2020 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV warning

Obser
vethis Owner's Manual.
Obser vethefo llowing if you do not intend touse
th eve hicle over an extended pe riod of time:
R Activate standby mode.
R Alternatively: connect the battery toa bat‐
te ry charge r appro vedby Mercedes-Benz or
consult a qualified specialist workshop to
disconnect the batter y. Note
s onstarting assi stance and charging
th e12 V battery Ve
hicles with a lithium-ion battery
When charging the battery and during starting
assis tance, al ways use the jump-s tart connec‐
tion point in the engine compartment. *
NO
TEDama getothe battery from over‐
vo ltage When
charging using a bat tery charge r with‐
out a restriction of the maximum charging
vo ltage, the battery or the on-board electron‐
ics can be damaged. #
Only use battery charge rs with a maxi‐
mum charging voltage of 14.8 V. All
other vehicles
When charging the battery and during starting
assis tance, al ways use the jump-s tart connec‐
tion point in the engine compartment.
* NO
TEDama getothe battery from over‐
vo ltage When
charging using a bat tery charge r with‐
out a restriction of the maximum charging
vo ltage, the battery or the on-board electron‐
ics can be damaged. #
Only use battery charge rs with a maxi‐
mum charging voltage of 14.8 V. &
WARNING Risk ofexplosion from hydro‐
ge nga s igniting
There is a danger of hydrogen gas igniting
when charging the battery if there is a short
circuit or spar ksstart toform. #
Make sure that the positive term inal of
th e connected battery does not come
into conta ct withvehicle parts. #
Never place me tal objects or tools on a
batter y. #
The described order of the battery
clamps must be obser ved when con‐
necting and disconnecting the batter y. #
When giving starting assis tance, al ways
make sure that you on lyconnect bat‐
te ry term inals with identical polarity. #
During starting assis tance, you must
obse rveth e described order for con‐
necting and disconnecting the jump
lead. #
Do not connect or disconnect the bat‐
te ry cla mp s while the engine is running. 382
Breakdown assi stance

&
WARNING Risk ofexplosion during
ch arging process and starting assis tance
During thech arging process and starting
assis tance, the battery may release an explo‐
sive gas mixture. #
Avoid fire , naked flames, creating
spar ksand smoking. #
Make sure there is suf ficient ventila‐
tion. #
Do not lean over a batter y. &
WARNING Risk ofexplosion from a fro‐
zen battery
A dischar ged battery may freeze at temp era‐
tures slightly abo veor below freezing point.
During starting assis tance or battery charg‐
ing, bat tery gas can be released. #
Alw ays allow a battery tothaw before
ch arging it or per form ing starting assis‐
ta nce. If
th e indicator/warning lamps in the instrument
clus ter do not light up at low temp eratures, it is
ve ry likely that the dischar ged battery has fro‐
zen. In this case you may neither jump-s tart the
ve hicle nor charge the batter y.
The service life of a battery that has been
th awe d may be dramatically shor tened. The
st arting characteristics may be impaired, espe‐
cially at low temp eratures.
It is recommended that you ha veathaw ed bat‐
te ry checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
All vehicles
* NO
TEDama gecaused bynumerous or
ex tended attem ptsto start the engine Nume
rous or extended attem ptsto start the
engine may damage the catalytic con verter
due tonon-combu sted fuel. #
Avoid numerous and extended attem pts
to start the engine. Obser
vethefo llowing points during starting
assis tance and when charging the battery:
R Only use undamaged jump lead/charging
cables with a suf ficient cross-section and
insula tedte rm inal clamps.
R Non- insulated parts of thete rm inal clamps
must not come into con tact wi thother me tal
parts while the jump lead/charging cable is
connected tothe battery/jump-s tart connec‐
tion point.
R The jump lead/charging cable must not
come into contact wi thany parts which may
mo vewhen the engine is running.
R Alw ays make sure that nei ther you nor the
battery is elect rostatically charge d.
R Keep away from fire and naked flames.
R Do not lean overth e batter y.
Obser vethe additional following points when
ch arging the battery:
R Only use battery charge rs tested and
appr oved for Mercedes-Benz.
R Read the battery charge r's operating instruc‐
tions before charging the batter y. Breakdown assis
tance 383

*
NO
TEDama gedue to to wing away at
exc essively high speeds or over long dis‐
ta nces The driv
etra in could be damaged when tow‐
ing at excessively high speeds or over long
dis tances. #
Atowing speed of 50 km/h must not
be exc eeded. #
Atowing dis tance of 50 km must not be
exc eeded. &
WARNING Risk of accident when towing
a ve hicle which is too heavy
If th eve hicle being tow- star ted or towed
aw ay is heavier than the permissible gross
mass, thefo llowing situations can occur:
R theto wing eye may become de tach ed.
R the car/t railer combination may swer ve
or eve nove rturn. #
If ano ther vehicle is tow- star ted or
to we daw ay, its weight must not exceed th
e permissible gross mass of your own
ve hicle. #
Information on the permissible gross mass of
th eve hicle can be found on theve hicle iden‐
tification plate (/ page415). #
Do not open the driver's door or front
passenger door as the automatic transmis‐
sion may otherwise shift toposition jauto‐
maticall y. #
Fittheto wing eye (/ page 389). #
Fasten theto w bar.
* NO
TEDama gedue toincor rect connec‐
tion of theto w bar #
Onlyconnect theto w rope or tow bar to
th eto wing eyes. %
You can also attach theto w bar tothe trailer
hitch. #
Deactivate the automatic locking mechanism
(/ page 84). #
Do not activate the HOLD function. #
Deactivate tow- aw ay protection
(/ page 103). #
Deactivate Active Brake Assi st
( / page 253). #
Shift the automatic transmission toposition
i(/ page 205). #
Release the electric parking brake. &
WARNING Risk of accident due tolimi‐
te d saf ety-re lated functions during the
to wing process
Saf ety-re lated functions are limited or no lon‐
ge rav ailable in thefo llowing situations:
R the ignition is switched off.
R the brake sy stem or po werst eering sys‐
te m is malfunctioning.
R the energy supply or the on-board electri‐
cal sy stem is malfunctioning.
When your vehicle is then towe daw ay, signif‐
icantly more ef fort may be requ ired tosteer
and brake than is no rmally requ ired. #
Use a tow bar. Breakdown assis
tance 387

#
Make sure that thesteering wheel can
mo vefreely, before towing theve hicle
aw ay. *
NO
TEDama gedue toexcessive tracti ve
po wer If
yo u pull away sharpl y,the tractive po wer
may be too high and theve hicles could be
damaged. #
Pull away slowly and smoo thly. Loading the
vehicle for transport #
Obser vethe no tes on towing away
( / page 386). #
Connect theto w bar totheto wing eye in
order toload theve hicle.
% You can also attach theto w bar tothe trailer
hitch. #
Shift the automatic transmission toposition
i. %
The automatic transmission may be loc ked
in position jintheeve nt of dama getothe
electrics. Toshift toi , pr ovide the on-
board electrical sy stem with po wer
( / page 384). #
Load theve hicle onto the transpor ter. #
Shift the automatic transmission toposition
j. #
Use the electric parking brake tosecure the
ve hicle against rolling away. #
Only secure theve hicle bythe wheels.
Ve hicles with ADS PLUS (Adaptive Damping
Sy stem PLUS) &
WARNING Risk of an accident when
transporting vehicles with Adaptive
Damping Sy stem PLUS
The reduced damping forc es on theve hicle
being transpor ted can cause theve hicle/
trailer combination tostart toswing.
As a result, when transporting vehicles with
th eAd aptive Damping Sy stem PLUS, the ve
hicle/trailer combination may start toskid.
Consequentl y,yo u could lose cont rol of your
ve hicle. #
When transporting, ensure that:
R theve hicle has been loaded onto
th e transpor ter cor rectly
R theve hicle is secured at all four
wheels with suitable tensioning
st ra ps
R the maximum permissible speed of
60 km/h is not exceeded when
transporting *
NO
TEDama getotheve hicle from secur‐
ing it incor rectly #
After loading, theve hicle must be
secured on all four wheels. Otherwise,
th eve hicle could be damaged. #
A minimum dis tance of 20 cm up wards
and 10cm down wards must be kept to
th e transport platform. 388
Breakdown assis tance

to
wing eye. Fasten theto w bar tothe trailer
hitch.
% Make sure that co ver1 engages in the
bumper when youre mo vetheto wing eye.
* NO
TEDama getotheve hicle due to
incor rect use of theto wing eye When a
towing eye is used toreco ver a vehi‐
cle, theve hicle may be damaged in the proc‐
ess. #
Only use theto wing eyeto to waw ay or
to w start theve hicle. To
w starting theve hicle (eme rgency engine
st art) Ve
hicles with automatic transmission
* NO
TEDama getothe automatic trans‐
mission due to tow-starting The automatic transmission may be damaged
in the process of tow- starting vehicles with
automatic transmission. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow- star ted. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be tow- star ted. Electrical fuses
Note
s on electrical fuses &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
due to ov erloaded lines
If yo u manipulate or bridge a faulty fuse or if
yo ure place it with a fuse with a higher
amperage, the electric line could be overloa‐
ded.
This could result in a fire. #
Alw aysre place faulty fuses with speci‐
fi ed new fuses conta iningthe cor rect
amperage. *
NO
TEDama gedue toincor rect fuses Electrical components or sy
stems may be
damaged byincor rect fuses, or their func‐
tionality may be significant lyimpaired. #
Only use fuses that ha vebeen appr oved
by Mercedes-Benz and which ha vethe
cor rect fuse rating. Blown fuses mu
stbe replaced with fuses of the
same rating, which you can recognise bythe col‐
our and the labelling. The fuse ratings and fur‐
th er information tobe obser ved can be found in
th e fuse assignment diagram.
Fu se assignment diag ram: onthe fuse box in
th e load compartment (/ page 392).
* NO
TEDama geor malfunctions caused
by moisture Moisture may cause dama
getothe electrical
sy stem or cause it tomalfunction. 390
Breakdown assi stance

#
When the fuse box is open, make sure
th at no moisture can enter the fuse
box. #
When closing the fuse box, make sure
th at the seal of the lid is positioned cor‐
re ctly on the fuse box. If
th e newly inser ted fuse also blo ws, ha vethe
cause traced and rectified at a qualified special‐
ist workshop.
Ensure thefo llowing before replacing a fuse:
R The vehicle is secured against rolling away.
R All electrical consumers are switched off.
R The ignition is switched off.
The electrical fuses are located in various fuse
bo xes:
R Fuse box in the engine compartment on the
left-hand side of theve hicle, when vie wed in
th e direction of tr avel (/ page 391)
R Fuse box on the driver's side of the cockpit
(/ page 392) R
Fuse box in the front passenger foot we ll
(/ page 392)
R Fuse box in the load compartment on the
ri ght-hand side of theve hicle, when vie wed
in the direction of tra vel (/ page 392) Opening and closing
the fuse box in the
engine compa rtment Re
quirement:
R You need a dry clo thand a sc rewdriver.
Obser vethe no tes on electrical fuses
(/ page 390).
Opening &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom using the
windscreen wipers while the engine bon‐
net is open
When the engine bonn etis open, and the
windscreen wipers are set in motion, you can
be trapped bythe wiper linkage. #
Alw ays switch off the windscreen wip‐
ers and ignition before opening the
engine bonn et. #
Remo veany existing moisture from the fuse
box using a dry clo th. #
Loosen scr ews2 and remo vefuse box lid
1 from theto p. Breakdown assis
tance 391

Note
s on noise or unusual handling charac‐
te rist ics
Make sure there are no vibrations, noises or
unusual handling characteristics when theve hi‐
cle is in motion. This may indicate that the
wheels or tyres are damaged. Hidden tyre dam‐
age could also be causing the unusual handling
ch aracteristics.
If yo u suspect that a tyre is defective, reduce
yo ur speed immediately and ha vethe tyres and
wheels checked at a qualified specialist work‐
shop. Note
s onregular lyinspecting wheels and
tyres &
WARNING Risk of inju rydue todamaged
tyres
Damaged tyres can cause tyre pressure loss. #
Check the tyres regularly for signs of
dama geand replace any damaged tyres
immediatel y. &
WARNING Risk of aquaplaning due to
insuf ficient tyre tread
Insu fficient tyre tread will result in reduced
tyre grip.
The risk of aquaplaning is increased on wet
ro ads, especially when the speed of theve hi‐
cle is not adap tedto suit the conditions. #
Thus, you should regularly check the
tread de pth and the condition of the
tread across the entire width of all
tyres.
Minimum tread dep thfor:
R Summer tyres: 3 mm
R M+S tyres: 4 mm #
For saf etyre asons, replace the tyres
before the legally-prescribed limit for
th e minimum tread dep thisreached. Car
ryout thefo llowing checks on all wheels reg‐
ularly, at least once a month or as requ ired, for
ex ample, prior toa long journey or driving off-
ro ad:
R Check the tyre pressure (/ page 394).
R Visually inspect wheels and tyres for dam‐
age.
R Check theva lve caps.
R Visual check of the tyre tread dep thand the
tyre contact su rface across the entire width.
The minimum tread dep thfor summer tyres
is 3 mm and for winter tyres 4 mm. Note
s on snow chains &
WARNING Risk of accident due toincor‐
re ct snow chain fitting
If yo u ha vefitted snow chains tothe front
wheels, the snow chains may drag against
th eve hicle body or chassis components.
This could cause damage totheve hicle or
th e tyres. Wheels and tyres
393

#
Neverfit snow chains on the front
wheels. #
Only fit snow chains on there ar wheels
in pairs. *
NO
TEDama getocomponents of the
ve hicle body or chassis due tofitted
snow chains If
yo ufit snow chains tothe front wheels of
4MATIC vehicles, you may damage co mpo‐
nents of theve hicle body or chassis. #
Onlyfit snow chains tothere ar wheels
of 4MATIC vehicles. R
Snow chains are on ly permissible for cer tain
wheel/tyre combinations. You can obtain
information about this from a Mercedes-Benz
Service Cent re.
R For saf etyre asons, on lyuse sn owchains that
ha ve been specifically appr ovedfo ryo ur
ve hicle byMercedes-Benz, or snow chains
with the same quality standard. R
If sn owchains are fitted, the maximum per‐
missible speed is 50 km/h.
R Vehicles with Active Parking Assis t:do
not use Active Parking Assist when snow
ch ains are fitted.
R Vehicles with AIRMATIC or E- ACTIVE
BO DY CONT ROL:if sn ow ch ains are fitted,
only drive at raised vehicle le vel .
% You can permanently limit the maximum
ve hicle speed for driving with winter tyres
(/ page 236).
% You can deactivate ESP ®
to pull away
( / page 229). This allo wsthe wheels to
spin, achieving an increased driving forc e. Ty
re pressure Note
s on tyre pressure &
WARNING Risk of accident due toinsuf‐
fi cient or excessive tyre pressure
Ty res with either too low or too high a pres‐
sure present thefo llowing hazards:
R the tyres could bur st
R the tyres could wearexcessively and/or
une venly
R the driving characteristics as well as
st eering and braking characteristics may
be se verely impaired #
Obse rveth ere commended tyre pres‐
su res and check the tyre pressures of
all tyres including the spare wheel:
R monthly
R if altering the load on theve hicle
R prior tolong journe ys
R ifth e operating conditions change, for
ex ample when driving off- road 394
Wheels and tyres