MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class 2014 X166 Owner's Manual

Start/Stop button
=
USA only
? Canada only Starting the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R Start the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children. G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave the engine running in enclosed spaces
without sufficient ventilation.
G
WARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or
parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
i Vehicles with a gasoline engine: the
catalytic converter is preheated for up
30 seconds after a cold start. The sound of
the engine may change during this time.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position P
(Y page 173).
The transmission position display in the
multifunction display shows P
(Y page 173).
i You can also start the engine when the
transmission is in position N.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey X
To start a gasoline engine: turn the
SmartKey to position 3in the ignition lock
(Y page 167) and release it as soon as the
engine is running.
X To start a diesel engine: turn the
SmartKey to position 2in the ignition lock
(Y page 167).
The % preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X When the %preglow indicator lamp
goes out, turn the SmartKey to position 3
(Y page 167) and release it as soon as the
engine is running.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm. Driving
169Driving and parking Z

Using KEYLESS-GO to start the engine
X
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X To start a gasoline engine: press the
Start/Stop button (Y page 167) once.
The engine starts.
X To start a diesel engine: press the Start/
Stop button (Y page 167) once.
Preglow is activated and the engine starts.
i The Start/Stop button can be used to
start the vehicle without inserting the
SmartKey into the ignition lock. The Start/
Stop button must be inserted in the ignition
lock and the SmartKey must be in the
vehicle. Pulling away
Automatic transmission G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor
R, the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There
is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R
(Y page 173).
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
The electric parking brake (Y page 189) is
automatically released.
The red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
i It is only possible to shift the transmission
from position Pto the desired position if
you depress the brake pedal. Only then is
the parking lock released. If you do not depress the brake pedal, you can move the
DIRECT SELECT lever but the parking lock
remains engaged.
i The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic
locking feature (Y page 284).
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Pulling away with a trailer To ensure that you do not roll backwards
when pulling away on an uphill slope, engage
the electric parking brake.
X
Press and hold handle :.
The electric parking brake continues to
brake and prevent the vehicle from rolling
backwards.
The red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster remains on.
X Depress the accelerator pedal.
X As soon as the vehicle/trailer combination
is held by the driving force of the engine,
release lever :.
The electric parking brake is released. 170
DrivingDriving and parking

The red
F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Hill start assist Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forwards or in reverse on an uphill gradient.
It holds the vehicle for a short time after you
have removed your foot from the brake pedal.
This gives you enough time to move your foot
from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal
and to depress it before the vehicle begins to
roll.
G
WARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no
longer brake your vehicle and it could roll
away. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
X Remove your foot from the brake pedal.
The vehicle is then held for about a second.
X Pull away.
Hill start assist is not active if:
R you are pulling away on a level road or on
a downhill gradient.
R the transmission is in position N.
R the electric parking brake is applied.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning. Driving
171Driving and parking Z

Problems with the engine
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard. R
There is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
R There is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 169). Avoid excessively
long and frequent attempts to start the engine as these will drain
the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor. The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak
or discharged.
X
Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 395).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
X
Allow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two
minutes.
X Try to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine is not
running smoothly and
is misfiring. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic
converter and damage it. The coolant
temperature gauge
shows a value above
248 ‡ (120 †). The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant
to cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 373). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and add coolant if necessary. 172
DrivingDriving and parking

Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor
R, the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There
is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate. G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to
neutral position Nwhen you switch off the
engine. The vehicle may roll away. There is a
risk of an accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked
vehicle from rolling away by applying the
parking brake. DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions j
Park position with parking lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of the
steering column.
i The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns
to its original position. The current transmission position
P,R, Nor Dappears
in the transmission position display
(Y page 173) in the multifunction display.
Transmission position and drive
program display !
If the transmission position display in the
multifunction display is not working, you
should pull away carefully to check whether
the desired transmission position is
engaged. Ideally, you should select
transmission position Dand, in AMG
vehicles, drive program Cor S. Transmission position and drive program display
:
Transmission position display
; Drive program display
The current transmission position and drive
program appear in the multifunction display.
i The arrows in the transmission position
display show how and into which
transmission positions you can change
using the DIRECT SELECT lever.
Engaging park position P !
If the engine speed is too high or the
vehicle is moving, do not shift the
automatic transmission directly from Dto
R, from Rto Dor directly to P. The
automatic transmission could otherwise be
damaged. Automatic trans
mission
173Driving an d parking Z

j
Park position with parking lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the
direction of arrow P.
i The automatic transmission shifts into
park position Pautomatically:
R if you open the driver's door while the
vehicle is stationary in transmission
position Dor R
R if you open the door while traveling at
very low speeds in transmission position
D or R
Engaging park position P automatically Park position
Pis automatically engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the
SmartKey and remove the SmartKey.
R you switch off the engine using the Start/
Stop button and open one of the front
doors.
R the HOLD (Y page 216) or DISTRONIC
PLUS (Y page 203) function brake your
vehicle until it is stationary and at least one
of the following conditions is fulfilled:
- there is a system malfunction.
- the vehicle is on a steep uphill or downhill
gradient. The electric parking brake is
then also applied. Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R when the vehicle is stationary.
X When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
Shifting to neutral N G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R Start the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
X When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down
to the first point of resistance.
If the engine has been switched off, the
automatic transmission automatically shifts
to N.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral N, e.g. when having the
vehicle cleaned in an automatic car wash with
a towing system, observe the following notes: 174
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Using the SmartKey:
R
Make sure that the ignition is switched on.
R When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
R Shift to neutral N.
R Release the brake pedal.
R If the electric parking brake is engaged,
release it.
R Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
Using KEYLESS-GO:
R Make sure that the ignition is switched on.
R When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
R Engage park position P.
R Release the brake pedal.
R Remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock.
R Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
R Switch on the ignition.
R Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
R Shift to neutral N.
R Release the brake pedal.
R If the electric parking brake is engaged,
release it.
R Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past
the first point of resistance. Transmission positions
B
Park position
Do not shift the transmission into
position P(Y page 188) unless the
vehicle is stationary. The parking
lock should not be used as a brake
when parking. Always apply the
electronic parking brake in
addition to the parking lock in order
to secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are
malfunctioning, the transmission
may be locked in position P. Have
the vehicle electronics checked
immediately at a qualified
specialist workshop.
The automatic transmission shifts
to Pautomatically if you:
R remove the SmartKey
R switch off the engine when in R
or Dand open one of the front
doors C
Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. Automatic transmission
175Driving and parking Z

A
Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the
automatic transmission could be
damaged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to
position Nif the vehicle is in danger
of skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch off the engine using
the SmartKey or the Start/Stop
button, the automatic transmission
shifts to neutral Nautomatically.
! Rolling in neutral Ncan damage
the drive train. 7
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the
individual gears automatically when it is in
transmission position D. This automatic
gearshifting behavior is determined by:
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed Driving tips
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Rocking the vehicle free Shifting the transmission repeatedly between
gears
Dand Rmay help to free the vehicle if
it has become stuck in slush or snow. The
vehicle's engine management system limits
the speed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h)
when shifting back and forth. To shift back
and forth between transmission positions D
and R, move the DIRECT SELECT selector
lever up and down past the point of
resistance.
Towing a trailer X
Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Depending on the uphill or downhill
gradient, use left-hand steering wheel
paddle shifter (Y page 177) to select a
lower gear, even if cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS are activated. 176
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking

Program selector button
General notes Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package
X
Briefly press program selector button :.
The letter Mappears in the multifunction
display. The manual drive program Mis
activated. AMG vehicles
X
Press program selector button :
repeatedly until the letter for the desired
gearshift program appears in the
multifunction display.
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving
characteristics.
i The permanent drive program Mis
available on the following vehicles:
R Vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package
R AMG vehicles
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 179). As well as this permanent drive program
M, you can also activate temporary drive
program
M(Y page 178).
i AMG vehicles: the automatic
transmission switches to automatic drive
program Ceach time the engine is started.
i Drive program Mis not saved after the
engine has been switched off. If required,
you must select the drive program again
after starting the engine.
Drive program on vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package M
Manual Permanent manual
gearshifting
Drive programs on AMG vehicles
C
Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Permanent manual
gearshifting
i
For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 178). Steering wheel paddle shifters
In the manual drive program, you can change
gears manually using steering wheel paddle
shifters
:and ;. Automatic transmission
177Driving and parking Z

Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 179).
Further information about temporary drive
program M(Y page 178).
i You can only change gear with the
steering wheel paddle shifters when the
transmission is in position D.Automatic drive program (AMG
vehicles)
Automatic drive programs C and S Drive program
Cis characterized by the
following:
R comfort-oriented engine and transmission
settings
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully
R increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin
Drive program Sis characterized by the
following:
R sporty engine and transmission settings
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later
R the fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic
transmission shift points
Manual drive program M General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must be in
position
D.
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles and
vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package): you can activate
manual drive program Musing the steering
wheel paddle shifters.
AMG vehicles: you can activate manual drive
program Min automatic drive programs Cand
S.
Vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package: if manual drive
program Mis deactivated using the program
selector button, you can activate manual
drive program Musing the steering wheel
paddle shifters.
i As well as temporary drive program M,
you can also activate permanent drive
program M(Y page 177).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 179).
Activating
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Pull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 177).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily
activated. The selected gear and Mappear
in the multifunction display.
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right steering wheel
paddle shifter, the automatic transmission
switches to manual drive program Mfor a
limited amount of time. Depending on which
paddle shifter is pulled, the automatic
transmission immediately shifts into the next
gear down or up, if permitted.
X To shift up: pull the right-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (Y page 177).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
i If the maximum engine speed on the
currently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic 178
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking