2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class Owner's Manual

:Selector wheel
;To raise the level
=Indicator lamps
?To lower the level
XStart the engine.
XSelector wheel:engaged:briefly press
selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
If one or more indicator lamps =are on:
XTurn selector wheel :counter-clock-
wise ?until all indicator lamps =that are
lit start to flash.
The vehicle is lowered to highway level. As
soon as the next lowest level is reached,
the indicator lamp stops flashing and goes
out.
During the adjustment, the Loweringmes-
sage, for example, appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
If you press the %ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message
will disappear. Once highway level has been
reached, all indicator lamps =go out. The vehicle automatically selects highway
level if you are driving at a speed above
70 mph (115 km/h) or if you drive at a speed
between 62 mph (100 km/h) and 70 mph
(115 km/h) for approximately 20 seconds.
The vehicle is lowered to high-speed level if
you are traveling at higher speeds.
Off-road levels
General notes
ROnly select off-road level 3 for driving off-
road in particularly rough terrain.
RAdjust your driving style to the altered han-
dling characteristics.
RDo not drive at speeds above 12 mph
(20 km/h).
Only select an off-road level when this is
appropriate for road conditions. Otherwise,
fuel consumption increases and handling may
be affected.
XStart the engine.
XSelector wheel
:engaged:briefly press
selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
XTo raise: turn selector wheel :clock-
wise ;.
The vehicle is raised.
or
XTo lower: turn selector wheel :counter-
clockwise ?.
The vehicle is lowered.
Driving systems215
Driving and parking
Z

Indicator lamps=for the desired off-road
level flash:
ROff-road level 1: the lower indicator lamp
flashes
ROff-road level 2: the lower and center indi-
cator lamps flash
ROff-road level 3: all three indicator lamps
flash
The vehicle adjusts to the off-road level selec- ted. As soon as an off-road level is reached,
the corresponding indicator lamp stops flash-
ing and lights up constantly.
Raising the vehicle
During the adjustment, the Vehicle Rising
message, for example, appears in the multi-
function display.
The vehicle rises from highway level to off-
road level 1.
If you press the%ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message
will disappear.
iUp to off-road level 2, you can hide the
messages using the %ora button
on the multifunction steering wheel.
Once off-road level 2 has been reached, the
lower and center indicator lamps of the selec-
tor wheel are on.
While the adjustment from off-road level 2 to
off-road level 3 is taking place, you will see a
message such as the following in the multi-
function display: Vehicle Rising Max.
Speed 12 mph (20 km/h). The
Max. Speed 12 mph (20 km/h)
mes-
sage draws your attention to the maximum
speed permitted for off-road level 3.
Once off-road level 3 has been reached, you
will see a message shown in white in the mul-
tifunction display, for example: Max.
Speed
12 mph (20 km/h).
If you drive above 20 km/h at off-road level 3,
you will see the following message shown in
red in the multifunction display: Vehicle
LoweringMax.Speed12mph (20km/h).
iYou cannot clear these messages.
You also hear a warning. The vehicle is low-
ered and off-road level 3 is canceled.
If you continue to increase your speed, the
red message continues to be shown in the
multifunction display. The newly set level is
not displayed until the vehicle has been set to
a level suitable for the current speed.
Lowering the vehicle
If you maintain or reduce your speed, you will
see a message in white in the display while
the vehicle is being lowered, such as the fol-
lowing: Lowering Max. Speed 12 mph
(20 km/h).
The vehicle is lowered to off-road level 2.
If you select an off-road level when driving at
too high a speed, the Drive More Slowly
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
216Driving systems
Driving and parking

You can select from the following:
ROff-road level 1 at speeds up to 60 mph
(100 km/h)
ROff-road level 2 at speeds up to 40 mph
(65 km/h)
ROff-road level 3 at speeds up to 12 mph
(20 km/h)
If you are driving above 50 mph (80 km/h) or
drive between 40 mph (65 km/h) and 50 mph (80 km/h) for longer than 20 seconds, off-
road level 2 will be canceled. The vehicle is
lowered to off-road level 1.
You will see a message in the multifunction
display, for example: Lowering
.
If you are driving above 70 mph (115 km/h) or
drive between 62 mph (100 km/h) and
70 mph (115 km/h) for longer than
20 seconds, off-road level 1 will be canceled.
Depending on the vehicle's speed and the
ADS mode selected (
Ypage 218), the vehicle
is automatically lowered to highway or high-
speed level.
You will see a message in the multifunction
display, for example: Lowering
.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen 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:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe 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 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
Deactivate the HOLD function (
Ypage 218).
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
Rthe vehicle is stationary
Rthe engine is running or if it has been auto- matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
Rthe driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened
Rthe electric parking brake is released
Rthe transmission is in position D,Ror N
RDISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
Driving systems217
Driving and parking
Z

Activating the HOLD function
XMakesur ethat th eactivation condition s
are met .
XDepress th ebrak epedal .
XQuickl ydepress th ebrak epedal further
until :appear sin th emultifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release th ebrak epedal .
iIf depressing th ebrak epedal th efirst
time does no tactivat eth eHOLD function ,
wait briefly and then tr yagain .
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
callyif:
Ryou accelerate and th etransmission is in
position Dor R.
Ryou shif tth etransmission to position P.
Ryou depress thebrak epedal again wit h a
certain amoun tof pressur euntil :disap -
pear sfrom th emultifunction display.
Ryou secure th evehicl eusin gth eelectric
parking brake.
Ryou activat eDISTRONI CPLUS.
iAfte r atime, th eelectric parking brak e
secures th evehicl eand relieves th eservic e
brake.
The electric parking brak esecures th evehicl e
automatically if th eHOLD function is activa-
te dwhen th evehicl eis stationary and :
Rthedriver' sdoor is open and th edriver' s
seat belt is unfastened.
Rth eengin eis switched off ,unless it is auto -
matically switched off by th eECO start /
stop function .
Rasystem malfunction occurs.
Rth epower suppl yis no t sufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there
is amalfunction ,th etransmission may also
be automatically shifte dint oposition P.
AIRMATIC package
Genera l notes
AIRMATIC regulates th elevel of your vehicle.
As well as level control (
Ypage 219), your
vehicl ecan be equipped wit hAD S(Adaptive
Dampin gSystem) (
Ypage 218) and ACTIVE
CURVE SYSTE M (
Ypage 219).
Observ eth enote son driving wit h atrailer
(
Ypage 264).
ADS (Adaptive Damping System)
Genera lnotes
AD Sadapt sth edamping characteristics to
th ecurren toperating and driving situation.
This depend son :
Ryour driving style
Rtheroad surfac econdition s
RtheAD Ssetting
Rth evehicl elevel setting
Your selection remain s storedeve nif you
remove th eSmartKey from th eignition lock.
218Driving systems
Driving and parking

Sports tuning
Example: vehicles without the ON&OFFROAD
package
:
Suspension tuning button
;Indicator lamp for sports tuning
=Indicator lamp for comfort tuning
XStart the engine.
XPress button:.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. Sports suspen-
sion tuning is selected. The vehicle is low-
ered by 0.6 in (15 mm).
The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
Comfort tuning
Example: vehicles without the ON&OFFROAD
package
:
Suspension tuning button
;Indicator lamp for sports tuning
=Indicator lamp for comfort tuning
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp =lights up. Comfort tuning
is selected. The vehicle is raised by 0.6 in
(15 mm).
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. There-
fore, select this mode if you favor a more
comfortable driving style. Select comfort
mode also when driving fast on straight roads,
e.g. on straight stretches of highway.
Active Curve System
The Active Curve System uses active stabil-
izers to optimize both driving comfort and
vehicle agility. Depending on the ADS mode
selected (
Ypage 218), the Active Curve Sys-
tem also changes the setting.
If you select ADS comfort mode:
Rrolling movement is reduced in the event of
changing surface undulations
Rthe roll angle when cornering is reduced
Rthe driving style is agile
If you select ADS sport mode:
Rthe roll angle is reduced significantly
Rthe driving style is even more agile
Level control
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or
in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered.
GWARNING
When you drive with the vehicle raised, the
driving characteristics could be impaired by
the vehicle's raised center of gravity. The vehi-
Driving systems219
Driving and parking
Z

cle could rollover more easily, for example on
a bend. There is a risk of an accident.
Always select as low a vehicle level as possi-
ble and adjust your driving style.
GWARNING
When you drive with the chassis lowered or
raised, the vehicle's braking and driving char-
acteristics can be significantly impaired. You
could also exceed the permissible vehicle
height if the chassis is raised. There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the vehicle level before pulling away.
GWARNING
Due to the high center of gravity, the vehicle
may start to skid and roll over in the event of
an abrupt steering maneuver and/or when
the vehicle's speed is not adapted to the road
conditions. There is a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your speed and driving style to
the vehicle's driving characteristics and to the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
!When driving on extremely rough terrain,
select a high vehicle level in good time.
Make sure there is always sufficient ground
clearance. You will otherwise damage the
vehicle.
!When you raise the vehicle in such a way
that not all wheels have contact with the
ground, remove the SmartKey from the
ignition lock.
RUtility vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of vehicles.
Failure to operate this vehicle safely may
result in an accident, rollover of the vehicle, and severe or fatal injury.
RIn a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a per-
son wearing a seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should
always wear your seat belts. General notes
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(
Ypage 198).
Level control adapts the vehicle level auto-
matically to the current operating and driving
situation. This results in reduced fuel con-
sumption and improved ha
ndling.
If you select ADS comfort mode (
Ypage 218),
the vehicle is lowered to high-speed level as
the speed increases. As the vehicle speed
decreases, the vehicle is raised back up to
highway level.
If you select ADS sport mode (
Ypage 218),
the vehicle skips highway level and lowers
directly to high-speed level depending on the
basic setting (
Ypage 220).
Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle
to adjust to the new level as quickly as pos-
sible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you
park the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the vehi-
cle level is lower; with an increase in temper- ature, the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load dis-
crepancies while still parked. However, for
significant level changes, such as after the
vehicle has been stationary for a long period,
the engine must be on. For safety reasons,
the vehicle is only lowered when the doors areclosed. Lowering is interrupted if a door is
opened, and it continues once the door has
been closed.
Basic settings (excluding Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the basic setting selec-
ted. Sele ct ra
ised level for off-road driving or
highway/high-speed level for normal roads.
220Driving systems
Driving and parking

The individual vehicle levels differ from high-
way level as follows:
Rhighway level: +/–0 in (+/–0 mm)
Rhigh-speed level: –0.6 in (–15 mm)
Rraised level: +2.3 in (+60 mm)
Basic settings Mercedes-AMG vehicles
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the AMG adaptive sport
suspension setting selected. Select the
raised level for off-road driving or highway/
high-speed level for normal roads.
The raised level corresponds to a vehicle level
raised by 50 mm when compared with high-
way level in comfort mode.
Raised level
Only select raised level if this is appropriate
for the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel con-
sumption may increase and handling may be
affected.
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;flashes. The vehicle rises
to raised level.
During the adjustment, the Vehicle Rising
message, for example, appears in the multi-
function display.
If you press the%ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message
will disappear.
Once the vehicle has reached raised level,
indicator lamp ;remains lit. The Vehicle
Risingmessage disappears from the multi-
function display.
If you try to select raised level at a speed
above 40 mph (64 km/h) , theDrive More
Slowlymessage appears in the multifunction
display.
Highway/high-speed level
!Make sure that there is enough ground
clearance when the vehicle is being low-
ered. It could otherwise hit the ground,
damaging the underbody.
:Level control button
;Level control indicator lamp
XStart the engine.
Driving systems221
Driving and parking
Z

If indicator lamp;is lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;flashes. The vehicle is
adjusting to highway/high-speed level.
During the adjustment, the Loweringmes-
sage, for example, appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
If you press the %ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message
will disappear.
Once highway level has been reached, indi-
cator lamp ;goes out. The Lowering
mes-
sage disappears from the multifunction dis-
play.
The vehicle automatically adjusts to highway
level when you:
Rdrive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h)
Rdrive between 40 mph (64 km/h) and
50 mph (80 km/h) for approximately
20 seconds
Depending on the ADS mode selected
(
Ypage 218), the vehicle is lowered to high-
speed level at high speeds.
AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or
in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered.
GWARNING
The vehicle is lowered if:
Ryou have selected the Comfort or Sport
suspension tuning and
Rlock the vehicle after switching off the
engine
Persons in the vicinity of the wheel arch or the
underbody may thus become trapped. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
wheel arch or the underbody when you switch
off the engine.
!The vehicle is lowered by approximately
10 mm if:
Ryou have selected the Sport or Comfort
suspension tuning and
Ryou switch off the engine and then
Rlock the vehicle
When parking, position your vehicle so that
it does not make contact with the curb as
the vehicle is lowered. Your vehicle could
otherwise be damaged.
Vehicle level
Level control adapts the vehicle level auto-
matically to the current operating and driving
situation. Level control ensures the best pos-
sible suspension and constant ground clear-
ance, even with a laden vehicle. This improves
driving safety and fuel consumption.
The AIRMATIC package and ACTIVE CURVE
SYSTEM are always components of AMG
adaptive suspension system (
Ypage 218).
Due to the sportier suspension settings com-
pared to standard vehicles, the levels and
speed thresholds for sinking and raising the
vehicle are different.
222Driving systems
Driving and parking