2019 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV traction control

1, 2, 3 ...
4ETS (Electronic Traction System) see ETS/4ETS (Electronic Trac-
tion System)
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel
drive) .................................................. 215
12 V socket
see Sockets
115 V socket ...................................... 308
360° camera
Cleaning .........................................3 30
Display in the multimedia system .. 202
Function/notes ............................ .200 A
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) Display message ............................ 246
Function/notes ................................ 66
Important safety notes .................... 66
Warning lamp ................................. 277
Accident
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent ................................................. 59
Activating media mode
General notes ................................ 293
Activating/deactivating cooling
with air dehumidification ................. 131
Active Blind Spot Assist
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 239
Display message ............................ 265
Function/informatio n.................... 210
Trailer towing ................................. 212
Active Brake Assist
Activating or deactivating .............. 239
Display message ............................ 251
Function/note s................................ 67
Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function
Activating or deactivating .............. 239
Display message ............................ 252
Function/note s................................ 72
Important safety notes .................... 73
Warning lamp ................................. 285
Active Curve System
Display message ............................ 262 Function/note
s............................. 186
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
Activating ....................................... 174
Activation conditions ..................... 174
Cruise control lever ....................... 174
Deactivating ................................... 177
Display message ............................ 266
Displays on the instrument clus-
ter .................................................. 178
Driving tips .................................... 178
Function/note s............................. 172
Important safety notes .................. 173
Setting the specified minimum
distance ......................................... 177
Stopping ........................................ 176
Warning lamp ................................. 285
Active Lane Keeping Assist
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 239
Display message ............................ 264
Function/information .................... 212
Trailer towing ................................. 215
Active light function ......................... 117
Active Parking Assist
Canceling ....................................... 196
Detecting parking spaces .............. 193
Display message ............................ 265
Exiting a parking space .................. 195
Function/note s............................. 192
Important safety notes .................. 192
Parking .......................................... 194
Active Steering Assist
Activating/deactivating ................. 238
Display message ............................ 267
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ................................. 72
Adaptive Damping System
Function/note s............................. 188
Adaptive Highbeam Assist
Display message ............................ 258
Function/note s............................. 118
Switching on/of f........................... 118
Additives (engine oil) ........................ 387
Address book
see also Digital Operator's Man-
ual .................................................. 287
Adjusting the volume
Multimedia system ........................ 288 4
Index

Important safety notes .................. 378
Removing ....................................... 379
Storage location ............................ 379
Stowing .......................................... 379
Emergency Tensioning Devices
Activation .........................................56
Emergency unlocking
Tailgat e ............................................ 88
Emissions control
Service and warranty information .... 28
Engine
Check Engine warning lamp .......... .282
Display message ............................ 258
ECO start/stop function ................ 144
Engine number ............................... 384
Irregular running ............................ 146
Jump-starting ................................. 343
Starting (important safety notes) ... 141
Starting problems .......................... 146
Starting the engine with the
SmartKey ....................................... 142
Starting via smartphone ................ 142
Starting with KEYLESS-GO ............. 142
Switching off .................................. 158
Tow-starting (vehicle) ..................... 349
Engine electronics
Problem (malfunction) ................... 146
Engine oil
Adding .......................................... .323
Additives ........................................ 387
Checking the oil level ..................... 322
Checking the oil level using the
dipstick .......................................... 323
Display message ............................ 260
Filling capacity ............................... 387
Notes about oil grades ................... 386
Notes on oil level/consumption .... 322
Temperature (on-board computer, Mercedes-AMG vehicles) .............. .242
Engine switch-off
see ECO start/stop function
Entering an address
see also Digital Operator's Man-
ual ................................................. .287
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram)
AMG menu (on-board computer) ... 243
Characteristics ................................. 70 Deactivating/activating ................... 71
Display message ............................ 246
Function/notes ................................ 69
General notes .................................. 69
Important safety information ........... 70
Warning lamp ................................. 279
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) ...................................................... 70
Exhaust check ................................... 161
Exhaust pipe (cleaning instruc-
tions) ................................................. .331
Exterior lighting
see Lights
Exterior mirrors
Adjusting ....................................... 110
Dipping (automatic) ....................... 112
Folding in when locking (on-boardcomputer) ...................................... 242
Folding in/out (automatically) ....... 111
Folding in/out (electrically) ........... 111
Out of position (troubleshooting) ... 111
Setting ........................................... 111
Storing settings (memory func-
tion) ............................................... 113
Storing the parking position .......... 112
Eyeglasses compartment ................. 297 F
Favorites Overview ........................................ 289
Filler cap
see Refueling
Flat tire
MOExtended tire s.......................... 336
Preparing the vehicle ..................... 335
TIREFIT kit ...................................... 337
see Emergency spare wheel
Floormats ........................................... 319
Fog lamps (extended range) ............. 118
Folding the rear bench seat for-
wards/back ....................................... 298
Fording
Off-road ......................................... 165
On flooded roads ........................... 165
Frequencies
Mobile phone ................................. 382
Two-way radio ................................ 382 Index
11

If ESP
®
detects that the vehicle is deviating from
the direction desired by the driver, one or more wheels are braked to stabilize the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the vehi-
cle on the desired course within physical limits.
ESP ®
assists the driver when pulling away on
wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize
the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) 4ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
In appropriate driving situations, activate the
offroad program:
X Vehicles without the Offroad Engineering
package (Y page 216)
X Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 217)
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) An ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated:
R Vehicles without the Offroad Engineering
package (Y page 216)
R Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 217)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv- ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop. !
Only operate the vehicle for a maximum of
ten seconds on a brake test dynamometer.
Switch off the ignition.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! 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.
ESP ®
is only deactivated if the 00BBwarning
lamp is lit continuously.
If the 00E5 warning lamp and the 00BBwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not available
due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 279) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 246).
i Only use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function properly.
Characteristics of ESP ® General information
If the 00E5 ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the 00E5ESP®
warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle stops moving. The engine starts automatically when
the driver wants to pull away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously selected status, e.g. if
ESP ®
was deactivated before the engine was
automatically switched off. 70
Driving safety systemsSafety

Deactivating/activating ESP
®Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 66).
You can select between the following states of
ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the follow-
ing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
Spinning the wheels results in a cutting action
which provides better grip.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehicle if
the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® X
To deactivate: press button0043.
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: press button 0043.
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 00E5ESP®
warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R Engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
R Traction control is still activated.
R Active Brake Assist is no longer available; nor
is it activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP ®
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP ®
inter-
venes.
R Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
is no longer available; nor is it activated if you
brake firmly with assistance from ESP ®
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Offroad ESP ®
(vehicles with Off-Road
Engineering package) An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated on:
R Vehicles without the Offroad Engineering
package (Y page 216)
R Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Y page 217)
Offroad ESP ®
intervenes with a delay if there is
oversteering or understeering, thus improving
traction.
Crosswind Assist General information
Strong crosswind gusts can impair the ability of your vehicle to drive straight ahead. The cross- Driving safety syste
ms
71Safety Z

Further information on driving safety systems
(Y page 66). Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid exceeding the set speed. You must select a
lower gear in good time on long and steep down-
hill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. By doing so, you will make use of
the braking effect of the engine. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a steady speed for a prolonged period. You can store anyroad speed above 20 mph (30 km/h).
i Cruise control should not be activated when
driving off-road.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control 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.
Do not use cruise control:
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 slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
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 cruise control
0085 Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display for
five seconds.
Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the electric parking brake must be released.
R you are driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
R ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R the transmission must be in position 005B.
R DSR must be deactivated.
R the Offroad Plus drive program must be deac-
tivated (vehicles with the Off-road Engineer-
ing Package).
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining a speed
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up 0043or
down 0085.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle auto-
matically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the Driving systems
171Driving 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