2013 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class Owner's Manual

Hill start assist helps you whe
npulling away
forwards or in reverse on an uphill gradient.
It holds the vehicle for a short time after you
have removed your foo tfrom the brake pedal.
This gives you enough time to move yourf oot
from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal
and to depress it before the vehicle begins to
roll.
Hill start assist will not function if:
R you are pulling away on a level road or on
a downhill gradient.
R the transmission is in position N.
R the electric parking brake is applied.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning. Driving
167Driving and parking Z

Problems with the engine
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard. R
There is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
R There is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 165). Avoid excessively
long and frequent attempts to start the engine as these will drain
the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor. The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak
or discharged.
X
Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 391).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
X
Allow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two
minutes.
X Try to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine is not
running smoothly and
is misfiring. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic
converter and damage it. The coolant
temperature gauge
shows a value above
248 ‡ (120 †). 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 369). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and add coolant if necessary. 168
DrivingDriving and parking

Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor
R, the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There
is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
no tsimultaneously accelerate. G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to
neutral position Nwhen you switch off the
engine. The vehicle may roll away. There is a
risk of an accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked
vehicle fro mrolling away by applying the
parking brake. DIRECT SELECTl
ever
Overview of transmission positions 0011
Park position with parking lock
000E Reverse gear
000F Neutral
0010 Drive
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on the righ tofthe
steering column.
i The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns
to its original position. The current transmission position
P,R, Nor Dappears
in the transmission position display
(Y page 169) in the multifunction display.
Transmission position and drive
program display !
If the transmission position display in the
multifunction display is not working, you
should pull away carefully to check whether
the desired transmission position is
engaged. Ideally, you should select
transmission position Dand, in AMG
vehicles, drive program Cor S. Do not
restrict the shift range. Transmission position and drive program display
0002
Transmission position display
0003 Drive program display
The current transmission position and drive
program appearint he multifunction display.
i The arrows in the transmission position
display show how and into which
transmission positions you can change
using the DIRECT SELECT lever.
Engaging parkp osition P !
If the engine speed is to ohigh or the
vehicle is moving, do not shift the
automatic transmission directly from Dto
R, from Rto Dor directly to P.The
automatic transmission could otherwise be
damaged. Automatic transmission
169Driving and parking Z

0011
Park position with parking lock
000E Reverse gear
000F Neutral
0010 Drive
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the
direction of arrow P.
i The automatic transmission shifts into
park position Pautomatically:
R if you open the driver's door while the
vehicle is stationary in transmission
position Dor R
R if you open the door while traveling at
very low speeds in transmission position
D or R
Engaging parkp osition P automaticallyPark position
Pis automatically engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the
SmartKey and remove the SmartKey.
R you switch off the engine using the Start/
Stop button and open one of the front
doors.
R the HOLD (Y page 211) or DISTRONIC
PLUS (Y page 198) function brake your
vehicle until it is stationary and at least one
of the following conditions is fulfilled:
- there is a system malfunction.
- the vehicle is on a steep uphill or downhill
gradient .The electric parking brake is
then also applied. Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R when the vehicle is stationary.
X When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
Shifting to neutral N G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of
parking position P.
R starting the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
X When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down
to the first point of resistance.
If the engine has been switched off, the
automatic transmission automatically shifts
to N.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral N, e.g. when having the
vehicle cleaned in an automatic car wash with
a towing system, observe the following notes: 170
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Using the SmartKey:
R
Make sure that the ignition is switched on.
R When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
R Shift to neutral N.
R Release the brake pedal.
R If the electric parking brake is engaged,
release it.
R Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
Using KEYLESS-GO:
R Make sure that the ignition is switched on.
R When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
R Engage park position P.
R Release the brake pedal.
R Remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock.
R Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
R Switch on the ignition.
R Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
R Shift to neutral N.
R Release the brake pedal.
R If the electric parking brake is engaged,
release it.
R Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past
the first point of resistance. Transmission positions
0005
Par
kposition
Do not shift the transmission into
position P(Ypage 183) unless the
vehicle is stationary. The parking
lock should not be used as a brake
when parking .Always apply the
electronic parking brake in
additio nto the parking lock in order
to secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are
malfunctioning, the transmission
may be locked in position P. Have
the vehicle electronics checked
immediately at a qualified
specialist workshop.
The automatic transmission shifts
to Pautomatically if you:
R remove the SmartKey
R switch off the engine when in R
or Dand open one of the front
doors 0007
Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. Automatic transmission
171Driving and parking Z

0004
Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the
automatic transmission could be
damaged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g .to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to
position Nif the vehicle is in danger
of skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch off the engine using
the SmartKey or the Start/Stop
button, the automatic transmission
shifts to neutral Nautomatically.
! Rolling in neutral Ncan damage
the drive train. 000C
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the
individual gears automatically when it is in
transmission position D.This automatic
gearshifting behavior is determined by:
R a possible limitation of the shift range
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed Driving tips
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
X
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Rocking the vehicle free Shifting the transmission repeatedly between
gears
Dand Rmay help to free the vehicle if
it has become stuck in slush or snow. The
vehicle's engine management restricts
repeated shifting between gears up to a
maximum speed of 5 mph (9 km/h). To shift
back and forth between transmission
positions Dand R, move the selector lever up
and down beyond the pressure point.
Towing atrailer X
Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Shift down to shift range 3or
2(Y page 174) depending on the uphill or
downhill gradient, eve nifcruise control,
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is
activated. 172
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Program selector button
General notes Program selector button on vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package
X Briefly press program selector button 0002.
The letter Mappears in the multifunction
display.T he manual drive program Mis
activated. Program selector button on AMG vehicles
X
Press program selector button 0002
repeatedly until the letter for the desired
gearshift program appears in the
multifunction display.
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving
characteristics.
i AMG vehicles: the automatic
transmission switches to automatic drive
program Ceach time the engine is started.
i Drive program Mis not saved after the
engine has been switched off. If required, you must select the drive program again
after starting the engine.
Drive programs on AMG vehicles C
Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gear shifting
i
For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 173). Steering wheel paddle shifters
In the automatic drive program, you can
restrict or derestrict the shift range by using
steering wheel paddle shifters
0002and 0003
(Y page 174).
In the manual drive program you can change
gears manually using steering wheel paddle
shifters 0002and 0003(Y page 175).
i You can only change gear with the
steering wheel paddle shifters when the
transmission is in position D. Automatic drive program (AMG
vehicles)
Drive program Cis characterized by the
following: Automatic transmission
173Driving and parking Z

R
comfort-oriented engine and automatic
transmissio nsettings
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully
R increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner .This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin
Drive program Sis characterized by the
following:
R sporty engine and transmission settings
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later
R the fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic
transmission shift points Shift ranges
Introduction In transmission position
D, you can use the
steering wheel paddle shifters to restrict or
derestrict the shift range for the automatic
transmission (Y page 173).
The shift range selected is shown in the
multifunction display. The automatic
transmission shifts only as far as the selected
gear. Driving situations 000B
You can use the engine's braking
effect.
000E
The braking effect of the engine can
be utilized on downhill gradients or
when driving:
R
on steep mountain roads
R in mountainous terrain
R in arduous conditions 0014
The braking effect of the engine can
be utilized on extremely steep
downhill gradients and long
downhill stretches.
Restricting the shift range
X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter.
The automatic transmission shifts down
one gear and restricts the shift range to the
relevant gear.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the
automatic transmission protects against
engine damage by not shifting down.
i If the maximum engine speed for the shift
range is reached and you continue to
accelerate, the automatic transmission
shifts up, even if the shift range is
restricted. This prevents the engine from
overrevving.
Derestricting the shift range X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter.
The shift range is derestricted. 174
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking