2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class Owner's Manual

Problems with the engine
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions 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 Before attempting to start the engine again, turn the SmartKey
in the ignition back to position 0or press the Start/Stop button
repeatedly until all indicator lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 169). 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 397).
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. Vehicles with a gaso-
line engine:
The engine is not run-
ning 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.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. The coolant tempera-
ture 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 375). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and add coolant if necessary. Driving
175Driving and parking Z

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 not simultaneously accelerate. G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral 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 vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake. DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions 005D
Park position with parking lock
005E Reverse gear
005C Neutral
005B Drive
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of the
steering column.
i The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns
to its original position. The current trans- mission position
P,R, Nor Dappears in the
transmission position display (Y page 176)
in the multifunction display.
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram 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 trans-
mission position Dand, in AMG vehicles,
drive program Cor S. Transmission position and drive program display
0043 Transmission position display
0044 Drive program display
The current transmission position and drive
program appear in the multifunction display.
i The arrows in the transmission position
display show how and into which transmis-
sion positions you can change using the
DIRECT SELECT lever.
Engaging park position P !
If the engine speed is too high or the vehi-
cle is moving, do not shift the automatic
transmission directly from Dto R, from Rto
D or directly to P. The automatic transmis-
sion could otherwise be damaged. 176
Automatic trans
missionDriving and parking

005D
Park position with parking lock
005E Reverse gear
005C Neutral
005B Drive
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the direc-
tion of arrow P.
Engaging park position P automatically Park position
Pis automatically engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the Smart-
Key and remove the SmartKey.
R you switch off the engine using the Start/
Stop button and open one of the front
doors.
R you open the driver's door when the vehicle
is stationary or driving at very low speed
and the transmission is in position Dor R.
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary.
X If the transmission is in position Dor N:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and 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 shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R Start 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 If the transmission is in position Dor R:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever up or down to the first point of
resistance.
If the engine has been switched off, the auto- matic 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:
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. Automatic transmission
177Driving and parking Z

R
If the electric parking brake is engaged,
release it.
R Switch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key 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 Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
If the transmission is in position Ror N:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past
the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever down past the first point of
resistance. Transmission positions
0045 Park position
Do not shift the transmission into
position
P(Y page 190) unless the
vehicle is stationary. The parking
lock should not be used as a brake when parking. Always apply the
electronic parking brake in addi-
tion to the parking lock in order to
secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are mal-
functioning, the transmission may
be locked in position P. Have the
vehicle electronics checked imme-
diately 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 0046 Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. 178
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

0044 Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brake pedal 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 posi-
tion 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. 003A Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
R the selected drive program (Y page 180)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
(Y page 179)
R the road speed
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic 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 vehi-
cle's engine management system limits the
speed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h) when shifting back and forth. To shift back and forth
between transmission positions Dand R,
move the DIRECT SELECT lever up and down past the point of resistance.
Towing a trailer X
Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Depending on the uphill or downhill gradi-
ent, use left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 180) to select a lower gear,
even if cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS
are activated. Automatic transmission
179Driving and parking Z

Program selector button
General notes Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package
X Briefly press program selector button 0043.
The letter Mappears in the multifunction
display. The manual drive program Mis
activated. AMG vehicles
X
Press program selector button 0043repeat-
edly until the letter for the desired gearshift program appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving character-
istics.
i The permanent drive program Mis avail-
able on the following vehicles:
R Vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package
R AMG vehicles
Further information about permanent drive program M(Y page 182). As well as this permanent drive program
M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 181).
i AMG vehicles:
the automatic transmis-
sion switches to automatic drive program C
each 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 program on vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package M
Manual Permanent manual gear-
shifting
Drive programs on AMG vehicles
C
Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Permanent manual gear-
shifting
i
For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 181). Steering wheel paddle shifters
In the manual drive program, you can change
gears manually using steering wheel paddle
shifters 0043and 0044. 180
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 182).
Further information about temporary drive
program M(Y page 181).
i You can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel paddle shifters when the trans-
mission is in position D.Automatic drive program (AMG vehi-
cles)
Automatic drive programs C and S Drive program
Cis characterized by the fol-
lowing:
R comfort-oriented engine and transmission
settings
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 fol-
lowing:
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 transmis- sion shift points
Manual drive program M General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel pad- dle shifters. The transmission must be in posi-
tion D.
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles and
vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package): you can activate
manual drive program Musing the steering
wheel paddle shifters.
AMG vehicles: you can activate manual drive
program Min automatic drive programs Cand
S.
Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package: if manual drive program Mis deactivated
using the program selector button, you can
activate manual drive program Musing the
steering wheel paddle shifters.
i As well as temporary drive program
M,
you can also activate permanent drive pro-
gram M(Y page 180).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 182).
Activating
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Pull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 180).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in
the multifunction display.
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right steering wheel
paddle shifter, the automatic transmission
switches to manual drive program Mfor a
limited amount of time. Depending on which
paddle shifter is pulled, the automatic trans-
mission immediately shifts into the next gear down or up, if permitted.
X To shift up: pull the right-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (Y page 180).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
i If the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic Automatic transmission
181Driving and parking Z

transmission automatically shifts up in
order to prevent engine damage.
X To shift down: pull on the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter (Y page 180).
The automatic transmission shifts down to the next gear.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto- matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down.
i Automatic down shifting occurs when
coasting.
Shift recommendation The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
X Shift to recommended gear 0044according
to gearshift recommendation 0043when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
Deactivating
If you have activated manual drive program
M , it will remain active for a certain amount of
time. Under certain conditions the minimum
amount of time is extended, e.g. in the case of lateral acceleration, during an overrun phase
or when driving on steep terrain.
If manual drive program Mhas been deacti-
vated, the automatic transmission shifts into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected. You can also deactivate manual drive pro-
gram Myourself:
X Pull on the right-hand steering wheel pad-
dle shifter and hold it in place (Y page 180).
or X Use the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch the
transmission position.
or
X AMG vehicles: use the program selector
button to change the drive program
(Y page 180).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated.
The automatic transmission switches into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected, i.e. Eor S.
or
X Vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD packag e:use the selector
wheel to switch to the on-road program
(Y page 255) or the off-road program
(Y page 259). Manual drive program
General information In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must
be in position D.
i As well as this permanent drive program
M, you can also activate temporary drive
program M(Y page 181).
Switching on the manual drive program In manual drive program
M, you can change
gear using the steering wheel paddle shifters
if the transmission is in position D. You can
see the currently selected drive program and
which gear is engaged in the multifunction
display. 182
Automatic transmissionDriving and pa
rking