MERCEDES-BENZ GLC SUV 2015 Owners Manual

The following driving systems are specially
adapted for driving over easily negotiable off-
road terrain:
R Off-road program (Y page 250)
R Off-road ABS (Y page 79)
R Off-road 4ETS (Y page 85)
R Off-road ESP ®
(Y page 85)
R DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(Y page 248)
Observe the following notes:
R Stop the vehicle before driving off-road. If
necessary, activate the off-road program
(Y page 250).
R To avoid damaging the vehicle, make sure
there is always sufficient ground clearance.
R Make sure that items of luggage and loads
are stowed safely and are well secured
(Y page 396).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Acti-
vate DSR (Y page 248).
R Drive slowly and evenly, if necessary at
walking pace.
R Ensure that the wheels are in contact with
the ground at all times.
R Drive with extreme care on unknown off-
road routes where visibility is poor. For
safety reasons, get out of the vehicle first
and survey the off-road route.
R Check the depth of water before fording
rivers and streams.
R Watch out for obstacles.
R Take care when turning on an uphill or
downhill slope or when driving across a
slope. The vehicle could otherwise tip over.
R Always keep the side windows and the pan-
orama sliding sunroof closed during the
journey.
R Do not deviate from marked routes.
Do not use the HOLD function when driving
off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gradients or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD
function cannot hold the vehicle on such sur-
faces. Checklist before driving off-road X
Engine oil level: check the engine oil and
top it up if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the oil
level must be sufficiently high to ensure a
correct oil supply in the vehicle.
X Wheels and tyres: check the tyre tread
depth and tyre pressure.
X Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the
wheels/tyres.
X Replace any missing valve caps.
X Replace dented or damaged wheels.
X Wheels: dented or bent wheels can lead to
a loss of tyre pressure and damage to the
tyre bead. Before driving off-road, check
the wheels and replace them if necessary.
Checklist after driving off-road !
If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
X Deactivate the off-road program
(Y page 250).
X Deactivate DSR (Y page 248).
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 a water jet and
remove any foreign objects.
X Clean the wheels, wheel arches and the
vehicle underside with a water jet; check
for any foreign objects and damage.
X Check whether twigs or other parts of
plants have become trapped. These
increase the risk of fire and can damage
fuel pipes, brake hoses or the rubber bel-
lows of the axle joints and propeller shafts.
X After the trip, examine without fail the
entire undercarriage, wheels, tyres, brakes,
bodywork structure, steering, chassis and
exhaust system for damage. 228
Driving tipsDriving and parking

X
After driving in sand, mud, gravel, water or
similar dirty conditions, have the following
checked and cleaned:
R brake discs
R wheels
R brake pads
R axle joints
X If you detect strong vibrations after driving
off-road, check for foreign objects in the
wheels and drive train and remove them if
necessary. Foreign objects can disturb the balance and cause vibrations.
Driving over poor road surfaces places
greater demands on your vehicle than driving
on normal roads. After driving off-road, check the vehicle. This allows you to detect damage
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 Select the off-road program (Y page 250).
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Use the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle to shift to a lower gear appropriate
to the terrain.
R Drive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise, the vehicle could dig itself
into the sand.
R Drive in the tracks of other vehicles if pos-
sible. Make sure that:
- the tyre ruts are not too deep
- the sand is firm enough
- your vehicle has sufficient ground clear-
ance
Tyre ruts and gravel roads !
Check that the ruts 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
loose gravel:
R Activate the off-road program
(Y page 250).
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
steering wheel gearshift paddle.
R Drive slowly.
R Where ruts are too deep, drive with the
wheels on one side on the middle section of
turf if possible. Travelling uphill
Approach/departure angle G
WARNING
If you drive up a steep incline at an angle or
turn on a steep incline, the vehicle could slip
sideways, tip and overturn. There is a risk of
an accident.
When driving up an incline, drive into the line of fall (upwards or downwards in a straight
line) and do not turn.
R Observe the warnings for off-road driving
(Y page 226).
R Follow the line of fall when driving on slopes
and steep inclines.
R Before driving on extreme uphill and down-
hill gradients, select the off-road program
(Y page 250).
R Drive slowly.
R Accelerate gently and make sure that the
wheels are gripping.
R Avoid high engine speeds, except when
driving on sandy and muddy routes with
high driving resistance.
R Use the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle to shift to a lower gear appropriate
to the gradient.
R Use the left-hand gearshift paddle to shift
to a lower gear on long and steep downhill
gradients. Driving tips
229Driving and parking Z

Hill start assist will aid you when pulling away
on a hill. For further information about hill
start assist, see (Y page 191).
Do not shift into transmission position N
when driving off-road. You could lose control
of the vehicle if you attempt to brake the
vehicle using the service brake. If the gradient
is too steep for your vehicle, back up in
reverse gear.
Always observe the approach/departure
angle values (Y page 489).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability Always observe the maximum gradient climb-
ing ability values (Y page 489).
Hilltops When driving up an uphill gradient, slightly
reduce pressure on the accelerator immedi-
ately before reaching the brow of the hill.
Make use of the vehicle's own impetus to
travel over the brow.
This style of driving prevents:
R the vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill
R the vehicle from travelling too quickly down
the other side
Driving downhill R
Drive slowly.
R Do not drive at an angle down steep
inclines. Steer into the line of fall and drive with the front wheels aligned straight. Oth-erwise, the vehicle could slip sideways, tip
and overturn.
R Before tackling steep downhill gradients,
use the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle to shift to a lower gear.
R Activate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
gently. When doing so, make sure that the
vehicle is facing in the direction of the line
of fall.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch. Off-road ABS is activated when the off-road
program is selected.
At speeds below 30 km/h the front wheels
lock cyclically during braking. The digging-in
effect achieved in the process reduces the
stopping distance when driving off-road. The
steerability of the vehicle is considerably
reduced if the wheels lock.
Driving systems
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive stands for
innovative driver assistance and safety sys-
tems which enhance comfort and support the
driver in critical situations. With these intelli-
gent co-ordinated systems Mercedes-Benz
has set a milestone on the path towards
autonomous driving.
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive embraces all elements of active and passive safety in one
well thought-out system – for the safety of the vehicle occupants and that of other road
users.
Further information on driving safety systems (Y page 78). Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid exceeding the set speed. Change into
a lower gear in good time on long and steep
downhill gradients. Take particular note of
this when driving a laden vehicle and when
towing a trailer. By doing so, you will make
use of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con- ditions are appropriate for maintaining a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You canstore any road speed above 30 km/h. 230
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account road,
weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time, and for staying in
lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the speed stored.
Cruise control lever :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or to call up the
last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed A
To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. In addition, the ésymbol
appears in the multifunction display.
Speedometer with segments: when cruise
control is activated, the segments from the
stored speed to the maximum permitted
speed light up.
Selecting cruise control X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp :is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected. If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected. Driving systems
231Driving and parking Z

Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h.
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :
or down ;.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically braking the vehicle.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you :.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed Bear in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to the set speed.
X Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control 232
Driving systemsDriving and parking

lever up
:or down ;to the pressure
point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea- ses in 1 km/h increments.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: briefly press the cruise con-
trol lever up :or down ;beyond the
pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea- ses in 10 km/h increments.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel- erate to overtake, cruise control adjusts
the vehicle's speed to the last speed stored
after you have finished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards =.
or
X Brake.
or
X Briefly move the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow ;.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp :in the cruise control lever
is lit.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you apply the electric parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h R
ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you shift the transmission to position N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐ Cruise con‐
trol off
trol off message in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. SPEEDTRONIC
General notes SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that
you do not exceed the set speed. Change into a lower gear in good time on long and steep
downhill gradients. Take particular note of
this when driving a laden vehicle. By doing so,you will make use of the braking effect of the
engine. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, SPEED-
TRONIC can neither reduce the risk of an
accident nor override the laws of physics.
SPEEDTRONIC cannot take into account
road, weather or traffic conditions. SPEED-
TRONIC is only an aid. You are responsible for
the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
speed, for braking in good time, and for stay- ing in lane.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the speed stored.
You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. when driving with winter tyres
fitted (Y page 236) Driving systems
233Driving and parking Z

i
The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
:
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEED-
TRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and vari-
able SPEEDTRONIC.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec- ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/hw hile
the engine is running. Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp :is on.
If it is on, variable SPEEDTRONIC is already
selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever is on. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selec-
ted.
Storing the current speed You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :
or down ;.
The current speed is stored and shown in
the multifunction display.
Speedometer with segments: the seg-
ments light up from the start of the scale up
to the stored speed limit. 234
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you :.
Setting a speed X
To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: briefly press the cruise con-
trol lever up :beyond the pressure point
for a higher speed, or down ;for a lower
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 a higher speed or down ;for a
lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up :to the pressure point for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is
set. Press the cruise control lever up :for
a higher speed or down ;for a lower
speed.
Switching SPEEDTRONIC to passive
If you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the pressure point (kickdown), SPEED-
TRONIC is switched to passive mode. The
SPEEDTRONIC suspended
SPEEDTRONIC suspended message appears
in the multifunction display.
You can then exceed the stored speed.
SPEEDTRONIC is activated again if you:
R drive slower than the stored speed without
kickdown
R set a new speed or
R call up the last speed stored again
The SPEEDTRONIC suspended SPEEDTRONIC suspended message in
the multifunction display disappears.
Deactivating variable SPEEDTRONIC
It is not possible to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC by braking. Driving systems
235Driving and parking Z

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 ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
deactivated.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
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 a value between
160 km/h(e.g. for driving on winter tyres) and the maximum speed (Y page 333).
Shortly before the stored speed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction display.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC remains active,
even if variable SPEEDTRONIC is deactivated.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown). DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. Vehi-
cles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes
automatically so that the set speed is not
exceeded.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular note of this when driving a laden vehicle. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and acoustically. Without your intervention,
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot prevent a collision.
An intermittent warning tone will then sound
and the distance warning lamp will light up in
the instrument cluster. Brake immediately to
increase the distance to the vehicle driving in
front, or take evasive action, provided it is
safe to do so.
DISTRONIC PLUS operates in the range
between 0 km/h and 200 km/h.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on roads with steep gradients.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly rec-
ognise other road users and complex traffic
conditions.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be prepared to
brake, particularly if DISTRONIC PLUS warns
you. 236
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this deceleration is not sufficient,
DISTRONIC PLUS alerts you with a visual and
acoustic warning. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Apply the brakes yourself in these situations
and try to take evasive action.
! When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD
function is activated, the vehicle brakes
automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk
of an accident nor override the laws of phys-
ics. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take road and
weather conditions or traffic conditions into
account. DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You are responsible for the distance to the vehicle
in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time, and for staying in lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired in the case of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain R
interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example, in multi-storey car parks
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi-
cle in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate to the speed stored.
This speed can:
R be too high for a filter lane or a slip road
R be so high in the right lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the left (left-hand drive
countries)
R be so high in the left lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the right (right-hand
drive countries)
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever :
To activate or increase speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
A To activate or reduce speed
B To switch between DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
You can operate DISTRONIC PLUS and varia- ble SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control
lever. Driving systems
237Driving and parking Z