automatic transmission MERCEDES-BENZ GL-Class 2016 X166 Owner's Guide

Transmission positions
BPark position
Only shift the transmission into
positionPwhen the vehicle is sta-
tionary (
Ypage 189). The parking
lock should not be used as a brake
when parking. Always apply the
electronic parking brake in addi-
tion to the parking lock in order to
secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are mal-
functioning, the transmission may
be locked in position P. Have the
vehicle electronics checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Park position Pis automatically
engaged if:
Ryou switch off the engine using
the SmartKey and remove the
SmartKey
Ryou switch off the engine using
the SmartKey or using the Start/ Stop button and open the driv-
er's door or front-passenger
door
Rthe driver's door is opened when
the vehicle is stationary or driv-
ing at very low speed and the
transmission is in position Dor R
CReverse gear
Only shift the transmission into
position Rwhen the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
ANeutral
Do not shift the transmission to N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
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:
shift the transmission to position N
if the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position Ror D, the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
!Rolling in neutral Ncan damage
the drive train.
7Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
Rthe selected drive program (Ypage 177)
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
(
Ypage 176)
Rthe road speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
Rlittle throttle: early upshifts
Rmore throttle: late upshifts
176Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
XDepress theaccelerato rpedal beyon dth e
pressur epoint.
The automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on th eengin espeed.
XEas eoff th eaccelerato rpedal once th e
desired spee dis reached.
The automatic transmission shifts bac kup.
Rocking the vehicle free
Shifting th etransmission repeatedly between
gear sD and Rmay help to free th evehicl eif it
has become stuck in slus hor snow. The vehi-
cle's engin emanagemen tsystem limits th e
spee dto amaximum of 5mph (9 km/h) when
shifting bac kand forth .To shif tbac kand forth
between transmission position sD and R,
mov eth eDIRECT SELECT lever up and down
past th epoin tof resistance.
Towing a trailer
XDrive in th emiddle of th eengin espee d
range on uphill gradients .
XDependingon th euphill or downhill gradi-
ent, use left-han dsteering whee lpaddle
shifte r (
Ypage 178) to select alower gear ,
eve nif cruise control or DISTRONI CPLU S
are activated.
Program selector button
Vehicles withth e ON& OFFROAD package:
XPress program selector butto n:.
The lette rM appear sin th emultifunction
display. The manual drive program Mis
activated.
Mercedes-AM Gvehicles:
XPre ssprogram selector butto n: repeat -
edly until th elette rfor th edesired drive
program appear sin th emultifunction dis-
play.
The program selector butto nallows you to
choos ebetween differen tdrivin gcharacter-
istics .
iThe permanen tdrive program Mis avail -
able on th efollowin gvehicles:
RVehicles wit hth e
ON& OFFROAD packag e
RMercedes-AMGvehicles
Further information about permanen tdrive
program M(
Ypage 180).
As well as this permanen tdrive program M,
you can also activat etemporar ydrive pro -
gram M(
Ypage 178).
iMercedes-AMG vehicles:theautomatic
transmission switches to automatic drive
program Ceac htime th eengin eis started.
iDrive program Mis no tsaved after th e
engin ehas been switched off .If required,
you mus tselect th edrive program again
after startin gth eengine.
Automatic transmission17 7
Driving an d parking
Z

Drive program on vehicles withth e
ON&OFFROAD package
M ManualPermanen tmanual gear -
shiftin g
Drive program son Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles
C Controlle d
EfficiencyComfortable, economical
drivin g
SSportSport ydrivin gstyle
M ManualPermanen tmanual gear -
shiftin g
iForfurther information on th eautomati c
drive program, see (
Ypage 178).
Steering wheel paddle shifter s
In themanual drive program, you can chang e
gear smanually usin gsteerin gwhee lpaddl e
shifters :and ;.
Further information about permanen tdrive
progra mM (
Ypage 180).
Further information about temporar ydrive
progra mM (
Ypage 178).
You can only chang egear wit hth esteerin g
whee lpaddl eshifters when th etransmissio n
is in position D.
Automatic drive program (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
Automatic drive program C
Drive programCis characterized by th efol-
lowing:
Rcomfort-oriented engin eand transmissio n
settings.
Roptimal fue lconsumption resultin gfrom
th eautomati ctransmissio nshiftin gup
sooner.
Rth evehicl epullin gaway mor egentl yin
forwar dand revers egears, unless th e
accelerato rpedal is depressed fully.
Rth evehicl ehas improved drivin gstabilit y
on slipper yroa dsurfaces, fo rexample.
Rth eautomati ctransmissio nshiftin gup
sooner. This result sin th evehicl ebein g
driven at lowe rengin espeeds and th e
wheels bein gless likely to spin .
Automatic drive program S
Drive programSis characterized by th efol-
lowing:
Rsport yengin eand transmissio nsettings.
Rth eautomati ctransmissio nshiftin gup
later.
Rth efue lconsumption possibl ybein ghigher
as aresult of th elater automati ctransmis -
sio nshift points .
Manualdrive program M
General notes
In this drive program, you can briefl ychang e
gear yourself by usin gth esteerin gwhee lpad-
dle shifters .The transmissio nmus tbe in posi-
tion D.
All vehicles (excep tMercedes-AMG vehi-
cles and vehicles wit hth e
ON&OFFROAD package): you can activate
manual drive progra mM usin gth esteerin g
whee lpaddl eshifters .
178Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Mercedes-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.
As well as temporary drive program M, you
can also activate permanent drive program M
(
Ypage 177).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(
Ypage 180).
Activating
XShift the transmission to position D.
XPull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Ypage 178).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. 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 trans-
mission immediately shifts into the next gear
down or up, if permitted.
XTo shift up: pull the right-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (
Ypage 178).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
iIf the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic
transmission automatically shifts up in
order to prevent engine damage.
XTo shift down: pull on the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter (
Ypage 178).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
iIf the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto- matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down.
iAutomatic down shifting occurs when
coasting.
Shift re
commendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XShift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
Deactivating
If you have activated manual drive program
M, it will remain active for a certain amount of time. Under certain conditions the minimum
amount of time is extended, e.g. in the case of
lateral acceleration, during an overrun phase
or when driving on steep terrain.
If manual drive program Mhas been deacti-
vated, the automatic transmission shifts into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected.
You can also deactivate manual drive pro-
gram Myourself:
XPull on the right-hand steering wheel pad-
dle shifter and hold it in place (
Ypage 178).
or
XUse the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch the
transmission position.
or
Automatic transmission179
Driving and parking
Z

XMercedes-AMG vehicles:use the pro-
gram selector button to change the drive
program (
Ypage 177).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated.
The automatic transmission switches into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected, i.e. Eor S.
or
XVehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package: use the selector
wheel to switch to the on-road program
(
Ypage 254) or the off-road program
(
Ypage 258).
Manual drive program
General information
In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must be in position D.
iAs well as this permanent drive program
M, you can also activate temporary drive
program M(
Ypage 178).
Switching on the manual drive program
In manual drive program M, you can change
gear using the steering wheel paddle shifters
if the transmission is in position D. You can
see the currently selected drive program and
which gear is engaged in the multifunction
display.
XVehicles with the ON&OFFROAD pack-
age: press the program selector button
(
Ypage 177).
The letter Mappears in the multifunction
display.
XMercedes-AMG vehicles: press the pro-
gram selector button (
Ypage 177) repeat-
edly until Mappears in the multifunction
display.
Upshifting (all vehicles except
Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
XIf corresponding gearshift recommenda-
tion :appears in the multifunction display
on the instrument cluster, pull on the right-
hand steering wheel paddle shifter
(
Ypage 178).
The automatic transmission shifts to rec-
ommended gear ;.
Upshifting (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
!In manual drive program M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up automati-
cally even when the engine limiting speed
for the current gear is reached. When the
engine limiting speed is reached, the fuel
supply is cut to prevent the engine from
overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage.
:Gear indicator
;Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the mul-
tifunction display.
XWhen the UPmessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display, pull on the right-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter.
180Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Downshifting
XPull theleft-han dsteerin gwhee lpaddle
shifter (
Ypage 178).
The automatic transmissio nshift sdown to
th enext gear .
Maximum acceleration
XPull th eleft-han dsteerin gwhee lpaddle
shifter until th etransmissio nselects th e
optimum gear fo rth ecurren tspeed.
iIf you slo wdown or stop without shiftin g
down ,th eautomatic transmissio nauto-
matically shift sdown .
Kickdown
You can also use kickdown fo rmaximum
acceleration in manual drive program M.
XDepress th eaccelerator peda lbeyond th e
pressure point.
The automatic transmissio nshift sto a
lowe rgear dependin gon th eengin espeed.
XShift bac kup once th edesire dspeed is
reached.
iAll vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles): if you apply full throttle, th e
automatic transmissio nshift sup to th e
next gear when th emaximum engin espeed
is reached. Thi sprevents th eengin efrom
overrevving.
iMercedes-AMG vehicles :it is no tpossi-
ble to use kickdown in manual drive pro -
gram M.
Switchin goff th emanual drive program
XVehicles wit hth eON&OFFROAD pack-
age :press th eprogram selecto rbutto n
(
Ypage 177).
The Mmessage in th emultifunction display
goe sout .
XMercedes-AMG vehicles :press th epro -
gram selecto rbutto n (
Ypage 177) repeat -
edly until Cor Sappears in th emultifunc-
tion display.
Automatic transmission181
Driving and parking
Z

Problems with the transmission
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear.The transmission is losing oil.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately.
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer changes gear.The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift intosecondgear and reverse gear.
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XSwitch off the engine.
XWait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
XShift the transmission to positionDor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately.
Transfer case
!
Performance tests may only be carried
out on a 2-axle dynamometer. The brake
system or transfer case could otherwise be
damaged. Contact a qualified specialist
workshop for a performance test.
!Because ESP®is an automatic system,
the engine and ignition must be switched
off (SmartKey in position 0or 1or Start/
Stop button in position 0or 1) when the
electric parking brake is being tested on a
brake dynamometer (maximum
10 seconds).
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®
may seriously damage the brake system.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised,
as doing so will damage the transmission.
This section is only valid for vehicles with 4-
wheel drive (4MATIC). Power is always trans-
mitted to both axles.
Refueling
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before refueling.
GWARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
You must make sure that fuel does not come into contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
and that it is not swallowed. Do not inhale fuel
vapors. Keep fuel away from children.
182Refueling
Driving and parking

Closing the DEF filler cap
XInstall DEF filler cap;on the filler neck
and turn it clockwise.
XTo close the fuel filler flap, press it in the
direction of arrow :.
XDrive faster than 10 mph (16 km/h).
TheCheck Additive See Operator's
Manualmessage goes out after approx-
imately one minute.
iIf the Check Additive See Opera‐
tor's Manualmessage continues to be
shown in the multifunction display, you
must add more DEF.
Parking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi-
cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields.
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. 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 unsupervised in the vehicle.
!Always secure the vehicle correctly
against rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle
or its drivetrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
Rthe electric parking brake must be applied.
Rthe transmission must be in position Pand
the SmartKey must be removed from the
ignition lock.
Rthe front wheels must be turned towards
the curb on steep uphill or downhill gradi-
ents.
Rthe empty vehicle must be secured at the
front axle with a wheel chock or similar, for
example, on uphill or downhill gradients.
Ra laden vehicle must also be secured at the
rear axle with a wheel chock or similar, for
example, on uphill or downhill gradients.
Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
Parking189
Driving and parking
Z

The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of anaccident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Using the SmartKey
XApply the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XTurn the SmartKey to position0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
If you then open the driver's door or the front-
passenger door or remove the SmartKey from the ignition, the automatic transmission
shifts to Pautomatically.
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:
XSwitch on the ignition.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift to neutral N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
Using KEYLESS-GO
XApply the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XPress the Start/Stop button (Ypage 165)
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically. If you then open the driver's or front-
passenger door, the automatic transmission
shifts to
Pautomatically.
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:
XRemove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock.
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
XSwitch on the ignition.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift to neutral N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
iThe engine can be switched off in an
emergency while the vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding the Start/Stop button
for three seconds.
Electric parking brake
General notes
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. 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 unsupervised in the vehicle.
190Parking
Driving and parking

The function of the electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
board voltage is low or there is a malfunction
in the system, it may not be possible to apply
the released parking brake.
XIf this is the case, only park the vehicle on
level ground and secure it to prevent it roll-
ing away.
XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tionP.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or
there is a malfunction in the system. Contact
a qualified specialist workshop.
iThe electric parking brake performs a
function test at regular intervals while the
engine is switched off. The sounds that can
be heard while this is occurring are normal.
Applying or releasing manually
XTo engage: push handle :.
When the electric parking brake is
engaged, the F(USA only) or !
(Canada only) red indicator lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
iThe electric parking brake can also be
applied when the SmartKey is removed.
XTo release: pull handle:.
The red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument clus- ter goes out.
iThe electric parking brake can only be
released:
Rif the SmartKey is in position 1in the
ignition lock (
Ypage 165) or
Rif the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button
To ensure that you do not roll backwards
when pulling away on an uphill slope, engage
the electric parking brake (
Ypage 168).
Applying automatically
The electric parking brake is applied auto-
matically:
Rif DISTRONIC PLUS brings the vehicle to a
standstill or
Rif the HOLD function is keeping the vehicle
stationary
In addition, at least one of the following con-
ditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine is switched off.
Rthe driver's door is open and the seat belt is not fastened.
Rthe vehicle is stationary for a lengthy
period.
The red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up.
The electric parking brake is not automati-
cally engaged if the engine is switched off by the ECO start/stop function.
Releasing automatically
The electric parking brake is released auto-
matically when all of the following conditions
are fulfilled:
Rthe engine is running.
Rthe transmission is in position Dor R.
Rthe seat belt has been fastened.
Ryou depress the accelerator pedal.
Parking191
Driving and parking
Z