2019 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV automatic transmission

Key positions with KEYLESS-GO
0043
Start/Stop button
0044 Ignition lock
As soon as the ignition is switched on, all the
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light
up. Further information on situations where an
indicator lamp either fails to go out after starting the engine or lights up while driving
(Y page 276).
If Start/Stop button 0043has not yet been
pressed, this corresponds to the SmartKey
being removed from the ignition.
X To switch on the power supply: press
Start/Stop button 0043once.
The power supply is switched on. You can now activate the windshield wipers, for example.
The power supply is switched off again if:
R the driver's door is opened and
R you press Start/Stop 0043button twice when in
this position
X To switch on the ignition: press Start/Stop
button 0043twice.
The ignition is switched on.
If you press Start/Stop button 0043once when
in this position, the ignition is deactivated
again.
Removing the Start/Stop button
You can remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock and start the vehicle as normal
using the SmartKey.
It is possible to switch between KEYLESS-GO
mode and key operation only when the trans-
mission is in position 005D.
X Remove Start/Stop button 0043from ignition
lock 0044. You do not have to remove the Start/Stop but-
ton from the ignition lock when you leave the
vehicle. You should, however, always take the
SmartKey with you when leaving the vehicle. As
long as the SmartKey is in the vehicle:
R the vehicle can be started using the Start/
Stop button
R the electrically powered equipment can be
operated Starting the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R Start the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children. G
DANGER
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases is hazardous to health
and can result in poisoning. There is a risk of
fatal injury. Therefore, never leave the engine running an enclosed space without adequate
ventilation. Driving
141Driving and pa rking Z

G
WARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
General notes Vehicles with a gasoline engine:
the catalytic
converter is preheated for up to 30 seconds
after a cold start. The sound of the engine may
change during this time.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position 005D
(Y page 148).
The transmission position indicator on the
multifunction display shows 005D
(Y page 149).
i You can start the engine in transmission
position 005Dand 005C.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey X
Turn the SmartKey to position 0049in the igni-
tion lock (Y page 140) and release it as soon
as the engine is running.
Using KEYLESS-GO to start the engine The Start/Stop button can be used to start the
vehicle without inserting the SmartKey into the
ignition lock. The Start/Stop button must be
inserted in the ignition lock and the SmartKey
must be in the vehicle. This mode for starting the engine operates independently of the ECO
start/stop automatic engine start function.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Press the Start/Stop button once
(Y page 140).
The engine starts. Starting procedure via smartphone Observe the important safety notes on starting
the engine (Y
page 141).
You can also start your engine via your smart-
phone from outside the vehicle. In this case, the previously selected climate control setting is
activated. In this way you can cool or heat the
interior of the vehicle before starting the jour-
ney.
Only start the engine via your smartphone if it is
safe to start and run the engine where your vehi-
cle is parked.
Observe the legal stipulations in the area where your vehicle is parked. Engine start via smart-
phone may be limited to certain countries or
regions.
You can execute a maximum of two consecutive
starting attempts via your smartphone. If you
insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock, you
can carry out two more starting attempts.
Once you have started the engine, you can
switch the engine off via your smartphone at any
time.
You can only start the engine via your smart-
phone if:
R the SmartKey is in the ignition lock
R park position 005Dis selected
R the accelerator pedal is not depressed
R the anti-theft alarm system is not activated
R the panic alarm is not activated
R the hazard warning lamps are switched off
R the hood is closed
R the doors are closed and locked
R the windows and sliding sunroof are closed
Also make sure that:
R the fuel tank is sufficiently filled
R the starter battery has been sufficiently
charged G
WARNING
Limbs could be crushed or trapped if the
engine is started unintentionally during ser-
vice or maintenance work. There is a risk of
injury.
Always secure the engine against uninten-
tional starting before carrying out mainte-
nance or repair work. 142
DrivingDriving and parking

Make sure that the engine cannot be started via
your smartphone before carrying out mainte-
nance or repairs. You can prevent an engine
start via your smartphone if you:
R switch on the hazard warning lamps
R do not lock the doors
R open the hood Pulling away
General notes G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position 003A
or 0046, the vehicle could pull away suddenly.
There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position 003Aor
0046, always firmly depress the brake pedal
and do not simultaneously accelerate.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pulling
away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have pulled
away. The locking knobs in the doors drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time.
You can also deactivate the automatic locking
feature (Y page 241).
It is possible to shift the transmission from posi-
tion 005Dto the desired position only if you
depress the brake pedal. Only then is the park-
ing lock released. If you do not depress the
brake pedal, the DIRECT SELECT lever can still
be moved but the parking lock remains
engaged.
i Upshifts take place at higher engine speeds
after a cold start. This helps the catalytic con- verter to reach its operating temperature
more quickly.
Information on the automatic release of the
electric parking brake (Y page 160).Pulling away with a trailer To ensure that you do not roll backwards when
pulling away on an uphill slope, engage the elec-
tric parking brake.
X Press and hold handle 0043.
The electric parking brake continues to brake
and prevent the vehicle from rolling back-
wards.
The red 0049(USA only) or 0024(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster remains on.
X Depress the accelerator pedal.
X As soon as the vehicle/trailer combination is
held by the driving force of the engine, release lever 0043.
the electric parking brake is released.
The red 0049(USA only) or 0024(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
goes out.
Hill start assist Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forward or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It
holds the vehicle for a short time after you have removed your foot from the brake pedal. This
gives you enough time to move your foot from
the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and to
depress it before the vehicle begins to roll. G
WARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could roll away.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist. Driving
143Driving and parking Z

Hill start assist is not active if:
R you are pulling away on a level road or on a
downhill gradient.
R the transmission is in position 005C.
R the electric parking brake is applied.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning. ECO start/stop function
Introduction The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is stopped
under certain conditions.
The engine starts automatically when the driver
wants to pull away again. The ECO start/stop
function thereby helps you to reduce the fuel
consumption and emissions of your vehicle.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving. There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes 0043
ECO start/stop display
The ECO start/stop function is activated when-
ever you start the engine using the SmartKey or the Start/Stop button.
If the engine has been switched off automati-
cally by the ECO start/stop function, the 00D6
ECO symbol is shown in the multifunction dis-
play. Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
the ECO start/stop
function is only available in drive programs
Comfort andSlippery.
Automatic engine switch-off If the vehicle is braked to a standstill with the
transmission in 005Bor005C, the ECO start/stop
function will switch off the engine automatically.
The ECO start/stop function is operational
when:
R the indicator lamp on the ECO button is green
R Mercedes-AMG vehicles: neither the
Sport Plus nor theSportdrive program is
selected
R you have not selected an off-road program
R the outside temperature and atmospheric air
pressure are within a range that is suitable for the system
R the engine is at normal operating temperature
R the set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached
R the battery is sufficiently charged
R the climate control system does not detect
moisture on the windshield when the air-con-
ditioning system is switched on
R the hood is closed
R the driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened
All of the vehicle's systems remain active when
the engine is stopped automatically.
The HOLD function can also be activated if the
engine has been switched off automatically. It is then not necessary to continue applying the
brakes during the automatic stop phase. When
you depress the accelerator pedal, the engine
starts automatically and the braking effect of
the HOLD function is deactivated.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): automatic engine switch-off can take
place a maximum of four times in a row (initial
stop, then three subsequent stops).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the number of con-
secutive automatic engine switch-offs is unlimi-
ted. 144
DrivingDriving and parking

Automatic engine start
The engine will be started automatically if:
R you switch off the ECO start/stop function by
pressing the ECO button
R the HOLD function is inactive, transmission
position 005Bor005C is selected and you release
the brake pedal
R you depress the accelerator pedal
R you select reverse gear 005E
R you move the transmission out of position 005D
R Mercedes-AMG vehicles: you switch to the
Sport Plus orSport drive program
R Mercedes-AMG vehicles: you activate man-
ual gearshifting
R vehicles without Off-Road Engineering
package: you switch to the Off-Roaddrive
program
R vehicles with Off-Road Engineering pack-
age: you switch to the Off-Roador
Off-Road Plus drive program
R you unfasten your seat belt or open the driv-
er's door
R the vehicle is rolling
R the brake system requests an automatic
engine start
R the temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range
R the climate control system detects moisture
on the windshield when the air-conditioning
system is switched on
R the battery's condition of charge is too low
Shifting the transmission to position 005Ddoes
not start the engine. Deactivating or activating the ECO
start/stop function All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
X
To deactivate: press ECO button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044goes out.
X To activate: press ECO button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044lights up.
If indicator lamp 0044is off, the ECO start/stop
function has been deactivated manually or as
the result of a malfunction.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles X
To deactivate: in theComfort drive pro-
gram, press ECO button 0043.
or X Activate manual gearshifting (Y page 152).
or
X Switch to the Sport PlusorSport drive pro-
gram (Y page 147).
Indicator lamp 0044goes out.
X To activate: press ECO button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044lights up. When the
Sport Plus orSport drive program is activa-
ted, the automatic transmission switches to
the Comfort drive program. Driving
145Driving and pa rking Z

Sport
Sporty driving characteris-
tics
Sport Plus
Particularly sporty driving
characteristics
Slippery
Optimal driving characteris-
tics on slippery or snow-
covered roads Additional information for drive programs
(Y page 151). Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake. DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions 005D
Park position with parking lock
005E Reverse gear
005C Neutral
005B Drive
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of the
steering column. The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns to its
original position. The current transmission posi-
tion 005D,005E, 005Cor005B is shown on the trans-
mission position display on the multifunction
display (Y page 149).
Engaging park position P !
If the engine speed is too high or the vehicle
is coasting, do not shift the automatic trans-
mission directly from 005Bto005E, from 005Eto005B
or directly to 005D. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission may be damaged.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever switch in the
direction of arrow 005D.
Engaging park position P automatically Park position
005Dis automatically engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the SmartKey
and remove the SmartKey
R you switch off the engine using the SmartKey
or using the Start/Stop button and open the
driver's door or front-passenger door
R you open the driver's door when the vehicle is
stationary or when driving at a very low speed
and the transmission is in position 005Bor005E
Under certain conditions, the automatic trans-
mission will shift automatically to transmission
position 005Dif the HOLD function or Active Dis-
tance Assist DISTRONIC is activated. Observe
the information on the HOLD function
(Y page 184) and on Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC (Y page 176).
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only move the automatic transmission to
005E when the vehicle is stationary.
X If the transmission is in position 005Bor005C:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position 005D: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the first point of resistance. 148
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Shifting to neutral N
G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R Start the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
X If the transmission is in position 005Bor005E:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position 005D: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT
lever up or down to the first point of resist-
ance.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position 005Eor005B, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to 005Cautomatically.
With the SmartKey: if you then open the driv-
er's door or the front-passenger door or remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock, the auto-
matic transmission shifts to 005Dautomatically.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then open
the driver's door or the front-passenger door,
the automatic transmission shifts automatically to 005D.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral 005C, e.g. when having the vehi-
cle cleaned in an automatic, tow-through car
wash: With the SmartKey:
X Switch on the ignition.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift to neutral 005C.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
With the Start/Stop button: X Remove the Start/Stop button from the igni-
tion lock.
X Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
X Switch on the ignition.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift to neutral 005C.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
If the transmission is in position 005Eor005C:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position 005D: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past the first point of resistance. Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
The current transmission position and drive pro-
gram appear in the multifunction display. 0043
Transmission position
0044 Gear
0087 Drive program Automatic transmission
149Driving and parking Z

The arrows in the transmission position display
show how and into which transmission positions you can shift using the DIRECT SELECT lever.
If the transmission position display on the mul-
tifunction display is not working, you should pull
away carefully to check whether the desired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should select transmission position 005Band, in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles, drive program Cor S. Transmission positions
0045 Park position
Only shift the transmission into posi- tion 005D(Ypage 158) when the vehi-
cle is stationary. The parking lock
should not be used as a brake when
parking. Always apply the electronic
parking brake in addition to the park-
ing lock in order to secure the vehi-
cle.
In the event of a malfunction of the
vehicle's electronics, the transmis-
sion may lock in position 005D. Have
the vehicle electronics checked
immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Park position 005Dis automatically
engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the
SmartKey and remove the Smart-
Key
R you switch off the engine using the
SmartKey or using the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door
or front-passenger door
R you open the driver's door when
the vehicle is stationary or when
driving at a very low speed and the
transmission is in position 005Bor
005E 0046 Reverse gear
Shift the transmission into position
005E only when the vehicle is station-
ary. 0044 Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
005C
while driving. The automatic trans-
mission could otherwise be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you to
move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push
it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position 005Cif the
vehicle is in danger of skidding, e.g.
on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position 005Eor005B,
the automatic transmission will shift
to 005C automatically.
! Coasting in neutral
005Cmay
cause damage to the drive train. 003A Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
are available. Driving tips
Changing gear The automatic transmission shifts through the
individual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position 005B. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
R the selected drive program
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts 150
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking