2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS-Class SUV fluid

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 (
Ypage 64) or of BAS PLUS on (Ypage 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:
RSpeed
RBraking force
REnvironmental 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:
Ryou drive at low speeds.
Rthe 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:
Rlower your speed.
Ravoid ruts.
Ravoid sudden steering movements.
Rbrake 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.
iVehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
select the raised vehicle level before driving
through a body of water.
166Driving tips
Driving and parking

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The yellow!warning lamp lights up and th ered F (USAonly)
or ! (Canada only) indicator lamp flashes .
It is no tpossibl eto apply th eelectric parking brak emanually.
XShift th etransmission to position P.
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
$(USA
only)
J( Canada
only)
Check Brake Fluid
Level
There is no tenough brak eflui din th ebrak eflui dreservoir .In addition ,
th e$ (USAonly) or J(Canada only) warning lamp lights up in
th einstrumen tcluste rand awarning tone sounds.
GWARNIN G
The braking effec tmay be impaired.
There is aris kof an accident.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions. Do no tcontinu edrivin g
under any circumstances.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 159).
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop .
XDo notadd brak efluid .This does no tcorrec tth emalfunction .
#
CheckBrakePadWear
The brak epads/linings hav ereached their wear limit.
US Aonly: th e$ red brak esystem warning lamp is lit while th e
engin eis running.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
G
Inoperative
Oneor mor emain features of th embrace system are malfunctioning .
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
ActiveBrakeAssistFunctionsCurrentlyLimitedSee Opera‐tor's Manual
Active Brake Assis twit hcross-traffic function is temporarily inopera-
tive.
Possibl ecauses are:
Rth eradar sensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to elec -
tromagneti cradiation emitted by nearby TV or radi ostation sor
other source sof electromagneti cradiation
Rth esystem is outside th eoperating temperature range
Rth eon-boar dvoltag eis to olow.
Whe nth ecauses state dabov eno longer apply, th edisplay message
disappears.
Active Brake Assis twit hcross-traffic function or PRE ‑S AF E
®PLU Sis
functional again .
If th edisplay message does no tdisappear :
XPull overand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 159).
XRestart th eengine.
250Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
?
CoolantToo HotSto pVehicl eTur nEngine Off
The coolan tis to ohot .
A warning tone also sounds.
GWARNIN G
Do no tdrive when your engin eis overheated. This can caus esom e
fluids whic hmay hav eleaked int oth eengin ecompartmen tto catch
fire.
Steam from th eoverheate dengin ecan also caus eserious burn swhic h
can occur jus tby opening th ehood.
There is aris kof injury.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely and switch off th eengine, pay-
ing attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 159).
XWait until th eengin ehas cooled down .
XMakesur ethat th eair supply to th eengin eradiato ris no tblocked,
e.g. by snow, slus hor ice .
XDo no tstart th eengin eagain until th edisplay message goe sout and
th ecoolan ttemperature is belo w24 8 ‡ (120†). Otherwise ,th e
engin ecould be damaged.
XPay attention to th ecoolan ttemperature gauge .
If th etemperatur eincreases again:
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop immediately.
Under normal operating condition sand wit hth especified coolan t
level, th ecoolan ttemperature may ris eto 24 8 ‡(120†).
#
See Operator' sMan ‐ual
The battery is no tbein gcharged.
A warning tone also sounds.
Possibl ecauses are:
Radefective alternato r
Ratorn poly-V-belt
Ramalfunction in th eelectronics
!Do no tcontinu edriving. The engin ecould otherwise overheat.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely and switch off th eengine, pay-
ing attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 159).
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop .
258Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
¥
Check Washer Fluid
The washer fluidlevel in th ewasher flui dreservoir has dropped belo w
th eminimum .
XAddwasher flui d (Ypage 322).
Wiper Malfunction‐ingThe windshield wiper sare malfunctioning .
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
Hazard WarningFlashers Malfunc‐tioning
The hazard warning lamp sare faulty.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
SmartKey
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
Â
KeyDoesNotBelongto Vehicl e
You haveput th ewrong SmartKey in th eignition lock.
XUse th ecorrec tSmartKey.
Â
Tak eYou rKey fro mIgnition
The SmartKey is in th eignition lock.
A warning tone also sounds.
XRemove th eSmartKey.
Â
Obtain aNew Key
The SmartKey needs to be replaced.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
Â
ReplaceKey Batter y
The SmartKey battery is discharged.
XChange thebattery (Ypage 77) .
Â
Don't Forget You rKey
The SmartKey is notin th eignition lock. You hav eopened th edriver's
door wit hth eengin eswitched off .
A warning tone also sounds.
This display message is displayed for amaximum of 60 seconds and is
simply areminder.
XTak eth eSmartKey wit hyou when you leav eth evehicle.
Â
Key Not Detected(whit edisplay message )
The SmartKey is currentl yundetected.
XChange th elocation of th eSmartKey in th evehicle.
If th eSmartKey still canno tbe detected:
XOperat eth evehicl ewit hth eSmartKey in th eignition lock.
Display messages27 3
On-board computer and displays
Z

Safety systems
Warning/
indicator
lampNSignal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
Solutions
J$N$ (USA only), J(Canada only): the red brake system warning lamp is lit
while the engine is running.
A warning tone also sounds.
GWARNING
The brake boosting effect is malfunctioning and the braking characteristics may be
affected.
There is a risk of an accident.
XPull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying attention to road
and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving under any circumstances.
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away (Ypage 159).
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
J$N $ (USA only), J(Canada only): the red brake system warning lamp is lit
while the engine is running.
A warning tone also sounds.
GWARNING
There is not enough brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir.
There is a risk of an accident.
XPull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying attention to road
and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving under any circumstances.
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away (Ypage 159).
XDo not add brake fluid. Adding more will not correct the malfunction.
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
$N USA only: the red brake system warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
The multifunction display also shows a display message with the #symbol.
The brake pads/linings have reached their wear limit.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.
276Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
On-board computer and displays

Warning/
indicator
lampNSignal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
Solutions
?NThe red coolant warning lamp comes on while the engine is running.
The coolant level is too low.
If the coolant level is correct, the airflow to the engine radiator may be blocked or
the electric engine radiator fan may be defective.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
XPull over and stop the vehicle safely and switch off the engine, paying attention
to road and traffic conditions.
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away (Ypage 159).
XLeave the vehicle and keep a safe distance from the vehicle until the engine has cooled down.
XCheck the coolant level and add coolant, observing the warning notes
(Ypage 322).
XIf you have to add coolant frequently, have the engine cooling system checked.
XMake sure that the air supply to the engine radiator is not blocked, e.g. by snow,
slush or ice.
XDo not start the engine again until the coolant temperature is below 248 ‡
(120 †). Otherwise, the engine could be damaged.
XDrive to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
XAvoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in mountainous terrain
and stop-and-go traffic.
?N The red coolant warning lamp comes on while the engine is running.
The coolant temperature has exceeded 248 ‡ (120 †). The airflow to the engine
radiator may be blocked or the coolant level may be too low.
GWARNING
The engine is not being cooled sufficiently and may be damaged.
Do not drive when your engine is overheated. This can cause some fluids which
may have leaked into the engine compartment to catch fire.
Steam from the overheated engine can also cause serious burns which can occur
just by opening the hood.
There is a risk of injury.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
XPull over and stop the vehicle safely and switch off the engine, paying attention
to road and traffic conditions.
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away (Ypage 159).
XLeave the vehicle and keep a safe distance from the vehicle until the engine has
cooled down.
XCheck the coolant level and add coolant, observing the warning notes
(Ypage 322).
XIf you have to add coolant frequently, have the engine cooling system checked.
XMake sure that the air supply to the engine radiator is not blocked, e.g. by snow,
slush or ice.
284Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
On-board computer and displays

Where possible, let the engine cool down andtouch only the components described in the
following.
GWARNING
The cooling system is pressurized, particularly
when the motor is warm. If you open the cap,
you could be scalded if hot coolant sprays out.
There is a risk of injury.
Let the engine cool down before you open the
cap. Wear gloves and eye protection. Slowly
open the cap to relieve pressure.
GWARNING
Windshield washer concentrate could ignite if it comes into contact with hot engine compo-
nents or the exhaust system. There is a risk of
fire and injury.
Make sure that no windshield washer con-
centrate is spilled next to the filler neck.
Checking coolant level
XPark the vehicle on a level surface.
Only check the coolant level when the vehicle
is on a level surface and the engine has cooled
down.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the ignition
lock (Ypage 138).
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, press the
Start/Stop button twice (
Ypage 140).
XCheck the coolant temperature gauge in the
multifunction display.
The coolant temperature must be below
158 ‡ (70 †).
XTurn the SmartKey to position 0in the ignition
lock (Ypage 138).
XOn vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, press the
Start/Stop button (Ypage 140).
XPress the Start/Stop button (Ypage 140).
XSlowly turn cap :half a turn counter-clock-
wise and allow excess pressure to escape.
XTurn cap :further counter-clockwise and
remove it.
If the coolant is at the level of marker bar =
in the filler neck when cold, there is enough
coolant in coolant expansion tank ;.
If the coolant level is approximately 0.6 in
(1.5 cm) above marker bar =in the filler neck
when warm, there is enough coolant in expan-
sion tank ;.
XIf necessary, add coolant that has been tested
and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
XReplace cap :and turn it clockwise as far as
it will go.
For further information on coolant, see
(
Ypage 382).
Adding washer fluid to the windshield
washer system
Example: washer fluid reservoir
XTo open: pull cap:upwards by the tab.
XAdd the premixed washer fluid.
XTo close: press cap :onto the filler neck
until it engages.
If the washer fluid level drops below the recom-
mended minimum of 1 liter, a message appears
in the multifunction display prompting you to
add washer fluid (
Ypage 273).
Further information on windshield washer fluid
(
Ypage 383).
322Engine compartment
Maintenance and care

Damaged seals or electrical components can
lead to leaks or failures.
Cleaning the paintwork
!Do not affix:
Rstickers
Rfilms
Rmagnetic plates or similar items
to painted surfaces. You could otherwise
damage the paintwork.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected by
corrosion and damage caused by inadequate
care cannot always be completely repaired. In
such cases, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
XRemove dirt immediately, where possible,
while avoiding rubbing too hard.
XSoak insect remains with insect remover and
rinse off the treated areas afterwards.
XSoak bird droppings with water and rinse off
the treated areas afterwards.
XRemove coolant, brake fluid, tree resin, oils,
fuels and greases by rubbing gently with a
cloth soaked in petroleum ether or lighter
fluid.
XUse tar remover to remove tar stains.
XUse silicone remover to remove wax.
If water no longer forms "beads" on the paint
surface, use the paint care products recommen-
ded and approved by Mercedes-Benz. This is the
case approximately every three to five months,
depending on the climate conditions and the
care product used.
If dirt has penetrated the paint surface or if the
paint has become dull, the paint cleaner reco m-
me

nded and approved by Mercedes-Benz
should be used.
Do not use these care products in the sun or on
the hood while the hood is hot.
XUse a suitable touch-up stick, e.g. MB Touch-
Up Stick, to repair slight damage to the paint- work quickly and provisionally.
Matte finish care
!Never polish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing causes the finish to shine.
!The following may cause the paint to
become shiny and thus reduce the matte
effect:
Rstrong rubbing of the paintwork with
unsuitable materials
Rfrequent use of automatic car washes
Rwashing the vehicle in direct sunlight
!Never use paint cleaner, buffing or polishing
products, or gloss preserver, e.g. wax, for the
purpose of paintwork care. These products
are only suitable for high-gloss surfaces. Their
use on vehicles with matte paintwork leads to considerable surface damage or, more spe-
cifically, to shiny, spotted areas.
Always have paintwork repairs carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
!Do not use wash programs with a hot wax
treatment under any circumstances.
Observe these notes if your vehicle has a clear
matte finish. This will help you to avoid damage to the paintwork due to incorrect treatment.
These notes also apply to light alloy wheels with
a clear matte finish.
iThe vehicle should ideally be washed by
hand using a soft sponge, car shampoo and
plenty of water.
iUse only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of recommended and
approved Mercedes-Benz care products.
Cleaning the vehicle parts
Cleaning the wheels
GWARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage
to the tires or chassis components. Compo-
nents damaged in this way may fail unexpect-
edly. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced imme-
diately.
!Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
326Care
Maintenance and care