2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV Owners Manual

To ensur
ethat the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parkin gbrake mus tbea pplied
R the tra nsmission must be in position Pand
the key must be remove dfrom th eignition
lock
R on steep uphill or downhil lgradients ,turn
the fron twheels towards the kerb
R on steep uphill or downhill gradients, the
front axl eofane mpty vehicl emust be
secured, for example with awheel chock
R on steep uphill or downhill gradients, the
rea raxle of aladen vehicle must be addi-
tionally secured, for example with awheel
choc k. Switching of
fthe engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Th ea utomatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away .There is arisk of
an accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P.Prevent th eparked vehi-
cle from rolling awa ybyapplying the parking
brake.
Usin gthe key X
Engag ethe electric parkin gbrake.
X Shift th etransmission to position P.
X Turn th ekey to position 0in the igniti on
lock and remov eit.
The immobilise risactivated.
i If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D,t he automatic
transmission shift stoNautomatically.
If you then open one of the front doors or
remove the key from the ignition, the auto-
matic transmission shifts to P.
If you shift the automatic transmission to
N before switching off the engine, the auto- matic transmission remains in
Neven if a
door is opened.
Usin gKEYLESS-GO X
Engage the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Press the Start/Stop button (Y page 159).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
i If you use the Start/Stop button to switch
off the engine, the automatic transmission
shifts to Nautomatically. If you then open
one of the front doors, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to P.
i The engine can be switched off while the
vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding
the Start/Stop button for abou tthree sec-
onds. This func tion operates independently
of the ECO start/stop automatic engine
switch-of ffunction. Electric parking brake
General notes G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
the parking position P
R startin gthe engine.
They coul dalso operate the vehicle's equip-
ment. There is arisk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unsupervised in the vehicle.
i The electric parking brake carries out a
func tion chec katregular interval swhen
the engin eisswitched off. Noises that
occur are normal. 182
ParkingDriving and parking

Engaging/releasing manually
X
To engage: push handle :.
When th eelectric parking brak eis
engaged ,the ! redi ndicator lamp lights
up in the instrumen tcluster.
i The electric parking brak ecan also be
applied when the key is removed.
X To release: pull handle:.
The red !indicator lamp in the inst ru-
ment cluster goe sout.
i The electric parking brake can only be
released:
R when the key is in position 1in the igni-
tion lock or
R the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button.
To ensure that you do not roll backwards
when pulling away on an uphill slope, engage
the electric parking brake (Y page 162).
Engagin gautomatically Th
ee lectric parkin gbrake is engaged auto-
matically:
R if DISTRONIC PLUS brings th evehicle to a
standstill or
R if the HOL Dfunction is keeping the vehicle
stationary In addition, at least one of the following con-
ditions must be fulfilled:
R
the engine is switched off.
R the driver' sdoor is open and the seat belt
is not fastened.
R the vehicle is stationar yfor alengthy
period.
The red !indicator lam pint he inst rument
cluster lights up.
i Thee lectric parkin gbrake is not automat-
icall yapplied if the engine is switched off
by the ECO star t/stopfunction.
Releasing automatically The electric parking brake is released auto-
matically when all of the following conditions
are fulfilled:
R
the engine is running.
R the transmissio nisinp osition Dor R.
R the seat belt is fastened.
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
If the transmission is in position R,the boot
lid must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parkin gbrake:
R thed river's door is closed
R yo uh ave shifted out of transmission posi-
tion Por you have previously driven faster
than 3km/h
Emergenc ybraking Parking
183Drivingand pa rking Z

X
While driving, push handle :of the elect ric
parking brake.
The vehicle can also be braked durin gan
emergency using the electric parking brake.
i The vehicle is braked for as long as the
handle of the electric parking brak eis
pressed. The longer the electric parking
brak ehandle is depressed, the greater the
braking force.
During braking:
R aw arning ton esounds
R the Releas epark. brake message
appears
R ther ed ! indicato rlamp in the instru-
ment cluster flashes
When the vehicle has been braked to astand-
still ,the electric parkin gbrake is engaged. Parkin
gupthe vehicle
If you leave th evehicle parked up for longer
than four weeks, the batter ymay be damaged
by exhaustive discharging.
X Disconnect the batter yorconnec tittoa
trickle charger.
i You can obtai ninformation about trickle
chargers from aqualified specialist work-
shop.
If you leave the vehicl eparked up for longer
than six weeks, the vehicl emay suffer dam-
age as aresult of lack of use.
X Visi taq ualifieds pecialist workshop and
seek advice. Driving tips
General notes
Impo rtant safety notes G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available with limitations, or not at all
.This coul daffect,
for example, the powe rsteering and the brake
boosting effect .You will require considerably
mor eeffort to steer and brake. There is arisk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
Drive sensibly –save fuel Observe the fol
lowing tips to save fuel:
X The tyres should always be inflated to the
recomm ended tyr epressure.
X Remove unnecessary lo ads.
X Remov eroof carriers when they are not
needed.
X Warm up the engine at low engine speeds.
X Avoid frequent acceleration or braking.
X observe the service intervals in the Service
Booklet or in the service interval display.
Have all the maintenan cework carried in
accordanc ewith Daimler AG regulations.
Fuel consumption also increases when driv-
ing in cold weather, in stop-start traffic and in
hilly terrain. Short journeys
! Vehicles with adiesel particle filter: if
the vehicle is mostly driven for short dis-
tances, it is possible that malfunctions may
occur durin gthe automa ticc leaning of the
diesel particle filter. This may lead to fuel
collectin ginthe engin eoil and cause
engin efailure. Therefore, if you frequently
drive short distances, you should tak ea20
minu tetrip on amotorwa yorrural road at
least every 500km. Braking
Important safet ynotes G
WARNING
If you shift down on aslippery road surfac ein
an attempt to increase the engine's braking 184
Driving tipsDrivin
gand parking

effect, the driv
ewheels coul dlose their grip.
This inc reases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface.
Downhill gradients Do not depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion ,e.g. causing the
brakes to rub by constantly applying light
pressure to the pedal. This results in exces-
sive and premature wear to the brake pads.
On long and steep downhil lgradients, you
mus tselect shift range 1,2or 3in good time.
Take particular not eofthis when drivin ga
laden vehicle.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the brakin geffect of the engine,
so les sbraking wil lberequired to prevent the
vehicle from gainin gspeed. This relieves the
load on the brak esystem and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking syste mcan overheat if you leave
your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There
is ar isk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as afootrest .Do
not simultaneousl ydepress both th ebrake
peda land the accelerato rpedal while driving.
! Depressing the brak epedal constantly
result sinexcessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have bee nsubjected to aheavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately.
Driv eonfor as hort while. This allow sthe air-
flo wtoc ool the brakes mor equickly. If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet road surfaces
If you have driven for
along tim einheavy rain
without braking ,there ma ybeadelayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occu rafter acar wash or
after driving through deep water.
You then have to depress the brake pedal
more firmly. Maintain agreater distance from
th ev ehicle in front.
Af terd riving on awet road or havin gthe vehi-
cle washed, brake firml ywhile paying atten-
tion to the traf ficc onditions. This will warm
up the brake discs, thereby dryin gthem more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performanc eonsalt-
treated roads If you drive on salte
droads, alaye rofs alt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in asignificantly
longer brakin gdistance.
R Brake occasionally to remov eany possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users whe ndoing so.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of ajourney.
R Maintain agreater distance to th evehicle
ahead.
New brak epads/linings New and replace
dbrake pads and discs only
reach thei roptimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometres of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brak epedal.
For safet yreasons, Mercedes-Ben zrecom-
mends that you only have brak epads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been Driving tips
185Driving and parking Z

approved for Mercedes-Ben
zvehicles or
which cor respond to an equivalen tquality
standard. Brak epads/linings which have not
been approved for Mercedes -Benz vehicles or
whic hare not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
High-performance brak esystem for
AMG vehicles Th
eh igh-performan cebrak esystem is
designed for hig hloads. This ma ylead to
noise when braking. This is dependen ton:
R speed
R braking force
R environmenta lconditions, such as tem per-
ature and humidity
Th ew earofi ndividual brake system compo-
nents such as the brake pads/lining sorbrake
discs depends on individual driving st ylea nd
operating conditions.
For thi sreason, it is impossible to state a
mileage (service life) that will be valid under
all circumstances .Anaggressive drivin gstyle
will lead to high wear. You can obtain fur ther
information about this fr om your Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre.
New brake pads/brak epads and discs that
have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilome-
tres of driving. Compensate for the reduced
braking effect by applying greater force to the
brake pedal. Always be aware of this and
adapt your driving and braking accordingly
during the running-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in corre-
spondingly high brake wear. Observe the
# brake wear warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster and note any brake status mes-
sages in the multifunc tion display. If you reg-
ularly drive at high speeds, it is particularly
important to have the brake system chec ked
and maintained regularly. Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to
acertain depth
on the road surface, there is adanger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R you are driving at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and
brake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads !
Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
Thes enotes must be observed under all
circumstances. You coul dotherwis edam-
age the engine, the electronics or the trans-
mission.
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the maximum permissible fording depth in
still water depends on the vehicle equip-
ment.
R you should drive no faster than walking
pace.
Off-road fording !
The depth of water must not exceed the
value specified in the table. Note that the
possible fording depth is less in flowing
water.
! Under no circumstances should you
accelerate before entering the water. The
bow wave could cause water to enter and
damage the engine and neighbouring
assemblies.
! Do not open any of the vehicle's doors
while fording. Otherwise, water could get
into the vehicle interior and damage the 186
Driving tipsDriving and parking

vehicle's el
ectronics and interior equip-
ment. The table sho
wsfording depth :when lo a-
de da nd read ytodrive.
When th evehicle is loaded and ready to driv e,
it has afull tank, all fluids have been topped
up and the driver is in the vehicle.
On vehicles with the AIRMATIC packag eor
the ON&OFFROAD package ,loads up to the
maximum permissible load have no influence
on fording capability :. Fording
depth Vehicles without the
ON&OFFROAD package
Raised level 50 cm
Vehicles with th
eON&OFF-
ROAD package Off-road level 3 60 cm
Off-road level 2 50 cm
Off-road level 1 50 cm
R
Establish how dee pthe water is and the
characteristic softhe body of water before
fording.
R Select the highest possible vehicle level.
R Restrict the shift range to 1or 2.
R Avoid high engin espeeds.
R Enter and exit the water at aflat place and
at as teady walking pace. R
Drive slowly and at aconstant speed
through the water.
R Do not stop.
R Water offers ahigh degree of resistance,
the ground is slippery and, in some cases,
unstable. Therefore, it is difficult and dan-
gerous to pull away in the water.
R Ensure that abow wav edoes not for mas
you drive.
R Clea nany mud from the tyre tread after
fording.
R Appl ythe brakes to dry them after fording. Winter driving
Genera lnotes G
WARNING
If you shift down on aslippery road surfac ein
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface. G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible ,poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is arisk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open
aw indow on the side of the vehicle that is not
facin ginto the wind.
! Take care not to damage the sealing strip
and the mould ingont he side of the rear
window when scrapin gice off the rear win-
dow. Driving tips
187Driving and parking Z

At the onse
tofwinter, have your vehicle win-
terproofed at aqualified specialist workshop.
Vehicles with th eON&OFFROAD pack-
age: if drivin ginsnow or with snow chains,
select the snow program (Y page 249)with
the off- road program selector wheel in the
centre console.
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 398).
Driving with summer tyres Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y
page 398).
Slippery road surfaces G
WARNING
If you shift down on aslippery road surfac ein
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect ,the drive wheels coul dlose their grip.
This increases the risk of skiddin gand having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface.
If the vehicle threaten stoskid or cannot be
stopped whe nmovin gatl ow speed:
X Move the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under con trolby
using corrective steering.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 399).
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudde naccelera-
tion, steering and brakin gmanoeuvres. Off-road driving
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you drive up asteep incline at an angle or
turn on asteep incline, the vehicle could slip sideways, tip and overturn. There is
arisk of
an accident.
When drivin gupanincline, drive into the line
of fall (upw ards or downwards in astraight
line) and do not turn. G
WARNING
If the vehicle level is high, the vehicle centre
of gravity is raised .This coul dcause the vehi-
cle to tip over more easily on uphill or downhill
gradients. There is arisk of an accident.
Select the lowest possible vehicle level.
When drivin goff-road, sand, mud and water,
possibly mixe dwith oil, for example, could get
into the brakes. This could result in areduced
braking effect or in total brak efailure and also
in increased wear and tear. The braking char-
acteristic schange depending on the material
ingressing the brakes. Clean the brakes after
driving off-road. If you detec tareduce dbrak-
ing effect or grinding noises, have th ebrake
system checked in aqualified specialist work-
sho pass oon as possible. Adapt your driving
style to the differen tbraking characteristics.
Driving off- road increases the likelihood of
damage to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead
to failure of the mechanical assembly or sys-
tems. Adapt your driving style to suit the ter-
rain conditions. Drive carefully. Have damage
to the vehicle rectified immediately at aquali-
fied specialist workshop.
Do not switch to transmission position N
when driving off-road. You could lose control
of the vehicle if you attempt to brake using
the service brake. If the gradient is too steep,
drive backwards in reverse gear.
General notes H
Environmental note
Protection of the environment is of primary
importance. Treat nature with respect.
Observe all prohibiting signs. 188
Driving tipsDrivin
gand pa rking

Read this section before drivin
gyour vehicle
off-road. Pra ctisebyt ravelling over more gen-
tle off-road terrain first.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving:
R Off-road program (vehicles without the
ON&OFFROAD package) (Y page 252)
R Off-road program 1and 2(vehicles wit hthe
ON&OFFROAD package) (Y page 253)
R LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles with
the ON&OFFROAD package)
(Y page 254)
R Differential lock (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package) (Y page 254)
R Off-road AB S(Ypage 61)
R Off-road 4ETS (Y page 66)
R Off-road ESP ®
(Y page 67)
R AIRMATI Cpackag e(veh icle level)
(Y pag e212)
R DSR (Downh illS peed Regulation)
(Y page 251)
Observe the following notes:
R Stop your vehicle and, if necessary, select
the off-road program (Y page 252)orthe
LOW RANGE off -road gear (Y page 254)
befor edriving off-road.
R Select avehicle level suitable for the off-
road ter rain. To avoid damaging the vehicle,
make sure ther eisalways sufficien tground
cle arance.
R Check that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safel yand are wel lsecur ed
( Y page 343).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driv ingonad ownhill gradient. Acti-
vate DSR (Y page 251).
R Drive slowly and evenly, if necessary at
walking pace.
R Ensure that the wheels ar einc ontact with
the ground at all times.
R Drive with extreme car eonu nknown off-
road routes where visibility is poor. For
safety reasons, get out of the vehicl efirst
and survey the off-road route. R
Check the depth of water before fording
rivers and streams.
R Look out for obstacles such as rocks, holes,
tree stumps and furrows.
R Take care when turning on an uphill or
downhill slop eorwhen driving across a
slope. The vehicle could otherwise tip over.
R Always keep the side windows and the pan-
orama sliding sunroof closed dur ingt he
journey.
R Do not stray from marked routes or paths.
i Information about retrofitting special all-
terrain tyres is available from any qualified
specialist workshop.
i Do not use the HOL Dfunction when driv-
ing off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gra-
dients or on slippery or loos esurfaces. The
HOLD function cannot hold the vehicl eon
suc hsurfaces.
Checklis tbefor edriving off-road X
Engine oil level: check theengine oil and
top it up if necessary.
Whe ndriving on stee pgradients, the
engin eoil level must be sufficiently high to
ensure acorrec toil supply in the vehicle.
X AdBlue ®
tank (BlueTEC vehicles): check
the fluid level and, if necessary, refill to the
maximum (13 l) (Y page 178).
X Tyre-ch ange tool kit: checkthat the jack
is wor king and mak esure you have the
wheelbrace, arobust tow cabl eand afold-
ing spade in the vehicle.
X Wheels and ty res: chec kthe tyr etread
depth and tyre pressure.
X Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, fro mthe
wheels/tyres.
X Replace any missing valv ecaps.
X Replace dented or damaged wheels.
X Wheels: dented or bent wheel scan lead to
al oss of tyr epressure and damag etot he
tyr eb ead. Before driving off-road, check
the wheels and replace them if necessary. Driving tips
189Driving and parking Z