2019 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV tow

"Coupling up a trailer" function
0043
Vehicle center point on the yellow guide line
at a distance of approximately 1.0 m from
the rear of the vehicle
0044 Trailer drawbar
This function is only available on vehicles with a
trailer tow hitch.
X Before coupling up a trailer, set the height of
trailer drawbar 0044so that it is slightly higher
than the ball coupling.
X Position the vehicle centrally in front of trailer
drawbar 0044. 0043
Red guide line at a distance of approximately
0.30 m from the ball coupling
0044 Trailer drawbar marker assistant
0087 Trailer drawbar
0085 Symbol for the "Coupling up a trailer" func-
tion
0083 Ball coupling
i For technical reasons, the ball coupling of
the trailer tow hitch in the multimedia system
display is either only partially visible or not at all.
X Select symbol 0085using the controller.
The "Coupling up a trailer" function is selec-
ted. The distance specifications now only apply to objects that are at the same level as
the ball coupling.
X Back up carefully, making sure that trailer
drawbar locating aid 0044points approximately
in the direction of trailer drawbar 0087.
X Back up carefully until trailer drawbar 0087rea-
ches the red guide line.
The distance between the trailer drawbar and the red guide line is now approximately
0.30 m.
X Couple up the trailer (Y page 222).
180° view 0043
Symbol for the 180° view function
0044 Your vehicle
0087 Warning displays for Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC
You can also use the rear view camera to select
a 180° view.
When Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is opera-
tional (Y page 190), a symbol for your own vehi-
cle appears in the multimedia system. If the
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC warning displays
are active, warning displays 0087light up in the
multimedia system in yellow or red accordingly. 360° Camera
General notes The 360° camera is a system consisting of four
cameras.
The system processes images from the follow-
ing cameras:
R Rear view camera
R Front camera
R Two cameras in the exterior rear view mirrors 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

The cameras cover the immediate surroundings
of the vehicle. The 360° camera assists you, for
instance when parking or at exits with reduced
visibility.
You can show pictures from the 360° camera in full-screen mode or in seven different split-
screen views on the multimedia system display.
A split-screen view also includes a top view of
the vehicle. This view is calculated from the data supplied by the installed cameras (virtual cam-
era).
The six split-screen views are:
R Top view and picture from the rear view cam-
era (130° viewing angle)
R Top view and image from the front camera
(130° viewing angle without displaying the
maximum steering wheel angle)
R Top view and enlarged rear view
R Top view and enlarged front view
R Top view and trailer view (vehicles with trailer
tow hitch)
R Top view and rear-view images from the exte-
rior mirror cameras (rear wheel view)
R Top view and forward-view images from the
exterior mirror cameras (front wheel view)
When the function is active and you shift the
transmission from 005Bor005E to005C, the dynamic
guide lines are hidden.
When you shift between transmission positions 005B and 005E, you see the previously selected front
or rear view.
Distances measured by Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC will also be optically displayed:
R in split screen view as red or yellow brackets
around the vehicle icon in the top view, or
R at the bottom right as red or yellow brackets
around the vehicle symbol in full-screen mode
The line thickness and color of the brackets
show how far the vehicle is away from an object:
R yellow brackets with thin lines: Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC is active
R yellow brackets with normal lines: an object is
present in close range of the vehicle
R red line: an object is present in the immediate
close range of the vehicle
i The camera in the rear area is protected
from raindrops and dust by means of a flap.
When the camera is activated, this flap opens. The flap closes again in the following situa-
tions:
R you have finished the maneuvering process
R you switch the engine off
R you open the cargo compartment
Observe the notes on cleaning (Y page 330).
For technical reasons, the flap may remain
open briefly after the camera has been deac-
tivated.
Important safety notes The 360°camera is only an aid and may show a
distorted view of obstacles, show them incor-
rectly or not at all. The 360°camera is not a
substitute for attentive driving.
You are always responsible for safe maneuver-
ing and parking. Make sure that there are no
persons, animals or objects in the maneuvering
area while maneuvering and parking in parking
spaces.
You are always responsible for safety and must
continue to pay attention to your immediate
surroundings when parking and maneuvering.
This applies to the areas behind, in front of and beside the vehicle. You could otherwise endan-
ger yourself and others.
The 360° camera will not function or will func-
tion in a limited manner in the following situa-
tions:
R the doors are open
R the exterior mirrors are folded in
R the tailgate is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R the cameras are exposed to very bright light
R the area is lit by fluorescent bulbs or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
R there is a sudden change in temperature,
such as when driving into a heated garage in
winter
R the camera lenses are dirty or covered
R the vehicle components in which the cameras
are installed are damaged In this event, have
the camera position and setting checked at a qualified specialist workshop
Do not use the 360° camera under such cir-
cumstances. You can otherwise injure others or cause damage to objects or the vehicle. Driving systems
201Driving and parking Z

Guide lines are always shown at road level. In
trailer mode, the guide lines are shown at the
level of the trailer coupling.
The field of vision and other functions of the
camera system may be restricted due to addi-
tional accessories on the rear of the vehicle (e.g.
license plate holder, bicycle rack).
On vehicles with height-adjustable chassis,
depending on technical conditions, leaving the
standard height can result in:
R inaccuracies in the guide lines
R inaccuracies in the display of generated
images (top view)
Activation conditions The 360° camera image can be displayed in the
following situations:
R your vehicle is equipped with a 360° camera
R the SmartKey is in key position 0048in the igni-
tion lock
R the multimedia system is switched on
Switching on the 360° camera X
Press the 00D4button in the center console
for longer than two seconds.
Depending on whether transmission position
005B or005E is selected, the following appears:
R a split screen with top view and the image
from the front camera or
R a split screen with top view and the image
from the rear view camera
or
X Press the 00D4button in the center console.
The vehicle menu is displayed.
X Select 360°
360° Camera Camera and press 7to confirm.
Depending on whether transmission position
005B or005E is selected, the following appears:
R a split screen with top view and the image
from the front camera or
R a split screen with top view and the image
from the rear view camera
Activating the 360° camera using
reverse gear The 360° camera images can be automatically
displayed by engaging reverse gear. X
Make sure that the SmartKey is in position 0048
in the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the Activation by R gear Activation by R gear
function is selected on the multimedia system (see the Digital Operator's Manual).
X To show the 360° camera image: engage
reverse gear.
The multimedia system shows the area
behind the vehicle in split-screen mode. You
see the top view of the vehicle and the image from the rear view camera.
Selecting the split-screens or 180° view Selecting split-screen view
X To switch to the line with the vehicle icons:
slide 5the controller.
X To select one of the vehicle icons: turn 3
the controller.
X To switch to 180° View
180° View :turn 3 the con-
troller to select 180° View
180° View and press7to
confirm.
i The
180° 180° View
Viewoption is only available in the
following views:
R Top view with picture from the rear view
camera
R Top view with picture from the front camera
Displays in the multimedia system Important safety notes
The camera system may show a distorted view
of obstacles, show them incorrectly or not at all. Obstacles are not shown by the system in the
following locations:
R under the front and rear bumpers
R very close to the front and rear bumpers
R in the area immediately above the tailgate
handle
R very close to the exterior mirrors
R in the transitional areas between the various
cameras in the virtual top view
! Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.:
R the bumper of a parked vehicle
R the drawbar of a trailer
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch 202
Driving systemsDriving and parking

This view assists you in estimating the distance
to the vehicle behind you.
i This setting can also be selected as an
enlarged front view.
Top view with image from the camera in
the exterior mirrors 0043
Symbol for setting the top view with image
from the forward camera in the exterior mir-
rors
0044 Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors (right side of
vehicle)
0087 Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors (left side of
vehicle)
i You can also select the camera setting in the
exterior mirrors for the rear-facing view.
Top view with trailer view 0043
Symbol for the trailer view setting
0044 Trailer drawbar marker assistant
0087 Ball coupling
0085 Red guide line at a distance of approximately
0.30 m from the ball coupling
The lines are shown at the level of the trailer
coupling. i
For technical reasons, the ball coupling of
the trailer tow hitch is only partially visible in
the multimedia system display.
180° view 0043
Symbol for the full screen setting with rear
view camera image
0044 Your vehicle
0087 Warning displays for Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC
i 180° view can also be selected as front
view.
Select this view when you are driving out of an
exit and the view of crossing traffic is restricted,
for example.
Exiting 360° camera display mode The 360° camera display is stopped:
R
when you select transmission position 005D, or
R when you are driving at moderate speeds
The previous display appears in the multimedia
system. You can also switch the display by
selecting the 0039symbol in the display and
pressing the controller to confirm. ATTENTION ASSIST
General notes ATTENTION ASSIST helps you during long,
monotonous journeys, such as on highways. It is
active in the 37 mph (60 km/h) to 125 mph
(200 km/h) range. If ATTENTION ASSIST
detects typical indicators of fatigue or increas-
ing lapses in concentration on the part of the
driver, it suggests taking a break. 204
Driving systemsDriving and parking

If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane next to your vehicle may be
indicated, especially if the vehicles are not driv-
ing in the middle of their lane. This may be the
case if there are vehicles driving at the inner
edge of their lanes.
Due to the nature of the system:
R warnings may be issued in error when driving
close to crash barriers or similar solid lane
borders.
R the warning is canceled when driving for an
extended period next to long vehicles, such as
trucks.
Warning lamp
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). Vehicles in
the monitoring range are then not indicated. 0043
Warning lamp
If Blind Spot Assist is activated, warning lamp 0043
in the exterior mirrors lights up yellow at speeds
of up to 20 mph (30 km/h). At speeds above
20 mph (30 km/h), the warning lamp goes out
and Blind Spot Assist is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the blind spot
monitoring range at speeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), warning lamp 0043on the correspond-
ing side lights up red. This warning is always
emitted when a vehicle enters the blind spot
monitoring range from behind or from the side.
When you overtake a vehicle, the warning only
occurs if the difference in speed is less than
7 mph (12 km/h).
If you select the reverse gear, Blind Spot Assist
is not operational.
The brightness of the warning lamps is auto-
matically adapted to the brightness of the sur-
roundings. Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range of
Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the corre-
sponding turn signal, a double warning tone
sounds. Red warning lamp 0043flashes. If the turn
signal remains on, detected vehicles are indica-
ted by the flashing of red warning lamp 0043.
There are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist X Make sure that Blind Spot Assist is activated
in the on-board computer (Y page 239).
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0048in the igni-
tion lock.
Warning lamps 0043in the exterior mirrors light
up red for approximately 1.5 seconds and
then turn yellow.
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. In this event, Blind Spot Assist is deac-
tivated. The warning lamp lights up yellow in the
exterior mirrors and the Blind Spot Assist
Blind Spot Assist
Not Available When Towing a Trailer Not Available When Towing a Trailer
See Operator's Manual See Operator's Manual message appears in
the multifunction display.
i You can deactivate the warning lamps in the
exterior mirrors.
To do so, switch off Blind Spot Assist when:
R the SmartKey is in position 0048in the igni-
tion lock
R the engine is not running
Lane Keeping Assist General notes
0043
Lane Keeping Assist camera 208
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Visual and acoustic collision warning
If you switch on the turn signals to change lanes
and a vehicle is detected in the side monitoring range, you receive a visual and acoustic collision
warning. You then hear a double warning tone
and red warning lamp 0043flashes. If the turn sig-
nal remains on, detected vehicles are indicated
by the flashing of red warning lamp 0043. There are
no further warning tones.
Course-correcting brake application If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a lat-
eral collision in the monitoring range, a course-
correcting brake application is carried out. This is meant to assist you in avoiding a collision. G
WARNING
A course-correcting brake application cannot always prevent a collision. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Blind Spot Assist warns
you or makes a course-correcting brake appli-
cation. Always maintain a safe distance at the sides.
If a course-correcting brake application occurs, red warning lamp 0043flashes in the exterior mir-
ror and a double warning tone sounds. In addi-
tion, a display underlining the danger of a side
collision appears in the multifunction display.
In very rare cases, the system may make an
inappropriate brake application. A course-cor-
recting brake application may be interrupted at
any time by countersteering slightly or acceler-
ating.
The course-correcting brake application is avail-
able in the speed range between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Either no braking application, or a course-cor-
recting brake application adapted to the driving situation occurs if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, located on both sides of your vehicle.
R a vehicle approaches you too closely at the
side.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds.
R you clearly brake or accelerate.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake. R
ESP ®
is switched off.
R the offroad program is activated (vehicles
without the Offroad Engineering package).
R the Offroad or Offroad Plus drive program is
activated (vehicles with the Off-Road Engi-
neering package).
R the LOW RANGE offroad gear is activated
(vehicles with the Offroad Engineering pack-
age).
R a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire is
detected.
Switching on Active Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that Active Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 239) is activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0048in the igni-
tion lock.
Warning lamps 0043in the exterior mirrors light
up red for approximately 1.5 seconds and
then turn yellow.
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. Active Blind Spot Assist is then deacti-
vated. The indicator lamp lights up yellow in the
exterior mirrors and the Active Blind Spot
Active Blind Spot
Asst. Not Available When Towing a Asst. Not Available When Towing a
Trailer See Operator's Manual
Trailer See Operator's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
Active Lane Keeping Assist General notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of multifunction
camera 0043at the top of the windshield. Various
different areas to the front, rear and side of your 212
Driving systemsDriving and parking

cases, the system may make an inappropriate
brake application, e.g. after intentionally driv-
ing over a solid lane marking. There is a risk of an accident.
An inappropriate brake application may be
interrupted at any time if you steer slightly in
the opposite direction. Always make sure that
there is sufficient distance on the side for
other traffic or obstacles. If you leave your lane, under certain circumstan-
ces the vehicle will brake briefly on one side.
This is meant to assist you in bringing the vehicle
back to the original lane.
If a lane-correcting brake application occurs,
display 0043appears in the multifunction display.
A lane-correcting brake application can be made
after driving over a solid or broken lane marking.
Before this, a warning must be given by means of
intermittent vibration in the steering wheel. In
addition, a lane with lane markings on both sides must have been detected.
In the case of a broken lane marking being
detected, a lane-correcting brake application
can only be made if a vehicle has been detected
in the adjacent lane. The following vehicles can
have an influence on brake application: oncom- ing traffic, vehicles that are overtaking and vehi-cles that are driving parallel to your vehicle.
i A further lane-correcting brake application
can only occur after your vehicle has returned
to the original lane.
No lane-correcting brake application occurs if:
R you clearly and actively steer, brake or accel-
erate
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend
R you have switched on the turn signal R
a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP ®
,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind Spot Assist
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of accel-
eration
R ESP ®
is switched off
R the transmission is not in position 005B
R on vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the elec-
trical connection to the trailer has been cor-
rectly established
R the Off-road program is activated (vehicles
without the Off-road Engineering Package)
R the Off-road or Off-road Plus drive program is
activated (vehicles with the Off-road Engi-
neering Package)
R the LOW RANGE off-road gear is activated
(vehicles with the Off-road Engineering Pack-
age)
R an obstacle has been detected in the lane in
which you are driving
R when a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire
has been detected and displayed
There is a possibility that the Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist could misjudge the given traffic sit-
uation. An inappropriate brake application may
be interrupted at any time if you:
R steer slightly in the opposite direction
R switch on the turn signal
R clearly brake or accelerate
A lane-correcting brake application is interrup-
ted automatically if:
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP ®
,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind Spot Assist
R lane markings are no longer detected
Switching on Active 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). Active Lane Keeping
Assist is ready for use.
If Standard Standard is selected, no warning vibration
occurs if: 214
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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