2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV tires

window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road sur-
faces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and
braking maneuvers. Do not use cruise control or
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to position i.
XTry to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (
Ypage 302).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (
Ypage 301).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (
Ypage 301).
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.
!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, a speed bump 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 loads 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 tr affic c
ondi-
tions. In such cases, consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
The vehicle is only designed for easily negotiable
off-road terrain and poor road surfaces.
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
entering the brakes. Clean the brakes after driv-
ing off-road. If you detect a reduced braking
effect or grinding noises, have the brake system
Driving tips151
Driving and parking
Z

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 systems.
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 shift into transmission position iwhen
driving off-road. You could lose control of the
vehicle if you attempt to brake the vehicle using
the service brake. If the gradient is too steep for
your vehicle, drive back down in reverse gear.
General notes
HEnvironmental note
Protection of the environment is of primary
importance. Treat nature with respect.
Observe all prohibiting signs.
Read this section carefully before driving your
vehicle off-road.
Off-road driving is only possible with the
ON&OFFROAD package.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted for driving over easily negotiable off-
road terrain:
ROff-road program (Ypage 167)
ROff-road ABS (Ypage 60)
ROff-road 4ETS (Ypage 64)
ROff-road ESP®(Ypage 66)
RDSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(Ypage 166)
Observe the following notes:
RStop the vehicle before starting to drive along
an off-road route. If necessary, activate the
off-road program (
Ypage 130).
RTo avoid damaging the vehicle, make sure
there is always sufficient ground clearance.
RCheck that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(
Ypage 252).
RAlways keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Activate
DSR (
Ypage 166).
RDrive slowly and evenly, if necessary at a
walking pace.
REnsure that the wheels are in contact with the
ground at all times.
RDrive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-road
routes where visibility is poor. For safety rea-
sons, get out of the vehicle first and survey
the off-road route.
RCheck the depth of water before fording rivers
and streams.
RWatch out for obstacles.
RTake care when turning on an uphill or down-
hill slope or when driving across a slope. The
vehicle could otherwise tip over.
RAlways keep the side windows and the pano-
rama roof with power tilt/sliding panel closed
during the journey.
RDo not deviate from marked routes.
RDo 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.
Checklist before driving off-road
XEngine oil level: check the engine oil level
and add oil if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the engine
oil level must be sufficiently high to ensure a
correct oil supply in the vehicle.
XWheels and tires: check the tire tread depth
and tire pressure.
XCheck for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the wheels/
tires.
XReplace any missing valve caps.
XReplace dented or damaged wheels.
XRims: dented or bent rims can result in a loss
of tire pressure and damage the tire bead.
Before driving off-road, check the wheels and
replace them if necessary.
Checklist after driving off-road
!If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
XDeactivate off-road program (Ypage 130).
XDeactivate DSR (Ypage 166).
XClean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
152Driving tips
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XClean the front and rearlicense plates.
XClean the wheels and tires with a water jet
and remove any foreign objects.
XClean the wheels, wheel housings and the
veh icle undersi de with a water jet; check for
any foreign objects and damage.
XCheck whether twigs or other parts of plants
have become tr apped.These increase the risk
of fire and can damage fuel pipes, brake
hoses or the air bellowsof 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 drivinginsand, mud, gravel, water or
similar dirt y conditions, have the foll owing
checked and cleane d:
Rbrakediscs
Rwheels
Rbrake pads
Raxlejoints
XIf you detect strong vibrations after off-road
travel, check for foreign objects inthe wheels
and drive train and remove them ifnecessary.
Foreign objects can disturb the balance and
cause vibrations.
Dr ivin g over poor road surfaces places greater
demands on your veh iclethan driving on normal
roads. After driving off-road, check the veh icle.
This allows you to detect damage prompt lyand
reduce the risk of an acc ident to yourself and
other road users.
Driving on sand
Observe the foll owing rules when driving on
sand:
RActivate the off-road program (Ypage 130).
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 inloose ground.
RDrive inthe tracks of other vehicles if possi-
ble. Make sure that:
-the tire ruts are not too deep.
-the sand issufficiently firm.
-the ground clearance of the vehicle issuf-
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 foll owing rules when driving along
ruts inoff-road terrain or on roads with loose
gravel:
RActivate the off-road program (Ypage 130).
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 sideon the center grassy area,
if possible.
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 slipsideways, 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 warnings for off-road driving
(Ypage 151).
RFollow the line of fall when driving on slopes
and steep inclines.
RBefore driving on extreme uphill and downhill gradients, select the off-road program
(
Ypage 130).
RDrive slowly.
Driving tips153
Driving and parking
Z

Activating the HOLD function
XMakesur ethat th eactivation condition sare
met .
XDepress th ebrak epedal .
XQuickl ydepress th ebrak epedal further
until :appear sin th emultifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release th ebrak epedal .
iIf depressing th ebrak epedal th efirst time
does no tactivat eth eHOLD function ,wait
briefl yand then tr yagain .
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
Ryou accelerate .On vehicles wit hautomatic
transmission :only when th etransmission is in
position hork.
Rthetransmission is in position jon vehicles
wit hautomatic transmission .
Ryou depress thebrak epedal again wit h acer-
tai namount of pressur euntil :disappear s
from th emultifunction display.
Ryou activat eDistanc ePilo tDISTRONIC.
Ryou secure th evehicl eusin gth eelectric park -
ing brake.
iAfte r atime, th eelectric parking brak e
secures th evehicl eand relieves th eservic e
brake.
When th eHOLD function is activated, th etrans -
mission is automatically shifte dto position j
if:
Rth edriver's seat belt is no tfastene dand th e
driver's door is open
Rth eengin eis switched off ,unless it is auto -
matically switched off by th eECO start/sto p
function The electric parking brak
esecures th evehicl e
automatically if th eHOLD function is activated
when th evehicl eis stationary and :
Rasystem malfunction occur s
Rthepowe rsupply is insufficien t
Start-off Assist (except Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If you use start-off assist ,individual wheels
may start to spin and th evehicl emay skid. If
ES P
®is deactivated, there is agreate rdanger
of skiddin gand having an accident. Mak esur e
that no person sor obstacles are in th evicinity
of th evehicle.
Start-off assist enables optimum acceleration
from astandstill. Fo rthis, asuitably high-grip
road surfac eis require dand th evehicl eand tires
mus tbe in goo dworking order.
Do no tactivat estart-off assist on public roads.
Observ eth esafet ynote son drivin gsafet ysys-
tems (
Ypage 60) .
Be sur eto read th esafet ynote sand information
on ES P
®(Ypage 63).
Activating start-off assist
XDeactivat eES P®(Ypage 194).
XTurn th esteering whee lto th estraight-ahead
position .
XFirmly depress th ebrak epedal wit hyour lef t
foo tand keep it depressed.
XShift th etransmission to position h.
XUse theDYNAMIC SELECT butto nto select
th eS drive program (Ypage 130).
XQuicklydepress th eaccelerato rpedal fully.
XTak eyour foo toff th ebrake, but keep th e
accelerato rpedal depressed.
The vehicl epulls away at maximum acceler -
ation .
iActivat eES P®as soo nas th eacceleration
process has ended. ES P®will otherwise not
be able to stabiliz eth evehicl eif th evehicl e
start sto skid or awhee lstart sto spin .
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Driving and parking
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Canceling start-off assist
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
XReactivate ESP®.
RACE START (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Important safety notes
iRACE ST ART must not beused on normal
roads. RACE ST ART must only be activated
and used on dedicated road circuits, outside
of public road use.
iRACE ST ARTisonly availab le in
Mercedes‑AMG veh icles.
GWAR NING
If you use RACE ST ART, individual tires may
start to spinand the veh iclecould skid.
Dependin g on the selected ESP
®mode, there
is an increased risk of skiddin g and having an
acc iden t. Make sure that no persons, animals
or obstacles are within range of the veh icle.
RACE ST ART enables optimal acceleration from
a standing start. For this, a suitably high-grip
road surface isrequired and the veh icleand tires
must be ingood working order.
iObserve the safety notes on driving safety
systems (Ypage 60).
Be sure to read the safety notes and informa-
tion on ESP
®(Ypage 63).
Conditions for activation
You can activate RACE START if:
Rthe doors, hood and the trunk lidare closed.
Rthe engine isrunning and the transmission,
all- wheel drive clutch and the engine are at
operating temperature.
Rthe steering wheel is inthe straight-ahead
position.
Rthe veh icle isstationary and the brake pedal is
depr essed (left foot).
Rthe transmission is inposition h.
Rdrive program S,S+ orRACE isselected
(Ypage 131)
Activating RACE START
XDepress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
XPull and hold both steering wheel paddle shift-
ers.
XThe RACE START Confirm: Paddle UPCancel: Paddle DOWNmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
XRelease both steering wheel paddle shifters.
iIf the activation conditions are no longer ful-
fille d,RACE START is canceled. The RACE
START Not Possible See Operator'sManualmessage appears in the multifunction
display.
XTo cancel: pull the left steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 138).
or
XTo confi rm:pull the right steering wheel pad-
dle shifter (Ypage 138).
The RACESTARTAvailableDepressgaspedalmessage appears inthe multifunction
display.
iIf you donot depress the accelerator pedal
wit hin a few seconds, RACE START is can-
celed. The multifunction display shows the
RACE START Canceled
message.
XFully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed is increased.
The RACE
STARTReleasebraketostartmessage appears in the multifunction display.
iIfyou do not release the brake pedal within
a short time, RACE START willbe canceled.
The multifunction display shows theRACE
START Canceledmessage.
XTake your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum acceler-
ation.
The RACE
STARTActivemessage appears in
the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 50 km/h.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if you
release the accelerator pedal during RACE
ST ART or ifany of the activation conditions are
no longer fulfilled. The RACE START Not Pos‐
sible See Operator's ManualorRACESTART Canceledmessage appears inthe mul-
tifunction display.
164Driving systems
Driving and parking

iIf RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available again
after the vehicle has been driven a certain
distance.
AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem
General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
Ryour individual selection of SportorComfort
The suspension setting is adjusted using the
corresponding button in the center console.
iThe mode can also be set using the AMG
DYNAMIC SELECT controller (Ypage 131).
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-
Key or the Start/Stop button, Comfortmode is
activated. For further information about starting
the engine, see (
Ypage 124).
Sport mode
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
Sport mode ensures even better contact with
the road. Select this mode when employing a
sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads.
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. You have selected
Sport mode. The
AMG Suspension System SPORT
mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode
In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your vehicle are more comfortable. Select this
mode if you favor a more comfortable driving
style, but also when driving fast on straight
roads, e.g. highways.
XPress button :again so that indicator
lamp ;goes out.
You have selected Comfortmode.
The AMG
SuspensionSystemCOMFORTmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
4MATIC
!
Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the differential. Damage of
this sort is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty. All wheels must remain
either on the ground or be fully raised.
Observe the instructions for towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
4MATIC, together with ESP
®, improves the trac-
tion of your vehicle whenever a drive wheel
spins due to insufficient grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC can neither reduce the risk of accident nor override
the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic conditions.
4MATIC 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.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
ROnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
RAccelerate less when driving.
iIn wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if you
use winter tires (M+S tires), with snow chains
if necessary.
Driving systems165
Driving and parking
Z

Problems with Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Only the red segments in
the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC warning
displays are lit. You also
hear a warning tone for
approximately two sec-
onds.
Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated and the indi-
cator lamp on the
PARKTRONIC button
lights up.Parking Assist PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has been deacti-
vated.
XIf problems persist, have Parking Assist PARKTRONIC checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Only the red segments in
the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC warning
displays are lit. Parking
Assist PARKTRONIC is
then deactivated.The Parking Assist PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is inter-
ference.
XClean the Parking Assist PARKTRONIC sensors (Ypage 278).
XSwitch the ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves.
XCheck to see if Parking Assist PARKTRONIC works at a different
location.
Parking Pilot
General notes
Parking Pilot is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasound. It measures the road on both sides
of the vehicle. A parking symbol indicates a suit-
able parking space. Active steering intervention
and brake application can assist you during
parking and when exiting a parking space. Park-
ing Assist PARKTRONIC is also available
(
Ypage 168).
Important safety notes
Parking Pilot is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate sur-
roundings. You are always responsible for safe
maneuvering, parking and exiting a parking
space. When maneuvering and parking, make
sure that there are no obstacles such as per-
sons, animals or objects in the maneuvering
area.
When Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactiva-
ted, Parking Pilot is also unavailable.
GWARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
result in a collision with another road user.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Parking Pilot
parking procedure.
!If they cannot be avoided, drive over obsta-
cles such as curbs slowly and at an obtuse
angle. Otherwise, you may damage the
wheels or tires.
Parking Pilot may also display spaces not suita-
ble for parking, e.g.:
Rwhere parking or stopping is prohibited
Rin front of driveways or entrances and exits
Ron unsuitable surfaces
Driving systems171
Driving and parking
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Activating/deactivating the rear view
camera
XTo activate:makesur ethat th eSmartKey is
in position 2in th eignition lock.
XMak esur ethat th eActivatio nby Rgea rfunction is selected in th emultimedia system;
see th eDigital Operator' sManual.
XEngage revers egear .
The area behind th evehicl eis shown wit h
guide lines in th emultimedia system display.
The imag efrom th erear vie wcamera is avail -
able throughout th emaneuverin gprocess.
To deactivate: therear vie wcamera deacti -
vates if you shif tth etransmission to jor after
drivin gforward s ashort distance.
Messages in the multimedia system dis-
play
The rear vie wcamera may sho w adistorted vie w
of obstacles, sho wthem incorrectl yor no tat all.
The rear vie wcamera does no tsho wobjects in
th efollowin gpositions:
Rver yclose to th erear bumper
Runder th erear bumper
Rin th earea immediately abov eth etailgat e
handle
!Objects no tat ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g. :
Rthebumper of aparked vehicl e
Rthedrawbar of atrailer
Rth eball couplin gof atrailer to whitch
Rtherear section of an HGV
Raslante dpos t
Use th eguidelines only for orientation .
Approach objects no further than th ebottom-
mos tguideline.
:Yello wguide lin eat adistanc eof approx -
imately 13 ft (4. 0m) from th erear of th e
vehicl e
;Whiteguide lin ewithout steering input –
vehicl ewidt hincludin gth eexterio rmirror s
(static)
=Yello wguide lin efor th evehicl ewidt h
includin gth eexterio rmirrors, for curren t
steering whee langle (dynamic )
?Yellowlan emarking th ecours eth etires will
tak eat th ecurren tsteering whee langle
(dynamic )
AYellowguide lin eat adistanc eof approx -
imately 3ft (1. 0m) from th erear of th evehi-
cle
BVehicl ecenter axl e(marke rassistance)
CBumper
DRed guide lin eat adistanc eof approximately
12 in (0.30m) from the rear of the vehicle
176Driving system s
Driving an d parking