2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV trailer

Use only bicycle racks approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
Bicycle racks cause your vehicle's driving char-
acteristics to change. The vehicle:
Ris heavier
Ris restricted in its acceleration and gradient-
climbing capability
Rhas an increased braking distance This could impair the handling characteristics.
Adapt your driving style accordingly. Maintain a
safe distance and drive carefully.
When using bicycle racks, set the tire pressure
on the rear axle of the vehicle for the maximum
load. Further information on tire pressure can be
found on the tire pressure table (
Ypage 357).
Loading instructions
The greater the distance between the load's center of gravity and the ball head, the higher the load
exerted on the trailer tow hitch.
Therefore, observe the following notes:
RAttach heavy bicycles as close as possible to the vehicle.
RAlways distribute the load on the bicycle rack as symmetrically as possible to the vehicle longi-
tudinal axis.
Before loading the bicycle rack, Mercedes-Benz advises you to remove all add-on parts from the
bicycles, e.g. bicycle baskets, child seats or batteries. This will allow you to improve the aerody-
namic resistance and the bicycle rack's center of gravity.
Always secure bicycles against slipping and check that they are firmly seated at regular intervals.
Do not use tarpaulins or other covers. This could impair the driving characteristics and rear visibility.
The aerodynamic resistance would also rise, and so would the load exerted on the trailer tow hitch
as a result.
Load distribution on the bicycle rack
:Distance in height between the center of gravity and the ball coupling
;Distance to the rear between the center of gravity and the ball coupling
=The center of gravity is located on the central axis of the vehicle
Bicycle rack231
Driving and parking
Z

When loading the bicycle rack, comply with the following notes:
Number of bicyclesGross weight of bicy-cle rack and loadMax. distance :Max. distance;
3up to 75 kg420 mm300 mm
42up to 100 kg2420 mm400 mm
2When transporting four bicycles or a gross weight between 75 kg and 100 kg, use only bicycle racks with
additional support on the guide pin of the trailer tow hitch.
232Bicycle rack
Driving and parking

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop immediately.
Fo rfurther information about th eOccupant Classification System, see
(
Ypage 52).
Lights
i
Vehicles wit hLE Dbulbs in th eligh tclusters :
The display message for th ecorrespondin glamp only appear swhen all of th eLEDs in th elamp
hav efailed.
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
b
Check LeftLow Bea m(Example)
The bulb in question is malfunctioning .
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
or
XChec kwhether you are permitte dto replace th ebulb yourself
(Ypage 120).
b
Active HeadlampsInoperative
The active ligh tfunction is faulty.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
b
Intell.Light Sys ‐tem Inoperative
The Intelligent Light Syste mis faulty. The lights remain available with-
out th eIntelligent Light System.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
b
Malfunction SeeOperator'sManual
The exterio rlighting is malfunctioning .
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
Vehicles withtrailer to whitch : afusemay hav eblown .
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 161).
XCheckth efuses (Ypage 352).
XIf necessary, replace th eblown fuse. Observ eth ewarning notes.
If th emultifunction display still shows th edisplay message :
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
b
Malfunction SeeOperator'sManual
The exterio rlighting is malfunctioning .
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
b
AutoLam pFunctionInoperative
The ligh tsensor is defective.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
260Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Drivingsystems
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences an dMSolutions
À
Attention Assist :Take a Break!
Based on certain criteria, ATTENTION ASSIST has detecte dfatigue or
a lac kof concentration on th epar tof th edriver . Awarnin gtone also
sounds.
XIf necessary, take abreak .
Durin glon gjourneys, take regular break sin goo dtime so you get
enough rest.
À
Attention AssistInoperative
ATTENTION ASSIST is inoperative .
XVisitaqualified specialis tworkshop .
Á
Drive Mor eSlowly
You canno tchang eth evehicle level.
Possible causes are :
RYou are drivingto ofas tfo rth eselecte dvehicle level
RYou are drivin gto ofas twit h a trailer or th etrailer-couplin gsocke tis
bein gused ,e.g. fo r abicycl erac k
XDrive more slowly and then selec tth edesire dvehicle level again .
RVehicles withth eOff-Road Engineerin gpackage (Ypage 184)
RVehicles wit hth eAIRMATIC package (Ypage 190)
XObserveth enote son towin g atrailer (Ypage 225).
Á
Compresso rIs Cool‐ing
You hav eselecte d ahigher vehicle level. The compressor first needs
to cool down because of frequent level changes.
XDrive in amanne rappropriat efo rth ecurren tvehicle level.
XMak esur ethat there is sufficien tgroun dclearance.
XAllow th ecompressor to cool down .
Whe nth ecompressor has cooled down ,th edisplay messag edis -
appears .The vehicle then continues risin gto th eselecte dlevel.
Á
Malfunction
AIRMATIC is malfunctioning.
XDrive as appropriat efo rth ecurren tvehicle level, but do no texceed
50 mph (80 km/h).
XMak esur ethat there is sufficien tgroun dclearance.
XVisit aqualified specialis tworkshop .
Display messages265
On-board computer and displays
Z

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Blind SpotAssistCurrently Unavaila‐ble See Operator' sManualorActiveBlind Spo tAssistCurrently Unavaila‐ble See Operator' sManual
Blind Spot Assistor Active Blind Spot Assis tis temporarily inoperative.
Possibl ecauses are:
RThe radar sensor system is outside th eoperating temperature
range.
RThe radar sensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to
electromagneti cradiation emitted by nearby TV or radi ostation sor
other source sof electromagneti cradiation .
The yellow 9indicator lamp salso ligh tup in th eexterio rmirrors.
Whe nth ecauses state dabov eno longer apply, th edisplay message
disappears.
Blind Spot Assis tor Active Blind Spot Assis tis operational again .
If th edisplay message does no tdisappear :
XPull overand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 161).
XRestart th eengine.
Blind Spo tAssistNot Available Whe nTowingaTraile rSee Operator' sMan ‐ualorActive BlindSpo tAssist NotAvailable Whe nTow ‐ing aTraile rSeeOperator' sManual
Blind Spot Assis tor Active Blind Spot Assis tis deactivated while tow-
ing atrailer .
You hav eestablished th eelectrical connection between th etrailer and
your vehicle.
XPress aon thesteering whee lto confirm th edisplay message .
Blind SpotAssistInoperativeor
Active Blind Spo t
Assist Inoperative
Blind Spot Assistor Active Blind Spot Assis tis malfunctioning .
The yellow 9indicator lamp salso ligh tup in th eexterio rmirrors.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
ParkingPilot Can ‐celedThe driver's door is open .
XRepeat theparking gap measuremen tand parking process wit hth e
driver's door closed .
You haveinadvertentl ytouched th emultifunction steering whee lwhile
steering intervention was active .
XWhilesteering intervention is active ,mak esur ethat th emultifunc-
tion steering whee lis no ttouched unintentionally.
The vehicl ehas started to skid and ES P®has intervened.
XUse Parking Pilotagain later (Ypage 195).
Display messages269
On-board computer and displays
Z

Warning/
indicator
lampNSignal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
Solutions
÷åNThe yellow ESP®and ESP®OFF warning lamps are lit while the engine is running.
ESP®, BAS, Active Brake Assist, Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function,
ESP®trailer stabilization, PRE‑SAFE®, PRE‑SAFE®PLUS, the HOLD function, hill
start assist, Crosswind Assist, STEER CONTROL, Active Lane Keeping Assist and
Active Blind Spot Assist are not available due to a malfunction.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
GWARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed
above.
The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can thus increase.
If ESP
®is not operational, ESP®is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
XDrive on carefully.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.
÷åN The yellow ESP®and ESP®OFF warning lamps are lit while the engine is running.
ESP®, BAS, Active Brake Assist, Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function,
ESP®trailer stabilization, PRE‑SAFE®, PRE‑SAFE®PLUS, the HOLD function, hill
start assist, Crosswind Assist, STEER CONTROL, Active Lane Keeping Assist and
Active Blind Spot Assist are not available due to a malfunction.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
Self-diagnosis is not yet complete
GWARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed
above.
The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can thus increase.
If ESP
®is not operational, ESP®is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
XCarefully drive a suitable distance, making slight steering movements at a speed
above 12 mph (20 km/h).
The functions mentioned above are available again when the warning lamp goes
out.
If the warning lamp is still on:
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
XDrive on carefully.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.
286Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
On-board computer and displays

For heavier soiling, you can apply a fine paint-
work polish with a microfiber cloth. Remove
the excess polish residue after polishing.
Impurities combined with the effects of road grit
and corrosive environmental factors may cause
flash rust to form on the surface. You can
restore the original shine of the exhaust pipe by
cleaning it regularly, especially in winter and
after washing.
XClean the exhaust pipe with a chrome care
product tested and approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
Cleaning the trailer tow hitch
HEnvironmental note
Dispose of rags soaked in oil and grease in an
environmentally responsible manner.
!Do not clean the ball coupling with a power
washer. Do not use solvents.
!Please note the care instructions in the
trailer coupling manufacturer's operating
instructions.
The ball coupling must be cleaned if it becomes
dirty or corroded.
XRemove rust on the ball of the ball coupling,
e.g. with a wire brush.
XRemove dirt with a clean, lint-free cloth or a
brush.
XAfter cleaning, lightly oil or grease ball cou-
pling :.
XCheck that the vehicle's trailer tow hitch is
working properly.
iYou can also have the maintenance work on
the ball coupling and the trailer tow hitch car-
ried out by a qualified specialist workshop.
Interior care
Cleaning the display
!For cleaning, do not use any of the following:
Ralcohol-based thinner or gasoline
Rabrasive cleaning agents
Rcommercially-available household cleaning
agents
These may damage the display surface. Do
not put pressure on the display surface when cleaning. This could lead to irreparable dam-
age to the display.
XBefore cleaning the display, make sure that it
is switched off and has cooled down.
XClean the display surface using a commer-
cially available microfiber cloth and TFT/LCD
display cleaner.
XDry the display surface using a dry microfiber
cloth.
Cleaning the plastic trim
GWARNING
Care products and cleaning agents containing solvents cause surfaces in the cockpit to
become porous. As a result, plastic parts may
come loose in the event of air bag deploy-
ment. There is a risk of injury.
Do not use any care products and cleaning
agents to clean the cockpit.
!Never attach the following to plastic surfa-
ces:
Rstickers
Rfilms
Rperfume oil container or similar
You could otherwise damage the plastic.
!Do not allow cosmetics, insect repellent or
sunscreen to come into contact with the plas-
tic trim. This maintains the high-quality look of
the surfaces.
XWipe the plastic trim with a damp, lint-free
cloth, e.g. a microfiber cloth.
XHeavy soiling: use care and cleaning prod-
ucts recommended and approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
The surface may change color temporarily.
Wait until the surface is dry again.
Care335
Maintenance and care
Z

iJumper cables and further information regarding jump-starting can be obtained at any qualified
specialist workshop.
Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Functions relevant to safety are restricted or
no longer available if:
Rthe engine is not running.
Rthe brake system or the power steering is
malfunctioning.
Rthere is a malfunction in the voltage supply or the vehicle's electrical system.
If your vehicle is being towed, much more
force may be necessary to steer or brake.
There is a risk of an accident.
In such cases, use a tow bar. Before towing,
make sure that the steering moves freely.
GWARNING
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle
and its weight is greater than the permissible
gross weight of your vehicle, the:
Rthe towing eye could detach itself
Rthe vehicle/trailer combination could roll-
over.
There is a risk of an accident.
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle,
its weight should not be greater than the per- missible gross weight of your vehicle.
Details on the permissible gross vehicle weight
of your vehicle can be found on the vehicle iden-
tification plate (
Ypage 385).
!When Active Brake Assist, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC or the HOLD function is activated,
the vehicle brakes automatically in certain
situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
these systems in the following or similar sit-
uations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
!Make sure that the electric parking brake is
released. If the electric parking brake is faulty,
visit a qualified specialist workshop.
!Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
towing eyes, or the trailer tow hitch, if availa-
ble. You could otherwise damage the vehicle.
!Observe the following points when towing
with a tow rope:
RSecure the tow rope on the same side on
both vehicles.
RMake sure that the tow rope is not longer
than legally permitted. Mark the tow rope in
the middle, e.g. with a white c
loth
(11.8 x 11.8 in). This will make other road
users aware that a vehicle is being towed.
ROnly secure the tow cable to the towing
eyes or, if available, to the trailer tow hitch.
RObserve the brake lamps of the towing
vehicle while driving. Always maintain a dis-
tance a distance so that the tow rope does not sag.
RDo not use steel cables or chains to tow
your vehicle. You could otherwise damage
the vehicle.
!Do not use the trailer tow hitch for recovery
or towing. Do not use the towing eye for
recovery. this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, have the vehicle recovered using a
crane.
!When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. Pull the towed vehicle as straight as
possible and not at an acute angle. Excessive
tractive power could damage the vehicles.
When towing, it is preferable to use a rigid tow-
ing bar as opposed to a tow rope. A rigid towing bar helps to keep the tractive power low.
!When towing away vehicles with KEYLESS-
GO, use the key instead of the Start/Stop
button. The automatic transmission may oth-
erwise shift to position jwhen you open the
driver's or front-passenger door, which could
damage the transmission.
!Do not tow with sling-type equipment. This
could damage the vehicle.
Towing and tow-starting349
Breakdown assistance
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