MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV 2012 Owners Manual
Page 341 of 441
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). Stowage areas
Loadin
gguidelines G
WARNING
Secure and positio nthe load as described in
the loadin gguidelines.
Otherwise, vehicle occupants could
be injured by the load being thrown around in
the event of sharp braking, asudden change
in direction or an accident.
You will find further information in the "Secur-
ing aload" section.
Even if you follow all the loadin gguidelines,
the load will increase the risk of injury in the
event of an accident. G
WARNING
Keep the tailgate closed when the engine is
running. Otherwise, you could be poisoned by
exhaust fumes enterin gthe vehicle.
The handling characteristics of aladen vehi-
cle are dependent on the distribution of the
load within the vehicle. For this reason, you
should observe the following notes when
transporting aload:
R when transpor ting aload, never exceed the
maximum permissible gross vehicle weight or the permissible axle loads for the vehicle
(includin
goccupants).
R position heavy loads as far forward saspos-
sible and as low down in the load compart-
men tasp ossible.
R the load must not protrude abov ethe upper
edge of the seat backrests.
R always plac ethe load against the rea ror
front seat backrests .Make sure that the
seat backrests are securely locked into
place.
R hook in the safety net when loading.
R always place the load behind unoccupied
seats if possible.
R secure the load with sufficiently stron gand
wear-resistant lashing material. Pad sharp
edges for protection.
i Load restraints are available at any quali-
fied specialis tworkshop, e.g. aMercedes-
Benz Servic eCentre. Stowage compartments
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The stowage compartments must be closed
when item sare store dinthem. Luggage nets
ar en ot designed to secur eheavy item sof
luggage.
You or other vehicle occupant scould be
injure dbyo bjectsbeing thrown around if you:
R brak esharply
R change direction suddenly
R arei nvolved in an accident
Sharp-edge dand fragile object smust not be
placed in the luggag enet. 338
Stowage areasStowing and features
Page 342 of 441
Glove compartment
X
To open: pull ha ndle :and ope nglove
compartment flap ;.
X To close: fold glove compartment flap ;
upwards until it engages.
i The glove compartment can be cooled
and ventilated (Y page 154). 1
Glove compartment unlocked
2 Glove compartment locked
The glove compartment can be locked and
unlocked using the emergenc ykey element. Ap
artition :for stowin gflat object sisloca-
te di nt he up per sectio nofthe glov ecom-
partment .Itcan be removed to increase the
stowage space in the glove compartment.
X To remove: pull partition :forwards and
out
X To install: insert partition :and push it
back until it engages.
Stowage compartment/telephone
compartment under the armrest X
To open: pull handle :up.
The armrest folds out.
In the stowage compartment, there is astow-
age tray and amobile phone bracket.
i Depending on the vehicle' sequipment, a
US Bp ort and an AUX-I Njack or aMedia
In terf ace are installed in the stowage com-
partment.
Media Interface is auniversal interface for
mobil eaudi oe quipment, e.g. for an iPod ®
or MP3 Player.
i There is aremovable stowage tray in the
storage compartment, in which objects
such as an iPod ®
can be stored. Stowage areas
339Stowing and features Z
Page 343 of 441
Spectacles compa
rtment X
To open: press marking :.
The spectacles compartmen topens down-
wards.
X To close: press marking:again, the
spectacles compartment returns upwards
and engages.
Make sure that the spectacles compartment
is closed while the vehicle is in motion.
Stowage compartment in the front
centre console X
To open: slide cover :forwards.
Stowage compartment ;appears.
X To close: pull cover :back as far as it will
go. Stowage compartment in the rear
centre console X
To open: briefly press the stowage com-
partment marking.
The stowage compartment opens.
i Depending on the vehicle's equipment,
ther emay be open stowage spaces above
and below the stowage compartment. Stowage nets
G
WARNING
Only place lightweight items in the stowage
net .Don ot use it to transport heavy ,bulky,
sharp-edged or fragile objects. In the event of
an accident, the stowag enet will not secure
the tra nsported goods sufficiently. :
Stowage net in front-passenger footwell 340
Stowage areasStowing and features
Page 344 of 441
:
Stowag enet on the back of the front seats :
Stowag enet in luggage com partment Through-loadin
gfacility in the rear
compartment Th
et hrough-loading facility is opened from
the luggage com partment.
X Releas ethe sea tbackrest sinthesecond
row of seat sand tilt them in the cargo/load
position (Y page 104).
X Fold down the rear seat armrest. X
Pull the centre head restraint on the rear
bench seat into the uppermost position
(Y page 102).
X Slide release catch :to the left and swing
flap ;to the left until it is lying on the rear
side of the rear bench seat. X
Push cover =forward until it is lying on the
rear seat armrest. Enlarging the luggage compartment
Impor tantsafety notes G
WARNING
Do not carry heavy or hard objects inside the
vehicle or in the luggag ecompartmen tunless
they are secured.
Oth erwise, yo uand othe rvehicle occupants
could be injured by objects being thrown
around the vehicle in the event of sharp brak-
ing, asudden change in direction or an acci-
dent.
When using the luggag ecompartment
enlargement, you should always clip in the
safet ynet,ifath and. G
WARNING
Always drive with the tailgat eclosed. Exhaust
fumes could otherwise enter the vehicle inte-
rior. G
WARNING
Do not fold the backrest ont othe folded-down
seat cushi ons.Ift he seat cushi ons arefolded Stowage areas
341Stowing and fea tures
Z
Page 345 of 441
down, luggage can be thrown over the back-
rest int
othe passenger compar tment ,e.g.
during heavy braking, sudden changes of
direction or in the event of an accide nt.Y ou
coul dcause an acciden torcause injury to
yourself and others.
! Releas eand fold the sea tcushion
upwards befor efolding th erear bench seat
forward. Otherwise, th ebackrests may be
damaged.
When the backrest is folded forwards, the
front seats cannot be moved to their rear-
most position. Otherwise, the front seats
and the rea rbench seat could be damaged.
The left-hand and right-hand backrests in the
2n dr ow of seats can be folde dforwards sep-
arately to increase the luggage compartment
capacity.
On vehicles with a3rd row of seats ,you must
fold down the 3r drow of seats beforehand
(Y page 105) to obtain maximum luggage
compartment enlargement.
Folding th erear benc hseat forwards !
The backrest is heavy. Therefore, exer-
cise care when folding it down. Make sure
that the head restraints are pushed all the
way in so that the backrests and seat cush-
ions are not damaged. i
If the driver's or fron t-passenger seat is
set for alarger person, it may not be pos-
sible to fold the rear bench seat forwards.
In this case, move the front seats as far
forward as possible. X
Move the head restraints to the lowest
position (Y page 103).
X Pull release loop :of seat cushion ;.
X Fold seat cushion ;upwards. X
Pull release handle =in the direction of
the arrow.
The backrest is released.
X Fold the backrest forwards until it reaches
the luggage compartment position. X
Guide seat belts ;under respective
clips :.
Foldin gthe rear benc hseat back G
WARNING
Mak esure that the seat backrest and th eseat
cushion are correctly engaged in position. 342
Stowage areasStowi
ng andfeatures
Page 346 of 441
X
Fold se at back rest;back until it engages.
Make sure not to trap the seat belt while
doing so.
X Swing seat cushion :back.
X Pull up and adjus tthe head rest raints if
necessary (Y page 103). Securing
aload
Lashing eyelets General notes
G
WARNING
Distribut ethe load on thelashing eyelets
evenly.
Otherwise, vehicle occupant scould be
injure dbyo bjectsbein gthrown ar oundify ou:
R bra kesharply
R change directio nsuddenly
R are involved in an accident
Please observ ethe loading guidelines.
Observ ethe following notes on securing
loads:
R secur ethe load using the la shingeyelets.
R do not use elasti cstraps or nets to secure
al oad, as these ar eonly intended as an
anti-slip protection for light loads.
R do not route lashing materials across sharp
edges or corners.
R Pad sharp edges for protection. Luggage compartment
There are four lashing eyelets
:in the lug-
gag ecompartmen t.
Bag hook G
WARNING
Only hang ligh tloads on the bag holders. Do
not use them to transpor theavy ,sharp-edged
or fragile objects. When brakin gsharply,
changing direction quickly or in the even tof
an accident, the bag hooks will not secure the
items sufficiently. This could result in injury to
yoursel forothers.
! Theb aghoo kcan bear amaximum load
of 3k g. Do not us eittosecureaload. Ther
eisab ag hook in the luggage compart-
men tont he right-hand side.
X Press bag hook marking :.
X Tur nbag hook :until it engages. Stowage areas
343Stowing and features Z
Page 347 of 441
Luggage compartment cover
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The luggage compartmen tcover is not a
restraint system .Secur ethe load unde rthe
luggag ecompart ment cover by suitable
means. Make sure that the luggage compart-
ment cover is engaged securely. If luggage is
not sufficiently secured, it can be thrown over
the backres tinto the passenger compart-
ment, for instance during heavy braking, sud-
den change sofdirection or in the event of an
accident .You coul dcause an accident or
cause injury to yourself and others.
! When loading the vehicle, make sure that
you do not stack the load in the luggage
compartment higher than the lower edge of
the side windows .Donot plac eheavy
object sontop of the luggage compartment
cover.
The luggage compartment cover ma ybe
installed behind the 2nd or 3r drow of seats.
Extending and ret racting the luggage
compartment cover X
To extend: pull the luggage compartment
cover back by grab handle :and clip it
into retainers ;on the left and right.
X To retract: unhook the luggage compart-
ment cover from left-hand and right-hand
retainers ;.
X Guide luggage compartment cover for-
wards by grab handle :until it is com-
pletely rolled up. Coat hooks on the tailgate
G
WARNING
The tailgate may close if too great aload is
placed on the coat hooks.
This coul dcause you or others to be trapped
and injured.
If you use the coat hooks ,only hang light
clothing on them. Make sure that nobody can
become trapped. :
Coat hook Stowage well underneat
hthe lug gage
compartment floor G
WARNING
Never driv ewith the luggage compartment
floor open.
Otherwise, you and other vehicle occupants
could be injured by objects being thrown
around the vehicle in the event of sharp brak-
ing, asudden change in direction or an acci-
dent. 344
Stowage areasSto
wing and features
Page 348 of 441
The TIREFI
Tkit, tyre- change tool kit, etc. are
located in the stowage compartment.
X To open: holding the ribbing, press han-
dle :downwards ;.
Handle :folds upwards.
X Swing the luggag ecompartmen tfloor
upwards using handle :until it rests
against the luggage compar tment cover. X
Fold out hook =on the underside of the
luggage compartment floor in the direction
of the arrow. X
Attach hook =to the luggage compart-
ment's uppe rseal ?.
X To close: detachhook =from the luggage
compar tment's uppe rseal ?.
X Fasten hook =to the bracket on the
underside of the luggage compartment
floor.
X Fold the luggage compartmen tfloor down.
X Press the luggage compar tment floor
down ;until it engages. 1
Luggag ecompartmen tfloor unlocked
2 Luggage compar tment floor locked
The luggage compartment floor can be locked
and unlocke dusing the emergenc ykey ele-
men t. Roof carrier
Important safety notes G
WARNING
An incorrectly secured roof carrier, ski rack or
load could become detached from the vehi-
cle. These object smight then be thrown
around, and could injur eyou or other sor
caus eana ccident .Follow the roof carrier/ski
rac km anufacturer' sinstallation instructions
and special instructions for use.
The roof load raise sthe vehicle' scentre of
gravity, thereby affecting vehicle handling.
You must always observ ethe maximum roof
load of 10 0kg. Always adapt your driving style
to the prevailin groad, traffic and weather Stowage areas
345Stowing and features
Z
Page 349 of 441
cond
itions and drive with partic ularcareift he
roof is laden.
! Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
only us eroof carrier sthat hav ebeen tested
and approved for Mercedes-Ben zvehicles.
This helps to prevent damage to the vehi-
cle.
Position the load on the roof carrier in such
aw ay that the vehicle will not sustain dam-
age even when it is in motion.
Depending on the vehicle equipment,
ensure that when the roof carrier is fitted
you can:
R raise the sliding sunroof fully
R open the panorama sliding sunroof fully
R open the tailgate fully
Attaching the roof carrier X
Secure the roof carrier to roof rails :.In
doing so, observe the manufacturer's
installation instructions. Features
Cup holders
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Keep the cup holder closed while the vehicle
is in motion. Otherwise, vehicle occupants
could be injured by object sbeing thrown
around if you: R
brak esharply
R change direction suddenly
R arei nvolved in an accident
Only use the cup holders for containers of a
suitable size and which have lids .The drinks
coul dotherwis espill.
Cup holders should not be used for hot drinks.
You may otherwise scald yourself. G
WARNING
Do not transport any heavy, sharp-edged or
fragile bottles in the stowage compartments.
In the event of an accident, the stowage com-
partment scannot secure the bottles ade-
quately .You and/or other vehicle occupan ts
co uld be injured.
The stowag ecompart ments in the doors pro-
vide space for bottles with acapacity of up to
1.0 l.
The bottles are not secured or prevented from
tipping over. Therefore, do not place any open
drink containers in the stowage compart-
ments.
Cup holder in the front centre console :
Cup holders
; Cover
X To open: slide cover ;to its foremost
position.
X To close: pull cover ;back as far as it will
go. 346
FeaturesStowing and features
Page 350 of 441
You can remove the rubber mat of the cup
holder to clean it. Clean it with clean
,luke-
warm water only.
Temperature-controlled cup holder in
th ef ront-compartment centr econsole G
WARNING
When you use the warmin gfunction ,the metal
insert of thecup holder is heated. Therefore,
do not touch the cup holder inser t.Otherwise,
you migh tburny oursel f. :
Cuph olders
; Residual heat indicator lamp
= Button
Th et emperature-c ontrolle dcup holde rcan
be used to keep cold drinks cold and hot
drinks hot.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X To switch on th ecooling function: press
and hold button =until th eblue indicator
lamp on th ebutton lights up.
X To switch on th eheating function: press
and hold button =until the red indicator
lamp on the button lights up.
X To switch off th efunc tion: press and hold
button =until the indicator lamp on the
button goes out.
When the heatin gfunction is used, residual
heat indicator lamp ;lights up fro macer-
tain temperature. This mean sthat the metal
insert of the cup holder is hot. Cu
ph older in th erears eat armrest !
Do not sit on or support your body weight
on the rear seat arm rest when it is folded
down ,asy ou coul dotherwise damage it. X
Fold down the rear seat armrest.
Cup holder :is located in the rear seat
armrest.
Cup holder in th ethird row of seats :
Cup holders
The cup holders are located on the right-hand
and left-han dside panels. Sun visors
Overview G
WAR
NING
Keep the vanity mirrors in the sun visors cov-
ered whil edriving.Y ou coul dotherwise be
dazzled, which may impair your view of traffic
conditions and as aresult could cause an
accident. Features
347Stowing and features Z