2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV light

Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
RABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
(Ypage 66)
RBAS ( Brake Assist System) (Ypage 67)
RActive Brake Assist (Ypage 67)
RESP®(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Ypage 70)
REBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(Ypage 72)
RADAPTIVE BRAKE (Ypage 72)
RActive Brake Assist with cross-traffic function (Ypage 72)
RSteering Pilot STEER CONTROL
(Ypage 75)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor overridethe laws of physics. Driving safety systems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for maintaining the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time, and for staying in lane. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The driving safety systems described only work
as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quate contact between the tires and the road
surface. Pay particular attention to the informa-
tion regarding tires, recommended minimum
tire tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and tires"
section (
Ypage 354).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow chains.
Only in this way will the driving safety systems
described in this section work as effectively as
possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that
the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steering the vehicle when
braking.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface conditions.
ABS works on slippery surfaces, even when you
only brake gently.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 66).
GWARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp (
Ypage 282) and dis-
play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (
Ypage 249).
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit-
uation is over.
XTo make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions, and functions as a reminder to take extra care while driving.
66Driving safety systems
Safety

Deactivating/activating ESP®
Important safetynotes
iObserv eth e"Important safet ynotes" sec -
tion (Ypage 66).
You can selec tbetween th efollowin gstates of
ES P
®:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
If you deactivat eES P
®,ES P®no longer sta-
bilizes th evehicle. There is an increase dris k
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivat eES P
®in th esituation sdescri-
bed in th efollowing.
It may be bes tto deactivat eES P
®in th efollow -
in g situations:
Rwhen usin gsnow chain s
Rin deepsnow
Ron san dor grave l
Spinning th ewheels result sin acutting action
whic hprovides bette rgrip.
iActivat eES P®as soo nas th esituation s
described abov eno longer apply .ES P®will
otherwise no tbe able to stabilize th evehicle if
th evehicle start sto skid or awhee lstart sto
spin.
!Avoid spinnin gth edriven wheels fo ran
extended period wit hES P®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage th edrivetrain .
Deactivating/activating ESP®
XTo deactivate :press butto n:.
The å ESP®OF Fwarnin glamp in th e
instrumen tcluster lights up.
XTo activate :press butto n:.
The å ESP®OF Fwarnin glamp in th e
instrumen tcluster goe sout .
Characteristics when ESP®is deactivate d
If ESP®is deactivated and on eor more wheels
start to spin, th e÷ ESP®warnin glamp in th e
instrumen tcluster flashes .In suc hsituations,
ES P
®will no tstabilize th evehicle.
If you deactivat eES P®:
RESP®no longer improves drivin gstability.
REngin etorqu eis no longer limited and th e
drive wheels are able to spin.
RTraction contro lis still activated.
RActive Brak eAssis tis no longer available ;no r
is it activated if you brake firmly wit hassis-
tanc efrom ES P
®
RPRE-SAF E®is no longer available ,no ris it
activated if you brake firmly and ES P®inter-
venes.
RActive Brak eAssis twit hcross-traffic function
is no longer available ;no ris it activated if you
brake firmly wit hassistanc efrom ES P
®
RESP®still provides suppor twhen you brake
firmly.
Offroad ESP®(vehicles wit hOff-Road
Engineering package)
An ES P®systemspecifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once th eoff-
road program is activated on :
RVehicles without theOffroad Engineerin g
package (Ypage 219)
RVehicles wit hth eOff-Road Engineerin gpack-
age (Ypage 220)
Offroad ES P®intervenes wit h adela yif there is
oversteering or understeering ,thus improvin g
traction .
Crosswind Assis t
General information
Strong crosswindgust scan impair th eability of
your vehicle to drive straight ahead. The cross -
Driving safety systems71
Safety
Z

Following damage to the front end of the vehicle,
have the configuration and operation of the
radar sensors checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. This also applies to collisions at slow
speeds where there is no visible damage to the
front of the vehicle.
Following damage to the windshield, have the
configuration and operation of the camera sys-
tem checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Function
XTo activate or deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 242).
If the Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function is deactivated, the æsymbol
appears in the multifunction display.
If you have activated DSR (
Ypage 218), the
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
deactivated.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
this function warns you if you rapidly approach a
vehicle in front. An intermittent warning tone
will then sound and the ·distance warning
lamp will light up in the instrument cluster.
XBrake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
XTake evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
can also brake the vehicle automatically under
the following conditions:
Rthe driver and front-passenger have their seat
belts fastened
and
Rthe vehicle speed is between approximately
4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph (200 km/h)
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function may react to:
Rstationary objects in the path of your vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
Rpedestrians in the path of your vehicle
iIf there is an increased risk of a collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE
®) are triggered (Ypage 58).
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive acti
on or a
ccelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking, up
to the point of full brake application. Automatic emergency braking is not performed until imme-
diately prior to an imminent accident.
If you apply the brake yourself in a critical sit-
uation or during autonomous braking, braking
assistance is provided according to the situa-
tion. If necessary, this increases the brake pres- sure up to full brake application.
To avoid a collision, Active Brake Assist with
cross-traffic function calculates the brake force
necessary if:
Ryou approach an obstacle, and
RActive Brake Assist with cross-traffic functionhas detected a risk of a collision
When driving at a speed under 20 mph
(30 km/h) : if you depress the brake pedal,
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
activated. The increase in brake pressure from
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
carried out at the last possible moment.
When driving at a speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h): if you depress the brake pedal
sharply, Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function automatically increases the brake pres-
sure to a degree suited to the traffic situation.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
provides braking assistance in hazardous situa-
tions with vehicles in front within a speed range
between 4 mph (7 km/h) and 155 mph
(250 km/h).
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h) the Active Brake Assist with cross-
tra

ffic function assists you with braking in haz-
ardous situations with:
Rstationary obstacles in the path of the vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
Rstationary pedestrians in the path of the vehi- cle
Robstacles crossing your path that move in the
detection range of the sensors and are detec-
ted
XKeep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
You can prevent the intervention of Active Brake
Assist with cross-traffic function at any time by:
Rdepressing the accelerator pedal further
Ractivating kickdown
Rreleasing the brake pedal
74Driving safety systems
Safety

If activated in the multimedia system, the loca-
tor lighting also lights up in the dark (see the
Digital Operator's Manual).
XTo open the tailgate automatically from
outside the vehicle:press and hold theF
button until the tailgate opens.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO:
XTo close the tailgate automatically from
outside the vehicle: if the SmartKey is loca-
ted in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle,
press the Fbutton on the SmartKey.
When the tailgate closes you can then release
the button.
KEYLESS-GO
General notes
Bear in mind that the engine can be started by
any of the vehicle occupants if there is a KEY-
LESS-GO key in the vehicle (
Ypage 142).
Locking/unlocking centrally
You can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using
KEYLESS-GO. To do this, you only need carry the
SmartKey with you. You can combine the func-
tions of KEYLESS-GO with those of a conven-
tional SmartKey. Unlock the vehicle by using
KEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it using the
& button on the SmartKey.
The driver's door and the door at which the han-
dle is used, must both be closed. The SmartKey
must be outside the vehicle. When locking or
unlocking with KEYLESS-GO, the distance
between the SmartKey and the corresponding
door handle must not be greater than 3 ft (1 m).
KEYLESS-GO checks whether a valid SmartKey
is in the vehicle by periodically establishing a
radio connection between the vehicle and the
SmartKey. This happens:
Rwhen starting the engine
Rwhile driving
Rwhen the external door handles are touched
Rduring convenience closing
XTo unlock the vehicle: touch the inner sur-
face of the door handle.
XTo lock the vehicle: touch sensor surface :
or ;.
Make sure that you do not touch the inner
surface of the door handle.
XConvenience closing feature: touch
recessed sensor surface ;for an extended
period.
Further information on the convenience closing
feature (
Ypage 90).
If you pull on the handle of the tailgate, only the cargo compartment of the vehicle is unlocked.
Deactivating and activating
If you do not intend to use a SmartKey for an
extended period of time, you can deactivate the
KEYLESS-GO function of the SmartKey. The
SmartKey will then use very little power, thereby
conserving battery power. For the purposes of
activation/deactivation, the vehicle must not be
nearby.
XTo deactivate: press the&button on the
SmartKey twice in rapid succession.
The battery check lamp of the SmartKey
flashes twice briefly and lights up once, KEY-
LESS-GO is deactivated (
Ypage 80).
XTo activate: press any button on the Smart-
Key.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
KEYLESS-GO and all of its associated features
are available again.
78SmartKey
Opening and closing

SmartKey battery
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Batteries contain toxic and corrosive substan- ces. If batteries are swallowed, it can result in
severe health problems. There is a risk of fatalinjury.
Keep batteries out of the reach of children. If
a battery is swallowed, seek medical attention immediately.
HEnvironmental note
Batteries contain dangerous
substances. It is against the
law to dispose of them with
the household rubbish. They
must be collected separatelyand recycled to protect the
environment.
Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally friendly
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop or a special
collection point for used bat-
teries.
The SmartKey batteries contain perchlorate
material, which may require special handling
and regard for the environment. National guide-
lines must be observed during disposal. In Cal-
ifornia, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have the
batteries replaced at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Checking the battery
XPress the &or% button.
The battery is working properly if battery
check lamp :lights up briefly.
The battery is discharged if battery check
lamp :does not light up briefly.
XChange the battery (Ypage 80).
If the SmartKey battery is checked within the
signal reception range of the vehicle, pressing
the & or% button:
Rlocks or
Runlocks the vehicle
iYou can get a battery at any qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Replacing the battery
You require a CR 2025 3 V cell battery.
XTake the mechanical key out of the SmartKey
(Ypage 79).
XPress mechanical key ;into the SmartKey
opening in the direction of the arrow until bat-
tery compartment cover :opens. Do not
hold battery compartment cover :closed
while doing so.
XRemove battery compartment cover :.
80SmartKey
Opening and closing

ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
There is interference from a powerful source of radio waves.
XUnlock (Ypage 84) or lock (Ypage 84) the vehicle using the
mechanical key.
KEYLESS-GO is malfunctioning.
XLock/unlock the vehicle using the remote control function of the
SmartKey.
XHave the vehicle and SmartKey checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
If the vehicle can also not be locked/unlocked using the remote con-
trol function:
XUnlock (Ypage 84) or lock (Ypage 84) the vehicle using the
mechanical key.
XHave the vehicle and SmartKey checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
The engine cannot be
started using the Smart-
Key.The on-board voltage is too low.
XSwitch off non-essential consumers, e.g. seat heating or interior
lighting, and try to start the engine again.
If this does not work:
XCheck the starter battery and charge it if necessary (Ypage 346).
or
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 346).
or
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine cannot be
started using the Start/
Stop button. The Smart-
Key is in the vehicle.The vehicle is locked.
XUnlock the vehicle and try to start the vehicle again.
The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged.
XCheck the SmartKey battery (Ypage 80) and replace it if necessary
(Ypage 80).
If this does not work:
XStart your vehicle with the SmartKey in the ignition lock.
There is interference from a powerful source of radio waves.
XStart your vehicle with the SmartKey in the ignition lock.
You have lost a Smart-
Key.XHave the SmartKey deactivated at a qualified specialist workshop.
XReport the loss immediately to the vehicle insurers.
XIf necessary, have the locks changed as well.
You have lost the
mechanical key.XReport the loss immediately to the vehicle insurers.
XIf necessary, have the locks changed as well.
82SmartKey
Opening and closing

Automa tic locking featu re
XTo deactivate:press and hold butto n: for
about fiv eseconds until atone sounds.
XTo activate: press and hold butto n; for
about fiv eseconds until atone sounds.
If you press on eof th etwo buttons and do no t
hear atone ,th erelevan tsetting has already
been selected.
The vehicl eis locke dautomatically when th e
ignition is switched on and th ewheels are turn-
ing .
You could therefor ebe locke dout if:
Rth evehicl eis bein gpushed.
Rth evehicl eis bein gtowed.
Rth evehicl eis on aroller dynamometer.
You can also switch th eautomatic locking func-
tion on and off usin gth eon-board computer
(
Ypage 244).
Power closing
Powe rclosin gpulls th edoor sand tailgat eint o
their locks automatically eve nif they are no t
completely closed.
XTo power close adoor :push th edoor int o
th eloc kup to th efirst deten tposition .
Powe rclosin gwill pull th edoor fully closed.
XTo power close th etailgate: lightlypress
th etailgat edownwards.
Powe rclosin gwill pull th etailgat efully
closed.
Unlocking/locking the driver's door
using the mechanical key
i
If you want to centrally loc kth evehicl eusin g
th emechanical key, begi nby pressing th e
locking butto nfor th einterior locking mech-
anism while th edriver's door is open .The n
proceed to loc kth edriver's door usin gth e
mechanical key.
XInser tth emechanical ke yint oth eloc kof th e
driver's door as far as it will go.
XTo unlock: turnth emechanical ke ycounter-
clockwise to position 1.
XTo lock:turnth emechanical ke yclockwise as
far as it will go to position 1.
If you use th emechanical ke yto unloc kand
open th edriver's door ,th eanti-thef talarm sys-
te m will be triggered .Switc hoff th ealarm
(
Ypage 75).
If you loc kth evehicl eas described above, th e
fuel filler flap is no tlocked. The anti-thef talarm
system is no tarmed.
Cargo compa rtment
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
Combustion engines emi tpoisonous exhaust
gase ssuc has carbon monoxide. If th etailgat e
is open when th eengin eis running, particu-
larly if th evehicl eis moving ,exhaust fumes
could ente rth epassenger compartment.
There is aris kof poisoning .
Turn off th eengin ebefore opening th etail-
gate. Never drive wit hth etailgat eopen .
84Cargo compartment
Opening and closing

GWARNING
If objects, luggage or loads are not secured or
not secured sufficiently, they could slip, tip
over or be flung around and thereby hit vehicle
occupants. There is a risk of injury, particu-
larly in the event of sudden braking or a sud-
den change in direction.
Always store objects so that they cannot be
flung around. Secure objects, luggage or
loads against slipping or tipping before the
journey.
!The tailgate swings upwards and to the rear
when opened. Therefore, make sure that
there is sufficient clearance above and behind
the tailgate.
The opening dimensions of the tailgate can be
found in the "Vehicle data" section
(
Ypage 392).
You should preferably place luggage or loads in
the cargo compartment. Observe the loading
guidelines (
Ypage 300).
Do not leave the SmartKey in the cargo com-
partment. You could otherwise lock yourself
out.
You can:
Rclose the tailgate manually from outside
Ropen and close the tailgate automatically
from outside
Ropen and close the tailgate automatically
from inside
Rlimit the opening angle of the tailgate
Runlock the tailgate from inside with the emer- gency release
Tailgate reversing feature
On vehicles with the tailgate remote closing fea-
ture, the tailgate is equipped with automatic
obstacle recognition with a reversing feature. If
a solid object blocks or restricts the tailgate
when automatically opening or closing, this pro-
cedure is stopped. If the tailgate is stopped dur-
ing the closing procedure, it will open again
automatically. The automatic obstacle recogni-
tion with reversing feature is only an aid. It is not
a substitute for your attentiveness when open-
ing and closing the tailgate.
GWARNING
The reversing feature does not respond:
Rto soft, light and thin objects, e.g. fingers
Rover the last Óin (8 mm) of the closing
movement
The reversing feature cannot prevent some-
one from becoming trapped in these situa-
tions in particular. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure.
If somebody becomes trapped:
Rpress the Fbutton on the SmartKey, or
Rpull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door or
Rpress the closing or locking button on the
tailgate or
Rpull the handle on the tailgate
Opening and closing manually from
outside
Opening
XPress the %button on the SmartKey.
XPull handle :and release it.
The tailgate opens automatically.
Cargo compartment85
Opening and closing
Z