MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV 2019 Owners Manual

The
following symbol is displa yed in the instru‐
ment clus ter when the sy stem is active: Sy
stem limitations
The sy stem limitations of Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC and Active Steering Assist apply to
Ac tive Traf fic Jam Assi st (/ page 253). Overview of
Active Di stance Assist
DIST RONIC displa ysinthe instrument clus‐
ter The assis
tance graphic and thest atus display
show thest atus of thefo llowing functions in the
instrument clus ter:
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC
R Route-based speed adap tation
R Active Steering Assist Assistant display
1
Route-based speed adap tation (type of route
eve nt)
2 Vehicle in front
3 Distance indica tor
4 Set specified di stance
5 Active Lane Change Assi stlane change dis‐
play Ac
tive Di stance Assist DISTRO NICstatus dis‐
play and route-based speed adaptation 1
Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC selected,
set speci fied dis tance (number of segments
below theve hicle)
2 Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC deacti va‐
te d, speed stored 258
Driving and parking

3
Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC acti ve,
speed stored, no vehicle de tected (bright
ve hicle symbol)
4 Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC acti ve,
speed stored, vehicle de tected (green vehi‐
cle symbol)
5 Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC and route-
based speed adap tation acti ve, speed stored
% On mo torw ays or high-speed major roads,
th e green çvehicle symbol is displa yed
cyclically when theve hicle is ready topull
aw ay.
% Ifyo u depress the accelerator pedal be yond
th e setting of theAc tive Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC, the sy stem is switched topas‐
sive mode. The çsuspended message
appears in the multifunction displa y.
Speedome ter
The stored speed is highlighted on the speedom‐
et er. If the speed of theve hicle in front or the
speed adjustment is less than thestored speed
due tothero ute event ahead, the segments in
th e speedome ter light up. Deactivation of Active
Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC, as well as altera‐ tions
tothe speed due tomanual or auto matic
adoption of the speed limit, are displa yed in the
control feedback of the multifunction display on
a single line.
Ac tive Steering Assist status display 1
Grey steering wheel: Active Steering Assist
switched on and passive
2 Green steering wheel: Active Steering Assist
switched on and active
3 Flashing steering wheel: prom pttothe driver
to actively con firm or transition from active
to passive status, sy stem limits de tected During
the transition from active topassive sta‐
tus, symbol 3is shown as enlar ged and flash‐
ing. Once the sy stem is passive, symbol 1is
shown as gr eyinthe multifunction displa y. Fu
nction of Hill Start Assist Hill
Start Assist holds theve hicle for a short
time when pulling away on a hill under thefo l‐
lowing conditions:
R The transmission is in position hork.
R The elect ric pa rking brake is released.
This gives you enough time tomo veyour foot
from the brake pedal tothe accelera tor pedal
and depress it before theve hicle begins toroll
aw ay. &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
due totheve hicle rolling away
Af ter a short time, Hill Start Assist no lon ger
holds theve hicle and it can rollaw ay. #
Therefore, swiftly mo veyour foot from
th e brake pedal tothe accelerator Driving and parking
259

pedal. Ne
ver attem pttolea vetheve hi‐
cle if it is being held byHill Start Assist. HOLD function
HOLD function
The HOLD function holds
theve hicle at a stand‐
st ill without requ iring youto depress the brake
pedal, e.g. while waiting in traf fic.
The HOLD function is only an aid. The responsi‐
bility forth eve hicle safely standing still remains
with the driver.
Sy stem limitations
The HOLD function is only intended toprov ide
assis tance when driving and is not a su fficient
means of safeguarding theve hicle against rolling
aw ay when stationar y.
R The incline must not be greater than 30%. Ac
tivating/deactivating the HOLD function &
WARNING Risk of an accident due tothe
HOLD function being activated when you
lea vetheve hicle
If yo u lea vetheve hicle while only the HOLD
function is braking theve hicle, theve hicle
can rollaw ay inthefo llowing situations:
R Ifth ere is a malfunction in the sy stem or
in the po wer supply.
R Ifth e HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or brake
pedal, e.g. byave hicle occupant. #
Alw ays deactivate the HOLD function
and secure theve hicle against rolling
aw ay before leaving theve hicle. *
NO
TEDama gefrom auto matic braking If one of
thefo llowing functions is switched
on, theve hicle brakes automatically in cer‐
ta in situations:
R Active Brake Assi st
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC
R HOLD function
R Active Parking Assist
To avo id damage totheve hicle, deactivate
th ese sy stems in thefo llowing or similar sit‐
uations: #
During towing #
In a car wash Re
quirements:
R The vehicle is stationar y.
R The driver's door is closed or the seat belt on
th e driver's side is fastened.
R The engine is running or has been au tomati‐
cally switched off bythe ECO start/ stop
function. 260
Driving and parking

R
The electric parking brake is released.
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is deacti‐
va ted.
R The transmission is in position h,kori.
Ac tivating the HOLD function #
Dep ress the brake pedal and af ter a short
time quickly depress fur ther until theë
display appears in the multifunction displa y.#
Release the brake pedal.
Deactivating the HOLD function #
Depress the accelerator pedal topull away.
or #
Depress the brake pedal until theë dis‐
play disappears from the multifunction dis‐
pla y.
The HOLD function is deactivated in thefo llow‐
ing situations:
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is acti va‐
te d.
R The transmission is switched toposition j.R
The vehicle is secured with the electric park‐
ing brake.
In thefo llowing situations, theve hicle is held by
th e transmission position jorby the electric
parking brake:
R The seat belt is unfas tened and the driver's
door is opened.
R The drive sy stem is switched off.
R There is a malfunction in the sy stem or the
po we r supp lyis insuf ficient. St
art-off assi st Fu
nction of thest art-off assi st
The start-off assist enables optimal vehicle
acceleration from a standstill. Forth is, a suitably
high-grip road sur face is requ ired, the tyres and
ve hicle must also be in good condition.
Do not activate thest art-off assist on public
ro ads.
Be sure toobser vethe saf ety no tes and informa‐
tion on ESP ®
. Ac
tivating the start-off assi st &
WARNING Risk of skidding and having
an accident from wheels spinning
When you use start-off assist, individual
wheels could spin and you could lose cont rol
of theve hicle.
If ESP ®
is deactivated, there is a risk of skid‐
ding and accident! #
Make sure that no persons or obstacles
are in the close vicinity of your vehicle. #
Deactivating ESP ®
(/ page 234). #
Movethesteering wheel tothest ra ight-
ahead position. #
Depress the brake pedal firm ly wi thyour left
fo ot and keep it depressed. #
Enga getheh drive position (/ page 207). #
Select the sportiest available drive program
B orC(/ page 204). #
Rapidly depress the accelerator pedal full y. Driving and pa
rking 261

#
Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accelera‐
tion. #
Swit chon ESP ®
once the acceleration proce‐
dure is comple te. ESP ®
will otherwise not be
able tostabilise theve hicle if theve hicle
st arts toskid or a wheel starts tospin.
Cancelling thest art-off assi st #
Remo veyour foot from the accelerator pedal. #
Reactivate the ESP ®
. AIRMATIC
Fu
nction of AIRMATIC
AIRMATIC is an air suspension sy stem with an
all-round le vel control sy stem, which also
ensures the best possible suspension and con‐
st ant ground clearance, even wi tha laden vehi‐
cle. When driving at speed, theve hicle is low‐
ered automatically toimpr ovedriving saf ety and
to reduce fuel consum ption. You also ha vethe
option of manually adjusting theve hicle le vel. AIRMATIC consists of:
R All-round air suspension
R Speed-dependent lo wering
R Manually selectable high-l evel setting for
grea ter ground clea rance which can be
adjus ted using a le vel button
R Vehicles with ADS PLUS: alsoAdaptive
Damping Sy stem with const ant adjustment
of damping characteristics for impr oved driv‐
ing comfort 262
Driving and parking

Av
ailable suspension settings and vehicle le vels Suspension setting
Characteristics
A (Comfort drive program)
; (Economy drive program) R
The suspension tuning is com fortable.
R The vehicle is set tothe normal le vel.
R When driving at speeds abo veappr oximately 140 km/h, theve hicle is lo wered.
R When driving at speeds below appr oximately 40 km/h, theve hicle is raised again.
R Operation with a trailer or bicycle rack:ifth e electrical connection has been cor rectly es tablished, theve hi‐
cle remains at normal le vel ir respective of speed.
C (Sport drive program) R
The suspension tuning is firm er.
R The vehicle is set tolow le vel -1.
R Operation with a trailer or bicycle rack: ifth e electrical connection has been cor rectly es tablished, theve hi‐
cle remains at normal le vel.
B (Sport Plus drive prog ram) R
The suspension tuning is evenfirm er.
R The vehicle is set tolow le vel -2.
R Operation with a trailer or bicycle rack:ifth e electrical connection has been cor rectly es tablished, theve hi‐
cle remains at normal le vel. Driving and parking
263

Suspension setting
Characteristics
F (Off-road drive program for
ve hicles without Off-road pack‐
age) R
Suspension tuning is suitable for easily negotiable off-road terrain.
R The vehicle is set tooff-road le vel +1.
R When driving at speeds abo veappr oximately 80 km/h, theve hicle is lo wered.
R When driving at speeds below appr oximately 45 km/h, theve hicle is raised.
F (Off-road drive program for
ve hicles with Off-road pac kage) R
Suspension tuning is suitable for easi lynegotiable off-road terrain.
R The vehicle is set tooff-road le vel +1.
R When driving at speeds abo veappr oximately 115 km/h, theve hicle is lo wered.
R When driving at speeds below appr oximately 75km/h, theve hicle is raised.
G (Off-road Plus drive pro‐
gram forve hicles with Off-road
pac kage) R
Suspension tuning is suitable for dif ficult off-road terrain.
R The vehicle is set tooff-road le vel +1.
R When driving at speeds abo veappr oximately 80 km/h, theve hicle is lo wered.
R When driving at speeds below appr oximately 45 km/h, theve hicle is raised.
= (Individual drive program) R
You can call up individual suspension tuning settings here.
Lower when entering On(Enter‐
ing/exiting le vel) R
The active ent ry/exit le vel sets theve hicle tolow le vel -2 tofacilitate entering/exiting theve hicle.
R When driving at speeds abo veappr ox. 30 km/h, the entry /exit le vel is deactivated and theve hicle is raised. 264
Driving and parking

Sy
stem limitations
Airmatic may not be available or ha veonly limi‐
te dav ailability:
R ifth eove rheating pr otection is activated due
to frequent le velch anges bydepressing the
le ve l button within a short time. The Á
message appears in the multifunction dis‐
pla y.
Af terth e cooling phase, the sy stem is again
av ailable without restriction.
Setting the vehicle le vel &
WARNING Risk of accident because
ve hicle le vel is too high
If yo u drive at a higher vehicle le vel,th e driv‐
ing characteristics may be impaired due to
th e higher vehicle centre of gravity.
The vehicle can drift outwards, forex ample,
when steering or cornering. #
Alw aysch oose a vehicle le vel which is
suited tothe driving style and thero ad
sur face conditions. &
WARNING Risk of entrapment from vehi‐
cle lo wering
When lo wering theve hicle, other people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between theve hicle body and the tyres or
underneath theve hicle. #
Make sure no one is underneath the
ve hicle or in the immediate vicinity of
th e wheel ar ches when theve hicle is
being lo wered. &
WARNING Risk of entrapment from vehi‐
cle lo wering
Ve hicles with AIRMATIC or le vel control:
when you unload luggage or lea vetheve hi‐
cle, theve hicle firs trises slightly and then
re turns tothe set le vel shortly af terw ards.
Yo u or an yone else in the vicinity of the
wheel ar ches or the underbody could thus
become trapped.
The vehicle can also be lo wered af ter being
loc ked. #
When leaving theve hicle, make sure
th at nobody is in the vicinity of the
wheel ar ches or the underbody. *
NO
TEDama gedue tovehicle lo wering Pa
rts of the body could be damaged when
th eve hicle is lo wered. #
Make sure that there are no obs tacles
su ch askerbs underneath or in the
immediate vicinity of the body when
yo u lo werth eve hicle. Re
quirements:
R The vehicle has been star ted.
R Vehicles without Off-road pac kage: the
ve hicle is not driving at speeds greater than
65 km/h or is operating with a trailer or bicy‐
cle rack with a cor rectly es tablished elect ri‐
cal connection 30 km/h.
R Vehicles with Off-road pac kage:
- Off-road le vel +1: theve hicle is not driv‐
ing at speeds greater than 100 km/h or
is operating with a trailer or bicycle rack Driving and pa
rking 265

with a cor
rectly es tablished elect rical
connection 30 km/h.
- Off-road le vel +2: theve hicle is not driv‐
ing at speeds greater than 65 km/h or is
operating with a trailer or bicycle rack
with a cor rectly es tablished elect rical
connection 30 km/h.
- Off-road le vel +3: theve hicle is not mov‐
ing fast erthan 20 km/h and there ar fog
lamp is not switched on.
Dif fere nces between dif fere nt vehicle le vels
compared tothe normal le vel Ve
hicle
le vel Ve
hicles
without Off-
ro ad pac kage Ve
hicles with
Off-road pack‐
age
Car wash Appr ox.
+90 mm Appr
ox.
+90 mm
Off-road
le ve l +3 Una
vailable Appr ox.
+90 mm
Off-road
le ve l +2 Una
vailable Appr ox.
+60 mm Ve
hicle
le vel Ve
hicles
without Off-
ro ad pac kage Ve
hicles with
Off-road pack‐
age
Off-road
le ve l +1 Appr
ox.
+60 mm Appr
ox.
+30 mm
Spor tA pprox.
-15 mm App
rox.
-15 mm
Spo rt+A pprox.
-25 mm App
rox.
-25 mm Ra
ising theve hicle (vehicles without Off-
ro ad pac kage) #
Push rocker switch 1forw ards.
Indicator lamp 2flashes while theve hicle is
being raised and lights up continuously when
it has finished rising. 266
Driving and parking

Yo
ur selection is sa ved. The off-road le vel set
re mains stored even af terth e ignition has been
switched off.
Operation with a trailer or bicycle rack:ifyou
are driving at speeds greaterth an 30 km/h, the
ve hicle rises tothe normal le vel in the drive pro‐
grams Sport or Sport + if the electrical connec‐
tion has been cor rectly es tablished.
The vehicle is lo wered again in thefo llowing sit‐
uations:
R When driving fasterthan 80 km/h.
R When driving brief lybetween 65 km/ hand
80 km/h.
R After selecting a dif fere nt drive program
using theDY NA MIC SELECT switch.
The vehicle is adjus tedto the height of the
active drive program.
Operation with a trailer or bicycle rack:ifyou
are driving at speeds greaterth an 30 km/h, the
ve hicle lo wersto the normal le vel if the electrical
connection has been cor rectly es tablished. Lo
weri ngtheve hicle (vehicles without Off-
ro ad pac kage) #
Pull rock er switch 1.
The vehicle is adjus tedto the height of the
active drive program.
Operation with a trailer or bicycle rack:the
ve hicle lo wersto the normal le vel if the electrical
connection has been cor rectly es tablished. Ra
ising theve hicle (vehicles with Off-road
pac kage) #
Push rocker switch 1forw ards.
R Off- road le vel +1: one indicator lamp 2
lights up continuously when theve hicle
has finished rising.
R Off-road le vel +2: two indicator lamps 2
light up continuously when theve hicle
has finished rising. Driving and parking
267