2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class traction control

DISTRONIC PLUS
Activating ...................................... .208
Activation conditions ..................... 208
Cruise control lever ....................... 208
Deactivating ................................... 212
Display message ............................ 317
Displays in the multifunction dis-
play ................................................ 213
Driving tips ................................... .213
Function/notes ............................ .206
Important safety notes .................. 207
Setting the specified minimum
distance ......................................... 211
Warning lamp ................................. 338
Doors
Automatic locking (on-board com-
puter) ............................................. 287
Automatic locking (switch) .............. .90
Central locking/unlocking
(SmartKey) ...................................... .82
Control panel .................................. .42
Display message ............................ 324
Emergency locking ........................... 90
Emergency unlocking ....................... 90
Important safety note s.................... 88
Opening (from inside) ...................... 89
Overview .......................................... 88
Power closing feature ...................... 90
Drinking and driving ......................... 194
Drive program Automatic ...................................... 181
Display (DIRECT SELECT lever) ...... 176
Manual ........................................... 181
Manual (AMG vehicles) .................. 182
Manual (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package) ................ 182
Off-road program (vehicles with
the ON&OFFROAD package) .......... 259
SETUP (on-board computer) .......... 289
see On-road programs
Driver's door
see Doors
Driving abroad
Mercedes-Benz Service ................. 377
Symmetrical low beam .................. 128
Driving in mountainous terrain
Approach/departure angle ............ 202 Driving lamps
see Daytime running lamps
Driving off-road
see Off-road driving
Driving safety systems
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) ....... 68
ADAPTIVE BRAK E............................. 76
Adaptive Brake Assist ...................... 72
BAS (Brake Assist System) .............. 69
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS) ............................................... 69
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST .... 70
Distance warning function ............... 70
EBD (electronic brake force distri- bution) ............................................. 75
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram) ............................................... 73
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction
System) ........................................... 73
Important safety information ........... 68
Overview .......................................... 68
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ............................. 76
STEER CONTROL ............................. 77
Driving systems
360°camera .................................. 237
Active Blind Spot Assist ................. 249
Active Curve System ...................... 220
Active Driving Assistance pack-
age ................................................. 249
Active Lane Keeping Assist ............ 252
Active Parking Assist ..................... 228
ADS ............................................... 220
AIRMATIC package ........................ 219
AMG adaptive sport suspension
system ........................................... 223
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................ 241
Blind Spot Assist ............................ 245
Cruise control ................................ 203
Display message ............................ 312
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 206
HOLD function ............................... 218
Lane Keeping Assist ...................... 247
Level control (vehicles with AIR-
MATIC package) ............................. 221
Level control (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package) ................ 214
On-road programs .......................... 255 Index
9

R
a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
R new vehicles or after the COLLISION PRE-
VENTION ASSIST system has been serv-
iced
Observe the notes in the section on break- ing-in (Y page 166).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions 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" sec-
tion (Y page 68).
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) 4ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually 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 trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
In appropriate driving situations, activate the
off-road program (Y page 259). Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) A 4ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (Y page 259).
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv- ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Only operate the vehicle for a maximum of
ten seconds on a brake test dynamometer.
Switch off the ignition.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a two-axle dyna-
mometer. 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 00BBwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running.
If the 00E5 warning lamp and the 00BBwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 331) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 293).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly. Driving safety systems
73Safety Z

The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Off-road ESP ®
(vehicles with Off-Road
Engineering package) An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (Y page 259).
Off-road ESP ®
intervenes with a delay if there
is oversteering or understeering, thus improv- ing traction.
ESP ®
trailer stabilization General information
ESP
®
trailer stabilization is not available in
AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP ®
assists you in this situation.
ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and
limiting the engine output until the vehicle/
trailer combination has stabilized.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. 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 prevail- ing 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.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 37 mph (60 km/h). ESP
®
trailer stabilization does not work if
ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of a
malfunction.
Crosswind Assist General information
Strong crosswinds can cause your vehicle to
deviate from a straight course. The crosswind
driving assistance function integrated into
ESP ®
significantly reduces these effects.
ESP ®
intervenes automatically according to
the direction and intensity of the crosswinds
affecting your vehicle.
ESP stabilities the vehicle with braking inter-
ventions to assist you in keeping the vehicle
in the lane.
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle speeds
above 50 mph (80 km/h) when driving
straight ahead or cornering gently.
Important safety notes
Crosswind Assist does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function. EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribu-
tion)
General information EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 68). G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can still lock, e.g. under full braking. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have Driving safety systems
75Safety
Z

i
Cruise control should not be activated
when driving off-road.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account the road,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time and for staying in
your lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose traction and the vehicle could then skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever 0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 To activate or reduce speed
0087 To deactivate cruise control
0085 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the electric parking brake must be
released.
R you are driving faster than 20 mph
(30 km/h).
R ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R DSR must be deactivated.
R off-road program 2 must be deactivated
(vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package).
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining a speed
X
Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up 0043
or down 0044.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
You can accept the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes. 204
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

qualified workshop. You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
and
4ETS, it improves the traction of your vehicle whenever a drive wheel spins due to insuffi-
cient grip.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tires (M+S tires), with snow
chains if necessary.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 199).
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation) Important safety notes
DSR assists you when driving downhill. It
keeps the speed of travel at the speed set on
the on-board computer. The steeper the
downhill gradient, the greater the DSR brak-
ing effect on the vehicle. When driving on flat stretches of road or on an uphill gradient, the
DSR braking effect is minimal or nonexistent.
DSR controls the set speed when it is active
and the automatic transmission is in the D,R
or Nposition. By accelerating or braking, you
can always drive at a higher or a lower speed
than that set on the on-board computer.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 199).
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DSR can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics. DSR cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic condi-
tions. DSR is only an aid. You are responsible for the distance to the vehicle in front, for
vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for
staying in your lane.
You are always responsible for keeping con-
trol of the vehicle and for assessing whether
the downhill gradient can be managed. DSR
may not always be able to keep to the set
speed, depending on road surface and tire
conditions. Select a set speed suitable for the prevailing conditions and when necessary,
apply the brakes manually. G
WARNING
If the speed driven and the set speed deviate and you activate DSR on a slippery road sur-
face, the wheels may lose traction. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Before switching DSR on, please take into
consideration the road surface and the differ- ence between driving speed and the set
speed.
Activating DSR G
WARNING
If you drive faster than the set speed and acti-
vate DSR, the vehicle will decelerate on down- hill gradients. If you do not know the set
speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpect-edly. There is a risk of an accident.
Decelerate the vehicle to the set speed before
activating DSR. If you do not know what the
stored set speed is, store the desired set
speed again. Example: vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package
0043 DSR button
0044 DSR indicator lamp
X Press button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044lights up.
The 00C6 DSR symbol appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
You can only activate DSR when driving at
speeds below 25 mph (40 km/h). 258
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Off-road program 1
X
Selector wheel 0043
0043engaged: briefly press
selector wheel 0043.
Selector wheel 0043extends.
X To select: turn selector wheel 0043until indi-
cator lamp 0044comes on.
Off-road indicator 0087appears in the multi-
function display.
Off-road level 1 is set to +1.2 in (+30 mm)
above the vehicle's "highway" level.
Off-road program 1 switches to the AUTO
program if you drive faster than 70 mph
(110 km/h).
Select off-road program 1 for gentle off-road
terrain, e.g. for gravel or sand surfaces or
tracks. The engine's torque is restricted to a
limited degree and the drive wheels can spin.
The spinning wheels produce a cutting effect
for better traction.
You can only activate off-road program 1
when driving at speeds of 60 mph (100 km/h)
or below. The Drive Program OFFROAD 1
Drive Program OFFROAD 1
Max. Max. 60
60mph (
mph (100 100km/h)
km/h) message appears
in the multifunction display. Off-road program 2
X
Selector wheel 0043
0043engaged: briefly press
selector wheel 0043.
Selector wheel 0043extends.
X To select: turn selector wheel 0043until indi-
cator lamp 0044comes on.
Off-road indicator 0087appears in the multi-
function display.
R Off-road level 1 is set to +2.4 in (+60 mm)
above the vehicle's "highway" level.
R DSR is switched on.
R The differential lock is closed.
Off-road program 2 automatically switches to off-road program 1 if you drive faster than
30 mph (45 km/h).
Select off-road program 2 for rough terrain,
e.g. for steep and/or rough terrain or drivingon rocky terrain.
i Your vehicle has an automatically activa-
ted differential lock for the transfer case. It controls the balance between the front and
rear axles. 260
Driving systemsDriving and parking

The differential lock improves the vehicle's
traction. 4ETS (Y page 73) controls the bal-
ance between both wheels on an axle.
You can only activate off-road program 2
when driving at speeds of 25 mph (40 km/h)
or below.
LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles
with the ON&OFFROAD package) Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you select the LOW RANGE off-road gear on a slippery road surface, the wheels could lose traction:
R if you remove your foot from the accelera-
tor pedal when driving
R if off road ABS intervenes when braking
If the wheels lose traction. the vehicle can no
longer be steered. There is an increased dan-
ger of skidding and accidents.
Never select the LOW RANGE off-road gear
when driving on slippery road surfaces. G
WARNING
If you do not wait for the transfer case gear
change process to complete, the transfer
case could remain in the neutral position. The power transmission to the driven wheels is
then interrupted. There is a danger of the
vehicle rolling away unintentionally. There is a
risk of an accident.
Wait until the transfer case shift process is
completed.
Do not turn off the engine while changing gear
and do not shift the automatic transmission
to another position. General notes 0043
LOW RANGE off-road gear button
0044 LOW RANGE off-road gear indicator lamp HIGH RANGE
Position for all normal on-
road driving conditions
LOW RANGE
Off-road position for driv-
ing off-road and fording
The transmission ratio
between the engine and
wheels is only approx-
imately one third of that in
the HIGH RANGE road
position. Drive torque is
thus proportionately
higher.
Do not use LOW RANGE:
R on slippery road surfa-
ces, e.g. in the case of
slush
R on snow or ice-covered
roads
R if you have mounted
snow chains to your
vehicle The LOW RANGE off-road gear assists you in
driving off-road and when fording. When LOW
RANGE is engaged, the engine’s performance
characteristics and the gearshifting charac-
teristics of the automatic transmission are
adapted for this purpose.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 199). You will find information about
driving safety systems in conjunction with Driving systems
261Driving and parking Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions 00E5
The yellow ESP
®
warn-
ing lamp flashes while
the vehicle is in motion. ESP
®
or traction control has intervened because there is a risk of
skidding or at least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
X When pulling away, only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases (Y page 73), it may be best to deactivate ESP ®
. 00BB
The yellow ESP
®
OFF
warning lamp is lit while the engine is running. ESP
®
is deactivated.
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is switched off, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases (Y page 73), it may be best to deactivate ESP ®
.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
If ESP ®
cannot be activated:
X Have ESP ®
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. 00E500BB
The yellow ESP
®
and
ESP ®
OFF warning
lamps are lit while the
engine is running. ESP
®
, BAS, BAS PLUS, PRE‑SAFE ®
, PRE ‑SAFE ®
Brake, COLLISION
PREVENTION ASSIST, the HOLD function, hill start assist, cross-
wind assistance and ESP ®
trailer stabilization are not available due
to a malfunction.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed above.
The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can thus
increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 332
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument clusterOn-board computer and displays