2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS change time

Mercedes-AMG vehicles: if you have selected
the Sport Plus drive program:R
the roll angle is reduced even more signifi-
cantly R
the driving is designed for maximum dyna-
mism
Vehicle level Important safety notes
G WARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or
in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered.
G WARNING
When you drive with the vehicle raised, the
driving characteristics could be impaired by
the vehicle's raised center of gravity. The vehi-
cle could rollover more easily, for example on
a bend. There is a risk of an accident.
Always select as low a vehicle level as possi-
ble and adjust your driving style.
G WARNING
When you drive with the chassis lowered or
raised, the vehicle's braking and driving char-
acteristics can be significantly impaired. You
could also exceed the permissible vehicle
height if the chassis is raised. There is a risk of
an accident.
Adjust the vehicle level before pulling away.
G WARNING
Due to the high center of gravity, the vehicle
may start to skid and roll over in the event of
an abrupt steering maneuver and/or when
the vehicle's speed is not adapted to the road
conditions. There is a risk of an accident. Always adapt your speed and driving style to
the vehicle's driving characteristics and to the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
! When driving on extremely rough terrain,
select a high vehicle level in good time. Make
sure there is always sufficient ground clear-
ance. You will otherwise damage the vehicle. R
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher roll-
over rate than other types of vehicles.
Failure to operate this vehicle safely may
result in an accident, rollover of the vehicle,
and severe or fatal injury. R
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is sig-
nificantly more likely to die than a person
wearing a seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should always
wear your seat belts.
General notes Only select raised level if this is appropriate for
the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel consump-
tion may increase and handling may be affected.
Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle to
adjust to the new level as quickly as possible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you park
the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the vehicle
level is lower; with an increase in temperature,
the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load discrep-
ancies while still parked. However, for signifi-
cant level changes, such as after the vehicle has
been stationary for a long period, the engine
must be on. For safety reasons, the vehicle is
only lowered when the doors are closed. Low-
ering is interrupted if a door is opened, and it
continues once the door has been closed.
Vehicles with no trailer coupled: below a
speed of 37 mph (60 km/h) you can choose
between the normal and raised vehicle level.
Sel ect the normal vehicle level for normal road
surfaces and the raised vehicle level for driving
with snow chains or on particularly poor road
surfaces. Your selection remains stored even if
you remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
If you try to select raised level at a speed above
37 mph (60 km/h), the Drive More Slowly
message appears in the multifunction display.190
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Vehicles with a trailer coupled: below a speed
of 19 mph (30 km/h), you can choose between
the normal and raised vehicle level.
Setting the raised vehicle level X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp D is not lit:X
Press button C .
Indicator lamp D flashes while the vehicle is
being raised, and lights up continuously as
soon as the vehicle reaches the desired level.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): the vehicle is raised by 2.4 in (60 mm)
compared to the normal level.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the vehicle is
raised by 2 in (50 mm) compared to the nor-
mal level.
The Vehicle Rising
message appears in the
multifunction display.
The message remains until the raised level is
reached.
If you press the 8 or v button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear.
The raised vehicle level setting is canceled in the
following cases: R
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): you are driving faster than 37 mph
(60 km/h). R
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: you are driving
faster than 43 mph (70 km/h). R
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: You drive for
approximately 20 seconds between 40 mph
(64 km/h) and 43 mph (70 km/h). R
You drive with a trailer at speeds greater than
19 mph (30 km/h).
The raised vehicle level remains saved when you
are not driving within these speed ranges. Setting the normal vehicle level
! Make sure that there is enough ground
clearance when the vehicle is being lowered.
It could otherwise hit the ground, damaging
the underbody. X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp D is lit: X
Press button C .
Indicator lamp D flashes while the vehicle is
being lowered, and goes out as soon as the
desired vehicle level is reached.
Vehicles with no trailer coupled: the vehi-
cle is adjusted to the height of the selected
drive program ( Y
page 147).
Vehicles with a trailer coupled: the ve hicle
i s adjusted to normal level regardless of the
drive program selected ( Y
page 147). The
vehicle remains at the normal level, even if the
drive program is changed.
During the adjustment, the Lowering mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
If you press the 8 or v button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear.
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: R
your driving style, e.g. sporty R
the road surface condition, e.g. bumps R
your individual selection of Sport, Sport+ or
Comfort
The suspension setting can be adjusted using
button C in the center console or the DYNAMIC
SELECT controller ( Y
page 147).
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-
Key or the Start/Stop button, Comfort mode is
activated. For further information about starting
the engine, see ( Y
page 141).Driving systems 191
Driving and parking Z

pedal. The braking effect is canceled when you
depress the accelerator pedal.
Parking Pilot no longer supports you with steer-
ing interventions and brake applications. When
Parking Pilot is finished, you must steer and
brake again yourself. Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC is still available.
Parking tips: R
The way your vehicle is positioned in the park-
ing space after parking is dependent on vari-
ous factors. These include the position and
shape of the vehicles parked in front and
behind it and the conditions of the location. It
may be the case that Parking Pilot guides you
too far into a parking space, or not far enough
into it. In some cases, it may also lead you
across or onto the curb. Cancel the parking
procedure with Parking Pilot if necessary. R
You can also select preselect transmission
position D . The vehicle redirects and does not
drive as far into the parking space. Should the
transmission change take place too early, the
parking procedure will be canceled. A sensi-
ble parking position can no longer be ach-
ieved from this position.
Exiting a parking space In order for Parking Pilot to assist you: R
the border of the parking space must be high
enough at the front and the rear. A curb is too
small, for example. R
the border of the parking space must not be
too wide. Your vehicle can be maneuvered
into a position at a maximum of 45° to the
starting position in the parking space. R
a maneuvering distance of at least 3.3 ft
(1.0 m) must be available.
Parking Pilot can assist you with exiting a park-
ing space only if you have parked the vehicle
parallel to the direction of travel using the Park-
ing Pilot.
i If Parking Assist PARKTRONIC detects
obstacles, Parking Pilot brakes automatically
whilst the vehicle is exiting the parking space.
You are responsible for braking in good time. X
Start the engine. X
Release the electric parking brake. X
Switch on the turn signal in the direction you
will drive out of the parking space. X
Shift the transmission to position D or R .
The Start Parking Pilot? Yes: OK No:
8 message appears in the multifunction
display. X
To cancel the procedure: press the 8
button on the multifunction steering wheel or
pull away.
or X
To exit a parking space using Parking
Pilot: press the v button on the multi-
function steering wheel.
The Parking Pilot Active Accelerate
and Brake Observe Surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. X
Let go of the multifunction steering wheel. X
Pull away, being ready to brake at all times. Do
not exceed a maximum speed of approx-
imately 6 mph (10 km/h) when exiting a park-
ing space. Otherwise, Parking Pilot is can-
celed immediately. X
Shift the transmission to position D or R as
required or according to the message while
the vehicle is stationary.
Parking Pilot immediately steers in the other
direction. The Parking Pilot Active
Accelerate and Brake Observe Sur‐
roundings message appears in the multi-
function display.
i You will achieve the best results by waiting
for the steering procedure to complete before
pulling away.
If you back up after activation, the steering
wheel is moved to the straight-ahead posi-
tion. X
Drive forwards and back up as prompted by
the Parking Assist PARKTRONIC warning dis-
plays, several times if necessary.
Once you have exited the parking space com-
pletely, the steering wheel is moved to the
straight-ahead position. You hear a tone and the
Parking Pilot Finished message appears in
the multifunction display. You will then have to
steer and merge into traffic on your own. Park-
ing Assist PARKTRONIC is still available. You can
take over the steering before the vehicle has
exited the parking space completely. This is
useful, for example when you recognize that it is
already possible to pull out of the parking space.198
Driving systems
Driving and parking

In such cases, Lane Keeping Assist can: R
give an unnecessary warning R
not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep within the lane, especially
if Lane Keeping Assist alerts you.
G WARNING
The Lane Keeping Assist warning does not
return the vehicle to the original lane. There is
a risk of an accident.
You should always steer, brake or accelerate
yourself, in particular if warned by Lane Keep-
ing Assist.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Lane Keep-
ing Assist can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Lane
Keeping Assist cannot take into account the
road, traffic and weather conditions. Lane Keep-
ing Assist is merely an aid. You are responsible
for the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehi-
cle speed, for braking in good time and for stay-
ing in your lane.
The Lane Keeping Assist does not keep the vehi-
cle in the lane.
The system may be impaired or may not function
if: R
there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or heavy spray R
there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet) R
the windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-
ity of the camera R
there are no or several unclear lane markings
for one lane, e.g. roadworks R
the lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow R
the distance to the vehicle in front is too short
and thus the lane markings cannot be detec-
ted R
the lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge R
the road is narrow and winding R
there are strong shadows cast on the road Switching on Lane Keeping Assist X
Switch on Active Lane Keeping Assist using
the on-board computer; to do so, select
Standard or Adaptive ( Y
page 242).
If you drive at speeds above 40 mph
(60 km/h) and lane markings are detected,
the lines in the assistance graphic are shown
in green ( Y
page 241). Lane Keeping Assist is
ready for use.
Standard If Standard is selected, no warning vibration
occurs if: R
you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time R
a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
Adaptive When Adaptive is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if: R
you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time R
a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ABS,
BAS or ESP ®
R
you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown R
you brake hard R
you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lanes quickly R
you cut the corner on a sharp bend
To ensure that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane
markings, the system detects certain conditions
and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if: R
you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend R
the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a freeway R
the system detects solid lane markings
The warning vibration occurs later if: R
the road has narrow lanes R
you cut the corner on a bend212
Driving systems
Driving and parking

lane-correcting application of the brakes can
bring the vehicle back into the original lane.
This function is available in a speed range
between 40 mph and 120 mph (60 km/h and
200 km/h).
For Active Lane Keeping Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must be
operational.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, Active Lane
Keeping Assist can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics. Active
Lane Keeping Assist cannot take into account
road, weather or traffic conditions. Active Lane
Keeping Assist is only an aid. You are responsi-
ble for the distance to the vehicle in front, for
vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for
staying in your lane.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot continuously
keep your vehicle in its lane.
G WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot always
clearly detect lane markings.
In such cases, Active Lane Keeping Assist
can: R
give an unnecessary warning and then
make a course-correcting brake application
to the vehicle R
not give a warning or intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep within the lane, especially
if Active Lane Keeping Assist alerts you. Ter-
minate the intervention in a non-critical driv-
ing situation.
The system may be impaired or may not function
if: R
there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or heavy spray R
there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet) R
the windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-
ity of the camera R
there are no or several unclear lane markings
for one lane, e.g. roadworks R
the lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow R
the distance to the vehicle in front is too short
and thus the lane markings cannot be detec-
ted R
the lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge R
the road is narrow and winding R
there are highly variable shade conditions on
the roadway R
no vehicle is detected in the adjacent lane and
there are broken lane markings
Warning vibration in the steering wheel A warning may be given if a front wheel passes
over a lane marking. It will warn you by mean s of
intermittent vibration in the steering wheel for
up to 1.5 seconds.
In order that you are warned only when neces-
sary and in good time if you cross the lane mark-
ing, the system detects certain conditions and
warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if: R
you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend R
the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a freeway R
the system detects solid lane markings
The warning vibration occurs later if: R
the road has narrow lanes R
you cut the corner on a bend
Lane-correcting brake application
G WARNING
A lane-correcting brake application cannot
always bring the vehicle back into the original
lane. There is a risk of an accident.
Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Lane Keeping Assist warns
you or makes a lane-correcting brake appli-
cation.
G WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not detect
traffic conditions or road users. In very rare
cases, the system may make an inappropriate
brake application, e.g. after intentionally driv-216
Driving systems
Driving and parking

When Adaptive is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if: R
you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time R
a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
R
you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown R
you brake hard R
you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lanes quickly R
you cut the corner on a sharp bend
Towing a trailer When you attach a trailer, make sure you have
correctly established the electrical connection.
This can be accomplished by checking the trailer
lighting. Lane-correcting brake application does
not take place when towing a trailer. Active Lane
Keeping Assist is not activated and the lines in
the assistance graphic are gray.
Off-road driving systems
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel drive) 4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are perma-
nently driven. Together with ESP ®
and 4ETS, it
improves the traction 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.
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the transfer case. 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.
! A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a two-axle dynamometer.
Before you operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified workshop. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
i In 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.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
( Y
page 170).
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation) General notes DSR is an aid to assist you when driving down-
hill. It keeps the speed of travel at the speed
selected on the on-board computer. The steeper
the downhill gradient, the greater the DSR brak-
ing effect on the vehicle. When driving on flat
stretches of road or on an uphill gradient, the
DSR braking effect is minimal or nonexistent.
DSR controls the vehicle’s speed when it is acti-
vated and the transmission is in position D , R or
N . You can drive at a higher or a lower speed
than that set on the on-board computer at any
time by accelerating or braking.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If the speed driven and the set speed deviate
and you activate DSR on a slippery road sur-
face, the wheels may lose traction. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Before switching DSR on, please take into
consideration the road surface and the differ-
ence between driving speed and the set
speed.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DSR can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor override
the laws of physics. DSR cannot take account of
road, weather and traffic conditions. DSR is only
an aid. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for brak-
ing in good time and for staying in your lane.
You are always responsible for keeping control
of the vehicle and for assessing whether the
downhill gradient can be managed. DSR may not
always be able to keep to the set speed, depend-
ing on road surface and tire conditions. Select a
set speed suitable for the prevailing conditions
and when necessary, apply the brakes manually.218
Driving systems
Driving and parking

R
is affected more by strong crosswinds R
demands more sensitive steering R
has a larger turning circle
This could impair the handling characteristics.
When towing a trailer, always adjust your speed
to the current road and weather conditions. Do
not exceed the maximum permissible speed for
your vehicle/trailer combination.
Notes on towing a trailer
General notes
! If you have a trailer tow hitch retrofitted,
changes to the cooling system and drive train
may be necessary, depending on the vehicle
type.
If you have a trailer tow hitch retrofitted,
observe the anchorage points on the chassis
frame. R
Do not exceed the legally prescribed maxi-
mum speed for vehicle/trailer combinations
in the relevant country.
This lowers the risk of an accident. R
Only install an approved trailer coupling on
your vehicle.
More information on availability and installa-
tion can be obtained at any qualified special-
ist workshop. R
The bumpers of your vehicle are not suitable
for installing detachable trailer couplings. R
Do not install hired trailer couplings or other
detachable trailer couplings on the bumpers
of your vehicle. R
If you no longer need the ball coupling,
remove it from the ball coupling recess. This
will reduce the risk of damage to the ball cou-
pling.
When towing a trailer, set the tire pressure on
the rear axle of the towing vehicle for the max-
imum load. You will find the values in the tire
pressure table in the fuel filler flap of the vehicle
( Y
page 372).
Please note that when towing a trailer, the fol-
lowing driving systems have limited availability
or are not available at all: R
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC ( Y
page 192)R
Blind Spot Assist ( Y
page 209)R
Active Lane Keeping Assist ( Y
page 215) On vehicles without level control, the height of
the ball coupling will alter according to the load
placed on the vehicle. If necessary, use a trailer
with a height-adjustable drawbar.
You will find installing dimensions and loads
under "Technical data" ( Y
page 395).
Driving tips Also observe the notes on pulling away with a
trailer ( Y
page 143).
The maximum permissible speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations depends on the type of
trailer. Before beginning the journey, check the
trailer's documents to see what the maximum
permissible speed is for your trailer. Observe the
legally permissible maximum speed in the rele-
vant country.
For certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the maxi-
mum permissible rear axle load is increased
when towing a trailer. See "Technical data" to
find out whether this applies to your vehicle
( Y
page 395). If you utilize any of the added
maximum rear axle load when towing a trailer,
the vehicle/trailer combination may not exceed
a maximum speed of 60 mph (100 km/h) for
reasons concerning the operating permit. This
also applies in countries in which the maximum
permissible speed for car/trailer combinations
is greater than 60 mph (100 km/h).
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
with when driving without a trailer.
Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle shifter
to shift into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients.
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
This will use the braking effect of the engine, so
that less braking will be required to maintain the
speed. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly. If you need additional
braking, depress the brake pedal repeatedly
rather than continuously.
Driving tips
If the trailer swings from side to side: X
Do not accelerate. X
Do not counter-steer. X
Brake if necessary.Towing a trailer 225
Driving and parking Z

Settings menu
Introduction Depending on the equipment installed in the
vehicle, In the Sett. menu you have the follow-
ing options: R
Changing the instrument cluster settings
( Y
page 243) R
Changing the light settings ( Y
page 243)R
Changing the vehicle settings ( Y
page 244)R
Changing the convenience settings
( Y
page 244) R
Restoring the factory settings ( Y
page 245)
Instrument cluster submenu Selecting the distance unit The Display Unit Speedometer / Odome‐
ter: function allows you to choose whether
certain displays appear in kilometers or miles in
the multifunction display. X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Sett. menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Instrument Cluster submenu.X
Press v to confirm.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Display Unit Speedometer / Odometer
function.
You will see the selected setting: km or miles .X
Press the v button to save the setting.
The selected unit of measurement for distance
applies to: R
Digital speedometer in the Trip menuR
Odometer and the trip odometer R
Trip computer R
Current consumption and the range R
Navigation instructions in the Navi menuR
Cruise control R
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC R
ASSYST PLUS service interval display
Selecting permanent display
The Permanent Display: function allows you
to choose whether the multifunction display
always shows the outside temperature or the
speed. The speed display is inverse to the speedome-
ter. X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Sett. menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Instrument Cluster submenu.X
Confirm by pressing v on the steering
wheel. X
Press the d or c button to select the
Permanent Display: function.
The current setting, Outside Temperature ,
Speedometer [km/h] or Speedometer
[mph] appears. X
To change the setting: press v again.
Light submenu Setting the daytime running lamps This function is not available in Canada. X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Sett. menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Light submenu. X
Press v to confirm. X
Press d or c to select the Daytime
Running Lights function.
If the Daytime Running Lights function has
been switched on, the cone of light and the