2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV automatic transmission

GWARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or
parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
General notes
During a cold start, the engine runs at higher
speeds to enable the catalytic converter to
reach its operating temperature. The sound of
the engine may change during this time.
Automatic transmission
XShift the transmission to position j
(Ypage 132).
The transmission position display in the mul-
tifunction display shows P(
Ypage 132).
iYou can start the engine in transmission
positions jand i.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey
To start the engine using the SmartKey instead
of the Start/Stop button, pull the Start/Stop
button out of the ignition lock.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 3in the igni-
tion lock (Ypage 124) and release it as soon
as the engine is running.
Starting procedure with the Start/Stop
button
The Start/Stop button can be used to start the
vehicle manually without inserting the SmartKey
into the ignition lock. The Start/Stop button
must be inserted in the ignition lock and the
SmartKey must be in the vehicle. This mode for
starting the engine operates independently of
the ECO start/stop automatic engine start func-
tion.
You can start the engine if a valid SmartKey is in the vehicle. Switch off the engine and always
take the SmartKey with you when leaving the vehicle, even if you only leave it for a short time.
Pay attention to the important safety notes.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XPress the Start/Stop button once
(Ypage 124).
The engine starts.
Starting procedure via smartphone
Observe the important safety notes on starting
the engine (Ypage 125).
You can also start your engine via your smart-
phone from outside the vehicle. In this case, the
previously selected climate control setting is
activated. In this way you can cool or heat the
interior of the vehicle before starting the jour-
ney.
Only start the engine via your smartphone if it is
safe to start and run the engine where your vehi-
cle is parked.
Observe the legal stipulations in the area where your vehicle is parked. Engine start via smart-
phone may be limited to certain countries or
regions.
You can execute a maximum of two consecutive
starting attempts via your smartphone. If you
insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock, you
can carry out two more starting attempts.
Once you have started the engine, you can
switch the engine off via your smartphone at any
time.
You can only start the engine via your smart-
phone if:
Rthe SmartKey is in the ignition lock
Rpark position jis selected
Rthe accelerator pedal is not depressed
Rthe alarm for the anti-theft alarm system is
not set
Rthe panic alarm is not activated
Rthe hazard warning lamps are switched off
Rthe hood is closed
Rthe doors are closed and locked
Rthe windows and sliding sunroof are closed
Also make sure that:
Rthe fuel tank is sufficiently filled
Rthe starter battery is sufficiently charged
126Driving
Driving and parking

GWARNING
Limbs could be crushed or trapped if the
engine is started unintentionally during ser-
vice or maintenance work. There is a risk of
injury.
Always secure the engine against uninten-
tional starting before carrying out mainte-
nance or repair work.
Make sure that the engine cannot be started via
your smartphone before carrying out mainte-
nance or repairs. You can prevent an engine
start via your smartphone, for example, if you:
Rswitch on the hazard warning lamps
Rdo not lock the doors
Ropen the hood
Pulling away
General notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pulling
away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have pulled
away. The locking knobs in the doors drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time.
You can also deactivate the automatic locking
feature (
Ypage 196).
It is possible to shift the transmission from posi-
tion jto the desired position only if you
depress the brake pedal. Only then can the
parking lock be deactivated.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): if you do not depress the brake pedal, the
DIRECT SELECT lever can still be moved but the parking lock remains engaged. Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
if you do not depress
the brake pedal, the selector lever can still be
moved but the parking lock remains engaged.
At transmission fluid temperatures below Ò4 ‡
(Ò20†), you can only shift out of position jinto
another transmission position when the engine
is running.
iUpshifts take place at higher engine speeds
after a cold start. This helps the catalytic con-
verter to reach its operating temperature
more quickly.
Information on the automatic release of the
electric parking brake (
Ypage 145).
Hill start assist
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forward or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It
holds the vehicle for a short time after you have
removed your foot from the brake pedal. This
gives you enough time to move your foot from
the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and to
depress it before the vehicle begins to roll.
GWARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could roll away.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill start assist is not active if:
Ryou are pulling away on a level road or on a
downhill gradient.
Rthe transmission is in position i.
Rthe electric parking brake is applied.
RESP®is malfunctioning.
Further information on holding the vehicle sta-
tionary on uphill gradients (
Ypage 136).
ECO start/stop function
Introduction
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is stopped
under certain conditions.
Driving127
Driving and parking
Z

The engine starts automatically when the driver
wants to pull away again. The ECO start/stop
function thereby helps you to reduce the fuel
consumption and emissions of your vehicle.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and
you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving.
There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes
:ECO start/stop display
The ECO start/stop function is activated when-
ever you start the engine using the SmartKey or the Start/Stop button.
If the engine has been switched off automati-
cally by the ECO start/stop function, the è
ECO symbol is shown in the multifunction dis-
play.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the ECO start/stop
function is only available in drive program C.
Automatic engine switch-off
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill inDor N,
the ECO start/stop function switches off the
engine automatically.
The ECO start/stop function is operational
when:
Rthe indicator lamp in the ECO button is lit
green.
Rthe off-road program is deactivated.
Rthe outside temperature is within the range
that is suitable for the system.
Rthe engine is at normal operating tempera-
ture.
Rthe set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached.
Rthe battery is sufficiently charged.
Rthe system detects that the windshield is not
fogged up when the air-conditioning system is switched on.
Rthe hood is closed.
Rthe driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened.
All of the vehicle's systems remain active when
the engine is stopped automatically.
The HOLD function can also be activated if the
engine has been switched off automatically. It is
then not necessary to continue applying the
brakes during the automatic stop phase. When
you depress the accelerator pedal, the engine
starts automatically and the braking effect of
the HOLD function is deactivated.
Automatic engine switch-off can take place a
maximum of four times in a row (initial stop, then
three subsequent stops).
Automatic engine start
The engine starts automatically if:
Ryou switch off the ECO start/stop function by pressing the ECO button
Rin transmission position Dor Nthe brake
pedal is released and the HOLD function is not
active
Ryou depress the accelerator pedal
Ryou engage reverse gear R
Ryou move the transmission out of position P
Ryou activate the off-road program
Ryou unfasten your seat belt or open the driv-
er's door
Rthe vehicle starts to roll
Rthe brake system requires this
Rthe temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range
Rthe system detects moisture on the wind-
shield when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
Rthe battery's condition of charge is too low
Shifting the transmission to position Pdoes not
start the engine.
128Driving
Driving and parking

Automa tic trans mission
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If th eengin espee dis abov eth eidlin gspee d
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
th evehicl ecould pull away suddenly. There is
a ris kof an accident.
When engagin gtransmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress th ebrak epedal and do
no tsimultaneously accelerate .
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off th eengine.
The vehicl emay rol laway. There is aris kof an
accident.
Afte rswitching off th eengine, always switch
to parking position P.Preven tth eparked vehi-
cle from rollin gaway by applyin gth eparking
brake.
DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview oftrans mission positions
jPark position wit hparking loc k
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
All vehicles (excep tMercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): theDIRECT SELECT lever is on th eright of
th esteering column .
Fo rinformation on th eselector lever in
Mercedes-AM Gvehicles (
Ypage 134). The DIRECT SELECT lever always return
sto it s
original position .The curren ttransmission posi-
tion j,k, iorh is shown in th etransmis -
sion position display in th emultifunction display
(
Ypage 132).
Trans mission position and drive pr o-
gram display
The curren ttransmission position and drive pro -
gram appear in th emultifunction display.
:Transmission position
;Gear
=Drive program display
The arrows in th etransmission position display
sho whow and int owhic htransmission position s
you can shif tusin gth eDIRECT SELECT lever.
If th etransmission position display in th emul-
tifunction display is no tworking ,you should pull
away carefully to chec kwhether th edesired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should select transmission position hand
drive program Eor S.
Engaging pa rkposition P
!If th eengin espee dis to ohigh or th evehicl e
is coasting ,do no tshif tth eautomatic trans -
mission directl yfrom htok, from ktoh
or directl yto j. Otherwise ,th eautomatic
transmission may be damaged.
XPush th eDIRECT SELECT lever switch in th e
direction of arrow j.
Transmission position display jis shown in
th emultifunction display.
When you hav eengage dpark position j,mak e
sur ethat th etransmission position display
shows jin th emultifunction display.
You can only engage park position jwhen th e
vehicl eis stationary.
Depressing th ebrak eand pushing th eDIRECT
SELECT lever up or down disengages th epark -
ing lock. The transmission is in neutral i.
132Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

At transmission fluid temperatures belowÒ4 ‡
( Ò20†), you can only shift out of park position
j into another transmission position when the
engine is running.
In order to shift from park position jdirectly
into korh:
Rdepress the brake pedal and
Rpush the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down
past the first point of resistance
Engaging park position P automatically
Park position jis automatically engaged if:
Ryou switch off the engine using the SmartKey
and remove the SmartKey
Ryou switch off the engine using the SmartKey
or using the Start/Stop button and open the
driver's door or front-passenger door
Ryou open the driver's door when the vehicle is
stationary or when driving at a very low speed
and the transmission is in position hork
In certain situations, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts automatically to transmission posi-
tion jif the HOLD function or Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is activated. Observe the informa-
tion on the HOLD function (
Ypage 163) and on
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC (Ypage 159).
Engaging reverse gear R
!Only move the automatic transmission to
k when the vehicle is stationary.
XDepress the brake and keep it pressed.
XPush the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. Further informa-
tion on the ECO start/stop function
(
Ypage 128).
Shifting to neutral N
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake
Rshift the automatic transmission out of park
position P
Rstart the engine
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never leave children or animals unattended in
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. This
also applies to mobile phones if the "Digital
Car Key in smartphone" function is activated
via the Mercedes me connect web app.
XIf the transmission is in position hork:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to
the first point of resistance.
XIf the transmission is in position j: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT
lever up or down to the first point of resist-
ance.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position korh, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to iautomatically.
With the SmartKey: if you then open the driv-
er's door or the front-passenger door or remove
the SmartKey from the ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to jautomatically.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then open
the driver's door or the front-passenger door,
the automatic transmission shifts to jauto-
ma

tically.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral i, e.g. when having the vehi-
cle cleaned in an automatic car wash with a
towing system:
XVehicles with the Start-Stop button:
remove the Start-Stop button from the igni-
tion lock.
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
XAll vehicles: switch the ignition on.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XEngage neutral i.
XRelease the brake pedal.
Automatic transmission133
Driving and parking
Z

XReleaseth eelectric parking brake.
XSwitc hoff th eignition and leav eth eSmartKey
in th eignition lock.
Engaging drive position D
XIf th etransmission is in position kori:
push th eDIRECT SELECT lever down past th e
first poin tof resistance.
XIf th etransmission is in position j:depress
th ebrak epedal and push th eDIRECT SELECT
lever down past th efirst poin tof resistance.
Selector lever (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Overview of transmission positions
jPark position wit hparking loc k
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
The currenttransmission position and driv epro -
gram appear in th emultifunction display.
:Transmissio nposition display
;Drive program display If th
etransmission position display in th emul-
tifunction display is no tworking, you should pull
away carefully to chec kwhether th edesired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should select transmission position hand
driv eprogram Cor S.
Engaging park position P
XWhen th evehicl eis stationary, press but -
to n:.
Engaging reverse gear R
!Only mov eth eautomatic transmission to
k when th evehicl eis stationary.
XDepress th ebrak eand keep it pressed.
XPush th eselector lever forwards past th efirst
poin tof resistance.
134Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Transmission positions
BPark position
This prevents the vehicle from rolling
away when stopped.
Only shift the transmission to posi-
tionjwhen the vehicle is station-
ary. The parking lock should not be
used as a brake when parking.
Always apply the electronic parking
brake in addition to the parking lock
in order to secure the vehicle.
In the event of a malfunction of the
vehicle's electronics, the transmis-
sion may lock in position j. Have
the vehicle electronics checked
immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Park position jis automatically
engaged if:
Ryou switch off the engine using the
SmartKey and remove the Smart-
Key
Ryou switch off the engine using the
SmartKey or using the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door
or front-passenger door
Ryou open the driver's door when
the vehicle is stationary or when
driving at a very low speed and the
transmission is in position hor
k
CReverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion kwhen the vehicle is station-
ary.
ANeutral
Do not shift the transmission to i
while driving. The automatic trans-
mission could otherwise be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you to
move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push
it or tow it.
If ESP
®is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position iif the
vehicle is in danger of skidding, e.g.
on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position korh,
the automatic transmission shifts to
i automatically.
!Coasting in neutral imay
cause damage to the drive train.
7Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts through the
individual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position h. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
Rthe selected drive program
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
Rthe road speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
Rlittle throttle: early upshifts
Rmore throttle: late upshifts
Automatic transmission135
Driving an d parking
Z

Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients
GWARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated. This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicle may, for example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehicle
stationary on uphill gradients by depressing the
accelerator pedal. If the clutch overheats, a
warning tone sounds.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): theStop Vehicle Shift to 'P'
Leave Engine Runningdisplay message
appears in the multifunction display. You will
only be able to continue your journey once the
clutch has cooled down and the display mes-
sage in the multifunction display has disap-
peared.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: theTrans. Oil
Overheated Drive on with Caredisplay
message appears in the multifunction display.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gra-
dients by depressing the accelerator pedal.
Instead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gradients by:
Rdepressing the brake pedal
Ractivating the HOLD function
Rengaging the electric parking brake
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a lower
gear depending on the engine speed.
XEase off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible to
use kickdown in the automatic drive program
and the temporary manual drive program M.
When manual drive program Mis permanently
activated, kickdown is not possible. For further information on kickdown in manual
drive program
M(
Ypage 140).
Rocking the vehicle free
Shifting back and forth between transmission
positions hand kcan help to free up the
vehicle if it gets stuck in mud or snow. The vehi-
cle's engine management system limits the
speed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h) when
shifting back and forth. To shift repeatedly
between transmission positions hand k,
move the DIRECT SELECT lever up and down
past the point of resistance.
Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive program Cis characterized by the follow-
ing:
Rthe vehicle delivers comfortable, economical
handling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears, unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
Rthe vehicle has improved driving stability, for
example on slippery road surfaces.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicle is driven in the low engine speed
range and the wheels are less likely to spin.
Drive program S (Sport)
Drive program Sis characterized by the follow-
ing:
Rsporty engine settings.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.
The fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points.
Drive program I (Individual)
In drive program Ithe following properties of the
drive program can be selected:
Rthe drive (engine and transmission manage-
ment)
Rthe steering
136Automatic transmission
Driving and parking