2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE display

This helps you to avoid overheating the
brakes and wearing them out excessively.
When you take advantage of engine braking, a
drive wheel may not turn for some time, e.g.
on a slippery road surface. This could cause
damage to the drive train. This type of damage
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz war-
ranty.
Do not depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. causing the
brakes to rub by constantly applying light pres-
sure to the pedal. This results in excessive and
premature wear to the brake pads.
Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle shifter
to shift into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is especially
important if the vehicle is laden.
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
that less braking will be required to maintain the
speed. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads
G WARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This
increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately. Drive
on for a short while. This allows the airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
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 the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
You then have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from 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 salted roads, a layer of salt resi-
due may form on the brake discs and brake
pads. This can result in a significantly longer
braking distance. R
Brake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so. R
Carefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey. R
Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
! The brake fluid level may be too low, if: R
if the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and R
you hear a warning tone while the engine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately.
Consult a qualified specialist workshop to
arrange this.
! A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a 2-axle dynamometer. If
you wish to operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop in advance. You could oth-
erwise damage the drive train or the brake
system.
! Because ESP ®
is an automatic system, the
engine and ignition must be switched off
(SmartKey in position 0 or 1 or Start/Stop
button in position 0 or 1 ) when the electricDriving tips 159
Driving and parking Z

parking brake is being tested on a brake dyna-
mometer (maximum 10 seconds).
Braking triggered automatically by ESP ®
may
seriously damage the brake system.
All checks and maintenance work on the brake
system must be carried out at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the functional-
ity of your brakes at regular intervals. To do so,
depress the brake pedal firmly when driving at a
high speed. This improves the grip of the brake
pads.
You can find a description of Brake Assist (BAS)
on ( Y
page 63) or of BAS PLUS on ( Y
page 69).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only have
brake pads/linings installed on your vehicle
which have been approved for Mercedes-Benz
vehicles or which correspond 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.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use
brake fluid that has been specially approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or which corre-
sponds to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
fluid which has not been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which is not of an
equivalent quality could affect your vehicle's
operating safety.
High-performance brake system
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles) The high-performance brake system is designed
for heavy loads. This may lead to noise when
braking. This will depend on: R
Speed R
Braking force R
Environmental conditions, such as tempera-
ture and humidity
The wear of individual components of the brake
system, such as the brake pads/linings or brake
discs, depends on the individual driving style
and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a mile-
age that will be valid under all circumstances. An
aggressive driving style will lead to high wear. You can obtain further information about this
from your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several
hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
Keep this in mind, and adapt your driving and
braking accordingly during this break-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. Especially for high perform-
ance driving, it is important to maintain and have
the brake system checked regularly.
Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth on
the road surface, there is a danger of hydro-
planing occurring, even if: R
you drive at low speeds. R
the tires have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or in
conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
you must drive in the following manner: R
lower your speed. R
avoid ruts. R
avoid sudden steering movements. R
brake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads
! Do not drive through flooded areas. Check
the depth of any water before driving through
it. Drive slowly through standing water. Oth-
erwise, water may enter the vehicle interior or
the engine compartment. This can damage
the electronic components in the engine or
the automatic transmission. Water can also
be drawn in by the engine's air suction nozzles
and this can cause engine damage.
i Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
select the raised vehicle level before driving
through a body of water.160
Driving tips
Driving and parking

R
LOW RANGE offroad gear (vehicles with the
Offroad Engineering package) ( Y
page 213)R
Differential lock (vehicles with the Off-Road
Engineering package) ( Y
page 212)R
Off-road ABS ( Y
page 63)R
Off-road 4ETS ( Y
page 66)R
Off-road ESP ®
( Y
page 68)R
AIRMATIC package (vehicle level)
( Y
page 180) R
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
( Y
page 210)
Observe the following notes: R
Stop the vehicle before starting to drive along
an off-road route. If necessary, select the off-
road program ( Y
page 212) or shift to the
LOW RANGE off-road gear ( Y
page 213).R
Select a vehicle level that is suitable for the
terrain. To avoid damaging the vehicle, make
sure there is always sufficient ground clear-
ance. R
Check that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
( Y
page 292). R
Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Activate
DSR ( Y
page 210).R
Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a slope. R
Adapt your speed to the terrain. The rougher,
steeper or more ruts on the terrain, the slower
your speed should be. R
Do not jump with the vehicle as this will inter-
rupt the vehicle's propulsion. R
Drive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-road
routes where visibility is poor. For safety rea-
sons, get out of the vehicle first and survey
the off-road route. R
Look out for obstacles, such as rocks, holes,
tree stumps and furrows. R
Always keep the doors, the tailgate, the side
windows and the sliding sunroof closed while
the vehicle is in motion. R
Do not shift the automatic transmission to
transmission position N .R
Observe the notes on off-road fording
( Y
page 161).
i 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 driving off-road
! If the engine oil warning lamp lights up while
the vehicle is in motion, stop the vehicle in a
safe place as soon as possible. Check the
engine oil level. The engine oil warning lamp
warning must not be ignored. Continuing the
journey while the symbol is displayed could
lead to engine damage. X
Engine oil level: check the engine oil level
and add oil if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the engine
oil level must be sufficiently high to ensure a
correct oil supply in the vehicle. X
DEF tank (BlueTEC vehicles): check the
level and add if necessary ( Y
page 150).X
Tire-changing tool kit: check that the jack is
working and make sure you have the lug
wrench, a robust tow cable and a folding
spade in the vehicle. X
Wheels and tires: check the tire tread depth
and tire pressure. X
Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the wheels/
tires. X
Replace any missing valve caps. X
Replace dented or damaged wheels. X
Rims: dented or bent rims can result in a loss
of tire pressure and damage the tire bead.
Before driving off-road, check the wheels and
replace them if necessary.
Checklist after driving off-road
! If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Driving over rough terrain 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. X
If the Offroad or Offroad Plus drive program
is selected: select the Individual , Sport ,Driving tips 163
Driving and parking Z

When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display for
five seconds.
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 20 mph (30 km/h). R
ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.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).
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed
Storing and maintaining a speed X
Accelerate the vehicle to the desired speed. X
Briefly press the cruise control lever up C or
down

R
you activat e th e Offroad Plus progra m (vehi-
cle s wit h th e Off-Road Engineerin g package)R
you shift th e transmission to position N while
drivin g
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warnin g tone . You will see th e Cruise Con ‐
tro l Off message in th e multifunction display
for approximately fiv e seconds.
i Whe n you switch off th e engine, th e last
speed store d is cleared .
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
Gene ra l notesDistanc e Pilo t DISTRONI C regulates th e speed
and automatically help s you maintai n th e dis-
tance to th e vehicl e detecte d in front. Vehicles
are detecte d wit h th e aid of th e rada r sensor
system. Distanc e Pilo t DISTRONI C brakes auto-
matically so that th e set speed is no t exceeded .
You mus t select a lower gear in goo d time on
lon g and steep downhill gradients , especially if
th e vehicl e is laden or towin g a trailer . By doin g
so, you will mak e use of th e brakin g effec t of th e
engine. This relieves th e load on th e brak e sys-
te m and prevents th e brakes from overheating
and wearin g to o quickly.
If Distanc e Pilo t DISTRONI C detects that there is
a ris k of a collision , you will be warned visually
and acoustically. Without your intervention , Dis-
tance Pilo t DISTRONI C canno t preven t a colli-
sion . An intermittent warnin g tone will then
soun d and th e distanc e warnin g lamp will ligh t
up in th e instrumen t cluster. Brake immediately
in order to increase th e distanc e to th e vehicl e in
fron t or tak e evasive action provided it is saf e to
do so.
Fo r Distanc e Pilo t DISTRONI C to assist you
when driving, th e rada r sensor system mus t be
operational.
Dis tanc e P
ilo t DISTRONI C operate s in th e range
between 0 mph (0 km/h) and 12 0 mph
(20 0 km/h).
Do no t use Distanc e Pilo t DISTRONI C while driv-
in g on roads wit h steep gradients .
Since Distanc e Pilo t DISTRONI C transmit s rada r
waves, it can resemble th e rada r detectors of
th e responsibl e authorities. You can refer to th e
relevan t chapter in th e Operator' s Manual if
question s are asked about this. i US A only:
This device has been approve d by th e FCC as
a "Vehicular Radar System". The rada r sensor
is intended for use in an automotive rada r
system only. Removing, tamperin g with, or
altering th e device will voi d any warranties,
and is no t permitte d by th e FCC. Do no t tam -
per with, alter, or use in any non-approve d
way.
An y unauthorize d modification to this device
could voi d th e user’s authorit y to operate th e
equipment.
i Canada only: This device complies wit h
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subjec t to th e followin g tw o conditions:
1. This device may no t caus e harmful inter-
ference , and
2. This device mus t accept any interferenc e
received, includin g interferenc e that may
caus e undesired operation of th e device .
Removal, tampering, or altering of th e d evice
w
ill voi d any warranties, and is no t permitted.
Do no t tamper with, alter, or use in any non-
approve d way.
An y unauthorize d modification to this device
could voi d th e user's authorit y to operate th e
equipment.
Imp or tant safety notes
G WARNIN G
Distanc e Pilo t DISTRONI C does no t reac t to :R
people or animals R
stationary objects on th e road, e.g. stoppe d
or parked vehicles R
oncomin g vehicles and crossin g traffic
As a result , Distanc e Pilo t DISTRONI C may
neither giv e warnings no r interven e in suc h
situations. There is a ris k of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th e traffic sit -
uation and be read y to brake.
G WARNIN G
Distanc e Pilo t DISTRONI C canno t always
clearly identify other roa d user s and complex
traffic situations.168
Driving systems
Driving and parking

with the curb or other road boundaries. Be par-
ticularly aware of other road users, e.g. cyclists,
that are directly next to your vehicle.
Obstacles such as traffic pylons on the lane or
projecting out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. after
intentionally driving over a lane marking, can be
corrected at any time if you steer slightly in the
opposite direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Pilot cannot
continuously keep your vehicle in lane. In some
cases, the steering intervention is not sufficient
to bring the vehicle back to the lane. In such
cases, you must steer the vehicle yourself to
ensure that it does not leave the lane.
The support provided by the system can be
impaired if: R
there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or spray R
there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflections (e.g. when the road surface
is wet) R
the windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-
ity of the camera R
there are no, several or unclear lane markings
for a lane, e.g. in areas with road construction
work R
the lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow R
the distance to the vehicle in front is too small
and the lane markings thus cannot be detec-
ted R
the lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross on e another or mergeR
the road is narrow and winding R
there are strong shadows cast on the road
The system is switched to passive and no longer
assists you by performing steering interventions
if: R
you actively change lane R
you switch on the turn signal R
take your hands off the steering wheel or do
not steer for a prolonged period of time
i After you have finished changing lanes,
Steering Pilot is automatically active once
more. Steering Pilot cannot provide assistance: R
on very sharp corners R
when towing a trailer R
when a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire
has been detected and displayed
Observe the important safety notes on Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC ( Y
page 168).
The steering interventions are carried out with a
limited steering moment. The system requires
the driver to keep his hands on the steering
wheel and to steer himself.
If you do not steer yourself or if you take your
hands off the steering wheel for a prolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you with
a visual warning. A steering wheel symbol
appears in the multifunction display. If you have
still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steering wheel after five seconds at the
latest, a warning tone also sounds to remind you
to take control of the vehicle. Steering Pilot is
then switched to passive. Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC remains active.
Activating Steering Pilot X
Activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with
Steering Pilot using the on-board computer
( Y
page 231).
The Steering Pilot On message appears in
the multifunction display. Steering Pilot is
activated.
Information in the multifunction display
If Steering Pilot is activated but not ready for a
steering intervention, steering wheel symbol C
appears in gray. If the system provides you with
support by means of steering interventions,
symbol C is shown in green.
Deactivating Steering Pilot X
Deactivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with
Steering Pilot using the on-board computer
( Y
page 231).
The Steering Pilot Off message appears
in the multifunction display. Steering pilot is
deactivated.Driving systems 175
Driving and parking Z

You can select from the following: R
Offroad level 1 at speeds up to 60 mph
(96 km/h) R
Offroad level 2 at speeds up to 40 mph
(64 km/h) R
Offroad level 3 at speeds up to 12 mph
(20 km/h)
If you select an offroad level when driving at too
high a speed, the Drive More Slowly message
appears in the multifunction display.
Offroad level 3 is only suitable for driving on
extremely difficult off-road terrain under partic-
ularly rough conditions. R
Adjust your driving style to the altered han-
dling characteristics. R
Do not drive at speeds above 12 mph
(20 km/h).
Indicator lamps

HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations: R
when pulling away, especially on steep slopes R
when maneuvering on steep slopes R
when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the driver
having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
i 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.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite being braked by the HOLD function if: R
there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply. R
the HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant. R
the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with. R
the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
! When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion is activated, the vehicle brakes automat-
ically 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 the vehicle R
in the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function ( Y
page 179). Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if: R
the vehicle is stationary R
the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function R
the driver's door is closed or your seat belt is
fastened R
the electric parking brake is released R
the transmission is in position D , R or NR
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions are
met. X
Depress the brake pedal. X
Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until C appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if: R
you accelerate and the transmission is in
position D or R . R
you shift the transmission to position P .R
you depress the brake pedal again with a cer-
tain amount of pressure until C disappears
from the multifunction display. R
you secure the vehicle using the electric park-
ing brake. R
you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.Driving systems 179
Driving and parking Z