2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE SUV roof

Off-road fording
!
Under no circumstances should you accel-
erate before entering the water. The bow
wave could cause water to enter and damage
the engine and neighbouring assemblies.
! Do not open any of the vehicle's doors while
fording. Otherwise, water could get into the
vehicle interior and damage the vehicle's
electronics and interior equipment.
R Establish how deep the water is and the char-
acteristics of the body of water before ford-
ing.
R Select the highest possible vehicle level.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel gearshift paddle.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Enter and exit the water at a flat place and at
a steady walking pace.
R Drive slowly and at a constant speed through
the water.
R Ensure that a bow wave does not form as you
drive.
R Do not stop and do not switch off the engine.
Water offers a high degree of resistance, the
ground is slippery and, in some cases, unsta- ble. Therefore, it is difficult and dangerous to
pull away in the water.
R Clean any mud from the tyre tread after ford-
ing.
R Apply the brakes to dry them after fording.
Always observe the fording depth values
(Y page 444). 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.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
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.
! Take care not to damage the sealing strip
and the moulding on the side of the rear win- dow when scraping ice off the rear window.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration,
steering and braking manoeuvres. Do not use
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 by using
corrective steering.
When driving in snow with or without snow
chains, select driving program Slippery
(Y page 166).
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.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in wooded areas or on bridges. You should pay
special attention to road conditions when tem-
peratures are around freezing point.
Further information on driving with snow chains
(Y page 408).
Further information on driving with summer
tyres (Y page 407).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (Y page 407). 198
Driving tipsDriving and parking

The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving:
R the Offroad drive program (vehicles without
Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 254)
R Offroad andOffroad Plus drive programs
(vehicles with Off-Road Engineering pack-
age) . (Y page 254)
R LOW RANGE offroad gear (vehicles with the
Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 255)
R Differential lock (vehicles with the Off-Road
Engineering package) (Y page 255)
R Off-road ABS (Y page 71)
R Offroad 4ETS (Y page 76)
R Offroad ESP ®
(Y page 77)
R AIRMATIC package (vehicle level)
(Y page 220)
R DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(Y page 252)
Observe the following notes:
R Stop the vehicle before driving off-road. If
necessary, select the offroad program
(Y page 254) or shift to the LOW RANGE off-
road gear (Y page 255).
R Select a vehicle level suitable for the off-road
terrain. To avoid damaging the vehicle, make sure there is always sufficient ground clear-
ance.
R Make sure that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(Y page 355).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Activate
DSR (Y page 252).
R Drive slowly and evenly, if necessary at walk-
ing pace.
R Ensure that the wheels are in contact with the
ground at all times.
R Drive with extreme care on unknown off-road
routes where visibility is poor. For safety rea-
sons, get out of the vehicle first and survey
the off-road route.
R Look out for obstacles such as rocks, holes,
tree stumps and furrows.
R Take care when turning on an uphill or down-
hill slope or when driving across a slope. The
vehicle could otherwise tip over. R
Always keep the doors, the tailgate and the
sliding sunroof closed while the vehicle is in
motion.
R Do not stray from marked routes or paths.
R Observe the notes on off-road fording
(Y page 198).
i Information about retrofitting special all-ter-
rain tyres is available from any qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
i Do not use the HOLD function when driving
off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gradients or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD
function cannot hold the vehicle on such sur-faces.
Checklist before driving off-road X
Engine oil level: check the engine oil and top
it up if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the oil level must be sufficiently high to ensure a correct
oil supply in the vehicle.
X AdBlue ®
tank (BlueTEC vehicles): check
the level and top up if necessary
(Y page 180).
X Tyre-change tool kit: check that the jack is
working and make sure you have the wheel
wrench, a robust tow cable and a folding
spade in the vehicle.
X Wheels and tyres: check the tyre tread
depth and tyre pressure.
X Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the wheels/
tyres.
X Replace any missing valve caps.
X Replace dented or damaged wheels.
X Wheels: dented or bent wheels can lead to a
loss of tyre pressure and damage to the tyre
bead. Before driving off-road, check the
wheels and replace them if necessary.
Checklist after driving off-road !
If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Driving over rough terrain places greater
demands on your vehicle than driving on normal
roads. After driving off-road, check the vehicle.
This allows you to detect damage promptly and 200
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Range
Front sensors
Centre Approx. 100 cm
Corners Approx. 60 cm
Rear sensors
Centre Approx. 120 cm
Corners Approx. 80 cm
Minimum distance
Centre Approx. 20 cm
Corners Approx. 15 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the rel-
evant warning displays light up and a warning
tone sounds. If the distance falls below the min- imum, the distance may no longer be shown. Warning displays
:
Segments on the left-hand side of the vehi-
cle
; Segments on the right-hand side of the vehi-
cle
= Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located on
the dashboard above the centre air vents. The
warning display for the rear area is located on
the roof lining in the rear compartment.
The warning display for each side of the vehicle
is divided into five yellow and two red segments.
PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow segments
showing operational readiness =light up.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling deter-
mine which warning display is active when the
engine is running. Transmission posi-
tion Warning display
D
Front area activated
R,
Nor the vehicle is
rolling backwards Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the vehi-
cle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an inter-
mittent warning tone for approximately two
seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two seconds. 226
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
Fold out hook =on the underside of the lug-
gage compartment floor in the direction of the arrow. X
Attach hook =to the luggage compart-
ment's upper seal ?.
X To close: detach hook =from the luggage
compartment's upper seal ?.
X Fasten hook =to the bracket on the under-
side of the luggage compartment floor.
X Fold the luggage compartment floor down.
X Press the luggage compartment floor
down ;until it engages.
i To remove the luggage compartment floor,
undo the press studs below the luggage com-
partment floor. When you refit the luggage
compartment floor, fasten it with the press
studs. Locking and unlocking the luggage
compartment floor 1
Luggage compartment floor, released
2 Luggage compartment floor, locked
The luggage compartment floor can be locked
and unlocked using the emergency key element. Roof carrier
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When a load is transported on the roof, the
vehicle's centre of gravity rises and the han-
dling changes. If you exceed the maximum
roof load, the handling as well as steering and braking characteristics are severely affected.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always observe the maximum roof load and
adapt your driving style.
! Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use roof carriers that have been tested and
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. This
helps to prevent damage to the vehicle.
Position the load on the roof carrier in such a way that the vehicle will not sustain damage
even when it is in motion.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, ensure
that when the roof carrier is fitted you can:
R raise the sliding sunroof fully
R open the panorama sliding sunroof fully
R open the tailgate fully
You will find information on the maximum roof
load in the "Technical data" section
(Y page 442). 360
Stowage areasStowing and features

An incorrectly secured roof carrier or roof load
may become detached from the vehicle. You
must therefore ensure that you observe the roof
carrier manufacturer's installation instructions.
Attaching the roof carrier X
Secure the roof carrier to roof rails :. In
doing so, observe the manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions. Features
Cup holders
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you transport objects in the vehicle interior and these are not adequately secured, they
could slip or be flung around and thereby
strike vehicle occupants. In addition, cup
holders, open stowage spaces and mobile
phone brackets may not always be able to
hold the objects placed in them in the event of an accident. There is a risk of injury, particu-
larly in the event of sharp braking or sudden
changes of direction.
R Always stow objects in such a way that they
cannot be tossed about in these or similar
situations.
R Always make sure that objects do not proj-
ect from stowage spaces, luggage nets or
stowage nets. R
Ensure that closable stowage spaces are
shut before beginning your journey.
R Always stow and secure heavy, hard, poin-
ted, sharp-edged, fragile or outsize objects
in the load compartment.
Observe the loading guidelines (Y page 351).
! Only use the cup holders for containers of
the right size and which have lids. The drinks
could otherwise spill.
! Do not expose drinks bottles in the cup
holder in the centre console to continuous,
strong and direct sunlight. The passenger
compartment in the area of the centre con-
sole can otherwise be damaged by the con-
centrated and reflected sunlight.
Do not keep the KEYLESS-GO key in the tem-
perature-controlled cup holder (Y page 362).
Otherwise, the KEYLESS-GO or KEYLESS-GO
Start function key will not be detected.
The stowage compartments in the doors provide
space for bottles with a capacity of up to 1.0 l.
The bottles are not secured or prevented from
tipping over. Therefore, do not place any open
drink containers in the stowage compartments.
Cup holders in the front centre console :
Cup holders
; Cover
X To open: slide cover ;to its foremost posi-
tion.
X To close: pull cover ;back as far as it will go.
You can remove the rubber mat of the cup
holder to clean it. Wash it with clean, lukewarm water only. Features
361Stowing and features Z

!
For cleaning your vehicle, do not use any of
the following:
R dry, rough or hard cloths
R abrasive cleaning agents
R solvents
R cleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective films
with hard objects, e.g. a ring or ice scraper.
You could otherwise scratch or damage the
surfaces and protective film.
! Do not park up the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after cleaning. Braking heats the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings, thus drying them. The vehicle
can then be parked up.
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents recom-
mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz. Washing the vehicle and cleaning the
paintwork
Automatic car wash G
WARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after the vehicle has been washed. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
After washing the vehicle, brake carefully
while paying attention to the traffic conditions in order to restore full braking efficiency. !
Before driving into an automatic car wash,
make sure that it is suitable for the dimen-
sions of the vehicle. In particular, make sure
that:
R there is enough ground clearance between
the vehicle underbody and the guide rails of the automatic car wash.
R the clearance width of the automatic car
wash is sufficient, particularly the width of
the guide rails
R you enter the automatic car wash straight
and in the centre of the guide rails in order
to avoid damaging the tyres or wheel rims.
Fold in the exterior mirrors before the vehicle is washed. The exterior mirrors could other-
wise be damaged.
! When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion is activated, the vehicle brakes automat- ically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
! Make sure that:
R the side windows and sliding sunroof are
closed completely.
R the blower for the ventilation/heating is
switched off (OFF button is depressed).
R the windscreen wiper switch is at position
0.
The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
! In car washes with a towing mechanism,
make sure that the automatic transmission is in transmission position N, otherwise the
vehicle could be damaged.
R Vehicles with a key:
do not remove the key from the ignition
lock. Do not open the driver's door or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position Pauto-
matically and locks the wheels. You can
prevent this by shifting the automatic trans- mission to Nbeforehand.
R Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO:
do not open the driver's door or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic Care
379Maintenance and care Z

transmission selects park position
Pauto-
matically and locks the wheels.
Observe the following to make sure that the
automatic transmission stays in position N:
X Make sure the vehicle is stationary and the
ignition is switched off.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition lock
(Y page 158).
Use the key instead of the Start/Stop button on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the automatic transmission to position
N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the key in the
ignition lock.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
Wash off excess dirt before cleaning the vehicle
in an automatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off wax from the windscreen and the wiper blades. This
will prevent smears and reduce wiping noises
caused by residue on the windscreen.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements for each indi-
vidual country.
X Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
X Use a soft sponge to clean.
X Use a mild cleaning agent, such as a car
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz.
X Thoroughly hose down the vehicle with a gen-
tle jet of water.
X Do not point the water jet directly towards the
air inlets.
X Use plenty of water and rinse out the sponge
frequently.
X Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with a chamois.
X Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the paint-
work. When using the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of road salt deposits carefully and as
soon as possible.
High-pressure cleaning equipment G
WARNING
The water jet of circular-jet nozzles (dirt grind- ers) can cause damage not visible from the
outside to tyres or chassis components. Com-
ponents damaged in this way can unexpect-
edly fail. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use high-pressure cleaners with circu-
lar-jet nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have dam- aged tyres or chassis components replaced
immediately.
! Always maintain a distance of at least 30 cm
between the vehicle and the high-pressure
cleaner nozzle. Information about the correct
distance is available from the equipment
manufacturer.
Move the high-pressure cleaner nozzle
around when cleaning your vehicle.
Do not aim directly at any of the following:
R tyres
R door gaps, roof gaps, joints etc.
R electrical components
R battery
R connectors
R lights
R seals
R trim elements
R ventilation slots
Damaged seals or electrical components can
lead to leaks or failures.
Cleaning the paintwork !
Do not affix:
R stickers
R films
R magnetic plates or similar items
to painted surfaces. You could otherwise
damage the paintwork.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected by
corrosion and damage caused by inadequate
care cannot always be completely repaired. In
such cases, visit a qualified specialist workshop. 380
CareMaintenance and care

Cleaning the seat covers
General notes
! Do not use a microfibre cloth to clean covers
made out of real leather, artificial leather or
DINAMICA. If used frequently, this can dam-
age the cover.
i Note that regular care is essential to make
sure that the appearance and comfort of the
covers are retained over time.
Genuine leather seat covers
! To retain the natural appearance of the
leather, observe the following cleaning
instructions:
R Clean genuine leather covers carefully with
a damp cloth and then wipe the covers
down with a dry cloth.
R Make sure that the leather does not
become soaked. It may otherwise become
rough and cracked.
R Only use leather care agents that have
been tested and approved by Mercedes-
Benz. You can obtain these from a qualified
specialist workshop.
Leather is a natural product.
It has natural surface properties, e.g.: R unevenness in structure
R marks caused by growth and injury
R subtle colour differences
These are characteristics of leather and not
material faults.
Seat covers from other materials ! Observe the following when cleaning:
R clean artificial leather covers with a cloth
moistened with a solution containing 1%
detergent (e.g. washing-up liquid).
R clean cloth covers with a microfibre cloth
moistened with a solution containing 1%
detergent (e.g. washing-up liquid). Rub
carefully, and always wipe entire seat sec-
tions to avoid leaving visible lines. Leave
the seat to dry afterwards. Cleaning results depend on the type of dirt and how long it
has been there.
R Clean DINAMICA covers with a damp cloth.
Make sure that you wipe entire seat sec-
tions to avoid leaving visible lines. Cleaning the seat belts G
WARNING
Seat belts may be severely weakened if
bleached or coloured. This may lead to the
seat belts, for example, tearing or failing in an accident. There is an increased risk of injury,
possibly even fatal.
Never bleach or colour seat belts.
! Do not clean the seat belts using chemical
cleaning agents. Do not dry the seat belts at
temperatures above 80 † or in direct sun-
light.
X Use clean, lukewarm water and soap solution.
Cleaning the roof lining and carpets X
Roof lining: if it is very dirty, use a soft brush
or dry shampoo.
X Carpets: use the carpet and textile cleaning
agents recommended and approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Care
385Maintenance and care Z