2019 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS ABS

twigs can gather between the underbody and
the underbody paneling. If these materials
come in contact with hot parts of the exhaust
system, they can catch fire.
In such situations, have the vehicle checked
and repaired immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. If on continuing your jour-
ney you notice that driving safety is impaired, pull over and stop the vehicle immediately,
paying attention to road and traffic condi-
tions. In such cases, consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
When driving off-road, substances such as sand,
mud and water or water mixed with oil may get
into the brakes. This could result in a reduced
braking effect or in total brake failure and also in increased wear and tear. The braking charac-
teristics change depending on the material
entering the brakes. Clean the brakes after driv-
ing off-road. If you detect a reduced braking
effect or grinding noises, have the brake system
checked in a qualified specialist workshop as
soon as possible. Adapt your driving style to the different braking characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the likelihood of dam-age to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead to
failure of the mechanical assembly or systems.
Adapt your driving style to suit the terrain con-
ditions. Drive carefully. Have damage to the
vehicle rectified immediately at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
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.
General notes H
Environmental note
Protection of the environment is of primary
importance. Treat nature with respect.
Observe all prohibiting signs.
Read this section carefully before driving your
vehicle off-road. Practice by driving over more
gentle off-road terrain first.
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 216)
R Off-road andOff-road Plus drive programs
(vehicles with Off-Road Engineering package) (Y page 217)
R LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles with the
Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 218)
R Differential lock (vehicles with the Off-Road
Engineering package) (Y page 218)
R Off-road ABS (Y page 67)
R Off-road 4ETS (Y page 70)
R Off-road ESP ®
(Y page 71)
R AIRMATIC package (vehicle level)
(Y page 185)
R DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(Y page 215)
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 217) or shift to the
LOW RANGE off-road gear (Y page 218).
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 300).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Activate
DSR (Y page 215).
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. Driving
tips
167Driving an d parking Z

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
without Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 216).
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 217).
R Before driving on extreme uphill and downhill
gradients, select the LOW RANGE offroad
gear (vehicles with Off-road Engineering
Package) (Y page 218).
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 143).
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 391).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability Always observe the maximum gradient climbing
ability values (Y page 392). Hilltops When driving up an uphill gradient, slightly
reduce pressure on the accelerator immediately
before reaching the brow of the hill. Make use of the vehicle's own impetus to travel over the
brow.
This style of driving prevents:
R the vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill
R the vehicle from traveling too quickly down
the other side
Driving downhill R
Drive slowly.
R Do not drive at an angle down steep inclines.
Steer into the line of fall and drive with the
front wheels aligned straight. Otherwise, the
vehicle could slip sideways, tip and rollover.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand pad-
dle shifter before tackling steep downhill gra-
dients.
R Activate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
gently. When doing so, make sure that the
vehicle is facing in the direction of the line of
fall.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
i The special off-road ABS setting enables a
precise, brief and repeated locking of the
front wheels. This causes them to dig into
loose earth. Be aware that the front wheels
easily skid across the ground surface if com-
pletely braked and therefore lose their ability
to steer. Driving systems
Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive stands for inno- vative driver assistance and safety systems
which enhance comfort and support the driver in
critical situations. With these intelligent co-ordi- nated systems Mercedes-Benz has set a mile-
stone on the path towards autonomous driving.
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive embraces all
elements of active and passive safety in one well thought out system – for the safety of the vehi-
cle occupants and that of other road users. 170
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Sport mode
The firmer suspension setting in the Sport drive
program ensures even better contact with the
road. Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
X Press button 0043repeatedly until indicator
lamp 0087lights up.
You have selected Sport mode.
The AMG Suspension System SPORT AMG Suspension System SPORT mes-
sage appears on the multifunction display.
Sport + mode The very firm suspension setting in the Sport +
drive program ensures the best possible contact
with the road. Select this mode only when driv-
ing on race circuits.
If indicator lamps 0044and 0087are off:
X Press button 0043repeatedly until indicator
lamp 0044lights up.
You have selected Sport + mode.
The AMG AMG Suspension
Suspension System
SystemSPORT +
SPORT + mes-
sage appears on the multifunction display.
In the Sport + drive program, the vehicle is low-
ered to 10 mm below the normal level.
Comfort mode In the Comfort drive program, the driving char-
acteristics of your vehicle are more comforta-
ble. Select this mode if you prefer a more com-
fortable driving style, but also when driving at
speed on straight roads, e. g. highways.
X Press button 0043repeatedly until indicator
lamps 0044and 0087go out.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG
AMG Suspension Suspension System
SystemCOMFORT
COMFORT mes-
sage appears on the multifunction display. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is an electronic
parking aid with ultrasound. It monitors the area
around your vehicle using six sensors in the
front bumper and six sensors in the rear
bumper. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC visually
and audibly indicates the distance between your
vehicle and an object.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is
not a replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering, parking and
exiting a parking space. Make sure that there
are no persons, animals or objects in the maneu- vering area while maneuvering and parking in/
leaving parking spaces.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such as
flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects when they are in
the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. You
could damage the vehicle or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic car
wash, the compressed-air brakes on a truck
or a pneumatic drill could cause PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
! Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required. PARKTRONIC measures
the minimum detection range to an obstacle
from the bumper, not the ball coupling.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactivated for
the rear area when you establish an electrical
connection between your vehicle and a trailer.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is activated auto-
matically when you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position 005B,005Eor
005C
R release the electric parking brake.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactivated at
speeds above 11 mph (18 km/h). It is reactiva- ted at lower speeds. Driving systems
189Driving and parking Z

Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in front of
your vehicle with camera 0043, 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 G
WARNING
Lane Keeping Assist cannot always clearly
detect lane markings.
In such cases, Lane Keeping Assist can:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep within the lane, especially
if Lane Keeping Assist alerts you. G
WARNING
The Lane Keeping Assist warning does not
return the vehicle to the original lane. There is a risk of an accident.
You should always steer, brake or accelerate
yourself, in particular if warned by Lane Keep- ing Assist.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Lane Keep- ing Assist can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Lane
Keeping Assist cannot take into account the
road, traffic and weather conditions. Lane Keep- ing Assist is merely an aid. You are responsible
for the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehi-
cle speed, for braking in good time and for stay-
ing in your lane.
The Lane Keeping Assist does not keep the vehi- cle in the lane. The system may be impaired or may not function
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
Switching on Lane Keeping Assist X Switch on Active Lane Keeping Assist using
the on-board computer; to do so, select
Standard
Standard orAdaptive Adaptive (Ypage 239).
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 (Y page 238). Lane Keeping Assist is
ready for use.
Standard If Standard Standard is selected, no warning vibration
occurs if:
R you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ABS,
BAS or ESP ®
.
Adaptive
When Adaptive Adaptive is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signal; in this
event, the warnings are suppressed for a cer-
tain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ABS,
BAS or ESP ®
. Driving systems
209Driving and parking Z

R
you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
When Adaptive
Adaptive is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
R you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lanes quickly.
R you 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.
i In 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"
(Y page 166).
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 005B,005E
or 005C. 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 G
WARNING
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- Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z

ing on road surface and tire conditions. Select a
set speed suitable for the prevailing conditions
and when necessary, apply the brakes manually.
Activating DSR X
Press button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044lights up.
The 00C6 DSR symbol appears in the multi-
function display.
You can only activate DSR when driving at
speeds below 25 mph (40 km/h).
If the current vehicle speed is too high, the 00C6
DSR symbol appears in the multifunction display
with the Max. Speed 25 mph
Max. Speed 25 mph message (Can-
ada: 40 km/h 40 km/h ).
If you have activated DSR and you change the
drive program, DSR is deactivated. If you switch between the offroad and offroad plus drive pro-grams, DSR remains activated.
Deactivating DSR
X Press button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044goes out.
The 00C6 DSR symbol appears in the multi-
function display with the Off
Off message.
On vehicles with the Off-road Engineering Pack-
age, if you select a different drive program, DSR is also deactivated. If you switch between the
Offroad programs, DSR remains activated.
DSR switches off automatically if you drive
faster than 28 mph (Canada: 45 km/h). The
00C6 DSR symbol appears in the multifunction
display with the Off
Off message. The status indi-
cator in the multifunction display goes out. You
also hear a warning. On vehicles with the Off-
road Engineering Package, if you select a differ-
ent onroad/offroad program, DSR is also deac- tivated. Changing the set speed
X
To increase or reduce the set speed in
1 mp
hincrements (Canada: 1 km/h incre-
ments): briefly press the cruise control lever
up 0043 for a higher set speed or down 0044for a
lower set speed.
The set speed appears in the multifunction
display with the 00C6DSR symbol.
When DSR is activated, you can change the set
speed to a value between 1 mph and 11 mph
(Canada: between 2 km/h and 18 km/h).
i The DSR set speed is always changed in
1 mph increments (Canada: 1 km/h incre-
ments). This is regardless of whether you
press the cruise control lever to or beyond the
pressure point.
Off-road program (vehicles without the
Off-Road Engineering package) General notes
Select the Offroadprogram for easily negotia-
ble off-road terrain, e.g. dirt tracks, gravel or
sandy surfaces. The engine's torque is restric-
ted to a limited degree and the drive wheels can
spin. The spinning wheels produce a cutting
effect for better traction. ABS, ESP ®
and 4ETS
programs especially adapted to off-road driving are activated. A gentle accelerator pedal curve
is also selected, i.e. the accelerator pedal must
be depressed much further in order to acceler-
ate.
You can select the Offroaddrive program at
speeds below 60 mph (96 km/h). The Drive
Drive
program "Offroad" Max. Speed 60 mph program "Offroad" Max. Speed 60 mph
message appears in the multifunction display. If
you drive at speeds of more than 60 mph
(96 km/h) and select the Offroaddrive pro-
gram, the Drive More Slowly Drive More Slowly message216
Driving systemsDriving and parking

appears in the multifunction display. The last
active drive program is selected again.
Do not use the Offroadprogram on roads that
are snow-covered or icy or if you have installed
your vehicle with snow chains.
Selecting the Offroad program Selecting the Offroad program
X To select drive program: turn DYNAMIC
SELECT controller 0043until indicator lamp 0044
lights up.
The Drive Program "Offroad1" Max.
Drive Program "Offroad1" Max.
Speed 60 mph
Speed 60 mph message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
The vehicle is raised by +2.4 in (60 mm).
The vehicle is lowered to normal level again if
you: R drive at speeds above 37 mph (60 km/h) (all
vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R drive at speeds above 43 mph (70 km/h)
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R drive at speeds between 40 mph (64 km/h)
and 43 mph (70 km/h) for approximately
20 seconds (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
The vehicle changes from the Offroaddrive pro-
gram to the Comfortdrive program if you drive
faster than 70 mph (112 km/h).
The Drive More Slowly Drive More Slowly message appears in
the multifunction display.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 166). Off-road programs (vehicles with Off-
Road Engineering package) General notes
The Offroad andOffroad Plus drive programs
assist you when driving off-road. The engine's
performance characteristics and the gearshift-
ing characteristics of the automatic transmis-
sion are adapted for this purpose. ABS, ESP ®
and 4ETS programs especially adapted to off-
road driving are activated. An accelerator pedal
curve suitable for the terrain is selected, i.e. the accelerator pedal must be depressed further to accelerate.
Do not use the OffroadorOffroad Plus drive
programs on roads that are snow-covered or icy,
or if you have installed your vehicle with snow
chains.
Offroad drive program 0043
DYNAMIC SELECT controller
0044 Offroad program indicator lamp
Select the Offroadprogram for easily negotia-
ble off-road terrain, e.g. dirt tracks, gravel or
sandy surfaces. The engine's torque is restric-
ted to a limited degree and the drive wheels can
spin. The spinning wheels produce a cutting
effect for better traction. ABS, ESP ®
and 4ETS
programs especially adapted to off-road driving are activated. A gentle accelerator pedal curve
is also selected, i.e. the accelerator pedal must
be depressed much further in order to acceler-
ate.
You can select the Offroaddrive program at
speeds below 60 mph (96 km/h). The Drive
Drive
Program "Offroad" Max. Speed 60 mph Program "Offroad" Max. Speed 60 mph
message appears in the multifunction display. If
you drive at speeds above 60 mph (96 km/h)
and select the Offroaddrive program, the
Drive More Slowly Drive More Slowly message appears in the Driving systems
217Driving and parking Z

multifunction display. The last active drive pro-
gram is selected again.
Selecting the Offroad program X To select a drive program: turn DYNAMIC
SELECT controller 0043until indicator lamp 0044
lights up.
The Drive program "Offroad" Max.
Drive program "Offroad" Max.
speed 60 mph speed 60 mph message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
The vehicle is raised by +1.2 in (30 mm).
The vehicle changes from the Offroaddrive pro-
gram to the Comfortdrive program if you drive
faster than 70 mph (112 km/h).
The Drive more slowly
Drive more slowly message appears in
the multifunction display.
Offroad Plus drive program 0043
DYNAMIC SELECT controller
0044 Offroad Plus drive program indicator lamp
Select the Offroad Plus drive program for rough
terrain, e.g. for steep and/or uneven terrain or
for driving on rocky terrain.
Your vehicle has an automatically activated dif-
ferential lock for the transfer case. It controls
the balance between the front and rear axles.
The differential lock improves the vehicle's trac-
tion. 4ETS (Y page 70) controls the balance
between both wheels on an axle.
Selecting the Offroad Plus drive program X To select drive program: turn DYNAMIC
SELECT controller 0043until indicator lamp 0044
lights up.
The Drive program "Offroad Plus" Drive program "Offroad Plus"
Max.
Max. speed
speed 25
25mph
mph message appears in the
multifunction display. R
The Offroad Plus program is selected and
the vehicle is raised by +1.2 in (30 mm)
compared with the Offroaddrive program.
R DSR is switched on.
R The differential lock is closed.
You can select the Offroad Plus drive program at speeds below 25 mph (40 km/h).
The Offroad Plus drive program automatically
switches to the Offroad drive program if you
drive faster than 30 mph (45 km/h). The Drive
Drive
more slowly more slowly message appears in the multi-
function display.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 166).
LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles
with the Off-Road Engineering package) Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you select the LOW RANGE off-road gear on a slippery road surface, the wheels could lose traction:
R if you remove your foot from the accelera-
tor pedal when driving
R if off road ABS intervenes when braking
If the wheels lose traction. the vehicle can no
longer be steered. There is an increased dan-
ger of skidding and accidents.
Never select the LOW RANGE off-road gear
when driving on slippery road surfaces. G
WARNING
If you do not wait for the transfer case gear
change process to complete, the transfer
case could remain in the neutral position. The power transmission to the driven wheels is
then interrupted. There is a danger of the
vehicle rolling away unintentionally. There is a
risk of an accident.
Wait until the transfer case shift process is
completed.
You can shift the transfer case to the HIGH
RANGE on-road position or the LOW RANGE
off-road gear. 218
Driving systemsDriving and parking