2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS-Class SUV trailer

When towing, the differential locks must not
be switched on. The transmission may other-
wise be damaged.
!The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 miles (50km). The towing speed of 30 mph (50 km/h) must not be exceeded.
If the vehicle has to be towed more than
30 miles (50km), the entire vehicle must be
raised and transported.
It is better to have the vehicle transported than
to have it towed away.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission damage,
have it transported on a transporter or trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in position N when the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
Rcannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock
Rcannot release the electric parking brake
Rcannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
Disarm the automatic locking feature before the
vehicle is towed (
Ypage 239). You could other-
wise be locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
The brackets for the screw-in towing eye are
located in the bumpers. They are at the front and
rear behind covers :;.
XRemove the towing eye from the vehicle tool
kit (Ypage 331).
XTo open the cover at the front: press the
mark on cover :inwards in the direction of
the arrow.
XTo open the cover at the rear: insert a flat,
blunt object into the cutout and lever
cover ;out of the bumper.
XTake cover :or; off the opening.
XScrew in the towing eye clockwise as far as it
will go and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye
XUnscrew and remove the towing eye.
XPosition cover :or; in the bumper and
press the cover on until it engages.
XPlace the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit.
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
The automatic transmission automatically shifts
to position Pwhen you open the driver's or front-
passenger door or when you remove the Smart-
Key from the ignition lock.
In order to ensure that the automatic transmis-
sion stays in position Nwhen towing the vehicle,
you must observe the following points:
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the ignition
lock.
XDepress and hold the brake pedal.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
N .
XLeave the SmartKey in position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
(Ypage 114).
In order to signal a change of direction when
towing the vehicle with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination switch
as usual. In this case, only the indicator lamps
for the direction of travel flash. After resetting
342Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance

the combination switch, the hazard warning
lamp starts flashing again.
Transporting the vehicle
4MATIC vehicles/vehicles with auto-
matic transmission
!When the vehicle is loaded for transport, the
front and rear axles must be stationary and on
the same transportation vehicle. Positioning
over the connection point of the transport
vehicle is not permitted. The drive train may
otherwise be damaged.
All vehicles
!You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise, the
vehicle could be damaged.
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transporting pur-
poses.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the ignition
lock.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
N.
As soon as the vehicle has been loaded:
XPrevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.
XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
XSecure the vehicle.
Information on 4MATIC vehicles
!
Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised, as
doing so will damage the transmission.
Vehicles with 4MATIC may either be towed away with both axles on the ground or be loaded up
and transported.
If the vehicle's transmission, front, or rear axle is
damaged, have the vehicle transported on a
truck or trailer.
In the event of damage to the electrical sys-
tem: if the battery is defective, the automatic
transmission will be locked in position P. To shift
the automatic transmission to position N, you
must provide power to the vehicle's electrical
system in the same way as when jump-starting
(
Ypage 338).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter or
trailer.
Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
!
Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be tow-started. You could otherwise dam-
age the automatic transmission.
You can find information on "Jump-starting"
under (
Ypage 338).
Fuses
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you manipulate or bridge a faulty fuse or if
you replace it with a fuse with a higher amper- age, the electric cables could be overloaded.
This could result in a fire. There is a risk of an
accident and injury.
Always replace faulty fuses with the specified
new fuses having the correct amperage.
!For the fuse boxes in the engine compart-
ment and under the rear bench seat, only use
fuses with the suffix "S". Otherwise, compo-
nents or systems could be damaged.
!Make sure that no moisture can enter the
fuse box when the cover is open.
Fuses343
Breakdown assistance
Z

To avoid hazardous situations:
Rnever install snow chains to the front
wheels
Ralways install snow chains in pairs to the
rear wheels.
!You must drive at raised vehicle level (height
1) if snow chains have been installed. The
vehicle may otherwise be damaged.
!Vehicles with ADS (Adaptive Damping
System): do not use the sport mode when
driving with snow chains mounted. The vehi-
cle may otherwise be damaged.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains that have
been specially approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz, or are of a corresponding
standard of quality. For more information,
please contact a qualified specialist workshop.
Install the snow chains on all driven wheels for
maximum tractive power and driving stability. If
you own snow chains for two driven wheels only,
install the snow chains to the wheels on the rear
axle. The vehicle then remains more stable
under braking.
If you intend to mount snow chains, please bear
the following points in mind:
RSnow chains may not be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations. Permissible
wheel/tire combinations (
Ypage 371).
ROnly use snow chains when driving on roads
completely covered by snow. Remove the
snow chains as soon as possible when you
come to a road that is not snow-covered.
RLocal regulations may restrict the use of snow chains. Observe the appropriate regulations if
you wish to mount snow chains.
RDo not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 30 mph (50 km/h).
RNever use Parking Pilot when snow chains are
installed (Ypage 193).
You may wish to deactivate ESP®when pulling
away with snow chains installed (Ypage 67).
You can thereby allow the wheels to spin in a
controlled manner, achieving an increased driv-
ing force (cutting action).
Information about driving with an emergency
spare wheel (
Ypage 372).
Tire pressure
Tire pressure specifications
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires pose the
following risks:
Rthe tires may burst, especially as the load
and vehicle speed increase.
Rthe tires may wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which may greatly impair tire
traction.
Rthe driving characteristics, as well as steer-
ing and braking, may be greatly impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
Follow recommended tire inflation pressures
and check the pressure of all the tires includ-
ing the spare wheel:
Rmonthly, at least
Rif the load changes
Rbefore beginning a long journey
Runder different operating conditions, e.g.
off-road driving
If necessary, correct the tire pressure.
The data on the Tire and Loading Information
placard and tire pressure table shown here are
examples. Tire pressure specifications are vehi-
cle-specific and may deviate from the data
shown here. The tire pressure specifications
that are valid for your vehicle can be found on
the Tire and Loading Information placard and
tire pressure table on the vehicle.
General notes
The recommended tire pressures for the tires
mounted at the factory can be found on the
labels described here.
Operation with emergency spare wheel:
Information on operation with the emergency
spare wheel can be found under "Emergency
spare wheel" (
Ypage 372).
Operation with a trailer: the applicable value
for the rear axle is the maximum tire pressure
value stated in the table inside the fuel filler flap.
Tire pressure349
Wheels and tires
Z

able cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400 - 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
XStep 5:Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehi- cle. That weight may not safely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load capacity cal-
culated in step 4.
Example: steps 1 to 3
The following table shows examples on how to calculate total and cargo load capacities with varying
seating configurations and number and size of occupants. The following examples use a load limit of
1500 lbs (680 kg).
This is for illustration purposes only. Make sure you are using the actual load
limit for your vehicle stated on your vehicle's Tire and Loading Information placard (
Ypage 356).
The greater the combined weight of the occupants, the lower the maximum luggage load.
Additional information when towing a trailer (
Ypage 222).
Step 1
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Combined maximum
weight of occupants
and cargo (data from
the Tire and Loading
Information placard)1500 lbs (680 kg)1500 lbs (680 kg)1500 lbs (680 kg)
Step 2
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Number of people in
the vehicle (driver and
occupants)531
Distribution of the
occupantsFront: 2
Rear: 3Front: 1
Rear: 2Front: 1
Weight of the occu-
pantsOccupant 1: 150 lbs
(68 kg)
Occupant 2: 180 lbs
(82 kg)
Occupant 3: 160 lbs
(73 kg)
Occupant 4: 140 lbs
(63 kg)
Occupant 5: 120 lbs
(54 kg)Occupant 1: 200 lbs
(91 kg)
Occupant 2: 190 lbs
(86 kg)
Occupant 3: 150 lbs
(68 kg)Occupant 1: 150 lbs
(68 kg)
Gross weight of all
occupants750 lbs (340 kg)540 lbs (245 kg)150 lbs (68 kg)
358Loading the vehicle
Wheels and tires

Step 3
Example 1Example 2Example 3
Permissible load (maxi-
mum gross vehicle
weight rating from the
Tire and Loading Infor-
mation placard minus
the gross weight of all
occupants)1500 lbs (680 kg)Ò
750 lbs (340 kg) =
750 lbs (340 kg)1500 lbs (680 kg) Ò
540 lbs (245 kg)
=960 lbs (435 kg)1500 lbs (680 kg) Ò
150 lbs (68 kg) =
1350 lbs (612 kg)
Vehicle identification plate
Even if you have calculated the total cargo care-
fully, you should still make sure that the gross
vehicle weight rating and the gross axle weight
rating are not exceeded. Details can be found on
the vehicle identification plate on the B-pillar on
the driver's side of the vehicle (
Ypage 356).
Permissible Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR): the gross weight of the vehicle, all pas-
sengers, load and trailer load/noseweight (if
applicable) must not exceed the permissible
gross vehicle weight.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): the maxi-
mum permissible weight that can be carried by
one axle (front or rear axle).
To ensure that your vehicle does not exceed the
maximum permissible values (gross vehicle
weight and maximum gross axle weight rating),
have your loaded vehicle (including driver, occu-
pants, cargo, and full trailer load if applicable)
weighed on a suitable vehicle weighbridge.
Trailer load/noseweight
The trailer load/noseweight affects the gross
weight of the vehicle. If a trailer is attached, the trailer load/noseweight is included in the load
along with occupants and luggage. The trailer
load/noseweight is usually approximately 8% of
the gross weight of the trailer and its cargo.
All about wheels and tires
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Stand-
ards
Overview of Tire Quality Grading Stand-
ards
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards are U.S.
government specifications. Their purpose is to
provide drivers with uniform reliable information on tire performance data. Tire manufacturers
have to grade tires using three performance fac-
tors: :tread wear grade, ;traction grade and
= temperature grade. These regulations do not
apply to Canada. Nevertheless, all tires sold in
North America are provided with the corre-
sponding quality grading markings on the side-
wall of the tire.
Quality grades can be found, where applicable,
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width.
Example:
RTreadwear grade: 200
RTraction grade:AA
RTemperature grade: A
All about wheels and tires359
Wheels and tires
Z

Speed rating
The speed rating is part of the tire identification.It specifies the speed range for which the tire is
approved.
GTW (Gross Trailer Weight)
The GTW is the weight of a trailer including the
weight of the load, luggage, accessories etc. on
the trailer.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
The gross vehicle weight includes the weight of
the vehicle including fuel, tools, the spare wheel,
accessories installed, occupants, luggage and
the drawbar noseweight, if applicable. The gross
vehicle weight must not exceed the gross vehi-
cle weight rating GVWR as specified on the vehi- cle identification plate on the B-pillar on the
driver's side.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
The GVWR is the maximum permissible gross
weight of a fully loaded vehicle (the weight of the
vehicle including all accessories, occupants,
fuel, luggage and the drawbar noseweight, if
applicable). The gross vehicle weight rating is
specified on the vehicle identification plate on
the B-pillar on the driver's side.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
The maximum weight is the sum of:
Rthe curb weight of the vehicle
Rthe weight of the accessories
Rthe load limit
Rthe weight of the factory installed optional
equipment
Kilopascal (kPa)
Metric unit for tire pressure. 6.9 kPa corre-
sponds to 1 psi. Another unit for tire pressure is
bar. 100 kilopascals (kPa) are the equivalent of
1 bar.
Load index
In addition to the load-bearing index, the load
index may also be imprinted on the sidewall of
the tire. This specifies the load-bearing capacity
more precisely.
Curb weight
The weight of a vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil and
coolant. It also includes the air-conditioning sys- tem and optional equipment if these are instal-
led in the vehicle, but does not include passen-
gers or luggage.
Maximum load rating
The maximum tire load is the maximum permis-
sible weight in kilograms or lbs for which a tire is approved.
Maximum permissible tire pressure
Maximum permissible tire pressure for one tire.
Maximum load on one tire
Maximum load on one tire. This is calculated by
dividing the maximum axle load of one axle by
two.
PSI (pounds per square inch)
A standard unit of measure for tire pressure.
Aspect ratio
Relationship between tire height and tire widt h
in percent.
Tire pressure
This is pressure inside the tire applying an out-
ward force to each square inch of the tire's sur-
face. The tire pressure is specified in pounds per
square inch (psi), in kilopascal (kPa) or in bar.
The tire pressure should only be corrected when the tires are cold.
Cold tire pressure
The tires are cold:
Rif the vehicle has been parked with the tires
out of direct sunlight for at least three hours
and
Rif the vehicle has not been driven further than
1 mile (1.6 km)
Tread
The part of the tire that comes into contact with
the road.
Bead
The tire bead ensures that the tire sits securely
on the wheel. There are several steel wires in the
bead to prevent the tire from coming loose from
the wheel rim.
All about wheels and tires365
Wheels and tires
Z

Sidewall
The part of the tire between the tread and the
bead.
Weight of optional extras
The combined weight of those optional extras
that weigh more than the replaced standard
parts and more than 2.3 kg (5 lbs). These
optional extras, such as high-performance
brakes, level control, a roof rack or a high-per-
formance battery, are not included in the curb
weight and the weight of the accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
This is a unique identifier which can be used by
a tire manufacturer to identify tires, for example
for a product recall, and thus identify the pur-
chasers. The TIN is made up of the manufactur-
er's identity code, tire size, tire type code and
the manufacturing date.
Load bearing index
The load bearing index (also load index) is a code
that contains the maximum load bearing capa-
city of a tire.
Traction
Traction is the result of friction between the tires
and the road surface.
TWR (Tongue Weight Rating)
The TWR specifies the maximum permissible
weight that the ball coupling of the trailer tow
hitch can support.
Treadwear indicators
Narrow bars (tread wear bars) that are distrib-
uted over the tire tread. If the tire tread is level
with the bars, the wear limit ofáin (1.6 mm)
has been reached.
Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupants in a vehicle at their
designated seating positions.
Total load limit
Nominal load and luggage load plus 68 kg
(150 lbs) multiplied by the number of seats in
the vehicle.
Changing a wheel
Flat tire
The "Breakdown assistance" section
(Ypage 331) contains information and notes on
how to deal with a flat tire. Information on driv-
ing with MOExtended tires in the event of a flat
tire can be found under "MOExtended tires (tires
with run-flat characteristics" (
Ypage 332).
Vehicles with an emergency spare wheel: in
the event of a flat tire, mount the emergency
spare wheel according to the description under "Mounting a wheel" (
Ypage 367).
Rotating the wheels
GWARNING
Interchanging the front and rear wheels may
severely impair the driving characteristics if
the wheels or tires have different dimensions. The wheel brakes or suspension components
may also be damaged. There is a risk of acci-
dent.
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the wheels and tires are of the same dimensions.
!On vehicles equipped with a tire pressure
monitor, electronic components are located
in the wheel.
Tire-mounting tools should not be used near
the valve. This could damage the electronic
components.
Only have tires changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes in the "Mounting a wheel" section
(
Ypage 367).
The wear patterns on the front and rear tires
differ, depending on the operating conditions.
Rotate the wheels before a clear wear pattern
has formed on the tires. Front tires typically
wear more on the shoulders and the rear tires in
the center.
On vehicles that have the same size front and
rear wheels, you can rotate the wheels accord-
ing to the intervals in the tire manufacturer's
warranty book in your vehicle documents. If no
warranty book is available, the tires should be
rotated every 3,000 to 6,000 miles (5,000 to
10,000 km). Depending on tire wear, this may
366Changing a wheel
Wheels and tires

Accelerate carefully and make sure that the
wheels do not spin when driving on steep ter-
rain.
iIf the load on the front axle is reduced when
pulling away on a steep uphill slope, the front
wheels have a tendency to spin. 4ETS recog-
nizes this and brakes the wheels accordingly.
The rear wheel torque is increased, making it
easier to drive off.
For further information about the maximum gra-
dient climbing ability, see (
Ypage 171).
Trailer tow hitch
Mounting dimensions
!
If you have a trailer tow hitch retrofitted,
changes to the cooling system and drive train
may be necessary, depending on the vehicle
type.
If you have a trailer tow hitch retrofitted,
observe the anchorage points on the chassis
frame.
:Anchorage points for the trailer tow hitch
;Rear axle center line
Trailer loads
Trailer loads, trailer drawbar nose-
weights and axle loads
Missing values were not available at the time of going to print.
GLS 450 4M ATIC,
GLS 550 4M ATIC and
GLS 350 d 4 MATIC
Permissible trailer load,
braked (at a minimum gra-
dient-climbing capability
of12%from a standstill)7500 lbs
(3402 kg)
Maximum drawbar nose-
weight (the drawbar nose-
weight is not included in
the trailer load)600 lbs
(272 kg)
Gross rear axle weight rat-
ing when towing a trailer3968 lbs
(1800 kg)
Mercedes ‑A
MG GLS 63 4 MATIC
Permissible trailer load,
braked (at a minimum gra-
dient-climbing capability
of12%from a standstill)
Maximum drawbar nose-
weight (the drawbar nose-
weight is not included in
the trailer load)
Gross rear axle weight rat-
ing when towing a trailer
The actual noseweight may not be higher than
the value which is given. The value can be found
on the trailer tow hitch or trailer identification
plates. The lowest weight applies.
The maximum permissible trailer drawbar nose-
weight is the maximum weight with which the
trailer drawbar can be loaded. Limit for
Mercedes-Benz-approved trailer couplings.
Trailer tow hitch387
Technical data
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