2019 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE SUV warning light

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

Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of
your vehicle and the gear shift operation before
driving through difficult terrain.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving:
R The Off-road drive program (vehicles without
Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 215)
R Off-road andOff-road Plus drive programs
(vehicles with Off-Road Engineering package) (Y page 216)
R LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles with the
Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 217)
R Differential lock (vehicles with the Off-Road
Engineering package) (Y page 217)
R Off-road ABS (Y page 67)
R Off-road 4ETS (Y page 70)
R Off-road ESP ®
(Y page 72)
R AIRMATIC package (vehicle level)
(Y page 183)
R DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(Y page 214)
Observe the following notes:
R Stop the vehicle before starting to drive along
an off-road route. If necessary, select the off- road program (Y page 216) or shift to the
LOW RANGE off-road gear (Y page 217).
R Select a vehicle level that is suitable for the
terrain. To avoid damaging the vehicle, make
sure there is always sufficient ground clear-
ance.
R Check that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(Y page 299).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Activate
DSR (Y page 214).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving down an incline.
R Adapt your speed to the terrain. The rougher,
steeper or more ruts on the terrain, the slower your speed should be.
R Do not jump with the vehicle as this will inter-
rupt the vehicle's propulsion.
R Drive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-road
routes where visibility is poor. For safety rea- sons, get out of the vehicle first and survey
the off-road route. R
Look out for obstacles, such as rocks, holes,
tree stumps and furrows.
R Take care when turning on an uphill or down-
hill slope or when driving across a slope. The
vehicle could otherwise tip over.
R Always keep the doors, the tailgate, the side
windows and the sliding sunroof closed while
the vehicle is in motion.
R Do not shift the automatic transmission to
position 005C.
R Observe the notes on off-road fording
(Y page 164).
i Information about retrofitting special all-ter-
rain tires is available from any qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
i Do not use the HOLD function when driving
off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gradients
or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD
function cannot hold the vehicle on such sur- faces.
Checklist before driving off-road !
If the engine oil warning lamp lights up while
the vehicle is in motion, stop the vehicle in a
safe place as soon as possible. Check the
engine oil level. The engine oil warning lamp
warning must not be ignored. Continuing the
journey while the symbol is displayed could
lead to engine damage.
X Engine oil level: check the engine oil level
and add oil if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the engine
oil level must be sufficiently high to ensure a
correct oil supply in the vehicle.
X DEF tank (BlueTEC vehicles): check the
level and add if necessary (Y page 153).
X Tire-changing tool kit: check that the jack is
working and make sure you have the lug
wrench, a robust tow cable and a folding
spade in the vehicle.
X Wheels and tires: check the tread depth and
pressure of the tires.
X Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the wheels/
tires.
X Replace any missing valve caps.
X Replace dented or damaged wheels.
X Rims: dented or bent rims can result in a loss
of tire pressure and damage the tire bead. 166
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise con-
trol:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 0043.
or X Brake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if: R you engage the electric parking brake
R you are driving at less than 20 mph (30 km/h)
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you activate DSR
R you activate the Offroad Plus program (vehi-
cles with the Off-road Engineering Package)
R you shift the transmission to position 005C
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise Con‐ Cruise Con‐
trol Off
trol Off message in the multifunction display
for approximately five seconds.
i When you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared. Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
General notes Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC regulates the
speed and automatically helps you maintain the
distance from the vehicle detected in front.
Vehicles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC brakes automatically so that the set
speed is not exceeded.
You must select a lower gear in good time on
long and steep downhill gradients, especially if
the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. By doing so, you will make use of the braking effect of theengine. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
If Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC detects
that there is a risk of a collision with the vehicle
in front, you will be warned visually and audibly.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC cannot pre-
vent a collision without your intervention. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and
the distance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster. Brake immediately in order to increase the distance to the vehicle in front or
take evasive action provided it is safe to do so.
For Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC to assist you when driving, the radar sensor system must
be operational.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC operates in
the speed range between 0 mph (0 km/h) and
120 mph (200 km/h).
Do not use Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
while driving on roads with steep gradients.
As Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC transmits
radar waves, it can resemble the radar detectors of the responsible authorities. You can refer to
the relevant chapter in the Operator's Manual ifquestions are asked about this.
i USA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System". The radar sensor
is intended for use in an automotive radar
system only. Removing, tampering with, or
altering the device will void any warranties,
and is not permitted by the FCC. Do not tam-
per with, alter, or use in any non-approved
way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
i Canada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference,
and
2. This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Do not tamper with, alter or use in any non-
approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. Driving systems
171Driving and parking Z

There are several ways to deactivate Active Dis-
tance Assist DISTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 0043.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary
When you deactivate Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC, the Active Distance Assist
Active Distance Assist
Off
Off message will appear on the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is not
deactivated if you depress the accelerator
pedal. If you accelerate to overtake, Active
Distance Assist DISTRONIC adjusts the vehi-
cle's speed to the last speed stored after you have finished overtaking.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is automati-
cally deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake or if the
vehicle is automatically secured with the elec-
tric parking brake
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in position 005D,005Eor005C
R you pull the cruise control lever towards you
in order to pull away and the front-passenger
door or one of the rear doors is open
R you switch on Active Parking Assist or the
Parking Package with rear view camera
R the vehicle is skidding
A warning tone sounds. The Active
Active Distance Distance
Assist Off
Assist Off will appear on the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC will automat- ically be deactivated if:
R you activate DSR
R you activate the OFFROAD Program+ (vehi-
cles with the Off-road Engineering Package)
The 00C6 DSR symbol appears in the multifunc-
tion display. Displays in the instrument cluster Displays in the speedometer
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC displays on the
speedometer (example)
When Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is acti-
vated, one or two segments 0044in the set speed
range light up.
If Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC detects a
vehicle in front, segments 0044from speed of the
vehicle in front 0087to stored speed 0043light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed on
the speedometer may differ slightly from the
speed set for Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC.
Assistant display when Active Distance
Assist DISTRONIC is deactivated 0043
Vehicle in front, if detected
0044 Distance indicator, current distance to the
vehicle in front
0087 Specified minimum distance to the vehicle
in front; adjustable
0085 Your vehicle
X Select the Assistance Graphic Assistance Graphic function
using the on-board computer (Y page 237).176
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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

Range
0043
Approx. 24 in (approx. 60 cm) (corners)
0044 Approx. 32 in (approx. 80 cm) (corners)
0087 Approx. 48 in (approx. 120 cm) (center)
0085 Approx. 40 in (approx. 100 cm) (center)
Minimum distance Center Approx. 8 in (approx. 20 cm)
Corners Approx. 6 in (approx. 15 cm)
If there is an obstacle within this range, the rel-
evant warning displays light up and a warning
tone sounds. If the distance falls below the min- imum, the distance may no longer be shown. Warning displays 0043
Segments on the left-hand side of the vehi-
cle
0044 Segments on the right-hand side of the vehi-
cle
0087 Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located on
the dashboard above the center air vents. The
warning display for the rear area is located on
the headliner in the rear passenger compart-
ment.
The warning display for each side of the vehicle
is divided into five yellow and two red segments.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is operational if yel-
low segments showing operational readiness 0087
light up.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling deter-
mine which warning display is active when the
engine is running. Transmission posi-
tion Warning display
005B
Front area activated
005E,
005Cor the vehicle
is rolling backwards Rear and front areas
activated
005D
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the vehi-
cle's distance from the obstacle. Driving systems
189Driving and parking Z

From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an inter-
mittent warning tone for approximately two
seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two seconds.
This indicates that you have now reached the minimum distance.
Deactivates or activates Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC 0043
Indicator lamp
0044 Deactivates or activates Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC If indicator lamp
0043lights up, Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC is deactivated. Active Parking
Assist is then also deactivated.
i Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is automati-
cally activated when you turn the SmartKey to position 0048in the ignition lock. 190
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Problems with Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions Only the red segments in
the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC warning
displays are lit. You also
hear a warning tone for
approximately two sec-
onds.
Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately five seconds,
and the indicator lamp in
the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC button
lights up. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has been deacti-
vated.
X If problems persist, have Parking Assist PARKTRONIC checked at a
qualified specialist workshop. Only the red segments in
the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC warning
displays are lit. Parking
Assist PARKTRONIC is
deactivated after
approximately five sec-
onds. The Parking Assist PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is inter-
ference.
X Clean the Parking Assist PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 330).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves.
X Check to see if Parking Assist PARKTRONIC works at a different
location. Active Parking Assist
General notes Active Parking Assist is an electronic parking aid
with ultrasound. It measures the road on both
sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol indicates a suitable parking space. Active steering inter-
vention and brake application can assist you
during parking. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is
also available (Y page 188).
Important safety notes Active Parking Assist is merely an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your immedi-
ate surroundings. You are always responsible
for safe maneuvering, parking and exiting a
parking space. Make sure that no persons, ani-
mals or objects are in the path of your vehicle.
When Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactiva-
ted, Active Parking Assist is also unavailable. G
WARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
cause you to collide with other road users or
objects. There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users or objects.
Stop the vehicle if necessary or cancel the
Active Parking Assist parking procedure.
! If they cannot be avoided, drive over obsta-
cles such as curbs slowly and at an obtuse
angle. Otherwise, you may damage the
wheels or tires.
Active Parking Assist may also show parking
spaces that are not suitable for parking, e.g.: R where parking or stopping is prohibited
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R on unsuitable surfaces Driving systems
191Driving and parking Z