2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV towing

SPEEDTRONIC
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Never depress the brake peda lcontinuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the brakin gdistance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely. G
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on aslippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. G
WARNING
SPEEDTRONI Cisonly an aid designe dto
assis tdriving. Yo uare responsibl efor the
vehicle' sspeed and for braking in good time. G
WARNING
If there is achange of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
Only use variable SPE EDTRONI Cifyou will not
have to accelerate suddenl ytoaspeed above
that stored as the limit speed. You could oth-
erwise cause an accident.
You can only exceed the limit speed stored if
you deactivate variable SPE EDTRONIC:
R using the cruise control lever
R by depressin gthe accelerator pedal
beyon dthe pressure point (kickdown)
It is not possible to deactivate variable
SPE EDTRONI Cbybraking.
General notes SPE
EDTRONIC brakes automatically so that
you do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhil lgradients ,especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing atrailer, yo umust
select shift range 1,2or 3in good time. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on the brake system and prevent
sthe brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly .If
you need additional braking, depres sthe
brake pedal repeatedly rather than con tinu-
ously.
You can set avariable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speedlimits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. when drivin gwith winter tyres
fitted (Y page 198)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC Cruise control lever
:
To activate or increase speed
; LIMi ndicato rlamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS and variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and vari-
able SPEEDTRONIC.
X To switch between variable SPEED-
TRONIC and cruise control/DISTRONIC
PLUS: press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.196
Driving systemsDriving and parking

G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS canno ttake account of road
and traffic conditions. If DISTRONI Cdoes not
recognise or no longer recognises the vehicle
in front, do not activate DISTRONIC or, if it is
alr eady active, deactivate it. This is especially
the case:
R befor ecorners
R on filter lanes
R when changing to alane with faster moving
traffic
R in comple xdriving situations or where lanes
are diverte d,e.g. at roadworks on amotor-
way
DISTRONIC PLU Sotherwise maintains the
current spe ed setbyyou or accelerates up to
the set speed.
DISTRONIC PLU Scannot take account of
weather conditions. Deactivate, or do not
activate, DISTRONI CPLUS:
R if th eroads are slippery, snow-covered or
icy .The wheels coul dlose their grip when
brakin goraccelerating .The vehicle could
star ttos kid.
R if the sensors are dirty or there is poo rvis-
ibility, e.g. due to snow, rain or fog. Dis-
tance control may be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when DISTRONIC PLU Sisactivate d.
Otherwise, you ma yfail to recognise dangers
in time, caus eanaccident and injure yourself
and others. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brake syourvehicle up to a
maximu mof4m /s2
depending on its speed.
This corresponds to approximately 40% of
your vehicle's maximum braking power. You
must als oapply the brakes yourself if this
braking power is not sufficient.
If DISTRONI CPLUS detect sarisk of collision
with avehicle in front, an intermit tent warning
tone sounds. In addition, the ·distance
warning lamp in the instrument cluste rlights
up. Brak etoavoidac ollision. G
WAR
NING
The vehicle can be braked when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated. For this reason, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS if the vehicle is to be set in
motion by othe rmeans (e.g. in acar wash or
by towing).
The radar senso rsystem is switched off auto-
matically in the vicinity of radio teles cope
facilities (Y page 433).
If you want DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you,
the radar sensor syste mmust be activated
(Y page 283 )and operational.
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automati
cally helps you maintain the dis-
tanc etot he vehicle detected in front. DI S-
TRONIC PLU Sbrake sautomatically so that
the set spee disnot exceeded.
On long and steep downhil lgradients, espe-
ciall yifthe vehicle is laden or towing atrailer,
yo um ust select shift range 1,2or 3in good
time. By doing so, you will make use of the
braking effec tofthe engine. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
If DI STRONIC PLUS detects aslower-moving
vehicle in front ,your vehicle is braked in order
to maintain the preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
If ther eisnov ehicle in front ,DISTRONIC
PLUS operate sinthe sam eway as cruise
control in the spee drange between
30 km/h and 200 km/h. If avehicle is driving
in fron tofyou, DI STRONIC operates in the
speed range betwee n0km/h and
200 km/h.
Do not us eDISTRONIC PLUS on roa dswith
steep gradients. Driving systems
199Drivinga nd parking Z

HOL
Dfunction
Gen eral notes Th
eH OLD function ca nassist the driver in the
foll owing situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvrin gonsteep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator peda ltop ull away.
i Do not use the HOLD function when driv-
ing off-road, on steep downhill or uphill
inclines or on aslippery or loose surface.
Under such circumstances, the HOLD func-
tion may not be able to keep the vehicle
stationary.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD func
tion if:
R the vehicle is stationary.
R the engin eisrunning or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the driver' sdoor is closed or if your seat
belt is fastened.
R the electric parkin gbrake is released.
R thet ransmission is in position D,Ror N.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activatin gthe HOL Dfunction G
WARNING
Th ev ehicle' sbrake sare applied when the
HOLD functio nisactivated. For thi sreason,
deactivat ethe HOL Dfunction if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing). X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depres sthe brake pedal further
until ë appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOL Dfunction is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by apassenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the elec-
tric parking brake and must not be used for
parking.
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
cancelled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal.
R there is amalfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply ,e.g. bat-
tery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pere dwith.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you leave the vehicle or park it, deactivate
the HOLD func tion and secur ethe vehicle
against rolling away.
The HOL Dfunction is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P. Driving systems
211Drivingand pa rking Z

One or mor
esegments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, dependin gonthe
vehicle' sdistance from the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warnin gtone for approx-
imately two seconds.
R seventh segmen tonwards ,you will hear a
warnin gtone for approximately two sec-
onds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimu mdistance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC :
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Active Park Assist is then also
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2in the
ignition lock.
Towing atrailer !
Foldint he ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitc hisn ot required. PARKTRONIC meas-
ures the min imumdetect ionr ange to an
obstacle from the bumper, no tthe ball cou-
pling.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rea rarea
when yo uestablish an electrica lconnection
between your vehicle and atrailer. 218
Dri
ving systemsDriving and pa rking

10 km/h wh
enexiting aparking space.
Otherwise ,Active Parking Assist will be
cancel led.
X Stop as soon as PARK TRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
X Shif tthe transmission to position Dor Ras
req uired wh ilet he vehicle is stationary.
Activ eParking Assis timmediatel ysteers in
the othe rdirection.
i You will achieve the best results by wait-
ing for the steering procedure to complete
before pulling away.
If you rever seafter activation, the steering
wheel is moved to the straight-ahead posi-
tion.
X Drive forwards or reverse the vehicle, being
read ytob rake at al ltimes.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuou swarning tone, if not before.
X Drive forwards and revers easinstructed by
the PARKTRONI Cwarning displays.
Once you have exite dthe parkin gspace com-
pletely, the steering wheel is moved to the
straight-ahead position. You hea ratonea nd
the message Park Assist switched off appear
sinthe multifuncti on display. You will
then have to steer and merg eintot raffic on
you rown. PARKTRONI Cisstill available.
Cancelling Active Parking Assist X
Stop the movemen tofthe multifunction
steeri ngwheel or steer yourself.
Activ eParking Assist will be cancelled at
once. The Park Assist cancelled mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
or
X Press the PARKTRONI Cbutton on the
centr econsole (Y page 218).
PARKTRONI Cisswitched off and Active
Parking Assist is immediately cancelled.
The Park Assist cancelled message
appears in the multifunction display. Activ
eParking Assist is cancelled automati-
cally if:
R parking using Activ eParking Assist is no
longer possible.
R you are drivin gfaster than 10 km/h.
R aw heel spin sand ESP ®
intervenes or fails.
The ÷ warnin glamp lights up in the
instrumen tcluster.
Aw arning ton esounds. The par king symbol
disappears and the multifunction display
shows the ParkA ssist cancelled mes-
sage.
When Activ eParking Assist is cancelled, you
must steer again yourself.
Towing atrailer For vehicles with
atrailer to whitch, the min-
imum length for parking spaces is slightly
increased.
If yo uhavea ttache datrailer to your vehicle,
yo us houl dnot us eActiv eParking Assist.
Once the electrica lconnection is established
between your vehicl eand the trailer, Active
Parking Assist is no longer available .PARK-
TRONIC is deactivated for the rear area. Reversin
gcamera
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Mak esure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured. G
WARNING
The reversing camera is only an aid and may
sho wad istorted view of obstacles, show
them incorrectly or not at all. The reversing
camer aisnotas ubstitute for paying atten-
tion. The camera cannot sho wobject sinthe
following areas: Driving systems
223Driving and parking
Z

If
av ehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blin dSpot Assist at speed sabove
30 km/h, warning lamp :on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. This warning
alway soccurs whe navehicle enter sthe blind
spot monitoring range from behind or from
the side. When you overtak eavehicle, the
warning only occurs if the difference in speed
is less than 12 km/h.
The yellow indicator lam pgoes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Blin dSpot Assist is then
deactivated.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted autom atically according to
the ambient light.
Collision warning
If av ehicle is detected in the monitoring range
of Blin dSpot Assist and you switch on the
correspondin gturn signal ,adouble warning
tone sounds. Red warnin glamp :flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp :.There ar enofurther warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist X
Make sure that the radar senso rsystem
(Y page 283) and Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 279) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
ligh tupr ed for approximately
1. 5s econds and then tur nyellow. Towing
atrailer
If yo uattach atrailer, make sure th at you have
corre ctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated. The indicator lamp in the exte-
rior mirrors lights up yellow ,and the Blind Spo
tAssist currently unavailable See Owner's Manual message appears in
th em ultifunction display.
i You can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, switch off Blind Spot Assis tif:
R thek ey is in position 2in the ignition
lock.
R the engine is not running.
R the electrical connection to the trailer
has been established.
Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Lan eKeeping Assist does not keep your vehi-
cle in its lane. It is only an aid and may detect
the lane markings on the road incor rectly or
not at all.
Th es ystem may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poo rvisibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun, or reflec tion from other vehicles.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for insta ncebyasticker, in the vicinity
of the camera
R several or no lane markings for asingle lane
are present.
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow.
R the distance to the vehicle in fron tist oo
smal land the lane markings thus cannot be
detected. 240
Drivin
gsystemsDrivin gand pa rking

R
you have switched on the tur nsignals. In
this event ,the warnings are suppressed
for acertai nperio doft ime.
R ad riving safety syst em intervenes, such
as ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
If Adaptive is selected, no warning vibra-
tio no ccurs if:
R yo uh aves witched on the turn si gnals.In
thi se vent, th ewarnings ar esuppr essed
for acertai nperio doft ime.
R ad riving safety syst em intervenes, such
as ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R yo ua ccelerate hard, e.g .kickdown.
R you brak ehard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerv etoavoid
an obstacle or cha ngelane quickly.
R you cut the corner on ashar pbend.
Towing atrailer
If yo uattach atrailer, make sure th at you have
corre ctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. On-road programs (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package)
Genera lnotes The on-road program
ssupport you when driv-
ing on roads and the off-road programs sup-
port you when driving off-road (Y page 253).
The following program messages remain in
the multifunction display until the corre-
sponding vehicle level has been set. Up to off-
road level 2, you can hide the program mes-
sage susing the %ora button on the
multifunc tion steerin gwheel. AUTO program
Select the AUTO program for
amore com-
for table ride under all normal driving condi-
tions.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock.
X Selecto rwheel : engaged:
brieflypress
selecto rwheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
X To select: turnselector wheel :until indi-
cator lamp ;comes on.
AUTO indicator =appear sint he multi-
func tion display.
R Highwa ylevel is set.
R AD S(Adaptive Damp ingS ystem) adjusts
the comfort damping characteristics to
the current operating and driving condi-
tions.
R The automatic transmission selects the
automatic drive progra mforac omforta-
ble and efficien tdriving style. 248
Dri
ving systemsDriving and pa rking

R
Hig hway level is set.
R ADS (Adaptive Damping System) adjusts
the comfort damping characteristics to
the current operating and driving condi-
tions.
R 4ETS and the differential lock are adap-
ted for driving on snow-cover edroads.
R Th ea utomatic transmi ssion selects the
automatic drive program for acomforta-
ble and efficien tdriving style.
R Th es mooth accelerato rpedal curve is
selected. This mean sthat the accelera-
tor pedal needs to be depressed much
further when accelerating.
R The optimal gear for pulling away is
engaged.
Trailer program Select the trailer program when towing a
trailer. X
Selector wheel : engaged:
brieflypress
selecto rwheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
X To select: turnselector wheel :until indi-
cator lamp ;comes on.
Trailer indicator =appear sint he multi-
func tion display.
R Highwa ylevel is set.
R AD S(Adaptive Damp ingS ystem) adjusts
the comfort damping characteristics to
the current operating and driving condi-
tions.
R The automatic transmission selects the
automatic drive progra mforac omforta-
ble and efficien tdriving style ,and the
shift points are optimally adjusted.
R The differential lock is engaged when
pulling away. Off-road driving systems
4MATIC (permanent all-wheel drive) G
WARNING
4MATIC cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast.
If ad rive whee lspins due to insufficien tgrip:
R onl ydepress the accelerator peda lasfar as
necessary when pulling away.
R accelerate less when driving.
R adapt you rdriving style to su itroa dand
traffic conditions.
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. Thi smay damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz implied warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground
or be fully raised. Observe the instructions
for towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
! Afunction or performanc etest should
only be carried out on atwin-axle dyna-
mometer .Before you operate th evehicle 250
Driving systemsDriving and parking