances traction.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not stabilise the vehicle if the vehi-
cle starts to skid or a wheel starts to spin. Driving safety systems
73Safety Z

Deactivating/activating ESP
®X
To deactivate: press button:.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp on the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp on 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 flashes. In such situations,
ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels may start to spin
R traction control is still activated
R Active Brake Assist is no longer available; it is
not activated even if you brake firmly with
assistance from ESP ®
R PRE-SAFE ®
is not available; it is not activated
even if you brake firmly with assistance from
ESP ®
R Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
is no longer available; it is not activated even
if you brake firmly with assistance from ESP ®
R ESP ®
continues to provide assistance when
the brakes are firmly applied Off-road ESP
®
(vehicles with Off-Road
Engineering package) An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once an off-
road program is activated.
R Vehicles without the Off-Road Engineering
package (Y page 228)
R Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 229)
Off-road ESP ®
intervenes with a delay if there is
oversteering or understeering, thus improving
traction.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation General notes
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is not available in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, ESP ®
assists you in this situation. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limiting
the engine output until the vehicle/trailer com- bination has stabilised.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high centre 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/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/trailer
combination by depressing the brake firmly.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 60 km/h.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of a malfunc- tion. 74
Driving safety syste
msSafety

Crosswind Assist
General notes
Strong crosswind gusts can impair the ability of your vehicle to drive straight ahead. The cross-
wind driving assistance function integrated in
ESP ®
noticeably reduces these impairments.
Depending on the direction and intensity of the
side wind, ESP ®
is activated automatically.
ESP ®
intervenes with stabilising braking to
assist you in keeping the vehicle in the lane.
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle speeds
above 80 km/h when driving straight ahead or
cornering gently.
Important safety notes Crosswind Assist does not work if ESP ®
is deac-
tivated or disabled because of a malfunction. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General notes EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
on the rear wheels to improve driving stability
while braking.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 68).G
WARNING
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. Have the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 293) as well as display
messages (Y page 261). ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety and
offers increased braking comfort. In addition to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE also has
the HOLD function (Y page 195) and hill start
assist (Y page 151). Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function
General information i
Read the important safety notes in the "Driv-
ing safety systems" section (Y page 68).
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
can help you to minimise the risk of a collision
with a vehicle in front or a pedestrian and reduce
the effects of such a collision. If the Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function detects a risk
of collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically and, if necessary, your brake appli-cation will be assisted according to the situa-
tion. If you do not react, the system can also
react by braking automatically. In the event of a
detected risk of collision due to crossing traffic, you will also be visually and acoustically warned as well as assisted by the brake boosting effect
according to the situation.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
only available in vehicles with the Driving Assis-
tance Plus package.
For Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion to assist you when driving, the radar sensor
system and the camera system must be opera-
tional.
If the radar sensor system or the camera system is malfunctioning, Active Brake Assist with
cross-traffic function is restricted or no longer
available. The brake system is still available with
complete brake boosting effect and BAS.
The radar sensor system and camera system
help Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func- tion to detect obstacles that are in the path of
your vehicle for an extended period of time.
Pedestrians in the path of your vehicle can also
be detected.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
detects pedestrians using typical characteris-
tics such as body contours and the posture of a person standing upright.
i Observe the restrictions described in the
"Important safety notes" section
(Y page 76). Driving safety systems
75Safety Z

Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function will initially brake your vehicle by a partial
application of the brakes if a danger of colli-
sion is detected. There may be a collision
unless you brake yourself. Even after subse-
quent full application of the brakes a collision
cannot always be avoided, particularly when
approaching at too high a speed. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
If you partially apply the brakes, the vehicle is
braked with up to 50% of the full brake pressure. G
WARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function cannot always clearly identify objects and
complex traffic situations.
In such cases, Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function might:
R issue an unnecessary warning or engage
R neither issue a warning nor intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be prepared to brake, especially if Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion alerts you. Terminate the intervention in a
non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function cannot always clearly identify people, partic-
ularly if they are moving. Active Brake Assist
with cross-traffic function cannot intervene in
these cases. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be prepared to brake, especially if Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion alerts you. To maintain the appropriate distance to the
vehicle in front and thus prevent a collision, you
must apply the brakes yourself. G
WARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function does not react:
R to small people, e.g. children
R to animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R when cornering
As a result, Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function may not warn you or engage in
all critical situations. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, detection can be impaired.
Detection by the radar sensor system is also
impaired in the following situations:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example, in multi-
storey car parks
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorcycle
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different line
R vehicles quickly moving into the radar sensor
system detection range
Detection by the camera system is also impaired in the following situations:
R dirt on the camera or if the camera is covered
R glare on the camera system, e.g. from the sun
being low in the sky
R darkness
R if:
- pedestrians move quickly, e.g. into the path
of the vehicle
- the camera system no longer detects a
pedestrian as a person due to special cloth-
ing or other objects
- a pedestrian is concealed by other objects
- the typical outline of a person is not distin-
guishable from the background
Following damage to the front end of the vehicle, have the configuration and operation of the 76
Driving safety systemsSafety

Up to a speed of approximately 70 km/h, the
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
assists you with braking in hazardous situations with:
R stationary obstacles in the path of the vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
R stationary pedestrians in the path of the vehi-
cle
R obstacles crossing your path that move in the
detection range of the sensors and are detec- ted.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
You can prevent the intervention of Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function at any time by:
R depressing the accelerator pedal further
R activating kickdown
R releasing the brake pedal
The braking application of Active Brake Assist
with cross-traffic function is ended automati-
cally if:
R you steer to avoid the obstacle
R the risk of collision has passed
R an obstacle is no longer detected in the path
of your vehicle STEER CONTROL
General information STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering wheel
in the direction required for vehicle stabilisation.
This steering support is provided in particular if:
R both right wheels or both left wheels are on a
wet or slippery road surface when you brake
R the vehicle starts to skid
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68).
No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if: R ESP ®
is deactivated
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning
R the steering is faulty If ESP
®
is malfunctioning, you will be assisted
further by the electrical power steering. Protection against theft
Immobiliser
X To activate with the key: remove the key
from the ignition lock.
X To activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
X To deactivate: switch on the ignition.
The immobiliser prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct key.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Anyone can start
the engine if a valid key has been left inside the vehicle.
i The immobiliser is always deactivated when
you start the engine. ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
X
To prime: lock the vehicle with the key or
KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp :flashes. The alarm system
is primed after approximately 15 seconds.
X To switch off with the key: unlock the vehi-
cle using the key.
or X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
X To switch off with KEYLESS-GO: unlock the
vehicle using KEYLESS-GO.
or
X Press the Start/Stop button on the dash-
board. The key must be inside the vehicle. 78
Protection against theftSafety

If you do not open the vehicle within approx-
imately 40 seconds of unlocking:
R the vehicle locks again
R protection against theft is reactivated
X To lock centrally: press the&button.
The key centrally locks and unlocks the follow-
ing components:
R the doors
R the tailgate
R the fuel filler flap
During unlocking, the turn signals flash once.
During locking, they flash three times.
You can also set an audible signal to confirm
that the vehicle has been locked. The audible
signal can be activated or deactivated using the on-board computer (Y page 253).
Only when all the components have been locked is the visual or audible locking confirmation
issued.
If activated in the multimedia system, the loca-
tor lighting also lights up in the dark (see sepa-
rate operating instructions).
X To open the tailgate automatically from
outside the vehicle:
press and hold theF
button until the tailgate opens.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: X To close the tailgate automatically from
outside the vehicle: if the key is located in
the immediate vicinity of the vehicle, press
the F button on the key.
When the tailgate closes, you can then
release 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 (Y page 150).
Locking and unlocking centrally You can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using
KEYLESS-GO. To do this, you need to carry the
key with you. You can combine the KEYLESS-GO functions with the functions of a conventional
key. Unlock the vehicle by using KEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it using the
&button
on the key.
The driver's door and the door at which the han- dle is used must both be closed. The key must be
outside the vehicle. When locking or unlocking
with KEYLESS-GO, the distance between the key and the corresponding door handle must not be greater than 1 m.
KEYLESS-GO checks whether a valid key is in
the vehicle by periodically establishing a radio
connection between the vehicle and the key.
This happens:
R during engine start
R during driving
R when the external door handles are touched
R during convenience closing X
To unlock the vehicle: touch the inner sur-
face of the door handle.
X To lock the vehicle: touch sensor surface :
or ;.
Make sure that you do not touch the inner
surface of the door handle.
X Convenience closing feature: touch
recessed sensor surface ;for an extended
period.
Further information on the convenience closing
feature (Y page 95).
If you pull on the handle of the tailgate, only the luggage compartment of the vehicle is
unlocked.
Deactivating and activating If you do not intend to use a key for an extended
period of time, you can deactivate the KEYLESS-
GO function of the key. The key will then use very
little power, thereby conserving battery power.
For the purposes of activation or deactivation,
the vehicle does not have to be nearby. 82
KeyOpening and closing