2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV service

You must open the service flap in the luggage
compartmen
tbefor eyou can replac ethe
bulbs in the bra kelamp.
X To open: release service flap :at the top,
e.g. with ascrewdriver, and swing it down-
ward in the dire ction of the arrow.
X Right side: remove the first -aid kit before-
hand and pull the luggage net down.
X To close: reinsert service flap :.
Brake lamp X
Switch off the lights.
X Open the luggage compartment.
X Open the service flap (Y page 130).
X Turn bulb holder :anti-clockwise and
remove it.
X Take bulb out of bulb holder :.
X Insert the new bulb int obulb holder :.
X Insert bulb holder :intothe lamp and turn
it clockwise.
X Close th eservic eflap (Y page 130). Windscree
nwipers Switchin
gthe windscreen wiper son/
off G
WA
RNING
The windscree nwill not longer be wiped prop-
erly if the wiper blades are worn .This could
prevent you from observing the traffic condi-
tions, thereby causing an accident .Replace the wiper blades twic
eayear, ideally in spring
and autumn.
! Do not operate the windscreen wipers
when the windscreen is dry, as this could
damage the wiper blades. Moreover ,dust
that has collected on the windscreen can
scratc hthe glass if wipin gtakes place when
the windscreen is dry.
If it is necessary to switch on the wind-
screen wipers in dry weather conditions,
always operate them using washe rfluid.
! If the windscreen wipers leave smears on
the windscreen after the vehicle has been
washed in an automatic car wash, this may
be due to wax or other residue. Clean the
windscreen with washer fluid after an auto-
matic car wash.
! Intermit tentwiping with rain sensor: due
to optical influences and the windscreen
becoming dirty in dry weather conditions,
the windscreen wipers may be activated
inadvertently. This could damage the wind-
screen wiper blades or scratc hthe wind-
screen.
For this reason, you should always switch
off the windscreen wiper sind ry weather. Combinatio
nswitch
1 $ Windscreen wipers off
2 Ä Intermittent wipe, low (rain sensor
set to low sensitivity)
3 Å Intermittent wipe, high (rain sensor
set to high sensitivity)
4 ° Continuous wipe, slow Windscreen wipers
131Lights and windscreen wipers Z

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The coolant tempera-
tur
ed isplay is showing
more than 120 †. The
coolant warnin glamp
may also be lit and a
warning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X
Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant
to cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 363). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct
,the radiator fa nmay be faulty. The
coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled suffi-
ciently.
X At coolant temperatures under 120 †, drive on to the nearest
qualified specialis tworkshop, e.g. to aMercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in
mountainous terrai nand stop-start traffic. Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engag etrans mission position Dor
R,t he vehicle coul dpull away suddenly. There
is ar isk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate. DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmissio npositions P
Park position with parking lock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive
The DIRECT SELECT leve risonthe right of the
steering column.
i The DIREC TSELECT lever always returns
to its origina lposition .The curren ttrans-
mission position P,R, Nor Dappe arsint he
transmission position display
(Y page 168) in the multifunction display. Automa
tict ran smission
167Driving and pa rking Z

AdBlue
®
(BlueTEC vehicles only)
Important notes on use To function properly, BlueTE
Cexhaust gas
aftertreatmen tmust be operate dwitht he
reduc inga gen tAdBlue ®
.
When the supply of AdBlue ®
is almost used
up, the Refill AdBlue See Owner's Man‐
ual message is shown in the multifunction
display.
When the AdBlue ®
supply drops to amini-
mum ,the Refill AdBlue No star tinXXXX km message is show
ninthe multifunc-
tion display.
If the Refill AdBlue No star tinXXXX km message is show
ninthe multifunction dis-
play ,you can still drive the vehicle over the
distance shown. If AdBlue ®
is not topped up,
you will subsequen tlybe unable to start the
engine.R efill the AdBlue ®
tank or have the
AdBlue ®
tank refilled at aqualified specialist
workshop. If the Refill AdBlue Eng. star
tnot possible message appears in
th em ultifunction display and the engine does
not start ,you must top up with at least 3. 8l
of AdBlue ®
(approximately 2AdBlue ®
refill
bottles).
i If you driv ethe vehicle faster than
15 km /h,the Refill AdBlue Se eOwn‐ er's Manual message goes ou
tafter
approximately one minute.
If th eoutside temperature is lower than
Ò11 †, it may be difficult to top up. If
AdBlue ®
is frozen and there is an activ ewarn-
ing indicator, topping up may not be possible.
Park the vehicle in awarm place, e.g. in a
garage, until AdBlue ®
has become liquid
again. Topping up is then possible again.
Alternatively, have the AdBlue ®
tank refilled
at aq ualified specialist workshop.
Further information about BlueTEC exhaust
gas aftertreatment and about AdBlue ®
can
be obtained from any Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre. Importan
tsafety notes on the refilling
procedure AdBlue
®
is aw ater-solubl efluid for the
exhaust gas aftertreatment of diesel engines.
It is:
R not poisonous
R colourless and odourless
R not flammable
When you open the AdBlue ®
container ,small
amounts of ammonia vapou rmay be
released.
Ammonia vapours have apungent odour and
are particularly irritating to the skin, to
mucous membranes and to the eyes. You may
experienc eaburnin gsensation in your eyes,
nose and throat. Coughing and waterin gof
the eyes are possible.
Do not inhale any ammonia vapours that may
be released. Fill the AdBlue ®
tank only in well-
ventilated areas.
AdBlue ®
must not come into contact with
your skin, eyes or clothing and must not be
swallowed .Keep AdBlue ®
away from chil-
dren.
If you or other person scome int ocontact with
AdBlue ®
,o bserv ethe following:
R Rinse AdBlue ®
from your skin immediately
with soap and water.
R If AdBlue ®
comes int ocontact with your
eyes, immediately rinse them thoroughly
with clea nwater. Seek medical attention
immediately.
R If AdBlue ®
has been swallowed, rinse your
mouth out immediately. Drin kplent yof
water .Seek medical attention immedi-
ately.
R Change out of clothing contaminated with
AdBlue ®
immediately.
! Only use AdBlue ®
in accordanc ewith
ISO 22241. Do not mix any additives with
AdBlue ®
,a nd do not dilute AdBlue ®
with
water. Thi smay destroy the BlueTEC
exhaust gas aftertreatmen tsystem. 178
RefuellingDriving and parking

take
noff ag aina fter be ingo nly partially
emptied.
X Releas eAdBlue ®
refil lbottle :.
X Tur nAdBlue ®
refil lbottle :anti-clockwise
and remove it.
X Screw the protective cap onto AdBlue ®
refill bottle :again.
AdBlue ®
refill bottles can be obtained at many
fil ling stations or at aMercedes-Benz Ser vice
Centre. Refil lbottles withou tathreaded seal
offer no protection agains toverfilling.
AdBlue ®
may leak ou tasaresult of overfilling.
Mercedes Ben zoffers special refi llbottles
with athrea deds eal. Thes eare avail able at
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Closin gthe AdBlue ®
fil lerc ap X
Fit AdBl ue®
filler cap ;on th efiller neck
and turn it clockwise.
X To close the fuel filler flap, press it in the
direction of arrow :.
X Driv efaster than 15 km/h.
The Refill AdBlue Se eOwner' sMan‐ ual message goes ou
tafter approximately
one minute.
i If the Refill AdBlue See Owner's Manual message continues to be show
nin
the multifunctio ndisplay, you must top up
with mor eAdBlue ®
. Parking
Important safety notes
G
WAR
NING
If flammable materials such as leaves ,grass
or twigs are exposed to prolo nged contac tto
part soft he exhaust system that heat up, they
coul dignite. There is arisk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come int ocontac twith parts of the vehi-
cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields. G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevan tfunctions are only available
with lim itations, 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. 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 starting the engine.
They could also 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.
! Am ovin gvehicle can lead to damage to
the vehicle or damage to the driv etrain. Parking
181Driving and parking 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

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

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

Even if the vehicl
einfront leaves th edetec-
tion range ,DIST RONICP LUSt emporarily
maintains the curren tdriving spee dand does
not accelerate. This is base donthe current
map data in the navigation system.
The current spee dismaintained:
R approximately 10 second sbefore the
roundabout/ T-junctio nand approximately
1.5 second swhen drivin gonaroundabout.
R approximately 12 second sbefor ereaching
am otorway exit and approximately
4s econds after the motorway exit.
Af terw ards, the vehicle accelerates back to
the set spee dyou specified.
Stopping G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when DISTRONIC
PLU Sisa ctivated.
DISTRONIC PLUS must als onever be oper-
ated, activated or deactivated by apassenger
or from outside the vehicle.
DISTRONI CPLUS does no treplace the elec-
tri cp arking brake and must not be used for
parking.
The DISTRONI CPLUS brakin geffect is can-
celle dand the vehicl ecan start moving if:
R DISTRONI CPLUS is deactivate dusing the
cruise con trollever.
R you accelerate.
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 wish to leave the vehicle or park it,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLU Sand secure the
vehicl eagainst rolling away.
If DI STRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary. Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depres
sthe
brake.
Af terat ime, the electric parkin gbrake
secure sthe vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
Depending on the specifie dminimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to astandstill at
as ufficient distance behind the vehicle in
front .The specifie dminimum distance is set
using the control on the cruise control lever.
The electric parkin gbrake secure sthe vehicle
automatically if DI STRONIC PLUS is activated
and:
R the driver's doo risopen and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off ,unles sitisa uto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R as ystem fault occurs.
R the powe rsupply is not sufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there
is am alfunction, the transmission may also
be automatically shifted into position P.
Setting aspeed X
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
high er spee dordown;for alower speed.
X Keep the cruise contr ol leverpresse duntil
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise contro llever.
The new speed is stored. DI STRONIC PLUS
is activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the new speed stored. Driving systems
203Drivingand parking Z