2022 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV Owners Manual


Ensure there is suPcient g round clear-
ance between the underbody and the
guide rails of the car wash. 
Ensure that the clearance width of the
car w

ash, in particular the width of the
guide rails, is suPcient.To avoid damage to your vehicle when using a car
w
ash, ensure the following beforehand:
= Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is deactiva-
ted.
= The HOLD function is switched oM.
= The 360° Camera or the reversing camera is
switched oM.
= The side windows and sliding sunroof are com-
pletely closed.
= The outside mirrors are folded in.
= The blower for the ventilation and heating is
switched oM.
= The windscreen wiper switch is in position g.
= The key is at a minimum distance of 3 m away
from the vehicle. Otherwise the tailgate could
open unintentionally. =
F
or car washes with a conveyor system:
- neutral i is engaged.
- If you would like to leave the vehicle while
it is being washed, make sure the key is
located in the vehicle. The park position
j is otherwise automatically engaged.
% To prevent damage to the tyres or rims, drive
s
traight and in to the centre of the guide rails
of the car wash.
% If, aser t
he car wash, you remove the wax
from the windscreen and wiper rubbers, this
will prevent smearing and reduce wiper noise.
Automatic car wash mode
In car w
ash mode, the vehicle is prepared for driv-
ing into the automatic car wash. Car wash mode
can be activated at a speed of up to 20 km/h
(  page 375).
The following settings are adjusted when car wash
mode is activated: = The outside mirrors are folded in.
= To prevent the windscreen washer system
from starting up automatically, the rain sensor
is deactivated. =
The r
ear window wiper is deactivated.
= The windows and the sliding sunroof are
closed.
= Mercedes-Maybach vehicles: The running
boards are retracted.
= The air conditioning system is set to air-recir-
culation mode.
= Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactivated.
= Vehicles with 360° Camera: The front image is
activated aser approx. eight seconds.
= Vehicles with AIRMATIC: The vehicle is raised
to the maximum possible chassis
level( page 270).
If rising takes longer than 25 seconds, the fol-
lowing message appears on the instrument
display:
Preparation for car wash incomplete See
media display . Aser some time, the vehicle
automatically continues rising.
= Vehicles with E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL: The
vehicle is raised to the maximum possible
chassis level(  page 278). 374
Maintenance and care

If rising takes longer than 25 seconds, the fol-
lo
wing message appears on the instrument
display:
Preparation for car wash incomplete See
media display . Aser some time, the vehicle
automatically continues rising.
If one of the settings cannot be selected, this is
displayed by a behind the respective set-
ting.
Above a speed of 20 km/h car wash mode is
automatically deactivated.
The following settings are reset when car wash
mode is deactivated:
= The outside mirrors are folded out.
= The rain sensor is activated.
= The rear window wiper is activated.
= The air conditioning system is set to fresh air
mode.
= Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is reset to the
previously selected setting.
= The windows and the sliding sunroof remain
closed. =
Mer cedes-Maybach vehicles: The running
boards remain retracted.
= Vehicles with 360° Camera: The front image is
deactivated at speeds above 18 km/h.
= Vehicles with AIRMATIC: The vehicle is low-
ered to the previously set chassis level.
= Vehicles with E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL: The
vehicle is lowered to the previously set chassis
level. Activating/deactivating automatic car wash mode
Requirements:
= The v

ehicle is stationary.
= The engine is running.
Multimedia system: 4 © 5
Settings 5
Quick access
Activating automatic car wash mode 
Select Car wash mode . 
Select Start . If one of the settings cannot be selected, this is
displa
yed by a behind the respective set-
ting.
% For an overview of the settings made when
activ
ating automatic car wash mode
(  page 373).
Deactivating automatic car wash mode 
Select Stop.
The aut

omatic car wash settings are reset.
% The automatic car wash mode is automatically
deactiv

ated as soon as a speed of 20 km/h is
exceeded. Information on using a high-pressure cleaner
&
WARNING Risk of an accident when using
high-pr
essure cleaners with round-spray
nozzles
The water jet can cause externally invisible
damag
e.
Components damaged in this way may unex-
pectedly fail. Maintenance and care
375


Do not use a high-pressure cleaner with
r
ound-spray nozzles. 
Have damaged tyres or chassis parts
r

eplaced immediately. To avoid damage to your vehicle, observe the fol-
lo
wing when using a high-pressure cleaner:
= The key is at a minimum distance of 3 m away
from the vehicle. Otherwise the tailgate could
open unintentionally.
= Maintain a distance of at least 30 cm to the
vehicle.
= Vehicles with decorative foil: Parts of your
vehicle are covered with a decorative foil.
Maintain a distance of at least 70 cm between
the foil-covered parts of the vehicle and the
nozzle of the high-pressure cleaner. Move the
high-pressure cleaner nozzle around whilst
cleaning. The water temperature of the high-
pressure cleaner must not exceed 60°C.
= Observe the information on the correct dis-
tance in the equipment manufacturer's opera-
tor manual. =
Do no
t direct the nozzle of the high-pressure
cleaner directly at sensitive parts, e.g. tyres,
gaps, electrical component parts, batteries,
illuminants and louvres. Washing the vehicle by hand
*
NOTE Engine damag
e due to water ingress 
Take care not to point the water jet
dir

ectly towards the air inlet grille below
the bonnet. Observe the relevant legal requirements (e.g. in
some countr
ies, washing by hand is permitted
only in specially designated wash bays). 
Use a mild cleaning agent (e.g. car shampoo). 
Wash the vehicle with lukewarm water using a
sos car spong

e. When doing so, do not
expose the vehicle to direct sunlight. 
Carefully hose the vehicle oM wit
h water and
dry using a chamois.
% Observe the notes on the care of car parts
( pag

e 378). Notes on paintwork/matt
Nnish paintw
ork care To avoid damaging the paintwork and interfering
wit

h the driving assistance systems, please
observe the following notes:
Paint
= Insect remains: Soak with insect remover and
rinse oM the treated areas aserwards.
= Bird droppings: Soak with water and rinse oM
aserwards.
= Tree resin, oils, fuels and greases: remove by
rubbing gently with a cloth soaked in petro-
leum ether or lighter Ouid.
= Coolant and brake Ouid: remove with a damp
cloth and clean water.
= Tar stains: use tar remover.
= Wax: use silicone remover.
= Do not attach stickers, Nlms or similar materi-
als. Only have Nlm attached to the bumper at
a qualiNed specialist workshop.
= Remove dirt immediately, where possible. 376
Maintenance and care

Matt Nnish
=
Onl
y use care products approved for
Mercedes-Benz.
= Do not attach stickers, Nlms or similar materi-
als. Only have Nlm attached to the bumper at
a qualiNed specialist workshop.
= Do not polish the vehicle and light-alloy
wheels.
= Only use car washes that correspond to the
latest engineering standards.
= Do not use car wash programmes with a Nnal
hot wax treatment.
= Do not use paint cleaners, buPng or polishing
products, gloss preservers, e.g. wax.
In the event of paintwork damage:
= Always have paintwork repairs carried out at a
qualiNed specialist workshop.
= Make sure the radar sensors function
( page 231). Notes on cleaning decorative foils
Observe the notes on matt
Nnish car
e in the chap-
ter "Notes on paintwork/matt Nnish paintwork
care" (  page 376). They also apply to matt dec-
orative foils.
Observe the notes on cleaning decorative foils to
avoid damage.
Cleaning
= For cleaning, use plenty of water and a mild
cleaning agent without additives or abrasive
substances (e.g. a car shampoo approved for
Mercedes-Benz).
= Remove dirt as soon as possible. Avoid rub-
bing too hard in order to not irreparably dam-
age the decorative foil.
= If there is dirt on the Nnish or if the decorative
foil is dull: Use the Paint Cleaner recommen-
ded and approved for Mercedes-Benz.
= Insect remains: Soak with insect remover and
rinse oM the treated areas aserwards.
= Bird droppings: Soak with water and rinse oM
aserwards. =
T
o prevent water stains, dry a foil-wrapped
vehicle with a sos, absorbent cloth aser every
car wash.
Avoiding damage to the decorative foil
= The service life and colouring of decorative
foils are impaired by:
- Sunlight
- Temperature (e.g. hot air blower)
- Weather conditions
- Stone chippings and dirt
- Chemical cleaning agents
- Oily products
= Do not use polish on matt decorative foil. Pol-
ishing will have the eMect of shining the foil-
wrapped surface.
= Do not treat matt or structured decorative
foils with wax. Permanent stains may occur.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas aMected by
corrosion and damage caused by incorrect care
cannot always be completely repaired. In this
case, contact a qualiNed specialist workshop. Maintenance and care
377

You can obtain more information on care and
cleaning ag ents from the manufacturer.
In the case of foil-wrapped surfaces, optical diMer-
ences may occur between the surfaces that were
not protected by a decorative foil aser removing a
decorative foil.
% Have work or repairs to decorative foils car-
r
ied out at a qualiNed specialist workshop
(e.g. in a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre). Notes on care of car parts
&
WARNING Risk of entr
apment if the wind-
screen wipers are switched on while the
windscreen is being cleaned
If the windscreen wipers are set in motion
while y
ou are cleaning the windscreen or
wiper blades, you can be trapped by the wiper
arm. 
Always switch oM t
he windscreen wipers
and the vehicle before cleaning the wind-
screen or wiper blades. To avoid damage to the vehicle, observe the notes
on cleaning and car

e of the following car parts:
Wheels and rims
= Use water and acid-free alloy wheel cleaners.
= Do not use acidic alloy wheel cleaners to
remove brake dust. This could damage wheel
bolts and brake components.
= To avoid corrosion of the brake disks and
brakepads, drive the vehicle for a few minutes
aser cleaning before parking it. The brake
disks and brakepads warm up and dry out.
Windows
= Clean the windows inside and outside with a
damp cloth and with a cleaning agent recom-
mended for Mercedes-Benz.
= Do not use dry cloths or abrasive or solvent-
based cleaning agents to clean the inside of
windows.
% Aser c
hanging the wiper blades or treating
the vehicle with wax, clean the windscreen
thoroughly with cleaning agents recommen-
ded for Mercedes-Benz. Failure to observe the application instructions may result in damage,
smear mar
ks or dazzling spots.
% Remove external fogging or dirt on the wind-
scr

een in front of the multifunction camera.
Otherwise, driving systems and driving safety
systems may be impaired or not available
(  page 231).
Wiper blades
= Mo

ve the wiper arms into the replacement
position (  page 170).
= With the wiper arms folded out, clean the
wiper blades with a damp cloth.
% Make sure that the wiper blades are coated.
The coating can lea

ve residues on a cloth. Do
not rub the wiper blades excessively or clean
them too osen.
Exterior lighting = Clean t

he lenses with a wet sponge and mild
cleaning agent (e.g. car shampoo).
= Only use cleaning agents or cleaning cloths
that are suitable for plastic lenses. 378
Maintenance and care

Sensors
= Clean t
he sensors in the front and rear bump-
ers with a sos cloth and car shampoo
(  page 231).
= When using a high-pressure cleaner, maintain
a minimum distance of 30 cm.
Running boards
= Use water and acid-free cleaning agents.
= Do not clean the aluminium trim inserts of the
running board with alkaline or acidic cleaning
agents such as wheel cleaners. Do not use
acidic alloy wheel cleaners to remove brake
dust. The aluminium trim inserts could other-
wise be damaged.
Reversing camera and 360° camera = Open the camera cover with the multimedia
system ( page 288).
= Use clean water and a sos cloth to clean the
camera lens.
= Do not use a high-pressure cleaner.
Trailer hitch
= Observe the notes on care in the trailer hitch
manufacturer's operator manual. =
Do no t clean the ball neck with a high-pres-
sure cleaner or solvent.
= Remove traces of rust on the ball (e.g. using a
wire brush).
= Remove dirt with a lint-free cloth.
= Aser cleaning, lightly oil or grease the ball
head.
% Before using trailers with anti-torsional cou-
pling, obser

ve the manufacturer's operator
manual. Notes on care of the interior
&
WARNING Risk of injur
y from plastic parts
breaking oM aser the use of solvent-based
care products
Care and cleaning products containing sol-
v
ents can cause surfaces in the cockpit to
become porous. When the airbags are
deployed, plastic parts may break away. 
Do not use any care or cleaning products
cont

aining solvents to clean the cockpit. &
WARNING Risk of injur
y or fatal injuries
from bleached seat belts
Bleaching or dyeing seat belts can severely
w
eaken them.
This can, for example, cause seat belts to tear
or fail in an accident. 
Never bleach or dye seat belts. To avoid damage to the vehicle, observe the fol-
lo
wing notes on cleaning and care:
Seat belts = Clean with lukewarm and soapy water.
= Do not use chemical cleaning agents.
= Do not dry by heating them to over 80°C or
exposing them to direct sunlight.
Display
= Switch oM the display and let it cool down.
= Clean the surface carefully with a microNbre
cloth and a suitable display care product (TFT-
LCD).
= Do not use any other agents. Maintenance and care
379

Head-up display
= Clean wit
h a sos, non-static, lint-free cloth.
= Do not use cleaning agents.
Plastic trim
= Clean with a damp microNbre cloth.
= For heavy soiling: Use a cleaning agent recom-
mended for Mercedes-Benz.
= Do not attach stickers, Nlms or similar materi-
als.
= Do not allow cosmetics, insect repellent or
sun cream to come into contact with the plas-
tic trim.
Real wood and trim elements
= Clean with a microNbre cloth.
= Black piano-lacquer look: Clean with a damp
cloth and soapy water.
= For heavy soiling: Use a cleaning agent recom-
mended for Mercedes-Benz.
= Do not use solvent-based cleaning agents, pol-
ishes or waxes.
Roof lining
= Clean with a brush or dry shampoo. Carpet
=
Use a car
pet and textile cleaning agent recom-
mended for Mercedes-Benz.
Steering wheel made of genuine leather or DINA-
MICA
* NOTE Damag
e caused by wrong cleaners 
Do not use solvent-based cleaning
ag
ents such as tar remover or wheel
cleaner; neither should you use polishes
or waxes. Otherwise you may damage
the Nnish. =
Clean wit
h a damp cloth and 1% soapy water
solution and then wipe with a dry cloth.
= For heavy soiling: Use a cleaning agent recom-
mended for Mercedes-Benz.
= Leather care: Use a leather care agent that
has been recommended for Mercedes-Benz.
= Do not allow the leather to become too damp.
= Do not use a microNbre cloth.
% Leather is a natural product. It exhibits natural
sur
face properties such as diMerences in structure, marks caused by growth and injury
or subtle colour diMer

ences. These surface
properties are characteristics of leather and
not material faults. What's more, leather is
subject to a natural ageing process during
which the surface properties change.
Genuine leather seat covers
= V

acuum up dirt such as crumbs or dust and
then clean the seat covers with a damp cotton
cloth and wipe down with a dry cloth. Regu-
larly clean the seat covers.
= For heavy soiling: use a leather care agent rec-
ommended for Mercedes-Benz asercare.
= Leather care: Use a leather care agent that
has been recommended for Mercedes-Benz.
= Do not use a microNbre cloth.
= Do not allow the leather to become too damp.
= Do not use oil-based cleaning and care prod-
ucts. 380
Maintenance and care

%
Leather is a natural product. It exhibits natural
sur face properties such as diMerences in
structure, marks caused by growth and injury
or subtle colour diMerences. These surface
properties are characteristics of leather and
not material faults. What's more, leather is
subject to a natural ageing process during
which the surface properties change.
Regular cleaning and care of the leather
reduces soiling, wear marks and ageing dam-
age and thus signiNcantly extends its life
span. Clothing that can leave stains (e.g.
jeans) can discolour the leather.
DINAMICA seat covers
= Clean wit

h a damp cloth.
= Do not use a microNbre cloth.
Imitation leather seat covers = Vacuum up dirt such as crumbs or dust and
then use a damp cotton cloth and a 1% soap-
suds solution to clean the entire seat cover.
Do not spot clean.
= Use cleaning and care products recommen-
ded for Mercedes-Benz.
= Do not use a microNbre cloth. =
Do no
t use oil-based cleaning and care prod-
ucts.
Fabric seat covers
= Vacuum up dirt such as crumbs or dust and
then use a damp microNbre cloth and a 1%
soapsuds solution to clean the entire seat
cover. Do not spot clean.
= Use cleaning and care products recommen-
ded for Mercedes-Benz.
= Do not use oil-based cleaning and care prod-
ucts. Maintenance and care
381