2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV steering

Drive program S+ (SportPlus)
Drive progra mS+ is characterized by th efol-
lowing:
Rth evehicl eexhibits particularl ysport ydrivin g
characteristics .
Rtheautomati ctransmissio nshift sup later.
Rth efue lconsumption possibl ybein ghigher as
a result of th elater automati ctransmissio n
shift points .
Rthesuspensio nexhibits particularl ystiff
springin gand dampin gsetting s(vehicles wit h
AM Gadaptive sport suspensio nsystem) .
Rglidingmod eis no tavailable.
Rth eECO start/sto pfunction is no tavailable.
Drive program RACE (vehicles wit hAMG
adaptive spor tsuspension system)
The RACE drive progra mis characterized by th e
following :
Rthevehicl eexhibits drivin gcharacteristics
suitable fo rth eracetrack.
Rall vehicl esystems are set fo rmaximum
sportiness .
Rtheautomati ctransmissio nshift sup later.
Rth efue lconsumption possibl ybein ghigher as
a result of th elater automati ctransmissio n
shift points .
Rthesuspensio nexhibits particularl yhar d
springin gand dampin gsettings.
Rglidin gmod eis no tavailable.
Rth eECO start/sto pfunction is no tavailable.
Manua lgearshifting
General notes
You can chang egear yourself usin gth esteerin g
whee lpaddl eshifters .The transmissio nmus tbe
in position hto do this.
Dependin gon whic hsteerin gwhee lpaddl e
shifter is pulled, th eautomati ctransmissio n
immediately shift sinto th enext gear down or
up, if permitted.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles :to use manual shift -
ing, you hav etw ooptions:
Rtemporar ysetting
Rpermanen tsetting If you activat
emanual gearshifting, th emulti-
function display will sho wthecurren tgear
instead of transmissio nposition h.
If manual gearshiftin gis deactivated, th egear s
will be selected automatically.
Temporar ysetting
XTo activate: shift theDIRECT SELECT lever to
position h.
XPull steerin gwhee lpaddl eshifter :or;.
Temporary setting will be active fo r acertain
amount of time. Under certain condition sth e
minimum amount of time is extended, e.g. in th e
cas eof latera lacceleration ,during an overrun
phas eor when drivin gon steep terrain .
XTo deactivate:pull steeringwhee lpaddl e
shifter ;and hol dit in place.
or
XUse th eDIRECT SELECT lever to switch th e
transmissio nposition .
or
XAl lvehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles) :
use th eDYNAMIC SELECT butto nto chang e
th edrive program.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: use th eDYNAMIC
SELECT controller to chang eth edrive pro -
gram.
138Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Permanent setting (Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
XTo activate:shift the selector lever to h.
XPress button:.
XTo deactivate: press button:.
or
XIf position D (automatic transmission) is
selected for the transmission in drive pro-
gram I: shift to drive program Iwith the
DYNAMIC SELECT controller.
Shifting gears
!Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the automatic
transmission does not shift up automatically
even when the engine limiting speed for the
current gear is reached. When the engine lim-
iting speed is reached, the fuel supply is cut to
prevent the engine from overrevving. Always
make sure that the engine speed does not
reach the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise a risk of engine damage.
XTo shift up: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter ;.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles):
if the maximum engine speed on the
currently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic trans-
mission automatically shifts up in order to
prevent engine damage.
XTo shift down: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter :.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
Automatic down shifting occurs when coast-
ing.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine damage
by not shifting down.
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XShift to recommended gear ;according to
gearshift recommendation :when shown in
the multifunction display.
Upshifting (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
!In manual mode, the automatic transmis-
sion does not shift up automatically even
when the engine limiting speed for the current
gear is reached. When the engine limiting
speed is reached, the fuel supply is cut to
prevent the engine from overrevving. Always
make sure that the engine speed does not
reach the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise a risk of engine damage.
Automatic transmission139
Driving and parking
Z

Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the multi-
function display.
XShift to recommended gear:when mes-
sage ;is shown in the multifunction display.
Kickdown
XFor maximum acceleration, depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a lower
gear depending on the engine speed.
XShift back up once the desired speed is
reached. During kickdown, you cannot shift gears using
the steering wheel paddle shifters.
If you apply full throttle, the automatic trans-
mission shifts up to the next gear when the
maximum engine speed is reached. This pre-
vents the engine from overrevving.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
it is only possible to
use kickdown in temporary manual drive pro-
gram M. When manual drive program Mis per-
manently activated, kickdown is not possible.
Problems with the transmission
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear.The transmission is losing oil.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no lon-
ger shifts into all of the
gears.
Reverse gear can no lon-
ger be engaged.The transmission is in emergency mode.
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to positionj.
XSwitch off the engine.
XWait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
XShift the transmission to positionh.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
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.
GWARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
140Refueling
Driving and parking

Rear wheel
XBring thevehicl eand wheels int o asuitable
position so that you can attach test gage A.
XSecureth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway
(Ypage 143).
XEngage park position P.
XSwitchoff th eengine.
XPlac etest gage Abetween th ewheel's
spoke son brak epad/lining =.
XHold test gage Averticall yon brak edisc :
and slid emeasurin gpin ;onto brak e
disc :.
XChec kwhic hcolor field ?thearrow on
measurin gpin ;is pointing to .
Green: thebrak epad/lining thickness is suf -
ficient.
Red :th ebrak epad/lining thickness is no t
sufficient. Hav eth ebrak epads/lining
checke dat aqualified specialist workshop.
To avoi dan inaccurat emeasurement:
Rmak esur eyou position th ewheels suitably
Rdo no tput th emeasurin gpin on arecess in
th ebrak edisc
Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning
If th eroad surfac eis wet ,aquaplaning may
occur depending on water level, spee dand tire
tread depth. Fo
rthis reason ,in th eevent of heav yrain or in
condition sin whic hhydroplaning may occur ,
you mus tdriv ein th efollowin gmanner:
Rlower your spee d
Ravoidrut s
Ravoi dsudde nsteering movement s
Rbrakecarefully
Driving on flooded roads
!Bear in min dthat vehicles traveling in fron t
or in th eopposit edirection creat ewaves. This
may caus eth emaximum permissibl ewater
dept hto be exceeded .
Failure to observ ethese note smay result in
damag eto th eengine, electrical systems and
transmission .
If you hav eto driv eon stretches of road on whic h
water has collected, pleas ebear in min dthat:
Rin th ecas eof standing water, th ewater level
may be no higher than th elower edge of th e
vehicl ebody
Ryou should driv eno faste rthan at awalking
pac e
Winter driving
GWARNIN G
If you shif tdown on aslipper yroad surfac ein
an attemp tto increas eth eengine's braking
effect, th edriv ewheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skiddin gand
accidents .
Do no tshif tdown for additional engin ebrak -
ing on aslipper yroad surface.
GDANGER
If th eexhaust pipe is blocke dor adequat e
ventilation is no tpossible, poisonous gase s
suc has carbon monoxide (CO) may ente rth e
vehicle. This is th ecase, e.g. if th evehicl e
become strapped in snow. There is aris kof
fatal injury.
If you leav eth eengin eor th eauxiliary heating
running, mak esur eth eexhaust pipe and area
aroun dth evehicl eare clear of snow. To
ensur ean adequat esuppl yof fresh air, open a
150Driving tips
Driving and parking

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

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

RAccelerate gently and make sure that the
wheels are gripping.
RAvoid high engine speeds, except when driv-
ing on sandy and muddy routes with high driv-
ing resistance.
RUse the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate to
the gradient.
RUse the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift into a lower gear in good time
on long and steep downhill gradients.
Hill start assist will aid you when pulling away on a hill. For further information about hill start
assist, see (
Ypage 127).
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.
Always observe the approach/departure angle
values (
Ypage 334).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability
Always observe the maximum gradient climbing
ability values (Ypage 334).
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 downhill
RDrive slowly.
RDo not drive at an angle down steep inclines.
Steer into the line of fall and drive with the
front wheels aligned straight. Otherwise, the
vehicle could slip sideways, tip and rollover.
RShift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter before tackling steep
downhill gradients.
RActivate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
gently. When doing so, make sure that the vehicle is facing in the direction of the line of
fall.
RCheck that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
Off-road ABS is activated when the off-road pro-
gram is selected.
At speeds below 18 mph (30 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking. The dig-
ging-in effect achieved in the process reduces
the stopping distance on off-road terrain. The
steerability of the vehicle is considerably
reduced if the wheels lock.
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. On long and steep
downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is
laden, you must select a low gear in good time.
You need to shift manually using the steering
wheel paddle shifters beforehand. By doing so,
you will make use of the braking effect of the
engine. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
When the engine is running, you can use the
cruise control lever to limit the speed to any
speed between 20 mph (30 km/h) and the tech-
nically permitted maximum speed of the vehicle.
Use cruise control if road and traffic conditions
make it appropriate to maintain a steady speed
for a prolonged period.
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control 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.
154Driving systems
Driving an d parking

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 .
Driving systems163
Driving and parking
Z