2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV Owners Manual

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The fuel filler flap cannot
be opened. The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
X Unlock the vehicle (Y page 81). The key battery is weak or discharged.
X Unlock the vehicle using the emergency key element (Y page 83).The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jammed.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. AdBlue
®
(BlueTEC vehicles only)
General notes To function properly, BlueTEC exhaust gas after-
treatment must be operated with the reducing
agent AdBlue ®
. Topping up AdBlue ®
is part of
the maintenance work. Under normal operating
conditions, a full tank of AdBlue ®
should last
until the next service due date.
When the supply of AdBlue ®
is down to approx-
imately 3.8 l, the Refill AdBlue See Own‐ Refill AdBlue See Own‐
er's Manual er's Manual message is shown in the multi-
function display.
X Add at least 3.8 lof AdBlue ®
.
X Switch on the ignition for at least 60 seconds.
X Start the engine.
i You can also have the AdBlue ®
tank refilled
at a qualified specialist workshop.
Before driving your vehicle outside Europe, have
the AdBlue ®
supply checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Further information about BlueTEC exhaust gas
aftertreatment and about AdBlue ®
can
be obtained from any Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
Important safety notes AdBlue
®
is a water-soluble fluid for the exhaust
gas aftertreatment of diesel engines. It is:
R non-toxic
R colourless and odourless
R non-flammable
If you open the AdBlue ®
tank, small amounts of
ammonia vapour may be released. Ammonia vapours have a pungent odour and are
particularly irritating to the skin, mucous mem-
branes and eyes. You may experience a burning sensation in your eyes, nose and throat. You
may also experience coughing and watery eyes.
Do not inhale any ammonia vapours that may be
released. Only fill the AdBlue ®
tank in well-ven-
tilated areas.
Do not swallow AdBlue ®
or let it come into con-
tact with skin, eyes or clothing. Keep AdBlue ®
away from children.
If you or others come into contact with AdBlue ®
,
observe the following:
R immediately rinse AdBlue ®
off your skin with
soap and water.
R if AdBlue ®
comes into contact with your eyes,
immediately rinse them thoroughly with clean water. Seek medical attention immediately.
R if AdBlue ®
is swallowed, immediately rinse
your mouth out thoroughly. Drink plenty of
water. Seek medical attention immediately.
R change immediately out of clothing that has
come into contact with AdBlue ®
.
! Only use AdBlue ®
in accordance with
ISO 22241. Do not mix any additives with
AdBlue ®
, and do not dilute AdBlue ®
with
water. This may destroy the BlueTEC exhaust
gas aftertreatment system.
! In order to fill the AdBlue ®
tank, the vehicle
must be parked on a level surface. The
AdBlue ®
tank can only be filled as intended
with the vehicle parked on a level surface.
Fluctuations in capacity will thus be avoided.
Filling a vehicle standing on an uneven sur-
face is not permitted. There is a danger of
overfilling, which can cause damage to Blue-
TEC exhaust gas aftertreatment components. 166
RefuellingDriving and parking

!
Surfaces which have come into contact with
AdBlue ®
while refilling should be rinsed
immediately with water, or remove AdBlue ®
with a moist cloth and cold water. If AdBlue ®
has already crystallised, use a sponge and
cold water to clean the area. AdBlue ®
residue
crystallises after a certain amount of time and soils the affected surfaces.
! AdBlue ®
is not a fuel additive and must not
be added to the fuel tank. If AdBlue ®
is added
to the fuel tank, this can lead to engine dam-
age.
Have the AdBlue ®
tank refilled at a qualified
specialist workshop. However, you can also top
up the AdBlue ®
tank:
R at a filling station with an AdBlue ®
filling pump
R with AdBlue ®
refill bottles
R with an AdBlue ®
refill canister
When the pump nozzle switches off automati-
cally during filling at a filling pump, the AdBlue ®
tank has been completely filled. Do not fill the
AdBlue ®
tank any further. AdBlue ®
may leak
out.
To avoid transporting already opened refill con-
tainers in the vehicle, completely empty refill
bottles or canisters when filling the AdBlue ®
tank, if possible.
Further information on AdBlue ®
(Y page 384).
Opening/closing the AdBlue ®
filler cap The fuel filler flap is unlocked or locked auto-
matically when you open or close the vehicle
with the key or using KEYLESS-GO.
X To open:switch the ignition off.
X Press the fuel filler flap in the direction of
arrow :.
The fuel filler flap swings open. X
Turn blue AdBlue ®
fuel filler cap ;anti-clock-
wise and remove it.
AdBlue ®
filler cap ;is secured with a plastic
strip.
X To close: fit AdBlue®
filler cap ;on the filler
neck and turn it clockwise.
X To close the fuel filler flap, press it in the
direction of arrow :.
X Drive faster than 15 km/h.
The Refill AdBlue See Owner's Manual Refill AdBlue See Owner's Manual
message goes out after approximately one
minute.
i If the
Refill AdBlue See Owner's Man‐ Refill AdBlue See Owner's Man‐
ual
ual message continues to be shown in the
multifunction display, you must top up with
more AdBlue ®
.
AdBlue ®
refill canisters !
Do not tighten the disposable hose too
firmly. The disposable hose could otherwise
be damaged and AdBlue ®
may leak out. X
Unscrew the cap from the opening on top of
AdBlue ®
refill canister ;.
X Place disposable hose :on the opening of
AdBlue ®
refill canister ;and screw it on
clockwise until hand-tight.
Disposable hose :remains closed until you
fasten disposable hose :to the AdBlue ®
filler neck of the vehicle. Refuelling
167Driving and parking Z

X
Place disposable hose :on the filler neck on
the vehicle and screw it on clockwise until
hand-tight. When you feel resistance, dispos- able hose :is sufficiently secured.
X Lift up and tip AdBlue ®
refill canister ;.
Filling stops when the AdBlue ®
tank is com-
pletely filled. Do not fill the AdBlue ®
tank any
further. AdBlue ®
refill canister ;can be
removed when it has been only partially emp-
tied.
X Turn disposable hose :on the filler neck of
the vehicle anti-clockwise and remove it.
X Turn disposable hose :on the opening of
AdBlue ®
refill canister ;anti-clockwise and
remove it.
X Reseal AdBlue ®
refill canister ;with the cap.
AdBlue ®
refill canisters are available at many
filling stations or at a qualified specialist work-
shop. AdBlue ®
refill canisters are often sold with
a filler hose. A filler hose that does not exactly fit
the vehicle's AdBlue ®
tank offers no overfill pro-
tection. AdBlue ®
may leak out as a result of
overfilling. Mercedes-Benz offers a special dis-
posable hose with overfill protection. You can
obtain this from any Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre. AdBlue ®
is available in a variety of con-
tainers and receptacles. Use the disposable
hose only with the Mercedes-Benz AdBlue ®
refill
canisters.
AdBlue ®
refill bottle !
Only screw on the AdBlue ®
refill bottle so
that it is hand-tight. Otherwise, the thread of
the AdBlue ®
refill bottle could be damaged
and AdBlue ®
could leak out. X
Unscrew the protective cap from AdBlue ®
refill bottle :.
X Place AdBlue ®
refill bottle :on the filler
neck as shown and screw it on clockwise until hand-tight.
X Press AdBlue ®
refill bottle :towards the
filler neck.
The AdBlue ®
tank is filled. This could take up
to one minute.
i When AdBlue ®
refill bottle :is no longer
pressed, filling stops and the bottle may be
taken off again after being only partially emp- tied.
X Release AdBlue ®
refill bottle :.
X Turn AdBlue ®
refill bottle :anti-clockwise
and remove it.
X Screw the protective cap onto AdBlue ®
refill
bottle :again.
AdBlue ®
refill bottles are available at many fill-
ing stations or at a qualified specialist work-
shop. Refill bottles without a threaded seal offer
no overfill protection. AdBlue ®
may leak out as a
result of overfilling. Mercedes-Benz offers spe-
cial refill bottles with a threaded cap. These are
available at any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rial can come into contact with hot vehicle 168
ParkingDriving and parking

components. In particular, do not park on dry
grassland or harvested grain fields. G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position P
R start the engine
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
! Always secure the vehicle correctly against
rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle or its driv-
etrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is safeguarded
against rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parking brake must be applied.
R the transmission must be in position Pand the
key must be removed from the ignition lock
R the front wheels must be turned towards the
kerb on steep uphill or downhill gradients
R the empty vehicle must be secured at the
front axle with a wheel chock or similar
object, for example, on uphill or downhill gra- dients
R a laden vehicle must also be secured at the
rear axle with a wheel chock or similar object,
for example, on uphill or downhill gradients Switching off the engine
G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi- cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X With the key: turn the key to position 0in the
ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X With KEYLESS-GO:
Press the Start/Stop button (Y
page 148).
The engine stops and all the indicator lamps
on the instrument cluster go out.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position Ror D, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to Nautomatically.
If you then open the driver's or front-passenger door, the automatic transmission shifts to P.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral N, e.g. when having the vehicle
cleaned in an automatic car wash with a towing
system:
X Vehicles with a key: switch on the ignition.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock.
X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
X Switch the ignition on.
X All vehicles: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
X Shift to neutral N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the key in the
ignition lock.
i You can switch off the engine while the vehi-
cle is in motion by pressing and holding the
Start/Stop button for about three seconds.
This function operates independently of the
ECO start/stop automatic engine switch-off
function. Parking
169Driving and parking Z

Electric parking brake
General notes G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position P
R start the engine
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
The function of the electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
board voltage is low or the system is malfunc-
tioning, it may not be possible to apply the
released parking brake.
X If this is the case, park the vehicle only on
level ground and secure it to prevent it from
rolling away.
X Shift the automatic transmission to position
P.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or
the system is malfunctioning. Contact a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
i The electric parking brake carries out a func-
tion check at regular intervals when the
engine is switched off. Noises that occur are
normal. Applying or releasing manually X
To apply: push handle :.
When the electric parking brake is applied,
the red !indicator lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
i The electric parking brake can also be
applied when the key is removed.
X To release: pull handle:.
The red !indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
i The electric parking brake can be released
only:
R when the key is in position 1in the ignition
lock (Y page 148) or
R if the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button
To ensure that you do not roll backwards when
pulling away on an uphill slope, apply the electric parking brake (Y page 151).
Applying automatically The electric parking brake is automatically
applied when the transmission is in position
P
and:
R The engine is switched off or
R The driver is not wearing a seat belt and the
driver's door is opened
To prevent the electric parking brake from being automatically applied, pull handle :.
The electric parking brake is also applied auto-
matically if:
R Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brings the vehicle
to a standstill or
R The HOLD function is keeping the vehicle sta-
tionary
R Parking Pilot is keeping the vehicle stationary 170
ParkingDriving and parking

In addition, at least one of the following condi-
tions must be fulfilled:
R The engine is switched off
R The driver is not wearing a seat belt and the
driver's door is opened
R The system is malfunctioning
R The power supply is insufficient
R The vehicle is stationary for a lengthy period
The red !indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
The electric parking brake is not automatically
applied if the engine is switched off by the ECO
start/stop function.
Releasing automatically The electric parking brake is released automat-
ically when all of the following conditions are
fulfilled:
R the engine is running.
R the transmission is in position Dor R
R the seat belt is fastened
R you depress the accelerator pedal
If the transmission is in position R, the boot lid
must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled for the electric park-
ing brake to be released automatically:
R the driver's door is closed
R you have shifted out of transmission position
P or you have previously driven faster than
3 km/h
i Ensure that you do not depress the accel-
erator pedal unintentionally. Otherwise, the
parking brake will be released and the vehicle will start to move. Emergency braking The vehicle can also be braked during an emer-
gency by using the electric parking brake.
X While driving, push handle :of the electric
parking brake.
The vehicle is braked for as long as the handle of the electric parking brake is pressed. The
longer the electric parking brake handle is
depressed, the greater the braking force.
During braking:
R a warning tone sounds
R the Release Release park.
park.brake
brakemessage appears
R the red !indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes
When the vehicle has been braked to a stand-
still, the electric parking brake is applied. Parking up the vehicle
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer than
six weeks, it may suffer from lack of use.
X Contact a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice.
i You can obtain information on trickle charg-
ers from a qualified specialist workshop. Parking
171Driving and parking Z

Driving tips
General notes
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
Drive sensibly – save fuel Observe the following tips to save fuel:
X The tyres should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tyre pressure.
X Remove unnecessary loads.
X Remove roof carriers when they are not nee-
ded.
X Warm up the engine at low engine speeds.
X Avoid frequent acceleration or braking.
X Have all maintenance work carried out as
indicated by the service intervals in the Ser-
vice Booklet or by the service interval display.
Fuel consumption also increases when driving in
cold weather, in stop-start traffic, on short jour- neys and in hilly terrain. ECO display
The ECO display shows you how economical
your driving style is. The ECO display assists you in achieving the most economical driving style
for the selected settings and prevailing condi-
tions. Consumption can be significantly influ-
enced by your driving style. :
Acceleration
; Coasting
= Constant
? Additional range achieved
Range ?is shown under Bonus Bonusfr.
fr.start
start and
represents the additional range achieved since
the beginning of the journey as a result of an
adapted driving style.
If the fuel level has dropped into the reserve
range, the Reserve fuel Reserve fuel message is shown in
the multifunction display instead of range ?. In
addition, the 8warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up (Y page 298).172
Driving tipsDriving and pa
rking

The ECO display consists of three sections, with
an inner and outer area. The sections corre-
spond to the following three categories: :
Acceleration
(evaluation of all accel-
eration processes):
R the outer area fills up and the inner
area lights up green: moderate
acceleration, especially at higher
speeds
R the outer area empties and the
inner area is grey: sporty acceler-
ation ;
Coasting
(evaluation of all decelera-
tion processes):
R the outer area fills up and the inner
area lights up green: anticipatory
driving, keeping your distance and
early release of the accelerator.
The vehicle can coast without use
of the brakes.
R the outer area empties and the
inner area is grey: frequent heavy
braking =
Constant
(continuous evaluation
over the entire journey):
R the outer area fills up and the inner
area lights up green: constant
speed and avoidance of unneces-
sary acceleration and deceleration
R the outer area empties and the
inner area is grey: fluctuations in
speed The three inner areas display the current driving
style and light up green as a result of a particu-
larly economical driving style. Depending on the driving situation, up to two areas may light up
simultaneously.
At the beginning of the journey, the three outer
areas are empty and fill up as a result of eco-
nomical driving. A higher level indicates a more
economical driving style. If the three outer areas
are completely filled at the same time, the driver
has adopted the most economical driving style
for the selected settings and prevailing condi-
tions. The ECO display border lights up.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual fuel consumption. The additionally achieved range
displayed under Bonus fr. start
Bonus fr. start does not
indicate a fixed consumption reduction. In addition to driving style, the actual consump-
tion is affected by other factors, such as:
R load
R tyre pressure
R cold start
R choice of route
R the use of electrical consumers
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style involves driving at a moderate engine speed.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant":
R observe the gearshift recommendation
R drive the vehicle in the Comfortdrive pro-
gram.
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on the
motorway, only the outer area for "Constant"
will change.
The ECO display summarises the driving style
from the start of the journey to its completion.
Therefore, there are more marked changes in
the outer areas at the start of a journey. During a prolonged driving time, these changes are
smaller. For more marked changes, perform a
manual reset (Y page 245).
Further information on the ECO display
(Y page 245). Braking
Important safety notes G
WARNING
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.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients Do not depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by constantly applying light
pressure to the pedal. This results in excessive
and premature wear to the brake pads. Driving tips
173Driving and parking Z