2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV towing

G
WARNING
Th ev ehicle is braked when the HOL Dfunction
or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore,
deactivate the HOLD function and DISTRONIC
PLUS before the vehicl eiswashed in an auto-
matic car wash.
! Make sure that:
R the side windows and sliding sunroof are
closed completely.
R the blower for the ventilation/heating is
switched off (OFF button is depressed).
R the windscreen wiper switch is at posi-
tion 0.
The vehicl ecould otherwise be dam aged.
! In car washes with atowing mechanism,
make sure that the automatic transmission
is in transmission position N,otherwise the
vehicl ecould be dam aged.
R Vehicles with akey:
do not remove the key from the igniti on
lock. Do not open the driver's door or
front-passenge rdoor when the engin eis
switched off .Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position P
automatically and locks the wheels. You
can prevent this by shiftin gthe auto-
matic transmission to Nbeforehand.
R Vehicles with KEYL ESS-GO:
do not ope nthe driver's door or front-
passenger door when the engin eis
switched off .Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position P
automatically and locks the wheels.
Observe the following to make sure that the
automatic transmission stays in position N:
X Make sure the vehicle is statio naryand the
ignition is switched off.
X Turn the key to position 2(Y page 159 )in
the ignitio nlock.
Use the key instead of the Start/S topb ut-
ton on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO.
X Depress and hold the brake pedal. X
Shift the automatic transmissio ntoposi-
tion N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parkin gbrake.
X Switch off th eignition and leav ethe key in
the ignition lock.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the ver ystart.
Wash off excess dirt before cleaning the vehi-
cle in an automatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash ,wipe off
wax from the windscreen and the wiper
blades. This will prevent smears and reduce
wiping noises caused by residue on the wind-
screen.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowe
datspecially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirement sfor each indi-
vidual coun try.
X Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
X Use asoft sponge to clean.
X Use amild cleaning agent, such as acar
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz.
X Thoroughly hos edown the vehicle with a
gentl ejet of water.
X Do not point the water jet directly towards
the air inlets.
X Use plenty of water and rinse out the
sponge frequently.
X Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with achamois.
X Do not let the cleanin gagent dry on the
paintwork.
When using the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of roa dsalt deposits carefully and as
soon as possible. Care
367Maintenance and care Z

Usefu
linfor mation ............................ 376
Wher ewillIfind...? ........................... 376
Flat ty re............................................. 378
Ba tter y( vehicle) ................................ 382
Jump-starting .................................... 386
Towing and tow-starting ..................388
Electrica lfuses ................................. 391 375Break
down assistance

C
Warning triangle
D Wheel bolts
E Towing eye
X Lif tthe luggage compar tment floor up
(Y page 344). Flat ty
re Prep
aring the vehicle
Your vehicle may be equipped with:
R MOExtended tyres (tyres with run -flat char-
acteristics) (Y page 378)
R aT IREFIT kit (Y page 379)
R an emergency spare whee l(only for cer tain
countries) (Y page 414)
Information on changing/fitting awheel
(Y page 404).
Vehicle preparation is not necessar yonvehi-
cles with MOExtended tyres.
X Stop the vehicle as far away as possible
from traffic, on solid, non-slipper yand level
ground.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps.
X Engag ethe electric parkin gbrake man-
ually.
X Bring th efront wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Move the DIRECT SELECT leve rtoP.
X Vehicle swith the ON&OFFROAD pack-
age: makesure that highway level is selec-
ted (Y page 207).
X Switch off the engine.
X Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the key from the ignition lock.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the
driver' sdoor.
The on-boar delectronic shave status 0,
which is the same as the key having been
removed.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 159). X
All occupants must leave the vehicle. Make
sure that they are not endangered as they
do so.
X Make sure that no one is near the danger
area while awheel is being changed. Any-
one who is not directly assisting in the
wheel change should, for example, stand
behind the barrier.
X Get out of the vehicle. Pay attention to traf-
fic condition swhen doing so.
X Close the driver's door.
X Plac ethe warnin gtriangl easuitable dis-
tance away (Y page 376). Observe legal
requirements.
X Unload heavy luggage.
i Only operate the tyre inflation compres-
sor using a12Vs ocket,even if the ignition
is turned off (Y page 350).
An emergenc ycut-off ensures that the on-
board voltage does not drop too low. If the
on-board voltage is too low, the power to
the sockets is automatically cut. This
ensures that there is sufficient power to
start the engine. MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat
characteristics)
G
WARNING
When driving in emergenc ymode, the driving
characteristic sdeteriorate, e.g. when cor ner-
ing, accelerating quickly and when braking.
There is arisk of accident.
Do not exceed the stated maximum speed.
Avoid abrupt steering and drivin gmanoeu-
vres, and driving over obstacles (kerbs, pot-
holes ,off-road) .This applies in particular to a
laden vehicle.
Sto pdriving in emergency mod eif:
R you hear banging noises.
R the vehicl estart stos hake.
R you see smok eand smell rubber. 378
Flat tyreBreakdown assistance

X
Slide cover :of positive terminal ;in the direction of the arro w.
X Connect positive terminal ;on your vehicl etopositive terminal =of donor battery B
using the jum plead. Alway sbegin with positive terminal ;on your own vehicle fir st.
X Start th eengine of the donor vehicle and run it at idling speed.
X Connec tnegativ eterminal ?of donor battery Bto eart hpoint Aof your vehicle using
the jum plead, connectin gthe jum plead to donor battery Bfirst.
X Start the engine.
X Before disconnecting the jum pleads, let the engines run for several minutes.
X First, remove the jum pleads from eart hpoint Aand negative terminal ?,then from pos-
itiv eterminal ;and positiv eterminal =,each time beginning at the contacts on your own
vehicle first.
X Close cover :of positive terminal ;after removing the jump leads.
X Have the battery checked at aqualified specialist workshop.
i Jump-starting is not considered to be anormal operatin gcondition.
i Jump-starting cables and further information regarding jum pstartin gcan be obtained at
any qualified specialis tworkshop. Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Safety-relevant func tions are restric tedorn ot
available if:
R the engin eisnot running.
R the brake system or the power steering is
malfunctioning
R the voltage supply or the vehicle' selectrical
system is malfunctioning.
If your vehicle is towed, significantly greater
forc emay be required to steer the vehicle or
to brake. There is arisk of an accident.
In such circumstances, use atowing bar.
Make sure that the steering is moving freely
befor etowing. G
WARNING
If the weight of the vehicle to be towed or tow-
started is greater than the permissible gross
weight of your vehicle:
R the towin geye could detach itself
R the vehicle/traile rcombination coul dover-
turn.
There is arisk of an accident.
When towing or tow-startin ganothe rvehicle,
its weight should not be greater than the per-
missible gross weight of your vehicle. G
WARNING
The vehicle is braked when the HOL Dfunction
or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore,
deactivate HOLD and DISTRONIC PLUS if the
vehicle is to be towed.
! Make sure that the electric parking brake
is released. If the electric parking brake is
faulty, visit aqualified specialist workshop.
! Only secure the tow rope or towing bar to
the towing eyes. The vehicle may otherwise
be damaged. 388
Towin
gand tow-startingBreakdow nassistance

!
Observe the following points when towing
wit hat ow rope:
R secur ethe tow rope on the sam eside on
both vehicles.
R the tow rope must not be longer than is
legally permitted. It should be marked in
the middle, e.g. with awhite cloth
(30 x30c m) so that other roa dusers are
aware that avehicle is being towed.
R the tow rope may only be attached to the
towing eyes.
R observ ethe brake lamps of the towing
vehicle while driving. Always maintain a
distanc esothat the tow rope does not
sag.
R do not use steel cables or chains to tow
your vehicle. The vehicle could be dam-
aged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
this could damage the vehicle. If in doubt,
recover the vehicle with acrane.
! When towing, pu llaway slowly and
smoothly .Ifthe tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
! To tow vehicles with KEYL ESS-GO,use
the key instead of the Star t/Stop button.
Th ea utomatic transmission may otherwise
switch to position Pwhen you open the
driver' sorfront-passenger door which
could damag ethe transmission.
! Vehicles with differential locks: make
sur ethe differential lock sare in automatic
mode. When towing, th edifferential locks
must not be switched on. The transmission
may otherwise be damaged.
! You may tow the vehicle for amaximum
of 50km .Atowing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.
For towin gdistances over 50 km, the entire
vehicle must be lifted up and transported.
! If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per- missible gross vehicle weight of your vehi-
cle.
Information on your vehicle' sgros svehicle
weight rating can be foun donthe vehicle
identification plat e(Ypage 422).
Observe the legal requirement sfor the rele-
vant countries when towing.
It is bette rtoh ave the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission dam-
age, have it transported on atransporter or
trailer.
Th ea utomatic transmission must be in posi-
tion Nwhen the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2
R cannot release the electric parking brake
R cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
i Deactivate the automatic locking feature
(Y page 283). You could otherwis ebe
locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
Deactivate tow-away protection
(Y page 71) before the vehicle is towed. Towing and tow-starting
389Breakdown assistance Z

Fitting/removing th
etowing eye
Fitting th etowing eye Example: cover
sfor towin geye mountings
: Front cover
; Bac kcover
Vehicles with atrailer to whitch :ify ou intend
to use the vehicle for towing, fold out the ball
coupling (Y page 259) and con nect the tow-
bar to it.
Th eb rackets for th escrew-i ntowing eyes are
located in the bumpers. They ar eatthe front
and at the rear, under the covers.
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 377).
X To ope nthe cover at the front: press the
mark on cover :inwards in th edirection
of the arrow.
X To open the cover at the rear: insert a
flat, blunt object into the cutout and lever
cover ;out of the bumper.
X Remove cover :or; from the opening.
X Screw the towing eye in clockwise to the
stop and tighten it. Removing the towing eye X
Loosen the towing eye and unscrew it.
X Attach cover :or; to the bumper and
press until it engages.
X Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit. Towing the vehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(Y page 388).
The automatic transmission automatically
shifts to position Pwhen you open the driver's
or front-passenger door or when you remove
the key from the ignition lock.
In order to ensure that the automatic trans-
mission stays in position Nwhen towing the
vehicle, you must observe the following
points:
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary and
that the key is in position 0in the ignition
lock.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
On vehicles with KEYL ESS-GO, use the key
instead of the Start/Stop button
(Y pag e159).
X Depres sand hol dthe brake pedal.
X Shif tthe automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parkin gbrake.
X Leave th ekey in position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Switch on the hazar dwarning lamps
(Y page 122).
i In order to signal achange of direction
when towing the vehicle with the hazard
warnin glamps switched on, use the com-
bination switch as usual .Inthis case ,only
the turn signals for the desired direction
flash .When you reset the combination 390
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance

switch, the hazard warnin
glamps start
flashing again. Transporting the vehicle
! Only lash the vehicle down by the wheels
or wheel rims, not by parts of the vehicle
such as axle or steering components. Oth-
erwise, the vehicle could be damaged.
The towing eyes or trailer tow hitch can be
used to pull the vehicle onto atrailer or trans-
porter if yo uwish to transport it.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
As soon as the vehicle is loaded:
X Prevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parkin gbrake.
X Shift th eautomatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
X Secure the vehicle. Information for 4MATIC vehicles
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised; otherwise,
the transmission may be damaged.
If the vehicle has transmission damage or
damage to the front or rear axle, have it trans-
ported on atransporter or trailer.
In the even tofdamage to the ele ctrical
system
If the battery is defective, the automatic
transmission will be locked in position P.To
shif tthe automatic transmission to position
N,y ou must provide power to the vehicle's
electrical system in the same way as when
jump-starting (Y page 386).
Hav ethe vehicle transported on atransporter
or trailer. Recov
ering avehicle that ha sbecome
stuck
! When recovering atrapped vehicle ,donot
je rk the vehicle or pull it at an angle. If the
tractive powe rist oo high, th evehicles
could be damaged.
If th edrive wheels ge ttrapped on loose or
muddy ground, recover th evehicle with the
utmost care, especially so if the vehicle is
laden.
Never attempt to recover avehicle with a
trailer atta ched.
Pull out the vehicle backwards, if possible,
using the tracks it made when it became
stuck. Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
! Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-star ted. Otherwise, you
could damage the automatic tra nsmission.
You ca nfind information on "Jump-starting"
at (Y page 386). Electrical fuses
Important safet
ynotes G
WARNING
Only use fuses that have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles and which have the
correct fuse ratin gfor the system scon-
cer ned. Do not attempt to repair or bridge
faulty fuses. Usin gfuses which have not been
approved or attempting to repair or bridge
faulty fuses could cause the fuse to be over-
loaded and result in afire. Have the cause
traced and rectified at aqualified specialist
workshop.
! Only use fuses marked with an "S" for the
fuse box in the engine compartment and
under the rear bench seat. Components or
systems could othe rwise be damaged. Electrical fuses
391Breakdown assistance Z

i
The tyr epressure values given for low
load sare minimum values which offe ryou
good rid ecomfor tcharacteristics.
However ,you can also use the values given
for higher loads. These ar epermissible and
will not adversely affect the running of the
vehicle. Ty
re pr essur eloss warning system
Important safety notes While the vehicle is in motion, the tyre pres-
sure loss warnin gsystem monitors the set
tyre pressure using the rotational speed of
the wheels. This enable sthe system to detect
significant pressur eloss in atyre. If the speed
of rotation of awheel changes as aresult of
al oss of pressure, acorrespondin gwarning
message will appea rinthe multifunction dis-
play.
The tyr epressure warning system does not
warn yo uofani ncorrectly set tyre pressure.
Observe the notes on the recommended tyre
pressure (Y page399).
Th et yre pressure los swarning system does
not replace the need to regularly check your
vehicle's tyre pressures, since an even loss of
pressure on several tyres at the same time
cannot be detected by the tyre pressure loss
warning system.
The tyre pressure monitor is not able to warn
you of asudden loss of pressure, e.g. if the
tyre is penetrated by aforeign objec t. Inthe
event of asudden loss of pressure, bring the
vehicle to ahalt by braking carefully. Avoid
abrupt steering manoeuvres.
The function of the tyre pressure loss warning
system is limited or delayed if:
R snow chains are fitted to your vehicle's
tyres.
R road conditions are wintry.
R you are driving on sand or gravel.
R you adopt avery sporty driving style (cor-
nering at high speeds or driving with high
rates of acceleration). R
you are towing avery heavy or large trailer.
R you are driving with aheavy load (in the
vehicle or on the roof).
Resta rting the ty re pressur eloss warn-
ing system Restart the tyre pressure loss warnin
gsystem
if you have:
R changed the tyre pressure
R changed the wheels or tyres
R fitted new wheels or tyres
X Before restarting, make sure that the tyre
pressures are set properly on all four tyres
for the respective operating conditio ns.
The recommended tyr epressures can be
found in th etable on the fuel filler flap.
The tyre pressure loss warning system can
only give reliabl ewarnings if you have set
the correct tyre pressure. If an incorrect
tyre pressure is set, these incorrec tvalues
will be monitored.
X Also observ ethe notes in the sectionon
tyre pressures (Y page 399).
X Make sure tha tthe key is in posi-
tion 2(Ypage 159) in the ignition lock.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to selec tthe Serv. menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Tyre pressure .
X Press the abutton.
The RunF lat Indicator active Restart with OK message appe
arsint he
multifunction display.
If yo uwish to confirm the resta rt:
X Press the abutton.
The Tyre press. no wOK? message
appe arsint he multifunction display.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Yes .
X Press the abutton.
The RunF lat Indicator restarted message appe
arsint he multifunction dis-
play. Ty
re pressure
401Wheelsand ty res Z