2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class parking brake

To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-tion in the following or other similar situa-
tions:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
!Make sure that the electric parking brake
is released. If the electric parking brake is
faulty, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
!Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could
be damaged.
!Do not use the trailer tow hitch for recov-
ery or towing. Do not use the towing eye for recovery. this could damage the vehicle. If
in doubt, have the vehicle recovered using
a crane.
!When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. Pull the towed vehicle as straight
as possible and not at an acute angle.
Excessive tractive power could damage the
vehicles.
iWhen towing, it is preferable to use a rigid
towing bar as opposed to a tow rope. A rigid towing bar helps to keep the tractive power
low.
!When towing vehicles with KEYLESS-GO,
use the key instead of the Start/Stop but-
ton. Otherwise, the automatic transmission
may shift to position Pwhen the driver's or
front-passenger door are opened, which
could lead to damage to the transmission.
!Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage the vehicle.
!Vehicles with differential locks: make
sure the differential locks are in automatic
mode. When towing, the differential locks
must not be switched on. The transmission may otherwise be damaged.
!The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 miles (50km). The towing speed of
30 mph (50 km/h) must not be exceeded. If the vehicle has to be towed more than
30 miles (50km), the entire vehicle must be
raised and transported.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed away.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission dam-
age, have it transported on a transporter or
trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in posi-
tion Nwhen the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
Rcannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock
Rcannot release the electric parking brake
Rcannot shift the automatic transmission to position N
iDisarm the automatic locking feature
(
Ypage 285). You could otherwise be
locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
Example: towing eye mounting covers
398Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance

The brackets for the screw-in towing eyes are
located in the bumpers. They are at the front
and at the rear, behind the covers.
XRemove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (
Ypage 386).
XTo open the cover at the front:press the
mark on cover :inwards in the direction
of the arrow.
XTo open the cover at the rear: insert a
flat, blunt object into the cutout and lever
cover ;out of the bumper.
XTake cover :or; off the opening.
XScrew in the towing eye clockwise as far as
it will go and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye
XUnscrew and remove the towing eye.
XAttach cover :or; to the bumper and
press until it engages.
XPlace the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit.
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(
Ypage 397).
The automatic transmission automatically
shifts to position Pwhen you open the driver's
or front-passenger door or when you remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
In order to ensure that the automatic trans-
mission stays in position Nwhen towing the
vehicle, you must observe the following
points:
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary and
the SmartKey in the ignition lock is in posi-
tion 0.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the
SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop button
(
Ypage 165).
XDepress and hold the brake pedal.
XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XLeave the SmartKey in position 2in the
ignition lock.
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
(
Ypage 133).
iIn order to signal a change of direction
when towing the vehicle with the hazard
warning lamps switched on, use the com-
bination switch as usual. In this case, only
the indicator lamps for the direction of
travel flash. After resetting the combina-
tion switch, the hazard warning lamp starts
flashing again.
Transporting the vehicle
!
You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise,
the vehicle could be damaged.
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transporting
purposes.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
As soon as the vehicle has been loaded:
XPrevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.
XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
XSecure the vehicle.
Towing and tow-starting399
Breakdown assistance
Z

Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip-
ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (
Ypage 29).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If wheels and tires of the wrong size are used, the wheel brakes or suspension components
may be damaged. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always replace wheels and tires with those
that fulfill the specifications of the original
part.
When replacing wheels, make sure to use the
correct:
Rdesignation
Rmodel
When replacing tires, make sure to use the
correct:
Rdesignation
Rmanufacturer
Rmodel
GWARNING
A flat tire severely impairs the driving, steer-
ing and braking characteristics of the vehicle.
There is a risk of accident.
Tires without run-flat characteristics:
Rdo not drive with a flat tire.
Rimmediately replace the flat tire with your
emergency spare wheel or spare wheel, or
consult a qualified specialist workshop.
Tires with run-flat characteristics:
Rpay attention to the information and warn-
ing notices on MOExtended tires (tires with
run-flat characteristics).
Accessories that are not approved for your
vehicle by Mercedes-Benz or that are not
being used correctly can impair operating
safety.
Before purchasing and using non-approved
accessories, visit a qualified specialist work-
shop and inquire about:
Rsuitability
Rlegal stipulations
Rfactory recommendations
Information on the sizes and types of wheels
and tires for your vehicle can be found under "Wheel/tire combinations" (
Ypage 432).
Tire pressure information can be found:
Ron the vehicle's Tire and Loading Informa-
tion placard on the B-pillar
Ron the tire pressure label on the fuel filler
flap
Rin the "Tire pressure" section
Operation
Information on driving
Check the tire pressure when the vehicle is
heavily laden and adjust prior to a trip.
While driving, pay attention to vibrations,
noises and unusual handling characteristics,
e.g. pulling to one side. This may indicate that
the wheels or tires are damaged. If you sus-
pect that a tire is defective, reduce your
speed immediately. Stop the vehicle as soon
as possible to check the wheels and tires for
damage. Hidden tire damage could also be
causing the unusual handling characteristics.
If you find no signs of damage, have the tires
and wheels checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
When parking your vehicle, make sure that
the tires do not get deformed by the curb or
404Operation
Wheels and tires

Mounting a wheel
Preparing the vehicle
XVehicle with emergency spare wheel:
when mounting the emergency spare
wheel in the event of a flat tire, follow the
additional notes on vehicle preparation
under "Flat tire" (
Ypage 387).
XStop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground.
XUnload heavy luggage.
XApply the electric parking brake manually.
XBring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XVehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
make sure that highway level is selected
(
Ypage 219).
XVehicles with the ON&OFFROAD pack-
age:make sure that highway level is selec-
ted (
Ypage 213).
XSwitch off the engine.
XVehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the
driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status
0. This is the same as the SmartKey having
been removed.
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(
Ypage 165).
XIf included in the vehicle equipment,
remove the tire-change tool kit from the
vehicle.
XSafeguard the vehicle against rolling away.
iApart from certain country-specific varia-
tions, vehicles are not equipped with a tire-
change tool kit. For information on which
tools are required to perform a wheel
change on your vehicle, consult an author-
ized Mercedes-Benz Center. Necessary tire-changing tools can include,
for example:
RJack
RWheel chock
RLug wrench
Securing the vehicle to prevent it from
rolling away
If your vehicle is equipped with a wheel chock,
it can be found in the tire-change tool kit
(
Ypage 386).
The folding wheel chock is an additional
safety measure to prevent the vehicle from
rolling away, for example when changing a
wheel.
XFold both plates upwards :.
XFold out lower plate;.
XGuide the lugs on the lower plate fully into
the openings in base plate =.
XOn level ground:place chocks or other
suitable items under the front and rear of
the wheel that is diagonally opposite the
wheel you wish to change.
428Changing a wheel
Wheels and tires

XOn light downhill gradients:place
chocks or other suitable items in front of
the wheels of the front and rear axle.
Raising the vehicle
GWARNING
If you do not position the jack correctly at the
appropriate jacking point of the vehicle, the
jack could tip over with the vehicle raised.
There is a risk of injury.
Only position the jack at the appropriate jack-
ing point of the vehicle. The base of the jack
must be positioned vertically, directly under
the jacking point of the vehicle.
!AMG vehicles with "Minispare" emer-
gency spare wheel: use the "Minispare"
emergency spare wheel only on the rear
axle. If you mount the "Minispare" emer-
gency spare wheel on the front axle, this
could result in damage to the brake system.
If a tire on the front axle is defective, an
intact wheel from the rear axle must first be
replaced with the "Minispare" emergency
spare wheel. The faulty wheel on the front
axle may only then be replaced by the
undamaged wheel from the rear axle.
Make sure to note the placard on the
"Minispare" emergency spare wheel.
!The jack is designed exclusively for jack-
ing up the vehicle at the jacking points.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged. Observe the following when raising the vehi-
cle:
RTo raise the vehicle, only use the vehicle-
specific jack that has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. If used incor-
rectly, the jack could tip over with the vehi-
cle raised.
RThe jack is designed only to raise and hold
the vehicle for a short time while a wheel
is being changed. It is not suited for per-
forming maintenance work under the vehi-
cle.
RAvoid changing the wheel on uphill and
downhill slopes.
RBefore raising the vehicle, secure it from
rolling away by applying the parking brake
and inserting wheel chocks. Do not disen-
gage the parking brake while the vehicle is
raised.
RThe jack must be placed on a firm, flat and
non-slip surface. On a loose surface, a
large, flat, load-bearing underlay must be
used. On a slippery surface, a non-slip
underlay must be used, e.g. rubber mats.
RDo not use wooden blocks or similar
objects as a jack underlay. Otherwise, the
jack will not be able t
o achieve its load-
bearing capacity due to the restricted
height.
RMake sure that the distance between the
underside of the tires and the ground does
not exceed 1.2 in (3 cm).
RDo not place your hands or feet under the
raised vehicle.
RDo not lie under the vehicle.
RDo not start the engine when the vehicle is
raised.
RNever open or close a door or the tailgate
when the vehicle is raised.
RMake sure that no persons are present in
the vehicle when the vehicle is raised.
Changing a wheel429
Wheels and tires
Z