2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE SUV traction control

1, 2, 3 ...
4ETS (Electronic Traction System) see ETS/4ETS (Electronic Trac-
tion System)
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel
drive) .................................................. 252
12 V socket
see Sockets
360° camera
Cleaning .........................................3 83
Display in the multimedia system .. 238
Function/notes ............................ .236 A
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) Display message ............................ 301
Function/notes ................................ 70
Important safety notes .................... 70
Warning lamp ................................. 341
Accident
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent ................................................. 58
Activating/deactivating air-recir-
culation mode ................................... .145
Activating/deactivating cooling
with air dehumidification ................. 139
Active Blind Spot Assist
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 291
Display message ............................ 326
Function/notes ............................ .247
Towing a trailer .............................. 249
Active Curve System
Display message ............................ 323
Function/notes ............................ .222
Active Driving Assistance package .. 247
Active Lane Keeping Assist
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 291
Display message ............................ 325
Function/notes ............................ .250
Towing a trailer .............................. 252
Active light function ......................... 124
Active Parking Assist
Display message ............................ 326
Exiting a parking space .................. 231 Function/notes ............................
.228
Important safety notes .................. 228
Parking .......................................... 230
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ................................. 78
Adaptive Brake Assist
Function/notes ................................ 74
Adaptive brake lights .......................... 75
Adaptive Damping System
Function/notes ............................ .224
Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus
Display message ............................ 315
Function/notes ............................ .126
Switching on/off ........................... 126
AdBlue ®
Display message ............................ 318
Filling capacity ............................... 439
Important safety notes .................. 439
Topping up ..................................... 180
Additives (engine oil) ........................ 440
Adjusting the headlamp range ......... 123
ADS (Adaptive Damping System)
Function/notes ............................ .221
Air conditioning
General notes ................................ 135
Air filter (white display message) .... 318
AIR FLOW .......................................... .141
Air pressure
see Tyre pressure
Air vents
Glove compartment ....................... 155
Important safety notes .................. 154
Rear ............................................... 155
Setting .......................................... .154
Setting the centre air vents ........... 155
Setting the side air vents .............. .155
Air-conditioning system
see Climate control
Airbag
Automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivatio n .......................... 51
Introduction ..................................... 48
PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator
lamps ............................................... 44
Airbags
Display message ............................ 311
Front airbag (driver, front
passenger) ....................................... 49 Index
3

ESP
®
monitors driving stability and traction, i.e.
power transmission between the tyres 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 stabilise the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the vehi- cle on the desired course within physical limits.
ESP ®
assists the driver when pulling away on
wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise
the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
. On vehicles
with 4MATIC, 4ETS is a component 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 transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deactivate
ESP ®
.
In appropriate driving situations, activate the
off-road programs:
X Vehicles without the Off-Road Engineering
package (Y page 254)
X Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 254)
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) An ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once an off-
road program is activated:
R Vehicles without the Off-Road Engineering
package (Y page 254)
R Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 254)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses 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 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 twin-axle dynamometer.
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.
When ESP ®
is deactivated, the åESP®
OFF
warning lamp lights up continuously.
If the ÷ warning lamp and the åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not available
due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 343) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 301).
i Only use wheels with the recommended tyre
sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function properly.
Characteristics of ESP ® General notes
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X When pulling away, only depress the acceler-
ator pedal as far as is necessary.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle stops
moving. When pulling away again, the engine
starts automatically. ESP ®
remains in its previ-
ously selected status. Example:if ESP®
was
deactivated before the engine was switched off, 76
Driving safety systemsSafety

ESP
®
remains deactivated when the engine is
switched on again.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
You can select between the following statuses
of ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
is activated
R ESP ®
is deactivated G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the follow-
ing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®X
To deactivate: press button:.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. X
To activate: press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R Engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin
The spinning of the wheels results in a cutting
action for better traction on loose surfaces.
R Traction control is still activated
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no longer
available; nor is it activated if you brake firmly
with assistance from ESP ®
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available; it is also not
activated if you brake firmly with assistance
from ESP ®
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available; it is
also not activated if you brake firmly with
assistance from ESP ®
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly
Off-road ESP ®
(vehicles with Off-Road
Engineering package) An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once an off-
road program is activated.
R Vehicles without the Off-Road Engineering
package (Y page 254)
R Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 254)
Off-road ESP ®
intervenes with a delay if there is
oversteering or understeering, thus improving
traction.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation General notes
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is not available in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, ESP ®
assists you in this situation. ESP ® Driving safety systems
77Safety Z

vehicle is facing in the direction of the line of
fall.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
i Off-road ABS is activated when the off-road
program is selected.
At speeds below 30 km/h the front wheels
lock cyclically during braking. The digging-in
effect achieved in the process reduces the
stopping distance when driving off-road. The
steerability of the vehicle is considerably
reduced if the wheels lock. Driving systems
Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive stands for inno- vative driver assistance and safety systems
which enhance comfort and support the driver in
critical situations. With these intelligent co-ordi- nated systems Mercedes-Benz has set a mile-
stone on the path towards autonomous driving.
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive embraces all
elements of active and passive safety in one well thought-out system – for the safety of the vehi-
cle occupants and that of other road users.
Further information on driving safety systems
(Y page 70). Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. You must select a
lower gear in good time on long and steep down-
hill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. By doing so, you will make use of
the braking effect of the engine. This relieves the load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions are appropriate for maintaining a steady
speed for a prolonged period. You can store any road speed above 30 km/h. Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take into account road, weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control 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 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 smooth or slippery roads. Braking or accel-
erating can 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 :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and varia-
ble SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
X To switch between variable SPEED-
TRONIC and cruise control:
press the cruise
control lever in the direction of arrow A. Driving systems
203Driving and parking Z

G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this deceleration is not sufficient,
DISTRONIC PLUS alerts you with a visual and
acoustic warning. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Apply the brakes yourself in these situations
and try to take evasive action.
! 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
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. DISTRONIC
PLUS cannot take road and weather conditions
or traffic conditions into account. DISTRONIC
PLUS 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 lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
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 smooth or slippery roads. Braking or accel-
erating can 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
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow vehi-
cles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehi-
cles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired in the case of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections, for
example, in multi-storey car parks
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehicle
in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate to the
speed stored. This speed can:
R be too high for a filter lane or a slip road
R be so high in the right lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the left
R be so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the right
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever :
To activate or increase speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed
A To activate or reduce speed
B To switch between DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
You can operate DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
LIM indicator lamp =on the cruise control lever
indicates which function you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp = =off: DISTRONIC PLUS
is selected
R LIM indicator lamp =
= on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected
Selecting DISTRONIC PLUS X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off.
If it is off, DISTRONIC PLUS is already selec-
ted.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp =in the cruise control
lever goes out. DISTRONIC PLUS is selected. 208
Driving systemsDriving and parking

There is a possibility that the Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist could misjudge the given traffic sit-
uation. An inappropriate brake application may
be interrupted at any time if:
R you steer slightly in the opposite direction
R you switch on the turn signal
R you clearly brake or accelerate
A lane-correcting brake application is interrup-
ted automatically if:
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind Spot
Assist
R lane markings are no longer detected
Activating Active Lane Keeping Assist
X Activate Active Lane Keeping Assist using the
on-board computer; to do so, select Stand‐
Stand‐
ard ard orAdaptive
Adaptive (Ypage 291).
If you drive at speeds above 60 km/ha nd lane
markings are detected, the lines in the assis- tance graphic display (Y page 290) are
shown in green. Active Lane Keeping Assist is
ready for use.
If Standard Standard is selected, no warning vibration
occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signals. In
this event, the warnings are suppressed for a certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
When Adaptive
Adaptive is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signals. In
this event, the warnings are suppressed for a certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lane quickly.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
Towing a trailer
If you couple up a trailer, make sure that you
have correctly established the electrical con-
nection. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Lane-correcting brake appli-
cation does not take place when towing a trailer. Active Lane Keeping Assist is not activated and
the lines in the assistance graphic are grey. Off-road driving systems
4MATIC (permanent all-wheel drive) 4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are perma-
nently driven. Together with ESP ®
and 4ETS, it
improves the traction of your vehicle whenever
a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC can
neither reduce the risk of an accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic conditions. 4MATIC 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
lane.
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the transfer case. Damage
of this sort is not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz implied warranty. All wheels must
remain either on the ground or be fully raised.
Observe the instructions for towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
! A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a twin-axle dynamometer.
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.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if you
use winter tyres (M+S tyres), with snow
chains if necessary.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 199).
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation) General notes
DSR is an aid to assist you when driving down-
hill. It keeps the speed of travel at the speed
selected 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 non-existent.
DSR controls the vehicle’s speed when it is acti-
vated and the transmission is in position D,Ror
N. By accelerating or braking, you can always
drive at a higher or a lower speed than that set
on the on-board computer. 252
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

Important safety notes
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. This
increases the risk of skidding and having an
accident.
Before switching DSR on, please take into
consideration the road surface and the differ-
ence between driving speed and the set
speed.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DSR can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor override the laws of physics. DSR cannot take account ofroad, weather and traffic conditions. DSR is only
an aid. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for brak-
ing in good time and for staying in lane.
You are always responsible for keeping control
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, depend-
ing on road surface and tyre conditions. Select a set speed suitable for the prevailing conditions
and when necessary, apply the brakes manually.
Activating DSR X
Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
The à DSR symbol appears in the multi-
function display.
You can only activate DSR when driving at
speeds below 40 km/h.
If the current vehicle speed is too high, the Ã
DSR symbol appears in the multifunction display
with the Max. speed 40 km/h
Max. speed 40 km/h message.
If you have activated DSR and then change drive programs, DSR is deactivated. If you switch between the offroad and offroad plus drive pro-
grams, DSR remains activated.
Deactivating DSR
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
The à DSR symbol appears in the multi-
function display with the off offmessage.
DSR switches off automatically if you drive
faster than 45 km/h. The ÃDSR symbol
appears in the multifunction display with the
off off message. The status indicator in the multi-
function display goes out. You also hear a warn-
ing tone.
On vehicles with the Offroad Engineering pack-
age, if you select a different drive program, DSR is also deactivated. If you switch between the
offroad programs, DSR remains activated.
Changing the set speed X
To increase or reduce the set speed in
1 km/h increments:
briefly press the cruise
control lever up :for a higher set speed or
down ;for a lower set speed.
The set speed appears in the multifunction
display with the ÃDSR symbol.
When DSR is activated, you can change the set
speed to a value between 2 km/h and 18 km/h.
i The DSR set speed is always changed in
1 km/h increments. This is regardless of
whether you press the cruise control lever to or beyond the pressure point. Driving systems
253Driving and parking Z

Offroad program (vehicles without the
Offroad Engineering package) General notes
Select the Offroaddrive program for easily
negotiable offroad terrain, e.g. dirt tracks, gravel
or sandy surfaces. The engine's torque is restric-
ted to a limited degree and the drive wheels can
spin. The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction. ABS, ESP ®
and
4ETS programs especially adapted to off-road
driving are activated. A gentle accelerator pedal curve is also selected, i.e. the accelerator pedal
must be depressed much further in order to
accelerate.
You can select the Offroaddrive program at
speeds below 100 km/h. TheDrive
Drive program program
"Offroad" Max. speed 100 km/h
"Offroad" Max. speed 100 km/h message
appears in the multifunction display. If you drive
at speeds of more than 100 km/ha nd select the
Offroad drive program, the Please reduce
Please reduce
speed
speed message appears in the multifunction
display. The last active drive program is selected
again.
Do not use the Offroaddrive program on roads
that are snow-covered or icy, or if you have fitted
your vehicle with snow chains.
Selecting the Offroad drive program Selecting the Offroad drive program
X To select a drive program: turn DYNAMIC
SELECT controller :until indicator lamp ;
lights up.
The Drive program "Offroad" Max.
Drive program "Offroad" Max.
speed 100 km/h speed 100 km/h message appears in the
multifunction display.
The vehicle is raised by 60 mm.
The vehicle changes from the Offroaddrive pro-
gram to the Comfortdrive program if you drive
faster than 110 km/h. The
Please Please reduce
reducespeed
speedmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 199).
Offroad programs (vehicles with Off-
road Engineering package) General notes
The Offroad andOffroad Plus drive programs
assist you when driving off-road. The engine’s
performance characteristics and the gearshift-
ing characteristics of the automatic transmis-
sion are adapted for this purpose. ABS, ESP ®
and 4ETS programs especially adapted to off-
road driving are activated. An accelerator pedal
curve suitable for the terrain is selected, i.e. the accelerator pedal must be depressed further to
accelerate.
Do not use the OffroadorOffroad Plus drive
programs on roads that are snow-covered or icy, or if you have fitted your vehicle with snow
chains.
Offroad drive program :
DYNAMIC SELECT controller
; Offroad drive program indicator lamp
Select the Offroaddrive program for easily
negotiable offroad terrain, e.g. dirt tracks, gravel
or sandy surfaces. The engine's torque is restric-
ted to a limited degree and the drive wheels can
spin. The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction. ABS, ESP ®
and
4ETS programs especially adapted to off-road
driving are activated. A gentle accelerator pedal curve is also selected, i.e. the accelerator pedal
must be depressed much further in order to
accelerate.
You can select the Offroaddrive program at
speeds below 100 km/h. The Drive
Drive program program 254
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking