2008 MERCEDES-BENZ GL550 engine

537 Practical hints
Jump starting
The jump-start contacts are located in the
engine compartment.
1Negative (-) terminal
2Positive (+) terminal
3Positive terminal cover
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Apply parking brake (page 67).
Set automatic transmission to
positionP (
page 191).
Open the hood (page 378).
Remove cover from negative
terminal1.
Flip up cover3 of positive terminal2
in direction of arrow.
1Negative terminal of discharged
battery
2Positive terminal of discharged battery
4Positive terminal of charged battery
5Negative terminal of charged battery
Connect positive terminal2 and4
with the jumper cable. Clamp cable to
charged battery4 first.
Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.
Connect negative terminals1 and5
of the batteries with the second jumper
cable. Clamp the cable to negative
terminal5 of the charged battery
first.
Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.
You can now turn on the electrical consum-
ers. Do not switch on the headlamps under
any circumstances.
Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals1 and5 and then
from positive terminals2 and4.
You can now switch on the headlamps.
Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Warning!G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(
page 528).
!Never invert the terminal connections!
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538 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the
vehicle be transported with all wheels off
the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment. This method is
preferable to other types of towing.If circumstances do not permit the recom-
mended towing methods, the vehicle may
be towed with all wheels on the ground
only so far as necessary to have the vehicle
moved to a safe location where the recom-
mended towing methods can be employed.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, the vehicle may be towed only
for distances up to 30 miles (50 km) and at
a speed not to exceed 30 mph (50 km/h).
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equipment,
with the SmartKey in starter switch turned to
position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment. Towing
with sling-type equipment over bumpy roads will
damage radiator and supports.
To prevent damage during transport, do not tie
down vehicle by its chassis or suspension parts.
Use the towing eyes.
Switch off the ESP
® (page 105) and the
automatic central locking (
page 128).
!Do not tow with one axle raised. Doing so
could damage the transfer case, which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
All wheels must be on or off the ground. Observe
instructions for towing the vehicle with all
wheels on the ground.
Warning!G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if

the engine will not run

there is a malfunction in the brake
system

there is a malfunction in the power
supply or in the vehicle’s electrical
system
This is necessary to adequately control the
towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make sure the automatic trans-
mission is in neutral positionN.
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539 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
If you want the gear position to remain in
neutral positionN, 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 59).
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.
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, the automatic transmission must be
in neutral positionN.
If you turn off the engine

using the SmartKey and

remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or

open a front door

or when using the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button and open a front door
the automatic transmission will shift to park
positionP automatically.
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.
A child’s unsupervised access to a vehicle
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

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543 Practical hints
Fuses
Fuses
The electrical fuses in your vehicle serve to
switch off malfunctioning power circuits.
If a fuse is blown, the components and sys-
tems secured by that fuse will stop operat-
ing.If a newly inserted fuse blows again, have
the cause determined and rectified by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
A fuse chart explains the fuse allocation
and fuse amperages. It is located in the
cargo compartment with the vehicle tool
kit (
page 490).
The electrical fuses are located in different
fuse boxes:

Fuse box in engine compartment
(
page 544)

Fuse box in cargo compartment
(
page 544)

Fuse box in passenger compartment
(
page 545)Before replacing fuses:
Apply parking brake (page 67).
Make sure the automatic transmission
is set toP (
page 191).
The gear position indicator in the multi-
function display should be on
P.
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Turn off the engine (page 41).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Open the driver’s door (this puts
the starter switch in position0,
same as with the SmartKey re-
moved from the starter switch). The
driver’s door then can be closed
again.
Warning!G
Only use fuses approved by Mercedes-Benz
with the specified amperage for the system
in question and do not attempt to repair or
bridge a blown fuse. Using other than ap-
proved fuses or using repaired or bridged
fuses may cause an overload leading to a
fire, and/or cause damage to electrical
components and/or systems. Have the
cause determined and remedied by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
iA blown fuse must be replaced by an appro-
priate spare fuse (recognizable by its color or the
fuse rating given on the fuse) of the amperage
recommended in the fuse chart. Any
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center will be glad to
advise you on this subject.
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544 Practical hints
Fuses
Fuse box in engine compartment
The fuse box is located on the passenger
side of the engine compartment.
Open the hood (page 378).
Fuse box GL 450 (GL 320 CDI, GL 550
similar)
1Fuse box cover
2Clamps
Pull clamps2 in direction of arrow.
Lift fuse box cover1 up.
Install fuse box cover in reverse order.
Close the hood after checking or re-
placing fuses (
page 379).
Fuse box in cargo compartment
The fuse box is located in the cargo com-
partment behind the passenger side trim
panel.
1Lock
2CoverRemoving/installing cover
Open the tailgate (page 122).
Insert a suitable object such as a coin
into the slot of lock1 (
page 544).
Turn lock1 counterclockwise by 90°
in direction of arrow.
Remove cover2.
Install cover2 in reverse order.
!The fuse box cover must be installed
properly to prevent moisture and/or dirt from
entering the fuse box and possibly impairing fuse
operation.
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545 Practical hints
Fuses
Fuse box in passenger compartment
The fuse box is located behind a cover in
the dashboard on the front passenger side.
1CoverOpening
Open the front passenger door.
Open the glove box (page 315).
Insert flat, blunt object as a lever into
the edge of the cover1 at the position
indicated by the arrow.
Loosen cover1 from dashboard using
lever.
Using your hands, pull cover1 out
and remove.
Closing
Hook cover1 into the opening at the
front.
Press cover1 back on until it engag-
es.
Emergency engine shut-down
If the engine cannot be turned off as de-
scribed in the “Getting started” section
(
page 68), you may use the following
emergency procedure.
Take the fuse chart from the vehicle
tool kit (
page 492).
Open the fuse box in engine compart-
ment (
page 544).
Remove fuse 120.
Find its location in the fuse chart.
!Do not use sharp objects such as a screw-
driver to open the fuse box cover1 in the dash-
board, as this could damage the fuse box cover
or the dashboard.
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547 Technical data
Parts service
Warranty coverage
Identification labels
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
Engine
Rims and tires
Electrical system
Main Dimensions
Weights
Fuels, coolants, lubricants
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551 Technical data
Identification labels
Second-row seat
4VIN
Fold the carpet forwards.
The VIN4 is now visible.5Emission control information label,
includes both federal and California
certification exhaust emission
standards
6Engine number (engraved on engine)
7VIN (lower edge of windshield)
iWhen ordering parts, please specify vehicle
identification and engine numbers.
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