2007 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450 climate control

319 Controls in detail
Useful features
3Storage compartment
4Coin holder
Opening the telephone* tray
Pull button1 and lift up armrest.
Opening the storage compartment
Pull button2 and lift up armrest.
The coin holders4 are located in front
of storage compartment3.Rear storage compartments
Depending on the vehicle configuration,
your vehicle may be equipped with three
storage compartments in the front of the
rear seats.
1Storage compartment cover
2Release button
Briefly press release button2 on
storage compartment cover1.
The storage compartment opens
automatically.
iDepending on vehicle equipment, the upper
storage compartment may be replaced by a
control panel, for example in vehicles with rear
climate control* (
page 228) or rear automatic
climate control* (
page 243).
iIf your vehicle is equipped with a smoking
package*, the storage compartment contains an
ashtray (
page 323).

370 Operation
Driving instructions

If the transmission repeatedly shifts
between gears on inclines, manually
shift to a lower gear (select 4, 3, 2 or 1)
(
page 200).
A lower gear and reduction of speed re-
duces the chance of engine overload-
ing and/or overheating.

On very steep inclines, not manageable
with automatic transmission in1,
switch on off-road driving program
(
page 280) or LOW RANGE mode*
(
page 203).

When going down a long hill, shift into
a lower gear and use the engine’s brak-
ing effect.
Avoid riding the brakes, thus overheat-
ing the vehicle and trailer brakes.

If the engine coolant rises to an ex-
tremely high temperature (coolant tem-
perature needle approaching the red
zone) when the air conditioning is on,
turn off the air conditioning system.
Engine coolant heat can be additionally
vented by opening the windows,
switching the climate control fan speed
to high and setting the temperature
control to the maximum hot position.

Extreme care must be exercised since
your vehicle with a trailer will require
additional passing distance ahead than
when driving without a trailer.
Because your vehicle and trailer is
longer than your vehicle alone, you will
also need to go much farther ahead of
the passed vehicle before you can re-
turn to your lane.Uncoupling the trailer
!If the trailer should begin to sway, reduce
the vehicle’s speed immediately.
In no case attempt to straighten out the tow
vehicle and trailer by increasing the speed.
Warning!G
While you are coupling or decoupling a trail-
er, make sure that you do not

lock or unlock

open or close
a vehicle door or the tailgate.
The vehicle’s level could change and you
could endanger yourself and/or others as a
result.
Make sure that you do not operate the ADS
button* (
page 281) or the vehicle level
control system (
page 281) when cou-
pling/decoupling the trailer.

414 Operation
Tires and wheels
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1
1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.Traction
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades rep-
resent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high tem-
perature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and ex-
cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
Warning!G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.

428 Operation
Vehicle care
Automatic car wash
You can have your car washed in an auto-
matic car wash from the start. Automatic
car washes without brushes are prefera-
ble.
To protect the filter system, switch the
climate control system (
page 218) or
the automatic climate control system*
(
page 232) to air recirculation mode.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it
before running it through the automatic
car wash.When taking the vehicle through an auto-
matic conveyor type car wash, observe the
following instructions.Vehicles with SmartKey:
With the vehicle at a standstill and the
ignition switched on shift the automatic
transmission to neutral positionN.
If engaged, release the parking brake
(
page 60).
Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
With the vehicle at a standstill, depress
the brake pedal and keep it pressed.
With the ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to park
positionP.
Release the brake pedal.
Remove the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button from the starter switch
(
page 43).
!Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic
touchless car wash which use caustic spray.
Otherwise the caustic spray will damage the
paint or ornamental moldings.
!Make sure that the windshield wiper switch
is set to0 (
page 64). Otherwise, e.g. the rain
sensor could activate and cause the wipers to
move unintentionally. This may lead to vehicle
damage.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in exterior
rear view mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent
damage to the mirrors.
Warning!G
When leaving the SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* in the starter switch, do
not leave children unattended in the vehicle.
It is possible for children to switch on the
ignition which could result in unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment. Unsupervised use
of vehicle equipment could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.

569 Index
A
ABS 103
Indicator lamp 436
Messages in the
multifunction display 453
Off-road - ABS 104
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 198
Accessory weight 415
Accident 67
Active head restraint 92, 135, 504
Adaptive Damping System (ADS)* 280
Air bags 76
Children 77, 93
Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp 31, 32, 85
Front, Driver 79
Front, Passenger 79
Occupant Classification System*
(OCS) 81
Safety guidelines 78
Side impact (front and rear*) 80
Window curtain 80Air conditioning refrigerant 562
Air conditioning system see
Climate control or
Automatic climate control (3-zone)*
Air conditioning, Cooling 226, 241
Air distribution, Front 221, 236
Air distribution, Rear 229, 245
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air recirculation mode 224, 239
Air suspension package 280
Adaptive Damping System
(ADS)* 280
Messages in the
multifunction display 490
Vehicle level control 281
Air vents 229
Air vents*, Rear 246
Air vents, Front 222, 236
Air volume 222, 237
Alarm system see Anti-theft systems
Alignment bolt (vehicle tool kit) 496, 526
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 561, 566Antiglare, Interior rear view mirror 210
Antiglare, Rear view mirrors* 211
Antilock Brake System see ABS
Anti-theft systems 112
Anti-theft alarm system 111, 112
Immobilizer 111
Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning
Armrest storage compartments
Front 318
Ashtrays* 322
Aspect ratio 415
ATF 382
Attaching a trailer 368
Audio menu 166
CD operation 167
Radio operation 166
Satellite radio* operation
(USA only) 166
Auto-dimming*, Rear view mirrors 211
Automatic central locking,
Control system 183

570 Index
Automatic climate control (3-zone)* 230
Air conditioning refrigerant 561
Air conditioning, Cooling 241
Air distribution, Front 236
Air distribution, Rear 245
Air recirculation mode 239
Air vents*, second-row seats 246
Air vents*, third-row seats 247
Air vents, Front 236
Air volume 237
Control panel, Front 232
Control panel, Rear 243
Deactivating system 234
Defogging 237
Defrosting 237
Maximum cooling, MAXCOOL 239
Rear passenger compartment 243
Rear window defroster 215
Residual engine heat (REST) 242
Using driver-side settings for
all temperature zones 242Automatic headlamp mode 146
Automatic lighting control,
Interior lighting 152
Automatic locking when driving 130
Automatic transmission 58
Accelerator position 198
Emergency operation
(limp-home mode) 202
Gear ranges 200
Gear selector lever 58, 192
Gear selector lever position 195
Gear shifting malfunctions 202
Hill start assist system 199
Kickdown 198
Shifting procedure 195
Starting the engine 57
Steering wheel gearshift control 201
Towing a trailer 200
Transmission fluid level 382
Transmission positions 196
Automatic Transmission Fluid see ATFB
BabySmartTM
Air bag deactivation system 87, 450
Self-test 87
Backrest
Seat 46
Seat, Lumbar support 139
Seat, Multicontour* 140
Backup lamps
Messages in the
multifunction display 481
Replacing bulbs 515
Bar 416
BAS 105
Lamps in instrument cluster 436
Messages in the
multifunction display 453
Basic cross bars* 297
Batteries, SmartKey
Check lamp 114, 117
Checking battery condition 122
Messages in the
multifunction display 469
Replacing 506

572 Index
Children in the vehicle 93
Air bags 77, 93
Blocking rear door window
operation 100
Indicator lamp, Front passenger front
air bag 85, 87, 450
Infant and child restraint systems 88,
94
LATCH-type child seat anchors 97
Occupant Classification System*
(OCS) 81
Cigarette lighter* 324
Climate control 216
Air conditioning refrigerant 561
Air conditioning, Cooling 226, 227
Air distribution, Front 221
Air distribution, rear 229
Air recirculation mode 224
Air vents*, second-row seats 222
Air vents, Front 222
Air volume 222
Control panel*, Rear 228
Control panel, Front 218
Deactivating system 220
Defogging 224
Defrosting 223Rear window defroster 215
Residual engine heat (REST) 227
Clock 27, 176
Setting time 176
Cloth upholstery, Cleaning and
care of 434
Cockpit 24
Cockpit Management and Data System
see COMAND System
Cold tire inflation pressure 416
Collapsible wheel chock 498
COMAND System see separate operating
instructions
Combination switch 63, 65, 149
Compass 345
Adjustment 181
Calibration 182
Calling up the compass 345
Control and operation of radio
transmitters 372
Control system 157
Multifunction display 157
Multifunction steering wheel 158
Resetting to factory default 171Control system menus 157
Audio 166
DISTRONIC* 169
NAV* 168
Off-road 168
Settings 170
Standard display 164
TEL* 189
Trip computer 187
Vehicle configuration 185
Vehicle status message memory 169
Control system submenus 161, 163, 173
Comfort* 184
Instrument cluster 174, 175
Lighting 178
Time/Date 176
Vehicle 181
Coolant 382, 565
Anticorrosion/antifreeze mixing ratio
and quantity 566
Capacities 560
Checking coolant level 377, 382
Messages in the
multifunction display 473, 475
Temperature 374
Temperature display 164

578 Index
Headlamps
Automatic headlamp mode 146
Bi-Xenon* 481, 512
Cleaning lenses 429
Cleaning system* 210, 384
Halogen 511
High beam see High beam flasher
High beam see High beam headlamps
Light sensor, Messages in the
multifunction display 483
Low beam see Low beam headlamps
Manual headlamp mode 146
Messages in the
multifunction display 481, 482,
483, 484, 485, 486
Replacing bulbs 508, 509
Switch 62, 145
Heated seats see Seat heating*
Heated steering wheel* 328
Height adjustment
Vehicle level control
(Vehicles with Air suspension
package) 283
Vehicle level control
(Vehicles with enhanced Off-road
Package*) 285High beam flasher 63, 149
High beam headlamps
Indicator lamp 29
Messages in the
multifunction display 482
Replacing bulbs 509, 511, 512
Switching on 63, 149
High mounted brake lamp 509
Hill start assist system 199
Hinged quarter windows* see
Power windows
Hood 379
Messages in the
multifunction display 478
Opening 379
Hooks
Loading 306
Horn 25
HVAC see Climate control or
automatic climate control (3-zone)*
Hydroplaning 354I
Identification labels see Labels
Ignition 42, 44, 59
Immobilizer 111
Indicator lamps see Lamps, Indicator and
warning
Infant and child restraint systems see
Children in the vehicle
Inflation pressure see Tires,
Inflation pressures
Information button see Tele Aid
Infrared reflecting windshield* 345
Inside door handle 122
Instrument cluster 26, 28, 155
Illumination brightness 155
Lamps 436
Messages in display see Multifunction
display messages
Multifunction display 157
Outside temperature indicator 156
Selecting language 174
Instrument lighting see Instrument cluster,
Illumination brightness
Instrument panel see Instrument cluster