2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK-CLASS SUV brakes

If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a slower-moving
vehicle in front, your vehicle is braked in order
to maintain the preset distance to the vehicle in front.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden-tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 40% of the maximum braking force. If this
braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC PLUS
warns you visually and audibly. There is a risk
of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow- ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take into account
the road, traffic and weather conditions.
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 your 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 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
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R there is snow or heavy rain
R there is interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example, in parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi- cle in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpect-
edly accelerate the vehicle to the stored
speed.
Driving systems177
Driving and parking
Z

Rthe transmission must be in position D.
R the hood must be closed.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from P to D or your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door and rear doors
must be closed.
R the vehicle must not skid.
Activating while driving
When driving at speeds below 20 mph
(30 km/h), you can only activate DISTRONIC
PLUS if the vehicle in front has been detected
and is shown in the multifunction display. If
the vehicle in front is no longer detected and displayed, DISTRONIC PLUS switches off anda tone sounds.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?, or press it up : or down ;.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X Press the cruise control lever repeatedly
up : or down ; until the desired speed is
set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
iIf you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the
DISTRONIC PLUS Override
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. The set distance to a slower-moving
vehicle in front will then not be maintained. You will be driving at the speed you deter-
mine by the position of the accelerator
pedal.
Pulling away X If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
or X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
Driving
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in front has slowed down, it brakes your vehicle.
In this way, the distance you have selected is maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle infront is driving faster, it accelerates your vehi-
cle, but only up to the speed you have stored.
Changing lanes
If you change to the passing lane, DISTRONIC
PLUS supports you when: R you are driving faster than 40 mph
(60 km/h)
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front
R you switch on the appropriate turn signal
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front becomes too small.
iWhen changing lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane on left-hand drive
vehicles and the right lane on right-hand
drive vehicles.
Driving systems179
Driving and parking
Z

Stopping
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS ( Y page 182).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it
is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
iDepending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in
front. The specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever.
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi- tion P if:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the hood is opened.
R a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
Setting a speed
XPress the cruise control lever up : for a
higher speed or down ; for a lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up : or
down ; to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up : or down ; the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up : or
down ; beyond the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up : or down ;, the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
iDISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Storing the current speed or calling up a
stored speed
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Setting the specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
( Y page 181).
180Driving systems
Driving and parking

Crossing vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane. Activat-
ing DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with
crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations: R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when maneuvering on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
iDo not use the HOLD function when driv-
ing off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gra-
dients or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD function cannot hold the vehicle on
such surfaces.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R the HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function
( Y page 185).
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
R the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened
R the parking brake is released
R the hood is closed.
R the transmission is in position D, R or N
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
184Driving systems
Driving and parking

iIn 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.
! When testing the parking brake, operate
the vehicle only briefly (for a maximum of
ten seconds) on a brake test dynamometer. When doing this, turn the SmartKey to posi-
tion 0 or 1 in the ignition. Failure to do this
can cause damage to the drive train or 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.
PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area
around your vehicle using six sensors in the
front bumper and four sensors in the rear
bumper. PARKTRONIC indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate
surroundings. You are always responsible for
safe maneuvering, parking and exiting a park-
ing space. When maneuvering, parking or
pulling out of a parking space, make sure that there are no persons, animals or objects in
the area in which you are maneuvering.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars.
PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects
when they are in the immediate vicinity of
the vehicle. You could damage the vehicle
or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves. Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D, R or N
R release the parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds.
:Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand
side (example)
Range of the sensors
General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are:
R below the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects
R above the detection range, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, truck overhangs or loading ramps
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice or
slush. They can otherwise not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
( Y page 309).
186Driving systems
Driving and parking

When a parking space has been detected, anarrow towards the right or the left also
appears. By default, Active Parking Assist
only displays parking spaces on the front-
passenger side. Parking spaces on the driv-
er's side are displayed as soon as the turn
signal on the driver's side is activated. When
parking on the driver's side, this must remain
switched on until you acknowledge the use of Active Parking Assist by pressing the a
button on the multifunction steering wheel.
A parking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are approx-
imately 50 ft (15 m) away from it.
Parking
GWARNING
Active Parking Assist merely aids you by inter- vening actively in the steering. If you do not
brake there is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself when
maneuvering and parking.
X Stop the vehicle when the parking space
symbol shows the desired parking space in
the instrument cluster.
X Shift the transmission to position R.
The
Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
% message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure: press the %
button on the multifunction steering wheel or pull away.
or
X To park using Active Parking Assist:
press the a button on the multifunction
steering wheel.
The
Park Assist Active Accelerate
and Brake Observe Surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Let go of the multifunction steering wheel.
X Back up the vehicle, being ready to brake at
all times. When backing up, drive at a speed below approximately 6 mph (10 km/h). Otherwise Active Parking Assist will be can-
celed.
iIn tight parking spaces, you will achieve
the best parking results by backing up as
far as possible. When doing so, also
observe the PARKTRONIC messages.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
Maneuvering may be required in tight park-
ing spaces.
The
Park Assist Active Select D
Observe Surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display. X Shift the transmission to position D while
the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction.
The
Park Assist Active Accelerate
and Brake Observe Surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
iYou will achieve the best results by wait-
ing for the steering procedure to complete before pulling away.
X Drive forwards and be ready to brake at all
times.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
The
Park Assist Active Select R
Observe Surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display. X Further transmission shifts may be neces-
sary.
As soon as the parking procedure is com-
plete, the
Park Assist Disabled message
appears and a warning tone sounds. Active
Parking Assist no longer supports you with
steering interventions. When Active Parking
Assist is finished, you must steer again your-
self. PARKTRONIC is still available.
X Maneuver if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages dis-
played by PARKTRONIC ( Y page 187).
Driving systems191
Driving and parking
Z

Active Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of your vehicle by means of camera :
mounted at the top of the windshield. Active
Lane Keeping Assist detects lane markings on
the road and warns you before you leave your
lane unintentionally. If you do not react to the
warning, a lane-correcting application of the
brakes can bring the vehicle back into the
original lane.
:Active Lane Keeping Assist camera
If you select
km on the on-board computer in
the
Display Unit Speed-/Odometer func-
tion ( Y page 230), Active Lane Keeping Assist
is activated starting at a speed of 60 km/h. If
the
miles display unit is selected, the assis-
tance range begins at 40 mph.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Active
Lane Keeping Assist can neither reduce the
risk of accident nor override the laws of phys-
ics. Lane Keeping Assist cannot take into
account the road, traffic and weather condi-
tions. Lane Keeping Assist is merely 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.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot continu-
ously keep your vehicle in its lane.
GWARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot always
clearly detect lane markings.
In such cases, Active Lane Keeping Assist
can:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
make a course-correcting brake application
to the vehicle
R not give a warning or intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep within the lane, especially
if Active Lane Keeping Assist alerts you. Ter-
minate the intervention in a non-critical driv-
ing situation.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun or reflections (e.g. when the road
surface is wet)
R the windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged
or covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera
R there are no, several or unclear lane mark-
ings for a lane, e.g. in areas with road con- struction work
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
small and the lane markings thus cannot be
detected
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
lanes branch off, cross one another or
merge
R the road is narrow and winding
R there are highly variable shade conditions
on the roadway
R no vehicle is detected in the adjacent lane
and there are broken lane markings
Warning vibration in the steering wheel
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking. It will warn you by
210Driving systems
Driving and parking

When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison with when driving without a trailer.
Use the left-hand paddle shifter to shift into a
lower gear in good time on long and steep
downhill gradients.
iThis also applies if you have activated
cruise control.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so that less braking will be required to main-
tain the speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly. If you
need additional braking, depress the brake
pedal repeatedly rather than continuously.
Driving tips
R Maintain a greater distance from the vehi-
cle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then, increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea
level. When driving in mountainous areas,
note that the power output of the engine
and, consequently, the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability, decreases with
increasing altitude.
If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not counter-steer.
X Brake if necessary.
Installing the ball coupling
GWARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed and secured
correctly the trailer may come loose. There is
a risk of an accident.
Install and secure the ball coupling as descri-
bed in the ball coupling installation instruc-
tions. Make sure that the ball coupling is
installed and secured correctly before every
journey.
! Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
only use ball couplings that have been tes- ted and approved by Mercedes-Benz. This
helps to avoid damage to the vehicle.
Cover cap
X Pull protective cap : in the direction of the
arrow, out of ball coupling recess ;.
X Store protective cap : in a safe place.
X Observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions.
GWARNING
If the ball coupling is not correctly installed
and secured, it could come loose while driving
and endanger other road users. There is a risk
of an accident and injury.
Install and secure the ball coupling as descri-
bed in the ball coupling manufacturer's instal- lation instructions. Make sure that the ball
coupling is correctly installed and secured
before every journey.
Coupling up a trailer
Observe the maximum permissible trailer
dimensions (width and length).
Most U.S. states and all Canadian provinces
require by law:
R safety chains between the towing vehicle
and the trailer. The chains should be cross-
wound under the trailer drawbar. They must
214Towing a trailer
Driving and parking