2019 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE SUV steering wheel

This helps you to avoid overheating the
brakes and wearing them out excessively.
When you take advantage of engine braking, a
drive wheel may not turn for some time, e.g.
on a slippery road surface. This could cause
damage to the drive train. This type of damage is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz war-
ranty.
Do not depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. causing the
brakes to rub by constantly applying light pres-
sure to the pedal. This results in excessive and
premature wear to the brake pads.
Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle shifter
to shift into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is especially
important if the vehicle is laden.
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control, the limiter or Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC.
This will use the braking effect of the engine, so
that less braking will be required to maintain the
speed. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately. Drive on for a short while. This allows the airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first time. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
You then have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This will warm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt resi-
due may form on the brake discs and brake
pads. This can result in a significantly longer
braking distance.
R Brake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
R Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes !
The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
R if the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and
R you hear a warning tone while the engine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately.
Consult a qualified specialist workshop to
arrange this.
! A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a 2-axle dynamometer. If
you wish to operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified spe- cialist workshop in advance. You could oth-
erwise damage the drive train or the brake
system.
! Because ESP ®
is an automatic system, the
engine and ignition must be switched off
(SmartKey in position 0or 1or Start/Stop
button in position 0or 1) when the electric 162
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Off-road fording
!
Under no circumstances should you accel-
erate before entering the water. The bow
wave could cause water to enter and damage
the engine and other assemblies.
! Do not open any of the vehicle's doors while
fording. Otherwise, water could get into the
vehicle interior and damage the vehicle's
electronics and interior equipment.
R Establish how deep the water is and the char-
acteristics of the body of water before ford-
ing.
R Select the highest possible vehicle level.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Enter and exit the water at a flat place and at
a steady walking pace.
R Drive slowly and at an even speed through the
water.
R Ensure that a bow wave does not form as you
drive.
R Do not stop and do not switch off the engine.
Water offers a high degree of resistance, and the ground is slippery and in some cases
unstable. Therefore, it is difficult and danger-
ous to pull away in the water.
R Clean any mud from the tire tread after ford-
ing.
R Apply the brakes to dry them after fording.
Always observe the fording depth values
(Y page 392). Winter driving
G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
! When scraping ice off the rear window, take
care not to damage the rear-window seal or
trim.
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road sur- faces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and
braking maneuvers. Do not use cruise control or
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the transmission to position 005C.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering.
When driving in snow with or without snow
chains, select driving program Slippery
(Y page 142).
i Vehicles with a diesel engine:
do not
cover the radiator, e.g. with a protective
cover. The measuring function of the on-
board diagnosis system may otherwise pro-
vide inaccurate values. Some of these values
are required by law and must therefore always be accurate.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in wooded areas or on bridges. You should pay
special attention to road conditions when tem-
peratures are around the freezing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (Y page 353).164
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Before driving off-road, check the wheels and
replace them if necessary.
Checklist after driving off-road !
If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Driving over rough terrain places greater
demands on your vehicle than driving on normal
roads. After driving off-road, check the vehicle.
This allows you to detect damage promptly and reduce the risk of an accident to yourself and
other road users.
X If the Offroad orOffroad Plus drive program
is selected: select the Individual,Sport,
Comfort orSlippery drive program
(Y page 142).
X Deactivate the LOW RANGE off-road gear
(Y page 217).
X Deactivate DSR (Y page 214).
X Lower the vehicle level again to a level suita-
ble to the road conditions, e.g. to the normal
level.
X Clean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
X Clean the front and rear license plates.
X Clean the wheels and tires with a water jet
and remove any foreign objects.
X Clean the wheels, wheel housings and the
vehicle underside with a water jet; check for
any foreign objects and damage.
X Check whether twigs or other parts of plants
have become trapped. These increase the risk of fire and can damage fuel pipes, brake
hoses or the rubber bellows of the axle joints
and propeller shafts.
X After the trip, examine without fail the entire
undercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes, body-
work structure, steering, chassis and exhaust system for damage.
X After driving for extended periods across
sand, mud, gravel, water or in similarly dirty
conditions, have the brake discs, wheels,
brake pads/linings and axle joints checked
and cleaned.
X If you detect strong vibrations after off-road
travel, check for foreign objects in the wheels
and drive train and remove them if necessary.
Foreign objects can disturb the balance and
cause vibrations. Driving on sand Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 216).
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 215).
R Select a higher vehicle level.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate to
the terrain.
R Drive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise the vehicle's wheels could
become stuck in loose ground.
R Drive in the tracks of other vehicles if possi-
ble. Make sure that:
- the tire ruts are not too deep
- the sand is sufficiently firm
- the ground clearance of the vehicle is suf-
ficient.
Tire ruts and gravel roads !
Check that the ruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged or bottom out and get stuck.
Observe the following rules when driving along
ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with loose
gravel: R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 216).
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 215).
R Select a higher vehicle level.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter.
R Drive slowly.
R Where ruts are too deep, drive with the
wheels of one side on the center grassy area,
if possible. Driving tips
167Driving and parking Z

Driving over obstacles
!
Obstacles could damage the floor of the
vehicle or components of the chassis. Ask
passengers for guidance when driving over
large obstacles. The passenger should always
keep a safe distance from the vehicle when
doing so in order to avoid injury as a result of unexpected vehicle movements. After driving
off-road or over obstacles, check the vehicle
for possible damage, especially to the under- body and the components of the chassis. Observe the following rules when driving over
tree stumps, large stones and other obstacles:
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 216).
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 215).
R Select LOW RANGE offroad gear (vehicles
with Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 217)
R Raise the vehicle level.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter.
R Drive very slowly.
R Drive straight over the center of obstacles. Traveling uphill
Approach/departure angle G
WARNING
If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle.
R Observe the rules on off-road driving.
R Do not drive at an angle on slopes, inclines or
gradients, but instead follow the direct line of
fall.
R When driving down an incline, make use of the
engine's braking effect. Observe the engine
speed; do not overrev the engine.
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 216).
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 215).
R Before driving on extreme uphill and downhill
gradients, select the LOW RANGE offroad
gear (vehicles with Off-road Engineering
Package) (Y page 217).
R Drive slowly.
R Avoid high engine speeds. Drive at appropri-
ate engine speeds (maximum 3,000 rpm).
R Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift into a lower gear in good time
on long and steep downhill gradients.
R Check the brakes after prolonged off-road
driving.
Hill start assist will aid you when pulling away on
a hill. For further information about hill start
assist, see (Y page 139).
Do not shift into transmission position 005Cwhen
driving off-road. You could lose control of the
vehicle if you attempt to brake the vehicle using
the service brake. If the gradient is too steep for
your vehicle, drive back down in reverse gear.
Always observe the approach/departure angle
values (Y page 393).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability Always observe the maximum gradient climbing
ability values (Y page 393).168
Driving tipsDriving and pa
rking

Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC must be
active in order for the function to be available.
Important safety notes
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC with Active
Steering Assist can neither reduce the risk of an accident if you fail to adapt your driving style,
nor override the laws of physics. It cannot take
into account road, weather or traffic conditions.Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC with Active
Steering Assist is only an aid. You are responsi-
ble for the distance to the vehicle in front, for
vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for
staying in your lane.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC with Active
Steering Assist does not detect road and traffic conditions and does not detect all road users. If
you are following a vehicle which is driving
towards the edge of the road, your vehicle could
come into contact with the curb or other road
boundaries. Be particularly aware of other road
users, e.g. cyclists, that are directly next to your vehicle.
Obstacles such as traffic pylons on the lane or
projecting out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. after
intentionally driving over a lane marking, can be
corrected at any time if you steer slightly in the opposite direction.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC with Active
Steering Assist cannot continuously keep your
vehicle in lane. In some cases, the steering
intervention is not sufficient to bring the vehicleback to the lane. In such cases, you must steer
the vehicle yourself to ensure that it does not
leave the lane.
The support provided by the system can be
impaired if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,fog or heavy spray
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
R the windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-ity of the camera
R there are no or several unclear lane markings
for one lane, e.g. roadworks
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow R
the distance to the vehicle in front is too short
and thus the lane markings cannot be detec-
ted
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
R the road is narrow and winding
R there are highly variable shade conditions on
the roadway
The system is switched to passive and no longer assists you by performing steering interventions
if:
R you actively change lane
R you switch on the turn signal
R you take your hands off the steering wheel or
do not steer for a prolonged period of time
i Once you have finished changing lanes,
Active Steering Assist automatically reacti-
vates.
Active Steering Assist cannot provide assis-
tance: R on very sharp corners
R when towing a trailer
R when a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire
has been detected and displayed
Observe the important safety notes on Active
Distance Assist DISTRONIC (Y page 172).
The steering interventions are carried out with a limited steering moment. The system requires
the driver to keep his hands on the steering
wheel and to steer himself.
If you do not steer yourself or if you take your
hands off the steering wheel for a prolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you with
a visual warning. A steering wheel symbol
appears in the multifunction display. If you have still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steering wheel after five seconds at the
latest, a warning tone also sounds to remind you
to take control of the vehicle. Active Steering
Assist is then switched to passive. Active Dis-
tance Assist DISTRONIC remains active.
Activating Active Steering Assist X Select the Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
with Active Steering Assist function using the
on-board computer (Y page 237).
The Active
Active Steering Steering Assist
AssistOn
Onmessage
appears on the multifunction display. Active
Steering Assist is activated. 178
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

Information in the multifunction display
If Active Steering Assist is activated but not
ready for a steering intervention, steering wheel
symbol 0043appears in gray. If the system pro-
vides you with support by means of steering
interventions, symbol 0043is shown in green.
Deactivating Active Steering Assist
X Deactivate the Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC with Active Steering Assist func-
tion using the on-board computer
(Y page 237).
The Active Steering Assist Off
Active Steering Assist Off mes-
sage appears on the multifunction display.
Active Steering Assist is deactivated.
When Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is
deactivated or not available, Active Steering
Assist is deactivated automatically. Level control (vehicles with the Off-
Road Engineering package)
Important safety notes Level control adapts the vehicle level automati-
cally to the current operating and driving situa-
tion. This results in reduced fuel consumption
and improved handling.
Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle to adjust to the new level as quickly as possible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you park
the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the vehicle
level is lower; with an increase in temperature,
the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load discrep-
ancies while still parked. However, for signifi-
cant level changes, such as after the vehicle has
been stationary for a long period, the engine
must be on. For safety reasons, the vehicle is
only lowered when the doors are closed. Low- ering is interrupted if a door is opened, and it
continues once the door has been closed.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y
page 165). G
WARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered. G
WARNING
When you drive with the vehicle raised, the
driving characteristics could be impaired by
the vehicle's raised center of gravity. The vehi- cle could rollover more easily, for example on
a bend. There is a risk of an accident.
Always select as low a vehicle level as possi-
ble and adjust your driving style. G
WARNING
When you drive with the chassis lowered or
raised, the vehicle's braking and driving char-
acteristics can be significantly impaired. You
could also exceed the permissible vehicle
height if the chassis is raised. There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the vehicle level before pulling away. G
WARNING
Due to the high center of gravity, the vehicle
may start to skid and roll over in the event of
an abrupt steering maneuver and/or when
the vehicle's speed is not adapted to the road conditions. There is a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your speed and driving style to
the vehicle's driving characteristics and to the prevailing road and weather conditions.
! When driving on extremely rough terrain,
select a high vehicle level in good time. Make
sure there is always sufficient ground clear-
ance. You will otherwise damage the vehicle. Driving systems
179Driving and parking Z

R
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher roll-
over rate than other types of vehicles.
Failure to operate this vehicle safely may
result in an accident, rollover of the vehicle,
and severe or fatal injury.
R In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is sig-
nificantly more likely to die than a person
wearing a seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should always
wear your seat belts.
Basic settings The extent to which the vehicle is raised or low-
ered depends on the basic setting selected.
Select:
R the Comfort orSport drive program for driv-
ing on normal roads
R the Offroad drive program for driving on eas-
ily negotiable off-road terrain
R the Offroad Plus drive program for off-road
driving
R offroad level 1 for driving on easily negotiable
off-road terrain
R offroad level 2 for driving on normal off-road
terrain
R offroad level 3 for freeing the vehicle in par-
ticularly rough terrain at low speeds only
The individual vehicle levels differ from the nor- mal level as follows:
R –0.6 in (–15 mm) in the Sportdrive program
R +/–0 in (+/–0 mm) in the Comfortdrive pro-
gram
R + 1.2 in (+ 30 mm) in the Offroaddrive pro-
gram
R + 2.4 in (+ 60 mm) in the Offroad Plusdrive
program
R + 1.2 in (+ 30 mm) in offroad level 1
R + 2.4 in (+ 60 mm) in offroad level 2
R + 3.5 in (+ 90 mm) in offroad level 3
Setting the vehicle level !
Make sure that there is enough ground
clearance when the vehicle is being lowered.
It could otherwise hit the ground, damaging
the underbody. Set the vehicle level using the selector wheel.
X Start the engine.
X Press selector wheel 0043.
Selector wheel 0043extends.
X To raise the vehicle: turn selector wheel 0043
clockwise 0044.
The vehicle is raised.
X To lower the vehicle: turn selector wheel 0043
counter-clockwise 0085.
The vehicle is lowered.
During the adjustment, the Lowering LoweringorVehi‐
Vehi‐
cle
cle Rising
Rising message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
If you press the 0038or0076 button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear. Once normal level has been reached, all indicator lamps 0087go out.
The vehicle automatically selects normal level if
you:
R drive at speeds above 70 mph (112 km/h) or
R drive at speeds between 65 mph (105 km/h)
and 70 mph (112 km/h) for approximately
20 seconds
The vehicle is lowered to low level if you are
traveling at higher speeds.
Normal level 180
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Setting the vehicle to normal level:
X Start the engine.
X Press selector wheel 0043.
Selector wheel 0043extends.
X To lower the vehicle: turn selector wheel 0043
counter-clockwise 0085.
The vehicle is lowered.
If one or more indicator lamps 0087are on:
X Turn selector wheel 0043counter-clockwise 0085
until all indicator lamps 0087that are lit start to
flash.
The vehicle is lowered to normal level. As
soon as the next lowest level is reached, the
indicator lamp stops flashing and goes out.
Offroad levels General notes
Only select an offroad level when this is appro-
priate for road conditions. Otherwise, fuel con-
sumption increases and handling may be affec- ted.
You can select from the following:
R Offroad level 1 at speeds up to 60 mph
(96 km/h)
R Offroad level 2 at speeds up to 40 mph
(64 km/h)
R Offroad level 3 at speeds up to 12 mph
(20 km/h)
If you select an offroad level when driving at too high a speed, the Drive DriveMore
MoreSlowly
Slowly message
appears in the multifunction display.
Offroad level 3 is only suitable for driving on
extremely difficult off-road terrain under partic- ularly rough conditions.
R Adjust your driving style to the altered han-
dling characteristics.
R Do not drive at speeds above 12 mph
(20 km/h). Indicator lamps
0087for the desired offroad level
flash:
R the lower indicator lamp flashes, offroad
level 1 is selected
R the lower and center indicator lamps flash,
offroad level 2 is selected
R all three indicator lamps flash, offroad level 3
is selected
The vehicle adjusts to the offroad level selected.
As soon as an offroad level is reached, the cor-
responding indicator lamp stops flashing and
lights up constantly.
Raising the vehicle
Set the vehicle level using the selector wheel.
X To raise the vehicle: turn selector wheel 0043
clockwise 0044.
The vehicle is raised to offroad level 1 by 1.2 in
(30 mm) compared to the normal level.
During the adjustment, the Vehicle rising
Vehicle rising
message, for example, appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
If you press the 0038or0076 button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear.
i Up to offroad level 2, you can hide the mes-
sages using the 0038or0076 button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
While the adjustment from offroad level 2 to off-
road level 3 is taking place, you will see a mes-
sage such as the following in the multifunction
display: Vehicle rising Max. speed Vehicle rising Max. speed
12 mph (20 km/h)
12 mph (20 km/h).
The Max. Max. speed
speed 12 mph
12 mph (20 km/h)
(20 km/h) message
draws your attention to the maximum speed
permitted for offroad level 3.
If you drive above 12 mph (20 km/h) at offroad
level 3, you will see the following message Driving systems
181Driving and parking Z