warning light MERCEDES-BENZ GL 2016 Owner's Guide

Heavy and light loads
G WARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This
increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately.
Drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
You then have to depress the brake pedal
more firmly. Maintain a greater distance from
the vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi-
cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance. R
Brake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so. R
Carefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey. R
Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
! If the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and you hear a warn-
ing tone while the engine is running, the
brake fluid level may be too low. Observe
additional warning messages in the multi-
function display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immedi-
ately. This work should be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a 2-axle dynamom-
eter. If you are planning to have the vehicle
tested on such a dynamometer, contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center to
obtain further information first. Otherwise,
you could damage the drive train or the
brake system.
! Because ESP ®
is an automatic system,
the engine and ignition must be switched
off (SmartKey in position 0 or 1 or Start/
Stop button in position 0 or 1 ) when the
electric parking brake is being tested on a
brake dynamometer (maximum
10 seconds).
Braking triggered automatically by ESP ®
may seriously damage the brake system.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a quali-
fied specialist workshop. Consult a qualified
specialist workshop to arrange this.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop. Driving tips 195
Driving and parking Z

specialist workshop as soon as possible.
Adapt your driving style to the different brak-
ing characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the likelihood of
damage to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead
to failure of the mechanical assembly or sys-
tems. Adapt your driving style to suit the ter-
rain conditions. Drive carefully. Have damage
to the vehicle rectified immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
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.
General notes Read this section carefully before driving your
vehicle off-road. Practice by driving over more
gentle off-road terrain first.
Familiarize yourself with the characteristics
of your vehicle and the gear shift operation
before driving through difficult terrain.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving: R
Off-road program 1 and 2 (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package) ( Y
page 258)R
LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles with
the ON&OFFROAD package)
( Y
page 259) R
Differential lock (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package) ( Y
page 259)R
Off-road ABS ( Y
page 69)R
Off-road 4ETS ( Y
page 73)R
AIRMATIC package (vehicle level)
( Y
page 218) R
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
( Y
page 257)
Observe the following notes: R
Stop the vehicle before starting to drive
along an off-road route. R
Select a vehicle level that is suitable for the
terrain. To avoid damaging the vehicle, make sure there is always sufficient ground
clearance. R
Check that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
( Y
page 345). R
Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Acti-
vate DSR ( Y
page 257). R
Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a slope. R
Adapt your speed to the terrain. The
rougher, steeper or more ruts on the ter-
rain, the slower your speed should be. R
Do not jump with the vehicle as this will
interrupt the vehicle's propulsion. 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
Always keep the doors, the tailgate, the
side windows and the sliding sunroof
closed while the vehicle is in motion. R
Do not shift the automatic transmission to
transmission position N .R
Observe the notes on off-road fording
( Y
page 197).
i Do not use the HOLD function when driv-
ing off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gra-
dients 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 vehi-
cle 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. Driving tips 199
Driving and parking Z

press the cruise control lever up C or
down D to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up C or down D the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
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.
Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control: X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards C .
or X
Brake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if: R
you engage the electric parking brake R
you are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h) R
ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R
you activate DSR R
you activate off-road program 2 on vehicles
with the ON&OFFROAD package R
you shift the transmission to position N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise Con‐
trol Off message in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds. i When you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. Vehi-
cles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes
automatically so that the set speed is not
exceeded.
You must select a lower gear in good time on
long and steep downhill gradients, especially
if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot pre-
vent a collision without your intervention. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and
the distance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle
in front or take evasive action provided it is
safe to do so.
For DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you, the radar
sensor system must be operational.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between 20 mph
(Canada: 30 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/ h) . If a vehicle is driving in front of
you, it operates in the speed range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves, it
can resemble the radar detectors of the
responsible authorities. You can refer to the Driving systems 205
Driving and parking Z

speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted 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 detec-
ted R
ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R
the transmission is in the P , R or N positionR
you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open R
you activate DSR R
you activate off-road program 2 on vehicles
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 multi-
function display for approximately five sec-
onds.
Displays in the instrument cluster
Displays in the speedometer
Example: DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the speed-
ometer When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments D in the set speed range light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front,
segments D between speed of the vehicle in
front

Range
Front sensors
Center Approx. 40 in (approx.
100 cm)
Corners Approx. 24 in (approx.
60 cm)
Rear sensors
Center Approx. 48 in (approx.
120 cm)
Corners Approx. 32 in (approx.
80 cm)
Minimum distance
Center Approx. 8 in (approx.
20 cm)
Corners Approx. 6 in (approx.
15 cm)
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a warn- ing tone sounds. If the distance falls below
the minimum, the distance may no longer be
shown.
Warning displays
C
Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle D
Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle

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 segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for approx-
imately two seconds. R
seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two sec-
onds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
C
Indicator lampD
Deactivates/activates PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp C is on then PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Active Parking Assist is then also
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2 in
the ignition lock.
Towing a trailer
! Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required. PARKTRONIC meas-
ures the minimum detection range to an
obstacle from the bumper, not the ball cou-
pling.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area
when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and a trailer.226
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Problems with PARKTRONIC Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately five seconds,
and the indicator lamp
in the PARKTRONIC
button lights up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off. X
If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately five seconds. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference. X
Clean the PARKTRONIC sensors ( Y
page 380).X
Switch the ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves. X
See if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location.
Active Parking Assist
General notes
Active Parking Assist is an electronic parking
aid with ultrasound. It measures the road on
both sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol
indicates a suitable parking space. Active
steering intervention can assist you during
parking. You may also use PARKTRONIC
( Y
page 224).
Important safety notes
Active Parking Assist is merely an aid. It is not
a replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering, parking
and exiting a parking space. Make sure that
no persons, animals or objects are in the
maneuvering range.
When PARKTRONIC is switched off, Active
Parking Assist is also unavailable. G WARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
result in a collision with another road user.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Active Park-
ing Assist parking procedure.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over
obstacles such as curbs slowly and not at a
sharp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tires.
Active Parking Assist may possibly indicate
parking spaces which are not suitable for
parking, for example: R
where parking or stopping is prohibited R
in front of driveways or entrances and exits R
on unsuitable surfaces Driving systems 227
Driving and parking Z

Wide-angle function
Example: full screen mode with PARKTRONIC dis-
play
C
Symbol for the full screen setting with rear
view camera imageD
PARKTRONIC warning display
If the vehicle is equipped with PARKTRONIC
and the function is active ( Y
page 226), warn-
ing displays D in the COMAND display are
also active or light up accordingly.
PARKTRONIC appears: R
in split screen view as red or yellow brack-
ets around the vehicle icon in the top view,
or R
in the full screen view, on the right-hand
side at the bottom as red or yellow brackets
around the vehicle icon
i The full screen display can also be selec-
ted as front view.
Exiting 360° camera display mode
As soon as your vehicle exceeds a speed of
19 mph (30 km/h) with the function activa-
ted, the function switches off. The COMAND
display switches back to the previously selec-
ted view. You can also switch the display by
selecting the 9 symbol in the display and
pressing

C
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
When Blind Spot Assist is activated, indicator
lamp C in the exterior mirrors lights up yel-
low at speeds of up to 20 mph (30 km/h). At
speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h), the indica-
tor lamp goes out and Blind Spot Assist is
operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the blind spot
monitoring range at speeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), warning lamp C on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. This warning is
always emitted when a vehicle enters the
blind spot monitoring range from behind or
from the side. When you overtake a vehicle,
the warning only occurs if the difference in
speed is less than 7 mph (12 km/h).
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. In this event, Blind Spot
Assist is no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the
corresponding turn signal, a double warning
tone sounds. Red warning lamp C flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp C . There are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist X
Make sure that Blind Spot Assist is activa-
ted in the on-board computer
( Y
page 282). X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the igni-
tion lock.
Warning lamps C in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow.
Towing a trailer
When you attach a trailer, make sure you have
cor rectly established the electrical connec-
t ion . This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. In this event, Blind Spot
Assist is deactivated. The indicator lamp in
the exterior mirrors lights up yellow, and the
Blind Spot Assist Currently Unavail‐
able See Operator's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
i You can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, switch off Blind Spot Assist when: R
the SmartKey is in position 2 in the igni-
tion lock R
the engine is not running
Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
C
Lane Keeping Assist camera
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle with camera C , which is
mounted at the top of the windshield. Active
Lane Keeping Assist detects lane markings on246
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Adaptive
When Adaptive
is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if: R
you swit ch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time. R
a driv ing safety system intervenes, e.g.
AB S, BAS or ESP ®
.R
you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown. R
you brake hard. R
you steer actively, e.g. swer ve to avoid an
obstacle or change lanes quickly. R
you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane
marking, the system recognizes certain con-
dit ions and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibr ation occurs earlier if:R
you appr oach the outer lane marking on a
ben d. R
the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a high-
way. R
the system recognizes solid lane markings.
The warning vibr ation occurs later if:R
the road has narrow lanes. R
you cut the corner on a ben d.
Active Driving Assistance package
General notes
The Active Dr ivin g Assistance package con-
sists of DI ST RONIC PLUS ( Y
page 205), Acti ve
Blin d Spo t Assist ( Y
page 248) and Active
Lane Kee pin g Assist ( Y
page 251).
Active Blind Spot Assist
General notes
Active Blin d Spo t Assist mon it ors the areas
on either side of the vehicle that are not
dire ct ly vis ible to the driver with two lateral,
rear-facing radar sensors. A warning lamp
lights up in the exterior mirrors and draws your attention to vehicles detected in the
mon it ored area. If you then switch on the cor-
respon din g turn signal to change lanes, you
will also receive a visual and audible co llisio n
warning. If a risk of lateral co llisio n is detec-
te d, correct ive braking may help you avoid a
co llisio n. Before a course-correcting brake
applic ation, Acti ve Blind Spo t Assist evalu-
ates the space in the dire ction of travel and at
the sides of the vehicle. For this, Acti ve Blind
Spot Assist uses the forward-facing radar
sensors.
Acti ve Blind Spo t Assist supports you from a
speed of approximately 20 mph (30 km/h).
Imp ortant safety notes
Acti ve Blind Spo t Assist is on ly an aid and is
not a substitute for attenti ve driving.
G WARNIN G
Activ e Blin d Spo t Assist does no t reac t to :R
vehicles overtake n to o closely on th e side ,
placing them in th e blin d spot areaR
vehicles whic h approac h wit h a larg e spee d
differential and overtake your vehicl e
As a result , Activ e Blin d Spo t Assist may nei-
ther giv e warning s no r interven e in suc h sit -
uations. Ther e is a ris k of an accident.
Always observ e th e traffic condition s care-
fully, and maintai n a saf e lateral distance.
i USA only: This device has been approved
by the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System".
The radar sensor is intended for use in an
automot ive radar system only. Removal,
tampering, or altering of the device will void
any warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper wit h, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized mod ific ation to th is
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipm ent.
i Canada only: This device complies wit h
RSS -210 of In dustry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two cond it ions:248
Driving systems
Driving and parking