2008 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK SUV steering

effect achieved in the process reduces the
stopping distance on off-road terrain. This
limits steering capability. BAS (Brake Assist)
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. G
Risk of accident
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect. However, braking force is not auto-
matically increased in emergency braking sit-
uations and the stopping distance may
increase. Adaptive brake lamps
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS,
the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way,
traffic travelling behind you is warned in an
even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/ht o a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off
the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning switch button (Y page 76). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between tyres and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. If necessary, the engine output is also
modified to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within physical limits. ESP ®
assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the dwarning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could go into a skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident if
you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override the
laws of physics.
! If:
R the vehicle is being towed with the front
or rear axle raised,
R the parking brake is being tested using a
dynamometer,
the ignition must be switched off (key in
position 0or 1in the ignition lock). Other-
wise, application of the brakes by ESP ®
could destroy the brake system on the front
or rear axle.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC* may not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised. 52 Driving safety systemsSafety
* optional
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i
Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation If your trailer begins to lurch, you can only
stabilise the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
In this situation, ESP
®
assists you and detects
if the trailer begins to lurch. ESP ®
slows the
vehicle down by braking and limiting the
engine output until the vehicle/trailer com-
bination has stabilised.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 65 km/h. G
Risk of accident
If road and weather conditions are bad, trailer
stabilisation will not be able to prevent the
trailer from swerving and thereby reduce the
risk of accident. Trailers with a high centre of
gravity can tip over before ESP ®
can detect
this.
Trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function.
ETS (Electronic Traction Support) Traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example, if the road surface is slippery on one
side.
Traction control remains active when you
deactivate ESP ®
. G
Risk of accident
Traction control cannot reduce the risk of an
accident if you drive too fast. Traction control
cannot override the laws of physics.
i If heavy demands are made on the brakes,
traction control switches off automatically
for a brief period so that the brakes do not heat up even further. If traction control
does not intervene for this reason, the
d
warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up. In addition the multi-function
display shows one of the following mes-
sages: ESP inoperative (vehicles with 4-
button multi-function steering wheel) or
ESP currently unavail. See Owner's
Manual (vehicles with 12-button luxury
multi-function steering wheel)*.
Activating/deactivating ESP ® ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is running.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels can spin. Spinning of the
wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides better grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
i If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more
wheels start to spin, the dwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehi-
cle. Driving safety systems
53Safety
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X
To deactivate: press button:.
The d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster light up. G
Risk of accident
If the d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster is continuously lit when the engine is
running, ESP ®
is deactivated or not available
due to a malfunction. There is an increased
risk of your vehicle skidding in certain situa-
tions.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit prevailing road and weather conditions.
X To activate: press button :.
The d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Off-road ESP ®
*(Vehicles with off-road
engineering package*) An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road drive program (Y page 107)is activated.
It intervenes with a delay if there is oversteer-
ing or understeering, thus improving traction. EBV (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
EBV monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability during braking. G
Risk of accident
If EBV is malfunctioning, the brake system is
still available with full brake boosting effect.
However, the rear wheels can still lock, e.g.
under full braking. This could cause you to
lose control of your vehicle and cause an acci-
dent. You should therefore adapt your driving
style to the different handling characteristics. Anti-theft systems
Immobiliser
The immobiliser prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct key.
X To activate: remove the key from the igni-
tion lock.
X To deactivate: turn the key to position 2
in the ignition lock. ATA* (anti-theft alarm system)
A visual and audible alarm is triggered when
the alarm system is primed and you open:
R a door
R a door using the emergency key element
R the tailgate
R the bonnet
The alarm is not switched off even if you close
a door again. 54 Anti-theft systemsSafety
* optional
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Opening and closing...........................58
Tailgate ................................................ 59
Key positions ....................................... 61
Seats .................................................... 62
Steering wheel .................................... 66
Mirrors ................................................. 67
Memory functions* .............................69
Seat belts ............................................. 70
Lights ................................................... 74
Windscreen wipers .............................79
Side windows ...................................... 80
Driving and parking ............................83
Transmission ....................................... 85
Instrument cluster ..............................90
On-board computer (4-button
multi-function steering wheel) ..........91
On-board computer (12-button
multi-function steering wheel*) ........93
Off-road driving ................................. 105
Driving systems ................................ 108
Air conditioning ................................. 117
Sliding sunroof .................................. 127
Loading and stowing ........................129
Features ............................................. 137
57
Controls
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Steering wheel
Points to remember
Depending on the vehicle equipment, you can
adjust the steering wheel either manually or
electrically*. G
Risk of injury
The electrically adjustable steering wheel*
can be adjusted when the key is removed
from the ignition lock. Therefore, do not leave
children unsupervised in the vehicle as they
could become trapped as the steering wheel
is adjusted. G
Risk of accident
Only adjust the steering wheel when the vehi-
cle is stationary and do not pull away until the
steering wheel adjustment mechanism is
locked in position. Otherwise, you might drive
without the steering wheel adjustment mech-
anism being locked in position and be distrac-
ted from road and traffic conditions by an
unexpected movement of the steering wheel
and cause an accident.
However, the steerability of the vehicle is not
affected.
When you adjust the steering wheel, make
sure that:
R the steering wheel can be reached with
your arms slightly bent
R you can move your legs freely
R you can see all the displays in the instru-
ment cluster clearly Adjusting the steering wheel man-
ually :
Release lever
; Height adjustment
= Fore-and-aft adjustment
X Push release catch :down completely.
The steering column is unlocked.
X Adjust the steering wheel to the desired
position.
X Push release lever :up completely.
The steering wheel is locked in position. Adjusting the steering wheel electri-
cally*
:
Height adjustment
; Fore-and-aft adjustment
You can find more information under:
R EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature (Y page 67)
R storing settings (Y page 69)66 Steering wheelControls
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Easy-entry/exit feature*
The easy-entry/exit feature makes getting in
and out of your vehicle easier.
The steering wheel swings upwards when
you:
R remove the key from the ignition lock
R open the driver's door when the key in the
ignition lock is in position 0or 1.
When the key is inserted into the ignition lock
with the driver's door closed, the steering
wheel is automatically moved to the previ-
ously set position. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trapped
when you activate the easy-entry/exit fea-
ture.
If there is a risk of becoming trapped, stop the
adjustment procedure. To halt the procedure:
R press the steering-column adjustment
switch
R press one of the memory function position
buttons
The steering column stops moving immedi-
ately.
Never leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle. They could open the driver's door and
thereby unintentionally activate the easy-
entry feature and become trapped.
The most recent position of the steering
wheel is stored when you switch off the igni-
tion or when you store a memory position
(Y page 69).
You can activate and deactivate the easy-
entry/exit feature via the on-board computer
(Y page 104). Mirrors
Rear-view mirror
X Adjust the rear-view mirror by hand so you
have a good overview of the traffic condi-
tions.
Rear-view mirror (manual anti-dazzle) X
Anti-dazzle mode: flick anti-dazzle
switch :forwards or back. Exterior mirrors
G
Risk of accident
The exterior mirrors reduce the size of the
image. Objects are actually closer than they
appear. You could misjudge the distance from
vehicles driving behind and cause an acci-
dent, e.g. when changing lane. For this rea-
son, make sure of the actual distance from the
vehicle driving behind by glancing over your
shoulder.
The convex exterior mirrors provide a larger
field of vision.
At low outside temperatures, the exterior mir-
rors are heated automatically. Mirrors
67Controls
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G
Risk of accident
If incident light from headlamps is prevented
from striking the sensor in the rear-view mir-
ror, for instance, if the safety net is fitted, the
mirror’s automatic anti-dazzle function will
not work.
Incident light could then dazzle you. This may
distract you from the traffic conditions, and
you may, thereby, cause an accident. In this
case, adjust the rear-view mirror manually. Memory functions*
Storing settings
You can store up to three different settings
using the memory button.
The following settings are stored as a single
memory preset:
R position of the seat, backrest and head
restraint
R driver's side: steering wheel position
R driver's side: position of the exterior mir-
rors on the driver's and front-passenger
sides G
Risk of injury
The memory function can still be used when
the key has been removed. For this reason,
children should never be left unsupervised in
the vehicle. Otherwise, they could become
trapped when moving the seat or the steering
wheel. G
Risk of accident
Only use the memory function on the driver’s
side when the vehicle is stationary. Other-
wise, you could be distracted from the traffic
conditions by the steering wheel and seat
moving of their own accord, and as a result
cause an accident. X
Adjust the seat ( Ypage 62).
X On the driver's side, also adjust the steer-
ing wheel (Y page 66) and the mirrors
(Y page 67).
X Press memory button Mand press storage
position switch 1,2or 3within three sec-
onds.
The settings are stored in the selected pre-
set position. A tone sounds when the set-
tings have been completed. Calling up a stored setting
X Press and hold the relevant storage posi-
tion button 1,2or 3, until the seat, steering
wheel and exterior mirrors are in the stored
position.
i The setting procedure is interrupted as
soon as you release the storage position
switch.
! If you want to move the seat from the fully
reclined position to a stored seat position,
first raise the backrest using the seat
switch. Otherwise, the seat could be dam-
aged. Passenger side exterior mirror park-
ing position*
To make it easier to park, you can set and
store the front-passenger side exterior mirror
position in such a way that you can see the Memory functions*
69Controls
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The rear-compartment seat belt status indi-
cator appears in the multi-function display for
around 30 seconds if:
R
you set off and have reached a speed of
approximately 10 km/h.
R the rear passengers fasten or unfasten
their seat belts while driving.
R someone gets in or out of the vehicle.
You can also cancel the messages immedi-
ately (Y page 176).
The following messages appear in the multi-
function display:
Vehicles with multi-function steering wheel (4
buttons)
R 7 No rr.st.belt engaged
R 7 1 rr.st.belt engaged
R 7 2 rr.st.belts engaged
R 7 3 rr.st.belts engaged
Vehicles with a luxury multi-function steering
wheel* (12 buttons)
R 7 No rear seat belt engaged
R 7 1 rear seat belt engaged
R 7 2 rear seat belts engaged
R 7 3 rear seat belts engaged
i The status indicator for the rear-compart-
ment seat belts is only available for certain
countries. Correct driver's seat position
G
Risk of accident
Only adjust the driver's seat when the vehicle
is stationary. You will otherwise be distracted
from the road and traffic conditions and you
could lose control of the vehicle as a result of
the seat moving. This could cause an acci-
dent. G
Risk of accident
Only adjust the steering wheel when the vehi-
cle is stationary and do not pull away until the
steering wheel adjustment mechanism is
locked in position. Otherwise, you might drive
without the steering wheel adjustment mech-
anism being locked in position and be distrac-
ted from road and traffic conditions by an
unexpected movement of the steering wheel
and cause an accident.
However, the steerability of the vehicle is not
affected.
X Check whether seat =and the head
restraint are adjusted properly
(Y page 62). Seat belts
73Controls
* optional
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