2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GL engine

If indicator lamp D is lit:X
Press button C .
Indicator lamp D flashes. The vehicle is
adjusting to highway/high-speed level.
During the adjustment, the Lowering mes-
sage, for example, appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
If you press the 8 or v button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message
will disappear.
Once highway level has been reached, indi-
cator lamp D goes out. The Lowering
mes-
sage disappears from the multifunction dis-
play.
The vehicle automatically adjusts to highway
level when you: R
drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h) R
drive between 40 mph (64 km/h) and
50 mph (80 km/h) for approximately
20 seconds
Depending on the ADS mode selected
( Y
page 218), the vehicle is lowered to high-
speed level at high speeds.
AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem
Important safety notes
G WARNING
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.
G WARNING
The vehicle is lowered if: R
you have selected the Comfort or Sport
suspension tuning and R
lock 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: R
you have selected the Sport or Comfort
suspension tuning and R
you switch off the engine and then R
lock 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 ( Y
page 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.222
Driving systems
Driving and parking

In Comfort and Sport driving modes, after
locking the vehicle it lowers to the Sport+
level. When locking the vehicle at the raised
level, the vehicle does not lower.
The settings will remain stored after you
switch off the engine. When starting the
engine, the selected setting, e.g. AMG adap-
tive suspension system Comfort, is restored.
i The vehicle level may change visibly if you
park the vehicle and the outside tempera-
ture changes. If the temperature drops, the
vehicle level lowers; with an increase in
temperature, the vehicle level rises.
Suspension tuning General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on: R
your driving style R
the road surface conditions R
your individual selection of Sport, Sport +
or Comfort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Sport mode
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. X
Press button C once.
Indicator lamp D lights up. You have selec-
ted Sport mode.
The AMG Suspension System SPORT mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Sport + mode
The very firm setting of the suspension tuning
in Sport + mode ensures the best possible
contact with the road. Select this mode pref-
erably when driving on race circuits.
If indicator lamps

some cases, it may also lead you across or
onto the curb. If necessary, you should can-
cel the parking procedure with Active Park-
ing Assist. R
You can also select preselect transmission
position D . The vehicle redirects and does
not drive as far into the parking space.
Should the gear change occur too soon to
achieve a sensible parking position, the
parking procedure will be aborted.
Exiting a parking space In order that Active Parking Assist can sup-
port you when you exit the parking space: R
you need to have parked using Active Park-
ing Assist. R
the border of the parking space must be
high enough at the front and the rear. A
curb stone is too small, for example. R
the border of the parking space must not be
too wide, as the position of the vehicle must
not exceed an angle of 45° to the starting
position as it is maneuvered into the park-
ing space. R
a maneuvering distance of at least 3.3 ft
(1.0 m) must be available. X
Start the engine. X
Release the electric parking brake. X
Switch on the turn signal in the direction
you are pulling away. X
Shift the transmission to position D or R .
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
8 message appears in the multifunction
display. X
To cancel the procedure: press the 8
button on the multifunction steering wheel
or pull away.
or X
To exit a parking space using Active
Parking Assist: press the v button on
the multifunction steering wheel.
The Park Assist Active Accelerate
and Brake Observe Surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. X
Let go of the multifunction steering wheel. X
Reverse the vehicle or drive forwards, being
ready to brake at all times. Do not exceed a
maximum speed of approximately 6 mph
(10 km/h) when exiting a parking space.
Otherwise Active Parking Assist will be can-
celed. X
Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before. X
Shift the transmission to position D or R as
required while the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction.
i You will achieve the best results by wait-
ing for the steering procedure to complete
before pulling away.
If you back up after activation, the steering
wheel is moved to the straight-ahead posi-
tion. X
Drive forwards or back up the vehicle, being
ready to brake at all times. X
Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before. X
Drive forwards and back up as prompted by
the PARKTRONIC warning displays, several
times if necessary.
Once you have exited the parking space com-
pletely, the steering wheel is moved to the
straight-ahead position. You hear a tone and
the Park Assist Finished message
appears in the multifunction display. You will
then have to steer and merge into traffic on
your own. PARKTRONIC is still available. You
can take over the steering, before the vehicle
has exited the parking space completely. This
is useful, for example when you recognize
that it is already possible to pull out of the
parking space.230
Driving systems
Driving and parking

C
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
When Blind Spot Assist is activated, indicator
lamp C in the exterior mirrors lights up yel-
low at speeds of up to 20 mph (30 km/h). At
speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h), the indica-
tor lamp goes out and Blind Spot Assist is
operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the blind spot
monitoring range at speeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), warning lamp C on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. This warning is
always emitted when a vehicle enters the
blind spot monitoring range from behind or
from the side. When you overtake a vehicle,
the warning only occurs if the difference in
speed is less than 7 mph (12 km/h).
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. In this event, Blind Spot
Assist is no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the
corresponding turn signal, a double warning
tone sounds. Red warning lamp C flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp C . There are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist X
Make sure that Blind Spot Assist is activa-
ted in the on-board computer
( Y
page 282). X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the igni-
tion lock.
Warning lamps C in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow.
Towing a trailer
When you attach a trailer, make sure you have
cor rectly established the electrical connec-
t ion . This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. In this event, Blind Spot
Assist is deactivated. The indicator lamp in
the exterior mirrors lights up yellow, and the
Blind Spot Assist Currently Unavail‐
able See Operator's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
i You can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, switch off Blind Spot Assist when: R
the SmartKey is in position 2 in the igni-
tion lock R
the engine is not running
Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
C
Lane Keeping Assist camera
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle with camera C , which is
mounted at the top of the windshield. Active
Lane Keeping Assist detects lane markings on246
Driving systems
Driving and 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. 60 mph ( 100 km/h) message appears
in the multifunction display.
Off-road program 2
X
Selector wheel C engaged: briefly press
selector wheel C .
Selector wheel C extends.X
To select: turn selector wheel C until indi-
cator lamp D comes on.
Off-road indicator

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
C
LOW RANGE off-road gear buttonD
LOW RANGE off-road gear indicator lamp
HIGH RANGE
Position for all normal on-
road driving conditions
LOW RANGE
Off-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: R
on slippery road surfa-
ces, e.g. in the case of
slush R
on snow or ice-covered
roads R
if 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"
( Y
page 198). You will find information about
driving safety systems in conjunction with
LOW RANGE in the "Safety" section
( Y
page 68).
From HIGH RANGE to LOW RANGE
! Only change from LOW RANGE to HIGH
RANGE if: R
the engine is running. R
the transmission is in position NR
you are driving at a speed below
40 km/h X
Press LOW RANGE button C .
Indicator lamp D flashes.
When the gear change is complete, indica-
tor lamp D lights up. LOW RANGE indica-
tor appears in the multifunction display and
in the status indicator.
While indicator lamp D is flashing, you can
cancel the gear change by pressing LOW
RANGE button C again.
i You 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: R
the engine is running. R
the transmission is in position NR
you are driving at a speed below
70 km/h260
Driving systems
Driving and parking

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 messages
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
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. X
Drive more slowly to carry out the gear change process.
LOW RANGE Shift to
Position N Briefly The transmission is in position D and you are driving at below
40 km/h. X
Shift the transmission to N to complete the gear change proc-
ess.
LOW RANGE Shifting
Canceled Please
Reactivate The gear change process was not carried out. X
Ensure that all gear change conditions are fulfilled and carry out
the gear change process again.
LOW RANGE Stop
Apply Parking Brake 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. X
Stop the vehicle. Take into account the road and traffic condi-
tions when doing this. X
Depress the electric parking brake ( Y
page 190).X
Carry out the gear change process again.
If the gear change process has been carried out, the LOW
RANGE
Stop Apply Parking Brake message 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. X
Make sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock. X
Make sure that COMAND is activated, see
the separate COMAND operating instruc-
tions. X
Press function button C .
The corresponding displays appear in the
COMAND display: R
Level control R
Steering angle R
Vehicle's angle of inclination262
Driving systems
Driving and parking

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: R
GLE 550 e 4MATIC Sport Utility Vehicle R
Do not exceed the legally prescribed max-
imum speed for vehicle/trailer combina-
tions in the relevant country.
This lowers the risk of an accident. R
Only install an approved trailer coupling on
your vehicle.
Further information on availability and on
installation is available from any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. R
The bumpers of your vehicle are not suita-
ble for installing detachable trailer cou-
plings. R
Do not install hired trailer couplings or
other detachable trailer couplings on the
bumpers of your vehicle. R
If 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 ( Y
page 425).
Please note that when towing a trailer, the
following driving systems have limited avail-
ability or are not available at all: R
PARKTRONIC ( Y
page 224)R
Blind Spot Assist ( Y
page 244)R
Active Lane Keeping Assist ( Y
page 251) You will find installing dimensions and loads
under "Technical data" ( Y
page 457).
Driving tips Observe the information on ESP ®
trailer sta-
bilization ( Y
page 75) and on pulling away with
a trailer ( Y
page 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
( Y
page 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.264
Towing a trailer
Driving and parking