2019 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS engine

To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC and the
HOLD function in the following or similar sit-
uations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC:
R Can neither reduce the risk of accident nor
override the laws of physics if you fail to adapt
your driving style.
R Cannot take into account road, weather or
traffic conditions.
R Is only an aid.
You are responsible for the distance to the vehi-
cle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in your lane.
Do not use Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC:
R In road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
R On icy or slippery roads; braking or acceler-
ating can cause the drive wheels to lose trac-
tion and the vehicle could then skid
R In poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC may not
detect narrow vehicles driving in front, e.g.
motorcycles, or vehicles driving in a staggered
formation.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if:
R There is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R There is snow or heavy rain
R There is interference by other radar sources
R There are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages
If Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC no longer
detects a vehicle in front, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC may unexpectedly accelerate to the
speed stored.
This speed may:
R Be too high if you are driving in a turning lane
or an exit lane
R Be so high when driving in the right-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the left-hand
lane
R Be so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the right If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever 0043
Activates or increases speed
0044 Activates or reduces speed
0087 Deactivates Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC
0085 Activates at the current speed or last stored
speed
0083 Sets a specified minimum distance
Activating Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC Activation conditions
To activate Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC,
the following conditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine must be started. It may take up to
two minutes of driving before Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is ready for use.
R the electric parking brake must be released.
R ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R the transmission must be in position 005B.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from 005Dto005B or your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door and rear doors must
be closed.
R the Offroad Plus drive program must be deac-
tivated (vehicles with the Off-road Engineer-
ing Package).
R DSR must be deactivated.
R the vehicle must not skid. 174
Driving systemsDriving and parking

between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
becomes too small.
i When you change lanes, Active Distance
Assist DISTRONIC monitors the right lane (in
left-side traffic) or the left lane (in right-side
traffic).
Stopping G
WARNING
If you leave the driver's seat when the vehicle is only being braked by Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC, it could roll away:
R if there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R if Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is
deactivated using the cruise control lever,
for example by a vehicle occupant or from
outside the vehicle
R if the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R if the battery is disconnected
R if the vehicle is accelerated, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant
There is a risk of an accident.
Always deactivate Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC and secure the vehicle against
rolling away before you leave it.
If Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC detects
that the vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes
your vehicle until it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
After a time, the electric parking brake secures
the vehicle and relieves the service brake.
Depending on the specified minimum distance,
your vehicle will come to a standstill at a suffi-
cient distance behind the vehicle in front. The
specified minimum distance is set using the
control on the cruise control lever. When Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is acti-
vated and the vehicle is at a standstill, the trans-
mission will be shifted automatically to position
005D if:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's seat
belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
When Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is acti-
vated and the vehicle is at a standstill, the elec- tric parking brake will secure the vehicle auto-
matically if:
R a system malfunction occurs
R the power supply is not sufficient
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there is
a malfunction, the transmission may also be
automatically shifted into position 005D.
Setting a speed Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
X Press the cruise control lever up 0043for a
higher speed or down 0083for a lower speed
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments):
briefly press
the cruise control lever up 0043or down 0044to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up 0043 or down 0044the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments
(10 km/h increments): briefly press
the cruise control lever up 0043or down 0044
beyond the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up 0043 or down 0044, the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
i If you accelerate to overtake, Active Dis-
tance Assist DISTRONIC adjusts the vehicle's
speed to the last speed stored after you have
finished overtaking. 176
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Setting a specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance for
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC by varying
the time span between one and two seconds.
This determines the distance that Active Dis-
tance Assist DISTRONIC is to maintain from the
vehicle in front, depending on the road speed.
You can see this distance in the multifunction
display (Y page 178).
X To increase: turn control0044in direction 0087.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC then main-
tains a greater distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control0044in direction 0043.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC then main- tains a shorter distance between your vehicle
and the vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain a sufficiently
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Adjust
the distance to the vehicle in front if neces-
sary.
Deactivating Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC 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 ActiveDistance
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. Driving systems
177Driving and parking Z

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 173).
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 238).
The Active
Active Steering Steering Assist
AssistOn
Onmessage
appears on the multifunction display. Active
Steering Assist is activated. 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 238).
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- 180
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

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
Lowering orVehi‐
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 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). 182
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the vehicle is only braked using the HOLD
function, the vehicle may roll away in the fol-
lowing situations when you leave the vehicle:
R if there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R if the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant
There is a risk of an accident.
Always deactivate the HOLD function and
secure the vehicle against rolling away before
you leave it.
! When Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC or
the HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC and the
HOLD function in the following or similar sit-
uations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
Deactivate the HOLD function (Y page 184).
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt is
fastened
R the electric parking brake is released
R the transmission is in position 005B,005Eor005C
R Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is deacti-
vated Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions are
met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until 0043appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
R you depress the accelerator and the trans-
mission is in position 005Bor005E
R you shift the transmission to position 005D
R you depress the brake pedal again with a cer-
tain amount of pressure until 0043disappears
from the multifunction display
R you secure the vehicle using the electric park-
ing brake
R you activate Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
When the HOLD function is activated, the trans-
mission is automatically shifted to position 005D
if:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's seat
belt is unfastened
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function 184
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and:
R a system malfunction occurs
R the power supply is insufficient
On steep uphill or downhill gradients or if there
is a malfunction, the transmission may also be
automatically shifted to position 005D.AIRMATIC package
General notes AIRMATIC is an air suspension system with var-
iable damping for improved driving comfort.
Level control ensures the best possible suspen- sion and constant ground clearance, even with a laden vehicle. When you drive fast, the vehicle islowered automatically to improve driving safety
and to reduce fuel consumption. There is also
the option to manually adjust the vehicle level.
AIRMATIC consists of:
R level settings
R level control and
R ADS or ADS PLUS (Adaptive Damping Sys-
tem)
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): your vehicle may also be equipped with
the ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM (Y page 186).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: your vehicle is equip-
ped with the ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM
(Y page 186).
Observe the notes on driving with a trailer
(Y page 222).
The vehicle level can be set using the DYNAMIC
SELECT controller (Y page 147) or the level but-
ton (Y page 187). The setting always corre-
sponds to the last selected function.
Important safety notes 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.
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.
ADS and ADS PLUS (Adaptive Damping
System) General notes
The Adaptive Damping System automatically
controls the calibration of the dampers. The
damping characteristics adapt to the current
operating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface conditions
R the drive program selected
R the vehicle level setting
Selecting Comfort mode In the
Comfort drive program, the driving char-
acteristics of your vehicle are more comforta-
ble. Therefore, select this mode if you favor a
more comfortable driving style. Also select the
Comfort drive program when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. on straight stretches of high-
way. Driving systems
185Driving and parking Z

Vehicle level
Important safety notes
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.
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.
General notes
Only select raised level if this is appropriate for
the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel consump-
tion may increase and handling may be affected.
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.
Vehicles with no trailer coupled: below a
speed of 37 mph (60 km/h) you can choose
between the normal and raised vehicle level.
Select the normal vehicle level for normal road
surfaces and the raised vehicle level for driving
with snow chains or on particularly poor road
surfaces. Your selection remains stored even if
you remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
If you try to select raised level at a speed above
37 mph (60 km/h), the Drive More Slowly
Drive More Slowly
message appears in the multifunction display.
Vehicles with a trailer coupled: below a speed
of 19 mph (30 km/h), you can choose between
the normal and raised vehicle level. Driving systems
187Driving and parking Z