2007 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450 weight

299 Controls in detail
Loading
Otherwise, the basic cross bars
(
page 300), mounted accessories and the
objects attached to them could come loose
from the vehicle causing an accident, there-
by injuring you and other persons and/or
causing damage to property, including dam-
age to your vehicle.
Warning!G
A roof load creates a greater surface area
exposed to the wind and causes the vehicle
to have a higher center of gravity, thereby
changing the vehicle’s driving characteris-
tics. Accordingly, the additional weight on
the roof of the vehicle can have a detrimen-
tal effect on braking, cornering and acceler-
ation.
Never exceed the maximum permissible
roof load or the maximum permissible vehi-
cle weight, even when accessories for the
basic cross bars (e.g. ski racks, bicycle
racks, etc.) are being used. Overloading the
vehicle could result in an accident. When
calculating the weight placed on the roof
please make sure to add the weight of the
basic cross, accessory racks and the load
carried together.
Always adapt your driving style to the road,
traffic and weather conditions, and drive
with added caution when the roof is loaded.
Always drive with extreme care when the
roof rack is loaded. Take into consideration
that when the roof rack is loaded, the han-
dling characteristics are different from
those when operating the vehicles without a
roof rack loaded.Warning!G
Do not use accessories which have not been
approved by Mercedes-Benz for use in con-
junction with these basic cross bars. If
non-approved accessories are used, these
accessories and/or the objects attached to
them could come loose from the vehicle,
thereby injuring you and other persons
and/or causing damage to property, includ-
ing damage to your vehicle.
!Have a second person assist you when
installing the basic cross bars. The vehicle could
otherwise be damaged.
!Objects attached to the basic cross bar
system’s accessories must not be allowed to
restrict the movement of the tilt/sliding sunroof.
The tilt/sliding sunroof could otherwise be dam-
aged when it is raised.

303 Controls in detail
Loading
Attach add-on roof equipment to the
basic cross bars.
Place cover stripc flush against the
add-on roof equipment, and mark the
end of basic cross bar on cover strip.
Cut off cover stripc at marked loca-
tion.
Press cover stripc piece by piece into
groove of the basic cross bar.
Loading instructions
Load distribution
iCover strips are available as Mercedes-Benz
accessories. Contact your Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Warning!G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible using cargo tie-down rings and
fastening materials appropriate for the
weight and size of the load.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, always use tie
down rings, and if so equipped, always use
the cargo net* when transporting cargo.
Never drive vehicle with the tailgate open.
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in uncon-
sciousness and death.

304 Controls in detail
Loading
The gross vehicle weight which is the
weight of the vehicle including fuel, tools,
spare wheel, installed accessories, pas-
sengers and luggage/cargo must never
exceed the load limit and Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) for your vehicle as
specified on the placard located on the
driver’s door B-pillar (
page 550). In addi-
tion, the load must be distributed in such a
way so that the weight on each axle never
exceeds the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for the front and rear axle. The
GVWR and GAWR for your vehicle are indi-
cated on the certification label which can
be found on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 550).
For more information, see “Tire and Load-
ing Information” (
page 389).
The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.Please pay attention to and comply with
the following instructions when loading the
vehicle and transporting cargo:

Always place items being carried
against front or rear seat backrests,
and fasten them as securely as possi-
ble.

The heaviest portion of the cargo
should always be kept as low as possi-
ble against front or rear seat backrests.
For additional safety when transporting
cargo while the rear seats are unoccupied,
fasten the outer seat belts crosswise into
the opposite side buckles.
Cargo tie-down rings
Your vehicle is equipped with eight cargo
tie-down rings.
Carefully secure cargo by applying even
load on all rings with rope of sufficient
strength to hold down the cargo.
iThe cargo compartment is the preferred
place to carry objects. The expanded cargo com-
partment (
page 306) should only be used for
items which do not fit in the cargo compartment
alone.
iWhile the cargo net* (page 313) will help
protect you from smaller objects, it cannot pre-
vent the movement of large, heavier objects into
the passenger compartment in an accident, dur-
ing hard braking or sudden maneuvers. Such
items must be properly secured using the cargo
tie-down rings in the cargo compartment floor.

305 Controls in detail
Loading
Cargo compartment
Four cargo tie-down rings are located in
the cargo compartment.
1Cargo tie-down ringSecond seat-row
Two cargo tie-down rings are located in the
footwell behind the driver’s and passenger
seat.
1Cargo tie-down ringThird seat-row
Two cargo tie-down rings are located be-
hind the third-row seat backrest.
For information on how to fold the
third-row seats, see “Expanding cargo
compartment” (
page 306).
1Cargo tie-down ring
The maximum permissible weight per
cargo tie-down ring is 331 lb (150 kg).

306 Controls in detail
Loading
Hooks
Two hooks are located on the rear com-
partment trim panels, one on each side.
1Hook
Use the hooks to secure light weight items
only. The maximum permissible weight per
hook is 9 lb (4 kg).Expanding cargo compartment
You can separately fold the left and right
rear seat backrests to expand the cargo
compartment.
Warning!G
When expanding the cargo compartment,
always fully fold the corresponding seats
and, if so equipped, always use the
cargo net* (
page 313) when transporting
cargo.
Unless you are transporting cargo, the back-
rests must remain properly locked in the up-
right position.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and can cause
injury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
Always use the cargo tie down rings
(
page 304).
Warning!G
Never drive the vehicle with the tailgate
open. Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases
may enter vehicle interior resulting in un-
consciousness and death.
!When the second-row seats are folded for-
ward, the front seats may not be moved to the
rearmost position. Otherwise you could damage
the front and second-row seats.

320 Controls in detail
Useful features
Parcel nets Parcel net in front passenger footwell
A small convenience parcel net is located
in the front passenger footwell. It is intend-
ed for small and light items, such as road
maps, mail, etc.
1Parcel netParcel nets on front seat backrests
A small convenience parcel net is located
on each of the front seat backrests. It is in-
tended for small and light items, such as
road maps, mail, etc.
1Parcel net
Warning!G
Do not place objects with a combined
weight of more than 4.4 lb (2 kg) into the
parcel net on the back of the front passen-
ger seat. Otherwise, the Occupant Classifi-
cation System* OCS (
page 81) may not
be able to properly approximate the occu-
pant weight category.
Parcel nets are intended for storing
light-weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
parcel nets. In an accident, during hard
braking, or sudden maneuvers, they could
be thrown around inside the vehicle and
cause injury to vehicle occupants.
Parcel nets cannot protect transported
goods in the event of an accident.

361 Operation
Driving instructions
Traction in steep terrain
The maximum vehicle climbing ability is a
100% grade which is equivalent to a slope
angle of 45 degrees. Keep in mind that the
climbing ability of the vehicle depends on
terrain conditions.
Be easy on the accelerator and watch for
continuous wheel traction when driving in
steep terrain.Driving across a hilltop
Decelerate just ahead of a hilltop (do not
shift automatic transmission to
positionN), to prevent the vehicle from
speeding up too much after climbing a hill.
Use the momentum of the vehicle to drive
across the hilltop.
After climbing a hill, driving in this manner
prevents the vehicle from:

losing ground contact when cresting
hills

losing its forward momentum

speeding up too much after climbing
the hillDriving downhill

Drive slowly.

Do not drive at an angle to the incline.
Steer into the line of gravity and drive
with the front wheels pointing straight
downhill. Otherwise, the vehicle may
slide sideways off the path and roll
over.

Shift automatic transmission to
position1 (
page 200).

On steep inclines, use the Downhill
Speed Regulation (
page 275).

Utilize the engine’s braking power to
reduce vehicle speed.
If this is insufficient, apply the brake
gently. Make sure the vehicle is moving
in the line of gravity.

Check the brakes after a lengthy down-
grade drive.
iThe hill start assist system supports you
when driving uphill.
For more information, see “Hill start assist sys-
tem” (
page 199).
iThe 4-ETS helps greatly when starting out on
a steep incline when the front wheels have then
the tendency to slip due to the weight shifting
towards the rear axle.
The 4-ETS recognizes the situation and limits the
torque for the front wheels by braking them.
Simultaneously the torque for the rear wheels is
increased.
iVehicles with enhanced off-road package*
are equipped with automatic locks for the center
and rear axle differential to improve vehicle
traction.

366 Operation
Driving instructions
Trailer towing Trailer hitch*

Only install a trailer hitch receiver ap-
proved for your vehicle.
For information on availability and in-
stallation, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

The bumpers on your vehicle are not
designed for use with clamp-type hitch-
es.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them.

To reduce the possibility of damage, re-
move the hitch ball adaptor from the
receiver when not in use.Electrical connections
The vehicle is prewired to accept the
seven-wire harness included in the
Mercedes-Benz approved trailer hitch
receiver kit.
For further information, contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Vehicle and trailer weights and ratings
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the
maximum permissible vehicle weight:
6944 lb (3150 kg).
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW):
Comprises weight of vehicle including fuel,
tools, spare wheel, installed accessories,
passengers, cargo and trailer tongue. It
must never exceed the GVWR.
Warning!G
Failure to use proper equipment and driving
technique can result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol when towing a trailer.
Improper towing or failure to follow the in-
structions in this manual can result in vehi-
cle damage and/or serious personal injury.
Follow the guidelines below carefully to as-
sure safe trailer operation.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center should you require an explana-
tion of information contained in this manual.
iA four-pole conversion plug is available from
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as a spare part.