2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV traction control

1, 2,
3...
12 Vsocket
see Socket
360°camera
Function/ notes............................. 228
36 0° ca mera
Cleaning ......................................... 370
4ETS (Electronic Traction System) ....66
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel
drive) .................................................. 250A
ABS (Anti-lock Brakin gSystem)
Disp laym essage ............................ 291
Function/notes ................................ 61
Important safety notes ....................61
Warn ingl am p................................. 327
Activating/deactivating air-recir-
culation mode .................................... 146
Activating/d eactivating cooling
with air dehumidification .................141
Activ eBlindS pot Assist
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 279
Display message ............................ 311
Function/notes ............................. 242
To wing atrailer .............................. 245
Activ eCurv eSyst em
Disp laym essage ............................ 308
Function/notes ............................. 213
Activ eDriving Assistanc epackage .242
Activ eLane Keepi ngAssist
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 279
Display message ............................ 311
Function/notes ............................. 246
To wing atrailer .............................. 248
Activ elight function ......................... 123
Activ ePark Assist
Display message ............................ 312
Activ eParkin gAssist
Important safety notes ..................219
To wing atrailer .............................. 223
Activ eService System
see ASSYST PLUS
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ................................ .68Adaptive Brak
eAssist
Display message ............................ 297
Function/notes ................................ 64
Adaptive brake lamps .........................65
Adaptive Dampi ng System
see ADS (Adaptive Damping System)
Adaptive High beam Assist
Display message ............................ 303
Function/notes ............................. 124
Adaptive Main-beam Assist
Switch ingo n/off (on-board com-
puter) ............................................. 281
AdBlue ®
Display message ............................ 306
Fil ling capacity ............................... 428
Important safety notes ..................427
Service ind icator ............................ 366
topping up ..................................... 178
AdBlue ®
service indicator ................366
Additive s(engine oil)........................ 429
AD S(Ad aptiv eDampin gSystem)
Function/note s............................. 212
Airbags
Front airba g(driver, front
passenger) ....................................... 43
Important safety gu idelines ............. 42
Kneeba g.......................................... .44
Sidebag ............................................ 44
Trigg ering ........................................ .41
Windowbag ...................................... 45
Air-co nditionin gsyst em
se eC limate control
Ai rf ilter (whit edisplay message) ....306
AI RF LOW ........................................... 143
AIRMATIC package ADS (Ad aptive Damping System) ...212
Function/notes ............................. 212
Leve lcontrol .................................. 213
Ai rp ressure
see Tyr epres sure
Ai rv ents
Glove compartmen t....................... 154
Important safety notes ..................154
Rea r............................................... 155
Setting ........................................... 154
Setting the centre ai rvents ........... 154
Setting the si deairv ents ............... 154 4
Index

Displa
ymessage
ASSYST PLU S................................ 364
Gen eral information ....................... 290
Hid ing( on-board computer) ...........290
KEYLESS-GO .................................. 322
Display messages
Calling up (on-bo ardc omputer )..... 290
Driving sy stems ............................. 307
Engine ............................................ 304
Key ................................................ 322
Lig hts. ............................................ 300
Safety sy stems .............................. 291
Tyres .............................................. 315
Veh icle ........................................... 319
Distance display (on-board com-
puter) ................................................. .277
Distan cewarning function
Activating/deactivating .................278
Function/notes ................................ 63
Warn ingl am p................................. 335
Distanc ewarning si gnal (warning
lamp) .................................................. 335
DISTRONI CPLUS
Activating ....................................... 200
Activatio ncondition s..................... 200
Cruis econtrol lever ....................... 200
Deactivating ................................... 204
Display message ............................ 313
Display sinthe multifunction dis-
play ................................................ 205
Driving tips .................................... 206
Function/notes ............................. 198
Important safety notes ..................198
Sel ecting ........................................ 200
Setting the specified minimum
distance ......................................... 204
Warn ingl am p................................. 335
Door
Automatic locking (on-board com-
puter) ............................................. 283
Automatic lockin g(switch) ...... ........ .84
Cent rallocking/unlocking (key) ......77
Contro lpane l................................... 38
Display message ............................ 320
Emergency lockin g........................... 85
Emergency unlocking .......................84
Important safety notes ....................82Opening (fro
mthe inside) ................ 82
Po wer closing. ................................. 84
Doors
Overview .......................................... 82
Downhil lSpee dRegulation
see DS R(Downhill Speed Regulation)
Drive program
Automatic ...................................... 171
Display (DIRE CTSELECT lever) ......168
Manual .......................................... .172
Off-road program (ve hicle without
the ON&OFFR OADp ackage) ..........252
Off-road programs (ve hicle with
the ON&OFFR OADp ackage) ..........253
Dri ver's door
see Door
Driv esyst em
Active Blind Spot Assist .................242
Dri ving abroad
Service24h .................................... 366
Symmetrical di pped bea m............. 118
Dri ving assistance, crosswind ...........68
Dri ving in mountainous terrain
Approach/departure angle ............191
Dri ving off-road
see Off-road driv ing
Driving programs
see On-road programs
Driving safety system
Adaptive Brake Assist ......................64
BAS PLUS (Brak eAssist System
PLUS) ............................................... 62
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST ....63
Distance warning function ...............63
Electronic Brake-force Distribu-
tio n.................................................. 68
ESP ®
(El ectronic Stability Pro-
gram) ............................................... 66
Important safety gu idelines ............. 61
Dri ving safety systems
4ETS (Electronic Traction System) ...66
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) .......61
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ............................. 68
Ada ptive brake lamps ......................65
BAS (Brak eAssist System ).............. 62
Overview .......................................... 60 Index
9

ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes i
Observ ethe "Important safety notes "sec-
tio n(Ypage 61). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is mal functioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilis ethe vehicle. In addition, othe rdriving
safety systems are switche doff. This increa-
se st he risk of skiddi ngand an accident.
Driv eonc arefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialis tworkshop.
! Only operat ethe vehicle for amaximum
of ten seconds on abrake dynamometer.
Switch off th eignition.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
ma yoth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Afunction or performanc etest should
only be carried out on atwin-axle dyna-
mometer .Before you operate th evehicle
on such adynamometer, pleas econsult a
qualified workshop. You coul dotherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ousl ywhen the engin eisrunning.
If the ÷ warning lamp and the åwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to amalfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 329 )and display message swhich
ma ybes hown in the inst rument cluster
(Y page 291).
If ESP ®
detects that th evehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or mor ewheels ar ebrake dtos tabilise the
vehicle .The engin eoutput is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehicle during braking.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. If ESP
®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X When pulling away ,only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather condi tions.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyr es izes. Only then will ESP ®
func tion
properly.
4ETS (Electronic Traction System) Traction con
trol is par tofESP®
.
Tractio ncontrol brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slipper ysurfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side .Ina ddition, mor edrive torqu eistrans-
ferre dtot he wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction con trol remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
.
In appropriate drivin gsituations, activate the
off-road program:
X Vehicles without the ON&OFFROAD pack-
age (Y page 252)
X Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package
(Y page 253)
Off- road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) A4
ETS syste mspecifically suited to off -road
ter rain is activated automatically onc ethe off-
roa dprogram is acti vated on:
R Vehicle swithout the ON&OFFROA Dpack-
age (Y page 252)
R Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package
(Y page 253) 66
Driving safety systemsSafety

Deactivating/activating ESP
®G
WARNING
If you deactivat eESP®
,E SP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivat eESP®
in th esituation sdescri-
bed in th efollowing. X
To switch off: press button:.
The å ESP®
OF Fw arnin glamp in the
instrumen tcluster lights up.
X To switch on: press button:.
The å ESP®
OFF warnin glamp in the
instrumen tcluster goes out.
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engin eisstarted.
The ECO start/stop fun ction switches the
engin eoff automaticall yifthe vehi cles tops
moving. When pulling away again, the engine
start sautomatically. ESP ®
remain sinits pre-
viousl yselected status. Example: if ESP ®
was
deactiva tedb efor ethe engine was switched
off ,ESP ®
remains deactivated when the
engine is switched on again.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
th ei nstrumen tcluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise th evehicle. It may be best to deact
ivateESP®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using sno wchains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longe rimproves driving stab ility.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
R engine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are abl etospin. The spinnin gofthe
wheels resu ltsinac utting action for better
traction.
Off-roa dESP® An ESP
®
syste mspecif icall ys uited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road progra misactivate don:
R Vehicles without the ON&OFFROAD pack-
age (Y page252)
R Vehicles wit hthe ON&OFFROAD package
(Y page 253)
Off-road ESP ®
intervenes with adelay if there
is oversteerin gorundersteering ,thus improv-
ing traction.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation G
WARNING
If roa dand weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilis ation will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with ahigh centre of gravit ycan
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
ar isk of an accident.
Always adap tyour driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/
trailer combination by depressin gthe brake
firmly. Driving safety systems
67Safety Z

It is poss
iblet om ake use of the residual heat
of the engine to continue heating the station-
ary vehicle for up to 30 minutes after the
engine has been switched off. The heating
time depends on the temperature that has
been set for the vehicle interior.
X To activate: press theÌ/Á button.
The indicator lamp in the Ì/Á but-
ton lights up.
i The blower wil lrun at alow speed regard-
less of the airflow setting.
i If you activate the residual heat function
at high temperatur es,only the ventilation
will be activated. The blower runs at
medi um speed.
X To deactivate: pressthe Ì/ Ábut-
ton.
The indicator lam pintheÌ /Á but-
ton goes out.
Residual heat is deactivated automatically:
R after approximately 30 minutes
R when the igni tion is switched on
R if the battery voltage drops
R when the auxiliar yheatin gisa ctivated Auxiliary heating
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Exhaus tfume sare produced when the auxili-
ary heating is in operation. Inhaling these
exhaust fumes can be poisonous. You should
therefo reswitch off the auxiliary heating in
con fined spaces without an extraction sys-
tem, e.g. agarage. G
WARNING
When operating the auxiliary heating parts of
the vehicle can get very hot. Make sure that
the exhaust system does not under any cir-
cumstances come into contact with easily
ignitable material such as dry grass or fuels.
The material could otherwise ignite and set the vehicle alight. Choos
eyour parkin gspot
accordingly.
Operating the auxiliary heating is thus pro-
hibited at fillin gstations or when your vehicle
is being refuelled .You must therefor eswitch
off the auxiliary heating at filling stations.
! Operating the auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion draws on the vehicle battery. After you
have heated or ventilated the vehicle a
maximum of two times, drive for alonger
distance.
i Switch the auxiliary heatin gonregularly
once amonthfor about ten minutes.
The auxiliary heatin gheats the air in the vehi-
cle interior to the set temperature without
using the heat of the runnin gengine .The aux-
iliary heating is operated directly usin gthe
vehicle' sfuel. For this reason, the tank con-
tent must be at least at reserve fuel level to
ensure that the auxiliary heating functions.
The auxiliary heating/ventilation automati-
cally adjusts to changes in temperature and
weather conditions. For this reason, the aux-
iliary heating could switch from ventilation
mode to heating mode or from heating mode
to ventilation mode.
The auxiliary heating switches off when the
engine is switched off. The auxiliary ventila-
tion switches off when you turn the key to key
position 2.
The auxiliary heating switches off automati-
cally after 30 minutes. This time limit can be
altered. To do this, visit aqualified specialist
workshop.
You cannot use the auxiliary ventilation to
cool the vehicle interior to atemperature
lower than the outside temperature.
Before switching on X
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Set the temperature.
The auxiliary heating/ventilation can be acti-
vated even when climate control is set to 148
Operating the climate control systemClimate control

Off-road progra
m2 X
Selector wheel : engaged:
brieflypress
selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
X To select: turn selector wheel :unti lindi-
cator lamp ;comes on.
Off-road indicator =appears in the multi-
function display.
R off-road level 2isset and the vehicle is
raised by +6 0mmcompared to the high-
way level.
R DSR is switched on.
R the differential lock is closed.
Off-road program 2automatically switches to
off-road program 1ifyou dri vefaster than
45 km/h.
Select off-roa dprogram 2for rou gh terrain,
e.g. for steep and/o runeven terrain or for
driving on rocky terrain.
i Your vehicl ehas an automatically activa-
te dd ifferential loc kfor the transfer case. It
con trols the balance between the front and
rea raxles. The differential lock improves the vehicle's
traction. 4ETS (Y
page66) controls the bal-
ance between both wheels on an axle.
Yo uc an only activate off-road program 2
when driving at speeds below 40 km/h.
LOW RANGE off- roadgear (vehicles
with the ON&OFFROAD package) General notes
G
WARNING
Always wait for the gear change process from
HIGH RANGE to LOW RANGE –and from LOW
RANGE to HIGH RANGE –tocomplete. Do not
tur no ff the engine while changing gear and
do not switch the automati ctrans mission to
another gear.
If you do not wait for the gear change process
to complete, it ma ynot be correctly imple-
men ted. The transfer case may then be in
neutral and the connection between the
engine and the driv eaxles may be disen-
gaged. The vehicl ecould then mov efreely,
eve nifa gear is engaged, and coul dinadver-
tently start moving, particularly if it is on a
slope.
Observe the following descriptio nin"Mes-
sages in the multifunc tion display". :
LOW RANGE off -road gear button
; LOW RANGE off-road gear indicator lamp 254
Driving systemsDriving and parking

When you are close to radi
otelescope facili-
ties, the rada rsensor system will be deacti-
vated automatically.
The following system sare switche doff when
th er adar senso rsystem is deactivated:
R DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 198)
R BAS PLUS (Y page 62)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brak e(Ypage 68)
R Blin dSpot Assist (Y page 238)
R Active Blin dSpot Assist (Y page 242)
Heating submenu Auxiliary heating dep
arture time G
WARNING
Exhaus tfumes are produced when the auxili-
ary heating is in operation. Inhaling the se
exhaus tfumes can be poisonous. You should
therefor eswitch off th eauxiliar yheating in
confine dspaces without an extraction sys-
tem, e.g .agarage. G
WARNING
When operating the auxiliary heating parts of
the vehicle can get very hot. Make sure that
the exhaust system does not under any cir-
cumstances come into contact with easily
ignitable material such as dry grass or fuels.
The material could otherwise ignite and set
the vehicle alight. Choos eyour parkin gspot
accordingly.
Operating the auxiliary heating is thus pro-
hibited at fillin gstations or when your vehicle
is being refuelled .You must therefor eswitch
off the auxiliary heating at filling stations.
! Operating the auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion draws on the vehicle battery. After you
have heated or ventilated the vehicle a
maximum of two times, drive for alonger
distance.
This func tion is only available on vehicles with
auxiliary heatin g(Ypage 148). In the
Heating submenu, you can select a
stored departure tim eorchange adeparture
time.
The auxiliary heatin gtimer func tion calcu-
lates the switch-on tim eaccording to the out-
sid etemperatur esothat the vehicle is pre-
heate dbyt he departur etime. When the
departur etime is reached, the auxiliary heat-
ing continues to heat for afurther five
minutes and then switches off. The auxiliary
heating adopts the THERMATI Cor
THERMOTRONI Ctemperature setting.
You can switc hoff th eauxiliary heating by
using the remot econtrol or the auxiliar yheat-
ing button on the centre console.
i Swit chthe auxiliary heating on regularly
once amonthfor about ten minutes.
Selecting th edepartur etime or deactivat-
ing aselected depa rtur et ime
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Heating submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select
one of the three departur etimes or Timer off (no timer active).
X Press ato confirm.
If ad eparture tim eisselected, the yellow
indicator lam plights up on the auxiliary
heating button.
Changing the depa rtur et ime
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Heating submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press ato confirm. 284
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

Displa
ymessages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
h
Ty
re pressure Cau‐ tio
nT yrem alfunc‐ tion Th
et yrep ressur eino neor mor etyres has dropped suddenly.
Aw arning ton ealso sounds.
G WARNING
If you driv ewithaf lat tyre, there is arisk of the following hazards:
R Af lat tyre affects the ability to steer or brake the vehicle.
R You could lose control of the vehicle.
R Continued drivin gwithaflat tyre will cause excessive heat build-
up and possibly afire.
There is arisk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without makin gany sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres .Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do
so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 181).
X If there is aflat tyre, inspect the tyres (Y page 378).h
Tyre pressure
Chec
ktyre(s) Th
et yre pressure in one or more tyres has droppe dsignificantly.
G WARNING
With tyre pressures which are too low, there is arisk of the fol-
lowing hazards:
R they may burst, especiall yasthe load and vehicle speed
increase.
R they ma ywear excessively and/or unevenly, which may greatly
impair tyr etraction.
R thed riving characteristics, as well as steering and braking, may
be greatl yimpaired.
There is arisk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without makin gany sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres .Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do
so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 181).
X If there is aflat tyre, inspect the tyres (Y page 378).
X Check the tyre pressure (Y page 402).
X If necessary, correct the tyre pressure. h
Please correct
tyre pressure The tyre pressure is too low in at least one of the tyres, or the tyre
pressure difference between the wheels is too great.
X
Check the tyre pressures at the next opportunity
(Y page 402).
X If necessary, correct the tyre pressure. 318
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays