2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class Owner's Manual

Problems with the rear window defroster
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The rear window
defroster has deactiva-
ted prematurely or can-
not be activated.The battery has not been sufficiently charged.
XSwitch off any consumers that are not required, e.g. reading
lamps, interior lighting or the seat heating.
When the battery is sufficiently charged, the rear window
defroster can be activated again.
Switching air-recirculation mode
on/off
General notes
You can deactivate the flow of fresh air if
unpleasant odors are entering the vehicle
from outside. The air already inside the vehi-
cle will then be recirculated.
If you switch on air-recirculation mode, the
windows can fog up more quickly, in particu-
lar at low temperatures. Only use air-recircu-
lation mode briefly to prevent the windows
from fogging up.
Activating or deactivating
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock (
Ypage 165).
XTo activate: press thedbutton.
The indicator lamp in the dbutton lights
up.
iIn the event of high pollution levels (3-
zone automatic climate control only) or at
high outside temperatures, air-recircula-
tion mode is automatically activated. When air-recirculation mode is activated auto-
matically, the indicator lamp in the
d
button is not lit.
Outside air is added after about
30 minutes.
XTo deactivate: press thedbutton.
The indicator lamp in the dbutton goes
out.
iAir-recirculation mode deactivates auto-
matically:
Rafter approximately five minutes at out-
side temperatures below approximately
41 ‡ (5 †)
Rafter approximately five minutes if cool-
ing with air dehumidification is deactiva-
ted
Rafter approximately 30 minutes at out-
side temperatures above approximately
41 ‡ (5 †) if the "Cooling with air dehu-
midification" function is activated
Switching the residual heat on or off
General notes
The residual heat function is only available on
vehicles for Canada.
It is possible to make use of the residual heat
of the engine to continue heating the station-
ary vehicle for up to 30 minutes after the
engine has been switched off. The heating
time depends on the set interior temperature.
Operating the climate control systems159
Climate control

Activatingordeactivating
XTo act ivate:press th eÌ orÁ but-
ton.
The indicator lamp in th eÌ orÁ
butto nlights up.
iThe blowe rwill run at alow spee dregard-
less of th eairflow setting .
iIf you activateth eresidual heat function
at high temperatures ,only th eventilation
will be activated. The blowe rrun sat
medium speed.
XTo deacti vate:press th eÌ orÁ
button.
The indicator lamp in th eÌ orÁ
butto ngoes out .
Residual heat is deactivated automatically:
Rafter approximately 30 minute s
Rwhen theignition is switched on
Rif th ebattery voltag edrops
Setting the air vents
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
Ver yhot or ver ycold air can flo wfrom th eair
vents .This could result in burn sor frostbit ein
th eimmediat evicinity of th eair vents .There
is aris kof injury.
Mak esur ethat all vehicl eoccupant salways
maintai n asufficien tdistanc eto th eair out -
lets. If necessary, redirect th eairflow to
another area of th evehicl einterior.
In order to en surethedirect flo wof fr esh air
throug hth eair vents int oth evehicl einterior,
pleas eobserv eth efollowin gnotes:
Rkeep th eair inlet grille on th ehoo dand in
th eengin ecompartmen ton th efront-
passenger side free of blockag es,suchas
ice , snow or leav es.
Rnever cover th eair vents or air intake grilles
in th evehicl einterior.
iFo rvirtually draft-free ventilation ,adjust
th esliders of th eair vents to th ecenter
position .
Setting the center air vents
:Centerair vent, lef t
;Centerair vent, right
=Cente rven tthumbwheel, right
?Cente rven tthumbwheel, lef t
XTo open or close: turnthumbwheels =
and ?to th elef tor right .
160Setting the air vents
Climate control

Setting the side air vents
:Side window defroster vent
;Side air vent
=Thumbwheel for side air vent
XTo open or close:turn thumbwheel=up
or down.
Setting the glove box air vent
!
Close the air vent when heating the vehi-
cle.
At high outside temperatures, open the air
vent and activate the "cooling with air dehu- midification" function. Otherwise, temper-
ature-sensitive items stored in the glove
box could be damaged.
:Air vent control
;Air vent
When the climate control system is activated,
the glove box can be ventilated, for instance
to cool its contents. The level of airflow
depends on the airflow and air distribution
settings.
XTo open or close: turn thumbwheel:to
the right or left.
Setting the rear-compartment air
vents
Setting the center vents in the rear com-
partment
Example: center vents with rear control panel
:
Rear-compartment air vent thumbwheel
;Rear-compartment air vent, right
=Rear control panel
?Rear-compartment air vent, left
XTo open or close: turn thumbwheel:up
or down.
Setting the B-pillar air vent
Second row of seats
:B-pillar air vent
;Thumbwheel for B-pillar air vent
XTo open or close: turn thumbwheel;to
the left or right.
Setting the air vents161
Climate control
Z

B-pillar air vent in the headliner
:
B-pillar air vent
;Thumbwheel for B-pillar air vent
XTo open or close:turn thumbwheel;up
or down.
Third row of seats
B-pillar air vent in the headliner
:
B-pillar air vent
;Thumbwheel for B-pillar air vent
XTo open or close: turn thumbwheel;up
or down.
162Setting the air vents
Climate control

Useful information............................164
Notes on breaking-in a new vehi-
cle ....................................................... 164
Driving ............................................... 164
Automatic transmission ...................173
Refueling ............................................ 182
Parking ............................................... 189
Driving tips ........................................ 192
Driving systems ................................ 202
Towing a trailer ................................. 263
163
Driving and parking

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).
Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driv-
ing safety systems adjusts automatically
while a certain distance is being driven after
the vehicle has been delivered or after
repairs. Full system effectiveness is not
reached until the end of this teach-in proce-
dure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehi-
cle and engine speeds for the first
1000 miles (1500 km).
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throt-
tle, during this period.
RChange gear in good time, before the tach-
ometer needle is Ôof the way to the red
area of the tachometer.
RDo not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
RTry to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick- down).
After 1000 miles (1500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and accelerate
the vehicle to full speed.
Additional breaking-in notes for Mercedes-
AMG vehicles:
RDo not drive faster than 85 mph
(140 km/h) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
ROnly allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
RChange gear in good time.
RIdeally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program C.
You should also observe these notes on
breaking in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
164Driving
Driving and parking

GWARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
Rshoes with thick soles
Rshoes with high heels
Rslippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
Roverheat and cause a fire
Rlose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
!Do not warm up the engine with the vehi-
cle stationary. Drive off immediately. Avoid
high engine speeds and driving at full throt-
tle until the engine has reached its operat-
ing temperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to
the desired drive position when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train.
!Mercedes-AMG vehicles: at low engine
oil temperatures below 68 ‡ (+20 †), the
maximum engine speed is restricted in
order to protect the engine. To protect the engine and maintain smooth engine oper-
ation, avoid driving at full throttle when the
engine is cold.
SmartKey positions
SmartKey
gTo remove the SmartKey
1Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windshield wipers
2Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3To start the engine
iThe SmartKey can be turned in the igni-
tion lock even if it is not the correct Smart- Key for the vehicle. The ignition is not
switched on. The engine cannot be started.
KEYLESS-GO
General notes
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with
a SmartKey featuring an integrated KEYLESS-
GO function and a detachable Start/Stop but-
ton.
A check which periodically establishes a radio
connection between the vehicle and the
SmartKey determines whether a valid Smart-
Key is in the vehicle. This occurs, for example,when starting the engine.
When you insert the Start/Stop button into
the ignition lock, the system needs approx-
imately two seconds recognition time. You
can then use the Start/Stop button.
Driving165
Driving and parking
Z

Pressing the Start/Stop button several times
in succession corresponds to the different
key positions in the ignition lock. This is only
the case if you are not depressing the brake
pedal.
If you depress the brake pedal and press the
Start/Stop button, the engine starts immedi-
ately.
To start the vehicle without actively using the
SmartKey:
Rthe Start/Stop button must be inserted in
the ignition lock.
Rthe SmartKey must be in the vehicle.
Rthe vehicle must not be locked with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO (
Ypage 83).
Do not keep the SmartKey:
Rwith electronic devices, e.g. a mobile
phone or another SmartKey.
Rwith metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal
foil.
Rinside metallic objects, e.g. a metal case.
This can impair the functionality of the KEY-
LESS-GO key.
Do not keep the KEYLESS-GO key in the tem-
perature-controlled cup holder (
Ypage 349).
Otherwise, the KEYLESS-GO key will not be
recognized.
If you lock the vehicle with the SmartKey's
remote control or with KEYLESS-GO, after a
short time:
Ryou will not be able to switch on the ignition
with the Start/Stop button.
Ryou will not be able to start the engine with the Start/Stop button until the vehicle is
unlocked again.
If you lock the vehicle centrally using the but- ton on the front door (
Ypage 91), you can
continue to start the engine with the Start/
Stop button.
The engine can be switched off while the vehi-
cle is in motion by pressing and holding the
Start/Stop button for three seconds. This
function operates independently of the ECO start/stop automatic engine switch-off func-
tion.
Key positions with KEYLESS-GO
:Start/Stop button
;Ignition lock
As soon as the ignition is switched on, all the
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light
up. Further information on situations where
an indicator lamp either fails to go out after
starting the engine or lights up while driving
(
Ypage 326).
If Start/Stop button :has not yet been
pressed, this corresponds to the key being
removed from the ignition.
XTo switch on the power supply: press
Start/Stop button :once.
The power supply is switched on. You can
now activate the windshield wipers, for
example.
The power supply is switched off again if:
Rthe driver's door is opened and
Ryou press Start/Stop button :twice when
in this position
XTo switch on the ignition: press Start/
Stop button :twice.
The ignition is switched on.
If you press Start/Stop button :once
when in this position, the ignition is deac-
tivated again.
Removing the Start/Stop button
You can remove the Start/Stop button from
the ignition lock and start the vehicle as nor-
mal using the SmartKey.
166Driving
Driving and parking