2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV ESP

cle's distance from oth
ervehicle s, the speed
bein gdrive nand for braking in goo dtime. X
If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ;or press it up :or down =.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in fron thas slowed down, it brakes your vehi-
cle. In this way, the distanc eyou have selec-
ted is maintained.
If DI STRONIC PLUS detects afaster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed.
However, the vehicle is only accelerated up
to the spee dyou have stored.
Changing lanes G
WARNING
DI ST RONIC PLUS and Active Blind Spot Assist
are only an aid designed to assist driving.
The ydon ot relieve you of the responsibility
of payin gattention. The driver remains fully
responsible for the vehicle's distance from
other vehicles, the vehicle's speed and for
braking in good time. Always pay attention to
traffic conditions and your surroundings. Oth-
erwise, you may fail to recognise dangers in time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
If you change to the overtakin glane, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS supports you if:
R you are driving faster than 60 km/h.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to avehicle in front.
R you switc honthe respective tur nsignals.
R DISTRONIC PLU Sdoes not detec tadanger
of collision.
If these condition sare met, your vehicl eis
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front becomes too small.
i When changing lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane for left-hand-drive
vehicles and the right lane for right-hand-
drive vehicles.
Vehicles with COMAND Online Example: roundabout
i
The following function is not operational
in all countries.
DISTRONIC PLUS uses additional information
from your navigation system so that it can
adapt to certain traffic situations. This is the
case if, while following avehicle, DI STRONIC
PLUS is active and you:
R approach or drive around aroundabout
R approach aT-junction
R turn off at amotorway exit 202
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

X
To adjust the se tspee din1k m/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up :or down ;to the pressure
point.
The last stored speed increase sordecrea-
ses in 1km/ hincrements.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: briefly pressthe cruise con-
trol lever up :or down ;to beyon dthe
pressur epoint.
The last stored speed inc reases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/ hincrements.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed sto reda fter you have finished over-
taki ng.
Setting th especified minimum distance Yo
uc an set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varyin gthe tim espan
betwee none and two seconds. With thi sfun c-
tion, yo ucan set the minimum di stancethat
DISTRONIC PLU Skeep stot he vehi clein
front ,dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distanc einthe multifunction display
(Y page 20 5). X
To incre ase: tur nc ontrol ;in direction
=.
DISTRONIC PLU Sthenm aintains agreater
distanc ebetween your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turnc ontrol ;in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC PL US then maintains ashorter
distanc ebetween your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintai nasufficient
and safe distance from the vehicle in front.
Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if
necessary.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS There are several way
stodeactivate DI S-
TRONIC PLUS:
X Briefl ypres sthe cruise con trollever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
When you deactivate DI STRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC PLU Soff message
in th emultifunction displa yfor approximately
fiv es econds. 204
Driving systemsDriving and parking

i
The last speed store dremains stored until
you switc hoff th eengine.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
R you engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicl eisautomatically secured with
the electric parking brake.
R you are driving slowe rthan 25 km /hand
there is no vehicle in front, or if the vehicle
in fron tisnol onger detec ted.
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivat eESP®
.
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition.
R the vehicle is near aradio telescop efacility
(Y page 433).
R you switch off the radar senso rsystem
(Y page 283).
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away ,and the front-
passenger doo rorone of the rear doors is
open.
R you activate DSR.
R you activate off-road program 2onvehicles
with the ON&OFFROA Dpackage.
R the vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear awarning tone. You will see the DIS‐TRONIC PLUS off message in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately five seconds. Displays in the instrument cluster Displays in the speedometer
Example: DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the speed-
ometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments
;in the set spee drange light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects avehicle in front,
segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front :and stored speed =light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DI STRONIC PLUS.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated Distance display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated
:
Vehicle in front, if detected
; Distance indicator: curren tdistanc eto
the vehicle in front
= Specified minimum distanc etothe vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Own vehicle Driving systems
205Driving and parking Z

Other vehicles changing lane
DI
ST RONIC PLUS has not detected the vehi-
cle cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in fron tonthe edge of the carriage-
way, because of its narrow width. The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstruction sand sta tionary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the detected vehicle turns
acorner and reveals
an obstacle or stationar yvehicle, DI STRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossin gvehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane. Activat-
ing DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with
crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally.
Level control (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody is near the wheel arch
or vehicle underside when you make achange
to the vehicle level. Otherwise, you or others
ma ybet rapped. G
WARNING
Always select as lo wavehicle level as possi-
ble. If the vehicle level is high, the vehicle
centre of gravity shifts upwards. This increa-
ses the risk of the vehicle tippin gover.
Adapt you rdriving style to suit th evehicle
level. ESP ®
cannot reduc ethe risk of an acci-
dent if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot over-
rid ethe laws of physics.
! When driving on extremel yrough terrain,
select ahigh vehicle level in good time.
Make sure there is always sufficient ground Drivin
gsystems
207Drivingand pa rking Z

clearance. You will oth
erwise damag ethe
vehicle.
Lev elcontro ladapt sthe vehicle level auto-
matically to the current operating and driving
situation. Thi sresults in reduced fuel con-
sumption and improved handling.
Make changes to the vehicle level whil ethe
vehicle is in motion. Thi senable sthe vehicle
to adjus ttothe new level as quickly as pos-
sible.
The vehicle level ma ychange visibly if you
par kthe vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperatur edrops, th evehi-
cle level lowers; with an increase in temper-
ature, the vehicle level rises.
If you unloc kthe vehicle or open adoor, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load dis-
crepancies while still parked. However, for
significant leve lchanges, e.g. after the vehi-
cle has been stationar yfor along period, the
engin emust be running. For safety reasons,
the vehicle is only lowered when the doors are
closed .Lowering is interrupted if adoor is
opened; it con tinues once the doo rhas been
closed.
For information about driving off-road, see
(Y page 188).
Basic settings The exten
ttowhich the vehicle is raised or
lowered depend sonthe basic setting selec-
ted.
Select:
R Highway/high-spee dlevel for driving on
normal roads
R Off -road level 1for drivin goneasily nego-
tiable off-road terrain
R Off-road level 2for drivin gonnormal off-
roa dterrain
R Off -road level 3for freeing the vehicle from
especially difficult off -road terrain at low
speeds The individual vehicle levels differ from high-
way level as follows:
R
highway level: +/– 0mm
R high-spee dlevel: –1 5mm
R off-road leve l1:30mma bove highway level
R off-road level 2: 60 mm above highway level
R off-road level 3: 90 mm above highway level
Highway/high-speed level !
Make sure there is enough groun dclear-
ance when the vehicle is being lowered. It
could otherwise hit the ground, damaging
the underbody. :
Selector wheel
; To raise the level
= Indicator lamps
? To lower the level
X Star tthe engine.
X Selector wheel : engaged:
brieflypress
selecto rwheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
If one or mor eindicato rlamps =are on:
X Turn selector wheel :anti-clockwise ?
until all indicator lamps =that are lit start
to flash.
The vehicle is lowered to highway level. As
soon as the next lowes tlevel is reached,
the indicator lam pstops flashing and goes
out. 208
Drivin
gsystemsDrivin gand pa rking

During the adjustment, the
Lowering mes-
sage ,for example, appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
If yo upressthe % ora button on the
multifunction steeri ngwheel, the message
will disappear. Onc ehighway level has been
reached, all indicator lamps =go out.
The vehicle automatically select shighway
level if you are drivin gataspeed above
11 5k m/ horify ou drive at aspeed between
10 0k m/ hand 115 km/h for around
20 seconds. The vehicle is lowered to high-
speed level if you are travelling at higher
speeds.
Off- road levels General notes
G
WARNING
Off-road level 3isn ot permitte dfor use on
public roads. Off -road level 3gives your vehi-
cle avery high centr eofgravity. This increa-
se st he risk of the vehi clet ippin gover.
R Onl yselec toff-road level 3for drivin goff-
road in particularl yrough terrain.
R Adjust your drivin gstyle to the altered han-
dling charac teristics.
R Do not drive faster than 20 km/h.
R Avoid sudden majo rsteering movements.
R Take account of th ealtered handling char-
acteristics. Only select an off-road level if this is appro-
priate for road conditions. Otherwise, fuel
consumption may increase and handling per-
formanc
emay be affected.
X Start the engine.
X Selector wheel : engaged:
briefly press
selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
X To raise: turn selector wheel :clock-
wise ;.
The vehicle is raised.
or
X To lower: turn selector wheel :anti-
clockwise ?.
The vehicle is lowered.
Indicator lamps =for the desired off-road
level flash:
R Off-road level 1: the lower indicator lamp
flashes.
R Off-road level 2: the lower and centre indi-
cator lamps flash.
R Off-road level 3: all three indicator lamps
flash.
The vehicle is being adjusted to the off-road
level selected .Assoon as an off-road leve lis
reached, th ecorresponding indicator lamp
stops flashing and lights up constantly.
Raising th evehicle
During the adjustment, the Vehicleris‐ ing message
,for example, appear sint he
multifunc tion display.
The vehicle rises from highway leve ltooff-
roa dlevel 1. Driving systems
209Driving and 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

Active Curve System
The Active Curv
eSyste muses activ estabil-
isers to optimis eboth drivin gcomfort and
vehicle agility. Depending on the ADS mode
selected (Y page 212), the Active Curve Sys-
tem also changes the setting.
If you select ADS comfor tmode:
R rolling movemen tisr educed in the even tof
changing surface undul ations.
R the roll angle when cornering is reduced.
R the drivin gstyle is agile.
If you select ADS sport mode:
R the roll angle is reduced significantly.
R the driving style is even more agile.
Leve lcontrol Import
ants afety notes G
WARNING
Mak esure that nobody is near the wheel arch
or vehicle underside when you make achange
to the vehicle level. Otherwise, you or others
ma ybet rapped. G
WARNING
Always select as lo wavehicle level as possi-
ble. If the vehicle level is high, the vehicle
centre of gravity shifts upwards. This increa-
ses the risk of the vehicle tipping over.
Adapt your driving style to suit the vehicle
level. ESP ®
cannot reduc ethe risk of an acci-
dent if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot over-
rid ethe laws of physics.
! When driving on extremel yrough terrain,
select ahigh vehicle level in good time.
Make sure there is always sufficient ground
clearance. You will otherwise damage the
vehicle.
Genera lnotes
Further information abou t"Driving off-road"
(Y page 188).
Level control adapts the vehicle level auto-
matically to the current operating and driving situation. Thi
sresults in reduced fuel con-
sumption and improved handling.
If you select ADS comfor tmode
(Y page 212), the vehicle is lowered to high-
speed leve lasthe speed increases. As the
vehicle decelerates, the vehicle is raised back
up to highway level.
If you selec tADS sport mode (Y page 212),
the vehicle skip shighwa ylevel and lowers
directly to high-speed level dependin gonthe
basic setting (Y page 213).
Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle
to adjust to the new level as quickly as pos-
sible.
The vehicle level ma ychange visibly if you
par kthe vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the vehi-
cle level lowers; with an increase in temper-
ature, the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open adoor, the
vehicle begins to compensat efor load dis-
crepancies while still parked. However, for
significant leve lchanges, e.g. after the vehi-
cle has been stationary for along period, the
engin emust be running. For safety reasons,
the vehicle is only lowered when the doors are
closed .Lowering is interrupted if adoor is
opened; it con tinues once the doo rhas been
closed.
Basic settings
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the basic setting selec-
ted. Select raised level for off-road driving or
highway/high-speed level for normal roads.
The individua lvehicle levels differ from high-
way level as follows:
R highway level: +/ –0mm
R high-spee dlevel: –1 5mm
R raised level :+60 mm Driving systems
213Driving and parking Z