2019 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV traction control

The
stationary heater and theex haust gas outlet
are situated behind theright-hand front wheel.
Switching thest ationary heater/stationary
ve ntilation on/off via the control panel &
DANG ER Risk of fata l injury due topoi‐
sonous exhaust gases
If th eta ilpipe is bloc ked or suf ficient ventila‐
tion is not possible, poisonous exhaust gases
such as carbon monoxide may enter theve hi‐
cle. This is the case in enclosed spaces or if
th eve hicle getsst uck in sn ow,fo rex ample. #
Alw ays switch thest ationary heater off
in enclosed spaces without an air
ex traction sy stems, e.g. in garage s. #
Keep theta ilpipe and the area around
th eve hicle free from snow when the
engine or thest ationary heater are run‐
ning. #
Open a window on the windward side of
th eve hicle toensure an adequate sup‐
ply of fresh air. &
WARNING Risk offire due tohot station‐
ary heater components
When thest ationary heater is swit ched on,
parts of theve hicle can become very hot,
e.g. thest ationary heater exhaust sy stem.
Flammable materials such as lea ves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact
wi th:
R hot parts of thest ationary heater exhaust
sy stem
R theex haust gas itself
There is a risk of fire. #
When thest ationary heater is swit ched
on, make sure that:
R hot vehicle parts do not come into
contact with flammable materials.
R theex haust gas can flow out of the
st ationary heater exhaust pipe
unhindered.
R theex haust gas does not come into
contact with flammable materials. *
NO
TEBattery discharge caused bysta‐
tionary heater or stationary ventilation
operation Ope
rating thest ationary heater or stationary
ve ntilation drains the batter y. #
After heating or ventilating theve hicle
twice, drive for a longer period of time. Re
quirements:
R The fuel tank is filled toat least reser vefuel
le ve l. 18 2
Climate cont rol

R
ESP ®
(E lectronic Stability Program)
(/ page 230)
R Speed Limit Assist (/ page 301)
R Active Speed Limit Assi st (/ page 251)
R HOLD function (/ page 260)
R STEER CONTROL (/ page 235)
R Active Steering Assist (/ page 253)
R Limiter (/ page242)
R Active Parking Assist (/ page 293)
R Parking Assist PARKTRONIC ( /page 279)
R Reversing camera (/ page 286)
R Cruise control (/ page241)
R Function of Blind Spot Assi stand Active Blind
Spot Assi stwith exitwa rning (/ page 306)
R Traf fic Sign Assi st (/ page 303) Fu
nction of ABS (Anti-lock Braking Sy stem) ABS
regulates the brake pressure in critical driv‐
ing situations:
R During braking, e.g. at full brake application
or insuf ficient tyre traction, the wheels are
pr eve nted from lo cking.
R Vehicle steerability while braking is ensured.
If ABS inter venes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal. The pulsating brake
pedal can be an indication of hazardous road
conditions and can ser veas a reminder totake
ex tra care while driving.
Sy stem limitations
R ABS is active from speeds of appr ox.
8 km/h.
R ABS may be impai red or may not function if a
malfunction has occur red and theye l‐
low ! ABSwarning lamp lights up contin‐
uously in the instrument clus ter af terthe
engine is star ted. Fu
nctions of Off-road ABS Off-road ABS is specially adap
tedfo r driving off-
ro ad:
R The front wheels lock cyclically during brak‐
ing.
R The braking dis tance is sho rtened due tothe
digging-in ef fect.
Sy stem limits
R Off- road ABS functions at speeds below
40 km/h.
R If Off- road ABS inter venes, the ability tosteer
may be restricted. Fu
nction of BAS (Brake Assist Sy stem) &
WARNING Risk of an accident caused by
a malfunction in BAS (Brake Assi stSys‐
te m)
If BA S is malfunctioning, the braking dis tance
in an eme rgency braking situation is
increased. Driving and parking
229

R
Vehicles with trailer hitch: stabilisation of
th eve hicle/trailer combination is no longer
active.
R Crosswind Assist is no longer active.
R The drive wheels could spin.
R ETS/4ETS traction control is still active.
% When ESP ®
is deactivated, you are still assis‐
te dby ESP ®
when braking.
If th e÷ ESP®
wa rning lamp flashes in the
instrument clus ter,one or se veralve hicle wheels
has reached its grip limit:
R Adapt your driving style to suit the cur rent
ro ad and weather conditions.
R Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
R Onlydepress the accelera tor pedal as far as
is necessary when pulling away. Deactivate ESP
®
in thefo llowing situations to
impr ove traction:
R When using snow chains.
R In deep sn ow.
R On sand or gr avel.
% Spinning the wheels results in a cutting
action, which enhances traction.
If th e÷ ESP®
wa rning lamp lights up continu‐
ousl y,ESP ®
is not available due toa malfunction.
Obse rveth efo llowing information:
R Warning and indicator lamps (/ page 665)
R Display messages (/ page611)
ETS/4ETS (Elect ronic Traction Sy stem)
ETS/4E TStraction control is pa rtof ESP ®
and
makes it possible topull away and accelerate on
a slippe rycar riag ew ay. If
yo u select theF orG drive prog ram, a
special ETS sy stem specifically suited tooff-road
te rrain is automatically activated.
ETS/4E TScan impr ovetheve hicle's traction by
inter vening in thefo llowing ways:
R The drive wheels are braked individually if
they spin.
R More drive torque is transferred tothe wheel
or wheels with traction.
Influence of drive prog rams on ESP ®
The drive prog rams enable ESP ®
to adapt todif‐
fe re nt we ather and road conditions as well as
th e driver's prefer red driving style. You can
select the drive prog rams using theDY NA MIC
SELECT switch (/ page 204). Driving and parking
231

speed abo
ve20 km/h up tothe maximum speed
or up tothe set winter tyre limit. The maximum
speed is reduced when driving in LOWRANGE
off-road gear (/ page210).
If yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style, cruise con‐
trol can neither reduce therisk of an accident
nor override the la wsof ph ysics. It cannot take
into account road, weather or traf fic conditions.
Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible
fo r maintaining a safe dis tance totheve hicle in
front, forve hicle speed, for braking in good time
and forst ay ing in lane.
Displa yson the multifunction display
The status of cruise control and thestored
speed are shown in the multifunction displa y. 1
Cruise cont rol is selec ted
2 Speed is sa ved, cruise control is deactivated
3 Speed is sa ved, cruise control is activated
% The segments extending from the cur rent
st ored speed tothe end of the scale, or to
th e set winter tyre limit, light up in the
speedome ter.
Sy stem limits
Cruise control may be unable tomaintain the
st ored speed on uphill gradients. The stored
speed is resumed when the gradient evens out.
Change into a lo werge ar in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular no
te ofthis when driving a laden vehicle. By
doing so, you will make use of the engine's brak‐
ing ef fect. This relie vesth e load on the brake
sy stem and pr events the brakes from overheat‐
ing and wearing tooqu ickl y.
Do not use cruise control in thefo llowing situa‐
tions:
R In traf fic situations whi chrequ ire frequent
ch anges of speed, e.g. in heavy traf fic, on
winding roads.
R On slippe ryroads. Accelerating can cause
th e drive wheels tolose traction and the
ve hicle could then skid.
R Ifyo u are driving when visibility is poor.
Fu nction of the limiter
The limiter restricts the speed of theve hicle. To
re duce the speed tothe set speed, the limiter
applies the brakes automaticall y.
Yo u can limit the speed as follo ws:
R Variable: for speed restrictions, e.g. in built-
up areas.
R Perm anen t:for long-term speed restrictions,
e.g. when driving in winter tyre mode. 242
Driving and pa rking

Information on DSR
&
WARNING Risk of skidding and having
an accident when DSR is acti vated on
slippery road sur faces
If th e speed driven and theta rget speed dif‐
fe r, and you activate DSR on a slippery road
sur face, the wheels may lose traction. #
Take into account thero ad sur face and
th e dif fere nce between the driving
speed and target speed before activat‐
ing DSR. If
yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style, DSR can
neither reduce therisk of an accident nor over‐
ri de the la wsof ph ysics. It cannot take into
account road, weather or traf fic conditions. DSR
is only an aid. You are responsible for maintain‐
ing a safe dis tance totheve hicle in front, for
ve hicle speed, for braking in good time and for
st ay ing in lane.
Yo u are alw aysre sponsible forke eping control of
th eve hicle and for assessing whe ther the down‐
hill gradient can be managed. Depending on
ro ad sur face and tyres, DSR may not al ways be able
tokeep totheta rget speed. Select a target
speed suitable forth e environmen tal conditions
and when necessar y,also apply the brakes.
Ac tivating/deactivating DSR (vehicles with
Off-road pac kage or E- Active Body Control)
Re quirements:
R You are driving at 40 km/h or slo wer.
If th e cur rent vehicle speed is too high, the
Max. speed 40 km/h message appears in
th e multifunction displa y.
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is deacti‐
va ted. #
Toactivate: pullrock er switch 1.
Indicator lamp 2lights up.
The DSR symbol appears in the multifunction
displa y. #
Todeactivate: pullrock er switch 1.
Indicator lamp 2and theDSR symbol go
out. 246
Driving and pa rking

ro
ads with separate car riag ewa ys(countr y-
dependent).
Ve hicles with Active Parking Assist and Driv‐
ing Assistance Package: ifth eve hicle has
been braked toast andstill on multi-lane, sepa‐
ra te car riag ewa ysby Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC, it can au tomatical lyfollow theve hi‐
cle in front driving off again within 30 seconds. If
a critical situation is de tected when driving off, a
visual and acoustic warning is given indicating
th at the driver must now take control of theve hi‐
cle. The vehicle is not accelerated any fur ther.
Ac tive Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is only an aid.
The driver is responsible forke eping a safe dis‐
ta nce totheve hicle in front, forve hicle speed
and for braking in good time.
Sy stem limitations
The sy stem may be impaired or may not function
in thefo llowing ins tances:
R In sno w,rain, fog, heavy spr ay, if there is
gl are, in direct sunlight or in great lyvarying
light conditions. R
The windsc reen in the area of the camera is
dirty, mis ted up, damaged or co vered.
R Ifth era dar sensors are dirty or co vered.
R In multi- stor ey car pa rks or on roads with
st eep uphill or downhill gradients.
R Ifth ere are nar rowvehicles in front, such as
bicycles or mo torcyc les.
In addition, on slippery roads, braking or accel‐
erating can cause one or se veral wheels tolose
traction and theve hicle could then skid.
Do not use Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC in
th ese situations. &
WARNING Risk of accident from acceler‐
ation or braking byActive Dis tance
Assi stDISTRONIC
Ac tive Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC may accel‐
erate or brake in thefo llowing cases, for
ex ample:
R Ifth eve hicle pulls away using Active Dis‐
ta nce Assi stDISTRONIC. R
Ifth estored speed is called up and is
considerably faster or slo werth an the
cur rently driven speed.
R IfAc tive Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC no
longer de tects a vehicle in front or does
not react toreleva nt objects. #
Alw ays carefully obser vethe traf fic con‐
ditions and be ready tobrake at all
times. #
Take into account the tra ffic situation
before calling up thestored speed. &
WARNING Risk of accident due toinsuf‐
fi cient decele ration byActive Dis tance
Assi stDISTRONIC
Ac tive Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC brakes
yo ur vehicle with up to50 % of the maximum
possible deceleration. If this decele ration is
not su fficient, Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC alerts you with a visual and
acoustic warning. 248
Driving and pa rking

*
NO
TERisk of dama gedue totheve hicle
moving up and down When free driving mode is activated,
the
ve hicle bounces up and down. Vehicle parts
may be damaged if the underbody bottoms
out. #
Make sure that there is suf ficient
ground clearance when free driving
mode is acti vated. Re
covery mode is a function of the suspension
which can assist the driver on loose sur faces
(e.g. sand, snow) when freeing a vehicle which
has become stuc k.
The vehicle body rock s in slo w,vertical motions
when reco very mode has been activated. This
te mp orarily puts the wheels under greater load,
which means they have inc reased traction and
th eve hicle is freed.
Yo u can activate reco very mode via Off-road
Assist (/ page278). Fu
nction of individual wheel control &
WARNING Risk of becoming trapped
due totheve hicle lo wering
The vehicle can be lo wered when the individ‐
ual wheel control function has been activa‐
te d. Body parts could become trapped if they
are between theve hicle body and the tyres
or underneath theve hicle. #
Make sure that nobody is under the
ve hicle or in the immediate vicinity of
th e wheel ar ches when individual wheel
control is activated. *
NO
TERisk of dama gedue totheve hicle
moving up and down The
vehicle can be lo wered or raised on one
or more wheels when the individual wheel
control function has been activated. Vehicle
parts could be damaged due tocontact wi th
objects. #
Make sure that theve hicle has suf fi‐
cient room tomo vewhen the individual wheel control function has been activa‐
te
d. Individual wheel control is a function of
the sus‐
pension which can be used toset theve hicle
le ve lfo r each wheel individually. This can help to
impr ove alignment of the body when driving off-
ro ad.
Yo u can activate individual wheel cont rol via Off-
ro ad Assist (/ page278).
Setting theve hicle le vel &
WARNING Risk of accident because
ve hicle le vel is too high
If yo u drive at a higher vehicle le vel,th e driv‐
ing characteristics may be impaired due to
th e higher vehicle centre of gravity.
The vehicle can drift outwards, forex ample,
when steering or cornering. #
Alw aysch oose a vehicle le vel which is
suited tothe driving style and thero ad
sur face conditions. Driving and pa
rking 275

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and M
MSolutions &
WARNING Risk of an accident due toinsuf ficient tyre pressure
Ty res with insuf ficient tyre pressure pose thefo llowing risks:
R The tyres may bur st, especially as the load and vehicle speed increase.
R The tyres may wearexc essively and/or une venly, which may greatly impair tyre traction.
R ‑ The driving characteristics, steering and braking may be greatly impaired.
Yo u could then lose control of theve hicle. #
Obser vethere commended tyre pressures. #
Adjust the tyre pressure if necessar y. #
Stop theve hicle, paying attention toroad and traf fic conditions. #
Check the tyre pressure (/ page571) and the tyres. #
When the tyre pressure is cor rect, restart the tyre pressure loss warning sy stem (/ page578).
h
Tyre press. mo nitor cur-
rently unavailable *T
here is inter fere nce from a po werful radio signal source. As a result, no signals from the tyre pressure sensors are
re cei ved. The tyre pressure monitoring sy stem is temp orarily una vailable. #
Drive on.
The tyre pressure monitoring sy stem restarts automatically as soon as the cause has been rectified. 650
Display messages and warning/indicator lamps