2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class Owner's Manual

Thus, the distance warning function cannot
provide a warning in all critical situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and do not rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Function
XTo activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate the distance warning function in the
on-board computer (
Ypage 281).
If the distance warning function is not activa-
ted, the æsymbol appears in the assis-
tance graphics display.
The distance warning function can help you to
minimize the risk of a front-end collision with
a vehicle ahead or reduce the effects of such
a collision. If the distance warning function
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically. The
distance warning function cannot prevent a
collision without your intervention.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
the distance warning function warns you if
you rapidly approach a vehicle in front. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound,
and the ·distance warning lamp will light
up in the instrument cluster.
XBrake immediately in order to increase the distance from the vehicle in front.
or
XTake evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause the system to display a
warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obsta-
cles that are in the path of your vehicle for an extended period of time.
Up to a speed of around 40 mph (70 km/h),
the distance warning function can also react
to stationary obstacles, such as stopped or
parked vehicles.
If you approach an obstacle and the distance
warning function detects a risk of a collision,
the system will initially alert you both visually
and acoustically.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything elsecoverin g t
he sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicle traveling in front on a different line
Rnew vehicles or after the COLLISION PRE-
VENTION ASSIST system has been serv-
iced
Observe the notes in the section on break-
ing-in (
Ypage 164).
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.
Driving safety systems71
Safety
Z

Adaptive Brake Assist
iObserveth e"Importan tsafet ynotes" sec -
tion (
Ypage 68) .
Adaptive Brake Assis tprovide sbraking assis-
tance in hazardous situation sat speeds
abov e 4mph (7 km/h). It uses radar sensor
technology to assess th etraffic situation .
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assis tcanno talways clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In suc hcases, Adaptive Brake Assis tcan :
Rinterven eunnecessarily
Rno tinterven e
There is aris kof an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th etraffic sit -
uation and be read yto brake. Terminate th e
intervention in anon-critical drivin gsituation .
GWARNIN G
Adaptive Brake Assis tdoes no treact:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncomin gvehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rto stationary obstacles
Rwhen cornering
As aresult ,th eAdaptive Brake Assis tmay no t
interven ein all critical conditions. There is a
ris kof an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th etraffic sit -
uation and be read yto brake.
Due to th enature of th esystem, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tion smay also caus eBrake Assis tto inter-
vene.
Wit hth ehelp of Adaptive Brake Assist, th e
distanc ewarning signal can detec tobstacles
that are in th epat hof your vehicl efor an
extended period of time.
If adaptive Brake Assis thas detecte dthat
there is aris kof acollision ,it calculates th e
braking force necessar yto avoi d acollision .Should you apply th
ebrakes vigorously,
Adaptive Brake As sistwill automatically
increas eth ebraking force to alevel suitable
for th etraffic conditions.
XKee pth ebrak epedal depressed until th e
emergenc ybraking situation is over.
AB Sprevents th ewheels from locking .
The brakes will wor knormally again if:
Ryou release th ebrak epedal .
Rthere is no longer any danger of acollision .
Rno obstacle is detecte din fron tof your
vehicle.
Adaptive Brake As sistis then deactivated.
Vehicles wit hPRE-SAFE
®:if adaptive Brake
Assis trequire sparticularly high brak epre s-
sure, preventive passenger protection meas -
ures (PRE-SAF E
®)are deployed simultane-
ously.
Up to vehicl espeeds of aroun d15 5mph
(25 0km/h), adaptive Brake Assis tis capable
of reacting to moving objects that hav e
already been recognized as suc hat least once
ove rth eperiod of observation .Adaptive
Brake Assis tdoes no treac tto stationary
obstacles.
If Adaptive Brake As sistis no tavailable due to
a malfunction in th eradar sensor system, th e
brak esystem remain savailable wit hfull
brak eboosting effec tand BAS.
In particular, th edetection of obstacles can
be impaire dif there is:
Rthere is dirt on th e sensorsor anythingelse
covering th e sensors
Rthere issnow or heav yrain
Rthere is interferenc eby other radar source s
Rthere arestrongradar reflections, for
exampl ein parking garages
Ranarrow vehicl etraveling in front, e.g. a
motorbik e
Ravehicl etraveling in fron ton adifferen tlin e
relative to th ecenter of your vehicl e
Rnewvehicles or after th eCOLLISION PRE -
VENTION ASSIST system has been serv-
ice d
72Driving safety systems
Safety

Observe the notes in the section on break-ing-in (
Ypage 164).
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
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 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 (
Ypage 258).
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 (
Ypage 258).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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 only deactivated if the åwarning
lamp is lit continuously.
If the ÷ warning lamp and the åwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP
®is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 330) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 291).
iOnly use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP®function
properly.
Driving safety systems73
Safety
Z

Characteristics of ESP®
General information
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:
XDo not deactivate ESP®under any circum-
stances.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
XAdapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again.
ESP
®remains in its previously selected sta-
tus. Example: if ESP®was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP®remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
Important safety notes
You can select between the following states
of ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes 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 fol-
lowing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP
®
XTo deactivate: press button:.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
XTo 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 situa-
tions, ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP
®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
Rengine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
74Driving safety systems
Safety

The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
Rtraction control is still activated.
RESP®still provides support when you
brake.
Off-road ESP®(vehicles with ON&OFF-
ROAD package)
An ESP®system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (
Ypage 258).
Off-road ESP
®intervenes with a delay if there
is oversteering or understeering, thus improv-
ing traction.
ESP®trailer stabilization
General information
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
GWARNING
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 stabilization 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 intervenes with stabilizing braking 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
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (
Ypage 68).
GWARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the
risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (
Ypage 327) as well as dis-
play messages (
Ypage 293).
Driving safety systems75
Safety
Z

ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVEBRAKE enhance sbraking safet y
and offers increased braking comfort .In addi-
tion to th ebraking function ,ADAPTIV EBRAKE
also has th eHOLD function (
Ypage 217) and
hill start assist (
Ypage 168).
PRE-SAFE®Brake
Gene ral inform ation
PRE-SAF E®Brake can help you to minimiz e
th eris kof acollision wit h avehicl eahead ,and
reduce th eeffects of suc h acollision .If PRE -
SAFE
®Brake has detecte d ariskof collision ,
you will be warned visually and acoustically as
well as by automatic braking .PRE-SAF E
®
Brake canno tpreven t acollision without your
intervention .
iPay attention to th eimportant safet y
note sin th e"Drivin gsafet ysystems "sec -
tion (
Ypage 68) .
PRE ‑S AF E
®Brake is only available for vehi-
cle swit hth eDrivin gAssistance package.
Fo rPRE-SAF E
®Brake to assist you when driv -
ing ,th eradar sensor system mus tbe opera-
tional.
Wit hth ehelp of th eradar sensor system,
PRE-SAF E
®Brake can detec tobstacles that
are in fron tof your vehicl efor an extended
period of time.
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
PRE-SAF E
®Brake will initially brak eyour vehi-
cle by apartial application of th ebrakes if a
danger of collision is detected. There may be
a collision unless you also brake. Automatic
emergenc ybraking canno tpreven t acolli-
sion .There is aris kof an accident.
Always apply th ebrakes yourself and tr yto
tak eevasive action .
In theevent of apartial application of th e
brakes, th evehicl eis braked wit hup to 50 %of
th efull braking pressure.
GWARNIN G
PRE-SAF E
®Brake canno talways clearly iden -
tify objects and comple xtraffic conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAF E
®Brake may:
Rgivean unnecessary warning and then
brak eth evehicl e
Rnotgiv e a warning or interven e
There is aris kof an accident.
Always pay particular attention to th etraffic
situation and be read yto brake, especially if
PRE-SAF E
®Brake warn syou. Terminate th e
intervention in anon-critical drivin gsituation .
In order to maintai nth eappropriat edistanc e
to th evehicl ein fron tand thus preven t acol-
lision, you mus tapply th ebrakes yourself .
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h )PRE-SAF E
®Brake can also detec t
stationary objects .Examples of stationary
objects are stoppedor parked vehicles.
GWARNIN G
PRE-SAF E
®Brake does no treact:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncomin gvehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
As aresult ,PRE-SAF E
®Brake may neither
giv ewarning sno rinterven ein all critical sit -
uations. There is aris kof an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th etraffic sit -
uation and be read yto brake.
In th eevent of snowfall or heav yrain ,th erec -
ognition can be impaired.
Recognition by th eradar sensor system is
also impaire din th eevent of:
Rthere is dirt on th e sensorsor anythingelse
covering th e sensors
Rthere is interferenc eby other radar source s
76Driving safety systems
Safety

Rthere are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors 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.
Function
XTo activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate PRE-SAFE®Brake in the on-board
computer (
Ypage 282).
If the PRE-SAFE®Brake is not activated, the
æ symbol appears in the multifunction
display.
If you have activated DSR (
Ypage 257), PRE-
SAFE®Brake is deactivated.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
this function warns you if you rapidly
approach a vehicle in front. An intermittent
warning tone will then sound and the ·
distance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster.
XBrake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
XTake evasive action provided it is safe to do so.
PRE-SAFE
®Brake can also brake the vehicle
automatically under the following conditions:
Rthe driver and front-passenger have their
seat belts fastened
and
Rthe vehicle speed is between approx-
imately 4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph
(200 km/h)
iIf there is an increased risk of collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE
®) are activated. If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking,
u

p to the point of full brake application. Auto-
matic emergency braking is not performed
until immediately prior to an imminent acci-
dent.
You can prevent the intervention of the PRE-
SAFE
®Brake at any time by:
Rdepressing the accelerator pedal further.
Ractivating kickdown.
Rreleasing the brake pedal.
The braking action of PRE-SAFE
®Brake is
ended automatically if:
Ryou maneuver to avoid the obstacle.
Rthere is no longer any danger of a collision.
Rthere is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle.
STEER CONTROL
General information
STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a noticeable steering force to the steering
wheel in the direction required for vehicle
stabilization.
This steering assistance is provided in partic-
ular if:
Rboth right wheels or both left wheels are on
a wet or slippery road surface when you
brake.
Rthe vehicle starts to skid.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 68).
No steering support is provided by STEER
CONTROL, if:
RESP®is malfunctioning.
Rthe lighting is faulty.
Driving safet ysystem s77
Safety
Z

Power steering will, however, continue to
function.
Protection against theft
Immobilizer
XTo activate with the SmartKey:remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XTo activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
XTo deactivate: switch on the ignition.
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Any-
one can start the engine if a valid SmartKey
has been left inside the vehicle.
iThe immobilizer is always deactivated
when you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be star-
ted (yet the vehicle's battery is charged),
the system is not operational. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA) or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
ATA (anti-theft alarm system)
XTo arm: lock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp :flashes. The alarm sys-
tem is armed after approximately
15 seconds.
XTo deactivate using the SmartKey:
unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
XTo deactivate using KEYLESS-GO: unlock
the vehicle with KEYLESS-GO.
or
XPress the Start/Stop button on the dash-
board. The SmartKey must be inside the
vehicle.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed and you open:
Ra door
Rthe vehicle with the mechanical key
Rthe tailgate
Rthe hood
XTo turn the alarm off with the SmartKey:
press the %or& button on the
SmartKey.
The alarm is switched off.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
The alarm is switched off.
XTo stop the alarm using KEYLESS-GO:
grasp the outside door handle. The Smart-
Key must be outside the vehicle.
The alarm is switched off.
or
XPress the Start/Stop button on the dash-
board. The SmartKey must be inside the
vehicle.
The alarm is switched off.
The alarm is not switched off, even if you
close the open door that triggered it, for
example.
78Protection against theft
Safety