2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV tow

:Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic)
XStop the vehicle when it is almost exactly in
front of the parking space.
The white lane should be as close to parallel
with the parking space marking as possible.
:White guide line for current steering input
;Parking space marking
XTurn the steering wheel to the center position
while the vehicle is stationary.
:Red guide line at a distance of approximately
12 in (0.30 m) from the rear of the vehicle
;White guide line without steering input
=End of parking space
XBack up carefully until you have reached the
final position.
Red guide line:is then at end of parking
space =. The vehicle is almost parallel in the
parking space.
"Coupling up a trailer" function
:Vehicle center point on the yellow guide line
at a distance of approximately 1.0 m from
the rear of the vehicle
;Trailer drawbar
This function is only available on vehicles with a
trailer tow hitch.
XBefore coupling up a trailer, set the height of
trailer drawbar ;so that it is slightly higher
than the ball coupling.
XPosition the vehicle centrally in front of trailer
drawbar ;.
:Red guide line at a distance of approximately
0.30 m from the ball coupling
;Trailer drawbar marker assistant
=Trailer drawbar
?Symbol for the "Coupling up a trailer" func-
tion
ABall coupling
202Driving systems
Driving and parking

iFor technical reasons, the ball coupling of
the trailer tow hitch in the multimedia system
display is either only partially visible or not at
all.
XSelect symbol ?using the controller.
The "Coupling up a trailer" function is selec-
ted. The distance specifications now only
apply to objects that are at the same level as
the ball coupling.
XBack up carefully, making sure that trailer
drawbar locating aid ;points approximately
in the direction of trailer drawbar =.
XBack up carefully until trailer drawbar =rea-
ches the red guide line.
The distance between the trailer drawbar and the red guide line is now approximately
0.30 m.
XCoupl eup the trailer (Ypage 225).
180° view
:Symbol for the 180° view function
;Your vehicle
=Warning displays for Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC
You can also use the rear view camera to select
a 180° view.
When Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is opera-
tional (
Ypage 193), a symbol for your own vehi-
cle appears in the multimedia system. If the
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC warning displays
are active, warning displays =light up in the
multimedia system in yellow or red accordingly.
360° camera
General notes
The 360° camera is a system consisting of four
cameras.
The system processes images from the follow-
ing cameras:
RRear view camera
RFront camera
RTwo cameras in the exterior rear view mirrors
The cameras cover the immediate surroundings
of the vehicle. The 360° camera assists you, for
instance when parking or at exits with reduced
visibility.
You can show pictures from the 360° camera in
full-screen mode or in seven different split-
screen views on the multimedia system display.
A split-screen view also includes a top view of
the vehicle. This view is calculated from the data
supplied by the installed cameras (virtual cam-
era).
The six split-screen views are:
RTop view and picture from the rear view cam-
era (130° viewing angle)
RTop view and image from the front camera
(130° viewing angle without displaying the
maximum steering wheel angle)
RTop view and enlarged rear view
RTop view and enlarged front view
RTop view and trailer view (vehicles with trailer
tow hitch)
RTop view and rear-view images from the exte-
rior mirror cameras (rear wheel view)
RTop view and forward-view images from the
exterior mirror cameras (front wheel view)
When the function is active and you shift the
transmission from hork toi, the dynamic
guide lines are hidden.
When you shift between transmission positions
h and k, you see the previously selected front
or rear view.
Distances measured by Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC will also be optically displayed:
Rin split screen view as red or yellow brackets
around the vehicle icon in the top view, or
Rat the bottom right as red or yellow brackets
around the vehicle symbol in full-screen mode
The line thickness and color of the brackets
show how far the vehicle is away from an object:
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iYou can also select the camera setting in the
exterior mirrors for the rear-facing view.
Top view with trailer view
:Symbol for the trailer view setting
;Trailer drawbar marker assistant
=Ball coupling
?Red guide line at a distance of approximately
0.30 m from the ball coupling
The lines are shown at the level of the trailer
coupling.
iFor technical reasons, the ball coupling of
the trailer tow hitch is only partially visible in
the multimedia system display.
180° view
:Symbol for the full screen setting with rear
view camera image
;Your vehicle
=Warning displays for Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC
i180° view can also be selected as front
view.
Select this view when you are driving out of an
exit and the view of crossing traffic is restricted,
for example.
Exiting 360° camera display mode
The 360° camera display is stopped:
Rwhen you select transmission position j, or
Rwhen you are driving at moderate speeds
The previous display appears in the multimedia
system. You can also switch the display by
selecting the &symbol in the display and
pressing the controller to confirm.
ATTENTION ASSIST
General notes
ATTENTION ASSIST helps you during long,
monotonous journeys, such as on highways. It is
active in the 37 mph (60 km/h) to 125 mph
(200 km/h) range. If ATTENTION ASSIST
detects typical indicators of fatigue or increas-
ing lapses in concentration on the part of the
driver, it suggests taking a break.
Important safety notes
ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid to the driver. It
might not always recognize fatigue or increasing inattentiveness in time or fail to recognize them
at all. The system is not a substitute for a well-
rested and attentive driver.
The functionality of ATTENTION ASSIST is
restricted and warnings may be delayed or not
occur at all:
Rif the length of the journey is less than approx-
imately 30 minutes
Rif the road condition is poor, e.g. if the surface
is uneven or if there are potholes
Rif there is a strong side wind
Rif you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of accel-
eration
Rif you are predominantly driving slower than
37 mph (60 km/h) or faster than 125 mph
(200 km/h)
Rif you are driving with the Steering Pilot of
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC activated
Rif the time has been set incorrectly
Rin active driving situations, such as when you
change lanes or change your speed
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Driving and parking
Z

:Warning lamp
If Blind Spot Assist is activated, warning lamp :
in the exterior mirrors lights up yellow at speeds
of up to 20 mph (30 km/ h). At speeds above
20 mph (30 km/h), the warning lamp goes out
and Blind Spot Assist is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the blind spot
monitoring range at speeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), warning lamp :on the correspond-
ing side lights up red. This warning is always
emitted when a vehicle enters the blind spot
monitoring range from behind or from the side.
When you overtake a vehicle, the warning only
occurs if the difference in speed is less than
7 mph (12 km/h).
If you select the reverse gear, Blind Spot Assist
is not operational.
The brightness of the warning lamps is auto-
matically adapted to the brightness of the sur-
roundings.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range of
Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the corre-
sponding turn signal, a double warning tone
sounds. Red warning lamp :flashes. If the turn
signal remains on, detected vehicles are indica-
ted by the flashing of red warning lamp :.
There are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist
XMake sure that Blind Spot Assist is activated
in the on-board computer (Ypage 242).
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
Warning lamps :in the e
xterior mirrors light
up red for approximately 1.5 seconds and
then turn yellow.
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. In this event, Blind Spot Assist is deac-
tivated. The warning lamp lights up yellow in the
exterior mirrors and the Blind Spot Assist
Not Available When Towing a TrailerSee Operator's Manualmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
iYou can deactivate the warning lamps in the
exterior mirrors.
To do so, switch off Blind Spot Assist when:
Rthe SmartKey is in position 2in the igni-
tion lock
Rthe engine is not running
Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
:Lane Keeping Assist camera
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in front of
your vehicle with camera :, which is mounted
at the top of the windshield. Lane Keeping Assist
detects lane markings on the road and can warn
you before you leave your lane unintentionally.
This function is available in the range between
40 mph and 120 mph (60 km/h and 200 km/h).
A warning may be given if a front wheel passes
over a lane marking. It will warn you by means of
intermittent vibration in the steering wheel for
up to 1.5 seconds.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Lane Keeping Assist cannot always clearly
detect lane markings.
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Driving and parking
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Course-correcting brake application
If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a lat-
eral collision in the monitoring range, a course-
correcting brake application is carried out. This
is meant to assist you in avoiding a collision.
GWARNING
A course-correcting brake application cannot always prevent a collision. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Blind Spot Assist warns
you or makes a course-correcting brake appli-
cation. Always maintain a safe distance at the
sides.
If a course-correcting brake application occurs,
red warning lamp :flashes in the exterior mir-
ror and a double warning tone sounds. In addi-
tion, a display underlining the danger of a side
collision appears in the multifunction display.
In very rare cases, the system may make an
inappropriate brake application. A course-cor-
recting brake application may be interrupted at
any time by countersteering slightly or acceler-
ating.
The course-correcting brake application is avail-
able in the speed range between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and 120 mph (200km/ h).
Either no braking application, or a course-cor-
recting brake application adapted to the driving situation occurs if:
Rthere are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, located on both sides of your vehicle.
Ra vehicle approaches you too closely at the
side.
Ryou have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds.
Ryou clearly brake or accelerate.
Ra driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP®
or PRE-SAFE®Brake.
RESP®is switched off.
Rthe offroad program is activated (vehicles
without the Offroad Engineering package).
Rthe Offroad or Offroad Plus drive program is
activated (vehicles with the Off-Road Engi-
neering package).
Rthe LOW RANGE offroad gear is activated
(vehicles with the Offroad Engineering pack-
age).
Ra loss of tire pressure or a defective tire is
detected.
Switching on Active Blind Spot Assist
XMake sure that Active Blind Spot Assist
(Ypage 242) is activated in the on-board
computer.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors light
up red for approximately 1.5 seconds and
then turn yellow.
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. Active Blind Spot Assist is then deacti-
vated. The indicator lamp lights up yellow in the
exterior mirrors and the Active Blind Spot
Asst. Not Available When Towing aTrailer See Operator's Manualmessage
appears in the multifunction display.
Active Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of multifunction
camera :at the top of the windshield. Various
different areas to the front, rear and side of your
vehicle are also monitored with the aid of the
radar sensor system. Active Lane Keeping
Assist detects lane markings on the road and
can warn you before you leave your lane unin-
tentionally. If you do not react to the warning, a
Driving system s215
Driving an d parking
Z

ing over a solid lane marking. There is a risk of
an accident.
An inappropriate brake application may be
interrupted at any time if you steer slightly in
the opposite direction. Always make sure that
there is sufficient distance on the side for
other traffic or obstacles.
If you leave your lane, under certain circumstan-
ces the vehicle will brake briefly on one side.
This is meant to assist you in bringing the vehicle
back to the original lane.
If a lane-correcting brake application occurs,
display:appears in the multifunction display.
A lane-correcting brake application can be made
after driving over a solid or broken lane marking.
Before this, a warning must be given by means of
intermittent vibration in the steering wheel. In
addition, a lane with lane markings on both sides must have been detected.
In the case of a broken lane marking being
detected, a lane-correcting brake application
can only be made if a vehicle has been detected
in the adjacent lane. The following vehicles can
have an influence on brake application: oncom-
ing traffic, vehicles that are overtaking and vehi-
cles that are driving parallel to your vehicle.
iA further lane-correcting brake application
can only occur after your vehicle has returned
to the original lane.
No lane-correcting brake application occurs if:
Ryou clearly and actively steer, brake or accel-
erate.
Ryou cut the corner on a sharp bend
Ryou have switched on the turn signal
Ra driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP®,
PRE-SAFE®Brake or Active Blind Spot Assist
Ryou have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of accel-
eration
RESP®is switched off
Rthe transmission is not in position h
Ron vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the elec-
trical connection to the trailer has been cor-
rectly est
ablished
Rthe Off-road program is activated (vehicles
without the Off-Road Engineering package)
Rthe Off-road or Off-road Plus drive program is
activated (vehicles with the Off-Road Engi-
neering package)
Rthe LOW RANGE off-road gear is activated
(vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age)
Ran obstacle has been detected in the lane in
which you are driving
Rwhen a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire
has been detected and displayed
There is a possibility that the Active Lane Keep- ing Assist could misjudge the given traffic sit-
uation. An inappropriate brake application may
be interrupted at any time if you:
Rsteer slightly in the opposite direction
Rswitch on the turn signal
Rclearly brake or accelerate
A lane-correcting brake application is interrup-
ted automatically if:
Ra driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP®,
PRE-SAFE®Brake or Active Blind Spot Assist
Rlane markings are no longer detected
Switching on Active Lane Keeping Assist
XSwitch on Active Lane Keeping Assist using
the on-board computer; to do so, select
Standard
or Adaptive(Ypage 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 (
Ypage 241). Active Lane Keeping
Assist is ready for use.
If Standard
is selected, no warning vibration
occurs if:
Ryou switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time
Ra driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP®
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Driving and parking
Z

WhenAdaptiveis selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
Ryou switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time
Ra driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ABS, BAS or ESP®
Ryou accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown
Ryou brake hard
Ryou steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lanes quickly
Ryou 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.
iIn 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"
(
Ypage 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,Ror
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
GWARNING
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.
218Driving systems
Driving and parking

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