automatic transmission MERCEDES-BENZ GLE-Class 2016 W218 Workshop Manual

RIf possible, do not brake suddenly, but insteaddepress the brake pedal moderately at first so
that the trailer can activate its brakes. Then
increase the pressure on the brake pedal.
RIf the automatic transmission repeatedly
shifts between gears on uphill or downhill gra-
dients, shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter.
A lower gear and lower speed reduce the risk
of engine failure.
RWhen driving downhill, shift to a lower gear toutilize the engine's braking effect.
Avoid continuous brake application as this
may overheat the vehicle brakes and, if instal-
led, the trailer brakes.
RIf the coolant temperature increases dramat-
ically while the air-conditioning system is
switched on, switch off the air-conditioning
system.
Coolant heat can also be dissipated by open-
ing the windows and switching the ventilation blower and the interior temperature to the
highest level.
RWhen overtaking, pay particular attention to
the extended length of your vehicle/trailer
combination.
Due to the length of the vehicle/trailer com-
bination, you require additional road space in
relation to the vehicle you are overtaking
before you can change back to the original
lane.
Decoupling a trailer
GWARNING
If you uncouple a trailer with the overrun
brake engaged, you could trap your hand
between the vehicle and the trailer drawbar.
There is a risk of injury.
Do not uncouple a trailer if the overrun brake
is engaged.
GWARNING
Vehicles with level control:
The vehicle is lowered as soon as you discon-
nect the trailer cable. This could result in your
limbs or those of other people that are
between the vehicle body and tires or under-
neath the vehicle being trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the immediate
vicinity of the wheel housings or under the
vehicle when you disconnect the trailer cable.
!Do not disconnect a trailer with an engaged
overrun brake. Otherwise, your vehicle could
be damaged by the rebounding of the overrun brake.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XApply the vehicle's electric parking brake.
XStart the engine.
XClose the doors and tailgate.
XApply the trailer's parking brake.
XDetach the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer.
XSwitch off the engine.
Permissible trailer loads and drawbar
loads
Weight specifications
Maximum allowable gross mass
The gross vehicle weight of the trailer is calcu-
lated by adding the weight of the trailer to the
weight of the load and equipment on the trailer. You will find installing dimensions and loads
under "Technical data" (
Ypage 444).
Permissible noseweight
You will find installing dimensions and loads
under "Technical data" (Ypage 444).
Loading a trailer
RWhen loading the trailer, make sure that nei-
ther the permissible gross weight of the trailer
nor the gross vehicle weight are exceeded.
The permissible gross vehicle weight is indi-
cated on the identification plate located on
the B-pillar on the driver's side of the vehicle.
You can find the maximum permissible values
on the type plates of your vehicle and the
trailer. When calculating how much weight
Towing a trailer261
Driving and parking
Z

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
F(USA
only)
!( Canada
only)
Tur nOn the Igni‐
tio ntoReleas etheParkingBrake
The red F(USAonly) or !(Canada only) indicator lamp lights
up.
You attempte dto release th eelectric parking brak ewhile th eignition
was switched off .
XSmartKey:tur nth eSmartKey to position 1in th eignition lock.
XKEYLESS-GO: switch on theignition .
F(USA
only)
!( Canada
only)
Please
Releas ePark‐ing Brake
The red F(USAonly) or !(Canada only) indicator lamp flashes
and awarning tone sounds. Acondition for automatic release of th e
electric parking brak eis no tfulfilled (
Ypage 179).
You are drivin gwit hth eelectric parking brak eapplied.
XReleas eth eelectric parking brak emanually.
The red F(USAonly) or !(Canada only) indicator lamp flashes
and awarning tone sounds.
You are usin gth eelectric parking brak efor emergenc ybraking
(
Ypage 179).
F(USA
only)
!( Canada
only)
Parkin gBrake See
Operator' sManual
The yellow !warning lamp lights up.
The electric parking brak eis malfunctioning .
To apply :
XSwitchth eignition off .
XPress theelectric parking brak ehandle for at least te nseconds.
XShift th etransmission to position P.
XConsultaqualified specialist workshop .
The yellow!warning lamp and th ered F (USAonly) or !
(Canada only) indicator lamp ligh tup.
The electric parking brak eis malfunctioning .
To release:
XSwitc hoff th eignition and tur nit bac kon .
XReleas eth eelectric parking brak emanually.
or
XReleas eth eelectric parking brak eautomatically (Ypage 179).
If th eelectric parking brak estill canno tbe released:
XDo no tdrive on .
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop .
284Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The redF(USAonly) or !(Canada only) indicator lamp flashes
and th eyellow !warning lamp lights up.
The electric parking brak eis malfunctioning .
To release:
XSwitc hoff th eignition and tur nit bac kon .
XReleas eth eelectric parking brak emanually.
To apply :
XSwitchoff th eignition and tur nit bac kon .
XApply th eelectric parking brak emanually.
If th ered F (USAonly) or !(Canada only) indicator lamp con-
tinue sto flash:
XDo no tdrive on .
XSecureth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 409).
XShift th etransmission to position P.
XTurn thefron twheels toward sth ecurb.
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop .
The yellow!warning lamp lights up. The red F(USAonly)
or ! (Canada only) indicator lamp flashes for about te nseconds
after th eelectric parking brak ehas been applie dor released. It then
goe sout or remain slit .
The electric parking brak eis malfunctioning .
XSwitchoff th eignition and tur nit bac kon .
XApply th eelectric parking brake.
If it is no tpossibl eto engage th eelectric parking brake:
XShift th etransmission to position P.
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
If it is no tpossibl eto release th eelectric parking brake:
XReleas eth eelectric parking brak eautomatically (Ypage 179).
If th eelectric parking brak estill canno tbe released:
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop .
The yellow!warning lamp lights up. If you manually apply or
release th eelectric parking brake, th ered F (USAonly) or !
(Canada only) indicator lamp flashes .
The electric parking brak eis malfunctioning .It is no tpossibl eto apply
th eelectric parking brak emanually.
XShift th etransmission to position P.
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
Display messages285
On-board computer and displays
Z

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
LOW RANGE Max.Speed 25 mphYou haveexceeded th emaximum speed for th egearshift process.
XDrive mor eslowly.
The gear chang eis made .
LOW RANGE Max .Speed 40 mphYou haveexceeded th emaximum speed for th egearshift process.
XDrive mor eslowly.
The gear chang eis made .
LOW RANGE Shift toPosition NBriefl yYou hav ereduce dth evehicl espeed, but th eautomatic transmission
is no tin position N.
XBriefly shift th eautomatic transmission to position N.
LOW RANGE ShiftingCanceled PleaseReactivat e
The gearshift process has been canceled.
XRepeat thegearshift process.
Ã
Inoperative
DS R(Downhill Speed Regulation )is deactivated due to amalfunction .
XHaveDS Rchecke dat aqualified specialist workshop .
TrafficSignAssistCurrently Unavaila‐ble See Operator' sManual
Traffic SignAssis tis temporarily inoperative.
Possibl ecauses are:
Rth ewindshield in th ecamera' sfield of vision is dirty.
Rvisibilit yis impaire ddue to heav yrain ,snow or fog .
XClean thewindshield.
If th esystem detects that th ecamera is fully operational, th edisplay
message disappears.
Traffic Sig nAssis tis operational again .
TrafficSignAssistInoperativeTraffic Sig nAssis tis faulty.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
ë
Off
The HOLD function is deactivated. The vehicl eis skidding.
A warning tone also sounds.
XReactivat eth eHOLD function later (Ypage 204).
304Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
TirePressure Moni‐tor Inoperative NoWheel Sensor s
The wheels mounte ddo no thav e a suitable tire pressur esensor .The
tire pressur emonitor is deactivated.
XMoun twheels wit hsuitable tire pressur esensors.
The tire pressur emonitor is activated automatically after drivin gfor
a few minutes.
Tir ePress.Monito rInoperativeThe tire pressur emonitor is faulty.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
Vehicle
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
Shiftto'P'or'N'to Start EngineYou haveattempte dto start th eengin ewit hth etransmission in posi-
tion Ror D.
XShift th etransmission to position Por N.
Apply Brake toShift fro m'P'You hav eattempte dto shift th etransmission to position D,Ror N
without depressing th ebrak epedal .
XDepress th ebrak epedal .
ToDeselectPorN,Depres sBrake andStart Engine
Wit hth eengin eswitched off ,you hav eattempte dto shift th etrans -
mission out of position Por Nint oanother transmission position .
XDepress thebrak epedal .
XStart th eengine.
TransmissionNotinP Ris kof Vehicl eRollingAwa y
The driver's door is open/not completely closed and th etransmission
is in position R,N or D.
A warning tone also sounds.
GWARNIN G
The vehicl emay rol laway.
There is aris kof an accident.
XShift th etransmission to position P.
XSecureth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 178).
XCloseth edriver's door completely.
Onl yShift to 'P'whe nVehicl eisSta‐tionar y
The vehicl eis moving .
XStop thevehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin gattention to roa d
and traffic conditions.
XShift th etransmission to position P.
Display messages311
On-board computer and displays
Z

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
ServiceRequiredDoNot Shift GearsVisit Dealer
You canno tchang eth etransmission position due to amalfunction .
A warning tone also sounds.
If transmission position Dis selected:
XDrive to aqualified specialist workshop without shifting th etrans -
mission from position D.
If transmission position R,N or Pis selected:
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 178).
XNotify aqualified specialist workshop or breakdown service.
ReversingNotPossi‐bleServic eRequiredYou canno tshift int oth etransmission position Rdue to amalfunction .
The transmission position sP,N or Dcontinu eto be available.
A warning tone also sounds.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
Transmission Mal‐function StopAmalfunction has occurred in th emechanical transmission compo -
nents.
A warning tone also sounds. The gearbox automatically shift sto posi-
tion N.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XShift th etransmission to position P.
XSecureth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 178).
XNotify aqualified specialist workshop or breakdown service.
Sto pVehicl eLeaveEngineRunnin gWaitTransmission Cool‐ing
PLUG-I NHYBRID vehicles:
The transmission has overheated. Pullin gaway can be temporarily
impaire dor no tpossible.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions. Do no tcontinu edrivin g
under any circumstances.
XWait until th edisplay message disappear sbefore pullin gaway.
Auxiliary Batter yMalfunctionThe auxiliary battery for th eautomatic transmission is no longer bein g
charged.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
XUntilthen ,set th eautomatic transmission to position Pbefore you
switch off th eengine.
XBefor eleaving th evehicle, apply th eelectric parking brake.
AThe tailgat eis open .
GWARNIN G
Whe nth eengin eis running, exhaust gase scan ente rth evehicl einte-
rio rif th etailgat eis open .
There is aris kof poisoning .
XCloseth etailgate.
312Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Warning/
indicator
lampNSignal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
Solutions
!NThe yellow ABS warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles:
The yellow ABS warning lamp is shown in the READY driving status.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) is deactivated due to a malfunction. BAS (Brake
Assist), BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS, ESP
®(Electronic Stability Program), ESP®trailer stabilization, EBD (Elec-
tronic Brake-force Distribution), PRE ‑SAFE®, PRE‑SAFE®PLUS, PRE ‑SAFE®Brake,
HOLD function, hill start assist, Crosswind Assist, STEER CONTROL, Active Lane
Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist, for example, are therefore also deac-
tivated.
In addition, the ÷andå warning lamps may light up in the instrument
cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
GWARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed
above. The wheels could therefore lock if you brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affected. The braking
distance in an emergency braking situation can increase.
If ESP
®is not operational, ESP®is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
XDrive on carefully.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.
If the ABS control unit is faulty, there is also a possibility that other systems, such
as the navigation system or the automatic transmission, will not be available.
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster319
On-board computer and displays
Z

!Before driving into an automatic car wash,
make sure that it is suitable for the dimen-
sions of the vehicle. In particular, make sure
that:
Rthere is enough ground clearance between
the vehicle underbody and the guide rails of
the automatic car wash.
Rthe clearance width of the automatic car
wash is sufficient, particularly the width of
the guide rails.
Ryou enter the automatic car wash straight
and in the center of the guide rails in order
to avoid damaging the tires or wheel rims.
Fold in the exterior mirrors before the vehicle
is washed. The exterior mirrors could other-
wise be damaged.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function is
activated, the vehicle brakes automatically in
certain situations.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
!Never clean your vehicle in a Touchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
!Make sure that:
Rthe side windows and the sliding sunroof
are fully closed.
Rthe ventilation/heating is switched off (the
OFF button has been pressed).
Rthe windshield wiper switch is in position 0.
Otherwise, the vehicle might be damaged.
!In car washes with a towing mechanism,
make sure that the automatic transmission is
in transmission position N, otherwise the
vehicle could be damaged.
RVehicles with a SmartKey:
Do not remove the SmartKey from the igni-
tion lock. Do not open the driver's door or
front-passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position Pauto-
matically and locks the wheels. You can
prevent this by shifting the automatic trans-
mission to Nbeforehand.
RVehicles with KEYLESS-GO: Do not open the driver's door or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position
Pauto-
matically and locks the wheels.
Observe the following to make sure that the
automatic transmission stays in position N:
XMake sure the vehicle is stationary and the
ignition is switched off.
XTurn the SmartKey to position2in the ignition
lock (Ypage 145).
Use the SmartKey instead of the Start/ Stop
button on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO.
XDepress and hold the brake pedal.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off wax
from the windshield and the wiper blades. This
will prevent smears and reduce wiping noises
caused by residue on the windshield.
Washing by hand
In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements in all countries
concerned.
XDo not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
XUse a soft sponge to clean.
XUse a mild cleaning agent, such as a car
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz.
XThoroughly hose down the vehicle with a gen-
tle jet of water.
XDo not point the water jet directly towards the
air inlets.
XUse plenty of water and rinse out the sponge
frequently.
XRinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with a chamois.
XDo not let the cleaning agent dry on the paint-
work.
362Care
Maintenance and care

Otherwise, the automatic transmission may
shift to positionPwhen the driver's or front-
passenger door are opened, which could lead
to damage to the transmission.
!Do not tow with sling-type equipment. This
could damage the vehicle.
!Vehicles with differential locks: make sure
the differential locks are in automatic mode.
When towing, the differential locks must not
be switched on. The transmission may other- wise be damaged.
!The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 miles (50km). The towing speed of 30 mph
(50 km/h) must not be exceeded.
If the vehicle has to be towed more than
30 miles (50km), the entire vehicle must be
raised and transported.
It is better to have the vehicle transported than
to have it towed away.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission damage,
have it transported on a transporter or trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in position
N when the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
Rcannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock
Rcannot release the electric parking brake
Rcannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
Disarm the automatic locking feature before the vehicle is towed (
Ypage 275). You could other-
wise be locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles:
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles may not be towed
away but must instead be transported, if:
Rthe multifunction display is not working or
Rthe á Towing Not Permitted SeeOperator'sManualmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
If the vehicle is in a dangerous area, it can be
towed out of that area with both axles on the
ground. In this case, the towing distance must
not be greater than 165 ft (50 m)and must not
exceed a towing speed of 6 mph (10 km/h). For
longer distances, have the vehicle loaded and
transported.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
The brackets for the screw-in towing eye are
located in the bumpers. They are at the front and
rear behind covers :;.
XRemove the towing eye from the vehicle tool
kit (Ypage 369).
XTo open the cover at the front: press the
mark on cover :inwards in the direction of
the arrow.
XTo open the cover at the rear: insert a flat,
blunt object into the cutout and lever
cover ;out of the bumper.
XTake cover :or; off the opening.
XScrew in the towing eye clockwise as far as it
will go and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye
XUnscrew and remove the towing eye.
XPosition cover :or; in the bumper and
press the cover on until it engages.
XPlace the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit.
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
The automatic transmission automatically shifts
to position Pwhen you open the driver's or front-
passenger door or when you remove the Smart-
Key from the ignition lock.
382Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assitance

In order to ensure that the automatic transmis-
sion stays in positionNwhen towing the vehicle,
you must observe the following points:
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the ignition
lock.
XDepress and hold the brake pedal.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
N.
XLeave the SmartKey in position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
(Ypage 116).
In order to signal a change of direction when
towing the vehicle with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination switch
as usual. In this case, only the indicator lamps
for the direction of travel flash. After resetting
the combination switch, the hazard warning
lamp starts flashing again.
Transporting the vehicle
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles
Transportation of the vehicle should only be car-
ried out by professional recovery companies.
4MATIC vehicles/vehicles with auto-
matic transmission
!When the vehicle is loaded for transport, the
front and rear axles must be stationary and on
the same transportation vehicle. Positioning
over the connection point of the transport
vehicle is not permitted. The drive train may
otherwise be damaged.
All vehicles
!You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise, the
vehicle could be damaged.
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transporting pur-
poses.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the ignition
lock.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
N.
As soon as the vehicle has been loaded:
XPrevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.
XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
XSecure the vehicle.
Information on 4MATIC vehicles
!
Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised, as
doing so will damage the transmission.
Vehicles with 4MATIC may either be towed away with both axles on the ground or be loaded up
and transported.
If the vehicle's transmission, front, or rear axle is
damaged, have the vehicle transported on a
truck or trailer.
In the event of damage to the electrical sys-
tem: if the battery is defective, the automatic
transmission will be locked in position P. To shift
the automatic transmission to position N, you
must provide power to the vehicle's electrical
system in the same way as when jump-starting
(
Ypage 379).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter or
trailer.
Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
!
Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be tow-started. You could otherwise dam-
age the automatic transmission.
Towing and tow-starting383
Breakdown assitance
Z