MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV 2009 Owners Manual

G
Risk of accident
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed (e.g.
heavy traffic or winding roads). You could
otherwise cause an accident.
R on slippery roads. Braking or accelerating
could cause the drive wheels to lose trac-
tion and the vehicle could then skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
Speedtronic with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off:
Cruise control is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or to call up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable Speedtronic
B To deactivate cruise control When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multi-function display.
Selecting cruise control X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes off. Cruise control is selected. G
Risk of accident
The brake pedal is retracted when cruise con-
trol brakes. Do not restrict the freedom of
movement of the pedal in any way.
R Do not put any objects in the footwell.
R Ensure that floor mats and carpets are fixed
securely.
R Do not place your foot under the brake
pedal as it could become trapped.
You could otherwise cause an accident and
injure yourself and others.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h and ESP ®
is acti-
vated (Y page 51).
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?to the pressure point.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes. 118
Driving systemsControls
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 118
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:17:20; WK

Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed
G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for the
current situation. Otherwise, sudden acceler-
ation or braking could endanger you or others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up :for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking.
Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h
increments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up :for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced. Adjustment in 10 km/h increments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Brake.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you depress the parking brake.
R you drive at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you shift the automatic transmission to N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruise
control Off message in the multi-function
display for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Distronic*
i Distronic is not available in all countries.
Distronic regulates the speed and automati-
cally maintains the distance to the vehicle in
front. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. On long and steep
downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is Driving systems
119Controls
* optional
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 119 Z
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:17:21; WK

laden or towing a trailer, you must select shift
range 1,2or 3in good time. By doing so, you
will make use of the braking effect of the
engine, which relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. G
Risk of accident
The brake pedal is retracted when Distronic
brakes. Do not restrict the movement of the
pedal in any way.
R Do not put any objects in the footwell.
R Ensure that floor mats and carpets are fixed
securely.
R Do not place your foot under the brake
pedal as it could become trapped.
You could otherwise cause an accident and
injure yourself and others. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. G
Risk of accident
Distronic is only an aid designed to assist
driving. The driver is fully responsible for the
vehicle's distance from other vehicles, the
vehicle's speed and for braking in good time.
Distronic does not react to:
R pedestrians
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. sta-
tionary or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
Distronic may not detect narrow vehicles driv-
ing in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehicles driv-
ing on a different line. Therefore, always pay
attention to traffic conditions even when Dis-
tronic is activated. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
Distronic causes your vehicle to brake and maintain the preset distance to the vehicle in
front that you have set. G
Risk of accident
Distronic cannot take account of road and
traffic conditions. Deactivate, or do not acti-
vate, Distronic if it does not detect the vehicle
in front, or if it no longer detects it. This is
especially the case:
R before corners
R in filter lanes
R when changing to a lane with faster moving
traffic
R in complex driving situations or where the
lanes are diverted, e.g. at motorway/road-
way construction sites
Otherwise, Distronic maintains the current
speed or accelerates to the set speed.
Distronic cannot take account of weather
conditions. Deactivate, or do not activate,
Distronic:
R if the roads are slippery, snow-covered or
icy. The wheels could lose their grip when
braking or accelerating. The vehicle could
start to skid.
R if the sensors are dirty or there is poor vis-
ibility, e.g. due to snow, rain or fog. Dis-
tance control may be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when Distronic is activated. Otherwise,
you may fail to recognise dangers in time,
cause an accident and injure yourself and oth-
ers.
If no car is driving in front of you, Distronic
works like cruise control in the speed range
between 30 km/h and 200 km/h. If a vehicle
is driving in front of you, Distronic Plus works
in the speed range between 0 km/h and
200 km/h.
Do not use Distronic while driving on roads
with steep gradients. 120
Driving systemsControls
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 120
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:17:21; WK

G
Risk of accident
Distronic brakes your vehicle at a maximum
of 4m /s2
, depending on its speed. This cor-
responds to approximately 40% of your vehi-
cle's maximum brake force. You must also
apply the brakes yourself if this braking power
is not sufficient.
If Distronic detects a risk of collision with a
vehicle in front, an intermittent warning tone
sounds. In addition, the ·distance warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
Brake to avoid a collision.
Cruise control lever You can operate Distronic and variable
Speedtronic with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off:
Distronic is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To adjust the specified distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower
speed B
To switch between Distronic and variable
Speedtronic
C To deactivate Distronic
Selecting Distronic X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off.
If it is off, Distronic is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp =in the cruise control
lever goes off. Distronic is selected.
Switching on Distronic, storing and
maintaining the current speed G
Risk of accident
The vehicle can be braked when Distronic is
activated. For this reason, deactivate Dis-
tronic if the vehicle is to be set in motion by
other means (e.g. in a car wash or by towing).
You can activate Distronic in the following
circumstances:
R for about two minutes after the engine is
started
R when the engine is running
R if you do not brake during the journey
R when the parking brake is not applied
R if ESP ®
is activated
R if the automatic transmission is in position
D
R if the bonnet is closed
Activating while driving
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you
can only activate Distronic if the vehicle in
front has been detected and is shown in the
multi-function display. If the vehicle in front is
not shown in the multi-function display and is
no longer being detected, because it has
changed lanes, for example, Distronic is
deactivated and you hear a warning tone. Driving systems
121Controls
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh,V ersion: 2.11.8.1
2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 121 Z
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:17:21; WK

X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?or press it up :or down Ato the
pressure point.
Distronic is activated.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
up : or down Auntil the desired speed
is set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the stored
speed.
i You can use the cruise control lever to set
the stored speed and the thumbwheel on
the cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance (Y page 123).
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC Override message
appears in the multi-function display. The
distance to a slower-moving vehicle in front
will then not be governed. You will be driv-
ing at the speed you determine by the posi-
tion of the accelerator pedal.
Driving
If there is no vehicle in front, Distronic oper-
ates in the same way as cruise control.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
Distronic causes your vehicle to brake and
maintain the preset distance to the vehicle in
front.
If Distronic detects a faster-moving vehicle in
front, it increases the driving speed, but only
as far as the stored speed. G
Risk of accident
If you depress the brake pedal, Distronic is
deactivated. Distronic will then no longer
brake your vehicle. The driver is fully respon-
sible for the vehicle's distance from other
vehicles, its speed and for braking in good
time. Stopping G
Risk of accident
The Distronic braking effect is cancelled and
the vehicle can start moving if:
R Distronic is deactivated using the cruise
control lever.
R you accelerate.
R the system or the power supply is disrup-
ted, e.g. due to battery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment or the fuses have been tampered
with.
R the battery is disconnected. G
Risk of accident
Distronic must never be operated or deacti-
vated by a passenger or from outside the vehi-
cle.
If you wish to leave the vehicle or park it,
deactivate Distronic and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
If Distronic detects that the vehicle in front is
stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it is sta-
tionary.
i Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
about four metres behind the vehicle in
front. The specified minimum distance is
set using the thumbwheel on the cruise-
control lever.
Distronic is deactivated automatically when
stopping:
R on flat stretches of road or on downhill gra-
dients when the vehicle is stationary.
R while the vehicle is still moving on uphill
gradients, to prevent the vehicle from unex-
pectedly rolling back when Distronic is
deactivated.
If Distronic is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away. 122
Driving systemsControls
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 122
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:17:21; WK

Setting a speed
X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up :for a higher speed or
down Afor a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored. Distronic is acti-
vated and adjusts the vehicle's speed to
the new speed stored.
Making adjustments in 1 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up :for a higher speed or
down Afor a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Adjustment in 10 km/h increments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up :for a
higher speed or down Afor a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Storing the current speed or call up the
last stored speed G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for the
current situation. Otherwise, sudden acceler-
ation or braking could endanger you or others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Distronic is activated and accepts the cur-
rent speed if it is activated for the first time,
or adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored. Setting the specified minimum dis-
tance for Distronic You can set the specified minimum distance
for Distronic by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. This time span
determines the distance that Distronic should
maintain from the vehicle in front, depending
on the road speed. You can see this distance
in the multi-function display (Y
page 124). X
To increase: turn thumbwheel ;towards
=.
Distronic then maintains a greater distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front.
X To decrease: turn thumbwheel ;
towards :.
Distronic then maintains a shorter distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front.
i Make sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front
required by law. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary. Driving systems
123Controls
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh, Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 123 Z
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:17:21; WK

Distronic displays in the speedometer
When Distronic is activated, one or two seg-
ments in the set speed range light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for Distronic.
If Distronic detects a vehicle in front, seg-
ments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front :and stored speed =light up.
Distronic displays in the multi-function
display X
Press the VorU button to select the
Distronic menu (Ypage 99).
Display when Distronic is deactivated
When Distronic is deactivated, you will see
the following in the multi-function display: :
Vehicle in front, if detected
; Distance indicator, displaying current dis-
tance to the vehicle in front
= Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front, adjustable
? Own vehicle Display when Distronic is activated
When Distronic is activated, you will see the
following in the multi-function display:
:
Distronic activated
; Stored speed
When activating Distronic and when setting
the speed, stored speed ;appears for
around five seconds.
Deactivating Distronic There are several ways to deactivate Dis-
tronic:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine. 124
Driving syste
msControls
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh, Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 124
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:17:22; WK

i
Distronic is not deactivated if you depress
the accelerator pedal. If you accelerate
briefly to overtake, Distronic adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored
after you have finished overtaking.
Distronic is automatically deactivated if:
R you depress the parking brake
R you are driving slower than 25 km/h and
there is no vehicle in front, or the vehicle in
front is no longer detected
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you shift the automatic transmission to N,
P or R
If Distronic is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the DISTRONIC
Off message in the multi-function display for
approximately five seconds.
Tips for driving with Distronic The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. Distronic is then deacti-
vated.
Cornering, entering and exiting a bend
The ability of Distronic to detect vehicles
when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may
brake unexpectedly or too late. Vehicles travelling on a different line
Distronic may not detect vehicles travelling
on a different line. The distance to the vehicle
in front will be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane
Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle
cutting in. The distance to this vehicle will be
too short.
Narrow vehicles Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle in
front on the edge of the carriageway, because Driving systems
125Controls
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh, Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 125 Z
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:17:23; WK

of its narrow width. The distance to the vehi-
cle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles Distronic does not brake for obstructions or
stationary vehicles. If, for example, the detec-
ted vehicle turns a corner and there is an
obstacle or stationary vehicle ahead of it, Dis-
tronic will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles Distronic may detect vehicles that are cross-
ing your lane by mistake. Activating Distronic
at, for example, a traffic light with crossing
traffic, could cause your vehicle to pull away
at the wrong time. Speedtronic
Speedtronic brakes automatically so that you
do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1,2or 3in good time. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking effect of the engine, which relieves the load
on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. If
you need additional braking, depress the
brake pedal repeatedly rather than continu-
ously. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. for driving on winter tyres
(Y page 128) G
Risk of accident
Speedtronic is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable Speedtronic With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control, Distronic* and variable Speed-
tronic.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R
LIM indicator lamp off: 126
Driving systemsControls
* optional
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 126
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:17:23; WK

Cruise control or Distronic* is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or to call up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control or Dis-
tronic* and variable Speedtronic
B To deactivate variable Speedtronic
Selecting variable Speedtronic X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is on.
If it is on, variable Speedtronic is already
selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever lights up. Variable Speedtronic is
selected. G
Risk of accident
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
Only use Speedtronic when you do not have
to accelerate suddenly to a speed higher than the stored limit speed allows. You could, oth-
erwise, cause an accident.
You can only exceed the limit speed stored if
you deactivate variable Speedtronic:
R using the cruise control lever
R by depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown)
It is not possible to deactivate variable Speed-
tronic by braking. G
Risk of injury
Variable Speedtronic brakes automatically in
order to avoid exceeding the set speed. As it
does so, the brake pedal is depressed. Do not
place your foot under the brake pedal as it
could become trapped.
Storing the current speed You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?to the pressure point.
The current speed is stored and shown in
the multi-function display.
The LIM indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for the
current driving and traffic situation. Other-
wise, sudden braking could endanger you or
others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =. Driving systems
127Controls
* optional
X164_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-03-31T14:14:58+02:00 - Seite 127 Z
Dateiname: 6515431202_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 01. Apr 2009 00:17:23; WK