2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS-Class SUV oil change

Problems with the transmission
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear.The transmission is losing oil.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
7G-TRONIC:
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no lon-
ger changes gear.The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift intosecondgear and reverse gear.
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XSwitch off the engine.
XWait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
XShift the transmission to positionDor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
9G-TRONIC:
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no lon-
ger changes gear.The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only partly possible to engage the gears or the transmission is in
position N.
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XSwitch off the engine.
XWait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
XShift the transmission to positionDor R.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
Transfer case
This section is only valid for vehicles with 4-
wheel drive (4MATIC). Power is always trans-
mitted to both axles.
!Performance tests may only be carried out
on a 2-axle dynamometer. The brake system
or transfer case could otherwise be damaged. Contact a qualified specialist workshop for a
performance test.
!Because ESP®is an automatic system, the
engine and ignition must be switched off
(SmartKey in position 0or 1or Start/Stop
button in position 0or 1) when the electric
parking brake is being tested on a brake dyna-
mometer (maximum 10 seconds).
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®may
seriously damage the brake system.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised, as
doing so will damage the transmission.
Refueling
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before refueling.
Refueling153
Driving and parking
Z

Off-road driving
Important safety notes
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.
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system. There is a risk of fire.
When driving off road or on unpaved roads,
check the vehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammable materials which have become
trapped. In the case of damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
GWARNING
If the vehicle level is high, the vehicle center of gravity is raised. This could cause the vehicle
to tip over more easily on uphill or downhill
gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Select the lowest possible vehicle level.
!There is a risk of damage to the vehicle if:
Rthe vehicle becomes stuck, e.g. on a high
curb or an unpaved road
Ryou drive too fast over an obstacle, e.g. a
curb, speed bumps or a pothole in the road
Ra heavy object strikes the underbody or
parts of the chassis
In situations like this, the body, the under-
body, chassis parts, wheels or tires could be
damaged without the damage being visible.
Components damaged in this way can unex-
pectedly fail or, in the case of an accident, no longer withstand the strain they are designed
to.
If the underbody paneling is damaged, com-
bustible materials such as leaves, grass or twigs can gather between the underbody and
the underbody paneling. If these materials
come in contact with hot parts of the exhaust
system, they can catch fire.
In such situations, have the vehicle checked
and repaired immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. If on continuing your jour-
ney you notice that driving safety is impaired,
pull over and stop the vehicle immediately,
paying attention to road and traffic condi-
tions. In such cases, consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
When driving off-road, substances such as sand, mud and water or water mixed with oil may get
into the brakes. This could result in a reduced
braking effect or in total brake failure and also in
increased wear and tear. The braking charac-
teristics change depending on the material
ingressing the brakes. Clean the brakes after
driving off-road. If you detect a reduced braking
effect or grinding noises, have the brake system
checked in a qualified specialist workshop as
soon as possible. Adapt your driving style to the
different braking characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the likelihood of dam-
age to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead to
failure of the mechanical assembly or syst

ems.
Adapt your driving style to suit the terrain con-
ditions. Drive carefully. Have damage to the
vehicle rectified immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
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.
General notes
Read this section carefully before driving your
vehicle off-road. Practice by driving over more
gentle off-road terrain first.
Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of
your vehicle and the gear shift operation before
driving through difficult terrain.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving:
Rthe Offroad drive program (vehicles without
Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 217)
ROffroad andOffroad Plus drive programs
(vehicles with Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 218)
168Driving tips
Driving and parking

ASSYST PLUS
Service message
The ASSYSTPLU Sservic einterval display
inform syou of th enext servic edue date.
Information on th etyp eof servic eand servic e
intervals (see th eseparat eMaintenance Book -
let).
You can obtain further information from an
authorize dMercedes-Benz Cente ror at
http://www.mbusa.co m(US Aonly).
iThe ASSYS TPLU Sservic einterval display
does no tsho wany information on th eengin e
oil level. Observ eth enote son th eengin eoil
level (
Ypage 320).
The multifunction display shows aservic emes -
sage for several seconds, e.g. :
RService Ain .. Day s
RService ADue
RServic e AOverdu eby .. Day s
Dependingon th eoperating condition sof th e
vehicle, th eremaining time or distanc euntil th e
next servic edue dat eis displayed.
The lette rA
or B,possibl yin connection wit h a
number or another letter, shows th etyp eof ser -
vice. A
stand sfor aminor servic eand Bfora
major service.
You can obtain further information from an
authorize dMercedes-Benz Center.
The ASSYS TPLU Sservic einterval display does
no ttak eint oaccoun tany periods of time during
whic hth ebattery is disconnected.
Maintainin gth etime-dependen tservic esched-
ule:
XNot edown th eservic edue dat edisplayed in
th emultifunction display before disconnect -
ing th ebattery.
or
XAfte rreconnecting th ebattery, subtrac tth e
battery disconnection periods from th eser -
vic edat eshown on th edisplay.
Hiding a service message
XPress th e% ora buttonon th esteering
wheel.
Displaying service messages
XSwitc hon th eignition .
XPress th e= or; buttonon th esteering
whee lto select th eServ.menu.
XPress th e9 or: buttonto select th e
ASSYSTPLU Ssubmen uand confirm by press-
ing th ea button.
The servic edue dat eappear sin th emulti-
function display.
Infor mation about Service
Resetting the ASSYST PLUS service
interval display
!If th eASSYS TPLU Sservic einterval display
has been inadvertentl yreset ,this setting can
be correcte dat aqualified specialist work-
shop.
Hav eservic ewor kcarrie dout as described in
th eMaintenance Booklet .This may otherwise
lead to increased wear and damag eto th e
major assemblies or th evehicle.
A qualified specialist workshop ,e.g. an author-
ized Mercedes-Benz Center, will reset th e
ASSYS TPLU Sservic einterval display after th e
servic ewor khas been carrie dout .You can also
obtain further information on maintenance
work, for example.
Special service requirements
The specifie dmaintenance interval takes only
th enormal operation of th evehicl eint o
account. Under arduous operating condition sor
increased load on th evehicle, maintenance
wor kmus tbe carrie dout mor efrequently, for
example:
Rregular cit ydrivin gwit hfrequen tintermediat e
stops
Rif th evehicl eis primarily used to travel short
distances
Ruse in mountainous terrain or on poor road
surfaces
Rif th eengin eis often lef tidlin gfor lon gperiods
Under these or similar conditions, have, for
example, th eair filter, engin eoil and oil filter
replace dor changed mor efrequently. Under
arduous operating conditions, th etires mus tbe
checke dmor eoften .Further information can be
ASSYST PLUS323
Maintenance and care
Z

Cleaning the trailer tow hitch
HEnvironmental note
Dispose of rags soaked in oil and grease in an
environmentally responsible manner.
!Do not clean the ball coupling with a power
washer. Do not use solvents.
!Please note the care instructions in the
trailer coupling manufacturer's operating
instructions.
The ball coupling must be cleaned if it becomes
dirty or corroded.
XRemove rust on the ball of the ball coupling,
e.g. with a wire brush.
XRemove dirt with a clean, lint-free cloth or a
brush.
XAfter cleaning, lightly oil or grease ball cou-
pling :.
XCheck that the vehicle's trailer tow hitch is
working properly.
iYou can also have the maintenance work on
the ball coupling and the trailer tow hitch car-
ried out by a qualified specialist workshop.
Interior care
Cleaning the display
!For cleaning, do not use any of the following:
Ralcohol-based thinner or gasoline
Rabrasive cleaning agents
Rcommercially-available household cleaning
agents
These may damage the display surface. Do
not put pressure on the display surface when cleaning. This could lead to irreparable dam-
age to the display.
XBefore cleaning the display, make sure that it
is switched off and has cooled down.
XClean the display surface using a commer-
cially available microfiber cloth and TFT/LCD
display cleaner.
XDry the display surface using a dry microfiber
cloth.
Cleaning the plastic trim
GWARNING
Care products and cleaning agents containing solvents cause surfaces in the cockpit to
become porous. As a result, plastic parts may
come loose in the event of air bag deploy-
ment. There is a risk of injury.
Do not use any care products and cleaning
agents to clean the cockpit.
!Do not affix the following to plastic surfaces:
Rstickers
Rfilms
Rscented oil bottles or similar items
You can otherwise damage the plastic.
!Do not allow cosmetics, insect repellent or
sunscreen to come into contact with the plas-
tic trim. This maintains the high-quality look of
the surfaces.
XWipe the plastic trim with a damp, lint-free
cloth, e.g. a microfiber cloth.
XHeavy soiling: use care and cleaning prod-
ucts recommended and approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
The surface may change color temporarily.
Wait until the surface is dry again.
Cleaning the steering wheel and gear or
selector lever
XThoroughly wipe with a damp cloth or use
leather care agents that have been recom-
mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Care329
Maintenance and care
Z

be required earlier. Do not change the direction
of wheel rotation.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and the
brake disc thoroughly every time a wheel is rota-ted. Check the tire pressure and, if necessary,
restart the tire pressure loss warning system or
the tire pressure monitor (
Ypage 353).
Direction of rotation
Tires with a specified direction of rotation have
additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk of hydro-
planing. These advantages can only be gained if
the tires are installed corresponding to the
direction of rotation.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tire indicates its
correct direction of rotation.
Storing wheels
Store wheels that are not being used in a cool,
dry and preferably dark place. Protect the tires
from oil, grease, gasoline and diesel.
Mounting a wheel
Preparing the vehicle
XVehicle with emergency spare wheel:
when mounting the emergency spare wheel in
the event of a flat tire, follow the additional
notes on vehicle preparation under "Flat tire"
(
Ypage 331).
XStop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground.
XApply the electric parking brake manually.
XBring the front wheels into the straight-ahead
position.
XVehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission to position
P.
XVehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
make sure that the normal vehicle level is
selected (
Ypage 188).
XVehicles with the Off-Road Engineering
package: make sure that the normal level is
selected (
Ypage 182).
XSwitch off the engine.
XVehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the driv-
er's door.
The on-board electronics now have status 0.
This is the same as the SmartKey having been
removed.
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(
Ypage 138).
XIf included in the vehicle equipment, remove
the tire-change tool kit from the vehicle.
XSafeguard the vehicle against rolling away.
iApart from certain country-specific varia-
tions, vehicles are not equipped with a tire-
change tool kit. For information on which
tools are required to perform a wheel change
on your vehicle, consult an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Necessary tire-changing tools can include, for example:
RJack
RWheel chock
RLug wrench
Securing the vehicle to prevent it from
rolling away
If your vehicle is equipped with a wheel chock, itcan be found in the tire-change tool kit
(
Ypage 331).
The folding wheel chock is an additional safety
measure to prevent the vehicle from rolling
away, for example when changing a wheel.
XFold both plates upwards :.
XFold out lower plate;.
XGuide the lugs on the lower plate fully into the
openings in base plate =.
Changing a wheel367
Wheels and tires
Z

DEF
Important safet ynotes
Comply wit hth eimportant safet ynote sfo rser -
vic eproducts when handlin gDE F (Ypage 378).
DE Fis awater-soluble flui dfo rth eexhaus tgas
aftertreatmen tof diesel engines. It is:
Rno tpoisonous
Rcolorles sand odorless
Rno tflammable
Whe nyou ope nth eDE Fcontainer, small
amount sof ammonia vapor may be released.
Ammoni avapor shav e a pungen todo rand are
particularly irritatin gto th eskin ,to mucous
membrane sand to th eeyes .You may experi-
ence aburning sensation in your eyes ,nose and
throat .Coughin gand watering of th eeyes are
possible.
Do no tinhale ammonia vapors. Fil lth eDE Ftank
only in well-ventilated areas.
Low outsid etemperatures
DE Ffreezes at atemperature of approximately
12 ‡(-11 †). The vehicle is delivered from th e
factory equipped wit h aDEFpreheatin gsystem.
Winte roperation can thus be guaranteed eve n
at temperature sbelo w12 ‡(-11 †).
Additives
!Only use DE Fin accordance wit hIS O
22241. Do no tuse additive swit hDE Fand do
no tdilut eDE Fwit hwater. Thi smay destroy
th eBlueTE Cexhaus tgas aftertreatmen tsys -
tem.
Purity
!Impurities in DE F(e.g. due to other servic e
products ,cleanin gagents or dust )lead to :
Rincrease demission values
Rdamage to th ecatalytic converter
Rengin edamage
Rmalfunction sin th eBlueTE Cexhaus tgas
aftertreatmen tsyste m
Assurin gth epurit yof DE Fis particularly impor -
tant wit hrespec tto avoidin gmalfunction sin th e
BlueTE Cexhaus tgas aftertreatmen tsystem.
If DE Fis pumped out of th eDE Ftank ,e.g. durin g
repair work, it mus tno tbe returned to th etank .The purit
yof th eflui dcan no longer be guaran-
teed.
Filling capacities
ModelTota lcapacity
GLS 350 d4MATIC10.2 US gal
(38.7 l)
Engin eoil
General notes
!Never use engin eoil or an oil filte rof aspec-
ification other than is necessary to fulfill th e
prescribed servic eintervals. Do no tchang e
th eengin eoil or oil filte rin order to achiev e
longer replacement intervals than those pre -
scribed. You could otherwise cause engin e
damage or damage to th eexhaus tgas after-
treatment.
Follow th einstruction sin th eservic einterval
display regardin gth eoil change. Otherwise ,
you may damage th eengin eand th eexhaus t
gas aftertreatment.
Whe nhandlin gengin eoil, observ eth eimportant
safet ynote son servic eproducts (
Ypage 378).
The engin eoils are matched to th eperformanc e
of Mercedes-Ben zengines and servic eintervals.
You should therefore only use engin eoils and oil
filters that are approved fo rvehicles wit hmain -
tenance systems .
Fo r a list of approved engin eoils and oil filters ,
consult an authorized Mercedes-Ben zCenter.
Or visit th ewebsit e
http://bevo.mercedes-benz.co m.
The table shows which engine oils have been
approved for your vehicle.
Service products and filling capacities381
Technical data
Z

Gasoline enginesMB-Freigabe orMB-Approval
All models229.5
Diesel enginesMB-Freigabe orMB-Approval
GLS 350 d 4MATIC228.51, 229.31,229.51, 229.52
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: only use SAE 0W-40
or SAE 5W-40 engine oils.
iMB approval is indicated on the oil contain-
ers.
Filling capacities
The following values refer to an oil change
including the oil filter.
ModelCapacity
GLS 350 d 4MATIC8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
GLS 550 4MATIC
Mercedes‑AMG
vehicles9.0 US qt (8.5l)
Allot her models7.4 US qt (7.0 l)
Additives
!Do not use any additives in the engine oil.
This could damage the engine.
Brake fluid
GWARNING
The brake fluid constantly absorbs moisture
from the air. This lowers the boiling point of
the brake fluid. If the boiling point of the brake
fluid is too low, vapor pockets may form in the
brake system when the brakes are applied
hard. This would impair braking efficiency.
There is a risk of an accident.
You should have the brake fluid renewed at
the specified intervals. Comply with the important safety notes for ser-
vice products when handling brake fluid
(
Ypage 378).
The brake fluid change intervals can be found in
the Maintenance Booklet.
Only use brake fluid approved by Mercedes-
Benz in accordance with MB-Freigabe or MB-
Approval 331.0.
Information about approved brake fluid can be
obtained at any qualified specialist workshop or on the Internet at
http://bevo.mercedes-benz.co m.
iHave the brake fluid regularly replaced at a
qualified specialist workshop in accordance
with the replacement intervals and the
replacement confirmed in the Maintenance
Booklet.
Coolant
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If antifreeze comes into contact with hot com- ponents in the engine compartment, it may
ignite. There is a risk of fire and injury.
Let the engine cool down before you add anti-
freeze. Make sure that antifreeze is not spilled
next to the filler neck. Thoroughly clean the
antifreeze from components before starting
the engine.
!Only add coolant that has been premixed
with the desired antifreeze protection. You
could otherwise damage the engine.
Further information on coolants can be found
in the Mercedes-Benz Specifications for Ser-
vice Products, MB BeVo 310.1, e.g. on the
Internet at http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com.
Or contact a qualified specialist workshop.
!Always use a suitable coolant mixture, even
in countries where high temperatures prevail.
Otherwise, the engine cooling system is not
sufficiently protected from corrosion and
overheating.
iHave the coolant regularly replaced at a
qualified specialist workshop and the replace-
ment confirmed in the Maintenance Booklet.
382Service products and filling capacities
Technical data