2008 MERCEDES-BENZ GL320 cargo door

Contents
Safety and Security........................... 73
Occupant safety................................... 74
Air bags .......................................... 76
Occupant Classification System ..... 81
Seat belts ....................................... 86
Active head restraint ...................... 90
Rear head restraints ....................... 91
Children in the vehicle .................... 91
Blocking of rear door
window operation ........................... 98
Panic alarm ........................................ 100
Activating ..................................... 100
Deactivating ................................. 100
Driving safety systems ....................... 101
ABS .............................................. 101
BAS .............................................. 103
ESP
®............................................. 103
EBP............................................... 107
4-ETS ............................................ 107
Anti-theft systems.............................. 109
Immobilizer................................... 109
Anti-theft alarm system ................ 109
Controls in detail............................. 111
Locking and unlocking ....................... 112
SmartKey ..................................... 112
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 115
Checking the batteries in the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* .............................. 120
Loss of the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 120
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................. 120
Tailgate/Power tailgate*.............. 121
Automatic central locking ............ 128
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................. 128
Seats ................................................. 130
Easy-entry/exit feature for
third-row seats ............................. 130
Front seat active head restraints . 133
Rear seats .................................... 133
Lumbar support............................ 137
Multicontour seat* ....................... 138
Seat heating* ............................... 138
Seat ventilation* .......................... 140Memory function* ............................. 141
Storing positions into memory ..... 142
Recalling positions from memory. 142
Lighting ............................................. 143
Exterior lamp switch .................... 143
Combination switch ..................... 147
Corner-illuminating
front fog lamps*........................... 147
Hazard warning flasher ................ 149
Interior lighting ............................ 149
Door entry lamps ......................... 151
Cargo compartment lamp ............ 151
Instrument cluster ............................. 152
Adjusting instrument
cluster illumination ...................... 153
Resetting trip odometer ............... 153
Tachometer.................................. 153
Outside temperature indicator ..... 153
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Contents
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* ................ 251
Opening and closing ..................... 251
Synchronizing ............................... 253
Driving systems ................................. 255
Cruise control............................... 255
Distronic* (Canada only) .............. 260
Distance warning function*
(Canada only) ............................... 272
Downhill Speed Regulation
(DSR) ............................................ 273
Off-road driving program
(Vehicles without
enhanced off-road package*) ....... 277
Air suspension program ............... 278
Adaptive Damping System
(ADS)* .......................................... 278
Vehicle level control ..................... 279
Parktronic system* ...................... 288
Rear view camera* ....................... 293Loading .............................................. 295
Carriers* ...................................... 295
Loading instructions..................... 301
Cargo tie-down rings .................... 302
Hooks........................................... 304
Expanding cargo compartment .... 304
Cargo compartment cover blind... 310
Cargo net* ................................... 312
Useful features .................................. 315
Storage compartments ................ 315
Parcel nets ................................... 319
Cup holders.................................. 320
Ashtrays ....................................... 321
Cigarette lighter ........................... 323
Power outlets ............................... 324
Floormats ..................................... 325
Seat cover under third-row seats . 326
Heated steering wheel* ............... 327
Telephone* .................................. 328
Tele Aid ........................................ 331
Garage door opener ..................... 338
Compass ...................................... 344
Infrared reflecting windshield* ..... 344
Operation......................................... 345
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 346
Driving instructions ........................... 347
Drive sensibly – save fuel............. 347
Drinking and driving ..................... 347
Pedals .......................................... 347
Power assistance ......................... 348
Brakes.......................................... 348
Driving off .................................... 350
Parking......................................... 350
Tires ............................................. 351
Hydroplaning................................ 352
Tire traction ................................. 352
Tire speed rating .......................... 353
Winter driving instructions ........... 353
Standing water............................. 355
Off-road driving ............................ 355
Trailer towing ............................... 364
Passenger compartment .............. 370
Driving abroad ............................. 370
Control and operation of radio
transmitters ................................. 370
Catalytic converter
(gasoline engine).......................... 371
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23 At a glance
Exterior view
ItemPage
1Tailgate122
Power tailgate*123
Cargo compartment

Loading instructions301

Cargo tie-down rings302

Hooks304

Expanding304

Cover blind310

Cargo net*312
Vehicle tool kit490
Spare wheel494
2Rear window defroster212
3Rear lamps505
4Fuel filler flap374
Refueling374
Fuel375,
565
ItemPage
5Exterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting51
Auto-dimming rear view
mirrors*208
Power folding*209
6Towing eye bolt
Installing towing eye bolt540
7Tires and wheels384,
555
Checking tire inflation
pressure395
General information384
Flat tire519
Spare wheel494
8Hood378
Opening378
Engine oil380
Coolant381
ItemPage
9Windshield wipers62
Wiper blades, replacing516
Wiper blades, cleaning431
aWindshield
Cleaning with wiper fluid64
Cleaning431
bRoof rails295
Carriers*296
cPower tilt/sliding sunroof*251
dDoors
Locking and unlocking112
Opening120
Unlocking/locking in an
emergency496
eFront lamps505
fHeadlamp cleaning system*208
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46 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switch is located on
the entry side of each front seat base.
1 Head restraint height (vehicles with
memory function)*
2Seat cushion tilt
3Seat height
4Backrest tilt
5Seat fore and aft adjustment
Warning!G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriately sized infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat recommended for
the size and weight of the child. For addi-
tional information, see “Children in the vehi-
cle” (
page 91).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint.
!When moving the seats, make sure there are
no items in the footwell or behind the seats;
otherwise you could damage the seats.
!When the second-row seats are folded
forward, e.g. for cargo compartment expansion
(
page 304), the front seats may not be moved
to the rearmost position. Otherwise you could
damage the front and second-row seats.
!When adjusting the seat backrest tilt and
head restraint height, make sure the sun visor is
folded up (
page 210). If the head restraint is in
the uppermost position, it could hit and damage
the sun visor.
iVehicles without memory function*:
The seats can be adjusted within 5 minutes after
either front door has been opened. The counter
resets each time

you open or close a front door

you insert the SmartKey into the starter
switch

you remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch

you switch the ignition on or off
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92 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Infant and child restraint systems
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
All lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s
seat belt have special seat belt retractors
for secure fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow child
restraint instructions for mounting. Then
pull the shoulder belt out completely and
let it retract. During seat belt retraction, a
ratcheting sound can be heard to indicate
that the special seat belt retractor is acti-
vated. The belt is now locked. Push down
on child restraint to take up any slack.
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely. To deacti-
vate the special seat belt retractor for the
front passenger seat, the front passenger
seat must be in the most backward posi-
tion. The seat belt can again be used in the
usual manner.The use of infant or child restraints is re-
quired by law in all 50 states, the District
of Columbia, the U.S. territories and all
Canadian provinces.Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system’s
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.
If children open a door, they could

injure other persons

get out of the car and injure themselves
or be injured by following traffic
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger or cargo compartment unless
they are firmly secured in place. For more in-
formation, see “Loading” (
page 295) and
“Useful features” (
page 315).
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child’s risk of injury in the event
of

strong braking maneuvers

sudden changes of direction

an accident
Warning!G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.
iFor information on child seats with mounting
fittings for tether anchorages, see “Installation
of infant and child restraint system”
(
page 96).
For information on LATCH-type child seat
mounts, see “Child seat anchors – LATCH type”
(
page 95).

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123 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Closing the tailgate from the outside
1Handle
Lower tailgate by pulling firmly on
handle1.
Close tailgate with hands placed flat on
it.
Once the tailgate touches the latch, the
tailgate will pull itself shut automatical-
ly.Power tailgate*
In vehicles with power tailgate, you can

open and close the tailgate from the
inside and the outside electrically

limit the opening height of the tailgate

interrupt the opening/closing proce-
dure at any time by

pressing or pulling the
door-mounted remote tailgate
switch (
page 124)

pressing the Šbutton on the
SmartKey (
page 112) or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
(
page 115)

pressing the tailgate closing switch
(
page 126)

pressing the tailgate
closing/locking switch (vehicles
with KEYLESS-GO*) (
page 126)
Warning!G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the cargo
compartment opening when closing the
tailgate. Be especially careful when small
children are around.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
iTo prevent an inadvertent lockout, do not
place the SmartKey in the cargo compartment.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: To prevent a
possible inadvertent lockout, the tailgate will
open automatically if a SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO is recognized inside the vehicle.
iIf the vehicle was previously centrally locked
with the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*, the tailgate
will lock automatically after closing it. The turn
signals flash three times to confirm locking.
!The tailgate swings open upwards automat-
ically. Always make sure there is sufficient over-
head clearance.
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125 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Limiting opening height of tailgate*
In vehicles with power tailgate*, the tail-
gate opening height can be limited when
transporting goods on a roof rack* (e.g.
presence of an MB roof cargo container*).
When activated, the tailgate opens to
approximately 6.6 ft (2.00 m).
Activate the limiting opening height of
tailgate using the control system
(
page 181).
Closing the tailgate from the inside
You can close the tailgate from the inside
using the remote tailgate switch.
If the tailgate comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high) the closing procedure
is stopped and the tailgate reopens.
Press remote tailgate switch1
(
page 124) until tailgate begins to
close.
The tailgate closes. While the tailgate is
closing an acoustic signal sounds.
To interrupt the closing procedure:
Press or pull remote tailgate switch1
(
page 124).
Warning!G
Maintain sight of the area around the rear of
the vehicle while operating the tailgate with
the door-mounted switch. Monitor the
closing procedure carefully to make sure no
one is in danger of being injured.
To interrupt the closing procedure, press or
pull the door-mounted remote tailgate
switch or press the Šbutton on the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*.
Even with the SmartKey or the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the remote tailgate switch can be operated.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
i n t h e v e h i c l e , o r w i t h a c c e s s t o a n u n l o c k e d
vehicle. A child’s unsupervised access to a
vehicle could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.
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126 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Closing the tailgate from the outside
You can close the tailgate from the outside
using the tailgate closing switch or
theŠbutton on the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*. In vehicles
with KEYLESS-GO*, you can also simulta-
neously lock the vehicle.
If the tailgate comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high) the closing procedure
is stopped and the tailgate reopens.
Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO*
1Tailgate closing switch
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*
1Tailgate closing switch
Press tailgate closing switch1 or the
Šbutton on the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* briefly.
The tailgate closes and an acoustic
warning sounds.
Warning!G
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
make sure no one is in danger of being in-
jured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from
the cargo compartment opening when clos-
ing the tailgate. Be especially careful when
small children are around. To stop the clos-
ing procedure, do one of the following:

Press tailgate closing switch1
(
page 126).

Press KEYLESS-GO* locking/closing
switch*1 (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*) (
page 127).

Press the Šbutton on the SmartKey
(
page 112) or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* (
page 115).

Press or pull the remote tailgate switch
on the driver’s door (
page 124).
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the tailgate closing switch can be operated.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. A child’s unsupervised access to a
vehicle could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.
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