2013 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class tow

in direction, the child may not be held
securely. The child could thus be seriously or
even fatally injured. For this reason, when
fitting a child restraint system, observe the
manufacturer's installation instructions and
the correct use of the child restraint system.
Child restraint systems should preferably be
fitted on the rear seats .The child is generally
better protected there.
The entire base of the child restraint system
must always rest on the seat cushion.
Therefore, never place objects, e.g. a cushion,
under the child restraint system.
Only use child restraint systems with the
original cover designed for them. Only replace
damaged covers with genuine covers.
We recommend that you use the child
restraint systems which have been
recommended for Mercedes-Benz. G
WARNING
Infants and small children should never share
a seat belt with another occupant. In the event
of an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
Ac hild's risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and/
or the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
Children that are too large for a child restraint
must travel in seats using normal seat belts.
Position the shoulder belt across the chest
and shoulder, not face or neck.Ab ooster seat
may be necessary to achieve proper seat belt
positioning for children over 41 lb (18 kg) until
they reach a height where a lap-shoulder belt
fits properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, remove
it from the vehicle or secure it with the seat
belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an
accident. G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Achild's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. The children
could:
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
even if the SmartKey is removed from the
ignition lock or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system's
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts. G
WARNING
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment or cargo
compartmentu nless they are firmly secured
in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child's risk of injury in the event
of
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
Further informatio nonsecure stowage of
loads can be found under "Loading
guidelines". Children in the vehicle
61Safety Z

If the vehicle has been locked using the
locking button for the central locking, or has
been locked automatically, and a door is
opened from the inside:
R
the vehicle will be fully unlocked if it had
previously been fully unlocked
R only the door which has been opened form
the inside is unlocked if only the driver's
door had been previously unlocked Automatic locking feature
0002
To deactivate
0003 To activate
X To deactivate: press and hold button 0002
for aboutf ive seconds until a tone sounds.
X To activate: press and hold button 0003for
about five seconds until a tone sounds.
i If you press one of the two buttons and
do not hear a tone, the relevant setting has
already been selected.
The vehicle is locked automatically when the
ignition is switched on and the wheels are
turning.
You could therefore be locked out if:
R the vehicle is being pushed.
R the vehicle is being towed.
R the vehicle is on a roller dynamometer.
You can also switch the automatic locking
function on and off using the on-board
computer (Y page 280). Power closing feature
Power closing pulls the doors and trunk lid
into their locks automatically even if they are
only partly closed.
X To power-close adoor: push the door into
the lock up to the first detent position.
Power closing will pull the door fully closed.
X To power-close the tailgate: lightly press
the tailgate downwards.
Power closing will pull the tailgate fully
closed. Unlocking the driver's door
(mechanical key)
If the vehicle can no longer be unlocked with
the SmartKey, use the mechanical key.
If you use the mechanical key to unloc kand
open the driver's door, the anti-thef talarm
system will be triggered ( Ypage 76).
X Take the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey (Y page 80).
X Insert the mechanical key into the lock of
the driver's door as far as it will go. 0004
To unlock
X Turn the mechanical key counter-clockwise
to position 0004.
The door is unlocked.
X Turn the mechanical key back and remove
it.
X Insert the mechanical key into the
SmartKey. 86
DoorsOpening and closing

Useful information
............................162
Notes on breaking-in anew vehicle 162
Driving ............................................... 162
Automatic transmission ...................169
Refueling ............................................ 177
Parking ............................................... 183
Driving tips ........................................ 186
Driving systems ................................ 195
Towing atrailer ................................. 257 161Driving and parking

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible. Please note that your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systems and functions.
i Read the information on qualified
specialist workshops: (Y page 28).Notes on breaking-in
anew vehicle Important safety notes
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after
several hundred kilometers of driving.
Compensate for this by applying greater force
to the brake pedal. The first 1,000miles (1,500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future.
R You should therefore drive at varying
vehicle and engine speeds for the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
R Avoid heavy loads, e.g .driving at full
throttle, during this period.
R Change gearing ood time, before the
tachometer needle is 0001of the way to the
red area of the tachometer.
R Do not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
R If possible, do not depress the accelerator
pedal past the point of resistance
(kickdown).
R Only select shift ranges 3,2or 1when
driving slowly, e.g. in mountainous terrain. After 1,000 miles (1,500 km), you can
increase the engine speed gradually and
accelerate the vehicle to full speed.
Additional breaking-in notes for AMG
vehicles:
R
Do not drive faster than 85 mph
(140 km/h) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
R Only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
R Change gear in good time.
R Ideally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program C.
i You should also observe these notes on
breaking in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
i Always observe the respective speed
limits. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restric tthe
pedal travel or obstruct adepressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle
is jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficien tclearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats. G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinde rcorrect usage
of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident. 162
DrivingDriving and parking

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

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

Problems with the transmission
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear. The transmission is losing oil.
X
Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist
workshop immediately. The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer changes gear. The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into
secondgear and reverse gear.
X Stop the vehicle.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Wait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist
workshop immediately. Transfer case
! Performance tests may only be carried
out on a 2-axle dynamometer. The brake
system or transfer case could otherwise be
damaged. Contact a qualified specialist
workshop for a performance test.
! Because ESP ®
is an automatic system,
the engine and ignition must be switched
off (SmartKey in position 0or 1or Start/
Stop button in position 0or 1) when the
electric parking brake is being tested on a
brake dynamometer (maximum
10 seconds).
Braking triggered automatically by ESP ®
may seriously damage the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised,
as doing so will damage the transmission.
This section is only valid for vehicles with 4-
wheel drive (4MATIC). Power is always
transmitted to both axles. Refueling
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and
explosion.
You must avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before
refueling. G
WARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
You must make sure that fuel does not come
into contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
and that it is not swallowed. Do not inhale fuel
vapors. Keep fuel away from children. Refueling
177Driving and parking
Z

is not permitted if the vehicle is not parked
on a level surface. There is a danger of
overfilling, which could result in damage to
components of the BlueTE
Cexhaus tgas
aftertreatment.
! Rinse surfaces that have come into
contact with DE Fimmediately with water or
remove DEF using a damp cloth and cold
water. If the DEF has already crystallized,
use a sponge and cold water to clea nit. DEF
residues crystallize after time and
contaminate the affected surfaces.
! DEF is not a fuel additive and must not be
added to the fuel tank. If DEF is added to
the fuel tank, this can lead to engine
damage.
For further information on DEF, see
(Y page 442).
Opening the DEF filler cap The fuel filler flap is unlocked or locked
automatically when you open or close the
vehicle with the SmartKey or with KEYLESS-
GO.
X
Switch the ignition off.
X Press the fuel filler flap in the directio nof
arrow 0002.
The fuel fille rflap swings up.
X Turn blue DE Ffiller cap 0003counter-
clockwise and remove it.
DEF filler cap 0003is secured with a plastic
strip. DEF refill bottle !
Only screw on the DE Frefill bottle hand-
tight .Itcould otherwise be damaged. X
Unscrew the protective cap from DEF refill
bottle 0002.
X Place DEFr efill bottle0002on the filler neck
as shown and screw it on clockwise until
hand-tight.
X Press DEFr efill bottle0002towards the filler
neck.
The DEFt ank is filled. This may take up to
one minute.
i When DE Frefill bottle 0002is no longer
pressed, filling stops and the bottle may be
taken off again after being only partially
emptied.
X Release DEFr efill bottle0002.
X Turn DEFr efill bottle 0002counter-clockwise
and remove it.
X Screw the protective cap onto DEF refill
bottle 0002again.
DEFr efill bottles can be obtained at many gas
stations or at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center .Refill bottles without a threaded cap
do not provide overfill protection. DEF may
leak if overfilled. Mercedes Benzo ffers
special refill bottles with a threaded seal.
These are available at any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. 182
RefuelingDriving and parking