2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA-Class wheel

i
For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 153).
AMG vehicles C
Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gear shifting
X
Press program selector button 0043repeat-
edly until the letter for the desired gearshift program appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
i The automatic transmission shifts to
automatic drive program Ceach time the
engine is started.
i For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 153). Steering wheel paddle shifters
0043
Left steering wheel paddle shifter (shifts
down)
0044 Right steering wheel paddle shifter (shifts
up)
In drive program M, you can change gear
yourself using the steering wheel paddle shift-
ers.
If you pull the left or right steering wheel pad- dle shifter when in automatic drive program E
(drive program Con AMG vehicles) or S, the
automatic transmission shifts into drive pro-
gram Mfor a limited time. Depending on
which paddle shifter is pulled, the automatic
transmission immediately shifts into the next
gear down or up.
AMG vehicles: you can activate drive pro-
gram MRACE START (Y page 183) using the
steering wheel paddle shifters.
i You can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel paddle shifters when the trans-
mission is in position D.
i For further information on the manual
drive program, see (Y page 154). Automatic drive program
Drive program E(drive program Con MAG
vehicles) is characterized by the following:
R comfort-oriented engine settings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. Automatic transmission
153Driving and parking Z

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 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
Introduction In manual drive program
M, you can change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel pad-
dle shifters. For this, the transmission must
be in position D. The gear currently selected
and engaged is shown in the multifunction
display.
Manual drive program Mdiffers from drive
programs E(drive program Con AMG vehi-
cles) and Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes. Gear Driving situations
0040
You can use the engine's braking
effect 0038
You can use the braking effect of
the engine on downhill gradients
and for driving:
R on steep mountain roads
R in mountainous terrain
R in arduous conditions 0037
To use the braking effect of the
engine on extremely steep downhill
gradients and on long downhill
stretches Switching on the manual drive program
Activating permanently
X Press the program selector button
(Y page 152) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
Manual drive program Mremains active
until drive program E(drive program Con
AMG vehicles) or Sis selected.
Activating temporarily X Pull the right or left steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 153).
M is shown in the multifunction display.
Manual drive program Mis temporarily
active. Depending on which paddle shifter
is pulled, the automatic transmission
immediately shifts into the next gear down
or up.
i When manual drive program
Mis activa-
ted via the steering wheel paddle shifters,
the temporarily active manual drive pro-
gram Mwill be deactivated automatically
after a limited time, if the driving situation
permits. The automatic transmission
switches to the previously activated drive
program E(drive program Con AMG vehi-
cles) or S. When driving on downhill gradi-
ents, the temporarily active manual drive
program Mwill only be deactivated if the
accelerator pedal is depressed while the
vehicle is rolling downhill. 154
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking

Upshifting
X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 153).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
i All vehicles (except AMG vehicles): in
order to prevent engine damage the auto-
matic transmission automatically shifts up:
R if the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and
R you continue to accelerate.
AMG vehicles:
! In manual drive program
M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up automati-
cally even when the engine limiting speed
for the current gear is reached. When the
engine limiting speed is reached, the fuel
supply is cut to prevent the engine from
overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage.
Shift recommendation The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunctiondisplay. X
Shift to recommended gear 0044according
to gearshift recommendation 0043when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster. AMG vehicles !
In manual drive program
M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up automati-
cally even when the engine limiting speed
for the current gear is reached. When the
engine limiting speed is reached, the fuel
supply is cut to prevent the engine from
overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage. 0043
Gear indicator
0044 Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area, an upshift indicator will be shown in the mul-
tifunction display.
X If the color in the speedometer multifunc-
tion display changes to red and the UP UPdis-
play message is shown, shift up a gear.
Downshifting X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 153).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If you slow down or stop without shifting
down, the automatic transmission auto-
matically shifts down.
i For maximum acceleration, pull the left-
hand steering wheel paddle shifter until the
transmission selects the optimum gear for
the current speed.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto- matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down. Automatic transmission
155Driving and parking Z

Kickdown
AMG vehicles:
it is only possible to use kick-
down in temporary manual drive program M.
You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed.
X Shift back up once the desired speed is
reached.
i During kickdown, you cannot shift gears
using the steering wheel paddle shifters.
i If you apply full throttle, the automatic
transmission shifts up to the next gear
when the maximum engine speed is
reached. This prevents the engine from
overrevving.
Switching off the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
(Y page 152) repeatedly until E(drive pro-
gram Cin AMG vehicles) or Sappears in the
multifunction display.
Deactivating the temporary manual drive program
X Pull and hold the right steering wheel pad-
dle shifter until the automatic transmission
shifts into the last active automatic drive
program E(drive program Con AMG vehi-
cles) or S.
i When manual drive program
Mis deacti-
vated, the automatic transmission in auto-
matic drive program E(drive program Con
AMG vehicles) or Smay shift from the cur-
rent gear into a higher or lower gear. This is dependent on the position of the accelera-
tor pedal, speed and load. 156
Automatic trans
missionDriving and parking

To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parking brake must be applied.
R the transmission must be in position Pand
the transmission position display must
show P.
R the SmartKey must be removed from the
ignition lock.
R on uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the curb. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes 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.
Vehicles with automatic transmission All vehicles (except AMG vehicles)
X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.AMG vehicles:
X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Press button 0043. X
Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
i If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
If you then open one of the front doors or
remove the SmartKey from the ignition, the automatic transmission shifts to P.
If you shift the automatic transmission to N
before switching off the engine, the auto-
matic transmission remains in Neven if a
door is opened.
i The automatic transmission shifts to P
automatically if you:
R switch off the engine using the SmartKey
and remove the SmartKey from the igni-
tion lock or
R switch off the engine using the SmartKey
and open a front door.
If you attempt to turn off the engine when the selector lever is not in position P:
R a message appears in the multifunction dis-
play
R a warning signal sounds Electric parking brake
General notes G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury. 160
ParkingDriving and parking

Apart from driving style, consumption is
dependent on many factors such as, e.g.:
R load
R tire pressure
R cold start
R choice of route
R electrical consumers switched on
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
The evaluation of your driving style is carried
out using the following three categories:
R Acceleration
Acceleration (evaluation of all accelera-
tion processes):
- The bar fills up: moderate acceleration,
especially at higher speeds
- The bar empties: sporty acceleration
R Constant
Constant (assessment of driving behavior
at all times):
- The bar fills up: constant speed and
avoidance of unnecessary acceleration
and deceleration
- The bar empties: fluctuations in speed
R Coasting Coasting (assessment of all deceleration
processes):
- The bar fills up: anticipatory driving,
keeping your distance and early release
of the accelerator. The vehicle can coast
without use of the brakes.
- The bar empties: frequent braking
i An economical driving style specially
requires driving at moderate engine
speeds.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
Acceleration
Acceleration andConstant Constant:
R observe the gearshift recommendations.
R drive in drive program E.
i On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g.
on the highway, only the bar for Constant
Constant
will change.
i The ECO display summarizes the driving
characteristics from the start of the journey
to its completion. For this reason, the bars change dynamically at the beginning of the
journey. On longer journeys, there are
fewer changes. For more dynamic changes, carry out a manual reset.
For further information on the ECO display,
see (Y page 208). Braking
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients !
On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting to
a lower gear in good time. This allows you to
take advantage of the engine's braking
effect. For this, you need to have selected
manual drive program M. This helps you to
avoid overheating the brakes and wearing
them out excessively.
When you take advantage of the engine's
braking effect, a drive wheel may not turn
for some time, e.g. on a slippery road sur-
face. This could cause damage to the drive train. This type of damage is not covered bythe Mercedes-Benz warranty.
i Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal
on downhill gradients while the manual
drive program Mis temporarily activated:
the automatic transmission may switch to
the last active automatic drive program Eor
S. The automatic transmission may shift to
a higher gear. This can reduce the engine's braking effect. 164
Driving tipsDriving an
d parking

Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the function- ality of your brakes at regular intervals.
You can find a description of Brake Assist
(BAS) on (Y page 65).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
have brake pads/linings installed on your
vehicle which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which correspond to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
pads/linings which have not been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which are not
of an equivalent quality could affect your vehi-
cle's operating safety.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use brake fluid that has been specially
approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz,
or which corresponds to an equivalent quality standard. Brake fluid which has not been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which is not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
Checking brake lining thickness You can measure the break pad/lining thick-
ness using a test gauge. Color-coding (green
or red) on the test gauge allows you to deter-
mine whether the brake pad/lining thickness is still sufficient. The test gauge is in the vehi-
cle document wallet in the glove box. Front wheel
Rear wheel
X Bring the vehicle and wheels into a suitable
position so that you can attach test gauge
0083.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away
(Y page 159).
X Move the selector lever to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Place test gauge 0083between the wheel's
spokes on brake pad/lining 0087.166
Driving tipsDriving and parking

X
Hold test gauge 0083vertically on brake
disc 0043and slide measuring pin 0044onto
brake disc 0043.
X Check which color field 0085the arrow on
measuring pin 0044is pointing to.
Green: the brake pad/lining thickness is
sufficient.
Red: the brake pad/lining thickness is not
sufficient. Have the brake pads/lining
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
To avoid an inaccurate measurement:
R make sure you position the wheels suitably
R do not put the measuring pin on a recess in
the brake disc Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of
hydroplaning occurring, even if:
R
you drive at low speeds.
R the tires have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or in conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
you must drive in the following manner:
R lower your speed.
R avoid ruts.
R avoid sudden steering movements.
R brake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads !
Bear in mind that vehicles traveling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
Failure to observe these notes may result in damage to the engine, electrical systems
and transmission.
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, you should never
drive at speeds above a walking pace. Always observe the maximum fording depth
values (Y
page 369). Winter driving
G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering
and braking maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay. Driving tips
167Driving and parking Z