2013 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV Owners Manual

teristics and the gearshifting characteristics
of the automatic transmission are adapted for
this purpose. ABS, ESP ®
and ETS programs
especially adapted to off-road driving are also
activated.
Do not use the off-road program on roads that are snow-covered or icy or if you have fitted
your vehicle with snow chains.
For information about "Driving off-road", see
(Y page 185).
Switching the off-road program on or off X
To switch on: press button:.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
X To switch off: press button:.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
Display in the assistance graphic X
Select the Distance display Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 243).
When the off-road program is activated,
symbol :appears in the assistance
graphic display. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area
around your vehicle using six sensors in the
front bumper and six sensors in the rear
bumper. PARKTRONIC indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a substi- tute for your attention to the immediate sur-
roundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that there are no persons, animals
or objects in range while manoeuvring and
parking.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARK-
TRONIC does not detect such objects when they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and
objects which absorb ultrasonic sources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic
car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes
or a pneumatic drill, could cause PARK-
TRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on uneven terrain. 206
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

PARKTRONIC is activated automatically if
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift to position D,Ror Non vehicles with
automatic transmission
R release the electric parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
Range of the sensors General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take into account
obstacles located:
R below the detection range, e.g. persons,
animals or objects
R above the detection range, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, tail sections or loading ramps of
goods vehicles :
Example: sensors in the front bumper,
left-hand side Side view Top view
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and
slush. Otherwise, they may not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y page 326).
Front sensors Centre Approx. 100 cm
Corners Approx. 60 cm
Rear sensors
Centre Approx. 120 cm
Corners Approx. 80 cm
Minimum distance
Centre Approx. 20 cm
Corners Approx. 20 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a warn- ing tone sounds. If the distance falls below
the minimum, the distance may no longer be
shown.
Warning displays The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment. Driving systems
207Driving and parking Z

Warning display for the front area
:
Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
; Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
= Segments showing operational readiness
The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg- ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness =
light up.
The gear lever position or the transmission
position of the automatic transmission and
the direction in which the vehicle is rolling
determine which warning display is active
when the engine is running.
Manual transmission: Gear lever posi-
tion Warning display
Forward gear
or
Neutral
Front area activated
Reverse gear
or
the vehicle is rolling backwards Rear and front areas
activated Automatic transmission:
Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R,
Nor the vehicle
is rolling back-
wards Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for approx-
imately two seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two sec-
onds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC :
Indicator lamp
; Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2in the
ignition lock. 208
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Towing a trailer
!
Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required. PARKTRONIC meas-
ures the minimum detection range to an
obstacle from the bumper, not the ball cou- pling.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area
when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and a trailer. Driving systems
209Driving and parking Z

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated and the
indicator lamp on the
PARKTRONIC button
lights up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has been deactivated.
X If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X Clean the PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 326).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.
X See if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location. Active Parking Assist
General notes Active Parking Assist is an electronic parking
aid with ultrasound. It measures the road on
both sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol
indicates a suitable parking space. Active
steering intervention and brake application
can assist you during parking and when exit-
ing a parking space. You may also use PARK- TRONIC (Y page 206).
i The active braking application is only
available on vehicles with automatic trans- mission.
Important safety notes Active Parking Assist is only an aid. It is not a
substitute for your attention to the immediate surroundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you. Make sure that no persons, animals or
objects are in the manoeuvring range.
When PARKTRONIC is switched off, Active
Parking Assist is also unavailable. G
WARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
cause you to collide with other road users.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Active Park- ing Assist parking procedure.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over
obstacles such as kerbs slowly and not at a
sharp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tyres. 210
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Active Parking Assist may also display spaces
not suitable for parking, e.g.:
R parking or stopping prohibitions
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possi-
ble past the parking space.
R parking spaces that are littered or over-
grown might be identified or measured
incorrectly.
R parking spaces that are partially occupied
by trailer drawbars might not be identified
as such or be measured incorrectly.
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
R pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Y page 207 )warning messages during the
parking procedure.
R you can intervene in the steering procedure
to correct it at any time. Active Parking
Assist will then be cancelled.
R when transporting a load which protrudes
from your vehicle, you should not use
Active Parking Assist.
R never use Active Parking Assist when snow
chains are fitted.
R make sure that the tyre pressures are
always correct. This has a direct influence
on the parking characteristics of the vehi-
cle.
Use Active Parking Assist for parking spaces
that are:
R parallel or at right angles to the direction of
travel
R on straight roads, not bends
R on the same level as the road, e.g. not on
the pavement
Detecting parking spaces Objects located above the height range of
Active Parking Assist will not be detected
when the parking space is measured. These are not taken into account when the parking
procedure is calculated, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods
vehicles. G
WARNING
If objects are located above the detection
range, Active Parking Assist may start to steer into the parking space too soon. As a result,
you could cause a collision. There is a risk of
an accident.
If objects are located above the detection
range, stop the vehicle and switch Active
Parking Assist off.
For further information on the detection
range (Y page 207).
Active Parking Assist does not support you
parking in spaces at right angles to the direc-
tion of travel if:
R two parking spaces are located directly
next to one another
R the parking space is directly next to a low
obstacle such as a low kerb stone
R you forward park
Active Parking Assist does not support you
parking in spaces that are parallel or at right
angles to the direction of travel if:
R the parking space is on a kerb stone
R the parking space appears to be blocked,
for example by foliage or grass paving
blocks
R the range of movement is too small
R the parking space is bordered by an obsta-
cle which is not clearly defined such as a
tree or a trailer Driving systems
211Driving and parking Z

:
Detected parking space on the left
; Parking symbol
= Detected parking space on the right
Active Parking Assist is activated automati-
cally when driving forwards. The system is
operational at speeds of up to approximately
35 km/h. While in operation, the system inde- pendently locates and measures parking
spaces on both sides of the vehicle.
Active Parking Assist will only detect parkingspaces:
R that are parallel or at right angles to the
direction of travel
R that are parallel to the direction of travel
and are at least 1.5 m wide
R that are parallel to the direction of travel
and at least 1.0 mlonger than your vehicle
R that are at right angles to the direction of
travel and at least 1.0 m wider than your
vehicle
i In the case of parking spaces that are at
right angles to the direction of travel,
please ensure that the parking space is
long enough to accommodate your vehicle.
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you
will see parking symbol ;as a status indi-
cator in the instrument cluster. When a park-
ing space has been detected, an arrow
towards the right or the left also appears.
Active Parking Assist only displays parking
spaces on the front-passenger side as stand- ard. Parking spaces on the driver's side are
displayed as soon as the turn signal on the
driver's side is activated. When parking on the driver's side, this must remain switched on
until you acknowledge the use of Active Park-
ing Assist by pressing the abutton on the
multifunction steering wheel. The system automatically determines
whether the parking space is parallel or at
right angles to the direction of travel.
A parking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are approx-
imately 15 m away from it.
Parking G
WARNING
If you leave the vehicle when it is only being
braked by Active Parking Assist it could roll
away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the vehicle is accelerated, e.g. by a vehicle
occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always secure it
against rolling away.
i Vehicles with automatic transmission: if
PARKTRONIC detects obstacles, Active
Parking Assist brakes automatically during
the parking process. You are responsible
for braking in good time.
X Stop the vehicle when the parking symbol
shows the desired parking space in the
instrument cluster.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: shift to
reverse gear.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: shift into position R.
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No: Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
% message appears in the multifunction
display. 212
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
To cancel the procedure: press the%
button on the multifunction steering wheel or pull away.
or
X To park using Active Parking Assist:
press the abutton on the multifunction
steering wheel.
The Park Assist active Accelerate
Park Assist active Accelerate
and and brake
brake Observe
Observe surroundings
surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Release the multifunction steering wheel.
X Reverse the vehicle, being ready to brake at
all times. Do not exceed a maximum speed of approximately 10 km/h when reversing.
Otherwise, Active Parking Assist will be
cancelled.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Active Parking Assist brakes the vehicle to a standstill when the vehicle approaches
the rear border of the parking space.
Manoeuvring may be required in tight park-
ing spaces.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
Manoeuvring may be required in tight park-
ing spaces.
Vehicles with manual transmission: the
Park Assist active Engage forward
Park Assist active Engage forward
gear Observe surroundings gear Observe surroundings message
appears in the multifunction display.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
Park
Park Assist Assist active
activeSelect
SelectD
DObserve
Observe
surroundings
surroundings message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to first gear while the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
select transmission position Dwhile the
vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in the other direction. The
Park Assist active Accelerate
Park Assist active Accelerate
and and brake
brake Observe
Observe surroundings
surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
i You will achieve the best results by wait-
ing for the steering procedure to complete before pulling away.
X Drive forwards and be ready to brake at all
times.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Active Parking Assist brakes the vehicle to a standstill.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
stop, at the latest when PARKTRONIC
sounds the continuous warning tone.
Vehicles with manual transmission: the
Park Assist active Engage reverse Park Assist active Engage reverse
gear Observe surroundings gear Observe surroundings message
appears in the multifunction display.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
Park Park Assist
Assist active
activeSelect
SelectR
RObserve
Observe
surroundings
surroundings message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
As soon as the parking procedure is com-
plete, the Park ParkAssist
Assist switched
switched off
offmes-
sage appears and a warning tone sounds. The
vehicle is now parked. The vehicle is kept sta- tionary without the driver having to depress
the brake pedal. The braking effect is cancel-
led when you depress the accelerator pedal.
Active Parking Assist no longer supports you
with steering interventions and brake appli-
cations. When Active Parking Assist is fin-
ished, you must steer and brake again your-
self. PARKTRONIC is still available.
X Manoeuvre if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages dis-
played by PARKTRONIC (Y page 207).
Parking tips: R The way your vehicle is positioned in the
parking space after parking is dependent
on various factors. These include the posi-
tion and shape of the vehicles parked in
front and behind it and the conditions of the
location. It may be the case that Active
Parking Assist guides you too far into a Driving systems
213Driving and parking Z