MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV 2012 Owners Manual

AdBlue
®
(BlueTEC vehicles only)
Important notes on use To function properly, BlueTE
Cexhaust gas
aftertreatmen tmust be operate dwitht he
reduc inga gen tAdBlue ®
.
When the supply of AdBlue ®
is almost used
up, the Refill AdBlue See Owner's Man‐
ual message is shown in the multifunction
display.
When the AdBlue ®
supply drops to amini-
mum ,the Refill AdBlue No star tinXXXX km message is show
ninthe multifunc-
tion display.
If the Refill AdBlue No star tinXXXX km message is show
ninthe multifunction dis-
play ,you can still drive the vehicle over the
distance shown. If AdBlue ®
is not topped up,
you will subsequen tlybe unable to start the
engine.R efill the AdBlue ®
tank or have the
AdBlue ®
tank refilled at aqualified specialist
workshop. If the Refill AdBlue Eng. star
tnot possible message appears in
th em ultifunction display and the engine does
not start ,you must top up with at least 3. 8l
of AdBlue ®
(approximately 2AdBlue ®
refill
bottles).
i If you driv ethe vehicle faster than
15 km /h,the Refill AdBlue Se eOwn‐ er's Manual message goes ou
tafter
approximately one minute.
If th eoutside temperature is lower than
Ò11 †, it may be difficult to top up. If
AdBlue ®
is frozen and there is an activ ewarn-
ing indicator, topping up may not be possible.
Park the vehicle in awarm place, e.g. in a
garage, until AdBlue ®
has become liquid
again. Topping up is then possible again.
Alternatively, have the AdBlue ®
tank refilled
at aq ualified specialist workshop.
Further information about BlueTEC exhaust
gas aftertreatment and about AdBlue ®
can
be obtained from any Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre. Importan
tsafety notes on the refilling
procedure AdBlue
®
is aw ater-solubl efluid for the
exhaust gas aftertreatment of diesel engines.
It is:
R not poisonous
R colourless and odourless
R not flammable
When you open the AdBlue ®
container ,small
amounts of ammonia vapou rmay be
released.
Ammonia vapours have apungent odour and
are particularly irritating to the skin, to
mucous membranes and to the eyes. You may
experienc eaburnin gsensation in your eyes,
nose and throat. Coughing and waterin gof
the eyes are possible.
Do not inhale any ammonia vapours that may
be released. Fill the AdBlue ®
tank only in well-
ventilated areas.
AdBlue ®
must not come into contact with
your skin, eyes or clothing and must not be
swallowed .Keep AdBlue ®
away from chil-
dren.
If you or other person scome int ocontact with
AdBlue ®
,o bserv ethe following:
R Rinse AdBlue ®
from your skin immediately
with soap and water.
R If AdBlue ®
comes int ocontact with your
eyes, immediately rinse them thoroughly
with clea nwater. Seek medical attention
immediately.
R If AdBlue ®
has been swallowed, rinse your
mouth out immediately. Drin kplent yof
water .Seek medical attention immedi-
ately.
R Change out of clothing contaminated with
AdBlue ®
immediately.
! Only use AdBlue ®
in accordanc ewith
ISO 22241. Do not mix any additives with
AdBlue ®
,a nd do not dilute AdBlue ®
with
water. Thi smay destroy the BlueTEC
exhaust gas aftertreatmen tsystem. 178
RefuellingDriving and parking

!
In order to fil lthe AdBlue ®
tank, the vehi-
cle must be parked on alevel surface. The
AdBlue ®
tank can only be filled as intended
with the vehicle parked on alevel surface.
Fluctuations in capacity will thus be avoi-
ded. Filling avehicle standing on an uneven
surface is not permitted. There is adanger
of overfilling, which can cause damage to
BlueTEC exhaust gas aftertreatmen tcom-
ponen ts.
! Surfaces which have come into contact
with AdBlue ®
while refilling shoul dbe
rinsed immediately wit hwater, or remove
AdBlue ®
with amoist clot hand cold water.
If AdBlue ®
has alread ycrystallised, us ea
sponge and cold water to clean the area.
AdBlue ®
residue crystallises after acertain
amount of tim eand soils the affected sur-
faces.
! AdBlue ®
is not afuel additive and must
not be added to the fuel tank .IfAdBlue ®
is
added to the fuel tank ,this can lead to
engin edamage.
Have the AdBlue ®
tank refilled at aqualified
specialist workshop. However ,you can also
top up the AdBlue ®
tan k:
R at afilling station with an AdBlue ®
filling
pump
R with AdBlue ®
refill bottles
R with an AdBlue ®
refill canister
When the pump nozzle switches off automat-
ically during filling at afilling pump, the
AdBlue ®
tank has been completely filled. Do
not fill the AdBlue ®
tank any fur ther.
AdBlue ®
may leak out.
For fur ther information on AdBlue ®
,s ee
(Y page 42 7). Opening th
eAdBlue ®
fille rcap Th
ef uel filler flap is unlocked or locked auto-
matically when you open or close the vehicle
with the key or using KEYLESS-GO.
X Switc hthe igni tion off.
X Press the fuel filler fla pinthe direction of
arrow :.
The fuel filler fla pswings up.
X Turn blue AdBlue ®
filler cap ;anti-clock-
wise and remov eit.
AdBlue ®
filler cap ;is secured with aplas-
tic strip.
AdBlue ®
refill canisters !
Do not tighten the disposable hose with
too muc hforce. The disposable hose may
otherwise be destroyed. Ref
uelling
179Driving and parking Z

X
Unscre wthe cap from the opening on top
of AdBlue ®
refill canister ;.
X Plac edisposable hose :on the opening
of AdBlue ®
refill canister ;and screw it
on clockwise until hand-tight.
i Disposable hose :remains closed until
you fasten disposable hose :to the
AdBlue ®
filler neck of the vehicle.
X Place disposable hose :on the filler neck
on the vehicle and screw it on clockwise
until hand-tight. When you feel resistance,
disposable hose :is sufficiently secured.
X Lif tu pa nd tip AdBlue ®
refill canister ;.
i Filling stops whe nthe AdBlue ®
tan kis
completely fille d.Do no tfill the AdBlue ®
tank any further. AdBlue ®
refill canis-
ter ;can be removed when it has been
only partially emptied.
X Turn disposable hose :on the filler neck
of the vehicle anti-clockwise and remov eit. X
Turn disposable hose :on the opening of
AdBlue ®
refill canister ;anti-clockwise
and remove it.
X Reseal AdBlue ®
refill canister ;with the
cap.
AdBlue ®
refill canisters can be obtained at
many filling statio nsor at aMercedes-Benz
Servic eCentre. AdBlue ®
refill canisters are
often sold with afiller hose. Afiller hose that
does not exactly fit the vehicle's AdBlue ®
tan koffers no pro tection agains toverfilling.
AdBlue ®
may leak ou tasar esult of overfilling.
Mercedes-Ben zoffers aspecial disposable
hose with overfill protection. You can obtain
this from any Mercedes-Benz Servic eCentre.
AdBlue ®
is available in avariety of containers
and receptacles. Only use the disposable
hos ewith Mercedes-Benz AdBlue ®
refill can-
isters.
AdBlue ®
refill bottle !
Screw on the AdBlue ®
refill bottle only
hand-tight. It may otherwis ebedestroyed. X
Unscrew the protectiv ecap from AdBlue ®
refill bottle :.
X Place AdBlue ®
refill bottle :on the filler
neck as sho wn andscre witonh and-tight.
X Press AdBlue ®
refill bottle :towards the
fille rneck.
The AdBlue ®
tank is filled. Thi scould last
up to one min ute.
i Whe nAdBlue ®
refill bottle :is no longer
pressed, filling stops and the bottle may be 180
RefuellingDriving and parking

take
noff ag aina fter be ingo nly partially
emptied.
X Releas eAdBlue ®
refil lbottle :.
X Tur nAdBlue ®
refil lbottle :anti-clockwise
and remove it.
X Screw the protective cap onto AdBlue ®
refill bottle :again.
AdBlue ®
refill bottles can be obtained at many
fil ling stations or at aMercedes-Benz Ser vice
Centre. Refil lbottles withou tathreaded seal
offer no protection agains toverfilling.
AdBlue ®
may leak ou tasaresult of overfilling.
Mercedes Ben zoffers special refi llbottles
with athrea deds eal. Thes eare avail able at
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Closin gthe AdBlue ®
fil lerc ap X
Fit AdBl ue®
filler cap ;on th efiller neck
and turn it clockwise.
X To close the fuel filler flap, press it in the
direction of arrow :.
X Driv efaster than 15 km/h.
The Refill AdBlue Se eOwner' sMan‐ ual message goes ou
tafter approximately
one minute.
i If the Refill AdBlue See Owner's Manual message continues to be show
nin
the multifunctio ndisplay, you must top up
with mor eAdBlue ®
. Parking
Important safety notes
G
WAR
NING
If flammable materials such as leaves ,grass
or twigs are exposed to prolo nged contac tto
part soft he exhaust system that heat up, they
coul dignite. There is arisk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come int ocontac twith parts of the vehi-
cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields. G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevan tfunctions are only available
with lim itations, or not at all .This coul daffect,
for example, the powe rsteering and the brake
boosting effect .You will require considerably
mor eeffort to steer and brake. There is arisk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
the parking position P
R starting the engine.
They could also operate the vehicle's equip-
ment .There is arisk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unsupervised in the vehicle.
! Am ovin gvehicle can lead to damage to
the vehicle or damage to the driv etrain. Parking
181Driving and parking Z

To ensur
ethat the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parkin gbrake mus tbea pplied
R the tra nsmission must be in position Pand
the key must be remove dfrom th eignition
lock
R on steep uphill or downhil lgradients ,turn
the fron twheels towards the kerb
R on steep uphill or downhill gradients, the
front axl eofane mpty vehicl emust be
secured, for example with awheel chock
R on steep uphill or downhill gradients, the
rea raxle of aladen vehicle must be addi-
tionally secured, for example with awheel
choc k. Switching of
fthe engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Th ea utomatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away .There is arisk of
an accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P.Prevent th eparked vehi-
cle from rolling awa ybyapplying the parking
brake.
Usin gthe key X
Engag ethe electric parkin gbrake.
X Shift th etransmission to position P.
X Turn th ekey to position 0in the igniti on
lock and remov eit.
The immobilise risactivated.
i If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D,t he automatic
transmission shift stoNautomatically.
If you then open one of the front doors or
remove the key from the ignition, the auto-
matic transmission shifts to P.
If you shift the automatic transmission to
N before switching off the engine, the auto- matic transmission remains in
Neven if a
door is opened.
Usin gKEYLESS-GO X
Engage the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Press the Start/Stop button (Y page 159).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
i If you use the Start/Stop button to switch
off the engine, the automatic transmission
shifts to Nautomatically. If you then open
one of the front doors, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to P.
i The engine can be switched off while the
vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding
the Start/Stop button for abou tthree sec-
onds. This func tion operates independently
of the ECO start/stop automatic engine
switch-of ffunction. Electric parking brake
General notes G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
the parking position P
R startin gthe engine.
They coul dalso operate the vehicle's equip-
ment. There is arisk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unsupervised in the vehicle.
i The electric parking brake carries out a
func tion chec katregular interval swhen
the engin eisswitched off. Noises that
occur are normal. 182
ParkingDriving and parking

Engaging/releasing manually
X
To engage: push handle :.
When th eelectric parking brak eis
engaged ,the ! redi ndicator lamp lights
up in the instrumen tcluster.
i The electric parking brak ecan also be
applied when the key is removed.
X To release: pull handle:.
The red !indicator lamp in the inst ru-
ment cluster goe sout.
i The electric parking brake can only be
released:
R when the key is in position 1in the igni-
tion lock or
R the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button.
To ensure that you do not roll backwards
when pulling away on an uphill slope, engage
the electric parking brake (Y page 162).
Engagin gautomatically Th
ee lectric parkin gbrake is engaged auto-
matically:
R if DISTRONIC PLUS brings th evehicle to a
standstill or
R if the HOL Dfunction is keeping the vehicle
stationary In addition, at least one of the following con-
ditions must be fulfilled:
R
the engine is switched off.
R the driver' sdoor is open and the seat belt
is not fastened.
R the vehicle is stationar yfor alengthy
period.
The red !indicator lam pint he inst rument
cluster lights up.
i Thee lectric parkin gbrake is not automat-
icall yapplied if the engine is switched off
by the ECO star t/stopfunction.
Releasing automatically The electric parking brake is released auto-
matically when all of the following conditions
are fulfilled:
R
the engine is running.
R the transmissio nisinp osition Dor R.
R the seat belt is fastened.
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
If the transmission is in position R,the boot
lid must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parkin gbrake:
R thed river's door is closed
R yo uh ave shifted out of transmission posi-
tion Por you have previously driven faster
than 3km/h
Emergenc ybraking Parking
183Drivingand pa rking Z

X
While driving, push handle :of the elect ric
parking brake.
The vehicle can also be braked durin gan
emergency using the electric parking brake.
i The vehicle is braked for as long as the
handle of the electric parking brak eis
pressed. The longer the electric parking
brak ehandle is depressed, the greater the
braking force.
During braking:
R aw arning ton esounds
R the Releas epark. brake message
appears
R ther ed ! indicato rlamp in the instru-
ment cluster flashes
When the vehicle has been braked to astand-
still ,the electric parkin gbrake is engaged. Parkin
gupthe vehicle
If you leave th evehicle parked up for longer
than four weeks, the batter ymay be damaged
by exhaustive discharging.
X Disconnect the batter yorconnec tittoa
trickle charger.
i You can obtai ninformation about trickle
chargers from aqualified specialist work-
shop.
If you leave the vehicl eparked up for longer
than six weeks, the vehicl emay suffer dam-
age as aresult of lack of use.
X Visi taq ualifieds pecialist workshop and
seek advice. Driving tips
General notes
Impo rtant safety notes G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available with limitations, or not at all
.This coul daffect,
for example, the powe rsteering and the brake
boosting effect .You will require considerably
mor eeffort to steer and brake. There is arisk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
Drive sensibly –save fuel Observe the fol
lowing tips to save fuel:
X The tyres should always be inflated to the
recomm ended tyr epressure.
X Remove unnecessary lo ads.
X Remov eroof carriers when they are not
needed.
X Warm up the engine at low engine speeds.
X Avoid frequent acceleration or braking.
X observe the service intervals in the Service
Booklet or in the service interval display.
Have all the maintenan cework carried in
accordanc ewith Daimler AG regulations.
Fuel consumption also increases when driv-
ing in cold weather, in stop-start traffic and in
hilly terrain. Short journeys
! Vehicles with adiesel particle filter: if
the vehicle is mostly driven for short dis-
tances, it is possible that malfunctions may
occur durin gthe automa ticc leaning of the
diesel particle filter. This may lead to fuel
collectin ginthe engin eoil and cause
engin efailure. Therefore, if you frequently
drive short distances, you should tak ea20
minu tetrip on amotorwa yorrural road at
least every 500km. Braking
Important safet ynotes G
WARNING
If you shift down on aslippery road surfac ein
an attempt to increase the engine's braking 184
Driving tipsDrivin
gand parking

effect, the driv
ewheels coul dlose their grip.
This inc reases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface.
Downhill gradients Do not depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion ,e.g. causing the
brakes to rub by constantly applying light
pressure to the pedal. This results in exces-
sive and premature wear to the brake pads.
On long and steep downhil lgradients, you
mus tselect shift range 1,2or 3in good time.
Take particular not eofthis when drivin ga
laden vehicle.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the brakin geffect of the engine,
so les sbraking wil lberequired to prevent the
vehicle from gainin gspeed. This relieves the
load on the brak esystem and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking syste mcan overheat if you leave
your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There
is ar isk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as afootrest .Do
not simultaneousl ydepress both th ebrake
peda land the accelerato rpedal while driving.
! Depressing the brak epedal constantly
result sinexcessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have bee nsubjected to aheavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately.
Driv eonfor as hort while. This allow sthe air-
flo wtoc ool the brakes mor equickly. If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet road surfaces
If you have driven for
along tim einheavy rain
without braking ,there ma ybeadelayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occu rafter acar wash or
after driving through deep water.
You then have to depress the brake pedal
more firmly. Maintain agreater distance from
th ev ehicle in front.
Af terd riving on awet road or havin gthe vehi-
cle washed, brake firml ywhile paying atten-
tion to the traf ficc onditions. This will warm
up the brake discs, thereby dryin gthem more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performanc eonsalt-
treated roads If you drive on salte
droads, alaye rofs alt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in asignificantly
longer brakin gdistance.
R Brake occasionally to remov eany possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users whe ndoing so.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of ajourney.
R Maintain agreater distance to th evehicle
ahead.
New brak epads/linings New and replace
dbrake pads and discs only
reach thei roptimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometres of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brak epedal.
For safet yreasons, Mercedes-Ben zrecom-
mends that you only have brak epads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been Driving tips
185Driving and parking Z

approved for Mercedes-Ben
zvehicles or
which cor respond to an equivalen tquality
standard. Brak epads/linings which have not
been approved for Mercedes -Benz vehicles or
whic hare not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
High-performance brak esystem for
AMG vehicles Th
eh igh-performan cebrak esystem is
designed for hig hloads. This ma ylead to
noise when braking. This is dependen ton:
R speed
R braking force
R environmenta lconditions, such as tem per-
ature and humidity
Th ew earofi ndividual brake system compo-
nents such as the brake pads/lining sorbrake
discs depends on individual driving st ylea nd
operating conditions.
For thi sreason, it is impossible to state a
mileage (service life) that will be valid under
all circumstances .Anaggressive drivin gstyle
will lead to high wear. You can obtain fur ther
information about this fr om your Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre.
New brake pads/brak epads and discs that
have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilome-
tres of driving. Compensate for the reduced
braking effect by applying greater force to the
brake pedal. Always be aware of this and
adapt your driving and braking accordingly
during the running-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in corre-
spondingly high brake wear. Observe the
# brake wear warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster and note any brake status mes-
sages in the multifunc tion display. If you reg-
ularly drive at high speeds, it is particularly
important to have the brake system chec ked
and maintained regularly. Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to
acertain depth
on the road surface, there is adanger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R you are driving at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and
brake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads !
Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
Thes enotes must be observed under all
circumstances. You coul dotherwis edam-
age the engine, the electronics or the trans-
mission.
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the maximum permissible fording depth in
still water depends on the vehicle equip-
ment.
R you should drive no faster than walking
pace.
Off-road fording !
The depth of water must not exceed the
value specified in the table. Note that the
possible fording depth is less in flowing
water.
! Under no circumstances should you
accelerate before entering the water. The
bow wave could cause water to enter and
damage the engine and neighbouring
assemblies.
! Do not open any of the vehicle's doors
while fording. Otherwise, water could get
into the vehicle interior and damage the 186
Driving tipsDriving and parking

vehicle's el
ectronics and interior equip-
ment. The table sho
wsfording depth :when lo a-
de da nd read ytodrive.
When th evehicle is loaded and ready to driv e,
it has afull tank, all fluids have been topped
up and the driver is in the vehicle.
On vehicles with the AIRMATIC packag eor
the ON&OFFROAD package ,loads up to the
maximum permissible load have no influence
on fording capability :. Fording
depth Vehicles without the
ON&OFFROAD package
Raised level 50 cm
Vehicles with th
eON&OFF-
ROAD package Off-road level 3 60 cm
Off-road level 2 50 cm
Off-road level 1 50 cm
R
Establish how dee pthe water is and the
characteristic softhe body of water before
fording.
R Select the highest possible vehicle level.
R Restrict the shift range to 1or 2.
R Avoid high engin espeeds.
R Enter and exit the water at aflat place and
at as teady walking pace. R
Drive slowly and at aconstant speed
through the water.
R Do not stop.
R Water offers ahigh degree of resistance,
the ground is slippery and, in some cases,
unstable. Therefore, it is difficult and dan-
gerous to pull away in the water.
R Ensure that abow wav edoes not for mas
you drive.
R Clea nany mud from the tyre tread after
fording.
R Appl ythe brakes to dry them after fording. Winter driving
Genera lnotes G
WARNING
If you shift down on aslippery road surfac ein
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface. G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible ,poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is arisk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open
aw indow on the side of the vehicle that is not
facin ginto the wind.
! Take care not to damage the sealing strip
and the mould ingont he side of the rear
window when scrapin gice off the rear win-
dow. Driving tips
187Driving and parking Z