2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class ESP

RUphill or downhill gradient in percentage
ROn-road/off-road program selected
RCondition of the differential lock for the
transfer case
RLOW RANGE off-road gear is selected
RCondition of the LOW RANGE off-road
gear
ROn-road trailer program is selected
Towing a trailer
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Installing an unsuitable ball coupling may
result in overloading of the trailer tow hitch
and the rear axle. This applies especially if the ball coupling in question is longer or angled
differently. This could seriously impair the
driving characteristics and the trailer can
come loose. There is a risk of an accident.
You should only ever install a ball coupling
that has the permissible dimensions and that
is designed to meet your trailer-towing
requirements. Do not modify the ball coupling
or the trailer tow hitch.
You will find the values approved by the man-
ufacturer on the vehicle identification plates
and those for the towing vehicle under "Tech-
nical data" (
Ypage 458).
GWARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed correctly or not secured with the bolt provided and the
corresponding spring cotter, the trailer may
come loose. There is a risk of an accident.
Always install and secure the ball coupling as
described. Before every journey, ensure that
the ball coupling is secured with the bolt and
the corresponding spring cotter.
GWARNING
When the vehicle/trailer combination begins
to lurch, you could lose control of it. The vehi-
cle/trailer combination could even rollover.
There is a risk of an accident.
On no account should you attempt to
straighten up the vehicle/trailer combination by increasing the speed. Reduce vehicle
speed and do not countersteer. Apply the
brake as necessary.
Please observe the manufacturer's operating
instructions for the trailer coupling if a
detachable trailer coupling is used.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If
you do not couple the trailer to the towing
vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached.
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
Rthe permissible trailer drawbar noseweight
Rthe permissible trailer load
Rthe permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
Rthe maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
The applicable permissible values, which
must not be exceeded, can be found:
Rin the vehicle documents
Ron the identification plates for the trailer
tow hitch and the trailer
Ron the vehicle identification plate
If the values differ, the lowest value applies.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
with when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
Ris heavier
Ris restricted in its acceleration and gradi-
ent-climbing capability
Rhas an increased braking distance
Ris affected more by strong crosswinds
Rdemands more sensitive steering
Rhas a larger turning radius
Towing a trailer263
Driving and parking
Z

This could impair the handling characteris-
tics.
When towing a trailer, always adjust your
speed to the current road and weather con-
ditions. Do not exceed the maximum permis-
sible speed for your vehicle/trailer combina-
tion.
Notes on towing a trailer
General notes
The following models cannot be used to tow a
trailer:
RGLE 550 e 4MATIC Sport Utility Vehicle
RDo not exceed the legally prescribed max-
imum speed for vehicle/trailer combina-
tions in the relevant country.
This lowers the risk of an accident.
ROnly install an approved trailer coupling on
your vehicle.
Further information on availability and on
installation is available from any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
RThe bumpers of your vehicle are not suita-
ble for installing detachable trailer cou-
plings.
RDo not install hired trailer couplings or
other detachable trailer couplings on the
bumpers of your vehicle.
RIf you no longer need the ball coupling,
remove it from the ball coupling recess.
This will reduce the risk of damage to the
ball coupling.
When towing a trailer, set the tire pressure on the rear axle of the towing vehicle for the
maximum load. You will find the values in the
tire pressure table in the fuel filler flap of the vehicle (
Ypage 425).
Please note that when towing a trailer, the
following driving systems have limited avail-
ability or are not available at all:
RPARKTRONIC (Ypage 224)
RBlind Spot Assist (Ypage 244)
RActive Lane Keeping Assist (Ypage 251) You will find installing dimensions and loads
under "Technical data" (
Ypage 457).
Driving tips
Observe the information on ESP®trailer sta-
bilization (
Ypage 75) and on pulling away with
a trailer (
Ypage 168).
The maximum permissible speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations depends on the type of
trailer. Before beginning the journey, check
the trailer's documents to see what the max-
imum permissible speed is. Observe the
legally prescribed maximum speed in the rel-
evant country.
For certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the max-
imum permissible rear axle load is increased
when towing a trailer. See "Technical data" to
find out whether this applies to your vehicle
(
Ypage 458). If you utilize any of the added
maximum rear axle load when towing a trailer,
the vehicle/trailer combination may not
exceed a maximum speed of 60 mph
(100 km/h) for reasons concerning the oper-
ating permit. This also applies in countries in
which the permissible maximum speed for
vehicle/trailer combinations is above 60 mph
(100 km/h) .
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling characteristics will be different in comparison
with when driving without a trailer.
Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift into a lower gear in good time
on long and steep downhill gradients.
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
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.
264Towing a trailer
Driving and parking

Drivingtips
If th etrailer swings from sid eto side:
XDo no taccelerate.
XDo no tcounter-steer .
XBrakeif necessary.
RMaintain agreater distanc efrom th evehi-
cl e in fron tthan when drivin gwithout a
trailer .
RAvoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gentlyat first to allow th etrailer to run on .
Then, increase th ebraking forc erapidly.
RThe values given fo rgradient-climbin g
capabilities from astandstill refer to sea
level. Whe ndrivin gin mountainous areas,
note that th epowe routput of th eengin e
and ,consequently, th evehicle' sgradient-
climbin gcapability, decreases wit h
increasing altitude.
Installing th eball coupling
GWARNING
If th eball couplin gis no tcorrectl yinstalled
and secured, it can come loose durin gth e
journey and endanger other road users. There is aris kof an acciden tand injury.
Always install and secure th eball couplin gas
described .Before every journey, ensur ethat
th eball couplin gis secure dwit hth ebolt and
th ecorrespondin gsprin gcotter.
GWARNING
If th eball couplin gis no tinstalled correctl yor
no tsecure dwit hth ebolt provided and th e
correspondin gsprin gcotter, th etrailer may
come loose. There is aris kof an accident.
Always install and secure th eball couplin gas
described .Before every journey, ensur ethat
th eball couplin gis secure dwit hth ebolt and
th ecorrespondin gsprin gcotter.
GWARNING
If th eball couplin gis no tinstalled and secure d
correctl yth etrailer may come loose. There is
a ris kof an accident.
Install and secure th eball couplin gas descri-
bed in th eball couplin ginstallation instruc -
tions. Mak esur ethat th eball couplin gis
installed and secure dcorrectl ybefor eevery
journey.
XPull protective cap :in th edirection of th e
arrow, out of th eball couplin grecess .
XStow protective cap :so that it canno tbe
thrown around .
Observ eth eloadin gguidelines
(
Ypage 340) and th esafet ynote sregard -
in g stowag espaces (
Ypage 341).
Towing a trailer265
Driving and parking
Z

XDetach the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer.
XSwitch off the engine.
Permissible trailer loads and drawbar
loads
Weight specifications
Maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight rating
The gross trailer weight is calculated by add-
ing the weight of the trailer to the weight of
the load and equipment on the trailer.
You will find installing dimensions and loads
under "Technical data" (
Ypage 457).
Permissible noseweight
You will find installing dimensions and loads
under "Technical data" (
Ypage 457).
Loading a trailer
RWhen loading the trailer, make sure that
neither the permissible gross weight of the trailer nor the gross vehicle weight is
exceeded. The permissible gross vehicle
weight is indicated on the identification
plate on the B-pillar on the driver's side of
the vehicle.
You can find the maximum permissible val-
ues on the type plates of your vehicle and
the trailer. When calculating how much
weight the vehicle and trailer may carry,
pay attention to the respective lowest val-
ues.
RThe trailer drawbar load on the ball coupling
must be added to the rear axle load to avoidexceeding the permissible gross axle
weight. The permissible gross vehicle
weight is indicated on the identification
plate on the B-pillar on the driver's side of
the vehicle.
iMercedes-Benz recommends a trailer
load where the trailer drawbar noseweight accounts for 8% to 15% of the trailer's per-
missible gross weight.
iThe weight of additional accessories, pas-
sengers, and cargo reduces the permissi-
ble trailer load and drawbar load for your
vehicle.
Checking the vehicle and trailer weight
RTo check that the weights of the towing
vehicle and the trailer comply with the max-
imum permissible values, have the vehicle/
trailer combination (including the driver,
passengers, and cargo with a fully laden
trailer) weighed on a calibrated weigh-
bridge.
RCheck the gross axle weight rating of the
front and rear axles, the gross weight of the trailer and trailer drawbar load.
Removing the ball coupling
XRemove the spring cotter.
XRemove the bolt from the ball coupling
recess.
XRemove the ball coupling from the ball cou-
pling recess.
XClean the ball coupling if it is dirty.
XStow the ball coupling so that it cannot be
thrown around.
Observe the loading guidelines (
Ypage 340)
and the safety notes regarding stowage
spaces (
Ypage 341).
Information on cleaning and care of the trailer
tow hitch (
Ypage 381).
Trailer power supply
!
You can connect accessories with a max-
imum power consumption of 240 W to the
permanent power supply.
You must not charge a trailer battery using
the power supply.
The trailer socket of your vehicle is equipped
at the factory with a permanent power supply.
Towing a trailer269
Driving an d parking
Z

XPressato confirm.
The Reset All Settings?
message
appears.
XPress the :or9 button to select No
orYes.
XPress ato confirm the selection.
If you select Yes
, the multifunction display
shows a confirmation message.
For safety reasons, the Daytime Running
Lightsfunction in theLightssubmenu is
only reset if the vehicle is stationary.
ON&OFFROAD menu
XPress the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the ON&OFFROAD
menu.
You can set the current settings to appear in
the ON&OFFROAD
menu:
ROn-road program (Ypage 254)
ROff-road program (Ypage 258)
AMG menu (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
AMG displays
:Digital speedometer
;Gear indicator
=Upshift indicator
?Engine oil temperature
ACoolant temperature
BTransmission fluid temperature
XPress the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the AMG
menu.
Upshift indicator: upshift indicatorUP
=
indicates that the engine has reached the
overrevving range when in the manual drive
program.
Engine/transmission oil temperature:
when the engine and transmission are at nor-
mal operating temperature, oil tempera-
ture ?and Bare displayed in white in the
multifunction display.
If the multifunction display shows oil temper-
ature ?orB in blue, the engine or the
transmission are not yet at normal operating
temperature. Avoid driving at full engine out-
put during this time.
SETUP
:Drive program C/S/M
;ESP®mode (ON/OFF)
=Suspension setting COMFORT/SPORT/
SPORT+
SETUP displays the following information/
functions:
Rthe digital speedometer
Rthe gear indicator
Rthe drive program
Rthe ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
mode
Rthe suspension setting
XPress the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the AMG
menu.
XPress the9button repeatedly until
SETUP is displayed.
Menus and submenus287
On-board computer and displays
Z

Deleting all laps
If you switch offth eengine, th eRACETIMER is
reset to "0" after 30 seconds. Al llaps are
deleted.
You canno tdelete individual store dlaps .If
you hav estoppe d16 laps ,th ecurren tlap
does no thav eto be reset .
XResetth ecurren tlap.
XPress ato confirm Reset.
Reset Rac eTimer?
appears in th emulti-
function display.
XPress th e: buttonto select Yesand
press th ea buttonto confirm .
Al llaps are deleted.
Overall statistics
:RACETIMER overall evaluation
;Total time driven
=Averag espeed
?Distanc ecovered
AMaximum speed
This function is shown if you hav estore dat
leas ton elap and stoppe dth eRACETIMER.
XPress =or; on thesteerin gwhee l
to select th eAMG
menu.
XPress th e9 buttonrepeatedly until th e
overall evaluation is shown.
Lap statistics
:Lap
;Lap time
=Averag elap speed
?Lap lengt h
ATop speed during lap
This function is only available if you hav e
store dat leas ttw olaps and hav estoppe dth e
RACETIMER.
XPress =or; on thesteerin gwhee l
to select th eAMG
menu.
XPress th e9 buttonrepeatedly until th e
lap evaluation is shown.
Eac hlap is shown in aseparat esubmenu.
The fastest lap is indicate dby flashin gsym -
bol :.
XPress th e9 or: buttonto select a
differen tlap evaluation .
Menus and submenus289
On-board computer and displays
Z

Display messages
Introduction
General notes
Display message sappear in th emultifunction display.
Display message swit hgraphi cdisplays may be shown in simplified form in th eOperator's
Manual and may therefore diffe rfrom th emultifunction display.
Please respon din accordance wit hth edisplay message sand follow th eadditional note sin this
Operator's Manual.
Certain display message sare accompanied by an audible warnin gtone or acontinuous tone .
Whe nyou stop and par kth evehicle, pleas eobserv eth enote son :
RHOLD function (Ypage 217)
RParking(Ypage 189)
Hiding display messages
XPress th ea or% buttonon th esteerin gwheel.
The multifunction display hide sth edisplay message .
High-priorit ydisplay message sare shown in red in th emultifunction display. Some high-pri -
orit ydisplay message scanno tbe hidden .
The multifunction display shows these message scontinuously until th ecauses fo rth emes -
sage shav ebeen remedied.
Message memory
The on-boar dcompute rsaves certain display message sin th emessage memory .You can cal l
up th edisplay messages:
XPress =or; on thesteerin gwhee lto selec tth eServ.menu.
If there are display messages, th emultifunction display shows 2Messages
,fo rexample.
XPress th e9 or: buttonto selec tth eentry, e.g. 2messages.
XPress ato confirm .
XPress the9 or: buttonto scroll through th edisplay messages.
Whe nth eignition is switched off, all display message sare deleted, apar tfrom som ehigh-
priorit ydisplay messages. Once th ecauses of th ehigh-priorit ydisplay message shav ebeen
rectified, th ecorrespondin gdisplay message sare also deleted.
290Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Safety systems
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
!÷
Currently Unavail‐
able See Opera‐
tor's Manual
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System), BAS (Brake Assist), ESP®(Elec-
tronic Stability Program), ESP®trailer stabilization, PRE‑SAFE®,
the HOLD function, hill start assist, Crosswind Assist, STEER CON-
TROL, Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist are
temporarily unavailable.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST, BAS PLUS and
PRE‑SAFE
®Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷,åand! warning lamps light up in the
instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
Possible causes are:
RSelf-diagnosis is not yet complete.
Rthe on-board voltage may be insufficient.
GWARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affec-
ted. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can
increase.
If ESP
®is not operational, ESP®is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
XCarefully drive a suitable distance, making slight steering move-
ments at a speed above 12 mph (20 km/h).
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the multifunction display still shows the display message:
XDrive on carefully.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.
!÷
Inoperative See
Operator's Manual
ABS, BAS, ESP®, ESP®trailer stabilization, PRE ‑SAFE®, the HOLD
function, hill start assist, Crosswind Assist, STEER CONTROL,
Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist are
unavailable due to a malfunction.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST, BAS PLUS and
PRE‑SAFE
®Brake may also have failed.
The $ (USA only) or J(Canada only), ÷,åand!
warning lamps in the instrument cluster also light up.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
Display messages291
On-board computer and displays
Z