2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV belt

has caused the system to be deactivated, the
è orç ECO symbol is not displayed.
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 with the
transmission in Dor N, the ECO start/stop func-
tion switches off the engine automatically.
The ECO start/stop function is operational and
the è ECO symbol is displayed on the mul-
tifunction display, if:
R the indicator lamp in the ECO button is lit
green
R the Sport Plus orSport drive program is not
selected (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R none of the off-road programs are selected
R the outside temperature is within the range
that is suitable for the system
R the engine is at normal operating temperature
R the set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached
R the battery is sufficiently charged
R the system does not detect moisture on the
windscreen when the air-conditioning system
is switched on
R the bonnet is closed
R the driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened
If all conditions for automatic engine switch-off
are not fulfilled, the çECO symbol is shown.
All the vehicle's systems remain active when the
engine is switched off automatically.
The HOLD function can 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
switch-off, then three subsequent switch-offs).
The ç ECO symbol is shown in the multi-
function display after the engine has been star-
ted automatically for the fourth time. When the
è ECO symbol is shown in the multifunction display, automatic engine switch-off is possible
again.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the number of con-
secutive automatic engine stops is unlimited.
Automatic engine start The engine is started automatically if:
R you deactivate the ECO start/stop function
by pressing the ECO button
R in transmission position Dor N, the brake
pedal is released and the HOLD function is not active
R you depress the accelerator pedal
R you engage reverse gear R
R you move the transmission out of position P
R you switch to the Sport PlusorSport drive
program (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R you activate manual gearshifting (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
R you switch to the Offroaddrive program
(vehicles without Off-Road Engineering pack- age)
R you switch to the OffroadorOffroad Plus
drive program (vehicles with Off-Road Engi-
neering package)
R you unfasten your seat belt or open the driv-
er's door
R the vehicle starts to roll
R the brake system requires this
R the temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range
R the system detects moisture on the wind-
screen when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
R the battery's charge status is too low
Shifting the transmission to position Pdoes not
start the engine.
If you shift the transmission from Rto D, the
ECO start/stop function is available again as
soon as the èsymbol reappears on the mul-
tifunction display. 152
DrivingDriving and parking

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

B
To switch between Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC and the variable speed limiter
C To deactivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the variable
speed limiter.
LIM indicator lamp =on the cruise control lever
indicates which function you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp= =off:distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp= =on:variable speed lim-
iter is selected.
Selecting Distance Pilot DISTRONIC X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off.
If it is off, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is already
selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp =in the cruise control
lever goes out. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
selected.
Activating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC Activation conditions
To activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
R The engine must be running. It may take up to
two minutes of driving before Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is ready for use.
R The electric parking brake must be released.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not interven-
ing.
R The transmission must be in position D.
R The driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
R The front-passenger door and the rear doors
must be closed.
R The Offroad Plus drive program must be deac-
tivated (vehicles with the Off-Road Engineer-
ing package).
R DSR must be deactivated.
R The vehicle must not be skidding.
R The Distance Pilot DISTRONIC function must
be selected (Y page 186). Activating
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?, up :or down A.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the Distance Pilot passive
Distance Pilot passive mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. The
set distance to a slower-moving vehicle in
front will then not be maintained. The position of the accelerator pedal will determine the
speed.
You can also activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC when stationary. The lowest speed that can be
set is 30 km/h.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?, up :or down A.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated.
Activating at the current speed/last
stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or brakes. If you do not know
what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
The first time Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
activated, it stores the current speed or reg-
ulates the speed of the vehicle to the stored
speed. 186
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Stopping
G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects that the
vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle to a stop.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
After a short period, the vehicle is secured by
the electric parking brake, thus relieving the
service brake.
Depending on the specified minimum distance,
your vehicle will come to a standstill at a suffi-
cient distance behind the vehicle in front. The
specified minimum distance is set using the
control on the cruise control lever.
The transmission is shifted automatically to
position P if, with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
activated and the vehicle stationary:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's seat
belt is unfastened
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if, with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC activated and the vehicle stationary:
R a system fault occurs.
R the power supply is insufficient. On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there is
a malfunction, the transmission may also be
automatically shifted into position P.
Setting a speed Bear in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the set speed.
X Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down Afor a lower speed
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until the
desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored. Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is activated and adjusts the vehi-
cle's speed to the new speed stored.
X To adjust the set speed in1 km/hincre-
ments:
briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down Ato the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decreases
in 1 km/h increments.
X To adjust the set speed in10 km/hincre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down Abeyond the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decreases
in 10 km/h increments.
i If you accelerate to overtake, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Setting the specified minimum distance You can set the specified minimum distance for
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC by varying the time
span between one and two seconds. With this
function, you can set the minimum distance that
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC maintains to the vehi- cle in front, dependent on the vehicle speed. You 188
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Always select as low a vehicle level as possi-
ble and adjust your driving style accordingly. G
WARNING
When driving with a lowered or raised chassis frame, the driving and braking characteristics
may be seriously affected. A raised chassis
frame may also exceed the permissible vehi-
cle height. There is a risk of an accident.
Set the driving level before pulling away. G
WARNING
Due to the high centre of gravity, the vehicle
may start to skid and overturn in the event of abrupt steering manoeuvres 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 clear-
ance. You will otherwise damage the vehicle.
R SUVs overturn considerably more often than
other vehicle types.
If this vehicle is not driven in a safe manner, it can lead to an accident, to the vehicle over-
turning as well as serious or even fatal inju-
ries.
R In the event of an accident with the vehicle
overturning, passengers who are not wearing
their seat belt are considerably more likely to die than passengers wearing their seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should always
wear your seat belts.
Basic settings The extent to which the vehicle is raised or low-
ered depends on the basic setting selected.
Select:
R the Comfort orSport drive program for driv-
ing on normal roads
R the Offroad drive program for driving on eas-
ily negotiable off-road terrain
R the Offroad Plus drive program for off-road
driving R
Offroad level 1 for driving on easily negotiable
off-road terrain
R Offroad level 2 for driving on normal off-road
terrain
R Offroad level 3 for freeing the vehicle from
especially difficult off-road terrain at low
speeds
The individual vehicle levels differ from the nor- mal level as follows:
R –15 mm in the Sportdrive program
R +/–0 mm in the Comfortdrive program
R + 30 mm in the Offroaddrive program
R + 60 mm in the Offroad Plusdrive program
R + 30 mm in offroad level 1
R + 60 mm in offroad level 2
R + 90 mm in offroad level 3
Setting the vehicle level !
Make sure there is enough ground clear-
ance when the vehicle is being lowered. It
could otherwise hit the ground, damaging the
underbody. Setting the vehicle level using the selector
wheel
X Start the engine.
X Press selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
X To raise the vehicle: turn selector wheel :
clockwise ;.
The vehicle is raised.
X To lower the vehicle: turn selector wheel :
anti-clockwise ?.
The vehicle is lowered.
During the adjustment, the Lowering
Lowering orVehi‐ Vehi‐
cle
cle rising
rising message appears in the multifunc-
tion display. Driving systems
193Driving and parking Z

Deactivate the HOLD function (Y
page 196).
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
R the driver's door is closed or if your seat belt
is fastened
R the electric parking brake is released
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N
R Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions are
met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until :appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
R you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a cer-
tain amount of pressure until :disappears
from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric park-
ing brake.
R you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC. i
After a short period, the vehicle is secured
by the electric parking brake, thus relieving
the service brake.
When the HOLD function is activated, the trans-
mission is shifted automatically to position Pif:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's seat
belt is unfastened
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated,
the vehicle is stationary and:
R a system fault occurs.
R the power supply is insufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there is
a malfunction, the transmission may also be
automatically shifted into position P. AIRMATIC package
General notes AIRMATIC is an air suspension system with var-
iable damping for improved driving comfort.
Level control ensures the best possible suspen- sion and constant ground clearance, even with a laden vehicle. When you drive at speed, the
vehicle is lowered automatically to improve driv-
ing safety and to reduce fuel consumption. You
also have the option of manually adjusting the
vehicle level.
AIRMATIC consists of:
R level settings
R level control and
R ADS or ADS PLUS (Adaptive Damping Sys-
tem)
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): your vehicle may also be equipped with
the ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM (Y page 198).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles : your vehicle is equip-
ped with the ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM
(Y page 198).
Observe the notes on driving with a trailer
(Y page 234).
The vehicle level can be set using the DYNAMIC
SELECT controller (Y page 155)or the level but-
ton (Y page 198). The setting always corre-
sponds to the last function selected. 196
Driving systemsDriving and parking

If this vehicle is not driven in a safe manner, it
can lead to an accident, to the vehicle over-
turning as well as serious or even fatal inju-
ries.
R In the event of an accident with the vehicle
overturning, passengers who are not wearing
their seat belt are considerably more likely to die than passengers wearing their seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should always
wear your seat belts.
General notes
Only select raised level if this is appropriate for
the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel consump-
tion may increase and handling may be affected.
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 possible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you park
the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the vehicle
level lowers; with an increase in temperature,
the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load discrep-
ancies while still parked. However, for signifi-
cant level changes, e.g. after the vehicle has
been stationary for a long period, the engine
must be running. For safety reasons, the vehicle is only lowered when the doors are closed. Low-
ering is interrupted if a door is opened; it con-
tinues once the door has been closed.
Vehicles with no trailer coupled: below a
speed of 60 km/h, you can choose between the
normal and raised vehicle level. Select the nor-
mal vehicle level for normal road conditions and
the raised vehicle level when using snow chains or if the road conditions are very poor. Your
selection remains stored even if you remove the
key from the ignition lock. If you try to select
raised level at a speed above 60 km/h, the
Please
Please reduce reducespeed
speedmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
Vehicles with a trailer coupled: below a speed
of 30 km/h, you can choose between the nor-
mal and raised vehicle level. Setting the raised vehicle level X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;flashes while the vehicle is
being raised, and lights up continuously as
soon as the vehicle reaches the desired level.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): the vehicle is raised by 60 mm com-
pared to the normal level.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the vehicle is
raised by 50 mm compared to the normal
level.
The Vehicle rising Vehicle rising message appears in the
multifunction display.
The message remains until the raised level is
reached.
If you press the %ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear.
The raised vehicle level setting is cancelled if
you:
R drive at speeds above 60 km/h (all vehicles
except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R drive at speeds above 70 km/h (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
R drive at speeds between 65 km/h and
70 km/h for approximately 20 seconds
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R drive at speeds above 30 km/h with a trailer
The raised level remains saved when you are not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal vehicle level
! Make sure there is enough ground clear-
ance when the vehicle is being lowered. It
could otherwise hit the ground, damaging the
underbody. Driving systems
199Driving and parking Z