2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA-Class warning

Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip-
ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (
Ypage 25).
Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driv-
ing safety systems adjusts automatically
while a certain distance is being driven after
the vehicle has been delivered or after
repairs. Full system effectiveness is not
reached until the end of this teach-in proce-
dure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehi-
cle and engine speeds for the first
1000 miles (1500 km).
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throt-
tle, during this period.
RChange gear in good time, before the tach-
ometer needle is Ôof the way to the red
area of the tachometer.
RDo not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
RTry to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick- down).
RIdeally, for the first 1000 miles (1500 km),
drive in program E.
After 1,000 miles (1,500 km), you can
increase the engine speed gradually and bring
the vehicle to full speed.
Additional breaking-in notes for Mercedes-
AMG vehicles:
RDo not drive faster than 85 mph
(140 km/h) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
ROnly allow the engine to reach a maximum engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
RChange gear in good time.
You should also observe these notes on
breaking-in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
148Driving
Driving and parking

GWARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
Rshoes with thick soles
Rshoes with high heels
Rslippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
GWARNING
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.
GWARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
Roverheat and cause a fire
Rlose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
!Do not warm up the engine with the vehi-
cle stationary. Drive off immediately. Avoid
high engine speeds and driving at full throt-
tle until the engine has reached its operat-
ing temperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to
the desired drive position when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train.
!Mercedes-AMG vehicles: avoid full-load
operation and engine speeds greater than
5000 rpm when the engine is cold. This helps to protect the engine and avoids
uncomfortable driving.
SmartKey positions
SmartKey
gTo remove the SmartKey
(shift the transmission to position P)
1Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windshield wipers
2Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3To start the engine
iThe SmartKey can be turned in the igni-
tion lock even if it is not the correct Smart- Key for the vehicle. The ignition is not
switched on. The engine cannot be started.
Start/Stop button
General notes
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with
SmartKeys featuring the integrated KEYLESS-
GO function and a detachable Start/Stop but-
ton.
A check which periodically establishes a radioconnection between the vehicle and the
SmartKey determines whether a valid Smart-
Key is in the vehicle. This occurs, for example,
when starting the engine.
When you insert the Start/Stop button into
the ignition lock, the system needs approx-
imately two seconds recognition time. You
can then use the Start/Stop button.
Driving149
Driving and parking
Z

You can only switch between Start/Stop but-
ton mode and SmartKey operation when the
vehicle is stationary.
You must also engage park positionP.
XRemove Start/Stop button:from ignition
lock ;.
You do not have to remove the Start/Stop
button from the ignition lock when you leave
the vehicle. You should, however, always take
the SmartKey with you when leaving the vehi-
cle. As long as the SmartKey is in the vehicle:
Rthe vehicle can be started using the Start/ Stop button
Rthe electrically powered equipment can be
operated
Starting the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
GWARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or
parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
!Do not depress the accelerator when
starting the engine.
General notes
During a cold start, the engine runs at higher
speeds to enable the catalytic converter to
reach its operating temperature. The sound of
the engine may change during this time.
Automatic transmission
XShift the transmission to position P
(
Ypage 159).
The transmission position display in the
multifunction display shows
P (
Ypage 159).
iYou can start the engine in transmission
position Pand N.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey
To start the engine using the SmartKey
instead of the Start/Stop button, pull the
Start/Stop button out of the ignition lock.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 3in the igni-
tion lock and release it as soon as the
engine is running (
Ypage 149).
Driving151
Driving and parking
Z

Starting procedure with the Start/Stop
button
The Start/Stop button can be used to start
the vehicle manually without inserting the
SmartKey into the ignition lock. The Start/
Stop button must be inserted in the ignition
lock and the SmartKey must be in the vehicle.
This mode for starting the engine operates
independently of the ECO start/stop auto-
matic engine start function.
You can start the engine if a valid SmartKey is
in the vehicle. Switch off the engine and
always take the SmartKey with you when
leaving the vehicle, even if you only leave it for
a short time. Pay attention to the important
safety notes.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XPress the Start/Stop button once
(
Ypage 149).
The engine starts.
Starting procedure via smartphone
Observe the important safety notes on start-
ing the engine (
Ypage 151).
You can also start your engine via your smart-
phone from outside the vehicle. In this case,
the previously selected climate control set-
ting is activated. In this way you can cool or
heat the interior of the vehicle before starting
the journey.
Only start the engine via your smartphone if it
is safe to start and run the engine where your
vehicle is parked.
Observe the legal stipulations in the area
where your vehicle is parked. Engine start via
smartphone may be limited to certain coun-
tries or regions.
You can execute a maximum of two consec-
utive starting attempts via your smartphone.
If you insert the key into the ignition lock, you
can carry out two more starting attempts.
Once you have started the engine, you can
switch the engine off via your smartphone at
any time. You can only start the engine via your smart-
phone if:
Rthe key is in the ignition lock
Rpark position Pis selected
Rthe accelerator pedal is not depressed
Rthe anti-theft alarm system is not activated
Rthe panic alarm is not activated
Rthe hazard warning lamps are switched off
Rthe hood is closed.
Rthe doors are closed and locked
Rthe windows and sliding sunroof are closed
Also make sure that:
Rthe fuel tank is sufficiently filled
Rthe starter battery is sufficiently charged
GWARNING
Limbs could be crushed or trapped if the
engine is started unintentionally during ser-
vice or maintenance work. There is a risk of
injury.
Always secure the engine against uninten-
tional starting before carrying out mainte-
nance or repair work.
Make sure that the engine cannot be started
via your smartphone before carrying out
maintenance or repairs. You can prevent an
engine start via your smartphone, for exam-
ple, if you:
Rswitch on the hazard warning lamps
Rdo not lock the doors
Ropen the hood.
Pulling away
General notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
152Driving
Driving and parking

When engaging transmission positionDor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pull-
ing away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic locking
feature (
Ypage 230).
It is only possible to shift the transmission
from position Pto the desired position if you
depress the brake pedal. Only then can the
parking lock be deactivated.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): if you do not depress the brake pedal,
the DIRECT SELECT lever can still be moved
but the parking lock remains engaged.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: if you do not
depress the brake pedal, the selector lever
can still be moved but the parking lock
remains engaged.
At transmission fluid temperatures below
Ò4 ‡ (Ò20 †), you can only shift out of park
position Pinto another transmission position
when the engine is running.
iUpshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Information on the automatic release of the
electric parking brake (
Ypage 173).
Hill start assist
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forwards or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It
holds the vehicle for a short time after you
have removed your foot from the brake pedal.
This gives you enough time to move your foot
from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal
and to depress it before the vehicle begins to
roll.
GWARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could roll away.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill start assist is not active if:
Ryou are pulling away on a level road or on a downhill gradient.
Rthe transmission is in position N.
Rthe electric parking brake is applied.
RESP®is malfunctioning.
Further information on holding the vehicle
stationary on uphill gradients (
Ypage 163).
ECO start/stop function
Introduction
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is stop-
ped under certain conditions.
The engine starts automatically when the
driver wants to pull away again. The ECO
start/stop function thereby helps you to
reduce the fuel consumption and emissions
of your vehicle.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and
you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving.
There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
Driving153
Driving and parking
Z

ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The engine is not run-
ning smoothly and is
misfiring.There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
The coolant tempera-
ture gauge shows a
value above 248 ‡
(120 †). The coolant
warning lamp may also
be on and a warning
tone may sound.The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
XStop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
XCheck the coolant level (Ypage 311). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and add coolant if necessary.
DYNAMIC SELECT button (all vehicles
except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to change
the drive program. Depending on the drive
program selected the following vehicle char-
acteristics will change:
Rthe drive (engine and transmission man-
agement)
Rthe steering
Rthe availability of the ECO start/stop func-
tion
Rthe climate control:
Each time you start the engine with the
SmartKey or the Start/Stop button, drive pro-
gram Cis activated. For further information
about starting the engine, see (
Ypage 151).
XPress DYNAMIC SELECT button :as many
times as necessary until the desired drive
program is selected.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. After five seconds
the display goes out and the status icon of
the selected drive program appears.
In addition, the current drive program set-
tings are displayed briefly in the Audio 20 or
COMAND display.
iIn a few countries, the ECO start/stop
function is deactivated at the factory due to the available fuel grade. In this case, the
ECO start/stop function is not available in
any drive program, regardless of the display
in the Audio 20 or COMAND display.
DYNAMIC SELECT button (all vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)157
Driving and parking
Z

Automa tic trans mission
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If th eengin espee dis abov eth eidlin gspee d
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
th evehicl ecould pull away suddenly. There is
a ris kof an accident.
When engagin gtransmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress th ebrak epedal and do
no tsimultaneously accelerate .
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off th eengine.
The vehicl emay rol laway. There is aris kof an
accident.
Afte rswitching off th eengine, always switch
to parking position P.Preven tth eparked vehi-
cle from rollin gaway by applyin gth eparking
brake.
DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview oftrans mission positions
jPark position wit hparking loc k
kReversegear
iNeutral
hDrive
All vehicles (excep tMercedes-AM G vehi-
cles): theDIRECT SELECT lever is on th eright
of th esteering column . Fo
rinformation on th eselector lever in
Mercedes-AM Gvehicles (
Ypage 161).
The DIRECT SE LECT lever always return sto
it s original position .The curren ttransmission
position P,R,N or Dappear sin th etransmis -
sion position display in th emultifunction dis-
play (
Ypage 159).
Trans mission position and drive pr o-
gram display
The curren ttransmission position and driv e
program appear in th emultifunction display.
:Transmi ssion position
;Gear
=Drive program display
The arrows in th etransmission position dis-
play sho whow and int owhic htransmission
position syou can shif tusin gth eDIRECT
SE LECT lever.
If th etransmission position display in th emul-
tifunction display is no tworking ,you should
pull away carefully to chec kwhether th e
desired transmission position is engaged.
Ideally, you should select transmission posi-
tion Dand driv eprogram Eor S.
Engaging pa rkposition P
!If th eengin espee dis to ohigh or th evehi-
cle is moving ,do no tshif tth eautomatic
transmission directly from Dto R,from Rto
D or directly to P.The automatic transmis -
sion could otherwise be damaged.
Automatic transmission15 9
Driving an d parking
Z

jPark position with parking lock
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
XPush the DIRECT SELECT lever in the direc-
tion of arrowP.
Transmission position display Pis shown in
the multifunction display.
When you have engaged park position P,
make sure that the transmission position dis-
play shows Pin the multifunction display.
You can only engage park position Pwhen the
vehicle is stationary.
Depressing the brake and pushing the
DIRECT SELECT lever up or down disengages
the parking lock. The transmission is in N
neutral.
At transmission fluid temperatures below
Ò4 ‡ (Ò20 †), you can only shift out of park
position Pinto another transmission position
when the engine is running.
In order to shift from park position Pdirectly
into Ror D:
Rdepress the brake pedal and
Rpush the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down
past the first point of resistance
Engaging park position P automatically
Park position Pis automatically engaged if:
Ryou switch off the engine using the Smart-
Key and remove the SmartKey
Ryou switch off the engine using the Smart-
Key or using the Start/Stop button and open the driver's door or front-passenger
door
Rthe driver's door is opened when the vehi-
cle is stationary or driving at very low speed
and the transmission is in position Dor R
Under certain conditions, the automatic
transmission shifts automatically to transmis-
sion position Pif the HOLD function or
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Observe the
information on the HOLD function
(
Ypage 194) and on DISTRONIC PLUS
(
Ypage 189).
Engaging reverse gear R
!Only shift the automatic transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary.
XIf the transmission is in position Dor N:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
XIf the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever up past the first point of
resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. Further infor-
mation on the ECO start/stop function
(
Ypage 154).
Shifting to neutral N
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
160Automatic transmission
Driving and parking