2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV tow

Automatic transmission
X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): shift the transmission to position j.X
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: press button:.
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.
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. 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 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.
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 Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position
j.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
engage first gear.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or if
there is a malfunction in the system. Contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
The electric parking brake carries out a function check at regular intervals when the engine is
switched off. Noises that occur are normal. Parking
167Driving and pa rking Z

This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients Shift to a lower gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients. For vehicles with auto-
matic transmission, you need to activate manual
gearshifting beforehand (Y page 161). Take par-
ticular note of this when driving a laden vehicle
and when towing a trailer.
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control, the speed limiter or Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC.
This will use the braking effect of the engine, so
less braking will be required to maintain the
vehicle speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal on
downhill gradients while the manual drive pro-
gram Mis temporarily activated (vehicles with
automatic transmission): the automatic trans-
mission may switch back to the last active auto- matic drive program Eor S. The automatic trans-
mission may shift to a higher gear. This can
reduce the engine's braking effect.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There is
a risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerator pedal while driving.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If heavy demands are made on the brakes, do
not park the vehicle immediately. Drive on for a
short while. This allows the airflow to cool the
brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effectiveness. To do this, brake more firmly from a higher
speed, paying attention to traffic conditions.
This improves the grip of the brakes.
Wet road surfaces If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after a car wash or
after driving through deep water.
You will have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehicle washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This will warm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salt-treated roads, a layer of salt
may form on the brake discs and pads. This can increase the braking distance considerably.
R In order to prevent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to the traffic conditions.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal at the end
of the journey and when starting the next
journey.
R Maintain a much greater distance to the vehi-
cle in front.
New brake pads/linings 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.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which corre-
spond to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
pads/linings which have not been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which are not of an
equivalent quality could affect your vehicle's
operating safety. Driving tips
171Driving and parking Z

Observe the following notes:
R Stop the vehicle before driving off-road. If
necessary, activate the off-road program
(Y page 151).
R To avoid damaging the vehicle, make sure
there is always sufficient ground clearance.
R Make sure that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(Y page 293).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Activate
DSR (Y page 190).
R Drive slowly and evenly, if necessary at walk-
ing pace.
R Ensure that the wheels are in contact with the
ground at all times.
R Drive with extreme care on unknown off-road
routes where visibility is poor. For safety rea-
sons, get out of the vehicle first and survey
the off-road route.
R Check the depth of water before fording rivers
and streams.
R Watch out for obstacles.
R Take care when turning on an uphill or down-
hill slope or when driving across a slope. The
vehicle could otherwise tip over.
R Always keep the side windows and the pano-
rama sliding sunroof closed during the jour-
ney.
R Do not deviate from marked routes.
R Do not use the HOLD function when driving
off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gradients
or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD
function cannot hold the vehicle on such sur- faces.
Checklist before off-road driving X
Engine oil level: check the engine oil and top
it up if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the oil level must be sufficiently high to ensure a correct
oil supply in the vehicle.
X Wheels and tyres: check the tyre tread
depth and tyre pressure.
X Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the wheels/
tyres.
X Replace any missing valve caps. X
Replace dented or damaged wheels.
X Wheels: dented or bent wheels can lead to a
loss of tyre pressure and damage to the tyre
bead. Before driving off-road, check the
wheels and replace them if necessary.
Checklist after off-road driving !
If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
X Deactivate the off-road program
(Y page 151).
X Deactivate DSR (Y page 190).
X Clean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
X Clean the front and rear licence plates.
X Clean the wheels and tyres with a water jet
and remove any foreign objects.
X Clean the wheels, wheel arches and the vehi-
cle underside with a water jet; check for any
foreign objects and damage.
X Check whether twigs or other parts of plants
have become trapped. These increase the risk
of fire and can damage fuel pipes, brake
hoses or the air bellows of the axle joints and propeller shafts.
X After the trip, examine without fail the entire
undercarriage, wheels, tyres, brakes, body-
work structure, steering, chassis and exhaust
system for damage.
X After driving in sand, mud, gravel, water or
similar dirty conditions, have the following
checked and cleaned:
R brake discs
R wheels
R brake pads
R axle joints
X If you detect strong vibrations after driving
off-road, check for foreign objects in the
wheels and drive train and remove them if
necessary. Foreign objects can disturb the
balance and cause vibrations.
Driving over poor road surfaces places greater
demands on your vehicle than driving on normal roads. After driving off-road, check the vehicle.
This allows you to detect damage promptly and
reduce the risk of an accident to yourself and
other road users. 174
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Driving downhill
R
Drive slowly.
R Do not drive at an angle down steep inclines.
Steer into the line of fall and drive with the
front wheels aligned straight forwards. Oth-
erwise, the vehicle could slip sideways, tip
and overturn.
R Before tackling steep downhill gradients, use
the left-hand steering wheel gearshift paddle
to shift to a lower gear.
R Activate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
gently. When doing so, make sure that the
vehicle is facing in the direction of the line of fall.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
Off-road ABS is activated when the off-road pro- gram is selected.
At speeds below 30 km/h the front wheels lock
cyclically during braking. The digging-in effect
achieved in the process reduces the stopping
distance during off-road driving. The steerability of the vehicle is considerably reduced if the
wheels lock. Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. You must select a
lower gear in good time on long and steep down-
hill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. For vehicles with automatic
transmission, you need to shift manually using
the steering wheel gearshift paddles. 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.
When the engine is running, you can use the
cruise control lever to limit the speed to any
speed between 30 km/h and the maximum
design speed of the vehicle. If the set value of
the permanent limiter is lower, then this value
applies (Y page 180).
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions are appropriate for maintaining a steady speed for a prolonged period. The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take into account road, weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control 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 cruise control:
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 icy or slippery roads. Braking or acceler-
ating can cause the drive wheels to lose trac-
tion and the vehicle could then skid.
R in poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow.
If a new driver takes over, 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. 176
Driving syste
msDriving and parking

The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable limiter is
selected
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display for
five seconds.
Selecting cruise control X
To select cruise control: check whether LIM
indicator lamp ;is on or off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
X 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 cruise control must be selected
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are driv-
ing faster than 30 km/h. 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 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. i
Vehicles with manual transmission:
R always drive at adequate, but not exces-
sive, engine speeds.
R change gear in good time.
R if possible, do not change down several
gears at a time.
Storing the current speed or re-calling the 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 cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously stored
speed.
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 To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h incre-
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 in 1 km/h incre-
ments:
briefly press the cruise control lever
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. Driving systems
177Driving and parking Z

Press the cruise control lever up
:for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
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 last
speed stored after you have finished overtak-
ing.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise con-
trol:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards
B.
or X Brake.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
The variable limiter is selected. LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R the vehicle is secured with the electric park-
ing brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R while driving a vehicle with manual transmis-
sion, you shift into neutral or depress the
clutch pedal for longer than six seconds
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a result
the engine speed is too low
R on vehicles with automatic transmission, you
shift to position iwhile 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 restricts the vehicle speed.
The speed limiter brakes automatically to
quickly regulate the stored speed. 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. For vehi-
cles with automatic transmission, you need to
shift manually using the steering wheel gearshiftpaddles. 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.
You can set a variable or permanent limit speed:
R Variable for a maximum permissible speed,
e.g. in built-up areas
R Permanent for restriction of the maximum
speed for technical reasons, such as when
driving on winter tyres (Y page 180)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the maximum permis- sible 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 limiter can-
not take into account road, weather or traffic
conditions. The limiter 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.
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver
of the speed stored.
Variable speed limiter General notes
:
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed 178
Driving systemsDriving and parking

?
To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and the
variable speed limiter
B To switch off the speed limiter
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and
the variable speed limiter.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control or Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable speed lim-
iter is selected.
When the engine is running, you can use the
cruise control lever to limit the speed to any
speed between 30 km/h and the maximum
design speed of the vehicle. If the set value of
the permanent limiter is lower, then this value
applies (Y page 180).
Selecting the variable speed limiter
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 lights up. The variable limiter is selected.
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.
Storing or calling up the 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 in 10 km/h incre-
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 in 1 km/h incre-
ments:
briefly press the cruise control lever
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 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 lim-
iter is activated again if, without kickdown, you:
R drive more slowly than the stored speed
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 You cannot switch the variable speed limiter offby braking.
There are several ways to deactivate the varia-
ble speed limiter:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards
B.
or
X Briefly press 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. Driving systems
179Driving and parking Z

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
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC 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 strong radar reflections, e.g. 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 on the right lane that you pass
vehicles driving in the left lane
R be so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving in the right lane
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver
of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever :
To store the current speed or a higher speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the current speed or re-call the last
stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower speed
B To switch between Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC and the variable limiter
C To deactivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the variable lim-
iter.
LIM indicator lamp =on the cruise control lever
indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp = =off: Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp = =on: variable limiter is
selected.
Selecting Distance Pilot DISTRONIC X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off. Driving systems
181Driving and parking Z