2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GL height

Adjusting the luxury head restraints X
To adjust th e sid e bolsters of th e hea d
restraint: push or pull right and/o r left-
han d side bolste r C int o th e desired posi-
tion . X
To adjust th e for e/af t position of th e
hea d restraint: push or pull th e head
restrain t in th e direction of arrow D .
i Adjus t th e head restrain t so that th e bac k
of your head is as close to th e head
restrain t as possible .
Rear seat head restraints
Adjusting th e rea r sea t hea d restrain t
height
X
On ce th e head restrain t is fully lowered,
press release catch C .X
To raise: pull th e head restrain t up to th e
desired position .X
To lower : press release catch C and push
th e head restrain t down until it is in th e
desired position . Removin g and installing th e rea r sea t
hea d restraints X
To remove: pull th e head restrain t up to
th e stop. X
Pre ss release catch C and pull th e head
restrain t out of th e guide s.X
To re-install : insert th e head restrain t so
that th e notches on th e bar are on th e lef t
when viewed in th e direction of travel .X
Push th e head restrain t down until you hear
it engage in position .
Rear seats (second and third row of
seats)
Import ant safety notes
G WARNIN G
If th e seat and backrest are no t engaged, they
can fol d forwards, e.g. in th e event of sudde n
braking or an accident. R
This will caus e th e vehicl e occupant s to be
force d int o th e seat belt by a seat or back-
res t whic h is no t engaged. The seat belt can
no longer offer th e intended level of pro -
tection and could eve n caus e injuries.R
A child restrain t system would no longer be
anchored or positioned correctl y and would
no t be able to perfor m it s require d function .R
The seat backrest s canno t restrain objects
or loads in th e cargo compartment.
There is an increased ris k of injury.112
Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Problems with the seat ventilation Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The seat ventilation has
switched off prema-
turely or cannot be
switched on. The on-board voltage is too low because too many electrical con-
sumers are switched on. X
Switch off electrical consumers that you do not need, such as
the rear window defroster or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the seat ventilation will
switch back on automatically.
Steering wheel
Important safety notes
G WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do
the following while driving: R
adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors R
fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt
before starting the engine.
G WARNING
Children could injure themselves if they
adjust the steering wheel. There is a risk of
injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The electrically adjustable steering wheel can
still be adjusted when there is no SmartKey in
the ignition lock.
Adjusting the steering wheel man-
ually
G WARNING
If the steering wheel is unlocked while the
vehicle is in motion, it could change position
unexpectedly. This could cause you to lose control of the vehicle. There is a risk of an
accident.
Before starting off, make sure the steering
wheel is locked. Never unlock the steering
wheel while the vehicle is in motion.
C
Release lever D
To adjust the steering wheel height

Adjusting the steering wheel elect ri -
cally
C
To adjust th e steering whee l heightD
To adjust th e steering whee l position
(fore-and-af t adjustment)
The steering whee l can also be adjusted when
th e SmartKey is remove d from th e ignition
lock.
i Further relate d subjects :R
EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature
( Y
page 123) R
Storing setting s ( Y
page 127)
Steering wheel heating
Switching on/off
X
Turn th e SmartKey to position 2 in th e igni-
tion loc k ( Y
page 165).X
To switch on/of f: tur n th e lever in th e
direction of arrow C or D .
Indicato r lamp

For information about driving off-road, see
( Y
page 198).
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
When you drive with the vehicle raised, the
driving characteristics could be impaired by
the vehicle's raised center of gravity. The vehi-
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.
G WARNING
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.
G WARNING
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. R
Utility 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. R
In 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.
Basic settings The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the basic setting selec-
ted.
Select: R
highway/high-speed level for driving on
normal roads R
off-road level 1 for driving on easily nego-
tiable off-road terrain R
off-road level 2 for driving on normal off-
road terrain R
off-road level 3 for freeing the vehicle in
particularly rough terrain at low speeds
only
The individual vehicle levels differ from high-
way level as follows: R
highway level: +/–0 in (+/–0 mm) R
high-speed level: –0.6 in (–15 mm) R
off-road level 1: + 1.2 in (+ 30 mm) R
off-road level 2: + 2.3 in (+ 60 mm) R
off-road level 3: + 3.6 in (+ 90 mm)
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.214
Driving systems
Driving and parking

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.
G WARNING
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.
G WARNING
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. R
Utility 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. R
In 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"
( Y
page 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 handling.
If y
ou select ADS comfort mode ( Y
page 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 ( Y
page 218),
the vehicle skips highway level and lowers
directly to high-speed level depending on the
basic setting ( Y
page 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 are
closed. 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 raised level for off-road driving or
hi g
hway/high-speed level for normal roads.220
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Parking tips: R
On narrow roads, drive as close to the park-
ing space as possible. R
Parking spaces that are littered or over-
grown might be identified or measured
incorrectly. R
Parking spaces that are partially occupied
by trailer drawbars might not be identified
as such or be measured incorrectly. R
Snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately. R
Pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
( Y
page 225) warning messages during the
parking procedure. R
At any time, you can intervene in the steer-
ing procedure to correct it. Active Parking
Assist will then be canceled. R
When transporting a load which protrudes
from your vehicle, you should not use
Active Parking Assist. R
Never use Active Parking Assist when snow
chains are installed. R
Make sure that the tire pressures are
always correct. This has a direct influence
on the parking characteristics of the vehi-
cle.
Use Active Parking Assist for parking spaces: R
that are parallel to the direction of travel R
that are on straight roads, not bends R
that are on the same level as the road, e.g.
not on the pavement
Detecting parking spaces
Objects located above the height range of
Active Parking Assist will not be detected
when the parking space is measured. These
are not taken into account when the parking
procedure is calculated, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods
vehicles.
G WARNING
If there are objects above the detection range,
Active Parking Assist may turn prematurely. You may cause a collision as a result. There is
a risk of an accident.
If there are objects above the detection range,
stop and deactivate Active Parking Assist.
For further information on the detection
range ( Y
page 224).
Active Parking Assist does not support you
parking in spaces that are parallel to the
direction of travel if: R
the parking space is on a curb R
the system reads the parking space as
being blocked, for example by foliage or
grass paving blocks R
the area is too small for the vehicle to
maneuver into R
the parking space is bordered by an obsta-
cle, e.g. a tree, a post or a trailer
C
Detected parking space on the left D
Parking symbol

R
if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter R
if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.
Observe the notes on cleaning
( Y
page 380) R
if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
event, have the camera position and setting
checked at a qualified specialist workshop
The field of vision and other functions of the
rear view camera may be restricted due to
additional accessories on the rear of the vehi-
cle (e.g. license plate holder, bicycle rack).
For technical reasons, leaving the standard
height can result in inaccuracies in the guide
lines on vehicles with a height-adjustable
chassis.
Activating/deactivating the rear view
camera
X
To activate: make sure that the SmartKey
is in position 2 in the ignition lock.X
Make sure that the "Show rear view camera
display" function is selected in COMAND
(see the Digital Operator's Manual). X
Engage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND display with guide lines. X
To change the function mode for vehi-
cles with trailer tow hitch: using the
COMAND controller, select symbol C for
the "Reverse parking" function or sym- bol D for "Coupling up a trailer" (see the
separate COMAND operating instructions).
The symbol of the selected function is high-
lighted.
To deactivate: the rear view camera deacti-
vates if you shift the transmission to P or after
driving forwards a short distance.
Displays in the COMAND display The rear view camera may show a distorted
view of obstacles, show them incorrectly or
not at all. The rear view camera does not show
objects in the following positions: R
very close to the rear bumper R
under the rear bumper R
in the area immediately above the tailgate
handle
! Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.: R
the bumper of a parked vehicle R
the drawbar of a trailer R
the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch R
the rear section of an HGV R
a slanted post
Use the guidelines only for orientation.
Approach objects no further than the bot-
tom-most guideline.
C
White guide line without turning the steer-
ing wheel, vehicle width including the
exterior mirrors (static)
D
Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 13 ft (4.0 m) from the rear of the
vehicle232
Driving system s
Dr ivi ng an d parking

! Make sure that the windshield wipers are
not folded away from the windshield. You
could otherwise damage the windshield
wipers or the hood. X
Make sure that the windshield wipers are
turned off. X
Pull release lever C on the hood.
The hood is released.
X
Reach into the gap, pull hood catch han-
dle D up and lift the hood.
If you lift the hood by approximately 15 in
(40 cm), the hood is opened and held open
automatically by the gas-filled strut.
Closing the hood X
Lower the hood and let it fall from a height
of approximately 8 in (20 cm). X
Check that the hood has engaged properly.
If the hood can be raised slightly, it is not
properly engaged. Open it again and close
it with a little more force. Radiator Vehicles with a diesel engine: do not cover
the radiator, for example with a winter front or
bug cover. The readings of the on-board-diag-
nostic system may otherwise be inaccurate.
Some of these readings are required by law
and must be accurate at all times.
Engine oil
General notes Depending on your driving style, the vehicle
consumes up to 0.9 US qt (0.8 liters) of oil per
600 miles (1,000 km). The oil consumption
may be higher than this when the vehicle is
new or if you frequently drive at high engine
speeds.
Depending on the engine, the oil dipstick may
be in a different location.
When checking the oil level: R
park the vehicle on a level surface. R
the engine should be switched off for
approximately five minutes if the engine is
at normal operating temperature. R
if the engine is not at normal operating
temperature, e.g. if the engine was only
started briefly, wait about 30 minutes
before carrying out the measurement.
Checking the oil level using the oil dip-
stick
G WARNING
Certain components in the engine compart-
ment, such as the engine, radiator and parts
of the exhaust system, can become very hot.
Working in the engine compartment poses a
risk of injury.
Where possible, let the engine cool down and
touch only the components described in the
following.Engine compartment 371
Maintenance and care Z