2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE ESP

R
a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.R
ESP ®
is switched off.R
the offroad program is activated (vehicles
without the Offroad Engineering package). R
the Offroad or Offroad Plus drive program is
activated (vehicles with the Off-Road Engi-
neering package). R
the LOW RANGE offroad gear is activated
(vehicles with the Offroad Engineering pack-
age). R
a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire is
detected.
Switching on Active Blind Spot Assist X
Make sure that Active Blind Spot Assist is
activated in the on-board computer
( Y
page 272). X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition
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
correctly established the electrical connection.
This can be accomplished by checking the trailer
lighting. Active Blind Spot Assist is then deacti-
vated. The indicator lamp lights up yellow in the
exterior mirrors and the Active Blind Spot
Asst. Not Available When Towing a
Trailer See Operator's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
Active Lane Keeping Assist
General notes Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of multifunction
camera C at the top of the windshield. Various
different areas to the front, rear and side of your
vehicle are also monitored with the aid of the
radar sensor system. Active Lane Keeping
Assist detects lane markings on the road and
can warn you before you leave your lane unin-
tentionally. If you do not react to the warning, a
lane-correcting application of the brakes can
bring the vehicle back into the original lane.
This function is available in a speed range
between 40 mph and 120 mph (60 km/h and
200 km/h).
For Active Lane Keeping Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must be
operational.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, Active Lane
Keeping Assist can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics. Active
Lane Keeping Assist cannot take into account
road, weather or traffic conditions. Active Lane
Keeping Assist is only an aid. You are responsi-
ble for the distance to the vehicle in front, for
vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for
staying in your lane.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot continuously
keep your vehicle in its lane.
G WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot always
clearly detect lane markings.
In such cases, Active Lane Keeping Assist
can: R
give an unnecessary warning and then
make a course-correcting brake application
to the vehicle R
not give a warning or intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep within the lane, especially
if Active Lane Keeping Assist alerts you. Ter-
minate the intervention in a non-critical driv-
ing situation.Driving systems 233
Driving and parking Z

The system may be impaired or may not function
if: R
there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or spray R
there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflections (e.g. when the road surface
is wet) R
the windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-
ity of the camera R
there are no, several or unclear lane markings
for a lane, e.g. in areas with road construction
work R
the lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow R
the distance to the vehicle in front is too small
and the lane markings thus cannot be detec-
ted R
the lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge R
the road is narrow and winding R
there are highly variable shade conditions on
the roadway R
no vehicle is detected in the adjacent lane and
there are broken lane markings
Warning vibration in the steering wheel A warning may be given if a front wheel passes
over a lane marking. It will warn you by means of
intermittent vibration in the steering wheel for
up to 1.5 seconds.
In order that you are warned only when neces-
sary and in good time if you cross the lane mark-
ing, the system detects certain conditions and
warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if: R
you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend R
the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a highway R
the system detects solid lane markings
The warning vibration occurs later if: R
the road has narrow lanes R
you cut the corner on a bend Lane-correcting brake application
G WARNING
A lane-correcting brake application cannot
always bring the vehicle back into the original
lane. There is a risk of an accident.
Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Lane Keeping Assist warns
you or makes a lane-correcting brake appli-
cation.
G WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not detect
traffic conditions or road users. In very rare
cases, the system may make an inappropriate
brake application, e.g. after intentionally driv-
ing over a solid lane marking. There is a risk of
an accident.
An inappropriate brake application may be
interrupted at any time if you steer slightly in
the opposite direction. Always make sure that
there is sufficient distance on the side for
other traffic or obstacles.
If you leave your lane, under certain circumstan-
ces the vehicle will brake briefly on one side.
This is meant to assist you in bringing the vehicle
back to the original lane.
If a lane-correcting brake application occurs,
display C appears in the multifunction display.
A lane-correcting brake application can be made
after driving over a lane marking recognized as
being solid or broken. Before this, a warning
must be given by means of intermittent vibration
in the steering wheel. In addition, a lane with
lane markings on both sides must be recog-
nized.234
Driving systems
Driving and parking

In the case of a broken lane marking being
detected, a lane-correcting brake application
can only be made if a vehicle has been detected
in the adjacent lane. The following vehicles can
have an influence on brake application: oncom-
ing traffic, vehicles that are overtaking and vehi-
cles that are driving parallel to your vehicle.
i A further lane-correcting brake application
can only occur after your vehicle has returned
to the original lane.
No lane-correcting brake application occurs if: R
you clearly and actively steer, brake or accel-
erate. R
you cut the corner on a sharp bend. R
you have switched on the turn signal. R
a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP ®
,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind Spot Assist.R
you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of accel-
eration. R
ESP ®
is switched off.R
the transmission is not in position D .R
on vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the elec-
trical connection to the trailer has been cor-
rectly established. R
the offroad program is activated (vehicles
without the Offroad Engineering package). R
the Offroad or Offroad Plus drive program is
activated (vehicles with the Off-Road Engi-
neering package). R
the LOW RANGE offroad gear is activated
(vehicles with the Offroad Engineering pack-
age). R
an obstacle has been detected in the lane in
which you are driving. R
when a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire
has been detected and displayed.
There is a possibility that the Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist could misjudge the given traffic sit-
uation. An inappropriate brake application may
be interrupted at any time if you: R
steer slightly in the opposite direction R
switch on the turn signal R
clearly brake or accelerate
A lane-correcting brake application is interrup-
ted automatically if: R
a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP ®
,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind Spot AssistR
lane markings are no longer detected Switching on Active Lane Keeping Assist X
Switch on Active Lane Keeping Assist using
the on-board computer; to do so, select
Standard or Adaptive ( Y
page 272).
If you drive at speeds above 40 mph
(60 km/h) and lane markings are detected,
the lines in the assistance graphics display
( Y
page 271) are shown in green. Active Lane
Keeping Assist is ready for use.
If Standard is selected, no warning vibration
occurs if: R
you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time. R
a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
When Adaptive
is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if: R
you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time. R
a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
. R
you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown. R
you brake hard. R
you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lanes quickly. R
you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
Towing a trailer When you attach a trailer, make sure you have
correctly established the electrical connection.
This can be accomplished by checking the trailer
lighting. Lane-correcting brake application does
not take place when towing a trailer. Active Lane
Keeping Assist is not activated and the lines in
the assistance graphic are gray.
Off-road driving systems
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel drive)
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are perma-
nently driven. Together with ESP ®
and 4ETS, it
improves the traction of your vehicle whenever
a drive wheel spins due to insufficient 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 conditions.
4MATIC is only an aid. You are responsible forDriving systems 235
Driving and parking Z

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 vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
! A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a two-axle dynamometer.
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.
i In 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"
( Y
page 186).
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 brak-
ing effect on the vehicle. When driving 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 acti-
vated 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
G WARNING
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 override
the laws of physics. DSR cannot take account of
road, weather and traffic conditions. DSR is only
an aid. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for brak-
ing in good time and for staying in your lane.
You are always responsible for keeping control
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, depend-
ing on road surface and tire conditions. Select a
set speed suitable for the prevailing conditions
and when necessary, apply the brakes manually.
Activating DSR
X
Press button C .
Indicator lamp D lights up.
The

ing characteristics of the automatic transmis-
sion are adapted for this purpose. ABS, ESP ®
and 4ETS programs especially adapted to off-
road driving are activated. An accelerator pedal
curve suitable for the terrain is selected, i.e. the
accelerator pedal must be depressed further to
accelerate.
Do not use the Offroad or Offroad Plus drive
programs on roads that are snow-covered or icy,
or if you have installed your vehicle with snow
chains.
Offroad drive program
C
DYNAMIC SELECT controllerD
Offroad program indicator lamp
Select the Offroad program for easily negotia-
ble off-road terrain, e.g. dirt tracks, gravel or
sandy surfaces. The engine's torque is restric-
ted to a limited degree and the drive wheels can
spin. The spinning wheels produce a cutting
effect for better traction. ABS, ESP ®
and 4ETS
programs especially adapted to off-road driving
are activated. A gentle accelerator pedal curve
is also selected, i.e. the accelerator pedal must
be depressed much further in order to acceler-
ate.
You can select the Offroad drive program at
speeds below 60 mph (96 km/h). The Drive
Program "Offroad" Max. Speed 60 mph
message appears in the multifunction display. If
you drive at speeds above 60 mph (96 km/h)
and select the Offroad drive program, the
Drive More Slowly message appears in the
multifunction display. The last active drive pro-
gram is selected again. Selecting the Offroad program X
To select a drive program: turn DYNAMIC
SELECT controller C until indicator lamp D
lights up.
The Drive program "Offroad" Max.
speed 60 mph message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
The vehicle is raised by +1.2 in (30 mm).
The vehicle changes from the Offroad drive pro-
gram to the Comfort drive program if you drive
faster than 70 mph (112 km/h).
The Drive more slowly message appears in
the multifunction display.
Offroad Plus drive program
C
DYNAMIC SELECT controller D
Offroad Plus drive program indicator lamp
Select the Offroad Plus drive program for rough
terrain, e.g. for steep and/or uneven terrain or
for driving on rocky terrain.
Your vehicle has an automatically activated dif-
ferential lock for the transfer case. It controls
the balance between the front and rear axles.
The differential lock improves the vehicle's trac-
tion. 4ETS ( Y
page 72) controls the balance
between both wheels on an axle.
Selecting the Offroad Plus drive program X
To select drive program: turn DYNAMIC
SELECT controller C until indicator lamp D
lights up.
The Drive program "Offroad Plus"
Max. speed 25 mph message appears in the
multifunction display. R
The Offroad Plus program is selected and
the vehicle is raised by +1.2 in (30 mm)
compared with the Offroad drive program.R
DSR is switched on. R
The differential lock is closed.238
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Highway driving When driving on a highway, switching off the
combustion engine has a particularly positive
effect on fuel consumption and emissions.
If the driver removes his/her foot from the
accelerator pedal in the Comfort drive program
and a speed of 80 mph (130 km/h) is not excee-
ded, the combustion engine is automatically
switched off.
Further information on the automatic engine
switch-off ( Y
page 253).
ECO start/stop function General notes The ECO start/stop function switches the com-
bustion engine off automatically when the vehi-
cle stops moving and at speeds below 80 mph
(130 km/h) ( Y
page 253).
All vehicle systems remain active, e.g. the auto-
matic climate control.
The ECO start/stop function is neither available
in the Sport drive program nor during manual
shifting.
Automatic engine switch-off The engine is switched off automatically, includ-
ing when: R
the driver removes his/her foot from the
accelerator in the Comfort drive program and
a speed of 80 mph (130 km/h) is not excee-
ded ( Y
page 253)R
the engine has reached its operating temper-
ature R
the driver’s seat belt is fastened and the
driver’s door is closed R
the driver only slightly depresses the accel-
erator pedal in order to, for example, maintain
the current speed for a limited distance R
the hood is closed and engaged properly R
the high-voltage battery is charged suffi-
ciently R
no malfunctions are present in the hybrid
drive system
The internal combustion engine will not be
switched off automatically, if: R
the self-diagnosis function of the engine man-
agement is active R
there is a malfunction in the hybrid drive sys-
tem R
the climate control of the vehicle requires it R
the high-voltage battery is being charged
( Y
page 248)
Automatic engine start The automatically switched-off internal combus-
tion engine starts automatically in certain situa-
tions, if: R
the power demand from the driver via the
accelerator pedal is greater than the electric
motor alone can provide R
the driver switches to the Sport drive pro-
gram or to manual gearshifting R
the condition of charge of the high-voltage
battery has reached the lower limit R
the driver has selected the CHARGE operating
mode
Overrun mode In overrun mode, the combustion engine is
switched off and is disconnected from the drive
train. The electric motor: R
generates low thrust, which corresponds to
the overrun mode of an active combustion
engine R
functions as a generator and produces the
necessary energy for the auxiliary consumers
and charges the high-voltage battery
Overrun mode is available in the Comfort drive
program at speeds below 80 mph (130 km/h).
Route-based operating strategy For the route-based operating strategy, the sys-
tem factors in information about the expected
route when route guidance is active.
The information on the route is provided by the
multimedia system and includes the following: R
road categories R
speed limitations
The use of electric energy is automatically opti-
mally distributed from the beginning to the end
of the journey, using information about the
route. The distribution is pre-emptive and takes
into consideration: R
the sections of the journey ahead R
the energy consumption on the whole routePLUG-IN HYBRID operation 253
Driving and parking Z

The condition of charge of the high-voltage bat-
tery is thus systematically controlled. In addi-
tion, the control function takes into account
that: R
the fuel saving through the use of electrical
energy can vary, dependent on the route (e.g.
urban, interurban or highway) R
the use of electrical energy is held available
for electric driving, particularly for urban
routes
The vehicle thus automatically selects the opti-
mum driving mode for the respective section of
the route.
The route-based operating strategy is available
under the following conditions: R
the Individual drive program is selectedR
in the Individual drive program, the ECO set-
ting is selected under Drive R
HYBRID driving mode is selectedR
active route guidance is activated R
suitable map data is available
When the route-based operating strategy is
being used, the area in front of the vehicle is
shown as green in the multifunction display.
Parking X
Apply the electric parking brake.
The red $ indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up. X
Use the DIRECT SELECT lever to shift the
automatic transmission to P .X
Switch the ignition off.
The READY indicator in the instrument cluster
goes out.
Further information on parking and switching off
the internal combustion engine ( Y
page 179).254
PLUG-IN HYBRID operation
Driving and parking

Hybrid drive system Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The hybrid drive system
has been switched off
automatically. You have been in an accident.
The hybrid drive system remains switched off if: R
the internal combustion engine cannot be restarted after a few
seconds. R
the red u restraint system warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter is lit. X
Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
The hybrid drive system
has been switched off
automatically. The multi-
function display also
shows a display mes-
sage. An electrical short circuit has occurred in the hybrid drive system or an
electrical connection has been disconnected. X
Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction dis-
play ( Y
page 280). X
Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
Towing a trailer
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Installing an unsuitable ball coupling may
result in overloading of the trailer tow hitch
and the rear axle. This applies especially if the
ball coupling in question is longer or angled
differently. This could seriously impair the
driving characteristics and the trailer can
come loose. There is a risk of an accident.
You should only ever install a ball coupling
that has the permissible dimensions and that
is designed to meet your trailer-towing
requirements. Do not modify the ball coupling
or the trailer tow hitch.
You will find the values approved by the manu-
facturer on the vehicle identification plates and
those for the towing vehicle under "Technical
data" ( Y
page 445).
G WARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed correctly or
not secured with the bolt provided and the
corresponding spring cotter, the trailer may
come loose. There is a risk of an accident.
Always install and secure the ball coupling as
described. Before every journey, ensure that the ball coupling is secured with the bolt and
the corresponding spring cotter.
G WARNING
When the vehicle/trailer combination begins
to lurch, you could lose control of it. The vehi-
cle/trailer combination could even rollover.
There is a risk of an accident.
On no account should you attempt to
straighten up the vehicle/trailer combination
by increasing the speed. Reduce vehicle
speed and do not countersteer. Apply the
brake as necessary.
Please observe the manufacturer's operating
instructions for the trailer coupling if a detach-
able trailer coupling is used.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If you
do not couple the trailer to the towing vehicle
correctly, the trailer could become detached.
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded: R
the permissible trailer drawbar noseweight R
the permissible trailer load R
the permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle R
the maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer256
Towing a trailer
Driving and parking