2009 MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV warning light

The automatic transmission position deter-
mines which warning display is active when
the engine is running:
Automatic trans-
mission position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R
or N Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance to the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for approx-
imately two seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two sec-
onds. You have reached the minimum dis-
tance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC :
To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
; Indicator lamp
If indicator lamp ;is on, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Trailer towing* PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area
when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and a trailer.
!
Remove the detachable trailer coupling if
it is no longer required. PARKTRONIC
measures the minimum detection range to
an obstacle from the bumper, not the ball
coupling. Reversing camera*
The reversing camera is an optical aid. It
shows the area behind your vehicle in the
COMAND APS display. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
The reversing camera is located in the handle
strip of the tailgate. :
Reversing camera
View through the camera The area behind the vehicle is displayed in a
mirrored fashion, as in the rear-view mirror.
G
Risk of accident
The reversing camera is only an aid and may
display obstacles in a distorted or incorrect
manner, or may not even display them at all.
The reversing camera does not relieve you of Driving systems
135Controls
* optional
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 135 Z
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:17:27; WK

X
Wheels and tyres: check the tyre tread
depth and tyre pressure.
X Check for damage and remove foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the
wheels/tyres.
X Replace any missing valve caps.
X Replace dented or damaged wheels.
Checklist after driving off-road Driving over rough terrain places greater
demands on your vehicle than driving on nor-
mal roads. After driving off-road, check the
vehicle. This allows you to detect damage
promptly and reduce the risk of an accident
to yourself and other road users.
X Deactivate the LOW RANGE off-road gear
(Y page 114).
X Deactivate DSR (Y page 113).
X Set the differential lock setting to AUTO on
the selector wheel (Y page 116).
X Lower the vehicle level again to a level suit-
able to the road conditions, e.g. to the high-
way/high-speed level.
X Clean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
X Clean the front and rear licence plates.
X Clean the wheels/tyres with a water jet and
remove any foreign objects.
X Clean the wheels, wheel arches and the
vehicle underside with a water jet; check
for foreign objects and damage.
X Check whether twigs or other parts of
plants have become trapped. These
increase the risk of fire and can damage
fuel pipes, brake hoses or the rubber bel-
lows of the axle joints and propeller shafts.
X After the trip, examine without fail the
entire undercarriage, wheels, tyres, brakes,
bodywork structure, steering, chassis and
exhaust system for damage.
X After driving for extended periods across
sand, mud, gravel, water or in similarly dirty
conditions, have the brake discs, wheels, brake pads/l
inings and axle joints checked
and cleaned.
X If you detect strong vibrations after off-road
travel, check for foreign objects in the
wheels and drive train and remove them if
necessary. Foreign objects can disturb the
balance and cause vibrations. Travelling uphill
Approach/departure angle The table shows approach and departure
angles
:and ;when the vehicle is loaded
and ready to drive. :
: ;
; Vehicle level
Off-road level 3 32° 27°
Off-road level 2 31° 26°
Off-road level 1 28° 23°
Highway level 26° 21°
R
Follow the line of fall when driving on slopes
and steep gradients.
R Before driving on extreme uphill and down-
hill gradients, select the LOW RANGE off-
road gear.
R Observe the warnings for off-road driving
(Y page 188).
R Drive slowly. 190
Off-road drivingOperation
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 190
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:17:49; WK

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
X
X Solutions ESP unavaila‐
ble See
Owner's
Manual
G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
and therefore also PRE-SAFE ®
are temporarily unavail-
able. The self diagnosis function might not be complete, for
example. BAS has also been deactivated.
X Carefully drive a short, gently winding stretch of road at a
speed above 20 km/h.
If the display message disappears, ESP ®
is available again. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
and therefore also BAS and PRE-SAFE ®
are unavailable
due to undervoltage.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without
the functions listed above.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. If the display message is shown during the journey and the
d
warning lamp is flashing, then 4ETS (Electronic Traction
System) is deactivated. Otherwise, the brakes on the drive
wheels could overheat.
X Let the brakes cool down until the display message disap-
pears and the dwarning lamp goes out.
4ETS is activated again. ESP inopera‐
tive See
Owner's
Manual
G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
and therefore also Brake Assist and PRE-SAFE ®
are
unavailable due to a malfunction. The dwarning lamp also
lights up in the instrument cluster.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without
the functions listed above.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. Select
position P only when
vehicle
is at a
standstill The vehicle is moving.
X
Pull over and stop the vehicle safely, paying attention to
road and traffic conditions.
X Move the selector lever to P.Vehicle not in
position P The driver's door is open and the automatic transmission is
in position R,Nor D.
X Move the selector lever to P.
X Engage the parking brake. Display
messages
215Practical advice
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh,V ersion: 2.11.8.1
2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 215 Z
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:17:59; WK

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
X
X Solutions 4 Engine
oil level
Stop car,
turn
engine off The oil level is too low. There is a risk of engine damage.
X
Pull over and stop the vehicle safely, paying attention to
road and traffic conditions.
X Switch off the engine.
X Top up the engine oil and check the level (Y page 176).4 Engine
oil level
Reduce
oil level
You have added too much engine oil
33
. There is a risk of dam-
age to the engine or to the catalytic converter.
X Siphon off excess engine oil until it is at the specified level.
Observe the legal requirements. 4 Engine
oil level
Consult
workshop The engine oil level has dropped to a critical level or the
measuring system is malfunctioning.
33
X Check the engine oil level ( Ypage 176).
If the engine oil level is OK:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
If the engine oil level is not OK:
X Top up the engine oil.
X If the warning message disappears: consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
X If the warning message does not disappear: keep the vehi-
cle at a standstill and notify a qualified specialist workshop. 4 Engine
oil level
cannot be
measured
The measuring system is malfunctioning
33
.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. h Tyre pres‐
sure Cau‐
tion,
tyre
defect
G
Risk of accident
The tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped suddenly.
The affected wheel is highlighted in the tyre pressure display
of the tyre pressure monitor*.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or
braking manoeuvres. Pay attention to traffic conditions as
you do so.
X Repair the faulty tyre or replace the wheel ( Ypage 262). 33
Only for certain countries. Display
messages
229Practical advice
* optional
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.11.8.1
2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 229 Z
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:18:00; WK

Troubleshooting
Points to remember
G
Risk of accident and injury
The operating safety of your vehicle could be compromised if service work is carried out improp-
erly. You could lose control of the vehicle and cause an accident. Safety systems may also not
be able to protect you or others as intended.
Always have maintenance work carried out at a qualified specialist workshop. The workshop must
have 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. Warning and indicator lamps in switches and buttons
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
X
X Solutions One or all of the indica-
tor lamps in the seat
ventilation* button are
flashing. The seat ven-
tilation* has switched
off automatically. The on-board voltage is too low, because too many consumers are
switched on.
X Switch off consumers that are not required, e.g. rear window
heating or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the seat ventilation*
will switch back on automatically. One or all of the indica-
tor lamps in the seat
heating* button are
flashing. The seat heat-
ing* has switched off
automatically. The on-board voltage is too low, because too many consumers are
switched on.
X Switch off consumers that are not required, e.g. rear window
heating or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the seat ventilation*
will switch back on automatically. The steering wheel
heating* indicator lamp
on the lower left lever of
the steering column is
flashing. The on-board voltage is too low, because too many consumers are
switched on. The steering wheel heating* has switched off auto-
matically.
X Switch off consumers that are not required, e.g. rear window
heating or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the steering wheel
heating* will switch back on automatically. Troubleshooting
233Practical advice
* optional
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.11.8.1
2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 233 Z
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:18:01; WK

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
X XSolutions The indicator lamp in
the
Á button on the
2-zone automatic air
conditioning
Thermatic/multi-zone
intelligent automatic
air conditioning
Thermotronic* control
panel is lit. The cooling
system cannot be
switched on. Cooling has been deactivated due to a malfunction.
X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. The indicator lamp in
the
ª rear-window
heating button is flash-
ing. The rear-window
heating has switched
off prematurely or can-
not be switched on. The on-board voltage is too low, because too many consumers are
switched on.
X
Switch off consumers that are not required, e.g. seat heating*
or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the rear window heating
will switch back on automatically. Vehicles with auto-
matic child seat recog-
nition on the front-
passenger seat*:
The
4 PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp on the centre con-
sole is lit. A special Mercedes-Benz child seat with automatic child seat rec-
ognition has been fitted to the front-passenger seat. The front-
passenger airbag has therefore been disabled as desired.
G
Risk of injury
There is no child seat fitted to the front-passenger seat. The auto-
matic child seat recognition* is malfunctioning.
X Remove electronic equipment from the front-passenger seat,
for example:
R
notebook
R mobile phone
R cards with transponders, e.g. ski passes or access passes
If the 4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning lamp is still lit:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 234
TroubleshootingPractical advice
* optional
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 234
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:18:01; WK

Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
X
X Solutions !
The yellow ABS
warning lamp is
lit while the
engine is run-
ning. G
Risk of accident
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) is deactivated due to a fault. ABS
(Anti-lock Brake System) and ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
and also PRE-SAFE ®
are therefore temporarily unavailable.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. Therefore, the wheels could lock if you
brake hard.
X Observe the additional messages in the multi-function display
(Y page 211).
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. !
The yellow ABS
warning lamp is
lit while the
engine is run-
ning. G
Risk of accident
The on-board voltage is too low. ABS has been deactivated due to
undervoltage.
Therefore, ESP ®
, BAS and PRE-SAFE ®
are also deactivated.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. Therefore, the wheels could lock if you
brake hard.
X Switch off consumers that are not required, e.g. rear window
heating or interior lighting.
ABS will be available again as soon as the vehicle's electrical
system voltage increases. d
J
!
The yellow ESP
®
warning lamp,
the red brake
system warning
lamp and the
yellow ABS
warning lamp
light up while the
engine is run-
ning. A warning
tone also
sounds. G
Risk of accident
EBV is faulty. ABS, Brake Assist, ESP ®
and PRE-SAFE ®
are there-
fore no longer available. The brake system continues to function
normally, but without the functions listed above. Therefore, the
wheels could lock if you brake hard.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Troubleshooting
235Practical advice
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh, Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 235 Z
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:18:01; WK

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
X
X Solutions J
The red brake
system warning
lamp comes on
while the engine
is running. A
warning tone
also sounds. G
Risk of accident
There is insufficient brake fluid in the fluid reservoir.
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving
under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
X Observe the additional messages in the multi-function display
(Y page 211).
Do not top up the brake fluid. This will not rectify the fault. ;
The yellow
engine diagnos-
tics warning
lamp lights up
while the engine
is running. Vehicles with a diesel engine: the fuel tank has been run dry.
X
Start the engine three to four times after refuelling.
Emergency running mode is cancelled. The vehicle need not be
checked. ;
The yellow
engine diagnos-
tics warning
lamp lights up
while the engine
is running. There may be a fault, for example:
R
in the engine management
R in the ignition system
R in the exhaust system
R in the ignition system (for vehicles with petrol engines)
The emission limit values may be exceeded and the engine can
run in emergency mode.
X Have the vehicle checked as soon as possible at a qualified
specialist workshop. h
The yellow tyre
pressure moni-
tor* warning
lamp is on. G
Risk of accident
The tyre pressure monitor* has detected a sudden or significant
pressure loss in at least one of the tyres.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to traffic conditions as you do so.
X Observe the additional messages in the multi-function display
(Y page 211).
The warning light will go out after the flat tyre has been changed
and you have been driving for a few minutes. Troubleshooting
237Practical advice
* optional
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 237 Z
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:18:01; WK