warning MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV 2012 Owners Manual

LIM indicato
rlamp ;on the cruise control
lever indicates which function you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp ; off:
cruise control
or DISTRONI CPLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp ; on:
variable
SPEEDTRONIC is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/ hwhile
the engin eisrunning.
Storing the current speed You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the spee dtoa ny speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.
X Briefly pres sthe cruise control lever
up : or down ;.
The curren tspeed is stored and shown in
the multifunction display.
The segment sinthe multifunction display
light up from the start of the scale up to the
stored speed.
Storing the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed G
WARNING
Only select astored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for the
curren tdriving and traffic situatio n.Other-
wise, sudden brakin gcould endan ger youor
others. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you :.
Setting aspeed X
To adjust the se tspeed in 10 km/h
increments: brieflypress th ecruise con-
tro llev er up :pas tthe pressure point for
ah igher speed, or down ;for alower
speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
beyond the pressure point until the desired
speed is set. Press the cruise control lever
up : for ahigher speed or down ;for a
lowe rspeed.
X To ad just th eset speed in 1km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up :to the pressure point for a
higher speed or down ;for alower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise contr ol leverpresse dtothe
pressur epoint until the desire dspeed is
set. Press the cruise contro llever up :for Driving systems
197Driving and parking Z

ah
igher speed or down ;for alower
speed.
Deactivatin gvariable SPEED TRONIC G
WARNING
It is no tpossible to deactivate variable Speed-
tronic by braking. There are several ways to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
LI Mi ndicato rlamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
deactivated.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is automatically
deactivated if:
R you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the pressure point (kickdown), but only if
your current spee ddoes not differ by more
than 20 km /h from the stored speed. You
will hear awarning tone if this is the case.
R you activate DSR.
R you activate off-road program 2(vehicles
wit hthe ON&OFFROAD package).
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Permanent SPEEDTRONIC
You can use the on-board computer to limit
the speed permanently to avalue between
16 0k m/ h(e.g .for dri ving on winter tyres) and
the maximum speed (Y page283).
Shortly before th estore dspeed is reached, it
appear sinthe multifunction display.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC remain sactive,
even if variabl eSPEEDTRONI Cisdeactivated.
You can note xceed the sto redl imit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown). DISTRONIC PLUS
Importan tsafety notes G
WARNING
Do not change down for additiona lengine
braking on aslippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLU Siso nly an aid designe dto
assis tdriving. Th edrive rremain sfully respon-
sible for the vehicle's distance from other
vehicles, the vehicle's spee dand for braking
in goo dtime.
DISTRONIC PLU Sdoes not react in particular
to:
R pedestrians
R stationar yobstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossin gtraffic
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow vehi-
cle sdriving in front, e.g .motorcycles, or vehi-
cles driving on adifferen tline. Therefore,
always pay attention to traffic condition seven
when DISTRO NICP LUS is activated. Other-
wise ,you may fai ltorecognise danger sin
time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others. 198
Drivin
gsystemsDrivin gand parking

G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS canno ttake account of road
and traffic conditions. If DISTRONI Cdoes not
recognise or no longer recognises the vehicle
in front, do not activate DISTRONIC or, if it is
alr eady active, deactivate it. This is especially
the case:
R befor ecorners
R on filter lanes
R when changing to alane with faster moving
traffic
R in comple xdriving situations or where lanes
are diverte d,e.g. at roadworks on amotor-
way
DISTRONIC PLU Sotherwise maintains the
current spe ed setbyyou or accelerates up to
the set speed.
DISTRONIC PLU Scannot take account of
weather conditions. Deactivate, or do not
activate, DISTRONI CPLUS:
R if th eroads are slippery, snow-covered or
icy .The wheels coul dlose their grip when
brakin goraccelerating .The vehicle could
star ttos kid.
R if the sensors are dirty or there is poo rvis-
ibility, e.g. due to snow, rain or fog. Dis-
tance control may be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when DISTRONIC PLU Sisactivate d.
Otherwise, you ma yfail to recognise dangers
in time, caus eanaccident and injure yourself
and others. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brake syourvehicle up to a
maximu mof4m /s2
depending on its speed.
This corresponds to approximately 40% of
your vehicle's maximum braking power. You
must als oapply the brakes yourself if this
braking power is not sufficient.
If DISTRONI CPLUS detect sarisk of collision
with avehicle in front, an intermit tent warning
tone sounds. In addition, the ·distance
warning lamp in the instrument cluste rlights
up. Brak etoavoidac ollision. G
WAR
NING
The vehicle can be braked when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated. For this reason, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS if the vehicle is to be set in
motion by othe rmeans (e.g. in acar wash or
by towing).
The radar senso rsystem is switched off auto-
matically in the vicinity of radio teles cope
facilities (Y page 433).
If you want DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you,
the radar sensor syste mmust be activated
(Y page 283 )and operational.
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automati
cally helps you maintain the dis-
tanc etot he vehicle detected in front. DI S-
TRONIC PLU Sbrake sautomatically so that
the set spee disnot exceeded.
On long and steep downhil lgradients, espe-
ciall yifthe vehicle is laden or towing atrailer,
yo um ust select shift range 1,2or 3in good
time. By doing so, you will make use of the
braking effec tofthe engine. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
If DI STRONIC PLUS detects aslower-moving
vehicle in front ,your vehicle is braked in order
to maintain the preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
If ther eisnov ehicle in front ,DISTRONIC
PLUS operate sinthe sam eway as cruise
control in the spee drange between
30 km/h and 200 km/h. If avehicle is driving
in fron tofyou, DI STRONIC operates in the
speed range betwee n0km/h and
200 km/h.
Do not us eDISTRONIC PLUS on roa dswith
steep gradients. Driving systems
199Drivinga nd parking Z

X
Briefly pull the cruise contro llev er towards
you ;or press it up :or down =.
DISTRONIC PLU Sisselected.
X Press the cruise control lever repeatedly
up : or down =until the desired speed
is set.
X Remove your foot from the acc elerator
pedal.
You rvehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
If the vehicle in fron thas been detected and
is shown in the multifunction display, you can
also activat eDISTRONIC PLUS when driving
at speeds belo w30km/h. If th evehicle in
fron tisnol onger detected and displayed, for
example because it has changed lanes, DIS-
TRONIC PLU Sisd eactivated. You will hear a
warning tone if this is the case.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONICPLUS inactive message appe
arsint he multifunction dis-
play. The set distance to aslower-moving
vehicle in front will then not be maintained.
You will be drivin gatthe speed you deter-
mine by the position of the accelerator
pedal.
Activating when driving towards asta-
tionary vehicle
X Briefl ypullt he cruis econtr ollever towards
you ;or press it up :or down =.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X Keep the cruis econtrol leve rpressed
up : or down =unti lthe desired speed
is set.
If the vehicle in front of you is stationary ,you
can only activate DISTRONIC PLU Sonce your
vehicl eisstationary as well.
i DISTRONIC PLUS can only be activated at
under 30 km/h if avehicle in front has been
detected. Therefore, the DISTRONIC PLUS
distance display in the instrumen tcluster
should be activated (Y page 277).i
You can use the cruise control lever to set
the stored speed and the control on the
cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance (Y page 204).
Activating at the current speed/last
stored speed G
WARNING
Only call up astored speed if you know what
that speed is and if it is suitable for the current
traffic and driving situation. You can other-
wise endanger yoursel forothers by uninten-
tionally triggering sudden acce leratio nor
braking. X
Briefly pull the cruise contro llever towards
you :.
X Remov eyour foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DI ST RONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the curren tspeed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Driving with DISTRONIC PLUS Pulling awa
yand driving G
WAR
NING
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unles syour vehicle is stationary.
DI ST RONIC PLUS then no longe rbrake syour
vehicle. In such cases, contr ol thedistance
from vehicles travelling in fron twith the brake
alone. You could otherwise cause an accident
and thereby injure yourself and others. The
drive rremain sfully responsible for the vehi- Driving systems
201Drivingand pa rking
Z

cle's distance from oth
ervehicle s, the speed
bein gdrive nand for braking in goo dtime. X
If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ;or press it up :or down =.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in fron thas slowed down, it brakes your vehi-
cle. In this way, the distanc eyou have selec-
ted is maintained.
If DI STRONIC PLUS detects afaster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed.
However, the vehicle is only accelerated up
to the spee dyou have stored.
Changing lanes G
WARNING
DI ST RONIC PLUS and Active Blind Spot Assist
are only an aid designed to assist driving.
The ydon ot relieve you of the responsibility
of payin gattention. The driver remains fully
responsible for the vehicle's distance from
other vehicles, the vehicle's speed and for
braking in good time. Always pay attention to
traffic conditions and your surroundings. Oth-
erwise, you may fail to recognise dangers in time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
If you change to the overtakin glane, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS supports you if:
R you are driving faster than 60 km/h.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to avehicle in front.
R you switc honthe respective tur nsignals.
R DISTRONIC PLU Sdoes not detec tadanger
of collision.
If these condition sare met, your vehicl eis
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front becomes too small.
i When changing lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane for left-hand-drive
vehicles and the right lane for right-hand-
drive vehicles.
Vehicles with COMAND Online Example: roundabout
i
The following function is not operational
in all countries.
DISTRONIC PLUS uses additional information
from your navigation system so that it can
adapt to certain traffic situations. This is the
case if, while following avehicle, DI STRONIC
PLUS is active and you:
R approach or drive around aroundabout
R approach aT-junction
R turn off at amotorway exit 202
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

Even if the vehicl
einfront leaves th edetec-
tion range ,DIST RONICP LUSt emporarily
maintains the curren tdriving spee dand does
not accelerate. This is base donthe current
map data in the navigation system.
The current spee dismaintained:
R approximately 10 second sbefore the
roundabout/ T-junctio nand approximately
1.5 second swhen drivin gonaroundabout.
R approximately 12 second sbefor ereaching
am otorway exit and approximately
4s econds after the motorway exit.
Af terw ards, the vehicle accelerates back to
the set spee dyou specified.
Stopping G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when DISTRONIC
PLU Sisa ctivated.
DISTRONIC PLUS must als onever be oper-
ated, activated or deactivated by apassenger
or from outside the vehicle.
DISTRONI CPLUS does no treplace the elec-
tri cp arking brake and must not be used for
parking.
The DISTRONI CPLUS brakin geffect is can-
celle dand the vehicl ecan start moving if:
R DISTRONI CPLUS is deactivate dusing the
cruise con trollever.
R you accelerate.
R there is amalfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply ,e.g. bat-
tery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pere dwith.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you wish to leave the vehicle or park it,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLU Sand secure the
vehicl eagainst rolling away.
If DI STRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary. Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depres
sthe
brake.
Af terat ime, the electric parkin gbrake
secure sthe vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
Depending on the specifie dminimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to astandstill at
as ufficient distance behind the vehicle in
front .The specifie dminimum distance is set
using the control on the cruise control lever.
The electric parkin gbrake secure sthe vehicle
automatically if DI STRONIC PLUS is activated
and:
R the driver's doo risopen and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off ,unles sitisa uto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R as ystem fault occurs.
R the powe rsupply is not sufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there
is am alfunction, the transmission may also
be automatically shifted into position P.
Setting aspeed X
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
high er spee dordown;for alower speed.
X Keep the cruise contr ol leverpresse duntil
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise contro llever.
The new speed is stored. DI STRONIC PLUS
is activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the new speed stored. Driving systems
203Drivingand parking Z

i
The last speed store dremains stored until
you switc hoff th eengine.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
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 vehicl eisautomatically secured with
the electric parking brake.
R you are driving slowe rthan 25 km /hand
there is no vehicle in front, or if the vehicle
in fron tisnol onger detec ted.
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivat eESP®
.
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition.
R the vehicle is near aradio telescop efacility
(Y page 433).
R you switch off the radar senso rsystem
(Y page 283).
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away ,and the front-
passenger doo rorone of the rear doors is
open.
R you activate DSR.
R you activate off-road program 2onvehicles
with the ON&OFFROA Dpackage.
R the vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear awarning tone. You will see the DIS‐TRONIC PLUS off message in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately five seconds. 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
;in the set spee drange light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects avehicle in front,
segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front :and stored speed =light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DI STRONIC PLUS.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated Distance display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated
:
Vehicle in front, if detected
; Distance indicator: curren tdistanc eto
the vehicle in front
= Specified minimum distanc etothe vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Own vehicle Driving systems
205Driving and parking Z

Other vehicles changing lane
DI
ST RONIC PLUS has not detected the vehi-
cle cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in fron tonthe edge of the carriage-
way, because of its narrow width. The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstruction sand sta tionary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the detected vehicle turns
acorner and reveals
an obstacle or stationar yvehicle, DI STRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossin gvehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane. Activat-
ing DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with
crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally.
Level control (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody is near the wheel arch
or vehicle underside when you make achange
to the vehicle level. Otherwise, you or others
ma ybet rapped. G
WARNING
Always select as lo wavehicle level as possi-
ble. If the vehicle level is high, the vehicle
centre of gravity shifts upwards. This increa-
ses the risk of the vehicle tippin gover.
Adapt you rdriving style to suit th evehicle
level. ESP ®
cannot reduc ethe risk of an acci-
dent if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot over-
rid ethe laws of physics.
! When driving on extremel yrough terrain,
select ahigh vehicle level in good time.
Make sure there is always sufficient ground Drivin
gsystems
207Drivingand pa rking Z

During the adjustment, the
Lowering mes-
sage ,for example, appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
If yo upressthe % ora button on the
multifunction steeri ngwheel, the message
will disappear. Onc ehighway level has been
reached, all indicator lamps =go out.
The vehicle automatically select shighway
level if you are drivin gataspeed above
11 5k m/ horify ou drive at aspeed between
10 0k m/ hand 115 km/h for around
20 seconds. The vehicle is lowered to high-
speed level if you are travelling at higher
speeds.
Off- road levels General notes
G
WARNING
Off-road level 3isn ot permitte dfor use on
public roads. Off -road level 3gives your vehi-
cle avery high centr eofgravity. This increa-
se st he risk of the vehi clet ippin gover.
R Onl yselec toff-road level 3for drivin goff-
road in particularl yrough terrain.
R Adjust your drivin gstyle to the altered han-
dling charac teristics.
R Do not drive faster than 20 km/h.
R Avoid sudden majo rsteering movements.
R Take account of th ealtered handling char-
acteristics. Only select an off-road level if this is appro-
priate for road conditions. Otherwise, fuel
consumption may increase and handling per-
formanc
emay be affected.
X Start the engine.
X Selector wheel : engaged:
briefly press
selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
X To raise: turn selector wheel :clock-
wise ;.
The vehicle is raised.
or
X To lower: turn selector wheel :anti-
clockwise ?.
The vehicle is lowered.
Indicator lamps =for the desired off-road
level flash:
R Off-road level 1: the lower indicator lamp
flashes.
R Off-road level 2: the lower and centre indi-
cator lamps flash.
R Off-road level 3: all three indicator lamps
flash.
The vehicle is being adjusted to the off-road
level selected .Assoon as an off-road leve lis
reached, th ecorresponding indicator lamp
stops flashing and lights up constantly.
Raising th evehicle
During the adjustment, the Vehicleris‐ ing message
,for example, appear sint he
multifunc tion display.
The vehicle rises from highway leve ltooff-
roa dlevel 1. Driving systems
209Driving and parking Z

HOL
Dfunction
Gen eral notes Th
eH OLD function ca nassist the driver in the
foll owing situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvrin gonsteep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator peda ltop ull away.
i Do not use the HOLD function when driv-
ing off-road, on steep downhill or uphill
inclines or on aslippery or loose surface.
Under such circumstances, the HOLD func-
tion may not be able to keep the vehicle
stationary.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD func
tion if:
R the vehicle is stationary.
R the engin eisrunning or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the driver' sdoor is closed or if your seat
belt is fastened.
R the electric parkin gbrake is released.
R thet ransmission is in position D,Ror N.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activatin gthe HOL Dfunction G
WARNING
Th ev ehicle' sbrake sare applied when the
HOLD functio nisactivated. For thi sreason,
deactivat ethe HOL Dfunction if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing). X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depres sthe brake pedal further
until ë appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOL Dfunction 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 G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by apassenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the elec-
tric parking brake and must not be used for
parking.
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
cancelled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal.
R there is amalfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply ,e.g. bat-
tery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pere dwith.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you leave the vehicle or park it, deactivate
the HOLD func tion and secur ethe vehicle
against rolling away.
The HOL Dfunction is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P. Driving systems
211Drivingand pa rking Z