MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV 2012 Owners Manual

Usefu
linfor mati on
i This Owner's Manual describes all mod-
els, series and optional equipment for your
vehicle that were available at the time of
going to press. National variation sare pos-
sible. Note that your vehicl emay not be
equippe dwith all of the function sdescri-
bed. This is also the case for system sand
functions relevant to safety.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: (Y page25). Running-in notes
Impo
rtantsafety notes
New brak epads/brak epads and discs that
have been replaced only achieve optimum
brakin geffect after severa lhundre dkilome-
tres of driving. Compensate for the reduced
braking effec tbyapplying greater force to the
brak epedal. Th
ef irst 1,500 km
If you trea tthe engin ewith sufficient care
from the very start, you wil lberewarded with
excel lent performance for the remainder of
the engine' slife.
R Driv eatv arying vehicle speeds and engine
speeds for the first 1,500 km.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle during this
period, e.g. driving at full throttle.
R Change gea ringood time, befor ethe rev
counter needl eisÔof the way to the red
area of the rev coun ter.
R Do not shift down agear manually in order
to brake.
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistanc e(kick-
down).
R Shift ranges 3,2or 1should only be
engaged whe ndriving slowly, e.g .when
drivin ginm ountainou sterrain. Af
ter1 ,50 0km,you may graduall yaccelerate
the vehicle to full road and engine speeds.
Additional running-in notes for AMG vehicles:
R do not drive at speed sabove 14 0km/h for
th ef irst 1,50 0km.
R onl yallow the engine to reach amaximum
engine spee dof4,50 0rpm briefly.
R driv ethe vehicle mainly in drive program
C for the first 1,500 km.
i You should also observe these notes on
runnin ginift he engin eorparts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Object sinthe driver's footwell can restric tthe
pedal travel or obstruct adepressed pedal.
The operatin gand road safety of the vehicle
is jeopardised. There is arisk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Fit the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficien tclearanc efor the pedals. Do not use
loose floormat s. G
WARNING
Unsuita ble footwear can hinde rcorrect usage
of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thic ksoles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is arisk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals. G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant func tions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This coul daffect,
for example, the powe rsteering and the brake 158
DrivingDrivin
gand pa rking

boostin
geffect. Yo uwill require considerably
more effor ttosteer and brake. There is arisk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
R overheat and cause afire
R lose its hold func tion.
There is arisk of fire and an accident .Release
the parking brak efully before driving off.
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only set the automatic transmission to the
respective drive positions when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. Othe rwise, you could damage the
drive train.
! AMG vehicles: at low engine oil temper-
atures (below +20 †), the maximum
engine speed is restricted in order to pro-
tec tthe engine. To protec tthe engin eand
maintain smoo thengine operation ,avoid
driving at full throttle when th eengine is
cold. Key positions
Key g
To remove the key
1 Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windscreen wipers
2 Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3 To start the engine
i If the key doe snot belong to the vehicle,
it can still be tur nedint he ignition lock.
However ,the ignition will not be switched
on. The engin ecannot be started.
KEYLESS-GO General notes
R
Do not keep the KEYLESS-GO key together
with:
- electronic devices, e.g. amobile phone
or anothe rkey
- metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal film
- metallic objects, e.g. ametal case
This can affect the fun ction of the key with
KEYL ESS-GO.
Do not keep the KEYLESS-GO key in the tem-
perature-controlled cup holder
(Y pag e347). Othe rwise, the KEYL ESS-GO
key will not be dete cted.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with
ak ey featuri ngan integrated KEYLESS-GO
function and adetachable Start /Stopbutton. Driving
159Drivingand parking Z

The Start/Stop button must be inser
tedint he
ignition lock and the key with the integrated
KEYL ESS-GO function must be in the vehicle.
Pressing the Start/Stop butto nseveral times
in succession corresponds to the different
key positions in the ignition lock. This is only
the case if you are not depressing the brake
pedal.
If you depress the brak epedal and press the
Start/Stop button ,the engin estart simmedi-
ately.
i Thee ngine can be switched off whil ethe
vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding
the Start/ Stop button for three seconds.
This func tion operates independently of the
ECO star t/stop automatic engine switch-
off func tion.
Key positions with KEYLESS-GO Switching on th
epower supply
X If Start/ Stop button :has not yet been
pressed, this corresponds to the key being
removed from the ignition.
X Press Start/Stop button :once.
The power supply is switched on. You can
now activa tethe windscreen wipers, for
example.
i The powe rsupply is switched off again if:
R the driver' sdoor is opened and
R you press Start/Stop button :twice
when in this position Switching on th
eignition
X Press Start/Stop button :twice.
The ignition is switched on.
i The power supply is switched off again if:
R the driver' sdoor is opened and
R you press Start/Stop button :once
when in this position
Removing th eStart/Stop button You can remove the Start/Stop butto
nfrom
th ei gnition lock and star tthe vehicle as nor-
ma lusing the key.
X Remove Start/ Stop button :from ignition
lock ;.
i You do not have to remove the Start/Stop
button from the ignition lock when you
leav ethe vehicle.
i It is only possible to switc hbetween KEY-
LE SS -GO mode and key operation whe nthe
transmission is in position P.
i When you inser tStart/St op button :
int oignition lock ;,the system needs
approximatel ytwo seconds' recognition
time. You can then use Start/ Stop but-
ton :. 160
DrivingDriving and pa
rking

Sta
rting the engine
Impor tant safety notes G
WARNING
Combustion engines emi tpoisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is ar isk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
i Vehicles with apetrol engine: the cat-
alytic converter is preheate dfor up to
30second safter acold star t.The sound of
the engin emay change during this time.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position
P(Y page 168).
The transmission position displ ay inthe
multifunction displa yshows
P(Y page 168).
i You can also star tthe engin ewhen the
transmission is in position N.
Sta rting procedur ewith the key X
To star tapetrol engine: turn the key to
position 3in the ignition lock
(Y page 159 )and releas eita ss oon as the
engin eisrunning.
X To star tadiesel engine: turn the key to
position 2in the ignition lock
(Y page 15 9).
The % preglow indicator lam pinthe
instrumen tcluster lights up.
X When the %preglow indicator lamp
goes out, tur nthe key to position
3(Y page 159) and release it as soon as the
engin eisrunning.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm. Usin
gKEYLESS-GO to star tthe en gine G
WARNING
Your vehicle can be started using avalid KEY-
LESS-GO key. For this reason, children should
never be left unsupervised in the vehicle.
Always take the key with you when leaving the
vehicle, even if you are only leaving it for a
short time.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X To star tapetrol engine: press the Start/
Stop button (Y page 159) once.
The engin estarts.
X To start adiesel engine: press the Start/
Stop button (Y page 159)once.
Preglow is activated and the engin estarts.
i The Start/Stop button can be used to
start the vehicle without insertin gthe key
int ot he ignition lock .The key must be in
the vehicle and the Star t/Stop butto nmust
be inserted in the ignition lock. This mode
for startin gthe engin eoperates independ-
ently of the ECO start /stop automatic
engine start function. Pulling away
Automatic transmission G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engag etransmission position Dor
R,t he vehicle coul dpull away suddenly. There
is ar isk 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 167). Driving
161Driving and parking Z

X
Release the brak epedal.
X Carefully depress th eaccele rator pedal.
The electric parkin gbrake (Y page 182) is
automaticall yreleased.
The red !indicator lam pinthe instru-
men tcluster 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 parkin glock released. If the brake
pedal is not depressed, the DIRECT SELECT
leve rcan still be moved but the parkin glock
remains engaged.
i The vehicle lock scentrally onc eyou have
pulled away .The lockin gknobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivat ethe automatic lock-
ing featur e(Ypage 28 3).
i Upshif tstake place at higher engine
speeds after acold star t.This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature mor equickly.
Pullin gaway with atrailer To ensure that you do not roll backwards
when pulling away on an uphill slope, engage
the electric parking brake.
X
Press and hol dhandle :.
The electric parking brake continues to
brake and prevent the vehicle from rolling
backwards. The red
!indicator lamp in the instru-
ment 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.
The red !indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Hill star tassist G
WARNING
Af teras hort time, hill star tassist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could rol laway.
There is arisk 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 asecond.
X Pull away.
Hill star tassist helps you when pulling away
forwards or in reverse on an uphil lgradient.
It hold sthe vehicle for ashort tim eafter you
have removed you rfoot from the brake pedal.
This gives you enough tim etomove your foot
from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal
and depress it befor ethe vehicle begin sto
roll.
Hil lstart assist will not function if:
R you are pulling away on alevel road or a
downhill gradien t.
R the transmission is in position N.
R the electric parking brake is engaged.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning. 162
DrivingDrivin
gand pa rking

ECO start/stop function
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If th eengine is switched off automatically and
you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving.
There is arisk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes :
ECO start/stop display
The ECO start/stop func tion switches the
engin eoff automatically if th evehicle stops
moving.
When pulling away again, the engine starts
automatically. The ECO start/stop function
thereby helps you to reduc ethe fuel con-
sumption and emissions of your vehicle.
Every tim eyou switc honthe engin eusing the
key or the Star t/Stop button, the ECO start/
sto pfunction is activated.
AMG vehicles: the ECO start/stop function
is only available in drive program C.
The system is operational when the ¤
symbol is shown in green in the multifunction
display.
AMG vehicles: the AMG menu in the multi-
function displa yadditionally shows the Stop/Star
tactive message.
If no tall condition sfor automatic engine
switch-of fare fulfill ed (Ypage 164), the
¤ symbol is shown in yellow in the multi-
function display. AMG vehicles:
the AMG menu in the multi-
function display additionally shows the Stop/ Star
tinactive message.
If th eECO start/stop function has been man-
uall ydeactivated (Y page 163) or if amal-
function has caused the system to be deac-
tivated, the ¤symbol is not displ ayed.
AMG vehicles: theStop/Start active or
Stop/Start inactive displa
ymessage
goes out in the AMG men uofthe multifunc-
tion display.
If the engin eisswitched off and the ¤
symbol is shown in green in the multifunction
display, the engine has been switched off
automatically .However, all vehicle systems
remain active.
Deactivating/activa ting th eECO start/
stop function ECO button
X
To switch off (except AMG vehicles):
press button :.
Indicator lamp ;on button :and the
¤ symbol in the multifunction display go
out.
X To switch on (except AMG vehicles):
press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. If all conditions
for automatic engine switch-off
(Y page 164 )are fulfilled ,the ¤ symbol
is shown in gree ninthe multifunc tion dis-
play.
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off ar efulfilled, the Driving
163Drivingand pa rking Z

(
Y page 16 4)¤ symbol is shown in yel-
low in the multifu nction display .Ifthis is the
case ,the ECO star t/stop function is not
available.
X To switch of f(AMG vehicles): in program
C,p ressbutton :.
or
X Switc htod rive program Sor M
(Y page 170).
Indi cator lamp ;on button :and the
¤ symbol in the multifunction display go
out.
The Stop/Star tactive or
Stop/Start inactive message in th
eAMG men uinthe
multifunction displa ygoes out.
X To switch on (AM Gvehicles): press but-
ton :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. If drive pro-
gram Sor Mis active, the automatic trans-
mission switches to drive program C.
If all conditions for automatic engine
switch-of f(Ypage 16 4)are fulfilled, the
¤ symbol is shown in green in the mul-
tifunction display. In addition, the Stop/Star
tactive message is show
ninthe
AMG men uinthe multifunction display.
If not all condition sfor automatic engine
switch-of f(Ypage 16 4)are fulfilled, the
¤ symbol is not shown. If this is the
case, the ECO start/stop function is not
available. In addition, the Stop/Startinactive message is shown in the AMG
menu in the multifunction display.
i If indicator lamp ;is off, the ECO start/
stop function has been deactivated man-
ually or as the result of amalfunction .The
engin ewill then not be switched off auto-
matically when the vehicle stops.
i Ever ytime you switch on the engine using
the key or the Star t/Stop button, the ECO
start/stop function is activated. Automatic engine switch-off If the vehicle is braked to
astandstill in Dor
N,t he ECO start/stop func tion switches off
the engin eautomatically.
The ECO start/stop function is operational
and the ¤symbol is displayed in green in
the multifunction displa yif:
R thei ndicato rlamp in the ECO button is lit
green
R none of the off-road programs are selected
R the vehicle is stationary
R the outside temperature is within the com-
fort range
R the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature
R the set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached
R the battery is sufficiently charged
R the system detects that the windscreen is
not misted up when the air-conditioning
system is switched on
R the bonnet is closed
R the driver' sdoor is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened
If not all condition sfor automatic engine
switch-of fare fulfilled ,the ¤ symbol is
shown in yellow.
AM Gvehicles: the AMG menu in the multi-
func tion display additionally shows the Stop/ Star
tinactive message.
i If yo ushift the transmission from Rto D,
the ECO start/stop func tion is available
again onc ethe ¤ symbol reappear sin
green in the multifunction display.
i All vehicles (except AM Gvehicles):
automatic engine switch-off can take place
am aximum of four times consecutively (ini-
tial stop, then three subsequent stops). The
¤ symbol is shown in yellow in the mul-
tifunction displ ayafter the engine has been
started automatically for the fourth time.
When the ¤symbol is shown in green 164
DrivingDriving and parking

in the multifunction display, automatic
engin eswitch-of fisa gain possible.
i AMGvehicles: times which the engine
can be automatically switched off.
i You can also activat ethe HOL Dfunction
when the vehicle is stationary if the engine
has been switched off automatically. It is
then not necessary to continue depressing
the brak epedal during the automatic stop
phase. When you depress the accelerator
pedal, the engine star tsautomatically and
the braking effect of the HOLD function is
deactivated. Depress the accelerator pedal
gently, as the engine must be started first.
i During automatic engine switch-off ,the
climate con trol system only operates at a
reduced capacity. If you require full climate
con trol capacity, the ECO star t/stopfunc-
tion can be deactivated by pressing the
ECO button (Y page 163).
Automatic engin estart The engine is started automatically if:
R you switch off the ECO start/stop function
by pressing the ECO button
R you releas ethe brakes when in transmis-
sion position Dor N,w hen the HOL Dfunc-
tion is inactive
R you depres sthe accelerator pedal
R you engage reverse gear R
R you mov ethe transmission out of position
P
R you switc htodrive program Sor M(AMG
vehicles)
R yo us witch to an off-road program (except
AMG vehicles)
R you unfasten your seat belt or open the
driver's door
R the vehicle start storoll
R the brake system requires this
R the tempera turein the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range R
the system detect smoistur eont he wind-
screen when the air-conditionin gsystem is
switched on
R the battery's charge status is too low
i Shifting the transmission to position P
doe snot star tthe engine. Driving
165Driving and pa rking Z

Problems wit
hthe engine Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Th
ee ngine doe snot
start. The starter motor
can be heard. R
There is amalfunction in the engine electronics.
R There is amalfunction in the fuel supply.
X Before attempting to start the engine again, turn the key in the
ignition back to position 0or press the Start/Stop button
repeatedly until all indicator lamps in the instrumen tcluster go
out.
X Try to start the engin eagain (Y page 16 1).A void excessively
long and frequen tattempt stostartthe engine, as this will drain
the battery.
If the engine doe snot star tafter several attempts:
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
star
t.The starter motor
can be heard. The
reserve fuel warning
lam pisl it and the fuel
gauge displa yshows 0. The fuel tan
kise mpty.
X Refue lthe vehicle. The engin
edoes not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor. The on-boar
dvoltage is too low because the battery is too weak
or discharged.
X Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 386).
If the engin edoes not star tdespite attempt stojump-start it:
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop. The starter motor was exposed to
athermal load that was too high.
X Allo wthe starter motor to cool down for approximatel ytwo
minutes.
X Try to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop. Vehicles with
apetrol
engine:
The engine is not run-
ning smoothly and is
misfiring. There is
amalfunction in the engine electronics or in amechanical
componen tofthe engin emanagement system.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at aqualified specialist
workshop. 166
DrivingDrivin
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Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The coolant tempera-
tur
ed isplay is showing
more than 120 †. The
coolant warnin glamp
may also be lit and a
warning tone may
sound. 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 363). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct
,the radiator fa nmay be faulty. The
coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled suffi-
ciently.
X At coolant temperatures under 120 †, drive on to the nearest
qualified specialis tworkshop, e.g. to aMercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in
mountainous terrai nand stop-start traffic. Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engag etrans mission position Dor
R,t he vehicle coul dpull away suddenly. There
is ar isk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate. DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmissio npositions P
Park position with parking lock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive
The DIRECT SELECT leve risonthe right of the
steering column.
i The DIREC TSELECT lever always returns
to its origina lposition .The curren ttrans-
mission position P,R, Nor Dappe arsint he
transmission position display
(Y page 168) in the multifunction display. Automa
tict ran smission
167Driving and pa rking Z