2021 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV Owners Manual

#
Switch o. theve hicle. #
Neverto uch the danger zones sur round-
ing moving components, e.g. thero tation
area of thefa n. #
Remo vejewe llery and watches. #
Keep items of clo thing and hair away
from moving pa rts. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury from touching
components under voltage
The ignition system and the fuel injection sys-
te m operate at high voltage. You could receive
an elect ric shoc k. #
Neverto uch ignition system or fuel injec-
tion system components when theve hi-
cle is switched on. The live components include
thefo llowing, for
ex ample:
R Ignition coils
R Fuel injectors R
Electric lines tothe ignition coils and the fuel
injectors &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of burns from hot compo-
nent parts in the engine compartment
Cer tain component parts in the engine com-
partment can be very hot, e.g. the engine, the
cooler and parts of theex haust system. #
Allow the engine tocool down and only
to uch component parts described in the
fo llowing. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury from using the
windscreen wipers when the bonnet is
open
If th e windscreen wipers start moving when
th e bonnet is open, you could be trapped by
th e wiper linkage. #
Always switch o. the windscreen wipers
and theve hicle /r stifyo u need toopen
th e bonnet. Opening t
Opening t
he bonnet
he bonnet #
Torelease the bonnet, pull on handle 1.366
366
Maintenance and care

#
Push handle 1ofthe bonnet catch upwards
and liT the bonnet until it opens automaticall y.
Closing t
Closing t he bonnet
he bonnet
* NO
NOTE
TEDamage tothe bonnet If
th e bonnet is closed manuall y,there is a risk
of dents. #
Do not close the bonnet manuall y. #
Lowe rth e bonnet toa height of around 20 cm
and then allow it tofall, applying a little force
as you let it go. #
Ifth e bonnet can still be liTed slightl y,open
th e bonnet again and close it with a little more
fo rc e until it engages cor rectl y. Engine oil
Engine oil
Chec
Chec
king t
king t he engine oil lev
he engine oil lev el using t
el using the on-board
he on-board
com
com put
puter
er
R
R eq
eq uir
uir ements:
ements:
R The engine has been warmed up.
R The vehicle is par ked on a le vel sur face.
R The engine is running at idle speed.
R The bonnet is closed.
The engine oil le vel is de term ined during driving.
De term ining the engine oil le vel can take up to
30 minutes with a normal driving style and even
longer with an active driving style. On-board computer:
4 Service 5
Engine oil level
One of thefo llowing message s will appear onthe
inst rument displa y:
R Engine oil level Measuring now: measu rement
of the oil le vel is not yet possible. #
Repeat there qu est aTer a maximum of
30 minutes' driving.
R Engine oil level OK andthe bar display for
indicating the oil le vel on the inst rument dis-
play is green and is between "min" and "max":
th e oil le vel is cor rect.
R Engine oil level Add 1,0 l andthe bar display
fo r indicating the oil le vel on the inst rument
display is orange and is below "min": #
Add 1 l of engine oil.
R Reduce engine oil level andthe bar display for
indicating the oil le vel on the inst rument dis-
play is orange and is abo ve"max": Main
tenance and ca re
367
367

#
Drain o. any excess engine oil that has been
added. Todo so, consult a quali/ed specialist
wo rkshop.
R For engine oil level turn on ignition #
Switch on theve hicle tocheck the engine oil
le ve l.
R Engine oil level System inoperative: The oil
le ve l sensor is defective or not connected. #
Consult a quali/ed specialist workshop.
R Engine oil level System currently unavail. #
Close the bonnet.
T
T opping up engine oil
opping up engine oil &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of burns from hot compo-
nent parts in the engine compartment
Cer tain component parts in the engine com-
partment can be very hot, e.g. the engine, the
cooler and parts of theex haust system. #
Allow the engine tocool down and only
to uch component parts described in the
fo llowing. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of /re and injury from
engine oil
If engine oil comes into contact with hot com-
ponent parts in the engine compartment, it
may ignite. #
Make sure that no engine oil is spilled
next tothe /ller opening. #
Allow the engine tocool o. and thor-
oughly clean the engine oil from compo-
nent parts before starting theve hicle. *
N NOOTE
TE Engine damage caused byan inco r-
re ct oil /lter, incor rect oil or additi ves #
Do not use engine oils or oil /lters which
do not cor respond tothe speci/cations
ex plicitly prescribed forth e service inter-
va ls. #
Follow the inst ructions on the service
inter val display forch anging the engine
oil and obser vethe prescribed change
inter vals. #
Do not use additives. *
N NOOTE
TE Damage caused bytopping up too
much engine oil To
o much engine oil can damage the engine or
th e catalytic con verter. #
Have excess engine oil remo ved at a
qu ali/ed specialist workshop. %
Depending on driving st yle, theve hicle con-
sumes up to0.8 litre of oil per 1000 km. The
oil consum ption may be higher than this when
th eve hicle is new or if you frequently drive at
high engine speeds.
% Depending on the engine, the cap may be
installed in the engine compartment in di.er-
ent locations. 368
368
Maintenance and care

#
Turn cap 1anti-clockwise and remo veit. #
Top up the engine oil. #
Replace cap 1and turn it clockwise until it
engages. #
Check the oil le vel again (/ page 367). Chec
Chec
king t
king t he coolant lev
he coolant lev el
el &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury due tomoving
parts
Components in the engine compartment may
continue torun or start unexpectedly even
when the drive system is switched o..
Obser vethefo llowing if you must open the
bonnet: #
Switch o. theve hicle. #
Neverto uch the danger zones sur round-
ing moving components, e.g. thero tation
area of thefa n. #
Remo vejewe llery and watches. #
Keep items of clo thing and hair away
from moving pa rts. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of burns from hot compo-
nent parts in the engine compartment
Cer tain component parts in the engine com-
partment can be very hot, e.g. the engine, the
cooler and parts of theex haust system. #
Allow the engine tocool down and only
to uch component parts described in the
fo llowing. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of scalding from hot cool-
ant
If yo u open the cap, you could be scalded. #
Let the mo tor cool down before opening
th e cap. #
When opening the cap, wear pr otective
glo ves and saf ety glasses. #
Open the cap slo wlytorelease pressure. Maintenance and care
369
369

#
Park theve hicle on a le vel sur face. #
Check the coolant temp erature display in the
inst rument clus ter.
The coolant temp erature must be below 70°C. #
Slowly turn cap 1anti-clockwise torelease
ove rpressure. #
Continue turning cap 1anti-clockwise and
re mo veit. The coolant le
vel is cor rect in thefo llowing cases:
R Ifth e engine is cold, the coolant is up to
mar ker bar 2.
R Ifth e engine is warm,th e coolant is up to
1.5 cm overth e mar ker bar 2. #
If necessar y,top up with coolant that has
been appr ovedfo r Mercedes-Benz.
% Further information on coolant (/ page 432) T
T
opping up t
opping up t he windscr
he windscreen w
een washer syst
asher syst em
em &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of burns from hot compo-
nent parts in the engine compartment
Cer tain component parts in the engine com-
partment can be very hot, e.g. the engine, the
cooler and parts of theex haust system. #
Allow the engine tocool down and only
to uch component parts described in the
fo llowing. &
W
WARNING
ARNING ‑ Risk of /re and injury due to
windscreen washer concent rate
Wi ndsc reen washer concent rate is highly 0am-
mable. It could ignite if it comes into contact
with hot engine component parts or the
ex haust system. #
Make sure that no windscreen washer
concent rate spills out next tothe /ller
opening. 370 370
Maintenance and care

#
Remo vecap 1bytheta b. #
Top up thewa sher 0uid.
% Further information about the windscreen
wa sher 0uid (/ page 433) K
K
eeping t
eeping t he air
he air-w
-wat
ater duct fr
er duct fr ee
ee #
Keep the area between the bonnet and the
windscreen free of deposits, e.g. ice, snow
and lea ves. Cleaning and care
Cleaning and care
Inf
Inf
or
ormation on w
mation on w ashing t
ashing the v
he vehicle in a car w
ehicle in a car w ash
ash &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of an accident due to
re duced braking po wer aTer washing the
ve hicle
Braking e1ciency is reduced aTer washing the
ve hicle. #
ATer theve hicle has been washed, brake
carefully while paying attention tothe
tra1c conditions until braking po wer has
been fully restored. *
N
NOOTE
TE Dama gefrom au tomatic braking If one of
thefo llowing functions is switched
on, theve hicle brakes automatically in cer tain
situations:
R Active Brake Assist
R Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
R HOLD function
R Active Parking Assist
To avoid damage totheve hicle, deactivate
th ese systems in thefo llowing or similar situa-
tions: #
during towing #
in a car wash *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage due tounsuitable car wash #
Before driving into a car wash make sure
th at the car wash is suitable forth eve hi-
cle dimensions. Main
tenance and ca re
371
371

#
Ensure there is su1cient ground clear-
ance between the underbody and the
guide rails of the car wash. #
Ensure that the clearance width of the
car wash, in particular the width of the
guide rails, is su1cient. To
avo id damage toyour vehicle when using a car
wa sh, ensu rethefo llowing beforehand:
R Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is deactiva-
te d.
R The HOLD function is switched o..
R The 360° Camera or there ve rsing camera is
switched o..
R The side windo wsand sliding sunroof are com-
ple tely closed.
R The outside mir rors are folded in.
R The blo werfo rth eve ntilation/heating is
switched o..
R The windsc reen wiper switch is in position g.
R The key is at a minimum dis tance of 3 m away
from theve hicle. Otherwise theta ilgate could
open unintentionall y. R
In automatic car washes with con veyo r sys-
te ms:
- Neutral iis engaged.
- Ifyo uwo uld like tolea vetheve hicle while
it is being washed, make sure theke y is
located in theve hicle. The park position
j isotherwise automatically engaged.
% Toprev ent damage tothe tyres and wheels,
drive straight and in tothe centre of the guide
ra ils of the car wash.
% If, aTer the car wash, youre mo vethewax
from the windscreen and wiper rubbers, this
will pr event smearing and reduce wiper noise.
A A ut ut omatic car w
omatic car w ash mode
ash mode
In car wash mode, theve hicle is prepared for driv-
ing into the automatic car wash. Car wash mode
can be activated at a speed of up to20 km/h
Ac tivate (/ page 373).
The following settings are made when car wash
mode is activated:
R The outside mir rors are folded in. R
Topreve ntthe windscreen washer system
from starting up automaticall y,thera in sensor
is deactivated.
R The rear wind owwiper is deacti vated.
R The windo wsand the sliding sunroof are
closed.
R Mer
Mer cedes-Ma
cedes-Ma ybac
ybach v
h vehicles:
ehicles: theru nning
boa rds are retracted.
R The air conditioning system is set toair-recir-
culation mode.
R Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactivated.
R V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h 360° Camer
h 360° Camer a:
a:the front image is
activated aTer appr ox. eight seconds.
R V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h AIRMA
h AIRMATIC:
TIC:theve hicle is raised
to the maximum possible chassis
le ve l(/ page 269).
If rising take s lon gerth an 25 seconds, thefo l-
lowing message appears onthe multifunction
displa y:
Preparation for car wash incomplete See
media display . ATer some time, theve hicle
automatically continues rising. 372 372
Main
tenance and ca re

R
V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h E-A
h E-ACTIVE BOD
CTIVE BOD Y C
Y CONTR
ONTR OL:
OL:the
ve hicle is raised tothe maximum possible
ch assis le vel(/ page 277).
If rising take s lon gerth an 25 seconds, thefo l-
lowing message appears onthe multifunction
display:
Preparation for car wash incomplete See
media display . ATer some time, theve hicle
automatically continues rising.
If one of the settings cannot be selected, this is
displa yedby a% behind there specti veset-
ting.
Ab ove a speed of 20 km/h Car wash mode is
automatically deacti vated.
The following settings are reset when car wash
mode is deacti vated:
R The outside mir rors are folded out.
R The rain sensor is activated.
R The rear wind owwiper is activated.
R The air conditioning system is set tofresh air
mode. R
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is reset tothe
pr ev iously selected setting.
R The windo wsand the sliding sunroof remain
closed.
R Mer
Mer cedes-Ma cedes-Ma ybac
ybach v
h vehicles:
ehicles: theru nning
boa rdsre main retracted.
R V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h 360° Camer
h 360° Camer a:
a:the front image is
deactivated at speeds abo ve18 km/h.
R V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h AIRMA
h AIRMATIC:
TIC:theve hicle is lo wered
to the pr eviously set chassis le vel.
R V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h E-A
h E-ACTIVE BOD
CTIVE BOD Y C
Y CONTR
ONTR OL:
OL:the
ve hicle is lo weredto the pr eviously set chassis
le ve l. A
A ctiv
ctiv ating/deactiv
ating/deactiv ating aut
ating automatic car w
omatic car w ash mode
ash mode R
R eq
eq uir
uir ements:
ements:
R theve hicle is stationar y.
R the engine is running. Multimedia system:
4 © 5
Settings 5
Quick access
A
A ctiv
ctiv ating aut
ating aut omatic car w
omatic car w ash mode
ash mode #
Select Car wash mode . #
Select Start.
If one of the settings cannot be selected, this is
displa yedby a% behind there specti veset-
ting.
% For an overview of the settings made when
activating automatic car wash mode
(/ page 371).
Deactiv
Deactiv ating aut ating aut omatic car w
omatic car w ash mode
ash mode #
Select Stop.
The automatic car wash settings are reset.
% The automatic car wash mode is automatically
deacti vated as soon as a speed of 20 km/h is
ex ceeded. Main
tenance and ca re
373
373