2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV brakes

reasons concerning th
eoperating permit.
This also applie sincountries in which the
permissible maximum speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations is above 100 km/h.
When towing atrailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics wil lbedifferen tincomparison
to when drivin gwithout atrailer and it will
consume more fuel.
On long and stee pdownhil lgradients ,you
must select shift range 1,2or 3in good time.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise con trol, SPEEDTRONIC or DI S-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the brakin geffect of th eengine,
so les sbraking wil lberequired to prevent the
vehicle from gainin gspeed. This relieves the
load on the brak esystem and prevent sthe
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly .Ifyou need additional braking,
depress the brake pedal repeatedly rather
than con tinuously.
Driving tips If the trailer swings from sid
etoside:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not countersteer.
X Brake if necessary.
R Maintain agreater distance from th evehi-
cle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then, increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from astandstill refer to sea
level. Whe ndriving in mountainou sareas,
note that th epower outpu tofthe engine,
and consequen tlyt he vehicle' sgradient-
climbing capability ,decrease with increas-
ing altitude. Folding out the ball coupling
G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not correctly engaged,
the trailer can detach. There is arisk of an
accident.
Always engage the ball coupling as described. G
WARNING
If you release the ball coupling or it does not
engage correctly when folding in, it will swing
out. Within pivoting range of the ball coupling,
there is an increased risk of an accident and
injury.
Only release the ball coupling if the pivoting
range is unobstruc ted. Alway smake sure that
the ball coupling engages when folding in.
! AMG vehicles and vehicles with AMG
bodystyling: remove the cover below the
bumper before you fold out the ball cou-
pling. Otherwise, the ball coupling, the
cover and the bumper could be damaged.
Before you can tow atrailer with your vehicle,
yo um ust fold out the ball coupling.
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary. X
AMG vehicles and vehicles with AMG
bodystyling: pull down cover :by han-
dle ;in the direction of the arrow until it
is released. Towin
gatrailer
259Driving an dparking Z

Warnin
gand indicator lamps in the
instrument cluster Warning and indicator lamps over-
view
L Dipped-beam headlamps
(Ypage 120)
T Side lamps (Y page 119)
K Main-beam headlamps
(Ypage 122)
#! Turn signals (Y page 121)
R Rear foglamp (Y page 120)
ü Seat belts (Y page 325)
J Brakes (Ypage 326)
! ABS(Ypage 32 7)
÷ ESP®
(Y page 329)
å ESP®
OFF (Y page 329)
! Electric parking brake (red)
(Ypage 332)
! Electric parking brake (yellow)
(Ypage 332)
6 SRS (Ypage 332)
; Engine diagnostics
(Ypage 333)
8 Reserve fuel (Y page 333)
? Coolant (Ypage 333)
· Distance warning function
(Ypage 335)
% Diesel engine: preglow
(Ypage 161)
h Tyre pressure monitor
(Ypage 336) 324
Warning and indicator lamp
sintheinstrument clusterOn-boar dcomputer and displays

Driving abroad
An extensiv
eMercedes- BenzService network
is als oavailable in othe rcoun tries. The
Service Hotline's curren ttelephone numbers
for use when you are abroa dare to be found
in th e"Mercedes-Ben zService2 4h"s ection
of the Ser vice Boo klet. AdBlue
®
service display
i For BlueTE Cvehicles only.
To fun ction properly, BlueTEC exhaust gas
after treatmen tmust be operated with the
reducing agent AdBlue ®
.A dBlue ®
is topped
up as part of the service. Under normal oper-
atin gconditions, afull tank of AdBlue ®
should
last until the nex tservice due date.
Depending on how and where the vehicle is
used, ther emay be an increase in the
AdBlue ®
consumption, resulting in the next
servic edue date being brought forward.
Certain display messages sho wthat
AdBlue ®
must be topped up, e.g.
Refill AdBlue Se eOwner's Manual Refill AdBlue No start in: .. km
Aw
arning ton ealso sounds.
You can no longer start th eenginew hen the
AdBlue ®
supply has been used up
(Y page 306).
Top up AdBlue ®
(Y page 178).
Before taking atripw ithy our vehicle outside
Europe, have th eAdBlue ®
suppl ychec kedat
aq ualified specialist workshop. If necessary,
have AdBlue ®
topped up. Before alonger stay
outside of Europe, consult aqualified special-
ist workshop.
Obser vethe note sonA dBlue ®
(Y page 427).
You can obtain further informatio nabout
BlueTE Cexhaus tgas aftertreatment and
AdBlue ®
from any Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre. Care
General notes
H
Environmental note
Dispos eofempty packaging and cleaning
cloths in an envi ronmentally responsible man-
ner.
! For cleani ngyour vehicle, do not use any
of the following:
R dry, rough or hard cloths
R abrasive cleaning agents
R solvents
R cleaning agents containin gsolvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touc hthe surfaces or protective
films with har dobjects, e.g. aring or ice
scraper .You coul dotherwis escratc hor
damage the surfaces and protectiv efilm.
! Do not park up the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner .Wheel cleaner scould cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for afew minutes after clean-
ing. Brakin gheats the brak ediscs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked up.
Regula rcare of your vehicle is aconditio nfor
retaining th equalit yint he long term.
Us ec arep roducts and cleani ngagent srec-
ommended and approved by Mercedes-Benz. Washin
gthe veh iclea nd cleaning the
paintwork
Automatic car wash G
WA
RNING
Brakin gefficienc yisreduced after washing
th ev ehicle .This coul dcause an accident. For
this reason, following acar wash, drive with
particular care until the brakes are dry. 366
CareMaintenance and care

Usefu
linfor mati on
i This Owner's Manual describes all mod-
els, series and optional equipment for your
vehicle that were available at the time of
going to press. National variation sare pos-
sible. Note that your vehicl emay not be
equippe dwith all of the function sdescri-
bed. This is also the case for system sand
functions relevant to safety.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: (Y page25). Impo
rtantsafety notes G
WARNING
If wheels and tyres of the wron gsize are used,
the wheel brakes or suspension components
may be damaged. There is arisk of accident.
Always replac ewheels and tyr es with those
that fulfil th especifications of the original part
(designation ,manufacturer, model). G
WARNING
Af lat tyre severely impair sthe driving, steer-
ing and bra king characteristics of the vehicle.
There is arisk of accident.
Tyres withou trun-flat characteristics:
R do not drive with aflat tyre.
R immediately replac ethe fla ttyre with your
emergenc yspare wheel or spare wheel, or
consult aqualified specialist workshop.
Tyres with run-flat characteristics:
R pay attention to the information and warn-
ing notices on MOExtended tyre s(tyres
with run-flat charac teristics).
Accessorie sthat ar enot approved for your
vehicle by Mercedes-Ben zorare not be ing
use dcorrectly can impair the operating
safety. Before purchasing and using non-approved
accessories, visi
taqualified specialist work-
sho pand enquire about:
R suitability
R leg alstipulations
R factory recommendations
Information on the dimensions and types of
wheels and tyres for your vehicle can be
found in the "Wheel/tyre combinations" sec-
tion (Y page 409).
Information on air pressure for the tyres on
your vehicle can be found:
R on the tyre pressure label on the fuel filler
flap (Y page 175)
R in the "Tyre pressure" section
R under "Tyre pressure" (Y page 399)
Modification work on the brake system and
wheels is not permitted. The use of wheel
spacers or brake dust shields is not permit-
ted. This invalidates the general operating
permit for the vehicle.
i Further information on wheels and tyres
can be obtained at any qualified specialist
workshop. Operation
Information on driving
Check the tyre pressures when the vehicle is
heavily laden and, if necessary, adjust.
While driving, pay attention to vibrations,
noises and unusual handling charac teristics,
e.g .pulling to one side .This ma yindicate that
the wheels or tyres are damaged. If you sus-
pect that atyre is defective, reduce your
speed immediately. Stop the vehicle as soon
as possibl etocheckthe wheels and tyres for
damage. Hidden tyr edamage could also be
causing the unusual handling characteristics.
If you find no signs of damage, have the tyres
and wheel schecked at aqualified specialist
workshop.
When parking your vehicle, make sure that
the tyres do not get deformed by the kerb or 396
OperationWheels and tyres

Country Radio type approval number
Brazil 1489-10-4415
Dubai TRA, Registered NO
0016161/08
TRA, Registered NO
0016162/08
Morocco MR5527 ANRT 2010
/27. April
2010
MR5526 ANRT 2010/ 27. April
2010 Ph
ilip-
pines ESD-1105558C
Singa-
pore Compliance with IDA Standard
N0140-09
South
Africa TA-2008/1068
TA-2008/1069
Changing
awheel Flat tyre
Yo uc an find information on wha ttodointhe
even tofa flat tyre in th e"Breakdown assis-
tance" sectio n(Ypage 378). Instruction sfor
drivin gwith MOExtended tyres in the event of
af lat tyre are also provided there.
Vehicles with an emergency spare
wheel: in the event of aflat tyre, the emer-
gency spare wheel is fitted according to the
description under "Fittin gawheel"
(Y page 405). Inte
rchangin gthe wheels G
WARNING
Interchanging the front and rear wheel smay
severely impair the driving characteristic sif
the wheels or tyres have differen tdimensions.
The wheel brakes or suspension componen ts
may als obedamaged. There is arisk of acci-
dent. Interchange front and rear wheels only if the
wheels and tyre
sare of th esame dimensions.
! On vehicles fitted with atyre pressure
monitor ,electronic componen tsare loca-
ted in the wheel.
Tyre-fittin gtools should not be applied in
the area of the valve, as this coul ddamage
the electronic components.
Only have tyre schanged at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Interchanging the front and rear wheel sof
diff ering dimension scan render the general
operating permit invalid.
Obse rvet he instructions and safet ynotes in
the "Fi ttin gaw heel" section (Y page 405).
The wear pattern sonthe fr ont an drear tyr es
diff er,depending on the operating conditions.
Interchange the wheels befor eaclear wear
pattern ha sform edon the tyr es.F ront tyres
typicall ywearm ore on the shoulder sand the
rea rtyre sint he centre.
On vehicles that have the same size front and
rear wheels, you can interchange the wheels
every 5000k mto10,000 km depending on
the degre eoftyre wear. Maintain the direc-
tion of tyre rotation.
Clea nthe con tact surface softhe wheel and
the brake disc thoroughly ever ytime awheel
is interchanged. Chec kthe tyr epressure and,
if necessary, restart th etyre pressure loss
warning syste morthe tyrepressure monitor. Directio
nofrotation
Tyres with aspecified direction of rotation
have additional benefits, e.g. if there is arisk
of aquaplaning. You will only gain these ben-
efits if the correct direction of rotation is
observed.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tyre indicates
its correct direction of rotation. 404
Changing
awheelWheels and tyres

Model Replacement
amount GL 50
04MATIC
Blue EFFICIEN CY 8.5 l
GL 63 AMG
With external oil
cooler: 9.5 l GL 350 Blue-
TEC 4MATIC
GL 350 CDI
4MATIC
8.0 l
Additives
!
Do not use any additives with the engine
oil .T his could damage the engine.
Engine oil viscosity Viscosit
ydescribes the flow characteristics
of afluid. If an engine oil has ahigh viscosity
rating, it flows slowly ;the lower the viscosity,
the faster it flows.
Engin eoil selection is based on the respective
outside temperatures and in accordance with
the SAE classification (viscosity). The table
shows you which SAE classifications are to be
used. The low-temperature properties of
engine oils can be significantly impaired dur-
ing operation due to, for example, ageing or
soot and fuel accretion .Itistherefore
strongly recommended to observe regular oil
changes usin ganapproved engine oil with the
appropriate SAE classification. Brake fluid
G
WARNING
Over aperiod of time, the brak efluid absorbs
moisture from the air; This lowers its boiling
point.
If the boiling point of the brake fluid is too low,
vapour pocket smay form in the brake system
when the brakes are applied hard (e.g. when
driving downhill). This impairs braking effi-
ciency.
You shoul dhave the brake fluid renewed at
regular intervals. The brake fluid change inter-
vals can be found in the Service Booklet.
Only use brake fluid approved by Mercedes-
Benz according to MB Approval 331.0.
Information about approved brake fluid can
be obtained at any qualified specialist work-
sho poront he Internet at
http://bevo. mercedes-benz.com.
i Have th ebrake flui drenewed regularly at
aq ualified specialist workshop. Coolant
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Antifreeze is highly flammable. Fire, naked
flames and smoking are prohibited when han-
dling antifreeze.
If antifreeze comes into contact with hot
engine parts, it may ignite and you could burn
yourself. Do not spill any antifreeze on hot
engine parts.
! Only add coolant that has been premixed
with the desired antifreez eprotection. You
cou ld othe rwise damage th eengine.
Further information on cool ants can be
found in the Merced es-Benz Specifications
for Service Prod ucts, MB Specifications for
Service Products 310.1 ,e.g. on the Inter-
net at http://bevo.mercedes-benz.co m.
Or contac taqualified specialist workshop. Servic
eproducts and capacities
429Technical data Z