engine MERCEDES-BENZ GL SUV 2012 Workshop Manual

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

G
WARNING
Electrostati ccharge can lead to the creation
of sparks and to fuel vapours igniting. There
is ar isk of fire and explosion.
Touch the vehicle bodywork just before open-
ing the fuel filler cap. This wil ldischarge a
possible electrostatic charge.
! Do not use petrol to refuel vehicle swith a
diesel engine. Do not use diesel to refu el
vehicles wit hapetrol engine. Do not switch
on the igniti on if youaccidentally refuel
with the wrong fuel. Otherwise, the fuel will
ente rthe fuel system .Even small amounts
of th ewrong fue lcould result in damage to
the fuel system and the engine. The repair
cost sare high .Notif yaq ualified specialist
workshop and have the fuel tan kand fuel
lines draine dcompletely.
! Overfilling the fuel tan kcould damage the
fuel system.
! Take care not to spill any fuel on painted
surfaces .You coul dotherwis edamage the
paintwork.
! Use afilter when adding fuel from afuel
can. The fuel lines and/or the diesel injec-
tion system could otherwis ebeblocked by
particles from the fuel can.
If you overfill the fuel tank ,fuel could spray
out when the fuel pump nozzle is removed.
Further information on fuel and on fuel grades
can be found in the "Fuel" section
(Y page 423). Refuelling
Opening/closing the fuel filler flap :
To open the fuel filler flap
; To insert the fuel filler cap
= Fuel type to be refuelled
? Tyre pressure table
The fuel filler flap is unlocked or locked auto-
matically when you open or close the vehicle
with the key or using KEYLESS-GO.
The position of the fuel filler cap is displayed
8 in the instrument cluster. The arrow
next to the filling pump indicates the side of
the vehicle.
Opening X
Switch off the engine.
X Remove the key from the ignition lock.
X KEYLESS-GO: open the driver' sdoor.
This corresponds to key position 0:"key
removed".
The driver's doo rcan be closed again.
X Press the fuel filler flap in the direction of
arrow :.
The fuel filler flap swings up.
X Turn the fuel filler flap anti-clockwise and
remove it.
X Insert the fuel filler cap into the holder
bracket on the inside of filler flap ;.
X Completely insert the filler neck of the fuel
pump nozzle into the tank and refuel.
X Only fill the tank until the pump nozzle
switches off. Refuelling
175Driving and parking Z

Problems wit
hthe fuel and fuel tank Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Fue
lisl eakin gfrom the
vehicle. Th
ef uel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
G WARNING
Risk of explosion or fire.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock and remove it
immediately (Y page 159).
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start. The fuel tank of
avehicle with adiesel engine has been run com-
pletely dry.
X Refuel the vehicle with at least 5litres of diesel.
X Turn the ignition on for approximately ten seconds
(Y page 159).
X Start the engin econtinuously for amaximum of ten seconds
until it runs smoothly.
If the engine does not star t:
X Tur nthe igni tion on again for amaximum of ten seconds
(Y page 159).
X Start the engine again continuously for amaximum of ten sec-
onds until it runs smoothly.
If the engine does not star tafter th reea ttempts:
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop. The fuel filler flap can-
not be opened. The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
or
The key battery is discharged.
X
Unlock the vehicle (Y page 77).
or
X Unlock the vehicle using the emergency key element
(Y page 78). The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jam-
med.
X
Consult aqualified special istworkshop. Refuelling
177Driving and parking Z

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

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