2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GL tailgate

X
Turn the mechanical key clockwise as far as
it will go to position G .X
Turn the mechanical key back and remove
it. X
Make sure that the doors and the tailgate
are locked. X
Insert the mechanical key into the Smart-
Key.
i If you lock the vehicle as described above,
the fuel filler flap is not locked. The anti-
theft alarm system is not armed.
Cargo compartment
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected
to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle.
G WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. If the tailgate
is open when the engine is running, particu-
larly if the vehicle is moving, exhaust fumes
could enter the passenger compartment.
There is a risk of poisoning.
Turn off the engine before opening the tail-
gate. Never drive with the tailgate open. G WARNING
If objects, luggage or loads are not secured or
not secured sufficiently, they could slip, tip
over or be flung around and thereby hit vehicle
occupants. There is a risk of injury, particu-
larly in the event of sudden braking or a sud-
den change in direction.
Always store objects so that they cannot be
flung around. Secure objects, luggage or
loads against slipping or tipping before the
journey.
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the
rear when opened. Therefore, make sure
that there is sufficient clearance above and
behind the tailgate.
i Tailgate opening dimensions
( Y
page 454).
You should preferably place luggage or loads
in the cargo compartment. Observe the load-
ing guidelines ( Y
page 340).
Do not leave the SmartKey in the cargo com-
partment. You could otherwise lock yourself
out.
You can: R
close the tailgate manually from outside R
open and close the tailgate automatically
from outside R
open and close the tailgate automatically
from inside R
limit the opening angle of the tailgate R
unlock the tailgate from inside with the
emergency release
Tailgate reversing feature
On vehicles with tailgate remote closing fea-
ture, the tailgate is equipped with automatic
obstacle recognition with a reversing feature.
If a solid object blocks or restricts the tailgate
when automatically opening or closing, this
procedure is stopped. If the tailgate is stop-
ped during the closing procedure, it will open
again automatically. The automatic obstacleCargo compartment 93
Opening and closing Z

recognition with reversing feature is only an
aid. It is not a substitute for your attentive-
ness when opening and closing the tailgate.
G WARNING
The reversing feature does not react: R
to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. small fin-
gers R
over the last 1/3 in (8 mm) of the closing
movement
This means that the reversing feature cannot
prevent someone being trapped in these sit-
uations. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure.
If somebody becomes trapped: R
press the T button on the SmartKey, orR
pull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door or R
press the closing or locking button on the
tailgate or R
pull the handle on the tailgate
Opening and closing manually from
outside
Opening
X
Press the 6 button on the SmartKey.X
Pull handle C and release it.
The tailgate opens automatically. Closing X
Pull the tailgate down using recess C .X
Allow the tailgate to drop into the lock. X
Lock the vehicle if necessary with the 7
button on the SmartKey or with KEYLESS-
GO.
i If a KEYLESS-GO key is detected in the
cargo compartment, the tailgate will not
lock.
Opening/closing automatically from
outside
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Parts of the body could become trapped dur-
ing automatic closing of the tailgate. More-
over, people, e.g. children, may be standing in
the closing area or may enter the closing area
during the closing process. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
closing area during the closing process.
Use one of the following options to stop the
closing process: R
press the T button on the SmartKey. R
pull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door. R
press the closing or locking button on the
tailgate. R
pull the handle on the tailgate94
Cargo compartment
Opening and closing

G WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. If the tailgate
is open when the engine is running, particu-
larly if the vehicle is moving, exhaust fumes
could enter the passenger compartment.
There is a risk of poisoning.
Turn off the engine before opening the tail-
gate. Never drive with the tailgate open.
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the
rear when opened. Therefore, make sure
that there is sufficient clearance above and
behind the tailgate.
i Tailgate opening dimensions
( Y
page 454).
i Notes on the automatic reversing feature
for the tailgate ( Y
page 93).
Opening the tailgate automatically You can open the tailgate automatically with
the SmartKey or the handle in the tailgate. X
Press and hold the T button on the
SmartKey until the tailgate opens.
or X
If the tailgate is unlocked, pull the handle
and let it go again immediately.
Closing the tailgate automatically
G WARNING
Parts of the body could become trapped dur-
ing automatic closing of the tailgate. More-
over, people, e.g. children, may be standing in
the closing area or may enter the closing area
during the closing process. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
closing area during the closing process.
Use one of the following options to stop the
closing process: R
press the T button on the SmartKey.R
pull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door. R
press the closing or locking button on the
tailgate. R
pull the handle on the tailgate
Closing and locking button (example: vehicle with
KEYLESS-GO) X
To close: press closing button C on the
tailgate.
or X
Press and hold the T button on the
SmartKey until the tailgate closes.
You can release the button as soon as the
tailgate starts to close.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: you can simulta-
neously close and lock the tailgate. X
Press locking button D on the tailgate.
If a KEYLESS-GO key is detected outside
the vehicle, the tailgate closes and locks.
All the doors must be shut and the Smart-
Key located in the vicinity of the tailgate.
i The tailgate cannot be opened and closed
with the SmartKey if there is a SmartKey in
the ignition.
If the tailgate touches an object while clos-
ing, the closing procedure is interrupted
and the tailgate reopens.
i If a KEYLESS-GO key is detected in the
cargo compartment, the tailgate will not
lock.Cargo compartment 95
Opening and closing Z

Opening/closing automatically from
inside
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Parts of the body could become trapped dur-
ing automatic closing of the tailgate. More-
over, people, e.g. children, may be standing in
the closing area or may enter the closing area
during the closing process. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
closing area during the closing process.
Use one of the following options to stop the
closing process: R
press the T button on the SmartKey.R
pull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door. R
press the closing or locking button on the
tailgate. R
pull the handle on the tailgate
G WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. If the tailgate
is open when the engine is running, particu-
larly if the vehicle is moving, exhaust fumes
could enter the passenger compartment.
There is a risk of poisoning.
Turn off the engine before opening the tail-
gate. Never drive with the tailgate open.
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the
rear when opened. Therefore, make sure
that there is sufficient clearance above and
behind the tailgate.
i Tailgate opening dimensions
( Y
page 454).
i Notes on the automatic reversing feature
for the tailgate ( Y
page 93). Opening and closing
You can open and close the tailgate from the
driver's seat when the vehicle is stationary
and unlocked. X
To open: pull remote operating switch C
for the tailgate until the tailgate opens. X
To close: turn the SmartKey to position 1
or 2 in the ignition lock. X
Press remote operating switch for tail-
gate C until the tailgate is completely
closed.
Limiting the opening angle of the tail-
gate
Important safety notes
! Make sure there is sufficient clearance to
open the tailgate fully when setting the
opening angle. The tailgate could otherwise
be damaged. Ideally, set the opening angle
outside.
Activating
You can limit the opening angle of the tail-
gate. This is possible in the top half of its
opening range, up to approximately 4 in
(10 cm) before the stop.
This could be useful, for example, if there is
insufficient space above the tailgate. X
To open the tailgate: pull the handle on
the tailgate. X
To stop the opening procedure at the
desired position: press the closing button96
Cargo compartment
Opening and closing

( Y
page 94) in the tailgate or pull the handle
on the outside of the tailgate again. X
To store the position: press and hold the
closing button in the tailgate until you hear
a short tone.
The opening angle limiter is activated. The
tailgate will now stop in the stored position
when opening.
Deactivating X
Press and hold the closing button
( Y
page 94) in the tailgate until you hear
two short tones.
Tailgate emergency release
Important safety notes
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the
rear when opened. Therefore, make sure
that there is sufficient clearance above and
behind the tailgate.
i Tailgate opening dimensions
( Y
page 454).
If the tailgate can no longer be unlocked: R
using the SmartKey, or R
using the remote operating switch in the
door control panel:
Use the emergency release.
Opening X
Take the mechanical key out of the Smart-
Key ( Y
page 85). X
Insert mechanical key D into the opening
in paneling C . X
Turn mechanical key D 90° clockwise.X
Push mechanical key D in the direction of
the arrow and open the tailgate. X
Insert the mechanical key into the Smart-
Key.
Side windows
Important safety notes
G WARNING
While opening the side windows, body parts
could become trapped between the side win-
dow and the door frame as the side window
moves. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody touches the side win-
dow during the opening procedure. If some-
body becomes trapped, release the switch or
pull the switch to close the side window again.
G WARNING
While closing the side windows, body parts in
the closing area could become trapped. There
is a risk of injury.
When closing make sure that no parts of the
body are in the closing area. If somebody
becomes trapped, release the switch or press
the switch to open the side window again.
G WARNING
If children operate the side windows they
could become trapped, particularly if they are
left unsupervised. There is a risk of injury.
Activate the override feature for the rear side
windows. When leaving the vehicle, always
take the SmartKey with you and lock the vehi-
cle. Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. Side windows 97
Opening and closing Z

specialist workshop as soon as possible.
Adapt your driving style to the different brak-
ing characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the likelihood of
damage to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead
to failure of the mechanical assembly or sys-
tems. Adapt your driving style to suit the ter-
rain conditions. Drive carefully. Have damage
to the vehicle rectified immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Do not switch to transmission position N
when driving off-road. If you try to brake the
vehicle using the service brake, you could
lose control of the vehicle. If the gradient is
too steep for your vehicle, drive back down in
reverse gear.
General notes Read this section carefully before driving your
vehicle off-road. Practice by driving over more
gentle off-road terrain first.
Familiarize yourself with the characteristics
of your vehicle and the gear shift operation
before driving through difficult terrain.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving: R
Off-road program 1 and 2 (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package) ( Y
page 258)R
LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles with
the ON&OFFROAD package)
( Y
page 259) R
Differential lock (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package) ( Y
page 259)R
Off-road ABS ( Y
page 69)R
Off-road 4ETS ( Y
page 73)R
AIRMATIC package (vehicle level)
( Y
page 218) R
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
( Y
page 257)
Observe the following notes: R
Stop the vehicle before starting to drive
along an off-road route. R
Select a vehicle level that is suitable for the
terrain. To avoid damaging the vehicle, make sure there is always sufficient ground
clearance. R
Check that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
( Y
page 345). R
Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Acti-
vate DSR ( Y
page 257). R
Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a slope. R
Adapt your speed to the terrain. The
rougher, steeper or more ruts on the ter-
rain, the slower your speed should be. R
Do not jump with the vehicle as this will
interrupt the vehicle's propulsion. R
Drive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-
road routes where visibility is poor. For
safety reasons, get out of the vehicle first
and survey the off-road route. R
Look out for obstacles, such as rocks,
holes, tree stumps and furrows. R
Always keep the doors, the tailgate, the
side windows and the sliding sunroof
closed while the vehicle is in motion. R
Do not shift the automatic transmission to
transmission position N .R
Observe the notes on off-road fording
( Y
page 197).
i Do 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.
Checklist before driving off-road
! If the engine oil warning lamp lights up
while the vehicle is in motion, stop the vehi-
cle in a safe place as soon as possible.
Check the engine oil level. The engine oil
warning lamp warning must not be ignored.
Continuing the journey while the symbol is
displayed could lead to engine damage. X
Engine oil level: check the engine oil level
and add oil if necessary. Driving tips 199
Driving and parking Z

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

R
if the tailgate is open R
in heavy rain, snow or fog R
at night or in very dark places R
if the cameras are exposed to very bright
light R
if the area is lit by fluorescent bulbs or LED
lighting (the display may flicker) R
if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter R
if the camera lenses are dirty or covered R
if the vehicle components in which the
cameras are installed are damaged. In this
event, have the camera position and setting
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Do not use the 360° camera in this case. You
can otherwise injure others or cause damage
to objects or the vehicle.
Activation conditions The 360° camera image can be displayed if: R
your vehicle is equipped with a 360° cam-
era R
COMAND is switched on, see the separate
COMAND operating instructions R
the 360° Camera function is activated
Activating the 360° camera using the
SYS button X
Press and hold the f button for longer
than 2 seconds, see the separate COMAND
operating instructions.
Depending on whether position D or R is
engaged, the following is shown: R
full screen display with the image from
the front camera R
full screen display with the image from
the rear view camera Activating the 360° camera with
COMAND X
Press the f button, see the separate
COMAND operating instructions. X
Select System by turning yRz the
COMAND controller and press