width MERCEDES-BENZ GL550 2008 X164 Owner's Manual

88 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!G
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY

Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this sec-
tion, as that could result in serious inju-
ries in case of an accident.

Each occupant should wear their seat
belt at all times, because seat belts help
reduce the likelihood of and potential
severity of injuries in accidents, includ-
ing rollovers. The integrated restraint
system includes SRS (driver air bag, pas-
senger front air bag, side impact air
bags, window curtain air bags for side
windows), ETD (seat belt emergency
tensioning device), and front seat knee
bolsters. The system is designed to en-
hance the protection offered to properly
belted occupants in certain frontal (front
air bags and ETD) and side (side impact,
window curtain air bags and ETD) im-
pacts which exceed preset deployment
thresholds and in certain rollovers (win-
dow curtain air bags and ETD).

Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your shoul-
der. In a frontal crash, your body would
move too far forward. That would in-
crease the chance of head and neck in-
juries. The belt would also apply too
much force to the ribs or abdomen,
which could severely injure internal or-
gans such as your liver or spleen.

Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eyeglasses, pens, SmartKeys, etc., as
these might cause injuries.

Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips and not across the abdo-
men. If the belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries
in a crash.

Never use a seat belt for more than one
p e r s o n a t t i m e . D o n o t f a s t e n a s e a t b e l t
around a person and another person or
other objects.

Belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you would not have the full width
of the belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted belt against your body could
cause injuries.

Pregnant women should also always use
a lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible pres-
sure on the abdomen.

Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.

When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in
booster seats, always follow the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.
164.boo Seite 88 Freitag, 30. März 2007 12:54 12

298 Controls in detail
Loading
1Key
2Cover cap
3Sticker FRONT (or REAR)
4Screw for clamping claw
5Clamping claw
The front and rear crossbars are of differ-
ent lengths. Please pay close attention to
stickers3 FRONT and REAR on the cross-
bars.
Unlock cover cap2 with key1.
Remove cover cap2.
Sticker3 indicating the location,
FRONT or REAR, becomes visible.
Turn screw4 counterclockwise with
the included Allen wrench until
clamping claw5 is wide open.
6Front crossbar
7Rear crossbar
8Gaps
9Markings
aRoof rails
Place front crossbar6 between
markings9 on roof railsa.4Screw for clamping claw
5Clamping claw
aRoof rail
Make sure clamping claw5 lies flush
against the inside of roof raila as
shown in the illustration.
If necessary, adjust clamping width of
crossbars (
page 299).
Slightly tighten screw4 on both sides
by turning it clockwise.
iMarkings9 are located on the inside of
each roof rail, indicated by the white lines in the
illustration.
164.boo Seite 298 Freitag, 30. März 2007 12:54 12

299 Controls in detail
Loading
Place rear crossbar7 on roof railsa
in such a way that the clamping claws
reach into gaps8 (
page 298) on the
roof rails.
Make sure clamping claw5 lies flush
against the inside of roof raila as
shown in the illustration (
page 298).
If necessary, adjust clamping width of
crossbars (
page 299).
Slightly tighten screw4 on both sides
by turning it clockwise.
On the front and rear crossbars tighten
screws4. Observe a tightening
torque of 4 lb-ft (6 Nm).
Attach cover caps (page 298) and
lock them.
Store key and Allen wrench back into
the storage well (
page 490).
Adjusting the clamping widths of the
crossbarsThe clamping widths of the crossbars are
factory set for your vehicle. These clamp-
ing widths are solely intended for the des-
ignated positions.
Only install the crossbars at the designat-
ed locations and pay attention to the
stickers3 FRONT and REAR
(
page 298).
4Screw for clamping claw
5Clamping claw
bScrews for adjusting clamping width
(2 in total for each side)
cCover strip
Warning!G
Have the tightening torque checked after
mounting the crossbars. The screws could
come loose if they are not tightened to a
torque of 4 lb-ft (6 Nm).
Warning!G
Only install the crossbars at the exact loca-
tions designated on the roof rails. The desig-
nated locations for the front crossbars are
between the markings engraved on the in-
side of the roof rails (
page 298). The des-
ignated locations for the rear crossbars are
between the gaps on the roof rails
(
page 298).
Otherwise, the crossbars (
page 298),
mounted accessories and the objects at-
tached to them could come loose from the
vehicle causing an accident, thereby injuring
you and other persons and/or causing dam-
age to property, including damage to your
vehicle.

164.boo Seite 299 Freitag, 30. März 2007 12:54 12

300 Controls in detail
Loading
Pull cover stripc out of groove until
you see screwsb on each end of the
crossbar.
Turn screwsb on both sides counter-
clockwise approximately 2 rotations.
Place the crossbar at designated loca-
tions (
page 298) on roof rails.
On both sides, make sure the clamping
claws5 lie flush against the roof rails.
If necessary pull out or push in the
clamping claws5.
Tighten screwsb. Observe a
tightening torque of 4 lb-ft (6 Nm).
The width of the clamping claws is
correctly adjusted.
Press cover stripc piece by piece into
groove of crossbar.
Install the crossbars as described
(
page 298).
Removing the crossbars
1Key
2Cover cap
3Sticker FRONT (or REAR)
4Screw for clamping claw
5Clamping claw
Unlock cover cap2 with key1.
Remove cover cap2.
Turn screws for clamping claws5
counterclockwise until the crossbars
can be lifted from the roof rails.
Shortening the cover strip
The cover strips reduce the wind noise
caused by the crossbars. In order to install
add-on roof equipment, it may be neces-
sary to shorten the cover strips.
cCover strip
Pull cover stripc out of groove.
Warning!G
Have the tightening torque checked after
mounting the crossbars. The screws could
come loose if they are not tightened to a
torque of 4 lb-ft (6 Nm).

164.boo Seite 300 Freitag, 30. März 2007 12:54 12

366 Operation
Driving instructions
Checking weights of vehicle and trailer

To assure that the tow vehicle and trail-
er are in compliance with the maximum
permissible weight limits have the load-
ed rig (tow vehicle including driver, pas-
sengers and cargo, trailer fully loaded)
weighed on a commercial scale.

Check the vehicle’s front and rear
Gross Axle Weight (GAW), the Gross
Trailer Weight (GTW) and Tongue
Weight (TW).
The values as measures must not
exceed the weight limits listed under
“Vehicle and trailer weight and ratings”
(
page 365).Attaching a trailerObserve maximum permitted trailer
dimensions (width and length).
Most states and all Canadian provinces
require

safety chains between your tow vehicle
and the trailer.
The chains should be criss-crossed
under the trailer tongue. They must be
attached to the hitch receiver, and not
to the vehicle’s bumper or axle.
Make sure to leave enough slack in the
chains to permit turning corners.

a separate brake system at various
trailer weights.

a break-away switch on trailers with a
separate brake system. Check with
your local state laws for specific
requirements.
The switch activates the trailer brakes
in the possible event that the trailer
might separate from the tow vehicle.
Warning!G
While you are coupling or decoupling a trail-
er, make sure that you do not

lock or unlock

open or close
a vehicle door or the tailgate.
The vehicle’s level could change and you
could endanger yourself and/or others as a
result.
Make sure that you do not operate the ADS
button* (
page 279) or the vehicle level
control system (
page 279) when cou-
pling/decoupling the trailer.
164.boo Seite 366 Freitag, 30. März 2007 12:54 12

406 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire labeling
Besides tire name (sales designation) and
manufacturer name, a number of markings
can be found on a tire.
Following are some explanations for the
markings on your vehicle’s tires:1Uniform Quality Grading Standards
(
page 413)
2DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
(
page 410)
3Maximum tire load (
page 412)
4Maximum tire inflation pressure
(
page 412)
5Manufacturer
6Tire ply material (
page 415)
7Tire size designation, load and speed
rating (
page 406)
8Load identification (
page 410)
9Tire nameTire size designation, load and speed
rating
1Tire width
2Aspect ratio in %
3Radial tire code
4Rim diameter
5Tire load rating
6Tire speed rating
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and may vary
from data shown in above illustration.
For more information, see “Rims and tires”
(
page 555).
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and may vary
from data shown in above illustration.
164.boo Seite 406 Freitag, 30. März 2007 12:54 12

407 Operation
Tires and wheels
General:
Depending on the design standards used,
the tire size molded into the sidewall may
have no letter or a letter preceding the tire
size designation.
No letter preceding the size designation
(as illustrated above): Passenger car tire
based on European design standards.
Letter “P” preceding the size designation:
Passenger car tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “LT” preceding the size designation:
Light Truck tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “T” preceding the size designation:
Temporary spare tires which are high
pressure compact spares designed for
temporary emergency use only.Tire width
The tire width1 (
page 406) indicates
the nominal tire width in mm.
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio2 (
page 406) is the
dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width and is
expressed in percentage. The aspect ratio
is arrived at by dividing section height by
section width.
Tire code
The tire code3 (
page 406) indicates
the tire construction type. The “R” stands
for radial tire type. Letter “D” means diag-
onal or bias ply construction; letter “B”
means belted-bias ply construction.
At the tire manufacturer’s option, any tire
with a speed capability above 149 mph
(240 km/h) can include a “ZR” in the size
designation (for example: 245/40 ZR 18).
For additional information, see “Tire speed
rating” (
page 408).Rim diameter
The rim diameter4 (
page 406) is the
diameter of the bead seat, not the
diameter of the rim edge. Rim diameter is
indicated in inches (in).
Tire load rating
The tire load rating5 (
page 406) is a
numerical code associated with the
maximum load a tire can support.
For example, a load rating of 91 corre-
sponds to a maximum load of 1 356 lbs
(615 kg) the tire is designed to support.
See also “Maximum tire load”
(
page 412) where the maximum load as-
sociated with the load index is indicated in
kilograms and lbs.
164.boo Seite 407 Freitag, 30. März 2007 12:54 12

413 Operation
Tires and wheels
Always follow the recommended tire
inflation pressure (
page 393) for proper
tire inflation.Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards (U.S. vehicles)
Tire manufacturers are required to grade
tires based on three performance factors:
treadwear, traction and
temperature resistance.
1Treadwear
2Traction
3Temperature resistanceQuality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.
Warning!G
Never exceed the max. tire inflation
pressure. Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being over-
heated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride com-
fort, wear unevenly, increase stopping dis-
tance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road de-
bris, potholes etc.
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and may vary
from data shown in above illustration.
TreadwearTractionTemperature
200AAA
164.boo Seite 413 Freitag, 30. März 2007 12:54 12

415 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire ply material
1Plies in sidewall
2Plies under tread
This marking tells you about the type of
cord and number of plies in the sidewall
and under the tread.Tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of those
standard items which may be replaced) of
automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power
seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as
factory-installed equipment (whether
installed or not).
Air pressure
The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire.
Air pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or
bars.
Aspect ratio
Dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width
expressed in percentage.
Warning!G
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underin-
flation, or excessive loading, either sepa-
rately or in combination, can cause
excessive heat build-up and possible tire
failure.
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and may vary
from data shown in above illustration.
164.boo Seite 415 Freitag, 30. März 2007 12:54 12

428 Operation
Vehicle care
Automatic car wash
You can have your car washed in an auto-
matic car wash from the start. Automatic
car washes without brushes are prefera-
ble.
To protect the filter system, switch the
climate control system (
page 216) or
the automatic climate control system*
(
page 230) to air recirculation mode.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it
before running it through the automatic
car wash.When taking the vehicle through an auto-
matic conveyor type car wash, observe the
following instructions.Vehicles with SmartKey:
With the vehicle at a standstill and the
ignition switched on shift the automatic
transmission to neutral positionN.
If engaged, release the parking brake
(
page 59).
Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
With the vehicle at a standstill, depress
the brake pedal and keep it pressed.
With the ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to park
positionP.
Release the brake pedal.
Remove the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button from the starter switch
(
page 43).
Insert the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* into the starter switch.
Switch on the ignition.
!Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic
touchless car wash which use caustic spray.
Otherwise the caustic spray will damage the
paint or ornamental moldings.
!Make sure that the windshield wiper switch
is set to0 (
page 63). Otherwise, e.g. the rain
sensor could activate and cause the wipers to
move unintentionally. This may lead to vehicle
damage.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in exterior
rear view mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent
damage to the mirrors.
Warning!G
When leaving the SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* in the starter switch, do
not leave children unattended in the vehicle.
It is possible for children to switch on the
ignition which could result in unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment.
A child’s unsupervised access to a vehicle
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
164.boo Seite 428 Freitag, 30. März 2007 12:54 12