2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS-Class SUV brakes

ComfortorSlippery drive program
(Ypage 145).
XDeactivate the LOW RANGE off-road gear
(Ypage 219).
XDeactivate DSR (Ypage 216).
XLower the vehicle level again to a level suita-
ble to the road conditions, e.g. to the normal
level.
XClean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
XClean the front and rear license plates.
XClean the wheels and tires with a water jet
and remove any foreign objects.
XClean the wheels, wheel housings and the
vehicle underside with a water jet; check for
any foreign objects and damage.
XCheck 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 rubber bellows of the axle joints
and propeller shafts.
XAfter the trip, examine without fail the entire
undercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes, body-
work structure, steering, chassis and exhaust
system for damage.
XAfter driving for extended periods across
sand, mud, gravel, water or in similarly dirty
conditions, have the brake discs, wheels,
brake pads/linings and axle joints checked
and cleaned.
XIf you detect strong vibrations after off-road
travel, 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 on sand
Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
RSelect the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 217).
RSelect the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 218).
RSelect a higher vehicle level.
RAvoid high engine speeds.
RUse the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate to
the terrain.
RDrive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise the vehicle's wheels could
become stuck in loose ground.
RDrive in the tracks of other vehicles if possi-
ble. Make sure that:
-the tire ruts are not too deep.
-the sand is sufficiently firm.
-the ground clearance of the vehicle is suf-
ficient.
Tire ruts and gravel roads
!Check that the ruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged or
bottom out and get stuck.
Observe the following rules when driving along
ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with loose
gravel:
RSelect the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 217).
RSelect the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 218).
RSelect a higher vehicle level.
RAvoid high engine speeds.
RShift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter.
RDrive slowly.
RWhere ruts are too deep, drive with the
wheels of one side on the center grassy area,
if possible.
Driving over obstacles
!Obstacles could damage the floor of the
vehicle or components of the chassis. Ask
passengers for guidance when driving over
large obstacles. The passenger should always
keep a safe distance from the vehicle when
doing so in order to avoid injury as a result of
unexpected vehicle movements. After driving off-road or over obstacles, check the vehicle
for possible damage, especially to the under-
body and the components of the chassis.
170Driving tips
Driving and parking

Observe the following rules when driving over
tree stumps, large stones and other obstacles:
RSelect theOffroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 217).
RSelect the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 218).
RSelect LOW RANGE offroad gear (vehicles
with Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 219)
RRaise the vehicle level.
RAvoid high engine speeds.
RShift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter.
RDrive very slowly.
RDrive straight over the center of obstacles.
Traveling uphill
Approach/departure angle
GWARNING
If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle.
RObserve the rules on off-road driving.
RDo not drive at an angle on slopes, inclines orgradients, but instead follow the direct line of
fall.
RWhen driving down an incline, make use of the
engine's braking effect. Observe the engine
speed; do not overrev the engine.
RSelect the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 217).
RSelect the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 218).
RBefore driving on extreme uphill and downhill
gradients, select the LOW RANGE offroad
gear (vehicles with Off-Road Engineering
package) (
Ypage 219).
RDrive slowly.
RAvoid high engine speeds. Drive at appropri-
ate engine speeds (maximum 3,000 rpm).
RUse the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift into a lower gear in good time
on long and steep downhill gradients.
RCheck the brakes after prolonged off-road
driving.
Hill start assist will aid you when pulling away on
a hill. For further information about hill start
assist, see (
Ypage 141).
Do not switch to transmission position Nwhen
driving off-road. If you try to brake the vehicle
using the service brake, you could lose control
of the vehicle. If the gradient is too steep for your vehicle, drive back down in reverse gear.
Always observe the approach/departure angle
values (
Ypage 386).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability
Always observe the maximum gradient climbing
ability values (Ypage 386).
Hilltops
When driving up an uphill gradient, slightly
reduce pressure on the accelerator immediately
before reaching the brow of the hill. Make use of
the vehicle's own impetus to travel over the
brow.
This style of driving prevents:
Rthe vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill
Rthe vehicle from traveling too quickly down
the other side
Driving tips171
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:
Rthe electric parking brake must be released.
Ryou are driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
Rthe transmission must be in positionD.
RDSR must be deactivated.
Rthe 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
XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired speed.
XBriefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle auto-
matically maintains the stored speed.
iCruise 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 applying the brakes.
Storing or calling up a speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle acceler-
ates or decelerates. If you do not know the
stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
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.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is operational and when first
activated stores the current speed or regu-
lates the speed of the vehicle to the stored
speed.
Setting a speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in1 mphincre-
ments (1 km/hincrements): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in5 mphincre-
ments (10 km/hincrements): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed up : or down ;the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
iCruise 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:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
Ryou engage the electric parking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph (30 km/ h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ryou activate DSR
Driving systems173
Driving an d parking
Z

Ryou activateth eOffroad Plus progra m(vehi-
cle swit hth eOff-Road Engineerin gpackage)
Ryou shift th etransmission to position Nwhile
drivin g
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warnin gtone .You will see th eCruise Con ‐
trolOffmessage in th emultifunction display
for approximately fiv eseconds.
iWhe nyou switch off th eengine, th elast
speed store dis cleared .
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
Gene ral notes
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cregulates th espeed
and automatically help syou maintai nth edis-
tance to th evehicl edetecte din front. Vehicles
are detecte dwit hth eaid of th erada rsensor
system. Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cbrakes auto-
matically so that th eset speed is no texceeded .
You mus tselect alower gear in goo dtime on
lon gand steep downhill gradients ,especially if
th evehicl eis laden or towin g atrailer .By doin g
so, you will mak euse of th ebrakin geffec tof th e
engine. This relieves th eload on th ebrak esys-
te m and prevents th ebrakes from overheating
and wearin gto oquickly.
If Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cdetects that there is
a ris kof acollision ,you will be warned visually
and acoustically. Without your intervention ,Dis-
tance Pilo tDISTRONI Ccanno tpreven t acolli-
sion .An intermittent warnin gtone will then
soun dand th edistanc ewarnin glamp will ligh t
up in th einstrumen tcluster. Brake immediately
in order to increase th edistanc eto th evehicl ein
fron tor tak eevasive action provided it is saf eto
do so.
Fo rDistanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cto assist you
when driving, th erada rsensor system mus tbe
operational.
Dis
tanc ePilo tDISTRONI Coperate sin th erange
between 0mph (0 km/h) and 12 0mph
(20 0km/h).
Do no tuse Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cwhile driv-
in g on roads wit hsteep gradients .
Since Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Ctransmit srada r
waves, it can resemble th erada rdetectors of
th eresponsibl eauthorities. You can refer to th e
relevan tchapter in th eOperator' sManual if
question sare asked about this.
iUS Aonly:
This device has been approve dby th eFCC as
a "Vehicular Radar System". The rada rsensor
is intended for use in an automotive rada r
system only. Removing, tamperin gwith, or
altering th edevice will voi dany warranties,
and is no tpermitte dby th eFCC. Do no ttam -
per with, alter, or use in any non-approve d
way.
An yunauthorize dmodification to this device
could voi dth euser’s authorit yto operate th e
equipment.
iCanada only: This device complies wit h
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subjec tto th efollowin gtw oconditions:
1. This device may no tcaus eharmful inter-
ference ,and
2. This device mus taccept any interferenc e
received, includin ginterferenc ethat may
caus eundesired operation of th edevice .
Removal, tampering, or altering of th
ed
evice
will voi dany warranties, and is no tpermitted.
Do no ttamper with, alter, or use in any non-
approve dway.
An yunauthorize dmodification to this device
could voi dth euser's authorit yto operate th e
equipment.
Imp ortant safety notes
GWARNIN G
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cdoes no treac tto :
Rpeople or animals
Rstationary objects on th eroad, e.g. stoppe d
or parked vehicles
Roncomin gvehicles and crossin gtraffic
As aresult ,Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cmay
neither giv ewarnings no rinterven ein suc h
situations. There is aris kof an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th etraffic sit -
uation and be read yto brake.
GWARNIN G
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Ccanno talways
clearly identify other roa duser sand complex
traffic situations.
174Driving systems
Driving and parking

In such cases, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
Rneither give a warning nor intervene
Raccelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, especially if Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
warns you.
GWARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible
deceleration. If this deceleration is not suffi-
cient, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC alerts you
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
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the 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 your lane.
Do not use Distance Pilot DISTRONIC:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen there is 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 if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple, in parking garages
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC no longer detects a
vehicle in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate
to the speed stored.
This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a filter lane or an exit lane
Rbe so high when driving in the right-hand lanethat you overtake vehicles in the left-hand
lane
Rbe so high when driving in the left-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the right-hand
lane
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:Activates or increases speed
;Activates or reduces speed
=Deactivates Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
?Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
ASets a specified minimum distance
Driving systems175
Driving and parking
Z

Activating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
Activation conditions
To activat eDistanc ePilo tDISTRONIC, th efol -
lowin gcondition smus tbe fulfilled :
Rtheengin emus tbe started. It may tak eup to
two minute sof drivin gbefore Distanc ePilo t
DISTRONI Cis read yfor use.
Rth eelectric parking brak emus tbe released.
RES P®mus tbe active ,but no tintervening .
Rthetransmission mus tbe in position D.
Rthedriver's door mus tbe closed when you
shif tfrom Pto Dor your seat belt mus tbe
fastened.
Rth efront-passenger door and rear door smus t
be closed.
Rth eOffroad Plus drive program mus tbe deac -
tivated (vehicles wit hth eOff-Road Engineer -
ing package).
RDS Rmus tbe deactivated.
Rth evehicl emus tno tskid.
Acti vating
XBriefly pull th ecruise control lever toward s
you =,up: or down ?.
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cis activated.
XRemove your foo tfrom th eaccelerato rpedal .
Your vehicl eadapt sits spee dto that of th e
vehicl ein front, but only up to th edesired
store dspeed.
iIf you do no tfully release th eaccelerato r
pedal ,th eDistance Pilot Passiv emes-
sage appear sin th emultifunction display. The
set distanc eto aslower-moving vehicl ein
fron twill then no tbe maintained. You will be
drivin gat th espee dyou determine by th e
position of th eaccelerato rpedal .
You can also activat eDistanc ePilo tDISTRONI C
when stationary. The lowes tspee dthat can be
set is 20 mph (30 km/h).
XBriefly pull th ecruise control lever toward s
you =,up: or down ?.
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cis activated.
Acti vates at th ecurren tspeed/las t
store dspeed
GWARNIN G
If you call up th estore dspee dand it differ s
from th ecurren tspeed, th evehicl eacceler -
atesor decelerates. If you do no tknow th e
store dspeed, th evehicl ecould accelerate or
brak eunexpectedly. There is aris kof an acci-
dent.
Pay attention to th eroad and traffic condi-
tion sbefore calling up th estore dspeed. If you
do no tknow th estore dspeed, store th e
desired spee dagain .
XBriefly pull th ecruise control lever toward s
you =.
XRemove your foo tfrom th eaccelerato rpedal .
The first time Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cis
activated, it store sth ecurren tspee dor reg -
ulates th espee dof th evehicl eto th estore d
speed.
Driving with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
Pulling awa yand drivin g
XIf you want to pull awa ywit hDistance
Pilot DISTRONIC: remove your footfrom th e
brak epedal .
XBriefly pull th ecruise control lever toward s
you ?.
or
XAccelerate briefly.
Your vehicl epulls away and adapt sits spee d
to that of th evehicl ein front. If no vehicl eis
detecte din front, your vehicl eaccelerate sto
th eset speed.
The vehicl ecan also pull away when it is facing
an unidentifie dobstacle or is drivin gon adiffer -
en tlin efrom another vehicle. The vehicl ethen
brakes automatically.
If there is no vehicl ein front, Distanc ePilo t
DISTRONI Coperate sin th esam eway as cruise
control .
If Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cdetects aslower-
moving vehicl ein front, it brakes your vehicle. In
this way, th edistanc eyou hav eselected is main -
tained.
If Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cdetects afaster-
moving vehicl ein front, it increases th edrivin g
speed. However, th evehicl eis only accelerate d
up to th espee dyou hav estored.
176Driving systems
Driving and parking

Selecting the drive program
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC supports a sporty
driving style if you have selected theSportor
Sport Plus drive program (
Ypage 149). Accel-
eration behind the vehicle in front or to the set
speed is then noticeably more dynamic. If you
have selected the Comfortdrive program, the
vehicle accelerates more gently. This setting is
recommended in stop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If you change to the overtaking lane, Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC supports you if:
Ryou are driving faster than 45 mph (70 km/h)
Ryou switch on the appropriate turn signal
RDistance Pilot DISTRONIC does not currently
detect a danger of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted if
changing lanes takes too long or if the distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
becomes too small.
iWhen you change lanes, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC monitors the right lane (in left-
side traffic) or the left lane (in right-side traf-
fic).
Stopping
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
RDISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected.
Rthe accelerator pedal has been depressed, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away. If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects that the
vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle
to a stop.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
After a time, the electric parking brake secures
the vehicle and relieves the service brake.
Depending on the specified minimum distance,
your vehicle will come to a standstill at a suffi-
cient distance behind the vehicle in front. The
specified minimum distance is set using the
control on the cruise control lever.
The transmission is shifted automatically to
position P if, with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
activated and the vehicle stationary:
Rthe driver's door is open and the driver's seat
belt is unfastened.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if, with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
activated and the vehicle stationary:
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there is
a malfunction, the transmission may also be
automatically shifted into position P.
Setting a speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
XPress the cruise control lever up:for a
higher speed or down Afor a lower speed
XTo adjust the set speed in1 mphincre-
ments (1 km/hincrements): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in5 mphincre-
ments (10 km/hincrements): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;, the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
Driving systems177
Driving and parking
Z

HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen 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.
iDo 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
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe 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:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function (
Ypage 185).
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
Rthe vehicle is stationary
Rthe engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
Rthe driver's door is closed or your seat belt is
fastened
Rthe electric parking brake is released
Rthe transmission is in position D,R or N
RDistance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function
XMake sure that the activation conditions are
met.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XQuickly depress the brake pedal further
until :appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
iIf 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:
Ryou accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
Ryou shift the transmission to position P.
Ryou depress the brake pedal again with a cer-
tain amount of pressure until :disappears
from the multifunction display.
Ryou secure the vehicle using the electric park- ing brake.
Ryou activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
iAfter a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
Driving systems185
Driving and parking
Z