2009 MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV brake

i
It is only possible to move the DIRECT
SELECT lever to the desired position from
position Pif you depress the brake pedal.
Only then is the parking lock released.
i The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lock-
ing feature (Y page 107).
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
X Release the parking brake (Y page 91).
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Hill start assist Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forwards or in reverse on an uphill gradient.
It holds the vehicle for a short time after you
have removed your foot from the brake pedal.
This gives you time to move your foot from
the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and
depress it before the vehicle begins to roll. G
Risk of accident
Never leave the vehicle when it is held by hill
start assist. After approximately one second,
hill start assist will no longer brake your vehi-
cle and it could roll away.
X Take your foot off the brake pedal.
i Once you have taken your foot off the
brake pedal, the vehicle is held for around
one second.
X Pull away. Hill start assist will not function if:
R you are pulling away on a level road or a
downhill gradient.
R the transmission is in position N.
R the vehicle is secured with the parking
brake.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning. Parking
G
Risk of accident
Only remove the key from the ignition lock
when the vehicle is stationary, as you cannot
steer the vehicle with the key removed.
Never leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle. They could release the parking brake. This
could lead to a serious or fatal accident. G
Risk of fire
Make sure that the exhaust system does not
under any circumstances come into contact
with flammable materials such as dry grass or
petrol. The material could otherwise ignite
and set the vehicle on fire.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the parking brake must be applied
R the transmission must be in position Pand
the ignition key must be removed
R on steep uphill or downhill gradients, turn
the front wheels towards the kerb 90
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Parking brake
X
To apply: depress parking brake ;firmly.
The J warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
X To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
The parking lock is released.
X Pull release handle :.
The J warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. Switching off the engine
G
Risk of accident
If the engine is not running, there is no power
assistance for the steering and brakes. Steer-
ing and braking will then require significantly
greater effort.
As a result, you might lose control of the vehi-
cle, cause an accident and injure yourself and
others.
Therefore, do not switch off the engine while
you are driving.
X Move the transmission to position P.
Using the key
X Turn the key to position 0(Y page 63) in
the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated. i
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission automatically shifts to N.
If you then open the driver's door or the
front-passenger door or remove the key
from the ignition, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to P.
If you shift the automatic transmission to
N before switching off the engine, the auto-
matic transmission remains in Neven when
a door is opened.
Using KEYLESS GO*
X Press the Start/Stop button (Y page 63).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out
(Y page 25).
i If you use the Start/Stop button to switch
off the engine, the automatic transmission
automatically shifts to N. If you open the
driver's or front-passenger door, the auto-
matic transmission shifts to P.
i The engine can be turned off while the
vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding
the Start/Stop button for three seconds. Transmission
Notes on the transmission
G
Risk of accident
The movement of the pedals must not be
impaired in any way. Do not keep any objects
in the driver's footwell. Make sure that floor-
mats or carpets are correctly secured and
that there is sufficient clearance for the ped-
als.
Do not place several floormats on top of one
another. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. This could cause you Transmission
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to lose control of your vehicle and cause an
accident. Automatic transmission
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only set the automatic transmission to the
respective drive positions when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. Otherwise, you could damage the
drive train.
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of the
steering column. DIRECT SELECT lever
P
Park position with parking lock
N Neutral
R Reverse gear
D Drive position
i The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns
to its original position. The current trans-
mission position P,N, Ror Dappears in the
transmission position display
(Y page 93).
Engaging park position P X
Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the direc-
tion of the arrow P. i
Depress the brake and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever up or down to disengage park
position Pand to shift the transmission to
neutral position N.
If you want to switch from park position P
directly to reverse gear R, depress the
brake and push the DIRECT SELECT lever
up past the first point of resistance.
If you want to shift from park position P
directly to drive position D, depress the
brake and push the DIRECT SELECT lever
down past the first point of resistance.
! If the engine speed is too high, do not shift
the automatic transmission directly from
D to R, from Rto Dor directly to P. Other-
wise, the automatic transmission could be
damaged.
Shifting to neutral N X
Push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down
to the first point of resistance.
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R when the vehicle is stationary.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
Engaging drive position D X
Push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past
the first point of resistance.
The vehicle switches to the automatic drive
program. 92
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Drive program
Sis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R sporty engine and suspension configura-
tion
R the vehicle pulling away in first gear
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later
R the late shift point of the automatic trans-
mission can lead to higher fuel consump-
tion
If you have selected transmission position D,
you can activate the manual drive program
and shift up or down through the individual
gears. The gear currently selected and
engaged is shown in the multi-function dis-
play.
X To deactivate: press program selector
button :repeatedly until Sor Mappears
in the multi-function display.
or
X Restart the engine.
The automatic transmission then switches
to the automatic drive program.
Upshifting
X Pull right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 94).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
Downshifting G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
X Pull left-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle (Y page 95).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If you brake the vehicle or stop without
shifting down, the automatic transmission will shift down to a gear that will allow the
vehicle to accelerate or pull away again.
Kickdown
You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Shift back up once the desired speed is
reached.
i If you apply full throttle, the automatic
transmission shifts up to the next gear
when the maximum engine speed is
reached. This prevents the engine from
overrevving. Instrument cluster
Points to remember
You will find an illustration of the instrument
cluster in the "At a glance" section
(Y page 25). G
Risk of accident
No further messages can be displayed if the
instrument cluster and/or the multi-function
display fails.
This means that you will not see information
about the driving situation, such as the speed,
outside temperature, warning/indicator
lamps, display messages or system failures.
The vehicle's handling characteristics may be
affected. Adjust your driving style and speed
accordingly.
Immediately consult a qualified specialist
workshop which has the necessary specialist
knowledge and tools to carry out the work
required. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for
this purpose. In particular, work relevant to
safety or on safety-related systems must be
carried out at a qualified specialist workshop. 96
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If you are not in the
Telephonemenu, you can
still accept a call.
Rejecting or ending a call X
Press the ~button.
If you are not in the Telephonemenu, you can
still accept a call.
Dialling a number from the phone book You can use the mobile phone to enter new
telephone numbers into the phone book (see
separate operating instructions). If your
mobile phone is operational, you can select
and dial a number from the phone book at any
time.
X Press the VorU button to select the
Telephone menu.
X Press the &or* button to call up
the phone book.
X Press the &or* button to select the
name you are searching for. To scroll rap-
idly, press and hold the &or* but-
ton for longer than 1 second.
X Press the 6button to start dialling.
or
X If you do not want to make a call, press the
~ button.
Redialling The on-board computer saves the last names
or numbers dialled in the redial memory.
X Press the VorU button to select the
Telephone menu.
X Press the 6button to switch to the
redial memory.
X Press the &or* button to select the
desired name or number.
X Press the 6button to start dialling. Off-road driving
Overview of off-road driving systems
The systems which are relevant for off-road
driving are explained on the following pages:
R 4MATIC (permanent four-wheel drive), for
optimum traction
R DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation), which
assists you when driving downhill
R LOW RANGE off-road gear for better trac-
tion off-road
R Differential locks for increased traction off-
road
You will find further information about driving
off-road in the "Operation" section
(Y page 188). 4MATIC (permanent four-wheel drive)
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
and
4ETS, it improves the traction of your vehicle
whenever a drive wheel spins due to insuffi-
cient grip. G
Risk of accident
4MATIC cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R accelerate less when driving.
R adapt your driving style to suit road and
traffic conditions.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+S tyres), with snow
chains if necessary.
! When testing the parking brake, operate
the vehicle only briefly (for a maximum of
ten seconds) on a brake test dynamometer.
When doing this, turn the key to position 112
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0
or 1in the ignition. Failure to do this can
cause damage to the drive train or the
brake system.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a twin-axle dyna-
mometer. If you wish to operate the vehicle
on such a dynamometer, please consult a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre in advance.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system. DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
You will find information about driving off-
road in the "Operation" section
(Y page 188).
DSR is an aid to assist you when driving down-
hill. It keeps the speed of travel at the speed
set on the on-board computer (Y page 109).
The steeper the downhill gradient, the greater
the DSR braking effect on the vehicle. When
driving on flat stretches of road or on an uphill
gradient, the DSR braking effect is minimal or
non-existent. G
Risk of accident
DSR is only an aid designed to assist you when
driving downhill. You are responsible for keep-
ing control of the vehicle and for assessing
whether the downhill gradient can be man-
aged.
When activating DSR the vehicle may brake
suddenly due to DSR intervening. This is
dependent on the downhill gradient and the
difference between the current speed and the
speed set. DSR may not always be able to
keep to the set speed, depending on road sur-
face and tyre conditions. You could lose con-
trol of the vehicle and cause an accident.
Select a set speed suitable for the prevailing
conditions and when necessary, apply the
brakes manually.
DSR controls the vehicle’s speed when
DIRECT SELECT lever positions D,Rand Nare
selected. You can drive at a higher or a lower speed than that set on the on-board computer
at any time by braking or accelerating. G
Risk of accident
If you depress the accelerator pedal with DSR
activated, then the set speed can be excee-
ded. Drive downhill with special care and
always keep in mind that DSR brakes the vehi-
cle as soon as you remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. The vehicle may be heavily
braked by DSR depending on the gradient and
the difference between the vehicle's road
speed and the set speed. You could lose con-
trol of the vehicle and cause an accident.
The speed is set to 6 km/h at the factory.
Activating/deactivating DSR Activating
You can only activate DSR when driving at a
speeds below 30 km/h.
X
Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
The DSR symbol and a message such as the
following appear in the multi-function display: If the current vehicle speed is too high, the
DSR symbol appears in the multi-function dis-
play with the
max. speed 30 km/h message. Off-road driving
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do not switch the automatic transmission to
another gear.
If you do not wait for the gear change process
to complete, it may not be correctly imple-
mented. The transfer case may then be in
neutral and the connection between the
engine and the drive axles may be disen-
gaged. The vehicle could then move freely,
even if a gear is engaged, and could inadver-
tently start moving, particularly if it is on a
slope.
Observe the messages in the multi-function
display.
From HIGH RANGE to LOW RANGE
! Only carry out the gear change process if:
R the engine is running
R the automatic transmission is in N
R you are not driving above 40 km/h
X Press LOW RANGE button :.
Indicator lamp ;flashes. LOW RANGE
indicator =appears in the multi-function
display.
When the gear change is complete, indica-
tor lamp ;lights up. While indicator lamp
;is flashing, you can
cancel the gear change by pressing LOW
RANGE button :again.
From LOW RANGE to HIGH RANGE
! Only carry out the gear change process if:
R the engine is running
R the automatic transmission is in N
R you are not driving above 70 km/h
X Press LOW RANGE button :.
Indicator lamp ;flashes.
If the gear change process has taken place,
indicator lamp ;and LOW RANGE indica-
tor =in the multi-function display go out.
While indicator lamp ;is flashing, you can
cancel the gear change by pressing LOW
RANGE button :again.
Messages in the multi-function display
If a gear change process has not been suc-
cessful, the following messages may be dis-
played in the multi-function display:
R Max. speed 40 km/h
You have been driving faster than
40 km/h. Indicator lamp ;also flashes.
X Drive more slowly to carry out the gear
change process.
R Engage N briefly
The automatic transmission is in Dand you
are now driving below 40 km/h.
XMove the DIRECT SELECT lever to Nto
carry out the gear change process.
R Shifting process cancelled Reacti‐
vate
The gear change process was not carried
out.
XMaintain all gear change conditions
and carry out the gear change process
again.
R Stop vehicle. Apply parking brake Off-road driving
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An acoustic warning will also sound. The
gear change process has not been comple-
ted. LOW RANGE is in the neutral position.
There is no connection between the engine
and the drive wheels.
! Do not drive any further, otherwise you
could damage the vehicle's drive train.
XStop the vehicle. Take into account the
road and traffic conditions when doing
this.
X Depress the parking brake.
X Carry out the gear change process
again.
If the gear change process has been
carried out, the Stop vehicle. Apply
parking brake message disappears. Differential locks
Differential locks improve the vehicle’s trac-
tion.
Your vehicle is equipped with the following:
R A differential lock for the transfer box: this
controls the balance between the front and
rear axles.
R A differential lock for the rear axle: this
controls the balance between the wheels
and the rear axle.
4ETS (Y page 53) controls the compensation
between the wheels and the front axle.
Engaging the differential locks Automatic mode
Use automatic mode
;for all driving situa-
tions, including driving off-road or when ford-
ing.
In automatic mode, the differential locks are
engaged and disengaged according to driving
requirements. This guarantees sufficient trac-
tion for most driving situations with unrestric-
ted vehicle steerability.
X Start the engine.
The differential locks are in automatic
mode. The indicator lamp in selector
wheel :lights up above symbol for auto-
matic mode ;.
Engaging manually G
Risk of accident
When driving on a firm road surface, only drive
in automatic mode, never with manually
engaged differential locks. If differential locks
have been engaged manually, the vehicle's
steerability is greatly impaired and the risk of
an accident thereby increased.
Do not manually engage or disengage the dif-
ferential locks while cornering. The vehicle
motion could otherwise be jerky. You could
lose control of the vehicle as a result and
cause an accident.
Only engage the differential locks manually if
traction in automatic mode is insufficient.
At speeds of up to 30 km/h, you can engage
the differential locks by hand.
X Start the engine.
X Turn selector wheel :to desired position
= or?.
The indicator lamp in selector wheel :
lights up at the corresponding symbol. 116
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