2008 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450 ESP

271 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The most likely cause for a malfunctioning
system is a dirty sensor (located behind
the hood grille), especially at times of snow
and ice or heavy rain. In such a case,
Distronic will switch off, and the message
DISTRONIC Currently Unavailable – See
Operator’s Manual
appears in the multi-
function display.
For cleaning and care of the Distronic sen-
sor, see “Cleaning the Distronic* system
sensor cover” (
page 430).Turns and bends
In turns or bends, Distronic may not detect
a moving vehicle in front, or it may detect
one too soon. This may cause your vehicle
to brake late or unexpectedly.Offset driving
A vehicle traveling in your lane but offset
from your direct line of travel may not be
detected by Distronic. There will be insuffi-
cient distance to the vehicle ahead.
iIf the message DISTRONIC Available
Again
appears during driving the dirt (e.g.
slush) has dissolved; Distronic works again, if
you reactivate it (
page 266).
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273 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Switch on the distance warning
function in the control system
(
page 183).
Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR)For more information, see “Off-road driv-
ing” (
page 355).
The DSR is an aid for driving downhill. DSR
regulates your vehicle’s speed when driv-
ing downhill to the value set in the control
system (
page 183). The steeper the
downhill gradient is, the greater the brake
application. On flat road surfaces, DSR
brakes only slightly or not at all.
DSR regulates the vehicle’s speed in auto-
matic transmission positionsD, orR.
You can drive slower or faster than the set
speed at any time by braking the vehicle or
depressing the accelerator pedal.
Warning!G
If the distance warning lampl in the in-
strument cluster comes on while driving
and/or an intermittent warning sounds,
immediate attention on the part of the driver
is required. As required by the traffic
situation, apply the brakes and navigate
around a possible obstacle. However, do not
drive by relying on the distance warning
function, as this will result in an emergency
braking application. This will not always
enable you to avoid a collision, especially
when traveling on varying road surface
conditions and with varying driver reaction.
Complex driving situations are not always
fully recognized by the distance warning
function. This could result in wrong or miss-
ing distance warnings.Warning!G
Downhill Speed Regulation is a convenience
system designed to assist the driver during
vehicle operation. The system must be set
to be appropriate for the topographical and
weather conditions encountered which can
change quickly. The driver is and must
remain at all times responsible for the vehi-
cle speed and for safe brake operation.
Depending on the programmed speed
(
page 183), actual vehicle speed and gra-
dient, switching on the DSR while driving
can cause the vehicle to slow down rapidly
and you may hear a sound which is caused
by the activation of the vehicle’s brake sys-
tem through the DSR. Sudden and unex-
pected deceleration can result in loss of
vehicle control, causing an accident and/or
serious personal injury to you and others.
Do not switch on the DSR in a circumstance
where rapid deceleration could result in a
loss of vehicle control.
iIn addition, make use of the engine’s braking
effect by shifting the automatic transmission
into a lower gear.
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277 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Adjustment in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments
Increase set speed:
Briefly lift the cruise control lever up
past the resistance point in direction of
arrow1 (
page 276).
Release the cruise control lever.
The vehicle speed increases in incre-
ments of 5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h).
Reduce set speed:
Briefly press the cruise control lever
down past the resistance point in direc-
tion of arrow2 (
page 276).
Release the cruise control lever.
The vehicle speed decreases in incre-
ments of 5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h).
Each time the set speed is changed,
DSR will appear in the multifunction dis-
play and the newly set speed is shown.Off-road driving program (Vehicles
without enhanced off-road package*)
The off-road driving program is designed to
assist the driver when driving off-road in
terrain and crossing water. The off-road
driving program adjusts the engine power
and shifting of the automatic transmission
to be more suitable for the off-road use of
the vehicle. In addition, the ABS, ESP
®, and
4-ETS designed for off-road use are
automatically activated.
In the following situations you should
switch to the off-road driving program:

during off-road driving

when crossing water (page 360)

when towing up or down on steep
gradients
iThe set value is increased or decreased in
5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h) increments each time
you lift or depress the cruise control lever past
the resistance point.
iThe new speed is set and the vehicle will
accelerate or decelerate. Keep in mind that it
may take a brief moment until the vehicle has
reached the new set speed.
iThe set speed is canceled when DSR is
switched off. If DSR is switched on again, DSR
will use the programmed default speed
(
page 183).
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280 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The parked vehicle begins adjusting to the
set vehicle level as soon the doors and tail-
gate are

unlocked
or

opened or closed with the vehicle
unlocked
In order to operate the vehicle level control
switch (
page 281), however, the engine
must be running.
For information on off-road driving, see
“Off-road driving” (
page 355).
Warning!G
Make sure that no one is near the wheel
housing or under the vehicle when you lower
the vehicle while it is standing still. Limbs
could become wedged into or under the ve-
hicle.
For safety reasons, the vehicle can only be
lowered with all doors and the tailgate
closed. Lowering is interrupted if a door or
the tailgate is opened and will continue after
the door is closed again.
Warning!G
Please be aware that by raising the vehicle
level, the center of gravity also rises. There-
fore, always ensure that the vehicle level is
as low as possible. With higher ride height
the ESP
® may activate earlier in certain
situations.
Adapt your speed and driving to possible
changed driving behavior of the vehicle after
changing the vehicle level. The ESP
® cannot
prevent accidents, including those resulting
from excessive speed. The ESP
® cannot pre-
vent the natural laws of physics from acting
on the vehicle.
!Keep in mind that in rough or uneven ter-
rain, adjusting the vehicle to a lower level may
cause the vehicle underbody to come in contact
with the ground and result in damage to the vehi-
cle underbody. Always make sure the vehicle has
sufficient ground clearance before adjusting it to
a lower level.
!Before jacking up the vehicle with equip-
ment that lifts one or more of the wheels com-
pletely off of the ground, remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
!Please also note the information in the sec-
tion on towing (
page 538).
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284 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The following is the approximate change in
ride height for each of the level settings:You can only select the off-road levels be-
low a certain speed. At higher speeds, the
message
Level Selection Not Permitted
appears in the multifunction display.
You can select

Off-road level 1: selectable below
60 mph (96 km/h)

Off-road level 2: selectable below
40 mph (64 km/h)

Off-road level 3: selectable below
20 mph (30 km/h)Off-road levels
LevelRide height
Off-road 3+ 4.3 in (110 mm)
Off-road 2+ 3.1 in (80 mm)
Off-road 1+ 1.2 in (30 mm)
Highway+/- 0 in (0 mm)
High-speed- 0.6 in (-15 mm)
iVehicles with ADS*:
Depending on the ADS setting (
page 278), the
vehicle will be lowered to the high-speed level
when traveling at higher speeds. At speeds be-
low 40 mph (64 km/h) at the latest, it will be re-
turned to the highway level.
iThe high-speed level is not available if tow-
ing a trailer. For more information on towing a
trailer, see “Trailer towing” (
page 364).
Warning!G
Vehicle off-road level 3 is not intended for
use on paved roads. This vehicle level is only
intended for driving on rough terrain under
special requirements.

Only select off-road level 3 if you are
driving on rough terrain under especially
difficult conditions.

Adapt your driving style to the modified
conditions.

Do not exceed a speed of 20 mph
(30 km/h).

Avoid extreme, quick steering move-
ments.

Keep in mind that the vehicle’s driving
characteristics are modified.
You should therefore drive in off-road level 3
with particular caution as it could otherwise
lead to an accident and/or serious injury to
you or others.
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285 Controls in detail
Driving systems
If you are driving too fast while using
off-road level 3, you will see the following
message in the multifunction display:

Reduce speed to
under 20 MPH
(30 km/h)
Additional an acoustic signal sounds.
Only use the off-road levels when neces-
sary.
Otherwise:

fuel consumption may increase

handling characteristics of the vehicle
may be unfavorable
Start the engine (page 41).
Turn outer adjustment ring1
(
page 283) repeatedly until indicator
lamp3 (
page 283) of the desired
level flashes.

Off-road level 1, lower indicator
lamp flashes

Off-road level 2, lower and middle
indicator lamps flashes

Off-road level 3, lower, middle and
upper indicator lamps flashes
The vehicle adjusts to the correspond-
ing off-road level.
For example, the following message
appears in the multifunction display while
the level is being set:
The vehicle is raised from off-road level 1
to off-road level 2.When the off-road level 2 is reached, the
following message appears in the multi-
function display for 5 seconds:
The lower and middle indicator lamps3
(
page 283) comes on continuously.
While the vehicle is adjusting from off-road
level 2 to off-road level 3, you will see, for
example, the following message in the
multifunction display:
iThis message cannot be deactivated.
For more information, see “Display message”
(
page 487).
iThe message can be cleared by pressing
theèÿk or buttonj on the
multifunction steering wheel.

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288 Controls in detail
Driving systems
When the highway level is reached, the in-
dicator lamps3 (
page 281) goes out.
The following message appears in the mul-
tifunction display for 5 seconds:
Parktronic system*
The Parktronic system is an electronic
parking aid and designed to assist the
driver during parking maneuvers. It visually
and audibly indicates the relative distance
between the vehicle and an obstacle.
The Parktronic system is automatically
activated when you

switch on the ignition or start the
engine
and

release the parking brake
and

set the automatic transmission to
positionD,R, orN
iThe vehicle is lowered automatically to the
highway level if the vehicle speed is above
60 mph (96 km/h).
Warning!G
Parktronic is a supplemental system. It is
not intended to, nor does it replace, the
need for extreme care. The responsibility
during parking and other critical maneuvers
always remains with the driver.
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or road
curbs). Such objects may not be detected by
the system and can damage the vehicle.
The operational function of the Parktronic
system can be affected by dirty sensors,
especially at times of snow and ice. See
“Cleaning the Parktronic system sensors”
(
page 430).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic
signals (e.g. working jackhammers, car
wash, or the air brakes of trucks) can cause
the system to send erratic indications, and
should be taken into consideration.
Warning!G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.
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293 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Rear view camera*
Warning!G
The rear view camera is only an aid and may
display obstacles from a distorted perspec-
tive or inaccurately, or may not display ob-
stacles at all. The rear view camera does not
relieve you of the responsibility to be cau-
tious, take care and pay careful attention.
The rear view camera may not show objects
which are:

very close to the rear bumper

under the rear bumper

above the tailgate handle
You are responsible for safety at all times
and must continue to pay attention to the
immediate surroundings when parking and
maneuvering. This includes the area behind,
in front of and beside the vehicle. Otherwise
you could endanger yourself or others.
Warning!G
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
or near the area in which you are
parking/maneuvering. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
Warning!G
The rear view camera either will not function
or will not function to its full capability if:

the tailgate is open

it is raining very hard, snowing or foggy

it is night or you are parking/maneuver-
ing your vehicle in an area where it is
very dark

the camera is exposed to a very bright
white light

the immediate surroundings are illumi-
nated with fluorescent light (the display
may flicker)

there is a sudden change in tempera-
ture, e.g. if you drive into a heated ga-
rage from the cold (lens condensation)

the camera lens is dirty or covered

the rear of your vehicle is damaged
In this case, have the position and set-
ting of the camera checked by a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
visit a Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center for this purpose.
Do not use the rear view camera in these sit-
uations. Otherwise you could injure yourself
or others and/or damage property including
your vehicle while parking/maneuvering.
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