2008 MERCEDES-BENZ GL550 high beam

25 At a glance
Cockpit
ItemPage
1Cruise control lever256
2Instrument cluster26
3Multifunction steering
wheel30
4Horn
5Steering wheel gearshift
buttons198
6Gear selector lever for
automatic transmission56
7Front Parktronic* warning
indicators290
8Overhead control panel34
9Glove box release
Glove box lock315
316
ItemPage
aGlove box315
CD changer315
AUX-socket315
bPower outlet324
cCenter console31
dStarter switch42
eSteering wheel adjustment,
manual49
fHood lock release378
gParking brake release59
hParking brake pedal67
jPower tailgate switch*124
ItemPage
kDoor control panel35
lExterior lamp switch61
143
mSteering wheel adjustment,
electrical*
Heated steering wheel*50
327
nCombination switch

High beam

Turn signals

Windshield wipers

Rear window wiper
147
61
62
62
64
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29 At a glance
Instrument cluster
ItemPage
8Multifunction display with:

Trip odometer153

Main odometer155
9Tachometer with:
442
qPreglow indicator
lamp1
1Vehicles with Diesel engine only.
57
1Supplemental
Restraint System
(SRS) indicator lamp74,
446
?Engine malfunction
indicator lamp,
USA only439
±Engine malfunction
indicator lamp,
Canada only439
AHigh beam headlamp
indicator61,
147
ItemPage
aFuel gauge with:
Fuel tank reserve warning
lamp446
4Fuel filler flap indica-
tor: The fuel filler flap
is located on the rear
right-hand side.374
bMultifunction display
with:

Outside temperature
indicator or digital speed-
ometer (depending on
selected setting in the
control system)155,
173

Transmission position
indicator192

Gear range indicator197
ItemPage

Distance warning func-
tion* indicator
(Canada only)183

LOW RANGE mode*
indicator202

Downhill Speed Regula-
tion (DSR) indicator275

Off-road driving program
indicator278

Rear window wiper
indicator64

Set speed for

Cruise control

Distronic*
(Canada only)
257
266
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42 Getting started
Unlocking
SmartKey
Starter switch
0For removing SmartKey
1Power supply for some electrical con-
sumers, such as seat adjustment
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary. If
a lamp in the instrument cluster re-mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, refer to “Lamps
in instrument cluster” (
page 436).
3Starting position
iWhen you switch on the ignition, the indica-
tor and warning lamps (except high beam head-
lamp indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instrument cluster
come on. The indicator and warning lamps (ex-
cept high beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps if activated) will go
out when the engine is running. This indicates
that the respective systems are operational.
iIf the SmartKey does not belong to the
vehicle, the SmartKey can be turned in the start-
er switch. However, the ignition does not switch
on and the engine does not start.
iWhen the SmartKey is removed from the
starter switch and the automatic transmission is
in a position other thanP, the automatic trans-
mission automatically shifts toP.
!If the SmartKey cannot be turned in the
starter switch, the battery may not be sufficient-
ly charged.

Check the battery and charge it if necessary
(
page 528).

Get a jump start (page 536).
To prevent accelerated battery discharge or a
completely discharged battery, always remove
the SmartKey from the starter switch when the
engine is not in operation.
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44 Getting started
Unlocking
Position 0
Before you press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button, the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have status0 (as with
SmartKey removed).
Position 1
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button once.
This supplies power for some electrical
consumers, such as seat adjustment.Ignition (or Position 2)
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button twice.
This supplies power for all electrical
consumers.
All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary. If
a lamp in the instrument cluster re-
mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, refer to “Lamps
in instrument cluster” (
page 436).For information on starting the engine
using the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button,
see “Starting with KEYLESS-GO*”
(
page 57).
For more information on KEYLESS-GO, see
“SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*”
(
page 115).
iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button

once more, the ignition (position2) is
switched on

twice more, the power supply is again
switched off
iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button once more, the power supply
is again switched off.
iWhen you switch on the ignition, the
indicator and warning lamps (except high beam
headlamp indicator lamp and turn signal indica-
tor lamps unless activated) in the instrument
cluster come on. The indicator and warning
lamps (except high beam headlamp indicator
lamp and turn signal indicator lamps if activated)
should go out when the engine is running. This
indicates that the respective systems are
operational.
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61 Getting started
Driving
For more information, see “Driving instruc-
tions” (
page 347).
For information on off-road driving, see
“Off-road driving” (
page 355).
Switching on headlamps
Low beam headlamps
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
Exterior lamp switch
1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Switch on the ignition (page 41).
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB.
The low beam headlamps come on.High beam
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1High beam
2High beam flasher
Push the combination switch in
direction of arrow1.
The high beam headlamp indicator
lampA in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 26).
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 143).
!Shift the automatic transmission to
positionPorR only when the vehicle is stopped
in order to avoid damaging the transmission.
!Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high engine
speeds may shorten the service life of the
engine.
!Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brakes reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
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143 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
For information on how to switch on the
headlamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 61)
and “Turn signals” (
page 62).
Exterior lamp switch
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles drive
on the other side of the road than the country in
which the vehicle is registered, you must have
the headlamps modified for symmetrical low
beams. Relevant information can be obtained at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
iVehicles equipped with active Bi-Xenon*
headlamps:
The active Bi-Xenon* headlamps monitor the
vehicles steering angle and vehicle speed, then
automatically shift their beams to either side to
better follow the curvature of the road ahead,
increasing usable illumination over conventional
headlamps.1‚Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
2ˆStanding lamps, right (turn left
one stop)
3MOff
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 145)
4UAutomatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 145)
5CParking lamps (also side marker
lamps, tail lamps, license plate
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
6BLow beam headlamps or high
beam headlamps
7‡Front fog lamps
8†Rear fog lamp
iThe exterior lamps switch off automatically
when you remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch or open the driver’s door with the ignition
switched off.
When the parking lamps or the rear fog lamp are
switched on and you remove the SmartKey from
the starter switch or open the driver’s door, an
acoustic signal sounds.
In addition the message
Switch Off Lights
appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the parking lamps or the rear fog lamp
manually.
!Failure to switch off the parking lamps when
leaving the vehicle may result in a discharged
battery.
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144 Controls in detail
Lighting
Low beam headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB.
With the SmartKey in starter switch
position1 or the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button pressed once, the
following lamps will switch on:

Tail and parking lamps

License plate lamps

Side marker lamps
With the SmartKey in starter switch
position2 or the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button pressed twice, the
following lamps will switch on addition-
ally:

Low beam headlamps

High beam headlamps (when the
combination switch is pushed for-
ward)Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off au-
tomatically depending on the brightness of
the ambient light:

Low beam headlamps

Tail and parking lamps

License plate lamps

Side marker lamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionU.
With the SmartKey in starter switch
position1 or the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button pressed once, only
the parking lamps and the side marker
lamps will switch on and off depending
on the brightness of the ambient light.
Warning!G
If the exterior lamp switch is set toU,
the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others,
activate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch toB when driving or when traffic
and/or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from positionU toB with the
vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching fromUtoB will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions
may result in an accident.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle’s lights at all
times.
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145 Controls in detail
Lighting
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps, the tail and parking
lamps, the license plate lamps, and the
side marker lamps will switch on and
off depending on the brightness of the
ambient light.
Daytime running lamp mode
In Canada the daytime running lamp mode
is mandatory and therefore in a constant
mode.
In the USA the daytime running lamp mode
is deactivated by default. Activate the day-
time running lamp mode using the control
system, see “Setting daytime running lamp
mode (USA only)” (
page 175).
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionM orU.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps are switched on.In low ambient light conditions, the
following lamps will switch on
additionally:

Tail and parking lamps

License plate lamps

Side marker lamps
Canada only
When the engine is running, and you shift
from a driving position to positionN orP
with the vehicle at a standstill, the low
beam headlamps will switch off with a
three-minute delay.When the engine is running, and you

turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionC, the low beam head-
lamps, the tail and parking lamps, the
side marker lamps and the license
plate lamps switch on

turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB, the manual headlamp
mode has priority over the daytime
running lamp mode
USA onlyiCanada only:
High beam headlamps are only available with the
exterior lamp switch in positionB.
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated and the engine running, you cannot
switch off the low beam headlamps manually.
iWith the exterior lamp switch in
positionM orU, you cannot switch on the
high beam headlamps.
The high beam flasher is available at all times.
For nighttime driving turn the exterior lamp
switch to positionB to permit activation of
the high beam headlamps.iWith the exterior lamp switch in
positionM, you cannot switch on the high
beam headlamps.
The high beam flasher is available at all times.
For nighttime driving turn the exterior lamp
switch to positionB orU to permit
activation of the high beam headlamps.
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