2010 MERCEDES-BENZ GL overheating

Steering and braking requires significantly
more effort and you could lose control of the
vehicle and cause an accident as a result.
Do not turn off the engine while the vehicle is
in motion.
Brakes
Downhill grades
! When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes by
shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s braking power. This helps prevent
overheating of the brakes and reduces
wear.
When using the engine’s braking power, a
drive wheel may not spin for an extended
period of time, e.g. on slippery road
surfaces. This may cause serious damage
to the drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Continuous or hard braking
GWarning!
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their
effectiveness. It may not be possible to stop
the vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an
accident.
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive on
for some time, rather than immediately park,
so that the air stream will cool down the
brakes faster.
Wet roads
GWarning!
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through water
deep enough to wet brake components, the
first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may be
necessary to obtain expected brake effect.
Maintain a safe distance from vehicles in
front.
To help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet or salt-covered roads, it is
advisable to brake the vehicle with
considerable force prior to parking. The heat
generated serves to dry the brakes.
Salt-covered roadsGWarning!
A layer of salt on the brake discs and the brake
linings may cause a delay in the braking
effect, resulting in a significantly increased
braking distance, which could lead to an
accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R occasionally brake carefully when you are
driving on salt-covered roads, so that any
layer of salt that may have built up on the
brake discs and the brake linings is
removed without putting other road users
at risk
R maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead and drive with particular care
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues are removed
from the brake disc
Brake service
! The brake fluid level in the reservoir may
be too low if the brake warning lamp in the
instrument cluster comes on and an
acoustic warning sounds although the
parking brake is released. Observe
additional messages in the multifunction
display that may appear.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the
reservoir.
260Driving instructionsOperation
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practice turning, stopping and backing up
in an area which is free of traffic.
R Before you start driving check the
- trailer hitch
- break-away switch
- safety chains
- electrical connections
- lighting
- tires
R Adjust the mirrors ( Y page 94) to permit
unobstructed view beyond rear of trailer.
R If the trailer has electric brakes, start your
vehicle and trailer moving slowly, and then
apply only the trailer brake controller by
hand to make sure the brakes are working
properly.
R Always secure items in the trailer to
prevent load shifts while driving.
R When towing a trailer, check occasionally
to make sure the load is secure, and that
trailer lighting and brakes (if so equipped)
are functioning properly.
R Take into consideration that when towing a
trailer, the handling characteristics are
different and less stable from those when
operating the vehicle without a trailer.
It is important to avoid sudden maneuvers.
R The vehicle and trailer combination is
heavier, and therefore limited in
acceleration and climbing ability, and has a
larger braking distance.
It is more prone to reacting to cross wind
gusts, and requires more sensitive steering
input.
R If possible, do not brake abruptly, but
rather engage the brake slightly at first to
permit the trailer to activate its brake. Then
increase the braking force.
! If the trailer should begin to sway, reduce
the vehicle’s speed immediately.Do not attempt to straighten out the tow
vehicle and trailer by increasing the speed.
R If the transmission shifts between gears on
inclines repeatedly, shift to a lower gear
range manually ( Y page 118). Select 4, 3 ,
2 or 1.
A lower gear and reduction of speed
reduces the chance of engine overloading
and/or overheating.
R On very steep inclines, not manageable
with automatic transmission in gear range
1 , switch on off-road driving program
( Y page 158) or LOW RANGE mode
( Y page 120).
R When going down an incline, shift into a
lower gear and use the engine’s braking
effect.
Avoid riding the brakes, thus overheating
the vehicle and trailer brakes (if so
equipped).
R If the engine coolant rises to an extremely
high temperature when the air conditioning
is on, turn off the air conditioning system.
Engine coolant heat can be additionally
vented by opening the windows, switching
the climate control fan speed to high and
setting the temperature control to the
maximum.
R During a passing maneuver extreme care
must be exercised since your vehicle with
a trailer will require additional passing
distance ahead than when driving without
a trailer.
Because your vehicle and trailer is longer
than your vehicle alone, you will also need
to go much farther ahead of the passed
vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Decoupling a trailer GWarning!
While you are coupling or decoupling a trailer,
make sure nobody locks or unlocks the
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Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and M SolutionsESPUnavailabl
e See
Operator’s
ManualIf the yellow ESP ®
warning lamp d flashes while driving
and this message appears, the Electronic Traction System
(4-ETS) has switched off to prevent overheating of the drive
wheel brakes.
As soon as the brakes have cooled off, the Electronic Traction
System (4-ETS) switches on again.
The message in the multifunction display disappears and the
ESP ®
warning lamp d goes out.ESPUnavailabl
e See
Operator’s
ManualThe self-diagnosis may not be completed yet.
The display will clear after driving a short distance at a vehicle
speed of above 12 mph (20 km/h).PRE-SAFEInoperativ
e See
Operator’s
ManualThe PRE-SAFE ®
system has failed. All other occupant safety
systems, such as the air bags, are still available.XContact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.290Vehicle status messages in the multifunction displayPractical hints
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ProblemPossible causes/consequences and M SolutionsdThe yellow ESP ®
warning lamp
flashes while
driving.The ESP ®
or the 4-ETS has come into operation because of
detected traction loss in at least one tire.
The cruise control is deactivated.XWhen driving off, apply as little throttle as possible.XWhile driving, ease up on the accelerator pedal.XAdapt your speed and driving to the prevailing road and weather
conditions.XDo not deactivate the ESP ®
.
Exceptions: ( Y page 64).
Failure to follow these instructions increases the risk of an
accident.
At least one wheel is spinning and the 4-ETS has switched off to
prevent overheating of the drive wheel brakes.XRead and observe additional messages that may appear in the
multifunction display.
As soon as the brakes have cooled off, the 4-ETS switches on
again.
The message in the multifunction display disappears and the
ESP ®
warning lamp d goes out.
Driving systems
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and M Solutions·The red distance
warning lamp
comes on while
driving.You are too close to the vehicle in front of you to maintain selected
speed.XApply the brakes immediately to increase the following
distance.·The red distance
warning lamp
comes on while
driving and an
acoustic
warning sounds.You are gaining too rapidly on the vehicle ahead of you or the
distance warning system has recognized a stationary obstacle on
your probable line of travel.XApply the brakes immediately.XCarefully observe the traffic situation. You may need to brake
or maneuver to avoid hitting an obstacle.What to do if …319Practical hintsX164_AKB; 5; 31, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-09-11T12:30:16+02:00 - Seite 319Z