2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV tow

Emergency release
General notes !
The tailgate swings upwards and to the rear
when opened. Therefore, make sure that
there is sufficient clearance above and behind
the tailgate.
You will find details on the tailgate opening
dimensions in the "Vehicle data" section
(Y page 358).
If the tailgate can no longer be unlocked:
R using the key, or
R using the remote operating switch in the door
control panel:
Use the emergency release on the inside of the tailgate.
You can reach the emergency release via the
luggage compartment.
Opening X
Fold the rear seat backrest forwards
(Y page 292).
X Take the emergency key element out of the
key (Y page 82).
X Insert emergency key element ;into open-
ing :in the trim and push it in.
X Open the tailgate.
X Insert the emergency key element into the
key (Y page 82). Boot
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Exhaust
gases can enter the vehicle interior if the boot
lid is open when the engine is running, espe-
cially if the vehicle is in motion. There is a risk of poisoning.
Always switch off the engine before opening
the boot lid. Never drive with the boot lid
open. G
WARNING
If objects, luggage or loads are not secured or not secured sufficiently, they could slip, tip
over or be flung around and thereby hit vehicle
occupants. There is a risk of injury, especially when braking or abruptly changing directions.
Always store objects so that they cannot be
flung around. Secure objects, luggage or
loads against slipping or tipping before the
journey.
! The boot lid swings upwards when opened.
Therefore, make sure that there is sufficient
clearance above the boot lid.
You will find details on the boot lid opening
dimensions in the "Vehicle data" section
(Y page 358).
Stow luggage or loads preferably in the boot.
Observe the loading guidelines (Y page 288).
Do not leave the key in the boot. If you do so, you
could lock yourself out.
The boot lid can be:
R opened and closed manually from outside
R opened automatically from outside
R opened automatically from inside
R emergency released from the inside 94
BootOpening and closing

2
Driver's seat, front-passenger seat and rear
seats occupied, luggage compartment
laden
3 Driver's and front-passenger seat occupied
and maximum permissible rear axle load uti- lised, e.g. when towing a trailer
The headlamp range control allows you to adjust
the cone of light from the headlamps to suit the
vehicle load.
X Start the engine.
X Turn the headlamp range controller to the
position that corresponds to the load in your
vehicle. Combination switch
X
To indicate briefly: press the combination
switch briefly to the pressure point in the
direction of arrow ;or?.
The corresponding turn signal flashes three
times.
X To indicate: press the combination switch
beyond the pressure point in the direction of
arrow ;or?.
X To switch on the main-beam headlamps:
turn the light switch to LorÃ.
X Press the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of arrow :.
The main-beam headlamps only switch on in
the à position if the dipped-beam head-
lamps are on.
The blue Kindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when the main-beam
headlamps are switched on.
X To switch off the main-beam headlamps:
move the combination switch back to its nor-
mal position.
The blue Kindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out. Vehicles with Adaptive Highbeam Assist:
when Adaptive Highbeam Assist is active, it
controls activation and deactivation of the
main-beam headlamps (Y page 118).
X To switch on the headlamp flasher: pull the
combination switch in the direction of
arrow =. Hazard warning lamps
X
To switch on the hazard warning lamps:
press button :.
All turn signals flash. If you now switch on a
turn signal using the combination switch, only the turn signal lamp on the corresponding
side of the vehicle will flash.
X To switch off the hazard warning lamps:
press button
:.
The hazard warning lamps switch on automati-
cally if:
R an airbag is deployed or
R the vehicle decelerates rapidly from a speed
of above 70 km/h and comes to a standstill
The hazard warning lamps switch off automati-
cally if the vehicle reaches a speed of above
10 km/h again after a full brake application.
The hazard warning lamps continue to operate
even if the ignition is switched off. Adaptive Highbeam Assist
General notes You can use this function to set the headlamps
to switch automatically between dipped beam
and main beam. The system detects vehicles
with their lights on, either approaching from the
opposite direction or travelling in front of your
vehicle, and consequently switches the head- 118
Exterior lightingLights and
windscreen wipers

Running-in notes
Important safety notes
In certain driving and driving safety systems, the sensors adjust automatically while a certain dis-
tance is being driven after the vehicle has been delivered or after repairs. Full system effective-
ness is not reached until the end of this teach-in process.
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. The first 1500 km
The more you treat the engine with sufficient
care at the start, the more satisfied you will be
with the engine performance later on.
R Drive at varying vehicle speeds and engine
speeds for the first 1500 km.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle during this
period, e.g. driving at full throttle.
R Change gear in good time, before the rev
counter needle is Ôof the way to the red area
of the rev counter.
R Do not shift down a gear manually in order to
brake.
R Vehicles with automatic transmission: try
to avoid depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the point of resistance (kickdown).
Additional notes on running in Mercedes-AMG
vehicles:
R for the first 1,500 km do not drive at speeds
above 140 km/h.
R only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
After 1,500 km, you may gradually bring the
vehicle up to full road and engine speeds.
You should also observe these notes on running- 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
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell may restrict
the clearance around the pedals or block a
depressed pedal. This jeopardises the oper-
ating and road safety of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Stow all objects securely in the vehicle so that
they do not get into the driver's footwell.
Always fit the floormats securely and as pre-
scribed in order to ensure that there is always sufficient room for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place several floor-mats on top of one another. G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals. 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. G
WARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
R overheat and cause a fire
R lose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off. Driving
143Driving and parking Z

S+
Sport Plus Particularly sporty trans-
mission settings
RACE
Maximum sportiness and
engine and transmission
settings suitable for the
racetrack Additional information on drive programs
(Y
page 159).
You can also change gear yourself using the
steering wheel gearshift paddles. Further infor-
mation on manual gearshifting (Y page 161).Manual transmission
Gear lever
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal is
depressed.
! When shifting to
5thand 6thgear, you must
press the shift lever to the right. Otherwise,
you could shift unintentionally into 3rdor4th
gear and damage the engine or transmission.
If you shift down at too high a speed (trans-
mission braking), this can cause the engine to
overrev, leading to engine damage.
Do not use the clutch bite point to keep the
vehicle stationary on uphill gradients. There is otherwise a risk of damaging the clutch.
! On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer,
you must select gear 1,2or3 in good
time. 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 wearing too
quickly. k
Reverse gear
1 -6
Forward gears Engaging neutral N
X
Depress the clutch pedal fully.
X Shift the gear lever to position N:. Engaging reverse gear
! Select reverse gear
konly when the vehi-
cle is stationary. You could otherwise damage the transmission.
X Pull the gear lever up, push it to the left and
then pull it back.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. For further infor-
mation on the ECO start/stop function, see
(Y page 148). Manual transmission
153Driving and parking Z

Engaging reverse gear R
!
Only move the automatic transmission to
k when the vehicle is stationary.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X 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. For further infor- mation on the ECO start/stop function, see
(Y page 148).
Engaging neutral N G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they can:
R open doors and endanger other persons or
road users
R climb out and be injured by the traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and, for exam-
ple, trap themselves.
Children could also set the vehicle in motion, for example by:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R starting the engine.
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
keep the key out of reach of children.
X If the transmission is in position hork:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position j: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT
lever up or down to the first point of resist-
ance.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position korh, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to iautomatically.
With the key: if you then open the driver's door
or the front-passenger door or remove the key from the ignition, the automatic transmission
shifts to jautomatically.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then open
the driver's door or the front-passenger door,
the automatic transmission shifts to jauto-
matically.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral i, e.g. when having the vehi-
cle cleaned in an automatic car wash with a
towing system:
X Vehicles with the Start-Stop button:
remove the Start-Stop button from the igni-
tion lock.
X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
X All vehicles: switch the ignition on.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Engage neutral i.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the key in the
ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
If the transmission is in position kori:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position j: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past the first point of resistance. Selector lever (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Overview of transmission positions j
Park position with parking lock
k Reverse gear 156
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

A Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
i
while driving. The automatic trans-
mission could otherwise be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you to
move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push
it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position iif the
vehicle is in danger of skidding, e.g.
on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position korh,
the automatic transmission shifts to
i automatically.
! Coasting in neutral
imay
cause damage to the drive train. 7 Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
are available. Driving tips
Changing gear The automatic transmission shifts through the
individual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position h. This is determined by:
R the selected drive program
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed
Accelerator pedal position Your driving style influences how the automatic
transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients G
WARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated. This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicle may, for example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehicle
stationary on uphill gradients by depressing the accelerator pedal. If the clutch overheats, a
warning tone sounds.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): theStop
Stop vehicle vehicle Shift
Shiftto
toP
PLeave
Leave
engine running
engine running display message appears in
the multifunction display. You will only be able to
continue your journey once the clutch has
cooled down and the display message in the
multifunction display has disappeared.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: theTrans. oil
Trans. oil
overheated Drive on with care overheated Drive on with care display
message appears in the multifunction display.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gra- dients by depressing the accelerator pedal.
Instead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary on
uphill gradients by:
R depressing the brake pedal
R activating the HOLD function
R applying the electric parking brake
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a lower
gear depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible to
use kickdown in the automatic drive programs
and in temporary manual drive program M.
When manual drive program Mis selected per-
manently, kickdown is not possible. 158
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking

For further information on kickdown in manual
drive program M(Y page 163).
Gliding mode (diesel engines only) Gliding mode is characterised by the following:
R the combustion engine is disconnected from
the drive train
R the engine is running at idling speed
R the gear indicated after the transmission
position hdisappears in the multifunction
display (Y page 157)
Gliding mode can be activated and transmission
position hshown in green under the following
conditions:
R you select the "ECO" setting for the drive sys-
tem within the Individualdrive program. You
can find information about this in the Digital
Owner's Manual
R the speed is within a suitable range
R the type of road is suitable, e.g. no steep uphill
or downhill gradients
R the distance to the vehicle in front is sufficient
R you are no longer depressing the accelerator
pedal
Gliding mode is deactivated under the following
conditions:
R you depress the accelerator pedal
R you depress the brake pedal
R you use the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch
the transmission position (Y page 155)
R you use the DYNAMIC SELECT controller to
change the drive program (Y page 152)
R you activate manual gearshifting
(Y page 161)
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too short
R you leave the suitable speed range
Towing a trailer Not all models can tow a trailer. For further
information, see (Y page 213).
X Drive in the middle of the engine speed range
on uphill gradients.
X Depending on the uphill or downhill gradient,
select a lower gear (Y page 171), even if
cruise control, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or
the speed limiter are activated. Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles) Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive program Cis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R the vehicle exhibits comfortable, economical
driving characteristics.
R the vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
R the vehicle has improved driving stability, e.g.
on slippery road surfaces.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicle is driven in the low engine speed
range and the wheels are less likely to spin.
Drive program S (Sport) Drive program Sis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R sporty engine settings.
R the automatic transmission shifts up later.
Fuel consumption may be higher as a result of
the later automatic transmission shift points.
Drive program I (Individual)
In drive program I, the following properties of
the drive program can be selected:
R the drive (engine and transmission manage-
ment)
R the suspension (vehicles with adjustable
damping)
R the steering
R the availability of the ECO start/stop function
R the climate control
Information on configuring drive program Iwith
the multimedia system can be found in the Dig-
ital Owner's Manual.
i To permanently shift the gears manually in
drive program Iusing the steering wheel gear-
shift paddles, select the M(Manual) setting
for the drive. Automatic transmission
159Driving and parking Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The key battery is weak or discharged.
X Unlock the vehicle using the emergency key element (Y page 88).The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jammed.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. 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
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 Por shift manual transmission into
neutral
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 on vehicles with manual transmission, engage
first gear or reverse gear R
on vehicles with automatic transmission, the
transmission must be in position jand the
transmission position display must show j
in the multifunction display
R the key must be removed from the ignition
lock
R on uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the kerb Switching off the engine
Important safety notes 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.
Manual transmission X
Shift to either first gear or reverse gear k.
X With the key: turn the key to position gin
the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X With the Start/Stop button: press the
Start/Stop button (Y page 144).
The engine stops and all the indicator lamps
on the instrument cluster go out.
If the driver's door is closed, this is the same
as key position 1. If the driver's door is open,
this is the same as key position g, i.e. the
key having been removed.
X Apply the electric parking brake. 166
ParkingDriving and parking