check engine MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV 2012 User Guide

Problems wit
hthe auxiliary heating/ventilation Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
$
FAIL Th
es ignal transmission between the transmitter and the vehicle
is faulty.
X Change your position in relation to the vehicle, movin gcloser if
necessary.
X Make another attempt to switch the auxiliary heating on or off
using the remote control. ©
FAIL there is not enough fuel in the fuel tank
,orthe auxiliary heating is
faulty.
X Refuel at the nearest filling station.
X Make another attemp ttos witch on the auxiliary heating using
the remote control.
X Have the auxiliary heating checked at aqualified specialist
workshop. FAIL This display messag
emay appear if you attempt to activate the
auxiliary heating or during astatus query.
If the auxiliary heating doe snot switc honorh as switched off while
running, this has occurred due to one of the following reasons:
R the auxiliary heating was started more than twice when the
engine was switched off.
R the starter battery is not sufficiently charged.
R There is too little fuel in the fuel tank.
R the auxiliary heating is faulty.
If the auxiliary heating was switched on more than twice:
X Switch on the engine and let it run for more than 10 seconds.
X Make another attempt to switch on the auxiliary heating using
the remote control.
If the starter battery is not sufficiently charged:
X Charge the starter battery.
X Make another attempt to switch on the auxiliary heating using
the remote control.
If there is not enough fuel:
X Refuel at the nearest filling station.
X Make another attempt to switch on the auxiliary heating using
the remote control. Operating the climate control system
153Climate control Z

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The coolant tempera-
tur
ed isplay is showing
more than 120 †. The
coolant warnin glamp
may also be lit and a
warning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X
Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant
to cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 363). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct
,the radiator fa nmay be faulty. The
coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled suffi-
ciently.
X At coolant temperatures under 120 †, drive on to the nearest
qualified specialis tworkshop, e.g. to aMercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in
mountainous terrai nand stop-start traffic. Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engag etrans mission position Dor
R,t he vehicle coul dpull away suddenly. There
is ar isk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate. DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmissio npositions P
Park position with parking lock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive
The DIRECT SELECT leve risonthe right of the
steering column.
i The DIREC TSELECT lever always returns
to its origina lposition .The curren ttrans-
mission position P,R, Nor Dappe arsint he
transmission position display
(Y page 168) in the multifunction display. Automa
tict ran smission
167Driving and pa rking Z

Problems wit
hthe transmission Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Th
et rans mission has
problem sshifting gear. The transmission is losing oil.
X
Hav ethe transmission chec kedataq ualified specialist work-
sho pimmediately. Th
ea cceleratio nability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer changes gear. The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into
secondgear and reverse gear.
X Stop.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Wait at least ten seconds befor erestar tingthe engine.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
X Have the transmission checked at aqualified specialist work-
sho pimmediately. Refuelling
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Fue lish ighly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is arisk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, naked flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before
refuelling. G
WARNING
Fuels are poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is adanger of injury.
Do not swallow fuel or let it come into contact
with skin, eyes or clothing. Do not inhale fuel
vapours. Keep fuels out of the reach of chil-
dren. If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following:
R Wash the fuel off any affected areas of skin
with water and soap immediately.
R If you get fuel in your eyes, rinse them thor-
oughly with clean water immediately. Seek
immediate medical attention.
R If fuel is swallowed, seek immediate medi-
cal attention. Do not induce vomiting.
R Change any clothing that has come into
contact with fuel immediately. G
WARNING
Vehicles with adiesel engine:
If you mix diesel fuel with petrol, the flash
point of this fuel mixture is lower than that of
pure diesel fuel. When the engine is running,
components in the exhaust system may over-
heat unnoticed. There is arisk of fire.
Never refuel with petrol. Never add petrol to
diesel fuel. 174
RefuellingDriving and parking

At the onse
tofwinter, have your vehicle win-
terproofed at aqualified specialist workshop.
Vehicles with th eON&OFFROAD pack-
age: if drivin ginsnow or with snow chains,
select the snow program (Y page 249)with
the off- road program selector wheel in the
centre console.
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 398).
Driving with summer tyres Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y
page 398).
Slippery road surfaces G
WARNING
If you shift down on aslippery road surfac ein
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect ,the drive wheels coul dlose their grip.
This increases the risk of skiddin gand having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface.
If the vehicle threaten stoskid or cannot be
stopped whe nmovin gatl ow speed:
X Move the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under con trolby
using corrective steering.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 399).
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudde naccelera-
tion, steering and brakin gmanoeuvres. Off-road driving
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you drive up asteep incline at an angle or
turn on asteep incline, the vehicle could slip sideways, tip and overturn. There is
arisk of
an accident.
When drivin gupanincline, drive into the line
of fall (upw ards or downwards in astraight
line) and do not turn. G
WARNING
If the vehicle level is high, the vehicle centre
of gravity is raised .This coul dcause the vehi-
cle to tip over more easily on uphill or downhill
gradients. There is arisk of an accident.
Select the lowest possible vehicle level.
When drivin goff-road, sand, mud and water,
possibly mixe dwith oil, for example, could get
into the brakes. This could result in areduced
braking effect or in total brak efailure and also
in increased wear and tear. The braking char-
acteristic schange depending on the material
ingressing the brakes. Clean the brakes after
driving off-road. If you detec tareduce dbrak-
ing effect or grinding noises, have th ebrake
system checked in aqualified specialist work-
sho pass oon as possible. Adapt your driving
style to the differen tbraking 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 aquali-
fied specialist workshop.
Do not switch to transmission position N
when driving off-road. You could lose control
of the vehicle if you attempt to brake using
the service brake. If the gradient is too steep,
drive backwards in reverse gear.
General notes H
Environmental note
Protection of the environment is of primary
importance. Treat nature with respect.
Observe all prohibiting signs. 188
Driving tipsDrivin
gand pa rking

Read this section before drivin
gyour vehicle
off-road. Pra ctisebyt ravelling over more gen-
tle off-road terrain first.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving:
R Off-road program (vehicles without the
ON&OFFROAD package) (Y page 252)
R Off-road program 1and 2(vehicles wit hthe
ON&OFFROAD package) (Y page 253)
R LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles with
the ON&OFFROAD package)
(Y page 254)
R Differential lock (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package) (Y page 254)
R Off-road AB S(Ypage 61)
R Off-road 4ETS (Y page 66)
R Off-road ESP ®
(Y page 67)
R AIRMATI Cpackag e(veh icle level)
(Y pag e212)
R DSR (Downh illS peed Regulation)
(Y page 251)
Observe the following notes:
R Stop your vehicle and, if necessary, select
the off-road program (Y page 252)orthe
LOW RANGE off -road gear (Y page 254)
befor edriving off-road.
R Select avehicle level suitable for the off-
road ter rain. To avoid damaging the vehicle,
make sure ther eisalways sufficien tground
cle arance.
R Check that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safel yand are wel lsecur ed
( Y page 343).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driv ingonad ownhill gradient. Acti-
vate DSR (Y page 251).
R Drive slowly and evenly, if necessary at
walking pace.
R Ensure that the wheels ar einc ontact with
the ground at all times.
R Drive with extreme car eonu nknown off-
road routes where visibility is poor. For
safety reasons, get out of the vehicl efirst
and survey the off-road route. R
Check the depth of water before fording
rivers and streams.
R Look out for obstacles such as rocks, holes,
tree stumps and furrows.
R Take care when turning on an uphill or
downhill slop eorwhen driving across a
slope. The vehicle could otherwise tip over.
R Always keep the side windows and the pan-
orama sliding sunroof closed dur ingt he
journey.
R Do not stray from marked routes or paths.
i Information about retrofitting special all-
terrain tyres is available from any qualified
specialist workshop.
i Do not use the HOL Dfunction when driv-
ing off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gra-
dients or on slippery or loos esurfaces. The
HOLD function cannot hold the vehicl eon
suc hsurfaces.
Checklis tbefor edriving off-road X
Engine oil level: check theengine oil and
top it up if necessary.
Whe ndriving on stee pgradients, the
engin eoil level must be sufficiently high to
ensure acorrec toil supply in the vehicle.
X AdBlue ®
tank (BlueTEC vehicles): check
the fluid level and, if necessary, refill to the
maximum (13 l) (Y page 178).
X Tyre-ch ange tool kit: checkthat the jack
is wor king and mak esure you have the
wheelbrace, arobust tow cabl eand afold-
ing spade in the vehicle.
X Wheels and ty res: chec kthe tyr etread
depth and tyre pressure.
X Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, fro mthe
wheels/tyres.
X Replace any missing valv ecaps.
X Replace dented or damaged wheels.
X Wheels: dented or bent wheel scan lead to
al oss of tyr epressure and damag etot he
tyr eb ead. Before driving off-road, check
the wheels and replace them if necessary. Driving tips
189Driving and parking Z

Checklist after driving off-road
!
If you detect damag etothe vehicl eafter
dri ving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at aqualified specialist work-
shop.
X Vehicles with th eON&O FFROAD pack-
age: activat ethe on-road program
(Y page 253).
X Vehicles without th eON&O FFROAD
package: deactivate the on- road program
(Y page 252).
X Deac tivate the LOW RANGE off-roa dgear
(Y page 254).
X Deactiva teDS R(Ypage 251).
X Lowe rthe vehicle level again to alevel suit-
able to the road conditions, e.g. to the high-
way/high-speed level.
X Clean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
X Clean the front and rear licence plates.
X Clean the wheels/tyres with awater jet and
remove any foreign objects.
X Clea nthe wheels, wheel arches and the
vehicle underside with awater jet; check
for any foreign objects and damage.
X Check whethe rtwigs or other parts of
plants have become trapped. These
increase the risk of fire and can damage
fuel pipes, brake hose sorthe rubber bel-
lows of the axl ejoint sand propeller shafts.
X After the trip, examine without fail the
entire undercarriage, wheels ,tyres, brakes,
bodywork structure, steering, chassis and
exhaus tsystem for damage.
X After driving for extended period sacross
sand ,mud, gravel, water or in similarly dirty
conditions, have the brake discs, wheels,
brake pads/lining sand axle joints checked
and cleaned.
X If you detect strong vibrations after off-road
travel, check for foreig nobject sinthe
wheels and drive train and remove them if
necessary. Foreign objec ts candisturb the
balance and cause vibrations. Driving over rough terrain places greater
demands on your vehicle than drivin
gonnor-
ma lroads. Af terd riving off- road, check the
vehicle. This allow syou to detec tdamage
promptly and reduce the risk of an accident
to yourself and other road users.
Driving on sand Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
R
vehicle swith the ON&OFFROAD pack-
age: select off- road program 1
(Y page 253).
R vehicle swithou tthe ON&OFFROAD
package: select theoff-road program
(Y pag e252).
R select ahigher vehicle level.
R select ashift range appropriate to the ter-
rain.
R drive quickly to overcom ethe rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise, the vehicle' swheels
could becom estuck in loose ground.
R drive in the track sofother vehicle sifpos-
sible. Make sure that:
- the tyr eruts are not too deep.
- the sand is sufficiently firm.
- the ground clearance of the vehicle is
sufficient.
Tyr eruts and gravel roads !
Check that th eruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged
or bottom out and get stuck.
Observe the following rules when driving
along ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with
loos egravel:
R Activate th eoff-road program
(Y pag e252).
R Vehicle swith the AIRMATIC package:
select araised vehicle level.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Restrict the shift range to 1.190
Driving tipsDriving and parking

If
av ehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blin dSpot Assist at speed sabove
30 km/h, warning lamp :on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. This warning
alway soccurs whe navehicle enter sthe blind
spot monitoring range from behind or from
the side. When you overtak eavehicle, the
warning only occurs if the difference in speed
is less than 12 km/h.
The yellow indicator lam pgoes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Blin dSpot Assist is then
deactivated.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted autom atically according to
the ambient light.
Collision warning
If av ehicle is detected in the monitoring range
of Blin dSpot Assist and you switch on the
correspondin gturn signal ,adouble warning
tone sounds. Red warnin glamp :flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp :.There ar enofurther warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist X
Make sure that the radar senso rsystem
(Y page 283) and Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 279) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
ligh tupr ed for approximately
1. 5s econds and then tur nyellow. Towing
atrailer
If yo uattach atrailer, make sure th at you have
corre ctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated. The indicator lamp in the exte-
rior mirrors lights up yellow ,and the Blind Spo
tAssist currently unavailable See Owner's Manual message appears in
th em ultifunction display.
i You can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, switch off Blind Spot Assis tif:
R thek ey is in position 2in the ignition
lock.
R the engine is not running.
R the electrical connection to the trailer
has been established.
Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Lan eKeeping Assist does not keep your vehi-
cle in its lane. It is only an aid and may detect
the lane markings on the road incor rectly or
not at all.
Th es ystem may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poo rvisibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun, or reflec tion from other vehicles.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for insta ncebyasticker, in the vicinity
of the camera
R several or no lane markings for asingle lane
are present.
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow.
R the distance to the vehicle in fron tist oo
smal land the lane markings thus cannot be
detected. 240
Drivin
gsystemsDrivin gand pa rking

X
AMG vehicles and vehicles with AMG
bodystyling: release cover =from the
bracket at the rea rand sto witsafely. X
Open the tailgate.
X Pull release knob :until the ball coupling
unlocks.
The ball coupling folds out from under the
rear bumper.
The indicator lamp on the release knob
flashes .The trailer socket folds away auto-
matically. X
Press the ball couplin ginthe direction of
the arrow until it engages in avertical posi-
tion.
The indicator lam ponthe release knob
goes off.
The multifunction display shows the
Chec ktrailer hitch lock message
until th eball coupling is engaged.
X Remove the protective covering from the
ball coupling and store it in asafe place. Coupling up
atrailer
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Vehicles with level control:
If you disconnec tthe trailer cable, the vehicle
is lowered. This can cause you or other sto
become trapped between the vehicl ebody
and tyres, or underneat hthe vehicle. This
poses arisk of injury.
Make sure that no-on eisinthe immediate
vicinit yofthe wheel arch or underneath the
vehicle when disconnectin gthe trailer cable.
Vehicles with th eAIRMATIC package X
Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Engage the electric parking brake.
X Start the engine.
X Set the vehicle to highway level
(Y page 213).
X Set the Adaptive Damping System (ADS )to
AUTO orCOMF (Ypage 212).
X Switch off the engine.
X Close the doors and tailgate.
X Position the trailer level behind the vehicle.
X Coupl eupthe trailer.
X Establish the electric con nectio nbetween
the vehicle and the trailer.
X Check that the trailer lighting system is
working. 260
Towing
atrailerDriving an dparking

Engine
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
+
Top
up co
olant See
Owner'
sManual Th
ec oolant leve listoo low.
! Avoi dmaking long jour neys with too little coolant in the engine
cooling system. The engin ewill otherwise be damaged.
X Top up th ecoolant ,obser ving the warning note sbefore doing
so (Y page 363).
X If th ecoolant needs toppin gupmoreo ften than usual ,have the
engin ecoolant system checked at aqualified specialist work-
shop. ? The fan motor is faulty.
X
If the coolant temperatur eisbelow 12 0†,you can continue
dri ving to the nearest qualified spe cialist workshop.
X Avoid heav yloads on th eengineasy ou do so, e.g. driving in
mou ntainous terrain and stop-start traffic. ?
Co
olantS topv ehi‐ cle Switch engine
off Th
ec oolant is too hot.
Aw arning ton ealso sounds.
G WARNING
Never driv ewithano verheated engine. Drivi ngwhen your engine
is overheate dcan cause fluids that may have leaked int othe
engin ecompartment to catch fire.
Stea mfromano verheated engine can cause serious burns, which
can occ urjus tbyo pening the bonnet.
There is ariskofi njury.
X Stop the vehicl eimmediately, paying att entio ntor oad and traf-
fic conditions, and switc hoff th eengine.
X Secure the vehicl eagainst rolling away (Y page 181).
X Leave the vehicle and keep asafe distance from the vehicle until
the engine has cooled down.
X Make sure that the air supply to the engine radiator is not
blocked, e.g. by frozen slush.
X Do not start the engine again until the display message goes out
and the coolant temperature is below 120 †. The engine may
otherwise be damaged.
X Pay attention to the coolant temperature display.
X If the temperature increases again, visit aqualified specialist
worksho pimmediately.
Unde rnormal operatin gconditions and with the specified coolant
level, the coolant tempera ture mayrise to 120 †. 304
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays

Displa
ymessages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
# The battery is no
tbeing charged.
Aw arning ton ealso sounds.
Possible causes:
R fault yalternator
R torn poly-V-belt
R am alfunction in the elect ronics
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Open the bonnet.
X Check whether the poly-V-belt is torn.
If the poly-V-belt is torn:
! Do not continue driving. The engine could otherwise overheat.
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop.
If the poly-V-belt is OK:
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. 4
Chec
keng. oil lev. when next
refuelling Th
ee ngine oil level has dropped to the minimum level.
Aw arning ton ealso sounds.
X Chec kthe oil level when nex trefuelling, at the latest
(Y page 362).
X If necessary, top up the engine oil (Y page 362).
X Hav ethe engin echecked at aqualified specialist worksho pif
the engine oil needs topping up more often than usual. 4
Top up wit
h1 litre of engine
oil when next refu‐
elling AM
Gvehicles: the engine oil level is too low.
X Check the oil level when next refuelling, at the latest
(Y page 362).
X If necessary, top up the engine oil (Y page 362).
X Hav ethe engin echecked at aqualified specialist worksho pif
the engine oil needs topping up more often than usual. 8
Reserv
efuel level Th
ef uel level has dropped into the reserve range.
Operation of the auxiliary heating is deactivated if the fuel level
drops into the reserve range.
X Refuel at the nearest filling station. C There is only
avery small amount of fuel in the fuel tank.
The auxiliary heatin gcannot be operated.
X Refuel at the nearest filling station without fail. Display messages
305On-board computer and displays Z