2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV display

appears in the multifunction display. The last
active drive program is selected again.
Do not use theOffroadprogram on roads that
are snow-covered or icy or if you have installed
your vehicle with snow chains.
Selecting the Offroad program
Selecting the Offroad program
XTo select drive program: turn DYNAMIC
SELECT controller :until indicator lamp ;
lights up.
The Drive Program "Offroad1" Max.
Speed 60 mphmessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
The vehicle is raised by +2.4 in (60 mm).
The vehicle is lowered to normal level again if
you:
Rdrive at speeds above 37 mph (60 km/h) (all
vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Rdrive at speeds above 43 mph (70 km/h)
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Rdrive at speeds between 40 mph (64 km/h)
and 43 mph (70 km/h) for approximately
20 seconds (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
The vehicle changes from the Offroaddrive pro-
gram to the Comfortdrive program if you drive
faster than 70 mph (112 km/h).
The Drive More Slowly
message appears in
the multifunction display.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(
Ypage 170).
Off-road programs (vehicles with Off-
Road Engineering package)
General notes
The Offroad andOffroad Plus drive programs
assist you when driving off-road. The engine's
performance characteristics and the gearshift-
ing characteristics of the automatic transmis-
sion are adapted for this purpose. ABS, ESP
®
and 4ETS programs especially adapted to off-
road driving are activated. An accelerator pedal
curve suitable for the terrain is selected, i.e. the
accelerator pedal must be depressed further to
accelerate.
Do not use the OffroadorOffroad Plus drive
programs on roads that are snow-covered or icy,
or if you have installed your vehicle with snow
chains.
Offroad drive program
:DYNAMIC SELECT controller
;Offroad program indicator lamp
Select the Offroadprogram for easily negotia-
ble off-road terrain, e.g. dirt tracks, gravel or
sandy surfaces. The engine's torque is restric-
ted to a limited degree and the drive wheels can
spin. The spinning wheels produce a cutting
effect for better traction. ABS, ESP
®and 4ETS
programs especially adapted to off-road driving are activated. A gentle accelerator pedal curve
is also selected, i.e. the accelerator pedal must
be depressed much further in order to acceler-
ate.
You can select the Offroaddrive program at
speeds below 60 mph (96 km/h). The Drive
Program "Offroad" Max. Speed 60 mphmessage appears in the multifunction display. If
you drive at speeds above 60 mph(96 km/h)
and select the Offroaddrive program, the
Drive More Slowly
message appears in the
220Driving systems
Driving and parking

multifunction display. The last active drive pro-
gram is selected again.
Selecting the Offroad program
XTo select a drive program: turn DYNAMIC
SELECT controller:until indicator lamp ;
lights up.
The Drive program "Offroad" Max.
speed 60 mphmessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
The vehicle is raised by +1.2 in (30 mm).
The vehicle changes from the Offroaddrive pro-
gram to the Comfortdrive program if you drive
faster than 70 mph (112 km/h).
The Drive more slowly
message appears in
the multifunction display.
Offroad Plus drive program
:DYNAMIC SELECT controller
;Offroad Plus drive program indicator lamp
Select the Offroad Plus drive program for rough
terrain, e.g. for steep and/or uneven terrain or
for driving on rocky terrain.
Your vehicle has an automatically activated dif-
ferential lock for the transfer case. It controls
the balance between the front and rear axles.
The differential lock improves the vehicle's trac-
tion. 4ETS (
Ypage 70) controls the balance
between both wheels on an axle.
Selecting the Offroad Plus drive program
XTo select drive program: turn DYNAMIC
SELECT controller :until indicator lamp ;
lights up.
The Drive program "Offroad Plus"
Max.speed25mphmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
RThe Offroad Plus program is selected and
the vehicle is raised by +1.2 in (30 mm)
compared with the Offroaddrive program.
RDSR is switched on.
RThe differential lock is closed.
You can select the Offroad Plus drive program at
speeds below 25 mph (40 km/h).
The Offroad Plus drive program automatically
switches to the Offroad drive program if you
drive faster than 30 mph (45 km/h). The Drive
more slowlymessage appears in the multi-
function display.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(
Ypage 170).
LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles
with the Off-Road Engineering package)
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you select the LOW RANGE off-road gear on
a slippery road surface, the wheels could lose traction:
Rif you remove your foot from the accelera-
tor pedal when driving
Rif off road ABS intervenes when braking
If the wheels lose traction. the vehicle can no
longer be steered. There is an increased dan-
ger of skidding and accidents.
Never select the LOW RANGE off-road gear
when driving on slippery road surfaces.
GWARNING
If you do not wait for the transfer case gear
change process to complete, the transfer
case could remain in the neutral position. The power transmission to the driven wheels is
then interrupted. There is a danger of the
vehicle rolling away unintentionally. There is a
risk of an accident.
Wait until the transfer case shift process is
completed.
Do not turn off the engine while changing gear
and do not shift the automatic transmission to
another position.
Driving systems221
Driving and parking
Z

General notes
:LOW RANGE offroad gear button
;LOW RANGE offroad gear indicator lamp
HIGH RANGEPosition for all normal on-
road driving conditions
LOW RANGEOffroad position for driving
off-road and fording
The transmission ratio
between the engine and
wheels is only approx-
imately one third of that in
the HIGH RANGE road posi-
tion. Drive torque is thus
proportionately higher.
Do not use LOW RANGE:
Ron slippery road surfaces,
e.g. in the case of slush
Ron snow or ice-covered
roads
Rif you have mounted snow
chains to your vehicle
The LOW RANGE offroad gear assists you in
driving off-road and when fording. When LOW
RANGE is engaged, the engine’s performance
characteristics and the gearshifting character-
istics of the automatic transmission are adapted
for this purpose.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(
Ypage 170). You will find information about
driving safety systems in conjunction with
LOW RANGE in the "Safety" section (
Ypage 66).
From HIGH RANGE to LOW RANGE
!Only change from LOW RANGE to HIGH
RANGE if:
Rthe engine is running.
Rthe transmission is in position N
Ryou are driving at a speed below 40 km/h
XPress LOW RANGE button:.
Indicator lamp ;flashes.
When the gear change is complete, indicator
lamp ;lights up. LOW RANGE indicator
appears in the multifunction display and in the
status indicator.
While indicator lamp ;is flashing, you can
cancel the gear change by pressing LOW
RANGE button :again.
iYou cannot activate LOW RANGE if the
SPORT drive program is activated. The LOW
RANGE Not in Drive Program "Sport"message then appears in the multifunction
display.
From LOW RANGE to HIGH RANGE
!Only change from LOW RANGE to HIGH
RANGE if:
Rthe engine is running.
Rthe transmission is in position N
Ryou are driving at a speed below 70 km/h
XPress LOW RANGE button:.
Indicator lamp ;flashes.
When the gear change is complete, indicator
lamp ;goes out. In the multifunction dis-
play, the LOW RANGE Off
message appears
and the status indicator goes out.
While indicator lamp ;is flashing, you can
cancel the gear change by pressing LOW
RANGE button :again.
222Driving systems
Driving and parking

Messages in the multifunction display
If a gear change process has not been successful, the following messages may be displayed in the
multifunction display:
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
LOW RANGE Max.Speed 24 mphYou have been driving faster than 24 mph (40 km/h). Additionally, the
indicator lamp on the button in the center console is flashing.
XSlow down to change gear.
LOW RANGE Shift toPosition N BrieflyThe transmission is in positionDand you are driving at below
40 km/h.
XShift the transmission to Nto complete the gear change process.
LOW RANGE ShiftingCanceled PleaseReactivate
The gear change process was not carried out.
XEnsure that all gear change conditions are fulfilled and carry out the
gear change process again.
LOW RANGE StopApply Parking BrakeA warning tone also sounds. The gear change process has not been
completed. LOW RANGE is in the neutral position. There is no con-
nection between the engine and the drive wheels.
!Do not drive any further. You could otherwise damage the vehi-
cle's drive train.
XStop the vehicle. Take into account the road and traffic conditions
when doing this.
XDepress the electric parking brake (Ypage 162).
XCarry out the gear change process again.
If the gear change process has been carried out, the LOW RANGE
Stop Apply Parking Brakemessage disappears.
Driving dynamics display in the
COMAND display (vehicles with the Off-
Road Engineering package)
General notes
The driving dynamics display allows you to see
the selected drive program and additional infor-
mation about the vehicle's operating status in
the COMAND display.
:Drive program selected
;Status of the differential lock for the transfer
case
=Accelerator pedal position shown in %
?Brake pedal position shown in %
ACondition of the LOW RANGE offroad gear
BAngle of inclination
CSteering angle
DUphill or downhill gradient in percentage
Driving systems223
Driving and parking
Z

ELevel control
FCompass with angle scale
Activating the driving dynamics display
XSwitch on COMAND (see the Digital Opera-
tor's Manual).
XPress button:.
The driving dynamics display appears in the
COMAND display.
Towing a trailer
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Installing an unsuitable ball coupling may
result in overloading of the trailer tow hitch
and the rear axle. This applies especially if the ball coupling in question is longer or angled
differently. This could seriously impair the
driving characteristics and the trailer can
come loose. There is a risk of an accident.
You should only ever install a ball coupling
that has the permissible dimensions and that
is designed to meet your trailer-towing
requirements. Do not modify the ball coupling
or the trailer tow hitch.
You will find the values approved by the manu-
facturer on the vehicle identification plates and
those for the towing vehicle under "Technical
data" (
Ypage 395).
GWARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed correctly or not secured with the bolt provided and the
corresponding spring cotter, the trailer may
come loose. There is a risk of an accident.
Always install and secure the ball coupling asdescribed. Before every journey, ensure that
the ball coupling is secured with the bolt and
the corresponding spring cotter.
GWARNING
When the vehicle/trailer combination begins
to lurch, you could lose control of it. The vehi- cle/trailer combination could even rollover.
There is a risk of an accident.
On no account should you attempt to
straighten up the vehicle/trailer combination
by increasing the speed. Reduce vehicle
speed and do not countersteer. Apply the
brake as necessary.
Please observe the manufacturer's operating
instructions for the trailer coupling if a detach-
able trailer coupling is used.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If you
do not couple the trailer to the towing vehicle
correctly, the trailer could become detached.
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
Rthe permissible trailer drawbar noseweight
Rthe permissible trailer load
Rthe permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
Rthe maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
The applicable permissible values, which must
not be exceeded, can be found:
Rin the vehicle documents
Ron the identification plates for the trailer tow
hitch and the trailer
Ron the vehicle identification plate
If the values differ, the lowest value applies.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
with when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
Ris heavier
Ris restricted in its acceleration and gradient-
climbing capability
Rhas an increased braking distance
224Towing a trailer
Driving and parking

Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you operate information systems and com-
munication equipmen tintegrate din th evehi-
cle when driving ,you may be distracte dfrom
th etraffic situation .You could also lose con-
trol of th evehicle. Ther eis aris kof an acci-
dent.
Only operate this equipmen twhen th etraffic
situation permits. If you are no tsur ethat this
is possible ,park th evehicl epayin gattention
to traffic condition sand operate th eequip-
men twhen th evehicl eis stationary.
You must observ eth elegal requirements for th e
country in whic hyou are currentl ydriving when
operating th eon-board computer.
GWARNIN G
If th einstrumen tcluste rhas faile dor mal-
functioned, you may no trecognize function
restriction sin systems relevan tto safety. The
operating safet yof your vehicl emay be
impaired .Ther eis aris kof an accident.
Drive on carefully. Hav eth evehicl echecke d
at aqualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately.
If th eoperating safet yof your vehicl eis
impaired ,pull ove ras soo nas it is saf eto do so.
Contac t aqualified specialist workshop.
The on-board computer only shows message sor
warning sfrom certain systems in th emultifunc-
tion display. You should therefor emak esur e
your vehicl eis operating safely at all times .
Fo ran overview, see th einstrumen tpanel illus-
tration (
Ypage 37).
Displays and operation
Instrument cluster lighting
The lighting in th einstrumen tcluster, in th edis-
plays and th econtrol sin th evehicl einterior can
be adjusted usin gth ebrightness control knob.
The brightness control knob is locate don th e
botto mleftof th einstrumen tcluste r
(
Ypage 37).
XTurn th ebrightness control knob clockwise or
counter-clockwise.
If you tur nth eligh tswitch to Ã,Tor
L, thebrightness is dependen tupon th e
brightness of th eambien tlight.
iThe ligh tsensor in th einstrumen tcluste r
automatically control sth ebrightness of th e
multifunction display.
In daylight, th edisplays in th einstrumen t
cluste rare no tilluminated.
Speedometer with segments
The segments in th espeedometer indicat e
whic hspee drange is available.
RCruis econtrol activated (Ypage 174):
The segments ligh tup from th estore dspee d
to th emaximum speed.
RDistanc ePilot DISTRONI Cis activated
(Ypage 176):
On eor two segments in th eset spee drange
ligh tup.
RDistanc ePilot DISTRONI Cdetects avehicl ein
fron tmoving mor eslowly than th estore d
speed:
The segments between th espee dof th evehi-
cle in fron tand th estore dspee dligh tup.
Tachometer
!
Do no tdriv ein th eoverrevving range, as this
could damag eth eengine.
The red ban din th etachometer indicates th e
engine's overrevving range.
The fuel suppl yis interrupted to protect th e
engin ewhen th ered ban dis reached.
Outside temperature display
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tion swhen temperatures are aroun dfreezing
point.
Bea rin min dthat th eoutside temperature dis-
play indicates th etemperature measured and
does no trecord th eroad temperature.
The outside temperature display is in th emulti-
function display (
Ypage 235).
Displays and operation233
On-board computer and displays
Z

There is a short delay before a change in outside
temperature appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
Coolant temperature gauge
GWARNING
Opening the hood when the engine is over-
heated or when there is a fire in the engine
compartment could expose you to hot gases
or other service products. There is a risk of
injury.
Let an overheated engine cool down before
opening the hood. If there is a fire in the
engine compartment, keep the hood closed
and contact the fire department.
!If the coolant temperature is too high, a dis-
play message is shown.
If the coolant temperature display is in the
area marked in red, do not continue driving.
Otherwise, the engine will be damaged.
The coolant temperature gauge is in the instru-
ment cluster on the right-hand side (
Ypage 37).
Under normal operating conditions and with the
specified coolant level, the coolant temperature gauge may rise to the red marking.
Operating the on-board computer
Overview
:Multifunction display
;Right control panel
=Left control panel
XTo activate the on-board computer: turn
the SmartKey to position 1in the ignition
lock.
You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using the
buttons on the multifunction steering wheel.
Vehicles with the COMAND multimedia system: you can find further information on the Voice
Control System in the separate operating
instructions.
Vehicles with the Audio 20 multimedia system:
you can find further information on voice-oper-
ated control for navigation in the manufactur-
er's operating instructions.
234Displays and operation
On-board computer and displays

Left control panel
=
;RCalls up the menu and menu bar
9
:Press briefly:
RScrolls in lists
RSelects a submenu or function
RIn theAudiomenu: selects the
previous or next station, when the
preset list or station list is active,
or the previous or next audio track
or video scene
RIn the Tel(Telephone) menu:
switches to the phone book and
selects a name or telephone num-
ber
9
:Press and hold:
RIn the Audiomenu: selects a pre-
set list or a station list in the
desired frequency range or an
audio track or video scene using
rapid scrolling
RIn the Tel(Telephone) menu:
starts rapid scrolling if the phone
book is open
aRConfirms the selection or display
message
RIn the Tel(Telephone) menu:
switches to the phone book and
starts dialing the selected number
%Press briefly:
RBack
RSwitches off voice-operated con-
trol for navigation or the Voice
Control System
RHides display messages or calls up
the last Tripmenu function used
RExits the telephone book/redial
memory
%Press and hold:
RCalls up the standard display in the
Tripmenu
Right control panel
~RRejects or ends a call
RExits the telephone book/redial
memory
6RMakes or accepts a call
RSwitches to the redial memory
W
XRAdjusts the volume
8RMute
?RSwitches on voice-operated con-
trol for navigation or the Voice
Control System
Multifunction display
:Permanent display: outside temperature or
speed (Ypage 243)
;Time
=Text field
?Menu bar
ADrive program (Ypage 149)
BTransmission position (Ypage 149)
XTo display menu bar ?: press the=
or ; button on the steering wheel.
If you do not press any other button, menu
bar ?fades out after a few seconds.
Text field =shows the selected menu or sub-
menu as well as display messages.
Displays and operation235
On-board computer and displays
Z