2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV ECU

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

leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill start assist is not active if:
Ryou are pulling away on a level road or on a
downhill gradient.
Rthe transmission is in position N.
Rthe electric parking brake is applied.
RESP®is malfunctioning.
ECO start/stop function
Introduction
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is stopped
under certain conditions.
The engine starts automatically when the driver
wants to pull away again. The ECO start/stop
function thereby helps you to reduce the fuel
consumption and emissions of your vehicle.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and
you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving.
There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes
:ECO start/stop display
The ECO start/stop function is activated when-
ever you start the engine using the SmartKey or the Start/Stop button.
If the engine has been switched off automati-
cally by the ECO start/stop function, the èECO symbol is shown in the multifunction dis-
play.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the ECO start/stop
function is only available in drive programs
Comfort andSlippery.
Automatic engine switch-off
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill in Dor N,
the ECO start/stop function switches off the
engine automatically.
The ECO start/stop function is operational
when:
Rthe indicator lamp in the ECO button is lit
green
Rthe Sport Plus orSport drive program is not
selected (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Rno Off-road program has been selected
Rthe outside temperature and the atmospheric
air pressure is within the range that is suitable
for the system
Rthe engine is at normal operating temperature
Rthe set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached
Rthe battery is sufficiently charged
Rthe system detects that the windshield is not
fogged up when the air-conditioning system is switched on
Rthe hood is closed
Rthe driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened
All of the vehicle's systems remain active when
the engine is stopped automatically.
The HOLD function can also be activated if the
engine has been switched off automatically. It is
then not necessary to continue applying the
brakes during the automatic stop phase. When
you depress the accelerator pedal, the engine
starts automatically and the braking effect of
the HOLD function is deactivated.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): automatic engine switch-off can take
place a maximum of four times in a row (initial
stop, then three subsequent stops).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the number of con-
secutive automatic engine switch-offs is unlimi-
ted.
144Driving
Driving and parking

DYNAMIC SELECT controller
Use theDYNAMI CSELECT controller to chang e
th edrive program. Dependin gon th edrive pro -
gram selecte dth efollowin gvehicle character-
istic swill change:
Rth edrive (engin eand transmissio nmanage-
ment)
Rth etransmissio n
Rthesuspensio n
Rthesteerin g
Rtheavailabilit yof th eEC Ostart/sto pfunction
Each time you start th eengin ewit hth eSmart -
Key or th eStart/Sto pbutton, th eComfor tdrive
program is activated. Fo rfurther information
about startin gth eengine, see (
Ypage 141).
The Comfor tdrive program is recommended in
city traffic and stop/start traffic situations.
XAll vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles) :turn DYNAMI CSELECT controller :as
man ytimes as necessary until th edesire d
drive program is selected.
The selecte ddrive program appears in th e
multifunction display. Afte rfiv eseconds th e
display goe sout .
In addition ,th ecurren tdrive program setting s
are displaye din th emultimedia syste mdis -
play.
Drive program savailable (al lvehicles
excep tMercedes-AMG vehicles):
Individua lIndividual setting s
SportSporty drivin gcharacteris -
tics
Comfor tComfortable and economi-
cal drivin gcharacteristics
Slipper yOptimal drivin gcharacteris -
tics on slipper yor snow-
covered roads
Off-roadOptimal drivin gcharacteris -
tics fo reasily negotiable off-
road terrain
Off-road Plu s
(vehicles wit h
Off-Road Engi-
neering pack-
age)Optimal drivin gcharacteris -
tics fo rrough terrain
Further information on :
RtheIndividua l,Spor t, Comfor tand Slipper y
drive programs (Ypage 151)
RtheOff-road drive program (vehicles without
Off-Road Engineerin gpackage)
(
Ypage 219)
Rth eOff-road andOff-road Plu sdrive pro -
grams (vehicles wit hOff-Road Engineerin g
package) (
Ypage 220)
XMercedes-AMG vehicles :turn DYNAMI C
SELECT controller :as man ytimes as nec-
essary until th edesire ddrive program is
selected.
The selecte ddrive program appears in th e
multifunction display. Afte rfiv eseconds th e
display goe sout .
In addition ,th ecurren tdrive program setting s
are displaye din th emultimedia system dis -
play.
Drive program savailable (Mercedes-AMG
vehicles):
Individua lIndividual setting s
ComfortComfortable and economi-
cal drivin gcharacteristics
DYNAMIC SELECT controller14 7
Driving an d parking
Z

The arrows in the transmission position display
show how and into which transmission positions
you can shift using the DIRECT SELECT lever.
If the transmission position display on the mul-
tifunction display is not working, you should pull
away carefully to check whether the desired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should select transmission position hand, in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles, drive program Cor S.
Transmission positions
BPark position
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion Pwhen the vehicle is stationary
(
Ypage 161). The parking lock
should not be used as a brake when
parking. Always apply the electronic
parking brake in addition to the park-
ing lock in order to secure the vehi-
cle.
If the vehicle electronics are malfunc- tioning, the transmission may be
locked in position P. Have the vehicle
electronics checked immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Park position Pis automatically
engaged if:
Ryou switch off the engine using the
SmartKey and remove the Smart-
Key
Ryou switch off the engine using the
SmartKey or using the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door
or front-passenger door
Rthe driver's door is opened when
the vehicle is stationary or driving
at very low speed and the trans-
mission is in position Dor R
CReverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion Rwhen the vehicle is stationary.
ANeutral
Do not shift the transmission to N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you to
move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push
it or tow it.
If ESP
®is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position Nif the
vehicle is in danger of skidding, e.g.
on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position Ror D, the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
!Coasting in neutral imay
cause damage to the drive train.
7Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts through the
individual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position h. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
Rthe selected drive program
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
Rthe road speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
Rlittle throttle: early upshifts
Rmore throttle: late upshifts
150Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Individual drive program
In theIndividua ldriv eprogram ,th efollowin g
properties of th edriv eprogram can be selected:
Rth edriv e(engin eand transmission manage-
ment)
Rth etransmission
Rth esuspension
Rall vehicles (except Mercedes-AM Gvehicles):
th esteering
Rall vehicles (except Mercedes-AM Gvehicles):
availabilit yof th eECO start/sto pfunction
To select th egear sin th eIndividua ldriv epro -
gram permanentl yusin gth esteering whee lpad-
dle shifters, select th epermanen tmanual gear -
shif tprogram .
Information about configuring th eIndividua l
driv eprogram wit hth emultimedia system can
be foun din th eDigital Operator's Manual.
Manual gear shifting
General notes
You can chang egear yourself usin gth esteering
whee lpaddle shifters. The transmission must be
in position hto do this.
Dependin gon whic hsteering whee lpaddle
shifte ris pulled ,th eautomatic transmission
immediately shifts int oth enext gear down or
up, if permitted.
To use manual shifting ,you have two options:
Rtemporar ysetting
Rpermanen tsetting
If you activat emanual gearshifting ,th ecurren t
gear appear sin th emultifunction display
instead of transmission position h.
If manual gearshifting is deactivated, th egear s
will be selected automatically.
Temporary setting
XTo activate: shiftth eDIRECT SELECT lever to
position h.
XPull steering whee lpaddle shifte r: or;.
The temporar ysetting is active for acertain
amoun tof time. Under certain conditions, th e
minimum amoun tof time is extended, e.g. in th e
cas eof lateral acceleration ,during overrun
mod eor when driving on steep terrain .
XTo deactivate:pull steering whee lpaddle
shifte r; and hold it in place.
or
XUse th eDIRECT SELECT lever to switch th e
transmission position .
or
XUse th eDYNAMIC SELECT controller to
chang eth edriv eprogram .
Permanent setting (all vehicles except
Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
XTo activate: shiftth eDIRECT SELECT lever to
position h.
XPress butto n:.
152Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Opening/closing the DEF filler cap
The fuel filler flap is unlocked or locked auto-
matically when you open or close the vehicle
with the SmartKey or with KEYLESS-GO.
XTo open:switch the ignition off.
XPress the fuel filler flap in the direction of
arrow:.
The fuel filler flap swings up.
XTurn blue DEF fuel filler cap ;counter-clock-
wise and remove it.
DEF filler cap ;is secured with a plastic
strip.
XTo close: place DEF filler cap ;on the filler
neck and turn it clockwise.
XTo close the fuel filler flap, press it in the
direction of arrow :.
XDrive faster than 10 mph (16 km/h).
TheCheck Additive See Operator's
Manualmessage goes out after approx-
imately one minute.
iIf the Check Additive See Operator'sManualmessage continues to be shown in
the multifunction display, you must add more
DEF.
DEF refill canisters
!Do not screw the disposable hose on too
tight. The disposable hose could otherwise be damaged and DEF may leak out.
XUnscrew the cap from the opening on top of
DEF refill canister ;.
XPlace disposable hose :on the opening of
DEF refill canister ;and screw it on clock-
wise until hand-tight.
Disposable hose :remains closed until you
fasten disposable hose :to the DEF filler
neck of the vehicle.
XPlace disposable hose :on the filler neck on
the vehicle and screw it on clockwise until
hand-tight. When you feel resistance, dispos-
able hose :is sufficiently secured.
XLift up and tip DEF refill canister ;.
Filling stops when the DEF tank is completely
filled. Do not fill the DEF tank any further. DEF
refill canister ;can be removed when it has
been only partially emptied.
XTurn disposable hose :on the filler neck of
the vehicle counter-clockwise and remove it.
XTurn disposable hose :on the opening of
DEF refill canister ;counter-clockwise and
remove it.
XReseal DEF refill canister ;with the cap.
DEF refill canisters are available at many gas
stations or at a qualified specialist workshop.
DEF refill canisters are often sold with a filler
hose. A filler hose that does not exactly fill the
vehicle's DEF tank offers no protection against
160Refueling
Driving and parking

overfilling. DEF may leak if overfilled. Mercedes-
Benz offers a special disposable hose with over-
fill protection. You can obtain this from any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. DEF is avail-
able in a variety of containers and receptacles.
Only use the disposable hose with the
Mercedes-Benz DEF refill canisters.
DEF refill bottle
!Only screw on the DEF refill bottle hand-
tight. Otherwise, the thread of the DEF refill
bottle could be damaged and DEF could leak
out.
XUnscrew the protective cap from DEF refill
bottle :.
XPlace DEF refill bottle :on the filler neck as
shown and screw it on clockwise until hand-
tight.
XPress DEF refill bottle :towards the filler
neck.
The DEF tank is filled. This may take up to one
minute.
iWhen DEF refill bottle :is no longer
pressed, filling stops and the bottle may be
taken off again after being only partially emp-
tied.
XRelease DEF refill bottle :.
XTurn DEF refill bottle:counter-clockwise
and remove it.
XScrew the protective cap onto DEF refill bot-
tle : again.
DEF refill bottles are available at many gas sta-
tions or at a qualified specialist workshop. Refill
bottles without a threaded cap do not provide
overfill protection. DEF may leak if overfilled.
Mercedes Benz offers special refill bottles with a threaded seal. These are available at any author-
ized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Parking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi-
cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields.
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
!Always secure the vehicle correctly against
rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle or its driv-
etrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
Rthe electric parking brake must be applied
Rthe transmission must be in position jand
the SmartKey must be removed from the igni- tion lock
Rthe front wheels must be turned towards the
curb on steep uphill or downhill gradients
Rthe empty vehicle must be secured at the
front axle with a wheel chock or similar, for
example, on uphill or downhill gradients
Ra laden vehicle must also be secured at the
rear axle with a wheel chock or similar, for
example, on uphill or downhill gradients
Parking161
Driving and parking
Z

Switching off the engine
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
XApply the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position j.
XWith the SmartKey:turn the SmartKey to
position uin the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
XWith KEYLESS-GO:
Press the Start/Stop button (
Ypage 140)
The engine stops and all the indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position korh, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to iautomatically.
If you then open the driver's or front-passenger
door, the automatic transmission shifts to j
automatically.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral i, e.g. when having the vehi-
cle cleaned in an automatic, tow-through car
wash:
XVehicles with a SmartKey: switch on the
ignition.
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock.
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
XSwitch on the ignition.
XAll vehicles: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
XEngage neutral i.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
iThe engine can be switched off in an emer-
gency while the vehicle is in motion by press-
ing and holding the Start/Stop button for
three seconds.
Electric parking brake
General notes
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The function of the electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
board voltage is low or there is a malfunction in
the system, it may not be possible to apply the
released parking brake.
XIf this is the case, only park the vehicle on
level ground and secure it to prevent it rolling
away.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
j.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or
there is a malfunction in the system. Contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
iThe electric parking brake performs a func-
tion test at regular intervals while the engine
is switched off. The sounds that can be heard
while this is occurring are normal.
162Parking
Driving and parking