2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV traction control

In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause Brake Assist to intervene.
If Adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to a malfunctioning radar sensor system, the brake
system remains available with full brake boost-
ing effect and BAS. Adaptive brake lights
The adaptive brake lights warn following traffic
in an emergency braking situation by:
R flashing brake lamps
R switching on the hazard warning lamps
If you brake sharply from a speed of more than
50 km/h or are assisted by the Brake Assist, the
brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way, traffic
travelling behind you is warned in an even more
noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more than
70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warning
lamps are activated automatically. If the brakes are applied again, the brake lamps light up con-
tinuously. The hazard warning lamps switch off
automatically if you travel faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off the hazard warning lamps using the hazard warning button
(Y
page 122). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction, i.e.
power transmission between the tyres and the
road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating from
the direction desired by the driver, one or more
wheels are braked to stabilise the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the vehi- cle on the desired course within physical limits.
ESP ®
assists the driver when pulling away on
wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise
the vehicle during braking.
4ETS (Electronic Traction System) 4ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deactivate
ESP ®
.
In appropriate driving situations, activate the
off-road programs:
X Vehicles without the Off-Road Engineering
package (Y page 228)
X Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 229)
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) An ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once an off-
road program is activated:
R Vehicles without the Off-Road Engineering
package (Y page 228)
R Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 229) 72
Driving safety systemsSafety

Deactivating/activating ESP
®X
To deactivate: press button:.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp on the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp on the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels may start to spin
R traction control is still activated
R Active Brake Assist is no longer available; it is
not activated even if you brake firmly with
assistance from ESP ®
R PRE-SAFE ®
is not available; it is not activated
even if you brake firmly with assistance from
ESP ®
R Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
is no longer available; it is not activated even
if you brake firmly with assistance from ESP ®
R ESP ®
continues to provide assistance when
the brakes are firmly applied Off-road ESP
®
(vehicles with Off-Road
Engineering package) An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once an off-
road program is activated.
R Vehicles without the Off-Road Engineering
package (Y page 228)
R Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 229)
Off-road ESP ®
intervenes with a delay if there is
oversteering or understeering, thus improving
traction.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation General notes
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is not available in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, ESP ®
assists you in this situation. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limiting
the engine output until the vehicle/trailer com- bination has stabilised.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high centre of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/trailer
combination by depressing the brake firmly.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 60 km/h.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of a malfunc- tion. 74
Driving safety syste
msSafety

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

Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot always
clearly identify other road users and complex
traffic situations.
In such cases, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, especially if Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
warns you. G
WARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible
deceleration. If this deceleration is not suffi-
cient, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC alerts you
with a visual and acoustic warning. There is a
risk of an accident.
Apply the brakes yourself in these situations
and try to take evasive action.
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions. Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC 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 lane. Do not use Distance Pilot DISTRONIC:
R in road and traffic conditions that 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 in poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may not detect nar-
row vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired in the following situations:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections, for
example, in multi-storey car parks
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC no longer detects a vehicle in front, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may
unexpectedly accelerate to the speed stored.
This speed can:
R be too high for a filter lane or a slip road
R be so high in the right lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the left
R be so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the right
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver
of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever :
To activate or increase speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed
A To activate or reduce speed Driving systems
185Driving and parking Z

R
you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lane quickly.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
Towing a trailer
If you couple up a trailer, make sure that you
have correctly established the electrical con-
nection. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Lane-correcting brake appli-
cation does not take place when towing a trailer.
Active Lane Keeping Assist is not activated and the lines in the assistance graphic are grey. Off-road driving systems
4MATIC (permanent all-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 an accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic conditions.
4MATIC 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
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 implied 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 twin-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 tyres (M+S tyres), with snow
chains if necessary.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 176). 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 non-existent.
DSR controls the vehicle’s speed when it is acti-
vated and the transmission is in position D,Ror
N. By accelerating or braking, you can always
drive at a higher or a lower speed than that set
on the on-board computer.
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. This
increases the risk of skidding and having an
accident.
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 ofroad, 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 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 tyre conditions. Select a set speed suitable for the prevailing conditions
and when necessary, apply the brakes manually. Driving systems
227Driving and parking Z

Activating DSR
X
Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
The à DSR symbol appears in the multi-
function display.
You can only activate DSR when driving at
speeds below 40 km/h.
If the current vehicle speed is too high, the Ã
DSR symbol appears in the multifunction display
with the Max. speed 40 km/h
Max. speed 40 km/h message.
If you have activated DSR and then change drive programs, DSR is deactivated. If you switch
between the offroad and offroad plus drive pro- grams, DSR remains activated.
Deactivating DSR
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
The à DSR symbol appears in the multi-
function display with the off offmessage.
DSR switches off automatically if you drive
faster than 45 km/h. The ÃDSR symbol
appears in the multifunction display with the
off
off message. The status indicator in the multi-
function display goes out. You also hear a warn-
ing tone.
On vehicles with the Offroad Engineering pack-
age, if you select a different drive program, DSR is also deactivated. If you switch between the
offroad programs, DSR remains activated. Changing the set speed X
To increase or reduce the set speed
in1 km/hincrements:
briefly press the
cruise control lever up :for a higher set
speed or down ;for a lower set speed.
The set speed appears in the multifunction
display with the ÃDSR symbol.
When DSR is activated, you can change the set
speed to a value between 2 km/h and 18 km/h.
i The DSR set speed is always changed in
1 km/h increments. This is regardless of
whether you press the cruise control lever to or beyond the pressure point.
Offroad program (vehicles without the
Off-Road Engineering package) General notes
Select the Offroaddrive program for easily
negotiable offroad 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 of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action 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
accelerate.
You can select the Offroaddrive program at
speeds below 100 km/h. The Drive Driveprogram
program
"Offroad" Max. speed 100 km/h
"Offroad" Max. speed 100 km/h message
appears in the multifunction display. If you drive
at speeds of more than 100 km/h and select the
Offroad drive program, the Please reduce
Please reduce
speed speed message appears in the multifunction
display. The last active drive program is selected
again. 228
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

Do not use the
Offroaddrive program on roads
that are snow-covered or icy, or if you have fitted
your vehicle with snow chains.
Selecting the Offroad drive program Selecting the Offroad drive program
X To select a drive program: turn DYNAMIC
SELECT controller :until indicator lamp ;
lights up.
The Drive program "Offroad" Max.
Drive program "Offroad" Max.
speed 100 km/h speed 100 km/h message appears in the
multifunction display.
The vehicle is raised by 60 mm.
The vehicle is lowered to normal level again 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)
The vehicle changes from the Offroaddrive pro-
gram to the Comfortdrive program if you drive
faster than 110 km/h.
The Please
Please reduce reducespeed
speedmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 176).
Offroad programs (vehicles with the
Off-Road Engineering package) General notes
The Offroad andOffroad Plus drive programs
assist you when driving off-road. The engine’s
performance characteristics and the gearshift-
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 OffroadorOffroad Plus drive
programs on roads that are snow-covered or icy,
or if you have fitted your vehicle with snow
chains.
Offroad drive program :
DYNAMIC SELECT controller
; Offroad drive program indicator lamp
Select the Offroaddrive program for easily
negotiable offroad 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 of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action 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
accelerate.
You can select the Offroaddrive program at
speeds below 100 km/h. The Drive
Drive program program
"Offroad" Max. speed 100 km/h
"Offroad" Max. speed 100 km/h message
appears in the multifunction display. If you drive
at speeds of more than 100 km/h and select the
Offroad drive program, the Please reduce
Please reduce
speed
speed message appears in the multifunction
display. The last active drive program is selected
again.
Selecting the Offroad drive program X To select a drive program: turn DYNAMIC
SELECT controller :until indicator lamp ;
lights up.
The Drive program "Offroad" Max. Drive program "Offroad" Max.
speed 100 km/h
speed 100 km/h message appears in the
multifunction display. Driving systems
229Driving and parking Z

The vehicle is raised by 30 mm.
The vehicle changes from the Offroaddrive pro-
gram to the Comfortdrive program if you drive
faster than 110 km/h.
The Please Please reduce
reducespeed
speedmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
Offroad Plus drive program :
DYNAMIC SELECT controller
; 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 a drive program: turn DYNAMIC
SELECT controller :until indicator lamp ;
lights up.
The Drive program "Offroad Plus"
Drive program "Offroad Plus"
Max. speed 40 km/h
Max. speed 40 km/h message appears in
the multifunction display.
R The Offroad Plus drive program is selected
and the vehicle is raised by 30 mm com-
pared with the Offroaddrive program.
R DSR is switched on.
R The differential lock is closed.
You can select the Offroad Plus drive program at speeds below 40 km/h.
The Offroad Plus drive program automatically
switches to the Offroad drive program if you
drive faster than 45 km/h. ThePlease
Please reduce reduce
speed
speed message appears in the multifunction
display. Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y
page 176).
LOW RANGE offroad gear (vehicles with
the Off-Road Engineering package) Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you select the LOW RANGE off-road gear on a slippery road surface, the wheels could lose traction:
R if you release the accelerator pedal when
the vehicle is in motion
R if Off-road ABS intervenes when braking
If the wheels lose traction, it will no longer be
possible to steer the vehicle. This increases
the risk of skidding and having an accident.
Never select the LOW RANGE off-road gear
when driving on slippery road surfaces. G
WARNING
If you do not wait for the transfer case gear
change process to complete, the transfer
case could remain in the neutral position. The power transmission to the driven wheels is
then interrupted. There is a danger of the
vehicle rolling away unintentionally. There is a
risk of an accident.
Wait until the transfer case shift process is
completed.
Do not turn off the engine while changing gear
and do not shift the automatic transmission to
another position. 230
Driving systemsDriving and parking