2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class Owner's Manual

SPORT program
Select the SPORT program for sporty,
dynamic handling.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XSelector wheel:engaged:briefly press
selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
XTo select: turn selector wheel :until indi-
cator lamp ;comes on.
SPORT indicator =appears in the multi-
function display.
RHigh-speed level, –15 mm compared to
highway level, is set.
RADS (Adaptive Damping System) adapts
sporty damping characteristics to the
current operating and driving conditions.
RThe automatic transmission selects the
automatic drive program for a sporty
driving style.
RThe sporty accelerator pedal curve is
selected, e.g. the accelerator pedal no longer has to be pressed as far to accel-
erate.
RThe sporty steering curve is selected,
e.g. greater force is required when steer-
ing.
iYou cannot select the SPORT program if
LOW RANGE has been selected. The
Drive Program SPORT Not in LOW
RANGEmessage then appears in the multi-
function display.
Snow program
Select the snow program for driving in snow
with or without snow chains.
XSelector wheel :engaged:briefly press
selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
XTo select: turn selector wheel :until indi-
cator lamp ;comes on.
Snow indicator =appears in the multi-
function display.
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RHighway level is set.
RADS (Adaptive Damping System) adapts
comfortable damping characteristics to
the current operating and driving condi-
tions.
R4ETS and the differential lock are adap-
ted for driving on snow-covered roads.
RThe automatic transmission selects the
automatic drive program for a comforta-ble driving style that provides for opti-
mum fuel consumption.
RThe soft accelerator pedal curve is selec-
ted, e.g. the accelerator pedal must be
pressed significantly further to acceler-
ate.
RThe optimum gear for pulling away is
engaged.
Trailer program
Select the trailer program when towing a
trailer.
XSelector wheel :engaged:briefly press
selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
XTo select: turn selector wheel :until indi-
cator lamp ;comes on.
Trailer indicator =appears in the multi-
function display.
RHighway level is set.
RADS (Adaptive Damping System) adapts
comfortable damping characteristics to
the current operating and driving condi-
tions.
RThe automatic transmission selects the
automatic drive program for a comforta-
ble driving style that provides for opti-
mum fuel consumption, changing gear at
optimum points.
RWhile pulling away, the differential locks
are engaged.
Off-road driving systems
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel drive)
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP®and
4ETS, it improves the traction of your vehicle
whenever a drive wheel spins due to insuffi-
cient grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC can neither reduce the risk of accident nor
override the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot
take account of road, weather and traffic con-
ditions. 4MATIC is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in your lane.
!Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground or
be fully raised. Observe the instructions for towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
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!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.
iIn wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tires (M+S tires), with snow
chains if necessary.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(
Ypage 198).
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
General notes
DSR is an aid to assist you when driving down-
hill. It keeps the speed of travel at the speed
selected on the on-board computer. The
steeper the downhill gradient, the greater the
DSR braking effect on the vehicle. When driv-
ing on flat stretches of road or on an uphill
gradient, the DSR braking effect is minimal or
nonexistent.
DSR controls the vehicle’s speed when it is
activated and the transmission is in position
D ,R or N. You can drive at a higher or a lower
speed than that set on the on-board computer
at any time by accelerating or braking.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the speed driven and the set speed deviate and you activate DSR on a slippery road sur-
face, the wheels may lose traction. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Before switching DSR on, please take into
consideration the road surface and the differ- ence between driving speed and the set
speed.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DSR can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics. DSR cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic condi-
tions. DSR is only an aid. You are responsible for the distance to the vehicle in front, for
vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for
staying in your lane.
You are always responsible for keeping con-
trol of the vehicle and for assessing whether
the downhill gradient can be managed. DSR
may not always be able to keep to the set
speed, depending on road surface and tire
conditions. Select a set speed suitable for the
prevailing conditions and when necessary,
apply the brakes manually.
Activating DSR
XPress button
:.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
The à DSR symbol appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
You can only activate DSR when driving at
speeds at or below 28 mph (40 km/h).
If the current vehicle speed is too high, the
à DSR symbol appears in the multifunc-
tion display with the Max. Speed 28 mph
message (Canada:40 km/h).
If you have activated DSR and you change the drive program, DSR is deactivated. If you
switch between the Offroad and Offroad Plus
drive programs, DSR remains activated.
Deactivating DSR
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
The à DSR symbol appears in the mul-
tifunction display with the Off
message.
DSR switches off automatically if you drive
faster than 28 mph (Canada: 45 km/h). The
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ÃDSR symbol appears in the multifunc-
tion display with the Off
message. The status
indicator in the multifunction display goes
out. You also hear a warning. On vehicles with
the ON&OFFROAD package, if you select a
different on-road/off-road program, DSR is
also deactivated.
Changing the set speed
XTo increase or decrease in 1 mph incre- ments (Canada: 1 km/h increments):
briefly press the cruise control lever up :
for a higher set speed or down ;for a
lower set speed.
The set speed appears in the multifunction
display with the ÃDSR symbol.
When DSR is activated, you can change the
set speed to a value between 1 mph and
11 mph (Canada: between 2 km/h and
18 km/h).
iThe DSR set speed is always changed in
1 mph increments (Canada: 1 km/h incre-
ments). This is regardless of whether you
press the cruise control lever to or beyond
the pressure point.
Off-road programs (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package)
General notes
The off-road programs assist you in driving
off-road. The engine's performance charac-
teristics and the gearshifting characteristics
of the automatic transmission are adapted for
this purpose. ABS, ESP
®and 4ETS programs
especially adapted to off-road driving are acti- vated. An accelerator pedal curve suitable for
the terrain is selected, i.e. the accelerator
pedal must be depressed further to acceler-
ate.
Do not use the off-road programs on roads
that are snow-covered or icy or if you have
mounted snow chains on your vehicle.
For information on driving off-road, see
(
Ypage 198).
The following program messages are shown
in the multifunction display until the applica-
ble vehicle level is set. Up to off-road level 2,
you can hide the program messages using the
% or the abutton on the multifunction
steering wheel.
Off-road program 1
XSelector wheel :engaged:briefly press
selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
XTo select: turn selector wheel :until indi-
cator lamp ;comes on.
Off-road indicator =appears in the multi-
function display.
258Driving system s
Driving an d parking

Off-road level 1 is set to +1.2 in (+30 mm)
above the vehicle's "highway" level.
Off-road program 1 switches to the AUTO
program if you drive faster than 70 mph
(110 km/h).
Select off-road program 1 for gentle off-road
terrain, e.g. for gravel or sand surfaces or
tracks. The engine's torque is restricted to a
limited degree and the drive wheels can spin.
The spinning wheels produce a cutting effect
for better traction.
You can only activate off-road program 1
when driving at speeds of 60 mph (100 km/h)
or below. The Drive Program OFFROAD 1
Max.60mph (100km/h)message appears
in the multifunction display.
Off-road program 2
XSelector wheel :engaged:briefly press
selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
XTo select: turn selector wheel :until indi-
cator lamp ;comes on.
Off-road indicator =appears in the multi-
function display.
ROff-road level 1 is set to +2.4 in (+60 mm)
above the vehicle's "highway" level.
RDSR is switched on.
RThe differential lock is closed.
Off-road program 2 automatically switches to
off-road program 1 if you drive faster than
30 mph (45 km/h).
Select off-road program 2 for rough terrain,
e.g. for steep and/or rough terrain or driving
on rocky terrain.
iYour vehicle has an automatically activa-
ted differential lock for the transfer case. It controls the balance between the front and
rear axles.
The differential lock improves the vehicle's
traction. 4ETS (
Ypage 73) controls the bal-
ance between both wheels on an axle.
You can only activate off-road program 2
when driving at speeds of 25 mph (40 km/h)
or below.
LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles
with the ON&OFFROAD package)
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you select the LOW RANGE off-road gear on
a slippery road surface, the wheels could lose traction:
Rif you remove your foot from the accelera-
tor pedal when driving
Rif off road ABS intervenes when braking
If the wheels lose traction. the vehicle can no
longer be steered. There is an increased dan-
ger of skidding and accidents.
Never select the LOW RANGE off-road gear
when driving on slippery road surfaces.
GWARNING
If you do not wait for the transfer case gear
change process to complete, the transfer
case could remain in the neutral position. The power transmission to the driven wheels is
then interrupted. There is a danger of the
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vehicle rolling away unintentionally. There is a
risk of an accident.
Wait until the transfer case shift process is
completed.
Do not turn off the engine while changing gear
and do not shift the automatic transmission
to another position.
General notes
:LOW RANGE off-road gear button
;LOW RANGE off-road gear indicator lamp
HIGH RANGEPosition for all normal on-
road driving conditions
LOW RANGEOff-road position for driv-
ing off-road and fording
The transmission ratio
between the engine and
wheels is only approx-
imately one third of that in
the HIGH RANGE road
position. Drive torque is
thus proportionately
higher.
Do not use LOW RANGE:
Ron slippery road surfa-
ces, e.g. in the case of
slush
Ron snow or ice-covered
roads
Rif you have mounted
snow chains to your
vehicle
The LOW RANGE off-road gear assists you in
driving off-road and when fording. When LOW
RANGE is engaged, the engine’s performance
characteristics and the gearshifting charac-
teristics of the automatic transmission are
adapted for this purpose.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(
Ypage 198). You will find information about
driving safety systems in conjunction with
LOW RANGE in the "Safety" section
(
Ypage 68).
From HIGH RANGE to LOW RANGE
!Only change from LOW RANGE to HIGH
RANGE if:
Rthe engine is running.
Rthe transmission is in position N
Ryou are driving at a speed below
40 km/h
XPress LOW RANGE button:.
Indicator lamp ;flashes.
When the gear change is complete, indica- tor lamp ;lights up. LOW RANGE indica-
tor appears in the multifunction display and
in the status indicator.
While indicator lamp ;is flashing, you can
cancel the gear change by pressing LOW
RANGE button :again.
iYou cannot activate LOW RANGE if the
SPORT drive program is activated. The
LOW RANGE Not in Drive Program
"Sport"message then appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
From LOW RANGE to HIGH RANGE
!Only change from LOW RANGE to HIGH
RANGE if:
Rthe engine is running.
Rthe transmission is in position N
Ryou are driving at a speed below
70 km/h
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XPress LOW RANGE button:.
Indicator lamp ;flashes.
When the gear change is complete, indica- tor lamp ;goes out. In the multifunction
display, the LOW RANGE Off
message
appears and status indicator =goes out.
While indicator lamp ;is flashing, you can
cancel the gear change by pressing LOW
RANGE button :again.
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Messages in the multifunction display
If a gear change process has not been successful, the following messages may be displayed in
the multifunction display:
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
LOW RANGE Max.
Speed 40 km/h
You have been driving faster than 40 km/h. Additionally, the indi-
cator lamp on the button in the center console blinks.
XDrive more slowly to carry out the gear change process.
LOWRANGEShiftto
Position N Briefly
The transmission is in positionDand you are driving at below
40 km/h.
XShift the transmission to Nto complete the gear change proc-
ess.
LOWRANGEShifting
Canceled Please
Reactivate
The gear change process was not carried out.
XEnsure that all gear change conditions are fulfilled and carry out the gear change process again.
LOW RANGE Stop
ApplyParkingBrake
A warning tone also sounds. The gear change process has not been
completed. LOW RANGE is in the neutral position. There is no
connection between the engine and the drive wheels.
!Do not drive any further. You could otherwise damage the
vehicle's drive train.
XStop the vehicle. Take into account the road and traffic condi-
tions when doing this.
XDepress the electric parking brake (Ypage 190).
XCarry out the gear change process again.
If the gear change process has been carried out, the LOW
RANGE
Stop Apply Parking Brakemessage disappears.
ON&OFFROAD menu in the COMAND
display (vehicles with the ON&OFF-
ROAD package)You can display some driving systems, driving
programs and additional information in the
COMAND display.
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2in the ignition lock.
XMake sure that COMAND is activated, see
the separate COMAND operating instruc-
tions.
XPress function button :.
The corresponding displays appear in the
COMAND display:
RLevel control
RSteering angle
RVehicle's angle of inclination
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Driving and parking