2009 MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV traction control

1, 2, 3 ...
4ETS (Electronic Traction Support) ...53
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel
drive) .................................................. 112A
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) .........50
Display message .................... 212, 213
Warning lamp ................................. 235
Accident
Notes ............................................. 240
Acoustic warning tone
see Warning tone ........................... 239
Active Service System PLUS
see ASSYST PLUS service interval
displa y........................................... 199
Adaptive brake lamps .........................51
Adaptive Damping System See ADS ....................................... 129
AdBlue ®
Display message ............................ 213
Service indicator ............................ 200
AdBlue ®
service indicator ................200
Additional functions (on-board
computer) .......................................... 109
ADS (Adaptive Damping System) ..... 129
Airbags Activation ......................................... 35
Control unit ...................................... 35
Driver's ............................................ 38
Front ................................................ 38
Front passenger ............................... 38
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning
lamp ............................................. 234
Sidebag ............................................ 39
System ............................................. 37
Windowba g...................................... 39
Air conditioning
Activating/deactivating .................140
Activating/deactivating air-recir-
culation mode ................................ 146
Auxiliary heating/ventilation .......... 147
Controlling automatically ...............141
Convenience opening/closing
(air-recirculation mode )................. 147
Demisting the windscreen .............145 Malfunction indicator lamp
............234
Rear-compartment air condition-
ing ................................................. 139
Rear window heating .....................146
Setting the air distribution .............144
Setting the airflow .........................145
Setting the air vents ......................143
Setting the temperature ................142
Setting the temperature (rear
compartment) ................................ 142
Switching the residual heat func-
tion on/off ..................................... 147
Thermatic 2-zone automatic cli-
mate control .................................. 138
Thermotronic luxury multi-zone
automatic climate control ..............139
Air-conditioning system
see Air conditioning
Air filter
Display message ............................ 228
Air pressure
see Tyre pressure
Ambient lighting
Setting (on-board computer) .......... 106
Anti-glare film .................................... 169
Anti-lock braking system See ABS ........................................... 50
Anti-theft alarm system
See EDW .......................................... 54
Anti-theft systems ............................... 54
Ashtray ............................................... 162
ASSYST PLUS see ASSYST PLUS service interval
displa y........................................... 199
ASSYST PLUS service interval dis-
play ..................................................... 199
Calling up the date (on-board
computer) ...................................... 200
Display message ............................ 199
ATA (anti-theft alarm system) ............54
Switching off the alarm ....................54
AUTO lights
Display message ............................ 225
Automatic car wash ..........................2014
Index X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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the trailer from swerving and will thus be
unable to reduce the risk of an accident. Trail-
ers 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.
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. X
To deactivate: press button:.
The d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights 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 ® An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically if the LOW
RANGE off-road gear (Y page 114) is selec-
ted. It intervenes with a delay if there is over-
steering 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 when braking. 52
Driving safety systemsSafety
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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. 4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
4ETS makes it possible to pull away or accel-
erate on a slippery surface. It brakes the
wheels individually if they start to spin.
The d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up briefly when the engine is
started. This indicates that the warning lamp
is operational.
X Activate the LOW RANGE off-road gear
(Y page 114) if appropriate to driving con-
ditions.
The d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes at any speed if at least one tyre
has exceeded its tyre grip limit. G
Risk of accident
If the d warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
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 the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could skid.
If you drive too fast, 4ETS cannot reduce the
risk of an accident. 4ETS cannot override the
laws of physics.
! Only operate the vehicle briefly (for a max-
imum of ten seconds) on a brake dyna-
mometer. Turn the key in the ignition lock
to position 0or 1. You could otherwise
damage 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.
i If the brakes are subjected to heavy loads,
4ETS switches off automatically for a brief
period so that the brakes do not heat up
further. If, for this reason, 4ETS does not
engage, the dwarning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. The message
ABS, ESP unavailable see Owner's
Manual also appears in the multi-function
display.
! The engine must be off when the parking
brake is being checked on the brake dyna-
mometer. Application of the brakes via
4ETS may otherwise destroy the braking
system.
Off-road terrain-4ETS (Electronic Trac-
tion System) A 4ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically if the LOW
RANGE* off-road gear is selected
(Y page 114). Distance warning function* (vehicles
with Distronic*)
This function will issue a warning at speeds of
around 30 km/h or more if:
R for a period of several seconds, the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front is too short for
the speed at which you are travelling. The
· distance warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster will light up.
R you are approaching the vehicle in front too
rapidly. An intermittent warning tone will
then sound and the ·distance warning
lamp will light up in the instrument cluster. Driving safety systems
53Safety
* optional
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Setting the display when the ignition is
switched off
The
Display when ignition off function
allows you to set which display you see in the
multi-function display after removing the key
from the ignition lock.
X Press VorU on the steering wheel
to select the Settings... menu.
X Press the &button to select submenus.
X Press the WorX button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press the &button to select Display
when ignition off.
X Press the WorX button to select
Interior motion sensor, Tow-away
protection orMiles/km.
X Press the &,VorU button to
select a different display.
Activating/deactivating the automatic
door locking feature
When you activate the Automatic door
locking function, your vehicle will be cen-
trally locked above a speed of approximately
15 km/h.
i For more information on the automatic
door locking feature, see (Y page 60).
X Press VorU on the steering wheel
to select the Settings... menu.
X Press the &button to select submenus.
X Press the WorX button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press the &button to select Auto‐
matic door locking.
X Press the WorX button to activate
or deactivate the Automatic door lock‐
ing feature.
X Press the &,VorU button to
select a different display. Heating submenu Auxiliary heating* departure time
Only vehicles with auxiliary heating have this
function.
The
Aux.heating departure time function
allows you to select a stored departure time
or change the departure time for which the
vehicle with auxiliary heating is preheated.
The auxiliary heating timer function calcu-
lates the switch-on time according to the out-
side temperature so that the vehicle is pre-
heated by the departure time. When the
departure time is reached, the auxiliary heat-
ing continues to heat for a further five
minutes and then switches off. The auxiliary
heating adopts the temperature settings
selected for Thermatic 2-zone automatic cli-
mate control or Thermotronic luxury multi-
zone automatic climate control*.
You can switch off the auxiliary heating by
using the remote control or the auxiliary heat-
ing button on the centre console. G
Risk of poisoning
Exhaust fumes are produced when the auxili-
ary heating is in operation. Inhaling these
exhaust fumes can be poisonous. You should
therefore switch off the auxiliary heating in
confined spaces without an extraction sys-
tem, e.g. a garage. G
Risk of fire
When the auxiliary heating is in operation,
parts of the vehicle can become very hot.
Make sure that the exhaust system does
not under any circumstances come into con-
tact with highly flammable materials such as
dry grass or fuels. The highly flammable mate-
rial could otherwise ignite and set the vehicle
alight. Select your parking space accordingly.
Operating the auxiliary heating is therefore
prohibited at filling stations or when your vehi-
cle is being refuelled. Always switch off the
auxiliary heating at filling stations. On-board computer
107Controls
* optional
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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
Off-road drivingControls
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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
Off-road drivingControls
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The engaged differential appears in the multi-
function display:
A
The differential lock for the transfer case
is locked.
The differential locks are not controlled auto-
matically. The steerability of the vehicle is
restricted considerably. Drive carefully and
accelerate gently for optimum traction.
You can switch back to automatic mode at
any time. For safety reasons, the differential
locks disengage automatically at speeds
above 50 km/h. If you stop the vehicle and
switch off the ignition for longer than ten sec-
onds, the differential locks switch back to
automatic mode.
Message in the multi-function display
Diff. lock system overheated.
Wait briefly
The differential lock system has overheated
and briefly disengaged.
X Continue driving.
The differential locks cool off and are soon
available once again. Driving systems
Overview of driving systems
The vehicle's driving systems are described
on the following pages:
R cruise control, Distronic *and Speedtronic,
which are used to control the speed of the
vehicle
R Adaptive damping system (ADS), for indi-
vidual adjustment of suspension tuning R
level control, for individual adjustment of
ground clearance
R PARKTRONIC*, which assists you in park-
ing and manoeuvring
R reversing camera*, which assists you when
parking and manoeuvring
The ABS, BAS, adaptive brake lights, ESP ®
,
EBV and 4ETS driving safety systems and the
distance warning function* are described in
the "Driving safety systems" section
(Y page 49). Cruise control
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1,2or 3in good time. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine, which relieves the load
on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. 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.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h. G
Risk of accident
Cruise control cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time. Driving systems
117Controls
* optional
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Convenience opening/closing
G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trapped
between the side window and the door frame
as the side windows are opened and closed.
Do not place objects or lean against the side
windows when they are being opened or
closed. You or the objects could be drawn in
or become trapped between the side window
and the door frame as the window moves. If
there is a risk of entrapment, press the
d button again. Press the button for stop-
ping, opening or closing the side windows in
the opposite direction as appropriate.
Make sure that nobody can become trapped
when you are opening or closing the sliding/
tilting sunroof*. If there is a risk of entrap-
ment, press the dbutton again. Press the
button to stop, open or close the panorama
sliding/tilting sunroof* in the opposite direc-
tion as appropriate.
X Convenience closing: press and hold
the d button until the side windows and
the sliding/tilting sunroof* are closed.
The indicator lamp in the dbutton lights
up. Air-recirculation mode is activated.
X Convenience opening: press and hold the
d button until the side windows and the
sliding/tilting sunroof* have reached their
original position.
The indicator lamp in the dbutton goes
out. Air-recirculation mode is deactivated.
i If you open the side windows or the slid-
ing/tilting sunroof* manually after closing
with the convenience closing feature, they
will remain in this position when opened
using the convenience opening feature. Switching the residual heat on/off
It is possible to make use of the residual heat
of the engine to continue heating the station-
ary vehicle for up to 30 minutes after the engine has been switched off. The heating
time depends on the temperature that has
been set.
i
The blower will run at a low speed regard-
less of the airflow setting.
i If you activate the "residual heat" function
at high temperatures, only the ventilation
will be activated. The blower runs at
medium speed.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock or remove it.
X To activate: press theÁbutton.
The indicator lamp in the Ábutton
comes on.
X To switch off: press theÁbutton.
The indicator lamp in the Ábutton goes
out.
i The residual heat automatically switches
off after around 30 minutes or if:
R the ignition is switched on
R the battery voltage drops Auxiliary heating/ventilation*
Notes on the auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion system G
Risk of poisoning
Exhaust fumes are produced when the auxili-
ary heating is in operation. Inhaling these
exhaust fumes can be poisonous. You should
therefore switch off the auxiliary heating in
confined spaces without an extraction sys-
tem, e.g. a garage. G
Risk of fire
When operating the auxiliary heating, parts of
the vehicle may become very hot, and highly
inflammable material such as fuels could be
ignited. Operating the auxiliary heating is thus
prohibited at filling stations or when your vehi-
cle is being refuelled. You must therefore Air conditioning
147Controls
* optional
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