2014 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class engine

the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. If
you need additional braking, depress the
brake pedal repeatedly rather than
continuously.
Driving tips If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not counter-steer.
X Brake if necessary.
R Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then, increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea
level. When driving in mountainous areas,
note that the power output of the engine
and, consequently, the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability, decreases with
increasing altitude. Installing the ball coupling
G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not correctly installed
and secured, it can come loose during the
journey and endanger other road users. There
is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always install and secure the ball coupling as
described. Before every journey, ensure that
the ball coupling is secured with the bolt and
the corresponding spring cotter. G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed correctly or
not secured with the bolt provided and the
corresponding spring cotter, the trailer may
come loose. There is a risk of an accident.
Always install and secure the ball coupling as
described. Before every journey, ensure that the ball coupling is secured with the bolt and
the corresponding spring cotter.
G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed and secured
correctly the trailer may come loose. There is
a risk of an accident.
Install and secure the ball coupling as
described in the ball coupling installation
instructions. Make sure that the ball coupling
is installed and secured correctly before every
journey. Cover cap
X
Pull protective cap :in the direction of the
arrow, out of the ball coupling recess.
X Place protective cap :in the ball coupling
recess. Towing a trailer
265Driving and parking Z

of the towing vehicle, as the latter is
equipped with an anti-lock brake system.
Doing so will result in a loss of function of
the brake systems of both the vehicle and
the trailer.
X Make sure that the automatic transmission
is set to position P.
X Apply the vehicle's electric parking brake.
X Start the engine.
X Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
select highway level.
X Vehicles with ADS: set ADS toAUTOor
COMF.
X Switch off the engine.
X Close all doors and the tailgate.
X Couple up the trailer.
X Establish all electrical connections.
X Check that the trailer lighting system is
working.
i Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
with a trailer attached, the vehicle will
always remain at highway level. When
coupling up a trailer, please observe the
following:
R Unless highway level has been set
manually, the vehicle is automatically
lowered to highway level. This is the case
if a speed of 5 mph (8km/h) is reached.
R High-speed level is not available.
These restrictions apply to all accessories
powered through a connection to the trailer
power socket of your vehicle, e.g. a bicycle
carrier.
Observe the maximum permissible trailer
dimensions (width and length).
Most U.S. states and all Canadian provinces
require by law:
R Safety chains between the towing vehicle
and the trailer. The chains should be cross-
wound under the trailer drawbar. They must
be fastened to the vehicle's trailer
coupling, not to the bumper or the axle. Leave enough play in the chains to make
tight cornering possible.
R A separate brake system for certain types
of trailer.
R A safety switch for braked trailers. Check
the specific legal requirements applicable
to your state.
If the trailer detaches from the towing
vehicle, the safety switch applies the
trailer's brakes. Towing a trailer
There are numerous legal requirements
concerning the towing of a trailer, e.g. speed
restrictions. Make sure that your vehicle/
trailer combination complies with the local
requirements not only in your area of
residence but also at any location to which
you are traveling. The police and local
authorities can provide reliable information.
Please observe the following when towing a
trailer:
R In order to accumulate driving experience
and accustom yourself to the new handling
characteristics, practice the following at a
location where there is no traffic:
-Cornering
- Stopping
- Backing up
R Before driving, check:
-the trailer tow hitch
- the safety switch for braked trailers
- the safety chains
- electrical connections
- the lights
- the wheels
R Adjust the exterior mirrors to provide an
unobstructed view of the rear section of the
trailer.
R If the trailer has electronically controlled
brakes, pull away carefully. Brake manually
using the brake controller and check
whether the brakes function correctly. Towing a trailer
267Driving and parking Z

R
Secure any objects on the trailer to prevent
the cargo from slipping when the vehicle is
in motion.
R If you couple up a trailer, regularly check
that the cargo is securely fastened and
make sure that the trailer lamps and (if
applicable) the trailer brakes are
functioning correctly.
R Bear in mind that the handling will be less
stable when towing a trailer than when
driving without one. Avoid sudden steering
movements.
R The vehicle/trailer combination is heavier,
accelerates more slowly, has a decreased
gradient climbing capability and a longer
braking distance.
It is more susceptible to side winds and
requires more careful steering.
R If possible, avoid abrupt braking. Depress
the brake pedal moderately at first, so that
the trailer can activate its own brakes. Then
increase the pressure on the brake pedal.
R If the automatic transmission repeatedly
shifts between gears on uphill or downhill
gradients, shift to a lower gear using the
left-hand steering wheel paddle shifter.
A lower gear and lower speed reduce the
risk of engine failure.
R When driving downhill, shift to a lower gear
to utilize the engine's braking effect.
Avoid continuous brake application as this
may overheat the vehicle brakes and, if
installed, the trailer brakes.
R If the coolant temperature increases
dramatically while the air-conditioning
system is switched on, switch off the air-
conditioning system.
Coolant heat can additionally be dissipated
by opening the windows and by setting the
blower fan and the interior temperature to
maximum.
R When overtaking, pay particular attention
to the extended length of your vehicle/
trailer combination. Due to the length of your vehicle/trailer
combination, you will have to travel an
additional distance beyond the vehicle you
are overtaking before returning to the
previous lane. Decoupling a trailer
G
WARNING
If you uncouple a trailer with the overrun
brake engaged, you could trap your hand
between the vehicle and the trailer drawbar.
There is a risk of injury.
Do not uncouple a trailer if the overrun brake
is engaged. G
WARNING
Vehicles with level control:
The vehicle is lowered as soon as you
disconnect the trailer cable. This could result
in your limbs or those of other people that are
between the vehicle body and tires or
underneath the vehicle being trapped. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the immediate
vicinity of the wheel housings or under the
vehicle when you disconnect the trailer cable.
! Do not disconnect a trailer with an
engaged overrun brake. Otherwise, your
vehicle could be damaged by the
rebounding of the overrun brake.
X Make sure that the automatic transmission
is set to position P.
X Apply the vehicle's electric parking brake.
X Start the engine.
X Close all doors and the tailgate.
X Apply the trailer's parking brake.
X Detach the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer.
X Switch off the engine. 268
Towing a trailerDriving 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).Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you operate information systems and
communication equipment integrated in the
vehicle while driving, you will be distracted
from traffic conditions. You could also lose
control of the vehicle. There is a risk of an
accident.
Only operate the equipment when the traffic
situation permits. If you are not sure that this
is possible, park the vehicle paying attention
to traffic conditions and operate the
equipment when the vehicle is stationary. G
WARNING
If the instrument cluster has failed or
malfunctioned, you may not recognize
function restrictions in systems relevant to
safety. The operating safety of your vehicle
may be impaired. There is a risk of an
accident.
Drive on carefully. Have the vehicle checked
at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
You must observe the legal requirements for
the country in which you are currently driving
when operating the on-board computer.
The on-board computer only shows messages
or warnings from certain systems in the multifunction display. You should therefore
make sure your vehicle is operating safely at
all times. Otherwise, a vehicle that is not
operating safely may cause an accident.
For an overview, see the instrument panel
illustration (Y
page 33). Displays and operation
Instrument cluster lighting
The lighting in the instrument cluster, in the
displays and the controls in the vehicle
interior can be adjusted using the brightness
control knob.
The brightness control knob is located on the
bottom left of the instrument cluster
(Y page 33).
X Turn the brightness control knob clockwise
or counter-clockwise.
If the light switch is set to Ã,Tor
L, the brightness is dependent upon
the brightness of the ambient light.
i The light sensor in the instrument cluster
automatically controls the brightness of
the multifunction display.
In daylight, the displays in the instrument
cluster are not illuminated. Coolant temperature display
G
WARNING
Opening the hood when the engine is
overheated or when there is a fire in the
engine compartment could expose you to hot
gases or other service products. There is a
risk of injury.
Let an overheated engine cool down before
opening the hood. If there is a fire in the
engine compartment, keep the hood closed
and contact the fire department.
! A display message is shown if the coolant
temperature is too high. 272
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

If the coolant temperature is over
248 ‡(120 †), do not continue driving. The
engine will otherwise be damaged.
The coolant temperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the right-hand side
(Y page 33).
Under normal operating conditions and with
the specified coolant level, the coolant
temperature may rise to 248 ‡ (120 †). Tachometer
! Do not drive in the overrevving range, as
this could damage the engine.
The red band in the tachometer indicates the
engine's overrevving range.
The fuel supply is interrupted to protect the
engine when the red band is reached. Outside temperature display
You should pay special attention to road
conditions when temperatures are around
freezing point.
The outside temperature display is in the
multifunction display (Y page 274).
Changes in the outside temperature are
displayed after a short delay. Speedometer with segments
The segments in the speedometer indicate
which speed range is available.
R Cruise control activated (Y page 201):
The segments light up from the stored
speed to the maximum speed.
R DISTRONIC PLUS activated (Y page 203):
One or two segments in the set speed
range light up.
R DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front:
The segments between the speed of the
vehicle in front and the stored speed light
up. Operating the on-board computer
Overview :
Multifunction display
; Switches on the Voice Control System;
see the separate operating instructions
= Right control panel
? Left control panel
A Back button
X To activate the on-board computer: turn
the SmartKey to position 1in the ignition
lock.
You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using
the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel. Displays and operation
273On-board computer and displays Z

Surround lighting and exterior lighting
delayed switch-off
X
Press the =or; button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett.
Sett. menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Lights
Lights submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press :or9 to select the
Surround Lighting Surround Lighting function.
When the Surround Lighting
Surround Lighting function is
activated, the light cone and the area
around the vehicle are displayed in orange
in the multifunction display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Deactivating delayed switch-off of the
exterior lighting temporarily:
X Before leaving the vehicle, turn the
SmartKey to position 0in the ignition lock.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
The exterior lighting delayed switch-off is
deactivated.
Delayed switch-off of the exterior lighting is
reactivated the next time you start the
engine.
If you have activated the Surround
Surround
Lighting Lighting function and the light switch is set
to Ã, the following functions are activated
when it is dark:
R surround lighting: the exterior lighting
remains lit for 40 seconds after unlocking
with the SmartKey. If you start the engine,
the surround lighting is switched off and
automatic headlamp mode is activated
(Y page 128).
R exterior lighting delayed switch-off: the
exterior lighting remains lit for
60 seconds after the engine is switched off.
If you close all the doors and the tailgate,
the exterior lighting goes off after
5 seconds.
i Depending on your vehicle's equipment,
when the surround lighting and delayed switch-off exterior lighting are on, the
following light up:
R
Parking lamps
R Daytime running lamps
R Side marker lamps
R Surround lighting in the exterior mirrors
Activating/deactivating the interior
lighting delayed switch-off
If you activate the Interior Lighting Interior Lighting
Delay
Delay function, the interior lighting remains
on for 20 seconds after you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X Press the =or; button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett
Sett menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Light Light submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Interior Lighting Delayf
Interior Lighting Delayf function.
If the Interior
Interior Lighting
Lighting Delay
Delayfunction
has been switched on, the vehicle interior
is displayed in orange in the multifunction
display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Vehicle submenu Activating/deactivating the automatic
door locking mechanism
If you activate the
Automatic Door Lock Automatic Door Lock
function, the vehicle is centrally locked above
a speed of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h).
X Press the =or; button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett
Sett menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle Vehicle submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Automatic Door Lock
Automatic Door Lock function.
When the Automatic
Automatic Door
DoorLock
Lockfunction
is activated, the vehicle doors are displayed
in orange in the multifunction display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting. 284
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

AMG menu in AMG vehicles
AMG displays :
Digital speedometer
; Gear indicator
= Upshift indicator
? Engine oil temperature
A Coolant temperature
B Transmission fluid temperature
X Press =or; on the steering wheel
to select the AMG
AMGmenu.
Upshift indicator UP
UP= indicates that the
engine has reached the overrevving range
when in the manual gearshift program.
Upshift indicator UP
UP = fades out other
messages until you have shifted up.
If the engine oil temperature is below 176 ‡
(80 †), oil temperature ?is shown in blue.
Avoid driving at full engine output during this
time.
If the transmission fluid temperature is below
122 ‡ (50 †), oil temperature Bis shown
in blue. Avoid driving at full engine output
during this time.
SETUP :
Drive program (C C/SS/MM)
; ESP ®
mode (ON ON/OFF OFF)
= Suspension tuning (COMFORT COMFORT/SPORTSPORT/
SPORT+
SPORT+ ) SETUP shows the drive program, the ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program) mode and the
suspension tuning.
X Press =or; on the steering wheel
to select the AMG
AMG menu.
X Press the 9button repeatedly until
SETUP is displayed.
RACETIMER Displaying and starting RACETIMER
The RACETIMER is only intended for use on a
closed race circuit. Do not use the function
on public roads.
:
Lap
; RACETIMER
You can start the RACETIMER when the
engine is running or if the SmartKey is in
position 2in the ignition lock.
X Press =or; on the steering wheel
to select the AMG AMGmenu.
X Press the 9button repeatedly until the
RACETIMER is shown.
X To start: press the abutton to start the
RACETIMER.
Displaying the intermediate time Menus and sub
menus
287On-board computer and displays Z

X
Press the =or; button to select
Interm. Time
Interm. Time.
X Press ato confirm.
The intermediate time is displayed for five
seconds.
Starting a new lap :
RACETIMER
; Fastest lap time (best lap)
= Lap
X Press ato confirm New Lap
New Lap.
i It is possible to store a maximum of
sixteen laps. The 16th lap can only be
completed with Finish Lap
Finish Lap.
Stopping the RACETIMER X
Press the %button on the steering
wheel.
X Press ato confirm Yes
Yes.
The RACETIMER interrupts timing when you
stop the vehicle and turn the SmartKey to
position 1in the ignition lock. If you turn the
SmartKey to position 2or 3and then press
a to confirm Start
Start, timing is continued.
Resetting the current lap
X Stop the RACETIMER.
X Press the =or; button to select
Reset Lap
Reset Lap.
X Press ato reset the lap time to "0". Deleting all laps
If you switch off the engine, the RACETIMER
is reset to "0" after 30 seconds. All laps are
deleted.
You cannot delete individual stored laps. If
you have stopped 16 laps, the current lap
does not have to be reset.
X
Reset the current lap.
X Press ato confirm Reset Reset.
Reset Race Timer?
Reset Race Timer? appears in the
multifunction display.
X Press the :button to select Yes
Yes and
press the abutton to confirm.
All laps are deleted.
Overall statistics :
RACETIMER overall evaluation
; Total time driven
= Average speed
? Distance covered
A Maximum speed
This function is shown if you have stored at
least one lap and stopped the RACETIMER.
X Press =or; on the steering wheel
to select the AMG AMGmenu.
X Press the 9button repeatedly until the
overall evaluation is shown. 288
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays