2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class off road

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip- ment 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 special-
ist workshops (Y page 29). SmartKey
Important safety notes
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. G
WARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle. G
WARNING
If you attach heavy or large objects to the
SmartKey, the SmartKey could be uninten-
tionally turned in the ignition lock. This could
cause the engine to be switched off. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not attach any heavy or large objects to the
SmartKey. Remove any bulky key rings before
inserting the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
! Keep the SmartKey away from strong
magnetic fields. Otherwise, the remote
control function could be affected.
Strong magnetic fields can occur in the
vicinity of powerful electrical installations.
Do not keep the SmartKey: R with electronic devices, e.g. a mobile
phone or another SmartKey
R with metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal
foil
R inside metallic objects, e.g. a metal case
This can affect the functionality of the
SmartKey.
Do not keep the KEYLESS-GO key in the tem-
perature-controlled cup holder. Otherwise,
the KEYLESS-GO key will not be recognized. SmartKey functions
0043
0037 To lock the vehicle
0044 0054 To open/close the tailgate
0087 0036 To unlock the vehicle
X To unlock centrally: press button0087.82
SmartKeyOpening and closing

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The engine cannot be
started using the
SmartKey. The on-board voltage is too low.
X Switch off non-essential consumers, e.g. seat heating or interior
lighting, and try to start the engine again.
If this does not work:
X Check the starter battery and charge it if necessary
(Y page 395).
or
X Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 397).
or
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine cannot be
started using KEYLESS-
GO. The SmartKey is in
the vehicle. A door is open. Therefore, the SmartKey cannot be detected as
easily.
X Close the door and try to start the vehicle again. There is interference from a powerful source of radio waves.
X Start your vehicle with the SmartKey in the ignition lock. Doors
Important safety notes
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. G
WARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle. G
WARNING
If objects, luggage or loads are not secured or not secured sufficiently, they could slip, tip
over or be flung around and thereby hit vehicle
occupants. There is a risk of injury, particu-
larly in the event of sudden braking or a sud-
den change in direction.
Always store objects so that they cannot be
flung around. Secure objects, luggage or
loads against slipping or tipping before the
journey.
You should preferably place luggage or loads
in the cargo compartment. Observe the load- ing guidelines (Y page 342).88
DoorsOpening and closing

X
Check whether you have fastened seat
belt 0044properly (Y page 48).
The seat belt should:
R fit snugly across your body
R be routed across the middle of your shoul-
der
R be routed in your pelvic area across the hip
joints
X Before starting off, adjust the rear-view mir-
ror and the exterior mirrors in such a way
that you have a good view of road and traf-
fic conditions (Y page 122).
X Vehicles with a memory function: save
the seat, steering wheel and exterior mirror settings with the memory function
(Y page 124). Seats
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine. G
WARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or other vehicle occupants could be trapped andthereby injured. Children in particular could accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem. G
WARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat. G
WARNING
If head restraints are not installed and adjus-
ted correctly, they cannot provide protection
as intended. There is an increased risk of
injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the
event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level. G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder. G
WARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus, Seats
107Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip- ment 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 special-
ist workshops (Y page 29). Exterior lighting
General notes
For reasons of safety, Mercedes-Benz recom- mends that you drive with the lights switchedon even during the daytime. In some coun-
tries, operation of the headlamps varies due
to legal requirements and self-imposed obli-
gations. Driving abroad
Conversion to symmetrical low beam Switch the headlamps to symmetrical low
beam in countries in which traffic drives on
the opposite side of the road from the country
where the vehicle is registered. This prevents glare to oncoming traffic. When using sym-
metrical lights, the edge of the road is not lit
as widely and as far ahead as normal.
Have the headlamps converted at a qualified
specialist workshop as close to the border as
possible before driving in these countries.
Conversion to asymmetrical low beam
after returning Have the headlamps converted back to asym-
metrical low-beam headlamps at a qualified
specialist workshop as soon as possible after crossing the border again. Setting the exterior lighting
Setting options Exterior lighting can be set using:
R the light switch
R the combination switch (Y page 131)
R the on-board computer (Y page 285)
Light switch Operation
0047
0063
Left-hand standing lamps
0048 0064
Right-hand standing lamps
0049 0060
Parking lamps, license plate and
instrument cluster lighting
004A 0058
Automatic headlamp mode, control-
led by the light sensor
004B 0058
Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
0084 005E
Rear fog lamp
If you hear a warning tone when you leave the
vehicle, the lights may still be switched on.
X Turn the light switch to 0058.
The exterior lighting (except the parking/
standing lamps) switches off automatically if
you: R remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock
R open the driver's door with the SmartKey in
position 0.
Automatic headlamp mode G
WARNING
When the light switch is set to 0058, the low-
beam headlamps may not be switched on 128
Exterior lightingLights and windshield wipers

The hazard warning lamps automatically
switch on if:
R an air bag is deployed or
R the vehicle decelerates rapidly from a
speed of above 45 mph (70 km/h) and
comes to a standstill
The hazard warning lamps switch off auto-
matically if the vehicle reaches a speed of
above 6 mph (10 km/h) again after a full
brake application.
i The hazard warning lamps still operate if
the ignition is switched off. Active light function
The active light function is a system that
moves the headlamps according to the steer-
ing movements of the front wheels. In this
way, relevant areas remain illuminated while
driving. This allows you to recognize pedes-
trians, cyclists and animals.
Active: when the lights are switched on. Cornering light function
The cornering light function improves the illu-
mination of the road over a wide angle in the direction you are turning, enabling better vis-
ibility in tight bends, for example. It can only
be activated when the low-beam headlamps
are switched on.
Active:
R if you are driving at speeds below 25 mph
(40 km/h) and switch on the turn signal or
turn the steering wheel
R if you are driving at speeds between
25 mph (40 km/ h)and 45 mph (70 km/h)
and turn the steering wheel
The cornering lamp may remain lit for a short
time, but is automatically switched off after
no more than three minutes. Exterior lighting
133Lights and windshield wipers Z

Adaptive Highbeam Assist
General notes You can use this function to set the head-
lamps to change between low beam and high
beam automatically. The system recognizes
vehicles with their lights on, either approach-
ing from the opposite direction or traveling in front of your vehicle, and consequently
switches the headlamps from high beam to
low beam.
The system automatically adapts the low-
beam headlamp range depending on the dis-
tance to the other vehicle. Once the system
no longer detects any other vehicles, it reac-
tivates the high-beam headlamps.
The system's optical sensor is located behind
the windshield near the overhead control
panel.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Adaptive Highbeam Assist does not recognize road users:
R who have no lights, e.g. pedestrians
R who have poor lighting, e.g. cyclists
R whose lighting is blocked, e.g. by a barrier
In very rare cases, Adaptive Highbeam Assist
may fail to recognize other road users that have lights, or may recognize them too late. In
this or similar situations, the automatic high-
beam headlamps will not be deactivated or
activated regardless. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always carefully observe the traffic conditions and switch off the high-beam headlamps in
good time.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist is only an aid. You
are responsible for adjusting the vehicle's
lighting to the prevailing light, visibility and
traffic conditions.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be restricted if there is:
R poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
R dirt on the sensors or the sensors are
obscured
Switching Adaptive Highbeam Assist
on/off 0043
High-beam headlamps
0044 Turn signal, right
0087 High-beam flasher
0085 Turn signal, left
X To switch on: turn the light switch to 0058.
X Press the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of arrow 0043.
The 00CE indicator lamp in the multifunc-
tion display lights up when it is dark and the 134
Exterior lightingLights and windshield wipers

light sensor activates the low-beam head-
lamps.
If you are driving at speeds above approx-
imately 16 mph (25 km/h):
The headlamp range is set automatically
depending on the distance between the
vehicle and other road users.
If you are driving at speeds above approx-
imately 19 mph (30 km/h) and no other
road users have been detected:
The high-beam headlamps are switched on
automatically. The 0057indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster also lights up.
If you are driving at speeds below approx-
imately 16 mph (25 km/h) or other road
users have been detected or the roads are adequately lit:
The high-beam headlamps are switched off
automatically. The 0057indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster goes out. The 00CE
indicator lamp in the multifunction display
remains lit.
X To switch off: move the combination
switch back to its normal position or move the light switch to another position.
The 00CE indicator lamp in the multifunc-
tion display goes out. Headlamps fogged up on the inside
Certain climatic and physical conditions may
cause moisture to form in the headlamp. This moisture does not affect the functionality of
the headlamp. Interior lighting
Overview of interior lighting
Overhead control panel
0043
003D To switch the left-hand front reading
lamp on/off
0044 004A To switch the front interior lighting
on
0087 0043 To switch the on/off
0085 0033 To switch the front interior lighting/
automatic interior lighting control off
0083 003D To switch the right-hand front read-
ing lamp on/off
0084 To switch the automatic interior lighting
control on Rear overhead control panel (second row of seats)
0043 To switch the reading lamp on/off Interior lighting
135Lights and windshield wipers Z

MAX COOL is only operational when the
engine is running.
X To activate: press the00C9button.
The indicator lamp in the button lights up.
X To activate: press off-road button 00C9
again.
The indicator lamp goes out. The previously
selected settings are restored.
When you activate MAX COOL, climate con-
trol switches to the following functions:
R maximum cooling
R maximum airflow
R air-recirculation mode on Defrosting the windows
Windows fogged up on the inside X
Activate the 005A/0056cooling with air
dehumidification function.
X Activate automatic mode 0058.
X If the windows continue to fog up, activate
the "windshield defrosting" function
(Y page 159).
i You should only select this setting until
the windshield is clear again.
Windows fogged up on the outside X
Press the 008Fbutton repeatedly until the
009C or009B symbol appears in the dis-
play.
i You should only select this setting until
the windshield is clear again. Rear window defroster
General notes The rear window defroster has a high current
draw. You should therefore switch it off as
soon as the rear window is clear. Otherwise,
the rear window defroster switches off auto-
matically after several minutes.
If the battery voltage is too low, the rear win-
dow defroster may switch off.
Switching on/off X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock (Y page 167).
X Press the 006Cbutton.
The indicator lamp in the 006Cbutton lights
up or goes out. 160
Operating the climate control systemsClimate control