suspension MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV 2009 Owners Manual

Drive program
Sis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R sporty engine and suspension configura-
tion
R the vehicle pulling away in first gear
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later
R the late shift point of the automatic trans-
mission can lead to higher fuel consump-
tion
If you have selected transmission position D,
you can activate the manual drive program
and shift up or down through the individual
gears. The gear currently selected and
engaged is shown in the multi-function dis-
play.
X To deactivate: press program selector
button :repeatedly until Sor Mappears
in the multi-function display.
or
X Restart the engine.
The automatic transmission then switches
to the automatic drive program.
Upshifting
X Pull right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 94).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
Downshifting G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
X Pull left-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle (Y page 95).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If you brake the vehicle or stop without
shifting down, the automatic transmission will shift down to a gear that will allow the
vehicle to accelerate or pull away again.
Kickdown
You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Shift back up once the desired speed is
reached.
i If you apply full throttle, the automatic
transmission shifts up to the next gear
when the maximum engine speed is
reached. This prevents the engine from
overrevving. Instrument cluster
Points to remember
You will find an illustration of the instrument
cluster in the "At a glance" section
(Y page 25). G
Risk of accident
No further messages can be displayed if the
instrument cluster and/or the multi-function
display fails.
This means that you will not see information
about the driving situation, such as the speed,
outside temperature, warning/indicator
lamps, display messages or system failures.
The vehicle's handling characteristics may be
affected. Adjust your driving style and speed
accordingly.
Immediately consult a qualified specialist
workshop which has the necessary specialist
knowledge and tools to carry out the work
required. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for
this purpose. In particular, work relevant to
safety or on safety-related systems must be
carried out at a qualified specialist workshop. 96
Instrument clusterControls
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The engaged differential appears in the multi-
function display:
A
The differential lock for the transfer case
is locked.
The differential locks are not controlled auto-
matically. The steerability of the vehicle is
restricted considerably. Drive carefully and
accelerate gently for optimum traction.
You can switch back to automatic mode at
any time. For safety reasons, the differential
locks disengage automatically at speeds
above 50 km/h. If you stop the vehicle and
switch off the ignition for longer than ten sec-
onds, the differential locks switch back to
automatic mode.
Message in the multi-function display
Diff. lock system overheated.
Wait briefly
The differential lock system has overheated
and briefly disengaged.
X Continue driving.
The differential locks cool off and are soon
available once again. Driving systems
Overview of driving systems
The vehicle's driving systems are described
on the following pages:
R cruise control, Distronic *and Speedtronic,
which are used to control the speed of the
vehicle
R Adaptive damping system (ADS), for indi-
vidual adjustment of suspension tuning R
level control, for individual adjustment of
ground clearance
R PARKTRONIC*, which assists you in park-
ing and manoeuvring
R reversing camera*, which assists you when
parking and manoeuvring
The ABS, BAS, adaptive brake lights, ESP ®
,
EBV and 4ETS driving safety systems and the
distance warning function* are described in
the "Driving safety systems" section
(Y page 49). Cruise control
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 shift range 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. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h. G
Risk of accident
Cruise control cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time. Driving systems
117Controls
* optional
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Vehicle data, GL 450 4MATIC
Vehicle dimensions
Vehicle length
(ECE)
5099 mm
Vehicle width
including exterior
mirrors
2124 mm
Minimum vehicle
height
38 1840 mm
Maximum vehicle
height
38 1950 mm
Minimum ground
clearance
38 202 mm
Maximum ground
clearance
38 307 mm
Ground clearance
when the suspen-
sion is set to High-
way level
38 217 mm
Wheel base
3075 mm
Vehicle weights
Unladen weight
(in accordance
with EC directive)
2430 kg
The unladen weight includes the driver
(68 kg), luggage (7 kg) and all fluids (fuel
tank 90% full). Items of optional equipment
increase the unladen weight and reduce the
maximum payload. Maximum roof
load
90 kg
You will find weight information specific to
the vehicle on the vehicle identification
plate (Y page 286). Vehicle data, GL 500 4MATIC
Vehicle dimensions
Vehicle length
(ECE)
5099 mm
Vehicle width
including exterior
mirrors 2124 mm
Minimum vehicle
height 39 1840 mm
Maximum vehicle
height
39 1950 mm
Minimum ground
clearance
39 202 mm
Maximum ground
clearance
39 307 mm
Ground clearance
when the suspen-
sion is set to High-
way level 39 217 mm
Wheel base
3075 mm
Vehicle weights
Unladen weight
(in accordance
with EC directive) 2445 kg
The unladen weight includes the driver
(68 kg), luggage (7 kg) and all fluids (fuel
tank 90% full). Items of optional equipment
increase the unladen weight and reduce the
maximum payload.
Maximum roof
load 90 kg
You will find weight information specific to
the vehicle on the vehicle identification
plate (Y page 286). 38
The value stated may vary due to the tyres fitted and the state of the suspension system.
39 The value stated may vary due to the tyres fitted and the state of the suspension system. 292
Vehicle data, GL 500 4MATICTechnical data
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Vehicle data, GL 350 CDI 4MATIC
BlueEFFICIENCY Vehicle dimensions
Vehicle length
(ECE) 5099 mm
Vehicle width
including exterior
mirrors
2124 mm
Minimum vehicle
height
40 1840 mm
Maximum vehicle
height
40 1950 mm
Minimum ground
clearance
40 202 mm
Maximum ground
clearance
40 307 mm
Ground clearance
when the suspen-
sion is set to High-
way level
40 217 mm
Wheel base
3075 mm Vehicle weights
Unladen weight
(in accordance
with EC directive)
2450 kg
The unladen weight includes the driver
(68 kg), luggage (7 kg) and all fluids (fuel
tank 90% full). Items of optional equipment
increase the unladen weight and reduce the
maximum payload. Maximum roof
load
90 kg
You will find weight information specific to
the vehicle on the vehicle identification
plate (Y
page 286). Vehicle data, GL 350 BlueTEC
Vehicle dimensions
Vehicle length
(ECE)
5099 mm
Vehicle width
including exterior
mirrors
2124 mm
Minimum vehicle
height
41 1840 mm
Maximum vehicle
height
41 1950 mm
Minimum ground
clearance
41 202 mm
Maximum ground
clearance
41 307 mm
40
The value stated may vary due to the tyres fitted and the state of the suspension system.
41 The value stated may vary due to the tyres fitted and the state of the suspension system. Vehicle data, GL 350 BlueTEC
293Technical data
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Vehicle dimensions
Ground clearance
when the suspen-
sion is set to High-
way level
41 217 mm
Wheel base
3075 mm
Vehicle weights
Unladen weight
(in accordance
with EC directive)
2415 kg
The unladen weight includes the driver
(68 kg), luggage (7 kg) and all fluids (fuel
tank 90% full). Items of optional equipment
increase the unladen weight and reduce the
maximum payload. Maximum roof
load
90 kg
You will find weight information specific to
the vehicle on the vehicle identification
plate (Y page 286). Vehicle data, GL 450 CDI 4MATIC
Vehicle dimensions
Vehicle length
(ECE)
5099 mm
Vehicle width
including exterior
mirrors
2124 mm
Minimum vehicle
height
42 1840 mm
Maximum vehicle
height
42 1950 mm
Minimum ground
clearance
42 202 mm Vehicle dimensions
Maximum ground
clearance
42 307 mm
Ground clearance
when the suspen-
sion is set to High-
way level 42 217 mm
Wheel base
3075 mm
Vehicle weights
Unladen weight
(in accordance
with EC directive) 2550 kg
The unladen weight includes the driver
(68 kg), luggage (7 kg) and all fluids (fuel
tank 90% full). Items of optional equipment
increase the unladen weight and reduce the
maximum payload.
Maximum roof
load 90 kg
You will find weight information specific to
the vehicle on the vehicle identification
plate (Y page 286). 41
The value stated may vary due to the tyres fitted and the state of the suspension system.
42 The value stated may vary due to the tyres fitted and the state of the suspension system. 294
Vehicle data, GL 450 CDI 4MATICTechnical data
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Tailgate opening dimensions
:
Tailgate opening height
; Maximum headroom : ;
2100 – 2210 mm 1906 – 2016 mm
i
The values specified may vary due to the
tyres fitted and the state of the suspension. Tyres and wheels
Points to remember
! For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz rec-
ommends that you only use tyres which
have been approved specifically for your
vehicle by Mercedes-Benz. These tyres are
specially adapted for use with the control
systems, such as ABS or ESP ®
, and are
marked as follows:
R MO = Mercedes-Benz Original
R MOE = Mercedes-Benz Original Exten-
ded* (tyres with run-flat characteristics)
If you use other tyres, Mercedes-Benz can-
not accept any responsibility for damage
which may occur. Information about tyres
can be obtained from any Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. !
If you fit tyres other than those tested and
recommended by Mercedes-Benz, charac-
teristics such as handling, noise levels and
fuel consumption, etc. may be adversely
affected. In addition, when driving with a
load, tyre dimensional variations could
cause the tyres to come into contact with
the bodywork and axle components. This
could result in damage to the tyres or the
vehicle.
i Further information about tyres and
wheels can be obtained from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
i You will find a table of tyre pressures on
the inside of your vehicle's fuel filler flap.
You will find further information about tyre
pressures in the "Operation" section
(Y page 180).
i Notes on vehicle tyres:
Always
R fit tyres of the same size on a given axle
(left/right)
R fit the same type of tyres on your vehicle
at a given time (summer tyres, winter
tyres, All Season tyres, All Terrain tyres,
MOExtended tyres)
i Vehicles with the MOExtended run-flat
system are not equipped with the TIREFIT
kit 43
.
Therefore, it is recommended that you
additionally equip your vehicle with the
TIREFIT kit* if you fit tyres that do not fea-
ture run-flat properties, e.g. winter tyres.
i A TIREFIT kit is available from any quali-
fied specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre.
43 Only for certain countries. Tyres and
wheels
295Technical da ta
* optional
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