transmission MERCEDES-BENZ GL 2013 Owner's Guide

R
Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient.
Activate DSR (Y page 250).
R Always keep the doors, tailgate, windows
and sliding sunroo fclosed while driving.
R Adapt your speed to the terrain. The
rougher, steeper or more ruts on the
terrain, the slower your speed should be.
R Drive slowly and at an even speed through
the water .Ensure tha tabow wave does not
form as you drive.
R Drive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-
road routes where visibility is poor. For
safety reasons, get out of the vehicle first
and survey the off-road route.
R Look out for obstacles, such as rocks,
holes, tree stumps and furrows.
R Check the depth of water before fording
rivers and streams.
R When fording, do not stop and do not
switch off the engine.
R On sand, drive quickly to overcome the
rolling resistance. Otherwise the vehicle's
wheels could become stuc kinloose
ground.
R Do not jump with the vehicle as this will
interrupt the vehicle's propulsion.
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a slope.
R Do not shift the automatic transmission to
transmission position N.
i Do not use the HOLD function when
driving off-road, on steep uphill or downhill
gradients or on slippery or loose surfaces.
The HOLD function cannot hold the vehicle
on such surfaces.
Checklist before driving off-road !
If the engine oil warning lamp lights up
while the vehicle is in motion, stop the
vehicle in a safe place as soon as possible.
Check the engine oil level. The engine oil
warning lamp warning must not be ignored.
Continuing the journey while the symbol is
displayed could lead to engine damage. X
Engine oil level: check the engine oil level
and add oil if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the
engine oil level must be sufficiently high to
ensure a correc toil supply in the vehicle.
X DEF tank (BlueTEC vehicles): check the
fluid level and, if necessary, refill to the
maximum (13 l) (Y page 181).
X Wheel-changing tool kit: check that the
jac kis working and make sure you have the
lug wrench, a robust tow cable and a folding
spade in the vehicle.
X Wheels and tires: check the tire tread
depth and tire pressure.
X Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the
wheels/tires.
X Replace any missing valve caps.
X Replace dented or damaged wheels.
X Rims: dented or bent rims can result in a
loss of tire pressure and damage the tire
bead. Therefore, check your rims before
driving off-road and replace them as
required.
Checklist after driving off-road !
If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
X Deactivate DSR (Y page 250).
X Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
lower the vehicle to a ride height suitable
for the road conditions, e.g. to the
highway/high-speed level.
X Cleant he headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
X Cleant he front and rear license plates.
X Cleant he wheels/tires with a water jet and
remove any foreign objects.
X Cleant he wheels, wheel housings and the
vehicle underside with a water jet; check
for any foreign objects and damage. 192
Driving tipsDriving and parking

R
When driving down an incline, make use of
the engine's braking effect. Observe the
engine speed; do not overrev the engine.
R Check the brakes after prolonged off-road
driving.
i Hill start assist will aid you when pulling
away on a hill.
For more information, see "Hill start assist"
(Y page 166).
Do not switch to transmission position N
when driving off-road. If you try to brake the
vehicle using the service brake, you could
lose control of the vehicle. If the gradient is
too steep for your vehicle, drive back down in
reverse gear.
Maximum gradient-climbing capability On good road surfaces the maximum
gradient-climbing capability of your vehicle is
100%, which corresponds to an approach/
departure angle of 45°. Note that the
vehicle's gradient-climbing capability
depends on the off-road conditions.
Accelerate carefully and make sure that the
wheels do not spin when driving on steep
terrain.
i If the load on the front axle is reduced
when pulling away on a steep uphill slope,
the fron twheels have a tendency to spin.
4ETS recognizes this and brakes the
wheels accordingly. The rear wheel torque
is increased, making it easier to drive off.
Hilltops When driving up an uphill gradient, slightly
reduce pressure on the accelerator
immediately before reaching the brow of the
hill. Use the vehicle's own impetus to drive
over the top of the hill.
This style of driving prevents:
R the vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill
R the vehicle from traveling too quickly down
the other side Driving downhill R
Drive slowly.
R Do not drive at an angle down steep
inclines. Steer into the line of fall and drive
with the front wheels aligned straight.
Otherwise, the vehicle could slip sideways,
tip and rollover.
R Before tackling steep downhill gradients,
select shift range 1.
R Activate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
gently. When doing so, make sure that the
vehicle is facing in the direction of the line
of fall.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
i The special off-road ABS setting enables
a precise, brief and repeated locking of the
front wheels. This causes them to dig into
loose earth. Be aware that the front wheels
easily skid across the ground surface if
completely braked and therefore lose their
ability to steer. Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an
accident nor override the laws of physics.
Cruise control cannot take into account the
road, traffic and weather conditions. Cruise
control is only an aid. You are responsible for
the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
speed, for braking in good time and for
staying in your lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or
accelerating could cause the drive wheels Driving systems
195Driving and parking Z

to lose tractio
nand the vehicle could then
skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g .due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shif trange 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.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic
conditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
i Cruise control should no tbeactivated
during off-road driving.
Cruise control lever 0002
To activate or increase speed
0003 To activate or reduce speed
0021 To deactivate cruise control
0020 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
Whe nyou activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display for five seconds. In the multifunction display,
the segments between the stored speed and
the maximum speed light up.
Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R
the electric parking brake must be
released.
R you are driving faster than 20mph
(30 km/h).
R ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R DSR must be deactivated.
R off-road program 2 must be deactivated
(vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package).
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining
aspeed X
Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up 0002 or down 0003.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
You can accept the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The 196
Driving systemsDriving and parking

This device has been approved by the FCC
as a "Vehicular RadarS
ystem". The radar
sensor is intended fo ruse in an automotive
radar system only. Removing, tampering
with, or altering the device will void any
warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
i Canada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
2. this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the
device will void any warranties, and is not
permitted. Do not tamper with, alter, or use
in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Cruise control lever 0002
To activate or increase speed
0003 To activate or reduce speed
0021 To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
0020 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
001E To set the specified minimum distance Activating DISTRONIC PLUS Activation conditions
In order to activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the
following conditions must be fulfilled:
R
the engine must be started. It may take up
to two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
R the electric parking brake must be
released.
R ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door and rear doors
must be closed.
R off-road program 2 must be deactivated
(vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package).
R DSR must be deactivated.
R the vehicle must not skid.
Activating while driving X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0003or press it up 0002or down 0021.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph
increments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0002to the 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

DISTRONIC PLU
Suses additional information
from your navigation system so that it can
react appropriately to certain traffic
situations. This is the case if, while following
a vehicle, DISTRONIC PLUS is active and you:
R approach or drive through a traffic circle
R approach a T-intersection
R turn off at a highway exit
Even if the vehicle in front leaves the
detection range, DISTRONIC PLUS
temporarily maintains the current driving
speed and does not accelerate. This is based
on the current map data in the navigation
system.
The current speed is maintained:
R approximately 10 seconds before the
traffic circle/T intersection and
approximately 1.5 seconds when driving on
a traffic circle.
R approximately 12 seconds before reaching
a highway exit and approximately
4s econds after the highway exit.
Afterwards, the vehicle accelerates back to
the set speed you specified.
Stopping G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a
vehicle occupan torfrom outside the
vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident. If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is stopping, it brakes yourv ehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
Depending on the specified minimum
distance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficien tdistance behind the vehicle in
front .The specified minimum distance is set
using the control on the cruise control lever.
The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if DISTRONIC PLUS is
activated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is
automatically switched off by the ECO
start/stop function.
R a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there
is a malfunction, the transmission may also
automatically be shifted into position P.
Setting aspeed Driving systems
203Driving and parking Z

accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished
overtaking.
DISTRONIC PLU Sis automatically
deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
R you are driving slower than 15 mph
(25 km/h) and there is no vehicle in front,
or if the vehicle in front is no longer
detected
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
R you switch off the radar sensor system
(Y page 281)
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull awaya nd the front-
passenge rdoor or one of the rear doors is
open
R you activate DSR
R you activate off-road program 2onvehicles
with the ON&OFFROAD package
R the vehicle has skidded
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS Off message in the
multifunction display for approximately five
seconds. Displays in the instrument cluster Displays in the speedometer
Example: DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the
speedometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments
0003in the set speed range light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects avehicle in front,
segments 0003between speed of the vehicle in
front 0002and stored speed 0021light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated Distance display when DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated
0002
Vehicle in front, if detected
0003 Distance indicator, current distance to
the vehicle in front
0021 Specified minimum distance to the
vehicle in front; adjustable
0020 Own vehicle Driving systems
205Driving and parking Z

You can selec
tfrom the following:
R Off-road level 1atspeeds up to 60 mph
(100 km/h)
R Off-road level 2atspeeds up to 40 mph
(65 km/h)
R Off-road level 3atspeeds up to 12 mph
(20 km/h)
If you are driving above 50 mph (80 km/ h)or
drive between 40 mph (65 km/h) and
50 mph (80 km/h) for longer than
20 seconds, off-road level 2will be canceled.
The vehicle is lowered to off-road level 1.
You will see a message in the multifunction
display, for example: Lowering .
If you are driving above 70 mph (115 km/h)
or drive between 62 mph (100 km/h) and
70 mph (115 km/h) for longer than
20 seconds, off-road level 1will be canceled.
Depending on the vehicle's speed and the
AD Sm ode selected (Y page 212), the vehicle
is automatically lowered to highway or high-
speed level.
You will see a message in the multifunction
display, for example: Lowering .
HOLD function
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R the HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
R the electrical system in the engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident. If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes
automatically in certain situations. To
prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
Deactivate the HOLD function (Y page 212).
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R
when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when maneuvering on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
i Do not use the HOLD function when
driving off-road, on steep uphill or downhill
gradients or on slippery or loose surfaces.
The HOLD function cannot hold the vehicle
on such surfaces.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened
R the electric parking brake is released
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated Driving systems
211Driving and parking Z

Activating the HOLD function
X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until 0001 appears in the multifunction
display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated
automatically if:
R you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R
R you shif tthe transmission to position P
R you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until 0001
disappears from the multifunction display
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if the HOLD function is
activated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off.
R a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there
is a malfunction, the transmission may also
be automatically shifted into position P. AIRMATIC package
General notes AIRMATIC regulates the level of your vehicle.
As well as level control (Y
page 213), your
vehicle can be equipped with ADS (Adaptive
Damping System) (Y page 212) and ACTIVE
CURVE SYSTEM (Y page 213).
Observe the notes on driving with a trailer
(Y page 257).
ADS (Adaptive Damping System) General notes
ADS adapts the damping characteristics to
the current operating and driving situation.
This depends on:
R
your driving style
R the road surface conditions
R the ADS setting
R the vehicle level setting
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Sports tuning Example: vehicles without the ON&OFFROAD
package
0002
Suspension tuning button
0003 Indicator lamp for sports tuning
0021 Indicator lamp for comfort tuning
X Start the engine. 212
Driving systemsDriving and parking

maneuvering, parking or pulling out of a
parking space, make sure that there are no
persons, animals or objects in the area in
which you are maneuvering.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars.
PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects
when they are in the immediate vicinity of
the vehicle. You could damage the vehicle
or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
R release the electric parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18km/h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper. 0002
Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand
side (example) Range of the sensors General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into
consideration that are:
R
below the detection range, e.g. people,
animals or objects
R above the detection range, e.g.
overhanging loads, truck overhangs or
loading ramps. Side view
Top view
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice or
slush. They can otherwise not function
correctly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y
page 375).
Front sensors Center Approx. 40i
n(approx.
100cm) Corners Approx. 24in (approx.
60cm)218
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Rear sensors
Center Approx. 48in (approx.
120cm)
Corners Approx. 32in (approx.
80cm)
Minimum distance
Center Approx. 8in (approx. 20cm)
Corners Approx. 6in (approx. 15cm)
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a
warning tone sounds. If the distance falls
below the minimum, the distance may no
longer be shown.
Warning displays Warning display for the front area
0002
Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
0003 Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
0021 Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the center ai rvents.
The warning display for the rear area is in the
roof lamp in the rear compartment.
The warning display for each side of the
vehicle is divided into five yellow and two red
segments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow segments showing operational
readiness 0021light up.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling
determine which warning display is active
when the engine is running. Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R,
Nor the vehicle
is rolling
backwards Rear and front areas
activated P
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R
sixth segmen tonwards, you will hea ran
intermittent warning ton efor
approximately two seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two
seconds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC 0002
Indicator lamp
0003 Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp 0002lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Active Park Assist is then also
deactivated. Driving systems
219Driving and parking Z