2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE-Class air condition

Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all models
and all standard and optional equipment of
your vehicle available at the time of publica-
tion of the Operator's Manual. Country-spe-
cific differences are possible. Please note
that your vehicle may not be equipped with all
features described. This also applies to
safety-related systems and functions.
iRead the information on qualified specialist
workshops (Ypage 29).
Overview of climate control systems
General notes
Observe the settings recommended on the fol-
lowing pages. The windows could otherwise fog
up.
To prevent the windows from fogging up:
Rswitch off climate control only briefly
Rswitch on air-recirculation mode only briefly
Rswitch on the cooling with air dehumidifica-
tion function
Rswitch on the defrost windshield function
briefly, if required
Climate control regulates the temperature and
the humidity in the vehicle interior and filters
undesirable substances out of the air.
For vehicles with a combustion engine, the
"Cooling with air dehumidification" function is
only available when the engine is running. For
hybrid vehicles, the "Cooling with air dehumidi-
fication" function is also available via the elec-
tric refrigerant compressor when the engine is
not running. Optimum climate control is only
achieved with the side windows and roof closed.
The residual heat function can only be activated
or deactivated with the ignition switched off
(
Ypage 138).
iVentilate the vehicle for a brief period during
warm weather, e.g. using the convenience
opening feature (
Ypage 92).
This will speed up the cooling process and the
desired interior temperature will be reached
more quickly.
If you start the engine using your smartphone,
the last selected climate control setting is reac-
tivated (
Ypage 148).
iThe integrated filter filters out most parti-
cles of dust and soot and completely filters
out pollen. It also reduces gaseous pollutants
and odors. A clogged filter reduces the
amount of air supplied to the vehicle interior.
For this reason, you should always observe
the interval for replacing the filter, which is
specified in the Maintenance Booklet. As it
depends on environmental conditions, e.g.
heavy air pollution, the interval may be
shorter than stated in the Maintenance Book- let.
iVehicles with AIR-BALANCE package: in
addition to ioniz ation, the vehicle has an air
filter with anti-allergenic properties that con-
tribute to improved air filtration.
iIt is possible that under certain circumstan-
ces the residual heat function may be activa-
ted automatically an hour after the SmartKey
has been removed in order to dry the auto-
matic climate control. The vehicle is then ven-
tilated for 30 minutes.
126Overview of climate control systems
Climate control

General notes
:ECO start/stop display
The ECO start/stop function is activated when-
ever you start the engine using the SmartKey or
the Start/Stop button.
If the engine has been switched off automati-
cally by the ECO start/stop function, the è
ECO symbol is shown in the multifunction dis-
play.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the ECO start/stop
function is only available in drive programs
Comfort andSlippery.
Automatic engine switch-off
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill in Dor N,
the ECO start/stop function switches off the
engine automatically.
The ECO start/stop function is operational
when:
Rthe indicator lamp in the ECO button is lit
green.
Rno off-road program has been selected.
Rthe outside temperature is within the range
that is suitable for the system.
Rthe engine is at normal operating tempera-
ture.
Rthe set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached.
Rthe battery is sufficiently charged.
Rthe system detects that the windshield is not
fogged up when the air-conditioning system is switched on.
Rthe hood is closed.
Rthe driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened.
All of the vehicle's systems remain active when
the engine is stopped automatically.
The HOLD function can also be activated if the
engine has been switched off automatically. It is
then not necessary to continue applying the
brakes during the automatic stop phase. When
you depress the accelerator pedal, the engine starts automatically and the braking effect of
the HOLD function is deactivated.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles):
automatic engine switch-off can take
place a maximum of four times in a row (initial
stop, then three subsequent stops).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the number of con-
secutive automatic engine switch-offs is unlimi- ted.
Automatic engine start
The engine starts automatically if:
Ryou switch off the ECO start/stop function by
pressing the ECO button
Rin transmission position Dor Nthe brake
pedal is released and the HOLD function is not
active
Ryou depress the accelerator pedal
Ryou engage reverse gear R
Ryou move the transmission out of position P
Ryou switch to theSport PlusorSport drive
program (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Ryou activate manual gearshifting (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
Ryou switch to the Offroaddrive program
(vehicles without Off-Road Engineering pack- age)
Ryou switch to the OffroadorOffroad Plus
drive program (vehicles with Off-Road Engi-
neering package)
Ryou unfasten your seat belt or open the driv-
er's door
Rthe vehicle starts to roll
Rthe brake system requires this
Rthe temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range
Rthe system detects moisture on the wind-
shield when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
Rthe battery's condition of charge is too low
Shifting the transmission to position Pdoes not
start the engine.
150Driving
Driving and parking

Ryou use theDIRECT SELECT lever to switch
th etransmission position (Ypage 154).
Ruse theDYNAMIC SELECT controller to
chang eth edrive progra m (Ypage 152).
Ryou activatemanual gearshiftin g
(Ypage 159).
Ryou leav eth esuitable speed range.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
Glidin gmod eis characterized by th efollowing:
Rth ecombustion engin eis disconnected from
th edrive train .
Rtheengin espeed corresponds to th eidlin g
speed.
Rin th emultifunction display, th eglidin gsym -
bol appears in th edrive progra mdisplay.
Glidin gmod ecan be activated under th efollow-
in g conditions:
Rth eComfor tdrive progra mis activated or you
select th e"Comfort" setting for th edrive sys-
te m within th eIndividua ldrive program. You
can fin dinformation about this in th eDigital
Operator' sManual.
Rth eECO start/sto pfunction is activated.
Ryou are drivin gcarefully wit hlow acceleration
of th evehicle.
Rth eengin eis at normal operating tempera-
ture.
Rth espeed is within asuitable range.
Rth ecours eof th eroa dis suitable, e.g. there
are no steep up or downhill gradients .
Ryou are no longer depressingth eaccelerato r
pedal .
Glidin gmod eis d
eactivated under th
efollowin g
conditions:
Ryou hav edeactivated th eECO start/sto p
function .
Ryou depress th eaccelerato rpedal .
Ryou depress th ebrak epedal .
Ryou use th eDIRECT SELECT lever to switch
th etransmission position (Ypage 154).
Ruse theDYNAMIC SELECT controller to
chang eth edrive progra m (Ypage 152).
Ryou activatemanual gearshiftin g
(Ypage 159).
Ryou leav eth esuitable speed range.
Towing a trailer
XDrive in th emiddle of th eengin espeed range
on uphil lgradients .
XDependin gon th euphil lor downhill gradient,
use left-han dsteerin gwhee lpaddl eshifter
(
Ypage 159) to select alower gear ,eve nif
cruise control or DISTRONI CPLU Sare acti-
vated.
Drive programs
Slippery drive program
The Slipper ydrive progra mhas th efollowin g
characteristics :
Rreducedengin eand transmission setting sfor
optimum propulsion on slipper yor snow-cov-
ere droads.
Roptimized ES P®stabilitycontrol on slipper yor
snow-covered roads.
Rth evehicl ehas improved drivin gstabilit yon
slipper yor snow-covered roads, for example.
Comfort drive program
The Comfor tdrive progra mhas th efollowin g
characteristics :
Rcomfort-oriented engin eand transmission
settings.
Roptimal fuel consumption resultin gfrom th e
automati ctransmission shiftin gup sooner.
Rth evehicl epullin gaway mor egentl yin
forward and revers egears, unless th eaccel-
erator pedal is depressed fully.
Rth eautomati ctransmission shiftin gup
sooner. This result sin th evehicl ebein gdriven
at lower engin espeeds and th ewheels bein g
less likely to spin .
Sport drive program
TheSport drive progra mhas th efollowin gchar-
acteristics :
Rsportyengin eand transmission settings.
Rth eautomati ctransmission shiftin gup later.
th efuel consumption possibl ybein ghigher as
a result of th elater automati ctransmission
shift points .
Rthesuspension exhibits sport ydampin g(vehi-
cle swit hAIRMATIC) .
158Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

Drive program SportPlu s(Mercedes-
AMG vehicles )
TheSpor tPlu sdrive program has th efollowin g
characteristics :
Rthevehicle exhibits particularly sport ydrivin g
characteristics .
Rthevehicle pulling away in first gear .
Rtheautomatic transmissio nshiftin gup later.
th efue lconsumption possibly bein ghigher as
a result of th elater automatic transmissio n
shift points .
Rthesuspensio nexhibits particularly fir m
springin gand dampin gsetting s(vehicles wit h
AIRMATIC).
Rth eEC Ostart/sto pfunction is deactivated, it
can ,however, be activated again usin gth e
EC Obutto n (
Ypage 151).
Individua ldrive program
In th eIndividua ldrive program, th efollowin g
properties of th edrive program can be selected:
Rth edrive (engin eand transmissio nmanage-
ment)
Rth etransmissio n
Rthesuspensio n
Rall vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles):
thesteerin g
Rall vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles):
availabilit yof th eEC Ostart/sto pfunction
To selec tth egear sin th eIndividua ldrive pro -
gram permanentl yusin gth esteerin gwhee lpad-
dle shifters ,selec tth epermanen tmanual gear -
shift program.
Information about configurin gth eIndividua l
drive program wit hth emultimedia syste mcan
be found in th eDigital Operator's Manual.
Manual gea rshifting
General notes
You can chang egear yoursel fusin gth esteerin g
whee lpaddle shifters .The transmissio nmus tbe
in position D.
Dependin gon whic hpaddle shifter is pulled, th e
automatic transmissio nimmediately shift sinto
th enext gear down or up, if permitted. To use manual shifting, you hav
etw ooptions:
Rtemporar ysetting
Rpermanen tsetting
If you activat emanual gearshifting, th emulti-
function display will sho wthecurren tgear
instead of transmissio nposition D.
If manual gearshiftin gis deactivated, th egear s
will be selecte dautomatically.
Temporar ysetting
XTo activate :shift th eDIREC TSELECT lever to
position D.
XPull steerin gwhee lpaddle shifter :or;.
Further information on activatin gmanual gear -
shiftin gon PLUG-I NHYBRID vehicles
(
Ypage 251).
Temporary setting will be active fo r acertain
amount of time. Under certain condition sth e
minimum amount of time is extended, e.g. in th e
cas eof latera lacceleration ,durin gan overrun
phas eor when drivin gon steep terrain .
XTo deactivate:pull steerin gwhee lpaddle
shifter ;and hol dit in place.
or
XUse th eDIREC TSELECT lever to switch th e
transmissio nposition .
or
XUse th eDYNAMI CSELECT controller to
chang eth edrive program.
Automatic transmission159
Driving and parking
Z

helps avoid overheating and excessive wear
of the brakes.
When you take advantage of the engine brak-
ing effect, a drive wheel may not turn for some
time, e.g. on a slippery road surface. This
could cause damage to the drive train. This
type of damage is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz warranty.
Do not depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. causing the
brakes to rub by constantly applying light pres-
sure to the pedal. This results in excessive and
premature wear to the brake pads.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately. Drive
on for a short while. This allows the airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
You then have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This will warm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt resi-
due may form on the brake discs and brake
pads. This can result in a significantly longer
braking distance.
RBrake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately.
Consult a qualified specialist workshop to
arrange this.
!A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a 2-axle dynamometer. If
you wish to operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop in advance. You could oth-
erwise damage the drive train or the brake
system.
!Because ESP®is an automatic system, the
engine and ignition must be switched off
(SmartKey in position 0or 1or Start/Stop
button in position 0or 1) when the electric
parking brake is being tested on a brake dyna-
mometer (maximum 10 seconds).
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®may
seriously damage the brake system.
All checks and maintenance work on the brake
system must be carried out at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the functional-
184Driving tips
Driving and parking

ity of your brakes at regular intervals. To do so,
depress the brake pedal firmly when driving at a
high speed. This improves the grip of the brake
pads.
You can find a description of Brake Assist (BAS)on (
Ypage 67) or of BAS PLUS on (Ypage 67).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only have
brake pads/linings installed on your vehicle
which have been approved for Mercedes-Benz
vehicles or which correspond to an equivalent
quality standard. Brake pads/linings which have
not been approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles
or which are not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use
brake fluid that has been specially approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or which corre-
sponds to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
fluid which has not been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which is not of an
equivalent quality could affect your vehicle's
operating safety.
High-performance brake system
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
The high-performance brake system is designed
for heavy loads. This may lead to noise when
braking. This will depend on:
RSpeed
RBraking force
REnvironmental conditions, such as tempera-
ture and humidity
The wear of individual components of the brake
system, such as the brake pads/linings or brake
discs, depends on the individual driving style
and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a mile-
age that will be valid under all circumstances. An aggressive driving style will lead to high wear.
You can obtain further information about this
from your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several
hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
Keep this in mind, and adapt your driving and
braking accordingly during this break-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in correspond-
ingly high brake wear. Observe the #brake
wear warning lamp in the instrument cluster and
note any brake status messages in the multi-
function display. Especially for high perform- ance driving, it is important to maintain and have
the brake system checked regularly.
Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to a certain depth on
the road surface, there is a danger of hydro-
planing occurring, even if:
Ryou drive at low speeds.
Rthe tires have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or in
conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
you must drive in the following manner:
Rlower your speed.
Ravoid ruts.
Ravoid sudden steering movements.
Rbrake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads
!Do not drive through flooded areas. Check
the depth of any water before driving through
it. Drive slowly through standing water. Oth-
erwise, water may enter the vehicle interior or
the engine compartment. This can damage
the electronic components in the engine or
the automatic transmission. Water can also
be drawn in by the engine's air suction nozzles
and this can cause engine damage.
iVehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
select the raised vehicle level before driving
through a body of water.
Off-road fording
!Under no circumstances should you accel-
erate before entering the water. The bow
wave could cause water to enter and damage
the engine and other assemblies.
!Do not open any of the vehicle's doors while
fording. Otherwise, water could get into the
vehicle interior and damage the vehicle's
electronics and interior equipment.
REstablish how deep the water is and the char-
acteristics of the body of water before ford-
ing.
RSelect the highest possible vehicle level.
Driving tips185
Driving and parking
Z

RShift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter.
RAvoid high engine speeds.
REnter and exit the water at a flat place and at
a steady walking pace.
RDrive slowly and at an even speed through the
water.
REnsure that a bow wave does not form as you
drive.
RDo not stop and do not switch off the engine.
Water offers a high degree of resistance, and
the ground is slippery and in some cases
unstable. Therefore, it is difficult and danger-
ous to pull away in the water.
RClean any mud from the tire tread after ford-
ing.
RApply the brakes to dry them after fording.
Always observe the fording depth values
(
Ypage 442).
Winter driving
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
GDANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter. Drive particularly carefully on slippery road sur-
faces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and
braking maneuvers. Do not use the cruise con-
trol or DISTRONIC PLUS.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to position
N.
When driving in snow with or without snow
chains, select driving program Slippery
(
Ypage 152).
iVehicles with a diesel engine: do not
cover the radiator, e.g. with a protective
cover. The measuring function of the on-
board diagnosis system may otherwise pro-
vide inaccurate values. Some of these values
are required by law and must therefore always
be accurate.
The outside temperature indicator is no
t
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges. You should pay
special attention to road conditions when tem-
peratures are around the freezing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (
Ypage 390).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (
Ypage 389).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec- tion (
Ypage 389).
Off-road driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle.
186Driving tips
Driving and parking

GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC
PLUS warns you visually and audibly. There isa risk of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function is
activated, the vehicle brakes automatically in
certain situations.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DISTRONIC
PLUS can neither reduce the risk of accident nor
override the laws of physics. DISTRONIC PLUS
cannot take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. DISTRONIC PLUS 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.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow vehi-
cles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehi-
cles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple, in parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehicle
in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpe ctedly
a

ccelerate the vehicle to the stored speed. This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a filter lane or
an exit lane
Rbe so high when driving in the right-hand lanethat you overtake vehicles in the left-hand
lane
Rbe so high when driving in the left-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the right-hand
lane
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:Activates or increases speed
;Activates or reduces speed
=Deactivates DISTRONIC PLUS
?Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
ASets a specified minimum distance
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS
Activation conditions
In order to activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine must be started. It may take up to two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
Rthe electric parking brake must be released.
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
Rthe transmission must be in position D.
Rthe driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
Rthe front-passenger door and rear doors must
be closed.
194Driving systems
Driving and parking