2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV display

Brake pads/linings and discs that are either new
or have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilometres
of driving. Compensate for the reduced braking
effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal. Always be aware of this and adapt your
driving and braking accordingly during the run-
ning-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. If you regularly drive at high
speeds, it is particularly important to have the
brake system checked and maintained regu-
larly. Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth on
the road surface, there is a danger of aquaplan-
ing occurring, even if:
R you are driving at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, drive in the following manner in
the event of heavy rain or in conditions in which aquaplaning can occur:
R lower your speed
R avoid tyre ruts
R avoid sudden steering movements
R brake carefully
Driving on flooded roads !
Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in front
or in the opposite direction create waves. This may cause the maximum permissible water
depth to be exceeded.
These notes must be observed under all cir-
cumstances. You could otherwise damage
the engine, the electronics or the transmis-
sion.
If you must drive on stretches of road on which
water has collected, please bear in mind that:
R in the case of standing water, the water level
must be no higher than the lower edge of the vehicle body
R you should drive no faster than walking pace 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 neighbouring 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.
R Establish how deep the water is and the char-
acteristics of the body of water before ford-
ing.
R Select the highest possible vehicle level.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel gearshift paddle.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Enter and exit the water at a flat place and at
a steady walking pace.
R Drive slowly and at a constant speed through
the water.
R Ensure that a bow wave does not form as you
drive.
R Do not stop and do not switch off the engine.
Water offers a high degree of resistance, the
ground is slippery and, in some cases, unsta- ble. Therefore, it is difficult and dangerous to
pull away in the water.
R Clean any mud from the tyre tread after ford-
ing.
R Apply the brakes to dry them after fording.
Always observe the fording depth values
(Y page 388). Winter driving
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. G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases Driving tips
175Driving and parking
Z

Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or accel-
erating can cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and the
variable speed limiter
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and the variable
speed limiter with the cruise control lever.
LIM indicator lamp ;on the cruise control lever
indicates which function you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp; ;off:cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp ;
;on: variable speed lim-
iter is selected.
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display for
five seconds. In addition, the ésymbol
appears in the multifunction display.
Speedometer with segments: when cruise
control is activated, the segments from the
stored speed to the maximum permitted speed
light up. Selecting cruise control X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the electric parking brake must be released.
R you are driving faster than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not interven-
ing.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R DSR must be deactivated.
R the Offroad Plus drive program must be deac-
tivated (vehicles with the Off-Road Engineer-
ing package).
R the cruise control function must be selected
(Y page 181).
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining the speed
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle auto-
matically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by auto-
matically braking the vehicle.
Storing or calling up the 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 Driving systems
181Driving and parking
Z

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.
Cruise control is on and, when activated for
the first time, accepts the current speed or it
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the speed
stored.
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 ?for 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.
X To adjust the set speed in1 km/hincre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?to 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 ?beyond the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decreases
in 10 km/h increments.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For example, if
you accelerate briefly to overtake, cruise con-
trol adjusts the vehicle's speed to the speed
stored after you have finished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise con-
trol:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards
=.
or
X Brake. or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow ;.
The variable speed limiter is selected. LIM
indicator lamp :in the cruise control lever is
on.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if: R you apply the electric parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
engages or you deactivate ESP ®
R you activate DSR
R you activate the Offroad Plus program (vehi-
cles with the Off-Road Engineering package)
R you shift the transmission to position Nwhile
driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐
Cruise con‐
trol off trol off message in the multifunction display
for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Speed limiter
General notes The speed limiter brakes automatically so that
you do not exceed the set speed. You must
select a lower gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the vehi-
cle is laden or towing a trailer. By doing so, you
will make use of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and wear-ing too quickly.
You can set a variable or permanent limit speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up areas
R permanent for long-term speed restrictions,
e.g. when driving with winter tyres fitted
(Y page 184)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, the speed
limiter can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. The speed lim-
iter cannot take into account road, weather or
traffic conditions. The speed limiter is only an 182
Driving systemsDriving and parking

aid. You are responsible for the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time and for staying in lane.
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver
of the speed stored.
Variable speed limiter Cruise control lever
:
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control or Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC and the variable
speed limiter
B To switch off the variable speed limiter
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or 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:cruise control or
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp; ;on:variable speed lim-
iter is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit the
speed to any speed above 30 km/h while the
engine is running.
Selecting speed limiter If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is on.
If it is on, the variable speed limiter is already
selected. If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever is on. The variable speed limiter is selec-
ted.
Storing the current speed You can use the cruise control lever to limit the
speed to any speed above 30 km/h while the
engine is running.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?.
The current speed is stored and shown in the
multifunction display.
Speedometer with segments: the seg-
ments light up from the start of the scale up to
the stored speed limit.
The segments in the multifunction display
light up from the start of the scale up to the
stored speed.
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
Setting a speed
X To adjust the set speed in10 km/hincre-
ments:briefly press the cruise control lever
up : beyond the pressure point for a higher
speed, or down ?for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed beyond
the pressure point until the desired speed is
set. Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in1 km/hincre-
ments:briefly press the cruise control lever Driving systems
183Driving and parking Z

up
: to the pressure point for a higher speed
or down ?for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is set.
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
Switching the speed limiter to passive
If you depress the accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point (kickdown), the speed limiter is
switched to passive mode. The Limiter pas‐
Limiter pas‐
sive sive message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
You can then exceed the stored speed. The
speed limiter is activated again if you:
R drive slower than the stored speed without
kickdown
R set a new speed or
R call up the last speed stored again
The Limiter passive
Limiter passive message in the multi-
function display disappears.
Switching off the variable speed limiter There are several ways to deactivate the varia-
ble speed limiter:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards
B.
or X Briefly move the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. The variable speed limiter is
switched off.
Cruise control or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is selected.
You cannot switch the variable speed limiter off
by braking.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
Permanent limiter
You can use the on-board computer to perma-
nently limit the speed to a value between
160 km/h(e.g. for driving on winter tyres) and
the maximum design speed (Y page 252).
Shortly before the stored speed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction display.
The permanent speed limiter remains active
even if the variable speed limiter is deactivated. You cannot exceed the stored limit speed, even
if you depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point (kickdown). Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
General notes Distance Pilot DISTRONIC regulates the speed
and automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. Vehicles
are detected with the aid of the radar sensor
system. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brakes auto-
matically so that the set speed is not exceeded.
You must select a lower gear in good time on
long and steep downhill gradients, especially if
the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. By doing
so, you will make use of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects that there is
a risk of a collision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically. Without your intervention, Dis- tance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot prevent a colli-
sion. An intermittent warning tone will then
sound and the distance warning lamp will light
up in the instrument cluster. Brake immediately to increase the distance to the vehicle in front,
or take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
For Distance Pilot DISTRONIC to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must be
operational.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC operates in the range
between 0 km/h and 200 km/h.
Do not use Distance Pilot DISTRONIC while driv- ing on roads with steep gradients.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC does not recognise
R people or animals
R stationary objects on the road, e.g. stopped
or parked vehicles
R oncoming vehicles or crossing traffic
As a result, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may
neither give warnings nor intervene in such
situations. There is a risk of an accident. 184
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

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

can see this distance in the multifunction dis-
play (Y page 190).
X To increase: turn control;in direction =.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC then maintains a
greater distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control;in direction :.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC then maintains a
shorter distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain a sufficient and
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if neces-
sary.
Deactivating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC There are several ways to deactivate Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
The variable speed limiter is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever is
on.
When you deactivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, the Distance Pilot off
Distance Pilot off message appears in
the multifunction display for approximately five
seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is not deactivated
if you depress the accelerator pedal. If you
accelerate to overtake, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC adjusts the vehicle's speed to the
last speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is automatically deac- tivated if:
R you apply the electric parking brake or if the
vehicle is automatically secured with the elec-
tric parking brake
R ESP ®
engages or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
R you pull the cruise control lever towards you
in order to pull away and the front-passenger
door or one of the rear doors is open
R you activate Parking Pilot
R the vehicle has skidded
A warning tone sounds. The Distance Pilot
Distance Pilot
off off message will appear in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is automatically deac- tivated if:
R you activate DSR
R you activate the Off-Road Program+ (vehicles
with the Off-Road Engineering package)
The à DSR symbol appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Displays in the instrument cluster Displays in the speedometer
Example: Distance Pilot DISTRONIC displays in the
speedometer
When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated,
one or two segments ;in the stored speed
range light up.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects a vehicle in
front, segments ;between speed of the vehi-
cle in front =and stored speed :light up. Driving systems
189Driving and parking Z

i
For design reasons, the speed displayed in
the speedometer may differ slightly from the
speed stored for Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
Display in the assistance graphic when
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated :
Vehicle in front, if detected
; Distance indicator: current distance to the
vehicle in front
= Specified minimum distance to the vehicle
in front; adjustable
? Own vehicle
X Select the Assistance graphic
Assistance graphic function
using the on-board computer (Y page 249).
Display in the assistance graphic when
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated :
Vehicle in front, if detected
; Specified minimum distance to the vehicle
in front; adjustable
= Own vehicle
? Distance Pilot DISTRONIC activated
X Select the Assistance graphic
Assistance graphic function
using the on-board computer (Y page 249).
You will see the stored speed for approximately five seconds when you activate Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC. Tips for driving with Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC General notes
Pay particular attention in the following traffic
situations:
R Cornering, entering and exiting a bend: the
ability of Distance Pilot DISTRONIC to detect
vehicles during cornering is limited. Your vehi-
cle may brake unexpectedly or late.
R Driving on a different line: Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC may not detect vehicles which are
not driving in the middle of their lane. The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front becomes too
short.
R Other vehicles changing lanes: Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC has not detected the vehicle cut- ting in yet. The distance to this vehicle
becomes too short.
R Narrow vehicles: Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
has not yet detected the vehicle in front on
the edge of the carriageway because of its
narrow width. The distance to the vehicle in
front becomes too short.
R Obstacles and stationary vehicles: Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC does not brake for obstacles
or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turns a corner and an obsta-
cle or stationary vehicle is revealed, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC will not brake for them.
R Crossing traffic: Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
may mistakenly detect vehicles that are
crossing your lane. Activating Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC at, for example, a traffic light with
crossing traffic, could cause your vehicle to
pull away at the wrong time.
In such situations, brake if necessary. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is then switched off. 190
Driving systemsDriving and parking