2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC SUV brake light

In addition to driving style, the actual consump-
tion is affected by other factors, such as:
Rload
RTire pressure
RCold start
RChoice of route
RActive electrical consumers
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style specially requires
driving at moderate engine speeds.
Achieving a higher value in the categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant":
Robserve the gearshift recommendations
Rdrive using drive program E
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on the
highway, only the outer area for "constant" will
change.
The ECO display summarizes the driving style
from the start of the journey to its completion.
Therefore, there are more marked changes in
the outer areas at the start of a journey. On lon- ger journeys, there are fewer changes. For more
marked changes, perform a manual rest
(
Ypage 226).
For further information on the ECO display, see
(
Ypage 225).
Brakes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
!On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting to a
lower gear in good time. This allows you to
take advantage of the engine's braking effect.
This helps you to avoid overheating the
brakes and wearing them out excessively. When you take advantage of engine braking, a
drive wheel may not turn for some time, e.g.
on a slippery road surface. This could cause
damage to the drive train. This type of damage
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz war-
ranty.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately. Drive
on for a short while. This allows the airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This will warm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt resi-
due may form on the brake discs and brake
pads. This can result in a significantly longer
braking distance.
Driving tips163
Driving and parking
Z

RIn order to prevent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to
the traffic conditions.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately. Consult a qualified specialist workshop to
arrange this.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on a 2-
axle dynamometer. If you wish to operate the
vehicle on such a dynamometer, please con-
sult a qualified specialist workshop in
advance. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC: the ESP®system
operates automatically. If the electric parking
brake is tested on a brake dynamometer, the
engine and ignition must be switched off: turn
the SmartKey in the ignition lock to position
u or1 or press the Start/Stop button
repeatedly in accordance with the given
SmartKey positions.
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®may
cause severe damage to the brake system.
All checks and maintenance work on the brake
system must be carried out at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the functional-
ity of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BAS (Brake Assist System)
(
Ypage 67) and Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function (Ypage 73). For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends only installing the following brake disks
and brake pads/linings:
Rbrake disks that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz
Rbrake pads/linings that have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz or that are of an equivalent
standard of quality
Other brake disks or brake pads/linings can
compromise the safety of your vehicle.
Always replace all brake disks and brake pads/ linings on a
n axle at the same time. Always
install new brake pads/linings when replacing
brake disks.
The vehicle is equipped with lightweight brake
disks to which the wheel assembly with rim and
threaded connection is matched.
The use of brake disks other than those
approved by Mercedes-Benz can change the
track width and is subject to approval, if appli-
cable.
Shock-type loads when handling the brake
discs, such as when changing wheels, can lead
to a reduction in comfort when driving with light-
weight brake discs. Avoid shock-type loads on
the lightweight brake disks, particularly on the
brake plate.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use
brake fluid that has been specially approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or which corre-
sponds to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
fluid which has not been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which is not of an
equivalent quality could affect your vehicle's
operating safety.
Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to a certain depth on
the road surface, there is a danger of hydro-
planing occurring, even if:
Ryou drive at low speeds
Rthe tires have adequate tread depth
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or in
conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
you must drive in the following manner:
Rlower your speed
Ravoid ruts
164Driving tips
Driving and parking

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.
Do 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 surfaces.
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 181).
XDeactivate DSR (Ypage 180).
XClean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
XClean the front and rear license plates.
XClean the wheels/tires with a water jet and
remove any foreign objects.
XClean the wheels, wheel housings and the
vehicle underside with a water jet; check for
any foreign objects and damage.
XCheck whether twigs or other parts of plants
have become trapped. These increase the risk
of fire and can damage fuel pipes, brake hoses or the rubber bellows of 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 driving in sand, mud, gravel, water or
similar dirty conditions, have the following
checked and cleaned:
Rbrake discs
Rwheels
Rbrake pads
Raxle joints
XIf you detect strong vibrations after off-road
travel, check for foreign objects in the wheels
and drive train and remove them if necessary.
Foreign objects can disturb the balance and
cause vibrations.
Driving over poor road surfaces places greater
demands on your vehicle than driving on normal
roads. After driving off-road, check the vehicle.
This allows you to detect damage promptly and
reduce the risk of an accident to yourself and
other road users.
Driving on sand
Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
RSelect the off-road program (Ypage 181).
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 in loose ground.
RDrive in the tracks of other vehicles if possi-
ble. Make sure that:
-the tire ruts are not too deep.
-the sand is sufficiently firm.
-the ground clearance of the vehicle is suf-
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.
Driving tips167
Driving and parking
Z

Observe the following rules when driving along
ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with loose
gravel:
RActivate the off-road program (Ypage 181).
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 side on 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 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.
RObserve the warnings for off-road driving
(Ypage 165).
RFollow the line of fall when driving on slopes
and steep inclines.
RBefore driving on extreme uphill and downhillgradients, select the off-road program
(
Ypage 181).
RDrive slowly.
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 140).
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 384).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability
Always observe the maximum gradient climbing
ability values (Ypage 384).
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.
168Driving tips
Driving and parking

Drivingsystems
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Ben zIntelligen tDrive stand sfo rinno -
vative driver assistanc eand safet ysystems
whic henhance comfor tand suppor tth edriver in
critical situations. Wit hthese intelligen tcoordi-
nated systems Mercedes-Ben zhas set amile-
ston eon th epat htoward sautonomous driving.
Mercedes-Ben zIntelligen tDrive embraces all
elements of active and passive safet yin on ewell
though tout syste m –forth esafet yof th evehi-
cl e occupant sand that of other road users.
Further information on drivin gsafet ysystems
(
Ypage 66).
Cruis econtro l
General notes
Cruise contro lmaintain s aconstant road speed
fo ryou. It brake sautomatically in order to avoid
exceedin gth eset speed. Change into alowe r
gear in goo dtime on lon gand steep downhill
gradients. Thi sis especially important if th e
vehicle is lade nor towin g atrailer .By doin gso,
you will mak euse of th ebraking effect of th e
engine. Thi srelieves th eload on th ebrake sys -
te m and prevents th ebrake sfrom overheatin g
and wearin gto oquickly.
Use cruise contro lonly if road and traffic con-
dition smak eit appropriat eto maintain asteady
speed fo r aprolonged period. You can stor eany
road speed abov e20 mph (30 km/h).
Important safet ynotes
Cruise contro lcan neither reduce th eris kof an
acciden tif you fai lto adapt your drivin gstyle no r
override th elaws of physics. Cruise contro lcan -
no ttake into accoun tth eroad, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise contro lis only an
aid. You are responsible fo rmaintainin g asafe
distanc eto th evehicle in front, fo rvehicle
speed, fo rbraking in goo dtime and fo rstayin gin
lane. Do no
tuse cruise control:
Rin road and traffic condition swhic hdo no t
allow you to maintain aconstant speed, e.g. in
heav ytraffic or on windin groads
Ron slipper yroad surfaces. Brakin gor accel-
erating could cause th edrive wheels to los e
traction and th evehicle could then skid
Rwhen there is poo rvisibility, e.g. due to fog,
heav yrain or snow
If there is achang eof drivers, advise th ene w
driver of th espeed stored.
iThe speed indicated in th espeedometer
may diffe rslightly from th espeed stored.
Cruis econtro llever
:Activates or increase sspeed
;Activates or reduce sspeed
=Deactivates cruise contro l
?Activates at thecurren tspeed/last stored
speed
Whe nyou activat ecruise control, th estored
speed is shown in th emultifunction display fo r
fiv eseconds. The ésymbol appears on th e
multifunction display.
Speedometer wit hsegments: when cruise
contro lis activated, th esegments from th e
stored speed to th een dof th escale ligh tup.
Storing an dmaintaining th ecurrent
speed
You can stor eth ecurren tspeed if you are driv-
in g faste rthan 20 mph (30 km/h).
Driving systems16 9
Driving an d parking
Z

Change into a lower gearingood time on long
and steep downhillgradients. This isespecially
impo rtant ifthe veh icle isladen. By doing so, you
will make use of the braking effect of the engine.
This relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and wear-
ing too quickly.
If Distance Pilot DI STRONIC detects that there is
a risk of a co llision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically. Without your intervention, Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot prevent a co lli-
sion. An intermittent warning tone willthen
sound and the distance warning lamp willlight
up inthe instrument cluster. Brake immediately
in order to increase the distance to the veh icle in
front or take evasive action pro videdit is safe to
do so.
Distance Pilot DI STRONIC operates inthe range
between 0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph
(200 km/h).
Do not use Distance Pilot DI STRONIC while driv -
ing on roads with steep gradients.
Sin ce Distance Pilot DI STRONIC transmits radar
waves, itcan resemble the radar detectors of
the responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter inthe Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
iUSA only: This device has been approved by
the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System". The
radar sensor isintended for use in
an aut
o-
motive radar system only. Removal, tamper-
ing, or altering of the device willvoid any war-
ranties, and isnot permitted bythe FCC. Do
not tamper with, alter, or use inany non-
approved way.
Any unauthorized mod ification to th isdevice
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipm ent.
iCanada only: This device co mplieswit h
RSS -210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the foll owing two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference,
and
2. This device must accept any interference
receive d,inc ludin g interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the device
will void any warranties, and isnot permitte d.
Do not tamper with, alter, or use inany non-
approved way. Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Distance Pilot DI STRONIC does not react to:
Rpeople or animals
Rstationary objects on the road, e.g. stoppe d
or parked vehicles
Roncoming vehicles and crossing traffic
As a result, Distance Pilot DI STRONIC may
neither givewarnings nor intervene insuch
situations. There isa risk of an accident.
Alwa ys pay careful attention to the traff icsit-
uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
Distance Pilot DI STRONIC cannot always
clearly identify other road users and co mplex
traff icsituations.
In such cases, Distance Pilot DI STRONIC may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
Rneither givea warning nor intervene
Raccelerate or brake unexpect edly
There isa risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, especially if Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
warns you.
GWARNING
Distance Pilot DI STRONIC brakes your vehicle
with up to 50% of the maximum possible
deceleration. If this deceleration isnot suffi-
cient, Distance Pilot DI STRONIC alerts you
wit h a visual and acoustic warning. There is a
risk of an accident.
Apply the brakes yourself inthese situations
and try to take evasive action.
!When Distance Pilot DI STRONIC or the
HOLD function are activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
Driving systems171
Driving and parking
Z

To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
these systems in the following or similar sit-
uations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC can neither reduce
the risk of an accident if you fail to adapt your
driving style nor override the laws of physics.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions. Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC is only an aid. You are
responsible for maintaining a safe distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for brak-
ing in good time and for staying in lane.
Do not use Distance Pilot DISTRONIC:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rin poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may not detect nar-
row vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC no longer detects a
vehicle in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate
to the speed stored.
This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a turning lane
or an exit lane
Rbe so high in the right lane that you pass vehi- cles driving on the left (in countries where
they drive on the right)
Rbe so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the right (in countries where
they drive on the left)
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:Activates or increases speed
;Activates or reduces speed
=Deactivates Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
?Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
ASets a specified minimum distance
When you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC,
the stored speed will appear on the multifunc-
tion display for five seconds.
Speedometer with segments: when Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC is activated, the segments of
the stored speed light up to the end of the scale
or to a permanently set speed limit.
Activating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
Activation conditions
To activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine must be started. It may take up to
two minutes of driving before Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is ready for use.
Rthe electric parking brake must be released.
RESP®must be activated, but not intervening
at present.
RParking Pilot must not be activated.
Rthe transmission must be in position h.
Rthe driver's door must be closed when you
shift the transmission from positionjtoh
or your seat belt must be fastened.
Rthe front-passenger door and rear doors must
be closed.
Ron vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering
package, DSR and the Gradientoff-road pro-
gram must not be activated.
Rthe vehicle must not slide.
172Driving systems
Driving and parking

Steering Pilot cannot provide assistance:
Ron very sharp corners
Rwhen towing a trailer
Rwhen a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire
has been detected and displayed
Pay attention also to the important safety notes on Distance Pilot DISTRONIC (
Ypage 171).
The steering interventions are carried out with a
limited steering moment. The system requires
the driver to keep his hands on the steering
wheel and to steer himself.
If you do not steer yourself or if you take your
hands off the steering wheel for a prolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you with
a visual warning. A steering wheel symbol
appears in the multifunction display. If you have
still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steering wheel, a warning tone also
sounds to remind you to take control of the
vehicle after five seconds at the latest. Steering
Pilot is then switched to passive. Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC remains active.
Activating Steering Pilot
XPress button ;.
Indicator lamp :lights up. The Steering
PilotOnmessage appears on the multifunc-
tion display. Steering Pilot is activated.
Information in the multifunction display
If Steering Pilot is activated but not ready for a
steering intervention, steering wheel symbol :
appears in gray. If the system provides you with support by means of steering interventions,
symbol :is shown in green.
Deactivating Steering Pilot
XPress button ;.
Indicator lamp :goes out. The Steering
Pilot Offmessage appears on the multi-
function display. Steering pilot is deactivated.
When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
or not available, Steering Pilot is deactivated
automatically.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
178Driving systems
Driving and parking