2008 MERCEDES-BENZ GL450 Tail gate

150 Controls in detail
Lighting
Automatic control
Deactivating
Press switch3.
The switch engages in the recessed
position.
The interior lighting and the locator
lighting (
page 176) remain switched
off even when you

unlock the vehicle

open a door

open the tailgate

remove the SmartKey from the
starter switchActivating
Press switch3.
The switch disengages from its
recessed position back to its original
position.
The interior lighting and the locator
lighting (
page 176) come on when
you

unlock the vehicle

open a door

open the tailgate

remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch
The interior lamps go out following an
adjustable time delay (
page 177).Manual control
Switching front/rear interior lighting on
and off
Press front/rear interior lighting
switch4 or2 to switch on the
respective interior light.
Press front/rear interior lighting
switch4 or2 again to switch off the
respective interior light.
Switching front reading lamps on and off
Press front reading lamp switch1
or5 to switch on the respective front
reading lamp.
Press front reading lamp switch1
or5 again to switch off the respective
front reading lamp.
!An interior lamp switched on manually does
not go out automatically.
Leaving an interior lamp switch in the ON
position for extended periods of time with the
engine turned off could result in a discharged
battery.
iThe interior lighting is factory-set to
automatic mode.
iIf a door remains open, the interior lamps
switch off automatically after approximately
5 minutes when the SmartKey is removed or in
starter switch position0.
iAn interior lamp switched on manually does
not go out automatically.
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151 Controls in detail
Lighting
Switching second-row reading lamps on
and off
The second-row reading lamps are located
above the side windows.
Passenger side reading lamp
1Second-row reading lamp
Press on reading lamp1 where indi-
cated by arrow.
The reading lamp comes on.
Press on reading lamp1 once more.
The reading lamp goes out.
Door entry lamps
For better orientation in the dark, the
corresponding door entry lamps comes on
when you open a door and the automatic
control is activated.
The door entry lamps will switch off when
the corresponding door is closed.Cargo compartment lamp
The cargo compartment lamp comes on
when the tailgate is opened.
If you leave the tailgate open for an extend-
ed period of time, the cargo compartment
lamp will switch off automatically after ap-
proximately 5 minutes.
iIf you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 or remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch, the door entry lamps will
remain lit for approximately 5 minutes.
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171 Controls in detail
Control system
The table below shows what settings can
be changed within the various menus.
Detailed instructions on making individual
settings can be found on the following
pages.
Instrument clusterTime/DateLightingVehicleComfort*
(page 172)(page 174)(page 175)(page 178)(page 181)
Selecting speedometer
display modeSetting the timeSetting daytime running
lamp mode (USA only)Compass adjustmentActivating
easy-entry/exit fea-
ture*
Selecting languageSetting the dateSetting locator lightingCompass calibrationSetting fold-in func-
tion* for exterior rear
view mirrors
Selecting display (digital
speedometer or outside
temperature) for status in-
dicatorSetting night security
illuminationAudio search function
Setting interior lighting
delayed shut-offSetting automatic cen-
tral locking
Limiting opening
height of tailgate*
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178 Controls in detail
Control system
Vehicle submenu
Access the
Vehicle submenu via the
Settings menu. Use the Vehicle submenu
to make general vehicle settings.
The following functions are available:Compass adjustment
This function is not available if your vehicle
is equipped with the COMAND system and
navigation module*.
Determine your location on the basis of the
following zone maps.
Zone map North AmericaZone map South America
Press buttonæ orç to move
the selection marker to the
Vehicle
submenu.
FunctionPage
Compass adjustment178
Compass calibration179
Audio search function180
Setting automatic central
locking180
Limiting opening height of
tailgate*181
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179 Controls in detail
Control system
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Compass Setting
Zone
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to set the
respective compass zone.
For information on how to call up the
compass, see “Compass” (
page 344).Compass calibration
This function is not available if your vehicle
is equipped with the COMAND system and
navigation module*.
In order to calibrate the compass properly,
mind the following:

Calibrate the compass in open terrain.
Nearby buildings, bridges, power lines
and large antenna masts, for example,
could impair compass calibration.

Switch off electrical consumers (e.g.
climate control, windshield wipers, or
rear window defroster).

Close all doors and the tailgate.
Start the engine (page 56).
Press buttonæ orç to move
the selection marker to the
Vehicle
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Compass Calibration appears in the
multifunction display.
The selection marker is on setting
switched Off.
Press buttonæ to set the selection
marker to
Start.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display:
Compass Calibration Active
Please drive in a full circle.
iMake sure you are in area where you can
drive a full circle with your vehicle without dis-
turbing traffic in order to calibrate the compass.

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181 Controls in detail
Control system
Limiting opening height of tailgate*
Use this function to activate or deactivate
the limiting opening height of the tailgate.
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Vehicle
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Opening Limiter
Tailgate
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to switch
the limiting opening height of the
tailgate
On or Off.Comfort submenu*
Access the
Comfort submenu via the
Settings menu. Use the Comfort submenu
to change the settings for a number of con-
venience features.
The following functions are available:Activating easy-entry/exit feature*
Use this function to activate and
deactivate the easy-entry/exit feature
(
page 48).
FunctionPage
Activating easy-entry/exit
feature*181
Setting fold-in function* for
exterior rear view mirrors182
Warning!G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel movement, do one of
the following:

Move steering wheel adjustment stalk*
(
page 50).

Press one of the stored position
buttons* or the memory buttonM*
(
page 141).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
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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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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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