2013 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK-CLASS SUV wheel

functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Y page 64). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
BAS operates in emergency braking
situations. If you depress the brake pedal
quickly, BAS automatically boosts the
braking
force, thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed firmly until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Y page 64).
BAS PLUS is only available in vehicles
equipped with DISTRONIC PLUS.
For BAS PLUS to assist

you when driving, the
radar sensor system must be:
R activated (Y page 229)
R operational
With the help of the radar sensor system, BAS
PLUS can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time.
If the radar sensor system is malfunctioning,
BAS PLUS will not be available. The brake
system is still available with complete brake
boosting effect and BAS. BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in
hazardous situations at speeds greater than
4 mph (7 km/h).
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h), BAS PLUS can also detect
stationary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
To prevent a front-end collision, BAS PLUS
calculates the brake force necessary if:
R
you approach an obstacle, and
R BAS PLUS has detected a risk of collision
At a speed

less than 20 mph (30 km/h) : if
you depress the brake pedal, BAS PLUS is
activated. Braking is performed as late as
possible.
At a speed greater than 20 mph
(30 km/h) : if you depress the brake pedal
sharply, BAS PLUS automatically raises the
brake pressure to a value adapted to the
traffic situation.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes
function as usual, if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer any

danger of a rear-end
collision.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle. G
WARNING
BAS PLUS cannot always clearly identify
objects and complex traffic situations. BAS
PLUS cannot intervene in these cases. There
is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources Driving safety systems
65
Safety Z

R
there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front
on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle G
WARNING
BAS PLUS does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, BAS PLUS

may not intervene in all
critical situations. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake.
Following damage to the front end of the
vehicle, have the configuration and operation
of the radar sensors checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. This also applies to
collisions at low speeds where there is no
visible damage to the front of the vehicle. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Y page 64).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the

tires and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. The engine output 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 stabilize the vehicle during braking. ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Y page 64).
ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels
individually if they spin. This enables you to
pull away and accelerate on

slippery surfaces,
for example if the road surface is slippery on
one side. In addition, more drive torque is
transferred to the wheel or wheels with
traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Y page 64). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further
driving safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding

and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! When testing the electric parking brake
on a braking dynamometer, switch off the
ignition. Application of the brakes by
ESP ®
may otherwise destroy the brake
system.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: observe the notes
on ESP ®
(Y page 322) when towing the
vehicle with a raised rear axle.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or
performance tests may only be carried out
on a 2-axle dynamometer. Before you
operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified
workshop. You could otherwise damage
the drive train or the brake system.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the 00BB warning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up
continuously when the engine is running. 66
Driving safety systems
Safety

If the
00E5 warning lamp and the 00BB
warning lamp are lit continuously,
ESP®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 261) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 232).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
Characteristics of ESP General information
ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the 00E5 ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any
circumstances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
Vehicles with the ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts
automatically when the driver wants to pull
away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously
selected status. Example: if ESP ®
was
deactivated before the engine was switched
off, ESP ®
remains deactivated when the
engine is switched on again.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®Important safety notes
You can select between the following states
of ESP:
R
ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations
described in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the
following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply.

ESP®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the
vehicle if the vehicle starts to skid or a
wheel starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® X
To switch off: press button 0043.
The 00BB ESP ®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To switch on: press button 0043.
The 00BB ESP ®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is

deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 00E5 ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle. Driving safety systems
67
Safety Z

If you deactivate ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is
no
longer limited and
the drive wheels are able to spin. The
spinning of the wheels results in a cutting
action, which provides better grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®Important safety notes
You can select between the following
statuses of ESP:
R
ESP ®
is activated.
R SPORT handling mode is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and
accidents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the
situations described in the following. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations
described in the following.
In the following
situations, it

may be better to
activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R on designated roads when the vehicle's
own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP
®
requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply.

ESP®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the
vehicle if the vehicle starts to skid or a
wheel starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
X To activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button 0043.
The 0074 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button 0043.
The 0074 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
: press button
0043 until
the 00BB

ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The 00E5OFF message appears in the
multifunction display.
X To activate ESP ®
: briefly press button 0043.
The
00BB ESP ®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The 00E5
ESP ®
ON message appears in the
multifunction display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT
handling mode
If SPORT handling mode is

activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the 00E5 ESP ®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP ®
only stabilizes the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R traction control is still activated.
R the engine's torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels can spin in a68
Driving safety systems
Safety

controlled manner. The spinning of the
wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides better grip.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If
ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 00E5 ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels are able to spin without
restriction. The spinning of the wheels
results in a cutting action, which provides
better grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available;
nor is it activated if you brake with
assistance from ESP ®
.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
ESP ®
trailer stabilization G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be

able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from
swerving. Trailers with a high center of gravity
can tip over before ESP ®
can detect this.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer
combination) begins to lurch, you can only
stabilize the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
In this situation, ESP ®
assists you and can
detect if the vehicle/trailer combination
begins to lurch. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down
by braking and limiting the engine output until the vehicle/trailer combination has
stabilized.
Trailer
stabilization is active above

speeds of
about 40 mph (65 km/h).
Trailer stabilization does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated because of a malfunction. EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Y page 64). G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can
still lock, e.g. under full braking. This
increases the risk of skidding

and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps ( Y page 259) as well as
display messages ( Y page 233).
EBD monitors and controls the brake
pressure on the rear wheels to improve
driving stability while braking. PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Y page 64).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only available

in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
If PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is to aid you, the radar
sensor system must be:
R activated (Y page 229)
R operational
With the help of the radar sensor system,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can detect obstacles that
are in front of your vehicle for an extended
period of time.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimize
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead or Driving safety systems
69
Safety Z

If the vehicle has been locked with the
SmartKey or with KEYLESS-GO, opening a
door from the inside
will
trigger the anti-theft
alarm system. Switch off the alarm
(Y page 71). X
To unlock a front door: pull door
handle 0044.
Locking knob 0043 pops up.
The door is unlocked and can be opened.
X To open a front door: pull door
handle 0044.
X To unlock a rear door: pull up locking
knob 0043.
The door is unlocked and can be opened.
X To open a rear door: pull door handle 0044.Centrally locking and unlocking the
vehicle from the inside
You can centrally lock or unlock the vehicle
from the inside.
You cannot unlock the vehicle centrally from
the inside if the vehicle

has been locked with
the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO. X
To unlock: press button 0043.
X To lock: press button 0044.
If the front-passenger door is closed, the
vehicle locks.
Meanwhile, the fuel filler flap will not be
locked or unlocked.
Only open the door
when

the traffic situation
permits.
If the vehicle was previously locked with the
SmartKey or with KEYLESS-GO, opening the
vehicle from the inside will activate the anti-
theft alarm system. Switch off the alarm
(Y page 71).
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
If the vehicle has been locked centrally with
the SmartKey or with KEYLESS-GO, it is not
unlocked when the release button for the
central locking is used. Automatic locking feature
The vehicle is locked automatically when the
ignition is switched on and the vehicle's
wheels are turning at a speed in excess of
9 mph (15 km/h). 80
Doors
Opening and closing

Useful information ..............................
96
Correct driver's seat position ............ 96
Seats .................................................... 97
Steering wheel .................................. 102
Mirrors ............................................... 103
Memory function .............................. 106 95Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

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 27).Correct driver's seat position
X
Observe the safety guidelines on seat
adjustment ( Y page 97).
X Make sure that seat 0087 is adjusted
properly.
Electrical seat adjustment ( Y page 98)
When adjusting the seat, make sure that:
R you are as far away

from the driver's air bag
as possible.
R you are sitting in a normal upright position.
R you can fasten the seat belt properly. R
you have moved the backrest

to an almost
vertical position.
R you have set the seat cushion angle so that
your thighs are gently supported.
R you can depress the pedals properly.
X Check whether the head restraint is
adjusted properly.
When doing so, make sure that you have
adjusted the head restraint so

that the back
of your head is supported at eye level by
the center of the head restraint.
X Observe the safety guidelines on steering
wheel adjustment ( Y page 102).
X Make sure that steering wheel 0043 is
adjusted properly.
Adjusting the steering wheel manually
(Y page 102)
Adjusting the steering wheel electrically
(Y page 102)
When adjusting the steering wheel, make
sure that:
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
R you can move your legs freely.
R you can see all the displays in the
instrument cluster clearly.
X Observe the safety guidelines for seat belts
(Y page 54).
X Check whether you have fastened the seat
belt 0044 properly ( Y page 56).
The seat belt should:
R fit snugly across your body
R be routed across the middle of your
shoulder
R be routed in your
pelvic

area across the hip
joints
X Before starting off, adjust the rear-view
mirror and the exterior mirrors in such a
way that you have a

good view of road and
traffic conditions (Y page 103).
X Vehicles with a memory function: save
the seat, steering wheel and
exterior mirror96
Correct driver's seat position
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors