2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV instrument cluster

Correct driver's seat position
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
Observe the following when adjusting steering
wheel :, seat belt ;and driver's seat =:
Ryou are as far away from the driver's air bag as
possible
Ryou are sitting in a normal upright position
Ryour thighs are slightly supported by the seat
cushion
Ryour legs are not entirely stretched and you
can depress the pedals properly
Rthe back of your head is supported at eye level
by the center of the head restraint
Ryou can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent
Ryou can move your legs freely
Ryou can see all the displays in the instrument
cluster clearly
Ryou should have a good overview of traffic
conditions
Rthe seat belt is pulled snugly against the body and is routed across the center of your shoul-
der and across your hips in the pelvic area
Further related subjects:
RElectrical seat adjustment (Ypage 98)
RAdjusting the steering wheel mechanically
(Ypage 108) or electrically (Ypage 109)
RFastening the seat belt correctly (Ypage 48).
RAdjusting the rear-view mirror and exterior
mirrors (Ypage 110).
RVehicles with memory function: storing the
seat, steering wheel, exterior mirror and
Head-up display settings with the memory
function (
Ypage 113)
Seats
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust
the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
GWARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
(
Ypage 49) and "Children in the Vehicle"
(Ypage 59).
Seats97
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

Exterior lighting
General notes
For reasons of safety, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you drive with the lights switched on
even during the daytime. In some countries,
operation of the headlamps varies due to legal
requirements and self-imposed obligations.
Setting the exterior lighting
Setting options
Exterior lighting can be set using:
Rthe light switch
Rthe combination switch (Ypage 116)
Rthe on-board computer (Ypage 243)
Light switch
Operation
1 WLeft-hand standing lamps
2XRight-hand standing lamps
3TParking lamps, license plate and
instrument cluster lighting
4cAutomatic headlamp mode, controlled
by the light sensor
5 LLow-beam/high-beam headlamps
BRRear fog lamp
If you hear a warning tone when you leave the
vehicle, the lights may still be switched on.
XTurn the light switch to c.
The exterior lighting (except the parking/stand-
ing lamps) switches off automatically if you:
Rremove the SmartKey from the ignition lock
Ropen the driver's door with the SmartKey in
position uin the ignition lock
Automatic headlamp mode
c is the favored light switch position. The
light setting is automatically selected according
to the brightness of the ambient light (excep-
tion: poor visibility due to weather conditions
such as fog, snow or spray):
RSmartKey in position 1in the ignition lock:
the parking lamps are switched on/off auto-
matically depending on the brightness of the
ambient light.
RWith the engine running (USA only): if you
have switched on the Daytime Running
Lightsfunction in the on-board computer,
the daytime running lamps or the parking
lamps and low-beam headlamps are switched on or off automatically depending on the
brightness of the ambient light.
XTo switch on automatic headlamp mode:
turn the light switch to c.
GWARNING
When the light switch is set to Ã, the low-
beam headlamps may not be switched on
automatically if there is fog, snow or other
causes of poor visibility due to the weather
conditions such as spray. There is a risk of an
accident.
In such situations, turn the light switch to
L.
The automatic headlamp mode is only an aid.
The driver is responsible for the vehicle's light-
ing at all times.
Canada only:
The daytime running lamps improve the visibility
of your vehicle during the day. The daytime run-
ning lamps function is required by law in Can-
ada. It cannot therefore be deactivated.
When the engine is running and the vehicle is
stationary: if you move the selector lever from a
driving position to P, the daytime running
lamps/low-beam headlamps go out after three
minutes.
When the engine is running, the vehicle is sta-
tionary and in bright ambient light: if you turn the
light switch to the Tposition, the daytime
running lamps and parking lamps switch on.
If the engine is running and you turn the light
switch to L, the manual settings take prec-
edence over the daytime running lamps.
USA only:
Exterior lighting115
Lights and windshield wipers
Z

The headlamp range is set automatically
depending on the distance between the vehi-
cle and other road users.
If you are driving at speeds above approx-
imately 19 mph (30 km/h)and no other road
users have been detected:
The high-beam headlamps are switched on
automatically. The Kindicator lamp in the
instrument cluster also lights up.
If you are driving at speeds below approx-
imately 16 mph (25 km/h) or other road users
have been detected or the roads are ade-
quately lit:
The high-beam headlamps are switched off
automatically. The Kindicator lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The _indi-
cator lamp in the multifunction display
remains lit.
XTo switch off: move the combination switch
back to its normal position or move the light
switch to another position.
The _ indicator lamp in the multifunction
display goes out.
Headlamps fogged up on the inside
Certain climatic and physical conditions may
cause moisture to form in the headlamp. This
moisture does not affect the functionality of the
headlamp.
Interior lighting
Overview of interior lighting
Overhead control panel
:
p Switches the left-hand front reading
lamp on/off
;c Switches the front interior lighting on
=vSwitches the rear interior lighting on/
off
?| Switches the front interior lighting/
automatic interior lighting control off
Ap Switches the right-hand front reading
lamp on/off
BSwitches the automatic interior lighting con-
trol on
Rear overhead control panel (second row of seats)
:
To switch the reading lamp on/off
Rear overhead control panel (third row of seats)
:
Reading lamp
Interior lighting control
General notes
The interior light functions are automatically
switched off after some time to prevent the
vehicle's battery from discharging, unless the
SmartKey is in position 2in the ignition lock.
The color and brightness of the ambient lighting
are set using the multimedia system (see Digital
Operator's Manual).
Interior lighting119
Lights and windshield wipers
Z

Switching the rear window wiper on/
off
Combination switch
:
èRear window wiper switch
2bWipes with washer fluid
3ISwitches on intermittent wiping
40 Switches off intermittent wiping
5b Wipes with washer fluid
XTurn the SmartKey to position 1or2
(Ypage 140).
XTurn switch :on the combination switch to
the corresponding position.
When the rear window wiper is switched on,
the icon appears in the instrument cluster.
Replacing the wiper blades
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the windshield wipers begin to move while
you are changing the wiper blades, you could be trapped by the wiper arm. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
ignition before changing the wiper blades.
!To avoid damaging the wiper blades, make
sure that you touch only the wiper arm of the
wiper.
!Never open the hood/tailgate if a wiper arm
has been folded away from the windshield/
rear window.
Never fold a windshield wiper arm without a
wiper blade back onto the windshield/rear
window. Hold the windshield wiper arm firmly when
you change the wiper blade. If you release the
wiper arm without a wiper blade and it falls
onto the windshield/rear window, the wind-
shield/rear window may be damaged by the
force of the impact.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the wiper blades changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Changing the windshield wiper blades
Removing the wiper blades
XRemove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XFold the wiper arm away from the windshield.
XFirmly press release knob
:and pull wiper
blade ;upwards from the wiper arm in the
direction of the arrow.
Installing the wiper blades
XPosition new wiper blade :in the retainer on
the wiper arm and slide it into place in the
direction of the arrow.
The wiper blade audibly engages.
XMake sure that the wiper blade is seated cor- rectly.
XFold the wiper arm back onto the windshield.
Windshield wipers123
Lights and windshield wipers
Z

GWARNING
Limbs could be crushed or trapped if the
engine is started unintentionally during ser-
vice or maintenance work. There is a risk of
injury.
Always secure the engine against uninten-
tional starting before carrying out mainte-
nance or repair work.
Make sure that the engine cannot be started via
your smartphone before carrying out mainte-
nance or repairs. You can prevent an engine
start via your smartphone, for example, if you:
Rswitch on the hazard warning lamps
Rdo not lock the doors
Ropen the hood
Pulling away
General notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pulling
away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have pulled
away. The locking knobs in the doors drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time.
You can also deactivate the automatic locking
feature (
Ypage 244).
It is only possible to shift the transmission from
position Pto the desired position if you depress
the brake pedal. Only then is the parking lock
released. If you do not depress the brake pedal,
the DIRECT SELECT lever can still be moved but the parking lock remains engaged.
iUpshifts take place at higher engine speeds
after a cold start. This helps the catalytic con-
verter to reach its operating temperature
more quickly. Information on the automatic release of the
electric parking brake (
Ypage 163).
Pulling away with a trailer
To ensure that you do not roll backwards when
pulling away on an uphill slope, engage the elec-
tric parking brake.
XPress and hold handle
:.
The electric parking brake continues to brake
and prevent the vehicle from rolling back-
wards.
The red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster remains on.
XDepress the accelerator pedal.
XAs soon as the vehicle/trailer combination isheld by the driving force of the engine, release
lever :.
the electric parking brake is released.
The red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
Hill start assist
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away for-
wards or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It holds
the vehicle for a short time after you have
removed your foot from the brake pedal. This
gives you enough time to move your foot from
the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and to
depress it before the vehicle begins to roll.
GWARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could roll away.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
Driving143
Driving and parking
Z

If indicator lamp;is off, the ECO start/stop
function has been deactivated manually or as
the result of a malfunction.
Problems with the engine
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard.RThere is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
RThere is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
Before attempting to start the engine again:
XTurn the SmartKey in the ignition lock back to position u.
or
XPress the Start/Stop button repeatedly until all indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out.
XTry to start the engine again (Ypage 141). Avoid excessively long
and frequent attempts to start the engine as these will drain the
battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor.The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak or
discharged.
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 346).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
XAllow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two minutes.
XTry to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
Vehicles with a gasoline
engine:
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfir-
ing.There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic converter
and damage it.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
The coolant temperature
gage shows a value
above 248 ‡ (120 †).The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine is no
longer being cooled sufficiently.
XStop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
XCheck the coolant level (Ypage 328). Observe the warning notes
as you do so and add coolant if necessary.
146Driving
Driving and parking

XTo deactivate:press button:.
or
XUse the DYNAMIC SELECT controller to
change the drive program.
Permanent setting (Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
XTo activate: shift the DIRECT SELECT lever to
position h.
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
XTo deactivate: press button:.
or
XUse the DYNAMIC SELECT controller to
switch to the Individualdrive program.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
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 in the
gear currently engaged is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic trans-
mission automatically shifts up 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 were to exceed the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto-
matic 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.
XWhen the corresponding gearshift recom-
mendation :appears in the multifunction
display of the instrument cluster, shift to rec-
ommended gear ;.
Automatic transmission153
Driving and parking
Z

GWARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
You must make sure that fuel does not come into contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
and that it is not swallowed. Do not inhale fuel
vapors. Keep fuel away from children.
If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following:
RWash away fuel from skin immediately
using soap and water.
RIf fuel comes into contact with your eyes,
immediately rinse them thoroughly with
clean water. Seek medical assistance with-
out delay.
RIf fuel is swallowed, seek medical assis-
tance without delay. Do not induce vomit-
ing.
RImmediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with fuel.
GWARNING
Electrostatic buildup can create sparks and
ignite fuel vapors. There is a risk of fire and
explosion.
Always touch the vehicle body before opening
the fuel filler flap or touching the fuel pump
nozzle. Any existing electrostatic buildup is
thereby discharged.
GWARNING
Vehicles with a diesel engine:
If you mix diesel fuel with gasoline, the flash
point is lower than that of pure diesel fuel.
When the engine is running, exhaust system
components could overheat without being
noticed. There is a risk of fire.
Never refuel with gasoline. Never mix gasoline with diesel fuel.
!Do not use gasoline to refuel vehicles with a
diesel engine. Do not switch on the ignition if
you accidentally refuel with the wrong fuel.
Otherwise, the fuel will enter the fuel system. Even small amounts of the wrong fuel could
result in damage to the fuel system and the engine. The repair costs are high. Notify a
qualified specialist workshop and have the
fuel tank and fuel lines drained completely.
!Do not use diesel to refuel vehicles with a
gasoline engine. Do not switch on the ignition
if you accidentally refuel with the wrong fuel.
Otherwise, the fuel will enter the fuel system. Even small amounts of the wrong fuel could
result in damage to the fuel system and the
engine. Notify a qualified specialist workshop
and have the fuel tank and fuel lines drained
completely.
!Overfilling the fuel tank could damage the
fuel system.
!Take care not to spill any fuel on painted
surfaces. You could otherwise damage the
paintwork.
!Use a filter when adding fuel from a fuel can.
The fuel lines and/or the fuel injection system
could otherwise be blocked by particles from
the fuel can.
Do not get into the vehicle again during the refu-
eling process. Otherwise, electrostatic charge
could build up again.
If you overfill the fuel tank, fuel could spray out
when the fuel pump nozzle is removed.
For further information on fuel and fuel quality
(
Ypage 387).
Refueling
General information
Pay attention to the important safety notes
(Ypage 155).
The fuel filler flap is unlocked or locked auto-
matically when you unlock or lock the vehicle
with the SmartKey or using KEYLESS-GO.
The position of the fuel filler cap is displayed
8 in the instrument cluster. The arrow next
to the filling pump indicates the side of the vehi-
cle.
156Refueling
Driving and parking